Smoky Mountain News | October 13, 2021

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

October 13-19, 2021 Vol. 23 Iss. 20

Flood assistance deadline approaching Page 4 School data shows pandemic learning loss Page 12

CONTENTS On the Cover: Nonprofit organization Vecinos — the Spanish word for neighbors — is working to make sure LatinX, immigrant and migrant neighbors in Western North Carolina are able to navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic by providing a mobile vaccination unit. (Page 6) Donated photo

News Flood assistance deadline approaching ......................................................................4 Moe Davis hits Cawthorn with low blow ......................................................................8 Congressman defies law on school property ............................................................9 Bus driver shortage challenges WNC schools ......................................................11 School data shows pandemic learning loss ............................................................12 Early voting begins Thursday ........................................................................................13 Franklin to hire code enforcement officer ..................................................................15 Haywood tourism has best year in history ................................................................16

Opinion Our public health crisis is not over yet ......................................................................20 One of those moments — the Rolling Stones ..........................................................21

A&E J.J. Hipps, Gold Rose to play Apple Jam ..................................................................22 Torches: literary lights for dark times............................................................................29

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

October 13-19, 2021

Disc golf course will open soon in Cherokee ..........................................................30

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Flood assistance deadline approaching

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ith a deadline looming and many in Western North Carolina still struggling to recover from deadly flooding this past August, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Association want to make one thing clear: help in the form of lowinterest loans is still available, but it won’t be here forever.

“The strong message that we want to get out is that the deadline is Nov. 8 for survivors and residents to fill out their registration with FEMA,” said Rossyveth Rey-Berrios, a Spanish/English media relations specialist with FEMA. “This is the first step.”

Typically, those seeking individual assistance from FEMA have experienced flood damage to their homes, although other types of losses may also be covered. But FEMA works as sort of a tag-team with the SBA to deliver relief to victims.

“FEMA provides safe, sanitary and secure provisions. Their purpose is to come in as soon as the disaster is declared and make sure that people can eat, that they have somewhere to stay and they can subsist,” said Terrell Perry, a public affairs specialist for the SBA. “And then they apply with SBA. SBA helps to start repairing your structure or replacing your contents, replacing your cars, et cetera.”

During FEMA registration, applicants will need to have a few things handy, like a checking account and routing number, the affected property’s address and a phone number.

Sharon Gadbois, a public affairs specialist with the SBA, said that upon registering with FEMA, applicants will likely get kicked over to the SBA though an email link.

Although the SBA does indeed deal with small businesses — as the name suggests — people shouldn’t be confused by that, because the SBA is very much ready to handle applications by individuals.

“We have four different types of disaster loans,” Gadbois said. “We have them for homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits and then also we have mitigation. For homeowners and renters, you don’t need to have a business.”

More documentation will be required at

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October 13-19, 2021

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SBA Small Business Recovery Centers Physical disaster loans from the SBA remain available to businesses, nonprofits, homeowners and renters in Buncombe, Haywood, and Transylvania counties. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available to small businesses and most nonprofits in a wider area to include Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Rutherford, Swain and Yancey counties in North Carolina, as well as Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties in South Carolina and Cocke and Sevier counties in Tennessee. Apply online at sba.gov/disaster using declaration #17155 or call 800.659.2955. Or, meet one-on-one with an SBA rep for answers to your questions at one of several field operations centers in the declared disaster area.

this stage of the process, including a driver’s license and a blank, dated, voided check.

Applicants should also be sure to note their application number on all document submissions, in case the documents get misfiled along the way.

Loans granted through this process are designed to expedite home repair for the underinsured, the uninsured and those with insurance.

For example, an insured homeowner who experienced damage would typically file an insurance claim, get an estimate for the cost of the repairs and engage a contractor, paying that contractor out-of-pocket or waiting for a check from their insurance company before beginning work.

With a disaster assistance loan, that homeowner wouldn’t have to use personal savings to pay the contractor, or wait for the insurance check to come. Instead, they could use the proceeds of the loan and when the insurance company check comes, use that to pay off the loan.

If the homeowner already dipped into savings, the loan could be used to replenish those funds, and if the insurance company doesn’t quite provide enough funding for the repairs, the loan could help bridge that gap.

“Most people do not know that if they

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Register with FEMA

by Nov. 8 for individual assistance Individuals affected with flood damage covered by President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration of Sept. 8 (Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties) are encouraged to register with FEMA by Nov. 8, in reference to North Carolina Disaster Declaration DR4617-NC. There are several ways to do so.

• Online: fema.gov • Smartphone app: apple.com/app-store or samsung.com/us/apps/galaxy-store • Telephone: 800.621.3362 already have repaired or rebuilt their property, they can get from reimbursed for that expense,” Rey-Berrios said.

The same goes for renters who have lost personal property, or uninsured homeowners. Home repair can be expensive, especially if you’re footing the entire bill with cash, so the loan could help lessen the sting for some.

It does so in a variety of ways, as a disaster

assistance loan is a different animal than the more common bank loan.

“We do look at credit, however, we don’t solely grant loans based on credit,” said Perry.

“We take into consideration assets as well as history, as well as for businesses, revenue potential. Those kinds of things we take into consideration. Normal financial institutions may or may not take those into consideration.”

Loans are typically disbursed two or three weeks after approval, and applicants generally have up to six months to accept them.

Applicants don’t have to accept the full amount, either. Once accepted, the loans don’t require the first payment for a full 18 months. Terms are usually 15 to 30 years with no prepayment penalty and offer rock-bottom fixed interest rates: 1.563% for homeowners, and 2.855% for businesses.

Of particular interest to people in the declared individual disaster area (Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties) are the thousands of private roads and bridges across the mountainous west. Perry said they’re covered too.

“Sometimes they’re owned by individuals, so the individual would need to apply. And then sometimes several families use the private road or bridge. In that case, the families would need to come together and make sure that their individual loan officers know,” Perry said. “If you have a homeowners association that owns the road or bridge, the HOA would apply.”

The entire endeavor is designed to be quick, easy and beneficial to victims of natural disasters, but complications resulting in denials can occur. Although there is an appeals process in the event of an unfavorable determination, sometimes the ultimate reason people are denied assistance is of their own making.

“Encourage your readers to please take their time when filling out the application. It’s very important because when they call in to ask about their application, they have to verify their identity and if those key things are not there, then they’ll be like, ‘Sorry, I can’t talk to you anymore,’ and [people] get frustrated,” Gadbois said. “It’s very important that they double-check, triple-check, even a bank account.”

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inglés) se compromete a ayudar a todos los sobrevivientes de desastre elegibles a recuperarse de la tormenta tropical Fred, incluyendo los ciudadanos estadounidenses, los nacionales no ciudadanos y los extranjeros cualificados.

Para ser elegible para la asistencia del Programa de Individuos y Familias (IHP, por sus siglas en inglés) de FEMA, usted o un miembro de su hogar debe ser ciudadano estadounidense, nacional no ciudadano o extranjero cualificado. Sin embargo, las familias indocumentadas con condición migratoria diversa solo necesitan que un miembro de la familia (incluyendo un hijo menor) sea ciudadano estadounidense, nacional no ciudadano o extranjero cualificado con número de Seguro Social para solicitar asistencia.

La fecha límite para solicitar asistencia de FEMA es el 8 de noviembre de 2021.

Si no está seguro de su condición migratoria, hable con un experto en inmigración para averiguar si su situación corresponde a alguno de los requisitos de condición migratoria para alas asistencia por desastre de FEMA.

WE RECYCLE WASTE WOOD STUMPS • LIMBS • BRUSH

ORGANIZACIONES VOLUNTARIAS Las organizaciones voluntarias ofrecen ayuda independientemente de su condición migratoria. Para encontrar organizaciones voluntarias en su área de desastre: • Llame al 800-RED CROSS (800.733.2767) o visite la página web de www.redcross.org/findyour-local-chapter.html.

• Para aprender más sobre otras organizaciones voluntarias, visite www.ncvoad.org.

Los sobrevivientes en los condados afectados pueden solicitar asistencia de las siguientes maneras: • Para solicitar la asistencia por desastre de FEMA, visite DisasterAssistance.gov/es, llame al 800.621.3362 o use la aplicación móvil de FEMA para teléfonos inteligentes. Si usted usa un servicio de retransmisión, tal como el Servicio de Retransmisión de Video (VRS, por sus siglas en inglés), servicio telefónico con subtítulos u otros, proporcione a FEMA el número de ese servicio. Las líneas telefónicas están disponibles los siete días de la semana, de 7 a.m. a 11 p.m. en la hora local.

• Para más información sobre la recuperación de la tormenta tropical Fred en Carolina del Norte, visite fema.gov/es/disaster/4617 y ncdps.gov/TSFred. Síganos en Twitter: @NCEmergency y @FEMARegion4.

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath Q: I have arthritis and am trying to follow a healthy diet but am on a fixed income so organic products are too expensive for me to buy regularly. Can you please advise me?

A: First, good news... you don't have to buy organic to eat healthy! The organic label refers to agricultural standards and has nothing to do with nutrition or health. That being said, we do have our Ingles store brand of organic products known as "Harvest Farms" which may be more affordable.

October 13-19, 2021

Un extranjero cualificado incluye a los siguientes: • Residente permanente legal (titular de tarjeta verde) • Asilado, refugiado o extranjero cuya deportación está siendo denegada • Extranjero que entró a los EE. UU. bajo palabra durante al menos un año • Extranjero que obtuvo entrada condicional (por ley en vigencia antes del 1 de abril de 1980) • Cubano/haitiano admitido • Ciertos extranjeros que han sido sujetos a crueldad extrema o que han sido víctimas de una forma severa del tráfico humano, incluyendo las personas con una visa “T” o “U.”

Los adultos que son elegibles por estar en una de las tres categorías indicadas arriba, incluyendo a los indocumentados, pueden solicitar asistencia en nombre de un hijo menor que cumple los requisitos y tiene un número de Seguro Social. El menor debe vivir con el padre, madre o tutor que solicita la asistencia en su nombre. El padre, madre o tutor no tendrá que proporcionar ninguna información sobre su propia condición migratoria y no tendrá que firmar ningún documento sobre su propia condición.

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Requisitos de ciudadanía para los sobrevivientes que solicitan asistencia de FEMA a Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en HIJO MEJOR CUALIFICADO

Dietary recommendations for arthritis, and for inflammation in general, often fall in line with what is called the Mediterranean Diet:

— Rossyveth Rey-Berrios, Spanish/English media relations specialist with FEMA

• Daily: eat fruits and vegetables (including beans), nuts and seeds • At least 2-3 times/week ffor anti-inflammatory benefits of omega 3-fatty acids make sure you eat fish/seafood. this can be in any form - fresh, frozen or canned.

• Avoid foods and beverages that are high in salt or sugar, avoid fried foods and high fat meats, limit caffeinated beverages and alcohol.

• Engage in activity and exercise as ok'd by your physician.

Miscommunications in the process can also take place, but FEMA and the SBA have the resources to ensure that they’re not because of a language barrier.

Rey-Barrios said that they’ve encountered at least three significant populations in the three-county disaster area that do not use English as a first language. Although the Hispanic community is an obvious guess, the other two aren’t — Greeks and Russians.

Regardless of language or nationality, undocumented people do not qualify for individual assistance from FEMA or SBA disaster

loan assistance, except in one instance — through the birthright citizenship of their children.

As of Oct. 8, a total of 154 SBA disaster assistance loan applications resulted in funding of $775,000 according to Perry, but the window is rapidly closing for those who haven’t yet applied.

“After Nov. 8, registration for FEMA’s individual [assistance] system will be closed,” Rey-Berrios said. “There’s no other way that you can get registered, so we do encourage that.”

For more information try: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayoclinic-minute-fighting-arthritis-with-food/

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Smoky Mountain News

“The strong message that we want to get out is that the deadline is Nov. 8 for survivors and residents to fill out their registration with FEMA. This is the first step.”

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

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

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and medical information can often be found translated into Spanish in the U.S., it is much more difficult to get that vital information in Mixtec, Zapotec, Trique or Mayan. Working with people who speak Spanish as a second language, or not at all, is just one more piece to the puzzle for Vecinos.

As Vecinos has grown in the 20 years since its inception, the model of medical outreach has largely remained the same. In addition to its normal outreach, Vecinos now aims to partner with farm owners to ensure that all farm workers are taken care of.

“With the pandemic last year, we started to see that we needed to play a different role in our communities,” said Yolanda Pinzon Uribe, community health program manager.

“We needed to give our farm workers information and education about COVID. We had to be aware of all our LatinX communities, that those without any kind of health insurance had the ability to make it through the pandemic.”

For many in the LatinX, immigrant and migrant communities options are limited, Yolanda says, for reasons like immigration status, economic status or the type of job they are working.

STAGE I

October 13-19, 2021

Vecinos staff member administers COVID-19 vaccine in mobile clinic. Donated photo

VECINOS

Serving the invisible neighbors of WNC

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Coronavirus Pandemic has been a trying experience for everyone.

Quarantine, the threat of serious illness and job loss have affected millions of people in the United States. But what about those who don’t have access to basic health care?

How do non-English speakers find information about COVID-19? How do people without an identification card find COVID-19 testing or vaccines?

Vecinos is the word for neighbors in Spanish, and this nonprofit is working to make sure LatinX, immigrant and migrant neighbors in Western North Carolina are able to navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Smoky Mountain News

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VECINOS

Vecinos is a nonprofit health care organization serving and advocating for farm workers in Western North Carolina. The nonprofit began unofficially in 2001 when founders Josie Ellis, RN, and Dr. Mark Heffington started visiting migrant labor camps in 6 Jackson County with a grant from the North

Carolina Farmworker Health Program. Ellis and Heffington developed a medical outreach model that is still the primary method of care for Vecinos today. The idea is to break down health care barriers by bringing services directly to the workers.

The second piece of the work Vecinos does is to advocate for the social and economic wellbeing of farm workers and their families in Western North Carolina communities.

The group services the eight westernmost counties in North Carolina as well as some communities in Buncombe, Henderson and Rabun County, Georgia. In addition to clinical healthcare, Vecinos services include a monthly food bank program, wellness group classes, health education and case management services like appointment scheduling, transportation and interpretation.

“Farmworkers often feel like an invisible population,” reads the Vecinos mission statement. “At Vecinos, we don’t just offer health care, we aim to show appreciation for the important work that farm workers do, offer them the support and care that all people deserve and welcome them to our area as valuable members of our community.”

“It’s not only for COVID, it’s for many things. It’s health education, it’s quality of life, it’s wellness and we need to work on that. What is next is to have the best program to promote wellness and good behavior.”

—Yolanda Pinzon Uribe, Vecinos community health program manager

According to Farmworker Justice, a Washington-based nonprofit working to ensure safe living and working conditions for migrant and seasonal farm workers, the majority of the 2.4 million people working on farms and ranches in the United States are immigrants, at least 49% of whom lack authorized immigration status. According to the most recent data from the department of labor, foreign-born workers make up 75% of the farm workforce, United States citizens make up 29% and legal permanent residents make up 21%.

Additionally, there is an influx of migrant and immigrant workers from indigenous communities of Latin America. While legal

When the Pandemic broke out in early 2020, and shutdowns began for North Carolina in March, Vecinos was focused primarily on educating the LatinX community, informing them where and how to get tested and when testing was necessary.

In November of 2020, Vecinos started its mobile clinic. After securing a donor for free testing, the mobile clinic began making its rounds, administering free COVID-19 tests to LatinX, migrant and immigrant communities in Western North Carolina. November through January, Vecinos administered 198 tests.

The mobile clinic is staffed by both medical and non-medical support. Non-medical support focuses its efforts on outreach and communication, finding people who need assistance and medical support helps to administer testing and communicates important information about COVID-19.

Throughout the first few months of its operation, the mobile clinic was also giving out what they deemed “COVID kits,” which contained hand sanitizer, masks and information about what to do if you test positive for COVID-19, why it’s important to quarantine.

STAGE II After the vaccine became available in December, Vecinos started to plan how they could administer vaccines to people. As the name Vecinos indicates, the organization is community minded and so they looked to partners within their community to help in the process.

“We needed to work with the health department. We needed to work with organizations, partners around Western North Carolina,” said Uribe.

Vecinos partnered with the health departments in the eight counties they serve, the International Friendship Center in

For more information about Vecinos or how to volunteer, visit www.vecinos.org.

vides whether through an employer or community organization. Uribe decided this was the perfect time to get back in the mobile clinic and find the people Vecinos had been unable to reach up to this point.

“I said, ‘I have an idea. We have mobile clinics, we can go home by home, house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood. We already have the mobile clinics where we can do this. We need to do this,’” said Uribe.

Uribe and Marianne Martinez, executive director of Vecinos, worked to find clinical support for the mobile clinic, as well as vaccines. By May 18, the mobile clinic was off, going around Jackson County, finding those in the community that needed to be vaccinated.

best information possible to help you to make a decision, whatever the decision you make. I want you to know that I will be there for you,” said Uribe. “If you don’t want the vaccine you need to make a plan, a plan to be ready if something happens. I try to help people make a plan because if you start to become sick, the implications are big.”

The work of providing the mobile clinic to immigrant and migrant communities in Western North Carolina is grueling. The best time of day to assist people is after regular working hours. This means Uribe and her team often work a full day in their office preparing and conducting outreach. Then, the mobile clinic will leave the office around 4 or 5 p.m. to meet people where they are, at work or at home, and provide what is needed.

“Sometimes we don’t finish work in the mobile clinic until midnight, or one in the morning,” she said. “My team has a passion for helping these people, we want everyone to get the shot, it’s more than just a job.” oving forward, Uribe sees COVID-19 as something we need to learn how to live with, something that will likely be around for the long haul. She wants to see Vecinos continue to educate people about how to live healthy, safe lives. The measures we use to prevent COVID-19, masking, hand washing, social distance and quarantining when sick, Uribe says, also help prevent countless other dangerous illnesses.

“It’s not only for COVID, it’s for many things. It’s health education, it’s quality of life, it’s wellness and we need to work on that.

What is next is to have the best program to promote wellness and good behavior.”

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October 13-19, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

That first event gave Vecinos the confidence it needed, the understanding that it could continue to put events like the first one on for the community, and the community would show up. But the community exceeded expectations.

About 100 people attended the second vaccination clinic Vecinos hosted, then 150 at the next, then 200, then 300.

“The key definitely was the outreach, how we went out and found the people,” said Uribe. “We helped at vaccination events in Haywood, here in Jackson County. We had two big events in Sylva, one vaccinated 100 people, the other about 200 people. We helped a business in Canton to get their people vaccinated. Then all of a sudden we blinked and it was the last week of April, first week of May.” By that first week of May Vecinos had given out 2,418 shots — 1,023 people had received the first shot, 878 people had received a second shot and 520 people had received the single shot. Some of those people had come all the way from Henderson County, Buncombe County and even Georgia to receive vaccines from the Vecinos team in a place they knew they would be safe and accepted.

Yolanda Pinzon Uribe

“I started to call it ‘One by One, All in One’ because we speak with the people one by one. It’s a mobile clinic so it’s more personal and it’s all in one. They have information, education, testing if they need it and they have the vaccine. And if they are in crisis, if we cannot help them, we can find someone who can help them,” said Uribe.

In addition to information about COVID19, testing and vaccinations, the mobile clinic also offers boxes of food and supplies for families that need to quarantine, or families that are in need of food assistance.

The mobile clinic started in Jackson County and was quickly approved to operate in Cherokee County, Graham County and Macon County.

From May 18 through Sept. 17, the Vecinos Mobile Clinic doled out 790 shots.

Those consisted of 264 first shots, 192 second shots and 313 single shots.

Finding the people who needed access to COVID-19 vaccines, testing and information was one of the hardest parts for Uribe’s team.

They literally had to go knock on doors, one neighborhood at a time, talking to people and offering help.

“We found that when we find people, if we have the vaccine there ready to go, they will get it,” said Uribe.

This instant approach was vital, according to Uribe. Instead of having a pre-clinic with information and paperwork in order to administer the vaccine at a later date, people were much more likely to get the vaccine if they could offer it up immediately.

It was also important to Uribe that people didn’t feel any pressure to get vaccinated.

“I want you to take the information, the

STAGE III In speaking with her colleagues during the first week of May, Yolanda and her teammates decided they had likely vaccinated most of the people in the LatinX community who wanted to be vaccinated and who wanted to be found.

The team now became interested in more intense outreach, in finding members of the LatinX community that are more difficult to reach, those that didn’t have easy access to knowledge about the services Vecinos pro-

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Highlands, Community Care Clinic in Highlands and Cashiers and HighlandsCashiers Hospital. The 30th Judicial District Alliance also helps connect immigrant families in need with the services Vecinos provides.

Because the LatinX community is considered a high-risk population in Western North Carolina, in part because the majority of migrant and immigrant LatinX populations don’t have health insurance, Vecinos was able to begin vaccinating people in February. The first wave of vaccines was available for people 65 and older, people working in primary care and those considered high-risk.

“I will never forget, the 14th of February in Highlands, we did a big event,” said Uribe.

“At the Farm at Old Edwards in Highlands.”

That was the first vaccination event Vecinos held for LatinX people in Western North Carolina. All in all, 30 people took advantage of the event and the organizers were ecstatic.

“We made it a party. We were so happy.

We believed we had made the best outreach imaginable,” said Uribe. “We danced that day. It was the best day of our lives.”

Local family shows off vaccination cards. Donated photo

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Below the belt Vulgarity, divisiveness push NC political discourse to a new low

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR orth Carolina’s known as a purple state where fierce partisan divide is the norm, but after two high-profile politicians — one a former NC-11 candidate and the other the current lieutenant governor — prompted outrage with recent vulgarities, their respective parties are stuck in a tough spot and facing difficult decisions over how to respond.

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he defended a 2019 tweet about stomping on the necks of “NCGOP extremists” — by decrying pearl-clutching “purity politics” and questioning the willingness of Democrats to fight fire with fire.

But some people weren’t buying it.

Including his own party.

“The NC 11th Congressional District Democratic Party Executive Committee has been made aware of social media posts from past NC-11 congressional candidate Moe Davis over the last 48 hours that we deem to be highly inappropriate,” said Matt Ballance, NC-11 Democratic chair, in an emailed statement.

Ballance went on to say in the statement that while Democrats were more than disappointed with what they call a lack of leader-

emocrat Moe Davis has been openly critical of Rep. Madison Cawthorn since losing the NC-11 Congressional contest to him last November by more than 12 points. While serving on the founding board of the FireMadison.com PAC, the outspoken Davis also regularly jabs at the freshman Republican through social media.

On Oct. 8, Davis took his criticism of Cawthorn to a whole other level: below the belt.

Literally.

October 13-19, 2021

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“$1,500 knife, honeymoon in the United Arab Emirates, $6M without working, hobnobbing with the elites in NYC … how ignorant of a hillbilly do you have to be to think this limp dick loser knows anything about mountain values?”

The next day, Davis doubled down by responding to an anti-Biden tweet from Cawthorn that said, “Gas prices have risen to a seven-year high. Thanks, Joe!” Davis’ response again made reference to the congressman’s genitals.

“Coincidentally, Maddie’s obsession with guns, knives, alpha/beta males and warrior chest pounding is likely fueled by something that hasn’t risen in 7 years.”

Smoky Mountain News

Davis defended the tweets — much like

ship and action on Cawthorn’s part, derogatory remarks about any real or purported physical disability are “completely unacceptable.”

Then, Ballance addressed the sweeping generalization Davis made about Western

North Carolina’s residents.

“The people of this district have fought the stereotype for many years that our area is filled with ‘ignorant hillbillies,’” Ballance said. “Labeling in this manner those in our area who do not hold one’s certain political beliefs does nothing to hinder the stigma that we have fought for ages. These mountains are filled with good, intelligent, hardworking people from all walks of life.”

Ballance’s Republican counterpart, Michele Woodhouse, was quick to condemn Davis’ tweets and express support for Cawthorn, but Woodhouse was also quick to compliment Ballance for his statements.

“I commend NC-11 Democrat Party Chair Matt Ballance for denouncing yet another vile personal attack by failed Democrat Congressional candidate Moe Davis,” Woodhouse said. “Chairman Ballance agrees with me that the hard-working people of NC-11 do not need any more hateful political rhetoric from his party.”

Taking issue with the last part of Woodhouse’s statement, Ballance said that although Davis has a “unique platform” as the last NC-11 Dem candidate, “Moe Davis speaks for Moe Davis, not the NC-11 Democratic Party.”

Davis, however, isn’t the only one helping to drive North Carolina’s political discourse to a new low. Around the same time Davis was making his sweeping generalizations, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson drew national attention and calls for his resignation by making some sweeping generalizations of his own.

On Oct. 6, video surfaced of a Robinson speech at the Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove this past June, where he referred to homosexuality and transgenderism as “filth.”

After railing against the requirement that children must attend school (true) and have no choice in where they go (false), Robinson

opined as to what happens once they get inside.

“Then when [kids] get there, what do they teach them? Teach them a bunch of stuff about how to hate America. Teach them a bunch of stuff about why they’re racist. Teach them a bunch of stuff about transgenderism and homosexuality. I’m saying this now and I been saying it and I don’t care who likes it. Those issues have no place in a school. There’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. And yes, I called it ‘filth,’ and if you don’t like it that I called it filth come see me and I’ll explain it to you.”

Robinson refused to back down from the remark, responding that he was being viciously attacked because he was talking about “removing the sexualization of children from the classrooms in our public education system.”

In his video response, Robinson offered no differentiation between “filth” in the classroom and “filth” as a descriptor for an entire community of people who do not hold the same beliefs on human sexuality that he does.

A number of NC Democrats subsequently weighed in on Robinson’s remarks, including Ballance’s NC-11 Dems.

The statement by Ballance says NC-11 Dems are “appalled” by Robinson’s remarks, which are completely in line with previous remarks disparaging not only the LGBT community but also Jews and Muslims.

Turning the tables, Ballance called for Woodhouse to likewise condemn Robinson’s comments, saying that “the door swings both ways on this issue” and that there should be “no problem whatsoever with the NC-11 GOP leadership denouncing Lt. Gov. Robinson’s comments.”

Woodhouse, however, stopped well short of doing that.

“Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released a video response to his remarks on Saturday.

The very best spokesperson to give a response about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s comments is the next Governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson,” she said via email on Oct. 12. “Lt. Gov. Robinson speaks his mind and stands firm in passionately fighting for all North Carolinians, he states this very clearly in his Saturday video.”

Cawthorn defies law on school property

BY TOM FIEDLER ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG or the second time in as many months, Rep. Madison Cawthorn faces a potential criminal complaint for carrying a weapon — in the latest incident, a “combat” automatic knife similar to a switchblade — in a public school building.

The 26-year-old freshman Congressman was photographed Tuesday night at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee with the knife handle protruding from his pants pocket.

It appeared to be a different knife than the one he was seen carrying three weeks ago during an appearance before 8 the Henderson County Board of Education. That also

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prompted a citizen complaint to be filed with Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin.

Griffin, a Republican, subsequently declined to charge Cawthorn for the misdemeanor offense. In an interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Griffin said he based that decision on “officer discretion” in misdemeanor cases where “the intent of the person” can be taken into account and a “verbal warning” is the appropriate action. It wasn’t clear, however, that such a warning was delivered to the congressman.

Cawthorn was invited to the WCU campus by the university’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization. About 200 people, all but a few of them unmasked, attended his hour-long speech in a conference hall.

“ARE YOU PACKING HEAT?” During a question-and-answer session following his opening remarks, in which he emphasized his support for the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, an audience member asked, “Are you packing heat now?”

Cawthorn replied: “I am not. Not right now. Not on campus.”

But he made no mention of the knife, which North Carolina law classifies along with firearms as a “deadly weapon” and prohibits anyone from carrying on “educational property.”

Following his speech, while Cawthorn posed for selfies with members of the audience, he was

Rep. Madison Cawthorn speakes Oct. 5 at Western Carolina University.

David Wheeler photo

have carried onto school properties are also illegal for anyone to possess in any parade, funeral procession, picket line, or demonstration on public property, presumably including political rallies.

Wheeler sent an email Friday with attached photos to Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall and to WCU Police Chief Steven Lillard, calling for an investigation into what Wheeler called “a serious criminal matter.” Wheeler’s complaint also asserted that WCU policy explicitly prohibits concealed weapons on campus.

Neither Hall nor Lillard have responded to Asheville Watchdog’s requests for comment about whether they will pursue a complaint. Hall was elected as a Democrat in 2018 and has announced plans to retire at the end of his term next year.

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The knife, which has a retail price of $1,500, automatically projects its 3.75-inch serrated double-edge dagger blade out the front of the handle when the user presses a thumb-slide button, making it, under North Carolina statute, a “switchblade.” It is illegal in many states for civilians other than law enforcement or active military users to own or carry such knives.

At the school board meeting last month, Cawthorn appeared to have a Microtech SBD fixed-blade double-edged dagger partly concealed in his wheelchair.

A person answering the phone Friday at Microtech Knives, asked if it was legal for civilians to own automatic knives in North Carolina, said, “We don’t offer legal advice,” and referred Asheville Watchdog to the website of the American Knife & Tool Association, which says North Carolina knife laws are “vague,” “ambiguous,” and “confusing.”

But state law is very clear in outlawing the carrying any kind of weapon, including knives, “whether openly or concealed,” on any kind of school property, including campus buildings. Violations are a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to 120 days in jail and a discretionary fine.

The knives that Cawthorn is believed to

Wheeler wrote that this alleged violation of the law and the WCU policy was especially egregious because it came despite the warning Cawthorn had been given by Henderson County Sheriff Griffin three weeks earlier.

Cawthorn “may be a powerful politician and believe [sic] he is untouchable, but he is an habitual offender and clearly has no respect for the rule of law,” Wheeler wrote.

In February Cawthorn was stopped by Transportation Security Administration as he attempted to board a plane carrying an unloaded semiautomatic pistol in his carryon bag, along with a loaded magazine, according to airport officials. The congressman said he had “erroneously” put the handgun in the bag and no charges were brought.

On Jan. 6, as pro-Trump rioters roamed the halls of Congress, Cawthorn called a conservative radio program and said he had carried loaded weapons into the Capitol.

Cawthorn refused to take questions from reporters after his talk at WCU and his congressional office didn’t immediately respond to The Watchdog’s request for comment about the latest complaint.

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and surrounding communities. Tom Fiedler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political reporter and former executive editor of The Miami Herald, now living in Asheville. He can be reached at tfiedler@avlwatchdog.org.

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photographed by David B. Wheeler, a political activist who directs a website devoted to preventing Cawthorn’s reelection in 2022. Wheeler’s photographs appear to show the knife’s handle and clip protruding from Cawthorn’s pants pocket.

The knife appears similar to a stilettostyle “Combat Troodon Frag Off Green Apocalyptic” automatic knife made by Microtech Knives Inc. of Fletcher, N.C. (Troodon was a prehistoric, birdlike dinosaur with a scientific name that translates to “wounding tooth.”)

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local districts supplementing the salaries when they can. The senate budget proposal contained a $13 an hour minimum wage for bus drivers and other support staff. School districts are not only in competition with each other to employ bus drivers, they are also in competition with the labor shortage affecting trucking firms, municipal transit agencies and private businesses, all of whom are in need of CDL certified drivers and most of whom can offer higher starting

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pay than local schools.

The schedule to work as a bus driver inhibits drivers from gaining other employment within normal business hours. Other work is often necessary to supplement the low wages.

Putnam also noted the enormous responsibility bus drivers take on as a factor in the difficulty recruiting drivers.

“It’s never one thing,” Putnam said, speaking to the multitude of obstacles in securing bus drivers for Haywood County.

“We want to make it as attractive as possible.”

Stephen Sharpe, transportation director for Haywood County Schools, has solved what used to be another obstacle for recruiting bus drivers. Previously, there were only a few bus driver training sessions per year. Someone looking for work immediately is unlikely to wait several months to attend training and then gain employment.

Sharpe has coordinated with an online training platform so that people looking to become a bus driver in Haywood County can begin training immediately and then gain employment in a more-timely manner.

Haywood County has also hired a parttime bus driver recruiter position whose sole responsibility is finding eligible candidates and facilitating the process of training and hiring.

“The background checks take about a week, or more. And all the endorsements you have to have to drive a bus as well, air brakes. It’s not an easy process hiring a CDL driver, I can tell you that,” said HCS School Board Chairman Chuck Francis.

October 13-19, 2021

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ver 790,000 students ride the bus to and from school each day in North Carolina. That’s almost half of all K-12 public school students, making bus drivers a crucial part of the state’s education system. Western North Carolina school districts, and districts across North Carolina, are facing a serious shortage of bus drivers.

But with the long-awaited state budget seemingly close to passage, districts will have to wait and see if there are greater allowances made for these essential school employees.

“We have been looking at ways to help our bus drivers, we do have a shortage. And anything we can do to help that situation, we certainly want to,” said Associate Superintendent of Haywood County Schools, Dr. Trevor Putnam. “We are hoping real soon that a state budget is passed.

We got wind that would indicate there may be something in the way of improved compensation for bus drivers coming out of the state budget and so we wouldn’t want to make a change and then have another change on top of that.”

In Swain County, bus routes have had to be combined several times this school year due to the bus driver shortage. Parents and students are notified about different bus numbers and earlier or later pick up and drop off times.

According to local school job boards, Jackson County Schools is currently seeking five bus drivers, Haywood County Schools is currently seeking six and both Swain and Macon County Schools are seeking at least one bus driver.

There are several obstacles to recruiting bus drivers. They need to have a nearly spotless driving record, to ensure students’ safety. Haywood Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte says Haywood County Schools rarely takes a chance on a bus driver that has had a driving infraction in the last five to 10 years, saying that “it’s just too big a risk.” A national clearing house is set up to record all tickets, related to bus driving or not, to keep track of all traffic violations pertaining to bus drivers.

Additionally, compensation is low, something administrators and bus drivers alike hope will be improved in the new state budget — if it gets passed. Currently, the state pays bus drivers $12.75 an hour, with

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Bus driver shortage challenges WNC schools

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School data shows pandemic learning loss

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER erformance data recently released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows that just 45.4% of elementary, middle and high school students passed state exams given during the 2020-21 school year and 29.6% passed college or career readiness tests.

The state graduation rate for 2020-21 was 86.9%. Under the federal waiver, schools and the state were not held to the requirement that at least 95 percent of students participate in the assessments, and in many cases far fewer students were tested.

“Given the various circumstances of the 2020-21 school year, comparisons to the 2018-19 school year, though provided as a reference point, are not recommended,” reads a statement from DPI. “Districts and schools operated various instructional schedules, and the assessments were administered during a much wider time frame than typical. These two factors prohibit comparisons. However, the 2018-19 data gives a context for discussions on how to address instruction in the 2021-22 school year.”

Haywood County Schools scored well relative to other districts in the state, though it did decline in all areas compared to its own scores during the 2018 school year — as did all districts in North Carolina. Haywood County Schools ranked 10th among the state’s 115

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school districts based upon the system’s performance composite. Haywood County Early College was one of only 11 schools in the state of North Carolina that had over 95% of students earn grade-level proficient scores.

“Academic data tells a story. Whether it’s in a school or a classroom, there’s always a story. This data’s story is about the many difficult decisions that were made in regards to students receiving the best education possible in a world most of us never envisioned prior to March of 2020,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jill Barker.

Haywood County Schools had 56.3% of students achieve grade-level proficiency, an eight point drop from the 2018 score, but almost 12 points higher than the state average for the 2020-21 school year. The average drop in scores in the western region was 14 points from 2018. Haywood County dropped the least amount in scores between 2018 and 2021.

Haywood County third graders ranked 11th in the state for grade level proficiency, fourth grade ranked fifth in the state, fifth grade ranked seventh, sixth grade ranked 34th, seventh grade ranked 24th, eighth grade ranked 13th and high schoolers ranked 11th.

Haywood County Schools had 37.7% of students pass college or career readiness tests, more than eight points above the state average. Graduation rate in Haywood County was 89.6% for the 2020-21 school year, almost

three points above the state average.

Jackson County Schools had 41.5 % of students achieve grade-level proficiency or pass state exams. This is almost four points below the state average. Jackson County Schools also fell below the state average in

Jackson County Schools had the highest graduation rate in the western region at 92.9%. This ranks Jackson County Schools eighth in the state for the four-year cohort graduation rate. college or career readiness tests, with only 25.5% of students passing, also four points below the state average.

“This data has reinforced our decision to implement a consistent, system-wide curriculum and allowed our schools and directors to focus on specific academic areas to target,” said Superintendent Dr. Dana Ayers. “This year and for future years we will focus on uniform reading strategies, understanding and reading comprehension in our K-8 schools.”

Jackson County Schools had the highest

graduation rate in the western region at 92.9%. This ranks Jackson County Schools eighth in the state for the four-year cohort graduation rate.

Macon County Schools scored above the state average for both grade-level proficiency and college or career readiness. Over 49% of students achieved grade level proficiency, four points above the state average. In Macon County, 30.9% of students passed college or career readiness exams, over one point above state average. Macon county had a graduation rate of 81.7%, five points below the state average.

Swain County Schools students achieved grade level proficiency at 44.9%, just below the state average, and college or career readiness at 27.5%, again just below the state average. Swain County School had a graduation rate of 76.8%, ten points below the state average.

“We know the 2020-21 school year was incredibly challenging for students, families and educators,” said State Superintendent Dr. Catherine Truitt. “We need to remember these results are only a snapshot of a year marked by extreme anomalies and extenuating circumstances. To treat these scores as though they are valid indicators of future success or performance would not only be an improper use of these data, but also would be a disservice to our students, teachers and administrators.”

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Municipal elections in Western North Carolina will be held in some jurisdictions on Tuesday, Nov. 2, but in-person early voting will take place beginning Thursday, Oct. 14.

Through Saturday, Oct. 30, sites across Western North Carolina will be open to those who want to cast their ballots in advance of Election Day. No reason is needed for those who wish to use what is called “In-Person Absentee Voting” or “One-Stop Absentee Voting,” and voters can alternatively make their selections by mail as well.

Vote-by-mail ballots are currently available. Request yours by calling your county board of elections office, or by visiting ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail.

The last day to register to vote is Friday, Oct. 8. To check your registration, to find your polling place — some have changed, especially in flood-ravaged Haywood County — or to view all the races you’re eligible to vote in, visit vt.ncsbe.gov/reglkup.

Haywood County • Haywood County Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. To request an absentee ballot, call the Haywood County Board of Elections at 828.452.6633.

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October 13-19, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

past,” he said. “I don’t want us to make it illegal to be poor in the town of Franklin. As we try to gain compliance, we may need to review our ordinances to make sure we’re not trapping people.”

Many residents have come before the Council in the last couple of years with complaints about dilapidated houses in their neighborhoods or residents with junk cars and trash piled up on their property, allegedly causing rodent and litter problems. Culpepper said he worries about how the town will define people’s property as junk or not.

“We may see stuff as unsightly, but it may not be junk or trash to them,” he said.

“It may come down to semantics, and I’m not sure I want to “I don’t want us to make it illegal throw the hammer down on with stuff on their to be poor in the town of Franklin.” people porches.”

The job description passed — David Culpepper unanimously. The town will soon start advertising for the job opening. description is $37,710 – $55,645 depending In a related issue, Police Chief Bill on experience and qualifications.

Harrell and Capt. Devin Holland updated Based on recommendations from Town the board on the town’s growing homelessAttorney John Henning Jr. and Town ness problems — particularly the littering Manager Amie Owens, the board agreed under the bypass bridge near the Little that the position would need to be filled by Tennessee River Greenway. a sworn law enforcement officer but will be Holland said the problem was brought under the planning department umbrella. to his attention last winter when he found Based on her experience in code enforcepeople living under the bridge with tents ment, Owens said having a sworn officer and trash thrown everywhere. Normally, he makes it easier for the staff member to hansaid, the N.C. Department of Transportation dle ALE (alcohol) regulations and deal with has “No Trespassing” signs posted on their situations with the public that could escalate. bridges, but the bypass bridge doesn’t have “From my personal experience, there one. Since DOT is recognizing the current were some compliance issues with enforceCOVID-19 recommendations, state officials ment where I would catch the brunt of are not enforcing any regulation that would things, but people show different behavior require the removal or relocation of people when it’s a police officer,” she said. experiencing homelessness.

Henning agreed a sworn officer was the “We can usher the homeless people out best choice, saying that Town Planner Justin of that area, but DOT is not going to back Setzer sometimes takes a law enforcement us up if we charge them for trespassing,” officer with him on compliance calls for his Holland said, adding that pressing charges own safety. would be useless if DOT officials don’t show Since this is a new position and marks up in court to testify. “Arrest is our last the town’s intentions to get more serious resort because it’s just a temporary fix.” about enforcing ordinances, Owens said Holland said offers to assist these efforts would be made to let residents and unsheltered folks in acquiring a state photo businesses know what is happening.

ID or receiving services through No Wrong “There’s going to have to be an educaDoor or Macon New Beginnings have not tional component in the beginning for resibeen taken. dents because they don’t exactly know what Councilmember Dinah Mashburn, who the code says. We’ll have information availworks with No Wrong Door, said she appreable on our website and we’ll send informaciated the police department’s efforts to tion out with the next water bill,” she said. keep the town clean and safe, but admitted Councilmember David Culpepper said that there’s nowhere for those folks to go if he was in favor of hiring a code enforcethey leave the bridge. The grant the organiment officer but had some concerns about zation received to pay for hotel stays has having overzealous enforcement. dried up and the long-term rental options “I think this is one of the more imporin the county are slim. tant hires we’ve done, and we need to tread “The last few weeks we’ve taken money lightly with this considering we haven’t out of our own pockets to put people in gone crazy with code enforcement in the hotels,” she said.

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Franklin to hire code enforcement officer

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Haywood County tourism just had its best year in history

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR fter emerging from the early stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic virtually unscathed, Haywood County’s lodging industry rebounded with a year that exceeded all expectations.

“It was a record-setting year for us, the best year we’ve ever had in tourism in Haywood County since the occupancy tax program started,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

The occupancy tax program began in Haywood County in January 1984 with an initial rate of 2%. Over those first six months, total receipts approached $41,000.

In the first full fiscal year of operation — July 1, 1984 through June 30, 1985, collections topped $133,000.

At the current 4% rate, that year would have generated more than $260,000.

Compare that figure to numbers released last month by the HCTDA. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, total 4% receipts passed $2.5 million, exceeding last year’s totals by almost exactly $1 million and beating the previous record, from 2018-19, by almost $900,000.

At the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic

October 13-19, 2021

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in the spring of 2020, substantial capacity restrictions were implemented, and the TDA halted marketing activity. During March and April collections were down 60 to 90%, but rebounded as restrictions were eased.

On the whole, the 2019-20 fiscal year was down only about 6 percent from the previous year — a tremendous victory for those who thought the pandemic would decimate the local lodging industry. Apparently, the pandemic didn’t so much stop industry growth as it did bottle it up, because after lodging restrictions were eliminated that summer, collections went on to set all-time highs in every single month of the year.

“I think it was a combination of things.

Obviously, the pandemic played a huge part in it with people just wanting to get out, and they felt safe coming here and the fact that so many people could work remotely, kids could do school virtually, it was a different set of people,” Collins said. “People came from all over, from states that we don’t normally see huge visitation from. We had a huge influx from Texas. We had California.

We had Colorado. We had the state of Washington. We had Idaho. We had Louisiana. And I mean, those are just traditionally places that we don’t have a lot of visitations from.”

Larry E. Bryson, former Chief Deputy Haywood County Sheriff's Office, announces that

I INTEND TO BE A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF IN HAYWOOD COUNTY IN THE UPCOMING 2022 ELECTION.

Smoky Mountain News

My career began in 1976 and I have worked for Sheriffs Jack Arrington, Tom Alexander and Bob Suttles.

During my 35 years of law enforcement experience in Haywood County, I have held the following positions:

• Detention Officer • Deputy Sheriff • Detective • Drug Agent • Chief of Detectives • Chief Deputy • Acting Sheriff I look forward to serving the people of Haywood County again.

Larry E. Bryson 16

Paid for by Committee to Elect Bryson Sheriff 2022

Total 4% room occupancy receipts in Haywood County, 2007-present 2007-8.............................................................................................................................$879,739 2008-9.............................................................................................................................$952,663 2009-10...........................................................................................................................$889,417 2010-11...........................................................................................................................$893,802 2011-12...........................................................................................................................$890,534 2012-13...........................................................................................................................$954,996 2013-14...........................................................................................................................$993,285 2014-15........................................................................................................................$1,062,389 2015-16........................................................................................................................$1,215,278 2016-17........................................................................................................................$1,430,430 2017-18........................................................................................................................$1,562,820 2018-19........................................................................................................................$1,641,234 2019-20........................................................................................................................$1,537,211 2020-21........................................................................................................................$2,553,947 Fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30.

Room occupancy tax collections by zip code, FY 2020-21 Actual Projected Previous FY Canton .........................................$51,155..........................$29,559 ..........................$30,000 Clyde ............................................$34,195..........................$19,309 ..........................$15,586 Lake Junaluska ............................$38,736..........................$32,920 ..........................$35,189 Maggie Valley...............................$305,048........................$174,294 ........................$180,907 Waynesville ..................................$202,283........................$113,089 ........................$118,612 Source: HCTDA

“Obviously, the pandemic played a huge part in it with people just wanting to get out, and they felt safe coming here and the fact that so many people could work remotely, kids could do school virtually, it was a different set of people.”

— Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority

Upon arrival, visitors flocked to the usual localities. Maggie Valley accounted for a full 48% of all collections, followed by Waynesville with 32%. Canton, Clyde and Lake Junaluska all claimed between 6% and 8%.

All five areas, however, posted revenue totals well above last year’s numbers. Clyde led the pack with 219% year-over-year collections. Canton and Waynesville both logged 171%, with Maggie Valley close behind at 169%. Lake Junaluska, which does a significant amount of group and convention lodging, has been hit the hardest out of all jurisdictions during the pandemic because of that, but still posted 110% of last year’s collections in 2021.

Collections are important, as they fund not only marketing efforts designed to bring awareness to Haywood County’s offerings,

but they also fund a number of local projects that benefit visitors as well as citizens.

During the 2020-21 fiscal year, almost $215,000 was allocated by the TDA for projects that will have both an immediate and a long-term impact.

Canton benefitted from more than $40,000 toward projects at Lake Logan as well as signage and a downtown mural.

Clyde saw $20,000 towards a brochure and improvements to the Haywood Community College disc golf course. Lake Junaluska got more than $30,000 for its annual Independence Day celebration and other marketing. Maggie Valley received around $80,000 for a variety of festivals, holidays, lights and decorations while Waynesville took in $41,000 for the Shelton House, fairgrounds, decorative lighting in Frog Level and other events.

Maggie Valley and Waynesville also spent a combined $215,000 for marketing their respective zip codes, but a new offering and a new employee may just help the TDA spread the word about Haywood County in a more effective, cost-efficient manner — a podcast.

“I think it has two missions,” said Kyle Perrotti, recently hired as HCTDA’s content and communications manager. “One is to enhance people’s perception of Haywood as a destination, but the other is to raise the profile of the TDA locally, to increase awareness and also to highlight some of the cool things going on around the county. It could be highlighting events, it could be people, it could be a focus on history or outdoors so really it’s a variety of topics that will increase the appeal outside the borders, and increase the profile of the TDA inside the borders.”

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best in his new role. The recruitment process for a new permanent CEO is underway, and we will keep our community informed when a new leader has been identified,” Heatherly started his new position of COO with Pardee UNC Health Care based in Hendersonville on Oct. 11.

In this new role for Pardee, Heatherly will oversee the daily operations and functions of the hospital, while ensuring efficient services are delivered to meet the needs of patients seeking care at Pardee Hospital.

“The addition of a healthcare executive with the professional experience and knowledge of Western North Carolina that Steve possesses will be a tremendous asset to Pardee,” said Jay Kirby, president and CEO, Pardee UNC Health Care. “Pardee has tripled in size over the past 10 years. As our Harris Regional Hospital CEO Steve Heatherly reach continues to expand throughout our region, and our hospital cuts the cake at his going way party. Harris Regional photo becomes increasingly busy, we will rely on Steve’s broad experience to help us manage the increasing demands of a “Steve has been a positive and dynamic high growth healthcare organization that leader for Harris and Swain for the last 9 remains deeply committed to our communiyears. We appreciate his service to our hospitals and communities and wish him all the ty.”

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Steve Heatherly left his position as CEO of Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital on Oct. 7 to pursue another opportunity.

Harris and Swain hospitals issued the following response:

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The Haywood County Democratic Party will be “kicking up good trouble” at its fall rally from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Nanci Weldon Gym at Lake Junaluska.

Meet elected Democrats from Haywood County, as well as local and congressional candidates. Catering by Haywood Smokehouse.

The event venue is a covered outdoor space, but if you’re not comfortable sitting in close proximity to someone at a picnic table, bring a chair of your own. RSVP required by Oct. 16.

Admission $20. To reserve your spot, call 828.452.9607, email haywooddemocrats@gmail.com or visit haywooddemocrats.wordpress.com.

In the last week, Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 176 new cases of COVID-19, which is down from previous weeks.

However, all of North Carolina is listed as an area of high community transmission, according to the CDC. All surrounding states are also high-transmission areas. Mask-wearing indoors is highly recommended. Masks are required in Haywood County facilities, including the libraries, for employees and the public.

This week 76.1 percent of new COVID cases were unvaccinated. Nearly all of those who require hospitalization are unvaccinated.

Haywood County Health & Human Services are now offering COVID-19 booster shot appointments for those who have completed the primary doses of Pfizer-BioNTech more than six months ago and who are in a high-risk category.

“This week we have seen a decline in the number of positive cases, but we are not in the clear. Our hope is that the numbers continue to fall as we head into cooler weather and fall activities. With fall festivals happening in the area and fall break quickly approaching, I want to encourage you to remain vigilant about safety measures to protect yourself, your family, and your community,” said Haywood County Public Health Director Sarah Henderson.

Meet Franklin Council candidates The Smoky Mountain News and The Macon County News are hosting a Franklin Town Council candidate forum from 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Meet and greet the five candidates running for three open seats in Franklin and submit your questions to be asked by the moderators.

Free. Open to the public.

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COVID cases down in Haywood

October 13-19, 2021

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Our public health crisis is not over yet ALLISON R ICHMOND G UEST COLUMNIST aywood County is struggling to cope with a very unusual situation, two separate states of emergency happening at the same time. A month and a half ago, historic flooding brought loss and anguish to our community, and while that is devastation enough, for nearly two years now COVID-19 has threatened the health of every one of us.

It has damaged the health of those who suffer prolonged hospital stays or long-haul cases, and in fact, has taken the lives of 136 precious souls.

It is understandable, given all that we have been through, to feel a certain fatigue toward the reality of the situation we find ourselves in.

It is not, however, excusable to believe there is nothing that can be done about it. Just as efforts are being made to heal the lives and properties of those damaged by the storm, we all have a part to play to help ease the crisis that COVID-19 has created.

Two simple measures can help get us out of crisis mode and into a situation that is more manageable.

The simplest thing that everyone can do is to wear a mask any time you are in public, around people who do not live in your house. The most dangerous places can also, unfortunate-

H

Redistricting needs public hearings To the Editor: Right now, politicians in the North Carolina General Assembly are dividing North Carolina into new legislative and congressional districts that could determine who represents us for the next decade.

For too long, our communities have been sliced and diced for partisan advantage. We deserve accurate and accountable representation, and we deserve a say when it comes to drawing the next decade of district lines that will represent our communities.

Right now, legislators who control redistricting are planning only one public hearing in Raleigh following the release of draft maps that could determine our representation for the next decade. This one event will be inaccessible for most North Carolinians — and that is wrong. We deserve better than this.

Our zip code should not determine whether or not our voices are heard in this process.

Every North Carolinian deserves to have their voice heard in this process. We need public hearings after draft maps are released that are accessible — both in-person and online — to every North Carolinian regardless of whether they live in a large city, small town, or tribal territory.

I am calling on my representatives and the entire Joint Redistricting Committee to ensure that the public has accessible, safe opportunities to comment on draft maps. Without doing so, there is no way they can claim that this year’s process was truly transparent.

Jean Wright Franklin

ly, be the places we tend to feel safe, like at churches, in social settings, or at close friends’ homes.

We trust each other, but viruses don’t care. It doesn’t know the difference between trusted friends, loved ones, or church family. It happily spreads amongst us before symptoms can be felt or apparent to everyone.

By the time you feel sick, it is too late, you’ve probably already infected someone else. Mask wearing prevents you from spreading the virus in that time before symptoms appear.

The other very effective tool we have to get us out of this COVID nightmare is vaccination. No vaccine is 100% effective, but being vaccinated will help to keep you from developing a severe case of COVID if you do get it. The vaccine is safe, and it is working. Nearly all COVID hospitalizations are for people who are unvaccinated.

We don’t need to fear COVID, we need to fight it. Unlike in the beginning, now we have the tools to do so, we just need to choose to use them. The current level of infection in this community means everyone is affected somehow, even if you never get COVID. The healthcare system, public health, hospital and EMS are overrun, which affects the quality of healthcare for everyone. When EMS units are so busy that they are not always available to answer calls in a timely manner, anyone can be

LETTERS There is some good going on To the Editor: Promoting and voting our true family interests can unify and rejuvenate this country. But we have become mired in media-driven divisiveness.

National columnist David Von Drehle said recently, “Fear sells.” Would-be leaders speak of “bloodshed” and “stolen elections.” We have other options.

Beneath the cacophony of doom and gloom, an undercurrent of bold actions by our national government is revitalizing our country. The intent: renewing hope, security, and a sense of common purpose.

Already in 2021, President Biden has by executive order strengthened Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, increased protection of worker health and safety, and restored reliance on science to combat the climate crisis. He is also promoting union organizing and prioritizing federal buying of “Made-InAmerica” products to create more good jobs here.

Using paper-thin majorities in Congress, Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan in March to spur recovery of the nation’s health and economy. Since then, Covid-19 testing, tracing, and vaccine availability have increased dramatically. Individuals and small businesses received monetary support.

Working families gained help with rent, unemployment and direct child tax credit funds.

More can and must be done, but infra-

affected by this crisis. In some cases, health care is being delayed or even compromised.

As the pandemic has progressed, we learned that stay-athome orders have worked, but at a cost that is not sustainable or preferable. More than a year in, fatigue has set in, and we no longer want to face the fact that COVID is taking its toll.

At this time, most cases are happening when family members bring the virus in from outside the home, usually from work, group activities, gatherings, and events. The new case rates have slowed some over the past week. That is a trend we want to see continue. We can contribute to this positive progress and ease this crisis significantly if we all do our part.

If you haven’t been vaccinated, we strongly urge you to consider it again. Talk to your loved ones and friends who are vaccinated. Talk to your doctor. Consider all your options and make an informed choice. At the very least, wear a mask in public.

For those who are vaccinated, share your experience.

Encourage vulnerable loved ones to consider vaccination. And wear your mask as an example and as an extra protective measure.

(This article was written by Allison Richmond on behalf of Haywood County Health and Human Services. Allison.richmond@haywoodcountync.gov.)

structure and stimulus bills are stuck in Congress due to Republican opposition.

Frank L. Fox Asheville

Conservatives won’t accept socialism To the Editor: He, or they, all seem to be confused about facts, or what they believe to be true. They get their information from ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, The New York Times and the Washington Post. All are liberal, biased and should be taken with a grain of salt. Meaning there are some truths, and some twisted facts.

Almost all of these contributors believe that Joe Biden is the savior of the country. A senile puppet, a hair sniffer, a has been — or never was — career politician who never accomplished anything except to make himself and his family rich off the American people. Harry Truman said that the only way for a politician to get rich was to be a crook. Biden has become rich off his political jobs. Donald Trump was already rich and took nothing from the taxpayers.

Some contributors have complained about Trump playing golf, yet give Taliban Joe a free pass as they did Obama. No President worked as hard as Trump did.

Many support Burn Loot Murder and condone their riots of last summer, all because the media blew out of proportion the death of a habitual criminal, George Floyd. For heaven’s sake, he was a career criminal. Couldn’t people find a better person to memorialize?

Monuments were taken down and destroyed by thugs who were too dumb to know what

they represent. Are they any better off now? I doubt it.

And now we have a President, if you want to call him that, who was installed in office with questionable votes. He or his puppeteers are hellbent on transforming this country into a third world socialist society.

Let’s see, what has he done in the nine months he has been in office? He killed jobs by canceling the Keystone pipeline. Fuel costs have nearly doubled, he has alienated close allies, inflation is soaring, the Afghanistan fiasco has cost many American lives, he has allowed illegals into the country, many with Covid. They have spread it into mostly Red states.

The border has been opened to everyone.

None are vetted, but they are sent all over the country. How long before another Muslim attack on us infidels? That is inevitable. The FBI is in shambles due to Democratic bumbling. Where have all the Haitians gone? Let me guess.

Biden has appointed some real winners to his cabinet. A use-to-be man, a man with a husband, a general who has bungled the Afghanistan withdrawal, former Obama losers and let’s not forget his VP. Not even the Dems wanted her. Not to mention his addict son who has made millions off his political life. He only answers scripted questions at press conferences. His minions whisk him away before he makes another blunder. What a man!!

I see the country more divided than any time in my 75 years. Either both sides give a little or the country will self-destruct. We conservatives will not accept socialism.

Charles Parker Maggie Valley

One of those moments — the Rolling Stones

Chris Cox

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music had meant to us than any expectation that the show would be much good.

After all, Mick Jagger is 78 years-old. Late night comedians have been making jokes about Keith Richards still somehow being alive for 20 years or more. A lot of Stones “purists” insist they haven’t made a decent album since “Some Girls,” which was released 43 years ago.

We didn’t care about any of that. We were going to see the Stones, and if it turned out to be mostly a nostalgic thrill than a great rock and roll experience, so be it.

The show was at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, where the NFL’s Carolina Panthers play, a cavernous monstrosity that can accommodate 75,523 people. Our seats weren’t what you’d call fantastic, but we had a decent “side view” of the stage and a very nice view indeed of the Charlotte skyline, which has a pulsing, ethereal beauty on a late summer night.

We endured a fairly non-descript, vaguely bluesy opening act, and then bantered with each other, speculating what might be on the setlist — the Rolling Stones could play 20 full shows in a row and never play the same song twice.

But there was something else. I’ve been to hundreds of rock concerts in my life. I remember how excited I was at the age of 16 when I saw my first concert, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, and even more so a year later when I saw KISS, as much for the sheer spectacle of it all as for the music I knew so well. This felt different. Or maybe it felt exactly the same. Maybe everything was new again.

All I know is when the lights flashed suddenly, illuminating the stage, and Keith Richards slashed the first chord of “Street Fighting Man” as Mick Jagger strutted forward to center stage just as he has been doing for 59 years, all thoughts of time long gone and especially of nostalgia were instantly vaporized. It was one of those very few moments of pure, perfect joy, a genuine communal experience, a bond between the band and the crowd.

The Stones played for two hours and ten minutes without an intermission, with Jagger running, dancing, strutting, and gyrating like a 20-year-old gymnast for the entire show. Richards and fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood, who has “only” been with the band for 46 years now, traded licks and big smiles all night long. Of course, there was a touching tribute to Charlie Watts as well.

Several of us are going back to see them again in November in Atlanta. How could we not? It’s the Rolling Stones. Angie, don’t you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com.)

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bought my first record when I was 11 years old — a 45-rpm single by the Rolling Stones called “Angie” — at the Roses in Galax, Virginia. My Uncle Elgin used to drive Aunt Lillie and Mamaw over there to do some shopping, and if I was staying over (as I often was), I’d go with them and look at comic books and get myself a giant cherry Slushie.

Columnist I can’t say for sure if “Angie” was the first Stones song I ever heard, since they had quite a few songs in regular rotation on the FM radio stations we could pick up in our small town. Maybe it was “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” or “Honky Tonk Women” or “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

I heard these and several others, and loved them all, thrashing around in the back seat every time one of them came on and my parents were too distracted to change the station to the local dreadful AM radio station that would more likely be playing “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” or “Funny Face” or something similarly godawful.

Over the next 30 years, I collected just about every Rolling Stones album there was, playing them obsessively. Even as my musical tastes branched in this direction or that, the Stones have been my favorite band for nearly 50 years. Sure, I loved the Beatles like everybody else, but the Stones were more dangerous, more suggestive, more sexually charged. The Beatles wanted to hold your hand on your parents’ front porch swing. The Stones wanted to sneak you into basement and do some exploring under your granny’s homemade quilt.

Eighteen years ago when I met my wife, one of the very first things I did was give her two of my favorite Stones albums, “Let It Bleed” and “Sticky Fingers.” She called me a few hours later the same evening and told me she loved them, “especially ‘Wild Horses.’” Our whirlwind romance was forged with the Rolling Stones providing the soundtrack.

When the opportunity came along to see them a couple of years ago on their “No Filter” tour, we bought tickets with a few of our friends. Then COVID happened, and the tour was postponed indefinitely. Nearly two years later, as COVID lightened enough to make concerts possible again, the concert was rescheduled, but then drummer and founding member Charlie Watts died, once again putting a major damper on the show.

We decided to go anyway, although admittedly it had become more of a way to pay tribute to what the band and their

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

TALE OF TWO BANDS J.J. HIPPS, GOLD ROSE TO PLAY APPLE JAM Gold Rose.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR mid the rich, vibrant musical tapestry of bluegrass, Americana, blues and folk at the core of Western North Carolina’s storied music scene, there are a handful of rising stage acts taking those roots influences and putting a more contemporary spin on it.

Asheville-based alt-country quartet Gold Rose and Lenoir’s power-rock trio J.J. Hipps & The Hideaway are two of those rollicking goodtime ensembles bringing forth a sturdy foundation of early American music with a thick layer of electrified six-string sorrow and tearin-your-beer solidarity for any within earshot.

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GOLD ROSE

Smoky Mountain News: You often talk about the idea of “sad songs.” What does that term mean to you, more so nowadays as a seasoned performer and ever-evolving human being?

Kevin Fuller (singer/guitarist): Sad songs are all I’ve ever known how to write. I’m realizing, after all these years of doing this, that music is therapy. I never really set out to write a song. I just have something to say.

So, when I sit down with a pen and a piece of paper, I tell people how I feel. And there’s something so liberating getting up in front of people and telling them what’s on your heart.

It’s definitely uplifting for me.

SMN: Why the guitar? What is it about that instrument that you can express yourself and communicate with others?

KF: I mean, we all dreamt of being rock stars as a kid and ain’t no internment that would get

J.J. Hipps & The Hideaway.

us there faster than a guitar. My father was actually a drummer growing up and we always had a drum set in our living room. I was terrible at drums.

He also had a guitar, and I wasn’t much better at that. But, I kept trying. It took me years to be good enough to sing songs with it. It took me years after that to be able to let an electric guitar ring out. There’s nothing better than listening to a Les Paul scream through a Fender amp.

SMN: There’s a lot of the real deal, nitty gritty country music in your playing. “Three chords and the truth,” as they say. What have you learned about that country attitude and presence?

KF: We talked about sad songs. Ain’t nothing sadder than country music. I grew up around country music. My grandmother was a bartender at a little honky-tonk in the middle of nowhere in Upstate New York. Some of the most honky-tonk people I’ve ever known are up in New York.

Country music speaks to me. It’s more of a way of life than it is a music genre. The stuff I do ain’t straight country by any means. But, there’s a sadness in it all that brings me back to people like Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings — it’s in my blood.

J.J. HIPPS & THE HIDEAWAY Smoky Mountain News: Your band is a power-rock trio. What is it about that iconic stage setup that really appeals to you?

J.J. Hipps (singer/guitar): When I started playing, both of my biggest influences were in three-piece bands. Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray

Want to go?

The inaugural Apple Jam will take place from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, in The Smoky Mountain News parking lot at 144 Montgomery Street in Waynesville.

Hitting the stage will be beloved local singer-songwriter Chris Minick (4 p.m.), regional blues/rock guitar wizard J.J. Hipps (5:30 p.m.) and Asheville alt-country/indie sensation Gold Rose (7:30 p.m.).

The show is free (with a suggested donation of $15). Craft beer and the Fuego food truck will also be onsite. Lawn chairs are allowed.

For more information, contact garret@smokymountainnews.com. Presented

by Adamas Entertainment.

Vaughan were everything to me. I wanted to do what they did.

And you begin to learn how difficult it is to make a three-piece band sound full, but how thrilling it is to have so much freedom to explore where you can take the music. Solo performances are still absolutely terrifying to me.

I have a ton of respect for anyone who can get on a stage alone and perform. But, for me, that was just never an option.

SMN: Why the guitar? What is it about that instrument that you can express yourself and communicate with others?

JH: I started on the drums. My dad is a drummer. When I started getting interested in playing music around the age of 15, I told my

dad I wanted him to teach me how to play drums. I took to it well. But it wasn’t fulfilling whatever idea I had in my head as to how music was supposed to make me feel.

One night when he was showing me a few things, I said, “Dad, I think I am supposed to play guitar.” The next day, he went and bought me one.

I’ve never had a desire to play any other instrument. The way the neck of a guitar feels in my hand, strapped over my shoulder? There’s nothing better. I had an immediate connection.

All I can say to explain it — it just felt right.

SMN: There’s a thick thread of the blues in your playing. With the blues, “it can take a day to learn, a lifetime to master.” That said, what have you learned about playing the blues?

JH: I first started learning everything I could from Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. And I started realizing that all of my favorite songs of theirs were covers of old blues songs.

I think the first blues song I heard was “Death Letter Blues” by Son House. It was dark, gritty, and desperate. I immediately fell in love with the genre and started discovering all of the major blues artists. Freddie King’s playing stuck with me more than any other, though.

It has been said many times, but that’s because it’s true — the blues is a feeling. People understand it, or they don’t. I felt it immediately. The blues is a tradition.

I’m finding that going backwards and trying to recreate that older sound and feel, is what’s going to become the new thing. The blues can’t be overproduced. It shouldn’t be pretty — it’s raw and uncontrolled.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

The Appalachian Trail at Tellico Gap. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

Some new light may be passin’, but it may never pass again

I

1

Featuring Balsam Range, Unspoken Tradition and The Kruger Brothers, the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

2

The production of “Harvey” will hit the mainstage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-16, 21-23 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 17 and 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana) at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 16.

The Witches Walk Workshops will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin.

towards Franklin. The gas station at that corner seemed abandoned now: no fuel prices on the sign, concrete barriers now blocking the entrance.

I remember once stopping in there for gas and a beverage, an elderly couple behind the counter. They owned the station. Lived upstairs. Nice folks. Chatted for a bit. But, that was years ago, moments and memories now in the rearview mirror as the truck nose now aimed down the endless s-curves of N.C. 28 South.

It was decided in that instance to wander up to the Appalachian Trail at Tellico Gap. An escape hatch of sorts for my sanity. Of

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Smoky Mountain News

3 4 5

Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Smooth Goose (jam/rock) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15.

YOGA TEACHER

October 13-19, 2021

t was mid-afternoon Sunday and I couldn’t stand to be in my apartment another minute. I was done with all my writing for the day. I’d already eaten a hasty breakfast and had two iced coffees. It was time to disappear into the depths of Mother Nature.

With blue-bird skies and a warm sun still lingering from summer, I jumped into the truck and headed for the gas station. Fill the tank. Grab a snack. Pay the attendant and aim the nose of the Tacoma westward, down the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway for destinations unknown.

Initially, I had thought to run my usual, default logging road up in Balsam Gap on the Haywood and Jackson County line. Nah. The urge to keep driving was deep and antsy. The mind and soul wanted to soak in the wind through the open windows, the pedal pushed closer to the floor with each f straightaway on this early fall day.

What about hiking Black Rock at Pinnacle Park in Sylva? Or the dirt trail system behind Western Carolina University in Cullowhee? Perhaps, but the steering wheel didn’t shift towards the off-ramp when I passed by Exit 85. Onward.

Tsali Recreation Area, maybe? Who knows? See how the restless soul feels once we get there and cross that bridge, literally and figuratively. The sun was still hanging high about the Great Smoky Mountains by the time I rolled passed Cherokee and Bryson City.

Just before I was to turn towards Tsali and the serene, unfolding nature that resides on the trails there, I saw the sign for N.C. 28 (aka: Bryson City Road) heading south

HOT PICKS

Have you been considering the 2022 arts & entertainment

This must be the place

the many things that I truly enjoy in life, one of my cherished traditions is finding remote access points for the A.T. Go on Google Maps. Find the A.T. Look around the map for spots where Forest Service roads intersect the famous footpath.

And of those findings, one of the happilydiscovered gems is Tellico Gap. Either heading north or south from the small parking area, it’s quite possibly the best bang for your buck in terms of hiking distance and panoramic views.

But, for me, it’s mostly about escapism.

Heading down these desolate backroads when the world gets a little too noisy, a little too heavy, in search of nothing and everything, but mostly just in search of myself — my true self, once again.

Leave N.C. 28 and turn onto Tellico Road. The road goes from pavement to gravel to dirt within about 10 minutes. Just the way I like it. Along the babbling brook. By that personal dream house with the waterwheel. Past the old red barn with the rusty Gulf gas station sign. Give a double honk of solidarity to the older gentleman sitting on his porch. A nod to the sheep in the distant field, too.

Though I’ve been down the road many-atime, I vividly remember that first time through here. My old rear-wheel drive lowrider GMC Sonoma. Wondering if the old truck would even get up the dirt switchbacks. Do I even have room to turn around at some point? Fingers crossed there’s enough gas to get out of here and back to civilization.

I also remember a first date at Tellico Gap with a femme fatale who, like a whirlwind, dropped into my life from seemingly out of nowhere (as all things worthwhile seem to do, truth be told). It was decided to go on an adventure one day several years back. She hopped into the truck and we headed for the A.T. Park at Tellico Gap. Hike to Rocky Bald.

Admire the view over Franklin and greater Macon County from high above a mountain ridge. Back to the truck. Back to pizza and pints at nearby Hoppy Trout Brewing in Andrews. And don’t forget a spontaneous swim and cliff jumping from the rope swing at that spot near that bridge on Fontana Lake.

This most recent visit to Tellico Gap resulted in a solo trek north to the Wesser Bald Fire Tower. A warm sun to the west, quickly fading behind the mountains. Cool air in the shaded backside of the ridge.

Silence. Pure, priceless silence.

Trotting along in my muddy trail running shoes. Hopping over rocks and roots.

Push up the trail. Beads of sweat trickling down the forehead. Stand atop the fire tower in awe of time and space, of being in that moment in those sacred mountains — late afternoon Sunday and I couldn’t stand to be in my apartment another minute.

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

(Garret K. Woodward is the arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News.

He’s also the music editor for Smoky Mountain Living magazine and a contributing writer for Rolling Stone. You can reach him at garret@smokymountainnews.com.)

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October 13-19, 2021

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Franklin welcomes Clint Black Country megastar Clint Black will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Black surged to superstardom as part of the fabled “Class of ’89,” reaching No. 1 with five consecutive singles from his triple-platinum debut, “Killin’ Time.” He followed that with the triple-platinum “Put Yourself in My Shoes,” and then a string of platinum and gold albums throughout the Clint Black.

1990s.

Perhaps most impressively, Black wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than threedozen chart hits, including “A Better Man,” “Where Are You Now,” “When My Ship Comes In,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” “Summer’s Comin’,” “Like the Rain” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights,” part of a catalog that produced 22 No. 1 singles and made him one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the modern era.

Along the way, he’s earned more than a dozen gold and platinum awards in the U.S. and Canada, landed nearly two dozen major awards and nominations, won a Grammy Award, countless Country Music Association, American Music Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Tickets start at $40 per person with priority seating available. For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.smokymountainarts.com.

Want to learn the dulcimer?

Smoky Mountain News

The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva.

The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of tuning, strumming, and playing.

The mountain dulcimer, also known as a fretted dulcimer or a lap dulcimer, is a uniquely American instrument. It evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the 24 early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely

known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s.

For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.

‘A Musical Journey of Water and Light’ The Bardo Arts Center (BAC) Performance Hall will open the fall 2021 season with a brand-new production, “Seeing Sound: A Musical Journey of Water and Light,” which will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-15 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

This unique immersive experience offers an answer to the question: if we could see sound, what would we see? “Seeing Sound” is an original BAC production that synthesizes live music across genres into light. Each note creates its own color that will be registered by an LED that first shines its light into water, allowing the rippling reflections of color to project into the space.

“Seeing Sound” is a collaboration across

Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Festival

Balsam Range.

Featuring Balsam Range, Unspoken Tradition and The Kruger Brothers, the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

A fundraiser for the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the all-day event is rooted in Appalachian craft traditions.

Alongside live music, there will also be a variety of activities, including adult lawn games and a children’s area for the young ones with music-themed art projects, puppet playing, and more.

Local food trucks, craft beer, and a specialty cocktail will also be onsite. Gates open at 11:30 a.m.

General admission tickets are $45 and will be lawn seats, which means you bring

your own blanket or chair and find a spot to spend the day on. VIP tickets are $95 per person, which includes two free drinks, snacks, a custom designed American made t-shirt, and a guaranteed seat under the tent. Youth ages 12-20 are $35 each, with children under age 12 admitted free.

HCAC is also looking for volunteers to help on the day of the event. Volunteers get a free T-shirt and of course free entry.

The festival would not be possible without strong partnerships and generous sponsors. The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority and WNC Social Media Buzz are title sponsors.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.

the different departments in Belcher College, along with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), who are coming together to celebrate the miracle of water as interpreted through music and light. The production is also pulling technical resources from the WCU School of Stage and Screen, artists from the WCU School of Art and Design, and musicians/composers from the WCU School of Music.

Synesthesia is a condition in which individuals experience stimulation in multiple senses when an experience is meant to only stimulate one. For example, often individuals say they can “see music as colors” when they hear it.

This idea sparked an incredible process that led to “Seeing Sound: A Musical Journey of Water and Light,” where all audiences will have the opportunity to truly see music transformed into color before their eyes. The production will feature a wide variety of musicians across a broad spectrum of genres, offering something for almost anyone to enjoy.

Find tickets and further information at arts.wcu.edu/seeingsound. The BAC Box Office can be reached at 828.227.2479. Masks

are mandatory at all Western Carolina University in-person events, which include Bardo Arts Center.

Bryson City community jam A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

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

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — year-round.

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.

828.488.3030.

On the beat

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Jeb Rogers Band Oct. 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joseph Hasty (guitar/vocals) Oct. 16 (dinner/show is $57 per person) and Kevin Williams (piano/vocals) Oct. 23 ($10 cover).

All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating.

Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or www.coweeschool.org.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.634.0078 or www.curraheebrew.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

828.734.1084 or www.elevatedmountain.com.

ALSO:

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Smooth Goose Oct. 15, Sugar & The Cubes Oct. 16, Gin Mill Pickers 2 p.m. Oct. 17, J.C. Tokes & The Empty Pockets Oct. 22, Mike Oregano Oct. 23 and Life Like Water 2 p.m.

Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge Oct. 23. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge Oct. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Maggie Valley Pavilion will host the Haywood Community Band at 6:30 p.m. Oct.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host The Band Intermission (variety) Oct. 16. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Rockbillys Oct. 16 and Eli Mosley.

Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble at 3 p.m. Oct. 24. The performance is free and open to the public.

Presented in conjunction with the Arts Council of Macon County. www.smokymountainarts.com.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

Come On In and Look Around ...

You Just Might Find What You Weren’t Looking For! FLAGS MAILBOX COVERS PUZZLES

JEWELRY SCARVES CANDLES

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke w/Joel Oct. 14, Jason Lee Wilson & James County Oct. 15, Carolina Freightshakers Oct. 16, Blackjack County Oct. 21 and Outlaw Whiskey Oct. 23. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

Smoky Mountain News

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Nick Colavito (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Oct. 24.

All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovationbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aces Down Oct. 15, Granny’s Mason Jar Oct. 16, Kate Thomase Oct. 17, Scott James Stambaugh Oct. 22 and Somebody’s Child Oct. 23. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke on Thursday nights and Humps & The Blackouts “Halloween Extravaganza” 9 p.m. Oct. 30. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

October 13-19, 2021

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Silly Ridge Roundup Oct. 15 and Byrds & Crow Oct. 22. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

17. Free and open to the public. Bring your own lawn chair. Donations accepted.

arts & entertainment

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.

Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.

Affairs of the Heart

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

25

arts & entertainment

On the street PumpkinFest rolls into Franklin The 25th annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, in downtown Franklin.

The centerpiece event of PumpkinFest is the “World Famous PumpkinRoll.” Who can roll a pumpkin the greatest distance down Phillips Street and vying for bragging rights and winning the $100 grand prize?

One past winner rolled 1,021 feet.

Sign up for the Pumpkin Roll is from 9

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 your own.

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

PumpkinFest is sponsored by the Town of Franklin. For more information on the festivities visit us online at www.townoffranklinnc.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pumpkinfestfranklin or call Franklin Town Hall at 828.524.2516.

Apple Harvest Festival A Shot Above photo

The “World Famous PumpkinRoll.”

Smoky Mountain News

October 13-19, 2021

Plow Day & Harvest Festival

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The annual Plow Day & Harvest Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

This old-fashioned event features live music, food, craft vendors, pumpkin patch, hayrides, pumpkin pie eating contest, fall

‘Where We Live’ lecture series The next program of the lecture series, “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center in Franklin.

Dr. Michael Ann Williams will discuss the various forms of folk dwellings found in the Southern Appalachians, with a special emphasis on Western North Carolina.

The presentation will cover origins, forms, and construction techniques, with a special emphasis on how people thought about and used traditional homes. Her research was based on oral histories with people in Western North Carolina, including a large number of individuals from Macon County. She will use the old homes in Cowee as examples.

Williams holds a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation, an oral history-based study of traditional dwellings

photo displays, canning competition, corn maze, old-time farming demonstrations, and much more.

There will be freshly made mountain barbecue, as well as pumpkin pies and apple pies for sale. Stock up on all our homegrown fall decorations, and choose from several different varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and decorative squash. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

in Western North Carolina, was published as Homeplace. Williams taught at Western Kentucky University for over 30 years, serving as Head of the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology.

In 2013, she was elected president of the American Folklore Society. Prior to moving to Kentucky, she conducted historic sites surveys in western North Carolina and served as folklife specialist for the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Her other books include “Great Smoky Mountains Folklife” and “Staging Tradition.”

Williams is now retired and living in Macon County along with her husband, David Carpenter, a Macon County native.

The lecture series is designed to give people an opportunity to learn more about our local area, from many different angles, and to enjoy a pleasant, informative evening together. Masks are required.

Next month, on Nov. 15, Barbara Duncan will talk about the Revolutionary War campaign against the Cherokee in Macon County.

The 34th annual Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, in downtown Waynesville.

Brought to you by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce, the beloved event celebrates the beauty of the harvest season in Haywood County. With over 100 vendors, the features arts and crafts, live entertainment and a beer garden, with locally-grown apples and apple products for sale.

Scheduled performers include: Junction 280, J Creek Cloggers, Whitewater Bluegrass Co., Southern Appalachian Cloggers, and Texas Peat.

The Haywood Chamber is introducing a beer garden that will be selling locally brewed and domestic beers. The beer garden

• The “Barn of Terror: Hayride & Haunted Barn” will be from 7 to 11:45 p.m. Oct. 2123 and 28-31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Admission is $15 per person. Waivers must be signed before entering. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

• The Harvest Craft Fair & Bake Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Franklin. Handmade crafts and baked goods available. Lunch can be purchased from the Mighty Methodist Men baked goods. Sales to benefit KID’S Place. Sponsored by Memorial United Methodist Church.

ALSO:

• The “Haunted School” will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 15-16, 22-23 and 2931 at the Fines Creek Community Center.

Admission is $10 per person. Must be age 13 and up to enter without an adult. The Haywood County government has issued a required mask mandate while inside all county buildings as of Aug. 2, so all visitors must wear a mask. If you don’t have one, one will

will be located at 37 Church Street and will be operating from 11 to 4:30 p.m.

“We look forward to this event each year,” said President of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce CeCe Hipps. “This year, we’re excited to announce we’re launching a beer garden. We hope to see a great turnout for this much-anticipated event.”

The festival is sponsored by Haywood Regional Medical Center, Duke Energy, Publix, Mobile Communications America, J.M. Teague, The Smoky Mountain News, The Mountaineer, Positively Haywood, and WNC Social Media Buzz.

For more information, contact the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce at 828.456.3021 or click on www.haywoodchamber.com.

be provided for you. There will also be temperature checks on both you and our monsters to ensure your safety. Social distancing may add time to your wait, so please be prepared and patient. All proceeds support local scholarship funding and community needs. www.facebook.com/nchauntedschool.

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods.

Special events will be held when scheduled. www.mountainmakersmarket.com.

• Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and a strolling musician. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. Current Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced. 828.488.7857.

On the wall both in the medium of the works presented, but also in its message of celebration. We hope for a message that illustrates that we all celebrate one way or another, though it may look and feel different” Beryl said.

Witches Walk Workshop

Contact the gallery for more information on classes or membership at www.franklinuptowngallery.com or by phone 828.349.4607.

ALSO:

To enter, it’s $30 for non-members, $15 for members, and $10 for emerging artists.

“For emerging artists, this is a great opportunity to try your hand at putting your work in a gallery and seeing what sells,” said Lauren Medford, HCAC’s marketing and membership coordinator, an emerging artist herself.

The deadline to enter is Oct. 22. The prospectus and contract can be found at www.haywoodarts.org/call-for-work.

• The “Jefferson Pinder: Selections from the Inertia Cycle” exhibit is currently on display at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Pinder focuses on themes of labor and endurance in his video art practice with metaphoric references to African American identity, history, and experience. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and until 7 p.m. Thursday. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit arts.wcu.edu/jeffersonpinder.

• The “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work.

Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting.

Leaf Lookers Gemboree The annual Leaf Lookers Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22-24 at the Macon County Community Building just south of Franklin along U.S. Highway 441.

Gem and mineral dealers from across the country will be on hand displaying and selling their products against the backdrop of spectacular fall color.

The Gemboree will feature a wide variety of items including fine finished jewelry, rough and cut gems, lapidary equipment, minerals, fossils and collectibles. Dealers will also be available to custom make that special piece of jewelry you’ve always dreamed of.

Admission is $2 and those under 12 will be admitted free.

For more information, contact the Franklin Chamber of Commerce at 828.524.3161 or click on www.franklin-chamber.com.

Smoky Mountain News

The Witches Walk Workshops will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin.

The workshops are designed to help participants prepare a unique hat to be worn during Franklin’s Pumpkinfest, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, with the Witches Walk at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30.

Workshop participants and anyone with a witch’s hat, are invited to walk from the Clock Towers, on Main Street, to Town Hall and back. Those unable to attend a workshop may purchase their own unique witch’s hat at the Uptown Gallery.

The Uptown Gallery of Franklin currently shows the work of 60 local artists with works in painting, sculpture, fabric, jewelry and clay. This artwork can be seen from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Wednesday and Sundays by appointment.

Members frequently offer classes in the gallery for a full range of artistic mediums.

Workshops are offered on a group and individual basis to members and nonmembers.

• To elevate the Dillsboro experience for the month of October, local businesses will be celebrating with “Dillsboro’s Downhome Harvest.” The community is inviting artisans to set up a booth in front of businesses from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Great Smoky Railroad will be arriving daily at 1:15 p.m. There will be “walking scarecrows,” face painting, trickor-treating, and more. If interested, contact Connie Hogan at chogan4196@gmail.com.

October 13-19, 2021

The Haywood County Arts Council has announced an open call for work for the upcoming Small Works Exhibit, which will kick off with an opening reception on Friday, Nov. 12, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.

“This exhibit is our longest and last exhibit of the year, stretching through the new year, and encourages buying art for holiday gifts,” said HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl.

Most of HCAC’s exhibitions require that you are a member of the organization to participate, but not this one.

For a small fee, any Western North Carolina Mountain Region artist can participate.

Although the only other requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenges participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays, ways of celebrating, and ways of experiencing holidays in the November and December season.

HCAC also encourages participants to create works that celebrate Appalachian heritage and craft.

“Our vision is that this exhibit is eclectic

• An art contest (ages five years and up) will be held through Oct. 14 at the Marianna Black library in Bryson City. A fun night complete with face painting for children and other activities will also take place during the “Gallery Night” event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. The theme of the contest is “It’s a Beautiful World.” To register for the contest, pick up an application on Monday, Sept. 13, at the library.

arts & entertainment

Open call for ‘Small Works’

• Artist Kelly Lay is currently displaying her “Macro Photography Message in Prisms” works at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. The library is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Free and open to the public.

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Smoky Mountain News

October 13-19, 2021

arts & entertainment

On the stage

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HART play, painter combine forces has a reputation as a comedy and offers a When the Haywood Arts Regional view on the impact of mental illness before Theatre (HART) in Waynesville needed a medications were prevalent. custom-painted portrait of an actor with his It was made into a 1950s movie starring six-foot invisible rabbit friend, local painter Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull. Hull Barbara Brook hopped to the task. originated the role on Working on a five-foot Broadway and won an Oscar canvas, Barbara created the for her film performance as hero Elwood P. Dowd and Elwood’s sister Veta, who pal Harvey on a scale to grows increasingly disturbed complement the family by her brother’s behavior. library stage set. Brook Originally an oil painter, bookends her rabbit piece Brook took up watercolors with her solo painting show 30 years ago, when her at HART, on display in the interest was sparked by her mainstage lobby during the grandmother’s self-portrait. run of the play.

Utilizing a glazing technique The production of that brings luminosity to “Harvey” will hit HART’s the work, Brook’s paintings mainstage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. ‘Fall Reflections’ by have earned recognition and 15-16, 21-23 and at 2 p.m.

Barbara Brook. numerous awards.

Oct. 17 and 24.

Brook teaches classes Brook says she started locally in watercolor and in Batik painting, the oil painting with a traditional “family which involves “resist painting” with wax portrait” arrangement, using a photo of the and watercolors on textured rice paper. She lead Jack Heinen and the imaginary Harvey. is a member of the Southern Watercolor “He’s a real rabbit, just a giant one,” said Brook. “The portrait looks like the actor, and Society, the Watercolor Society of NC, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, I chose a dark background to give it a classiand serves on the Board of the Haywood cal feel.”

County Arts Council.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for www.harttheatre.org. playwright Mary Chase, the play “Harvey”

Dracula hits the big stage The Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee will host the world premiere of “Dracula: The Failings of Men,” written by debut playwright Benedetto Robinson.

The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company, which will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the fall season.

The show features a cast packed with live-stunt powerhouses as well as aerial effects that have been designed to bring the vampires to (supernatural) life.

The story begins as a ghost ship washes ashore near London in 1897 and an ancient evil goes searching for blood. “Dracula” is an action-horror reimagining of the classic Bram Stoker novel as an immersive show.

The audience will literally walk alongside Ada Van Helsing as she battles against the darkness in this high-action adaptation. Masks will be required for all attendees.

Performances will run through Oct. 31.

Tickets are $30 or $20 for enrolled members. VIP Experiences are available for an extra $20. www.cherokeehistorical.org/dracula.

Interested in theatre?

This fall, there will be a slew of theatre classes offered by the HART Arts Academy through Nov. 3 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Adult classes include directing, beginner tap, and musical theatre vocals. Kids classes include a wide-range of dancing, acting, singing, directing, and improvisational courses.

You can learn more about these opportunities and sign up for classes by visiting www.harttheatre.org, clicking on the “Kids at Hart” tab and scrolling to “Classes & Camps” page. Masks and social distancing will be required for all courses.

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On the shelf

Jeff Minick

Or maybe you’d prefer a blend of philosophy and humor for your entertainment. If so, pick up a copy of “Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (And Jokes) To Explore Life, Death, The Afterlife, And Everything In Between” by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein. (Whew! Saying that title can leave you breathless.) Both men majored in philosophy at Harvard, and both are as funny as all get-out. I’ve read the book cover-to-cover twice and still open it from time to time, mostly for the humor. Here’s a brief sampling: Women in supermarket: “The turkeys in your frozen food section seem so small. Do they get any bigger?”

“No, ma’am. They’re dead.”

Sign in a pub Cathcart and Klein both visit: “Reality is a hallucination brought on by a lack of alcohol.”

In “Lost in the Cosmos: The Last SelfHelp Book,” Walker Percy seeks to make us

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Three elderly men visit a doctor for a memory test. The doctor asks the first one, “What’s three times three?”

“285!” the man replies.

“Worried, the doctor turns to the second man.

“How about you? What’s three times three?”

“Uh, Monday!” the second man shouts.

Even more concerned, the doctor motions to the third man.

“Well, what do you say?

What’s three times three?”

“Nine!” the third man replies.

“Excellent!” the doctor exclaims. “How did you get that?”

“Oh, easy,” the man says. “You just subtract the 285 from Monday.”

more aware of reality, without the alcohol, of course. He pokes gentle fun at the self-help movement, cracks wise with the jokes and observations, and explores human nature and the self. Percy asks questions like this one: “Why is it possible to learn more in ten minutes about the Crab Nebula, which is six thousand light-years away, than you presently know about yourself, even though you’ve been stuck with yourself all your life?”

Percy examines the self like a jeweler peering through his loupes and then provides “Thought Experiments” in which he creates various scenarios to help us look in different ways at the self. In his chapter on why so many people have trouble with public speaking and giving speeches, for instance, he offers this point to ponder: “Thought Experiment (II): Explain why Moses was tongue-tied and stagestruck before his fellow Jews but had no trouble talking to God.” John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces” is a masterwork of comedy, still one of the funniest novels I’ve ever read, though that was over 40 years ago when it was first published. Medievalist Ignatius J. Reilly of New Orleans rides against a myriad of enemies, especially modernism, like some bloated, opinionated twentieth-century Don Quixote. Toole has the accents of New Orleans down pat, and the dialogue will often make you laugh aloud.

Mark Helprin’s “Freddy and Fredericka” brings us the Prince of Wales, Freddy, an overeducated buffoon whose antics heap shame on the royal family and bring mirth to the press and its readership. His bubbleheaded wife, Fredericka, is equally a disaster.

To force them to mature, the queen and a strange man who may be Merlin dispatch them to America, where they must try to return our country to British rule.

Again, this book brought me laughter many times, but I also love following the couple’s trials in America, the rekindling of their love for each other, and the affection they come to feel toward the United States.

Near the end of “Freddy and Fredericka,” Freddy gives a wonderful speech at a political convention where he reminds his audience — and us — of the reasons to cherish this country.

So if you’re seeking some sunshine or an escape from the headlines, give one of these books a shot.

(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.)

October 13-19, 2021

Ever had one of those times when every day brought bad news?

In addition to our boatload of national catastrophes these last two months, the last two weeks brought me one report after the other of the struggles of friends and family members. Cancer, mental illness, a COVID19 death (there were other causes as well), a retired man whose stocks were taking a major hit: on and on marched this procession of doom and gloom.

In addition, the last two years have left many people I know down in the dumps in general, no matter what their politics. Sometimes a bit of sunshine Writer breaks through the dark clouds of current events, but more often the headlines bring nothing but rain and overcast skies.

Never fear. Help is here. And no — I’m not giving away free bottles of New Amsterdam Gin. Here are several books that can bring some light into darkness or at least allow a temporary escape from hard times.

First up is “I Capture the Castle.”

In this 1948 classic

by Dodie Smith, author of “101 Dalmatians,” we meet 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, one of the brightest and wittiest narrators of a novel you’ll ever encounter. We follow her as she tries to hone her writing skills, assist her impoverished family, deal with her sister Rose’s romantic flings, and deal with falling in love.

Though some have labeled “I Capture the Castle” “a young adult book,” they’re wrong.

It’s for anyone age 14 and up — Smith herself intended it as an adult novel — and will delight anyone who loves sparkling prose. “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink” — who can resist a novel that opens with that line?

Mystery Night

arts & entertainment

Torches: literary lights for dark times

Murder

NC State Fiction Contest

The annual NC State Fiction Contest is a free literary competition open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities. It remains one of the largest free-to-enter fiction contests in the South.

This year’s guest judge is Gabriel Bump, author of the award-winning novel “Everywhere You Don’t Belong.”

For more information, visit go.ncsu.edu/fictioncontest.

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

ecotourism offerings continue to grow, and disc golf seemed like an ideal fit.

So, on Oct. 1 of last year, he and Justin Menickelli of Asheville-based Disc Golf Design Group had a “what if ” conversation about building a disc golf course. Hyatt loved the idea but wasn’t sure if there was any suitable property available.

When they found the property on Big Cove Road, the conversations got more serious. The three course architects at Disc Golf Design Group, of which Menickelli is one, developed a concept for the course and came up with an estimated cost. Hyatt brought the proposal to Principal Chief Richard Sneed and then, in March, to the EBCI Planning Board, which approved it. The project went to contract in June. Hyatt said it’s expected to end up costing $150,000, not including the cost of planned parking improvements associated with the disc golf course.

Disc Golf Design Group has also designed courses such as Highland Brewing in Asheville and Jackson Park in Hendersonville.

Menickelli says the soon-to-open course in Cherokee will be one of the best in the region.

“You’d have to drive to Charlotte or Morristown, Tennessee, to find a course this challenging,” he said. “And even then, you won’t find one nearly as beautiful.”

Starting next year, the course will host sanctioned tournaments, further expanding Cherokee’s ecotourism base, but outside of tournaments access will be free for enrolled members and visitors alike.

Many holes feature views of Raven Fork, which runs along the property’s boundary. Holly Kays photos

Straight for the basket Disc golf course will open soon in Cherokee

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR y the end of this year, a new championship-caliber disc golf course will debut on a wooded property along Raven Fork in Cherokee, right on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“We have these beautiful assets here that

B

we don’t want to exploit, but we certainly want to take advantage of,” said Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Secretary of Operations Jeremy Hyatt. “And this is the next step in the evolution. Hopefully this will prove to be as successful as Fire Mountain has been at this point.”

Fire Mountain is the name of the EBCI’s 11.5-mile mountain bike trail system, located just a 10-minute drive from the future disc golf course — and it will also be the name of the disc golf course. The new park has been christened the Fire Mountain Disc Golf Sanctuary, keeping the same branding as its extremely successful counterpart.

“We figure the Fire Mountain brand has done well,” said Hyatt. “Why not expand that?”

THE COURSE DESIGN The 18-hole course winds through a 20acre parcel that abuts the Smokies, just past Cherokee Central School. The property is home to old-growth oak, walnut, locust, sourwood and pine trees, with massive rock formations and rhododendron bunkers adding to the challenge. Due to the property’s proximity to the park, wildlife often frequent the

area — an interview tour of the course had to skip Hole 11 when a bull elk’s choice of a napping spot blocked the access.

From concrete tee pads, disc golfers will have the choice of two layouts — a gold layout sure to challenge even the most skilled professional golfer, and a red layout offering shorter drives. Of the 18 holes, six will feature two permanent short baskets, and nine will have extra sleeves so that course managers can move the baskets around, keeping the experience fresh for repeat players.

The course will also include three putting/practice greens, benches near each tee pad and a spacious pavilion in the middle of the course, and it will double as a walking area for people who don’t want to disc golf but do want a nice stroll through the woods.

Course designers are currently considering hole names and signage for the course — Hyatt said he wants the signage to honor Cherokee culture, whether that includes using syllabary on signage, naming holes after Cherokee chiefs or culturally important wildlife, or a combination of those ideas.

“I’ve always wanted to have a disc golf course,” said Hyatt. “It’s a great thing to have — yet another outdoor amenity for our citizens and our guests. It kind of goes along with the flavor of Fire Mountain.”

Now in its fifth year of existence, Fire Mountain attracts mountain bikers from all over the country. Hyatt wants to see the tribe’s

A SURGING SPORT Until fairly recently, disc golf has been a rather obscure sport. The rules are similar to golf, but instead of hitting a golf ball into a hole, players through a Frisbee toward a basket.

In 1975, there was only one disc golf course in the entire United States, according to statistics from the Professional Disc Golf Association, and by 1995 there were still only 560 courses. But in the last 20 years, the sport has exploded, with the number of courses multiplying from 1,145 in 2000 to 9,342 in 2020.

Since the pandemic, interest has only accelerated. The number of PDGA members shot up 33% from 2019 to 2020, bringing total membership to 71,016. By far, most of those members — 80% — live in the United States.

Demand for disc golf extends to Western North Carolina, if a mountain bike survey the tribe completed in 2020 is any indication. The survey drew 700 responses.

“In the comment section, there were more comments about, ‘We’d love to see Cherokee get a disc golf course’ than pretty much anything else,” said Hyatt.

Hyatt and Menickelli both expect the new course to fit in well with Cherokee’s existing assets, such as Fire Mountain, and with the attractions offered by the national park next door.

“We did some research on that,” said

Register for youth basketball

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC outdoors

Register for the fall youth basketball league in Jackson County now through Oct. 31.

Both girls and boys divisions are currently accepting players in three divisions, separated by age: 6-8, 9-10 and 11-13. Games begin Dec. 18 and are played on Saturdays. Practices begin Nov. 29 and are held one night per week. Volunteer coaches are also needed. Players $50 each, $5 sibling discounts available. For more information, contact Andrew Sherling for Cullowhee at 828.293.3053, or Eric Farmer for Cashiers/Glenville at 828.631.2020, or visit rec.jacksonnc.org.

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EBCI Project Manager Jeremy Hyatt and architect Justin Menickelli are two members of the team that has worked to bring the project to fruition.

October 13-19, 2021

Menickelli, referencing his time in leadership at the PDGA. “We asked disc golfers what other activities they enjoy, and number one on the list was hiking, and toward the top of the list was mountain biking.”

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Smoky Mountain News

Meanwhile, the EBCI is working on a separate trails project in the Plott Balsams.

Located on 471 acres contiguous to more than 1,500 acres owned by the Town of Sylva, the Shut-In Creek property will likely be developed into a trail system suitable for ROWING THE both hiking and mountain biking. The tribe OUTDOORS IDENTITY is currently collaborating with the town on a master planning process for the area.

The disc golf course isn’t the only outThe casino is still the tribe’s big moneydoor recreation project on Hyatt’s docket. maker, and Hyatt doesn’t see that changing.

Next year, he hopes to break ground on But the investment in outdoor offerings like an expansion of the current Fire Mountain the disc golf course is miniscule compared Trail System, to be located on property near to the cost of major investments like casino the water plant with a parking lot next to expansion, and the return is undeniable.

Native Brews. In addition to more trails, The disc golf course — and the Fire that project would include hardscape feaMountain expansion, and We have our cultural and traditional the Shut-In uniqueness that doesn’t exist anywhere else.” Creek Trail System — will — Jeremy Hyatt bring visitors to Cherokee who will spend their money there. But just as importantly, tures like an asphalt pump track, kids bicythese outdoor amenities will improve qualicle playground and a skills park. ty of life for local Cherokee citizens.

“What we want to do is lower the entry “If everybody else is doing it, we want to point, bringing more families and more capture those dollars as well. We want to children into the mountain biking commucapture that market as well,” Hyatt said. nity,” Hyatt said. “We want to have the “And we have the perfect place to do it. I amenities there that will allow for spectatthink we have something to offer in ing, for events, and just for a family-friendly Cherokee that no one else has to offer, and environment for kids as young as 2 to get that is the fact that we have been here for out on their bikes and ride.” millennia. We have our cultural and tradiIf tribal government approves the contional uniqueness that doesn’t exist anytract and everything goes forward as where else.” planned, the expansion will open in 2023.

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Discover Life in America will host its annual Great Smoky Mountains Salamander Ball on Wheels from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at Parkway Drive-In Theater in Maryville, Tennessee.

This family friendly, COVID-adapted fundraiser for DLiA celebrates the diversity of life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Music includes Bill Mize on acoustic guitar.

Author Lisa Hortsman will read from “The Great Smoky Mountains Salamander Ball,” and films The Last Dragons and Riverwebs, crated by nonprofit Freshwaters Illustrated, will be screened. Be ready for the Halloween “carstume” contest — the best dressed cars will win prizes in the categories of spookiest, funniest and most unique. Tickets $50 per car.

Sponsorships also available. All proceeds from this event fund DLiA’s mission of biodiversity conservation in the Smokies.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dlia.org/event/salamanderball-2021.

Welcome fall with Smokies Service Days Join a team of park-loving people for weekend “work-togethers” each Saturday through Nov. 20 in the great outdoors of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Individuals and groups are invited to sign up for unique volunteer opportunities to help maintain and improve operations at campgrounds, historic structures and other natural and cultural resources. This volunteer program helps complete much needed work across the park and is ideal for families, visitors, scout troops, civic organizations, nature lovers of all kinds, working adults with busy schedules and those seeking to fulfill community service requirements, including high school and college students.

Projects will provide tasks appropriate for a wide range of ages, though some may have restrictions. Depending on the project, Smokies Service Days last for three to four hours on Saturday mornings. Tools and safety gear, including gloves and high visibility safety vests, will be provided by park staff. Participants are required to wear closed-toe shoes and other Personal Protective Equipment. Volunteers bring

Smoky Mountain News

grsm_volunteer_office@nps.gov and enter ‘SSD Registration’ in the subject line.

Indicate the date and name of activity you wish to register for, including the number in your group and the age of each volunteer.

Haywood County Recreation and Parks will host a fly-tying class from 4 to 6 p.m. each Monday, beginning Oct. 25.

Taught by Tommy Thomas, calls participants will learn techniques from basic to advanced. All materials needed for the class will be provided. Classes will be taught at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville. Registration and a $30 fee are required. Call 828.452.6789 to register or for more information.

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their own water and bagged lunches.

Projects will take place at Oconaluftee (Oct. 16), Smokemont (Oct. 23), Deep Creek (Oct. 30), Elkmont (Nov. 6 and 13) and Maloney Point (Nov. 20). To register, email

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October 13-19, 2021

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Great Smokies Salamander Ball

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Cleanup volunteers needed in Haywood outdoors

Help Haywood Waterways keep the environment clean and pristine at Chestnut Mountain Park from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 15.

Meet in the parking lot, sign a waiver and cross the bridge into the property. Snacks and lunch will be provided, but space is limited to 20 volunteers. Heading east from downtown Canton on U.S. 23, Chestnut Mountain Park is located about one mile down, on the right, past the Hot Spot Convenience Store. To follow SAHC’s COVID guidelines, volunteers will be split up into multiple groups. RSVP to Christine O’Brien at 828.476.4667 or email her at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com.

FROG hosts crafts fair Friends of the Greenway (FROG) will host the FROG Fair, an annual fall arts and crafts fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, at FROG Quarters, 573 E. Main St. in Franklin (at the town bridge).

Continental breakfast and lunch specials available, along with music from a variety of local artists. To become a vendor, stop by FROG Quarters 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or email frog28734@gmail.com.

‘Ghostly garden’ coming to botanical gardens October 13-19, 2021

Help the Highlands Biological Foundation decorate a walk-thru “ghostly garden” showcasing your own handmade decorations.

Pick up and drop off your creations at the Highlands Nature Center by Wednesday, Oct. 27, then, wander through the ghostly garden. View all the decorations from Friday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 31. The garden will also include decorations made by community members during the 2020 Halloween season. Costumes are encouraged. To request a kit or for more information, call 828.526.2623. Stay tuned to highlandsbiological.org for updates. The Highlands Botanical Garden is part of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.

Smoky Mountain News

Learn to landscape with native plants While it’s probably easier just to go buy something in a pot from a big-box store and stick it in the ground, non-native plant species usually don’t serve native populations of insects, birds and other friendly creatures very well, and can even be harmful to local ecosystems.

Learn to grow in harmony with nature with Haywood Extension Horticulture Agent Sam Marshall during an Oct. 28 Zoom class, held from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $10, and registration is required by Oct. 25. To register or learn more, visit haywood.ces.ncsu.edu or call 828.456.3575. reclaim your weekend

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Public input sought on Nikwasi

Smoky Mountain News

October 13-19, 2021

Help determine the future of a unique and precious cultural resource in downtown Franklin by taking an online survey hosted by the Nikwasi Initiative.

Noquisiyi — later interpreted as “Nikwasi” — means “star place” in the Cherokee language and denotes a settlement of which only the Noquisiyi mound remains. The Noquisiyi Cultural District is a proposed corridor that will serve as a gateway and cultural center for far western North Carolina and the 60-mile Cherokee Cultural Corridor, which celebrates and interprets the understanding of the Cherokee culture through landmarks in his-

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toric sites.

Feedback gathered by the survey will inform the next stage of planning of the cultural district. To take the survey, visit https://tinyurl.com/Noquisiyi. Paper copies of the surveys are also available at the Qualla Boundary Public Library, 810 Acquoni Road in Cherokee, the Snowbird and Cherokee Community Center near Ingles in Robbinsville and the in Macon County Library in Franklin. To request an email copy of the survey, ask questions or gather more information, contact Elaine Eisenbraun at 828.226.7523 or email elaine@nikwasi-initiative.org.

Lecture series honors Carpenter The Highlands Biological Foundation’s brand-new signature event is just around the corner.

This lecture series honors HBF’s former director Sonya Carpenter. Sonya led HBF for nearly 10 years and grew the organization and its accomplishments immensely. As Highlands residents know, Sonya is a passionate advocate for the natural world with a focus on educating the community about the world around us. The Carpenter Lecture will feature Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, a leader at the forefront of the climate movement. Wilkinson co-founded The All We Can Save Project and co-hosts the podcast “A Matter of Degrees.” Her books on climate include “All We Can Save,” “The Drawdown Review,” the New York Times bestseller “Drawdown,” and “Between God & Green.”

Time magazine named her one of 15 “women who will save the world.” Join HBF for this free community event in Sonya’s honor a 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 22, at the First Presbyterian Church of Highlands. A reception will follow. Register at www.highlandsbiological.org.

Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.

Winter Lights tickets on sale More than 1 million lights will be shining at the North Carolina Arboretum’s annual Winter Lights event, which will take place from Nov. 19 through Jan. 1.

Explore and enjoy vibrant displays, live music and hot cocoa while immersed in the festive lights and sounds of the holidays.

Winter lights is the Arboretum’s biggest fundraiser of the year and is a must-see holiday tradition in Western North Carolina.

The theme this year is “forest and garden whimsy,” and offers new surprises alongside the popular 50-foot-tall tree of light, the magical maples and story time at Woodland Cove. This year winter lights will

return as a walk-through experience, but tickets will be sold per vehicle and tiered pricing ($30-60) will be available on peak and off-peak days. Walk up admission costs an additional $10, so plan in advance. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ncwinterlights.com of call 828.665.2492.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County NC Branch #54AB NAACP will hold its October Membership Meeting online at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 16. The topic for discussion is “How American Rescue Plan Act Funds can best help residents of WNC.” Email jcnaacp54ab@gmail.com to receive instructions to join online. The public is welcome.

• The Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library is selling books for $5 per bag. The sale will be held for three weeks, 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Sale dates are Oct. 13, 15-16, 20, 22-23. The bag sale is being held in the lower level of the library, located at 678 S. Haywood St. Waynesville. folhaywoodcounty@gmail.com

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Two forums will be held to share WCU’S need for an update to its campus master plan, and allow for public feedback. The forums will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 26 at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87084192045 (Meeting ID: 870 8419 2045 ), and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oct. 27, at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82762416951 (Meeting ID: 827 6241 6951).

• The next program of the lecture series, “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18 at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Jackson County Veterans Office will host a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at Bridge Park in Sylva.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Franny’s Farm will host Goat Yoga from 10:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 24, at 22 Franny’s Farm Road, Leicester. It is a beginner level class with breathing, stretching, petting goats and being present to receive the present of goats nibbling your clothes, jumping on your back or maybe even napping on your mat.

• Waynesville Yoga Center will host Yoga Basics 2, a five-week series of classes that introduce different styles yoga. The series will start with a class from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21.

• The Macon County Public Library and Beyond Bending Yoga are teaming up to offer free yoga during the pandemic. All classes at the library are free to the public and will be held outdoors as weather permits. Register to help ensure safe social distancing. This class is accessible to new and seasoned yogis.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Al-Anon, for families and friends of alcoholics, meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St., Sylva. Enter at front of church through the door to the left of the sanctuary; meeting is first door on the right. The church requests that you wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

• Narcotics Anonymous meetings are back "live" in-person after a year of being on Zoom only. Local meetings are held at noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at Sylva First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva.

Entrance at back of building.

Also Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Cullowhee Methodist Church and Saturdays 6 p.m. at Cullowhee Methodist Church. Meetings in Haywood County, Macon County and Swain County have re-opened as well. For more details, visit ncmountainna.org.

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com

POLITICAL CORNER

the public. Bring your own lawn chair. Donations accepted.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aces Down Oct. 15, Granny’s Mason Jar Oct. 16, Kate Thomase Oct. 17, Scott James Stambaugh Oct. 22 and Somebody’s Child Oct. 23. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Jackson County Republican Party meeting is at 6 p.m.

Oct.18 at the Sylva GOP Headquarters on 24D Steeple Drive.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) 8 p.m. Nov. 5. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Haywood Democrats will hold its 2021 Fall Rally from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Nanci Weldon Gym at Lake Junaluska. For additional information, call 828.507.5331 or email haywooddemocrats@gmail.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host The Band Intermission (variety) Oct. 16. All shows start at 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

A&E

• A revitalized Holly Springs Community Development Club is hosting its first “Hello Holly Springs Fall Festival” and live concert from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 30 at 2720 Cat Creek Road. The free family event will feature Nashville-based singer songwriter Steff Mahan.

Halloween-themed event including a Treasure Chest hunt, face painting, candy for the kids and a visit from Sweet Caroline’s Mobile Ice Cream Shoppe from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Hot dogs and baked goods will be for sale.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Jeb Rogers Band Oct. 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joseph Hasty (guitar/vocals) Oct. 16 (dinner/show is $57 per person) and Kevin Williams (piano/vocals) Oct. 23 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating.

Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Silly Ridge Roundup Oct. 15 and Byrds & Crow Oct. 22. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Smooth Goose Oct. 15, Sugar & The Cubes Oct. 16, Gin Mill Pickers 2 p.m. Oct. 17, J.C. Tokes & The Empty Pockets Oct. 22, Mike Oregano Oct. 23 and Life Like Water 2 p.m. Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at KelseyHutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Rockbillys Oct. 16 and Eli Mosley. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble at 3 p.m. Oct. 24. www.smokymountainarts.com.

35

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n n n n

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Witches Walk Workshops will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Uptown Gallery, Franklin’s downtown gallery. The gallery is located at 30 E Main Street, Franklin, NC (828-349-4607). The workshops are designed to help participants prepare a unique hat to be worn during Franklin’s Pumpkinfest, Oct. 23 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Witches Walk, Oct. 30 at 11 a.m.

FOOD AND DRINK • The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train'' will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. www.mountainlovers.com.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 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. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Waynesville Art School offers “Make Art & Play” for 45 year olds from 3:45 to 4:45 on Tuesdays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes • Waynesville Art School offers “Kinder Artists” for 6-7 year olds from 3:45 to 4:45 on Mondays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Nick Colavito (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Oct. 24. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Waynesville Art School offers “Shining Minds” for 1012 year olds from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge Oct. 23. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Waynesville Art School offers “Art Shuffle” for children 12 and older from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge Oct. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Waynesville Art School offers “The Hatter’s Tea Party” for 8-`16 year olds from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

• Maggie Valley Pavilion will host the Haywood Community Band at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Free and open to

• Waynesville Art School offers “Puppet Theater” for 816 year olds from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays. To learn

Outdoors

• Join the second season of the Highlands Biological Foundation’s virtual book club delving into “All We Can Save,” edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson, with meetings 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept.

30, through Nov. 18. Sign up by contacting paige@highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2623. www.highlandsbiological.org.

• Haunted School will be open from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Oct. 15-16, 22-23, 29-31, at the Fines Creek Community Center. Admission is $10 per person. Must be 13 and up to enter without an adult. All visitors must wear a mask.

• Learn to fly fish — or sharpen your skills — with Haywood County Parks and Recreation this month.

Dates are Oct. 15-16 and 22. Beginner classes will be held from 10 a.m. to noon each day below the Lake Junaluska dam, and intermediate classes will be 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Cost for each series is $10. Register with Ian Smith, ian.smith@haywoodnc.gov.

• A free hunter safety certification course will be offered 6-9 p.m. Oct. 13-14 at Haywood Community College. Face masks required. Participants must come both days to get certified. Free and no age limits, though participants must pass a written test without assistance. The certification is accepted in every state and province in North America. Pre-registration required at www.ncwildlife.org. The course will repeat Nov. 3-4.

• Get a peek into current research efforts regarding African American history in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during a pair of upcoming virtual events offered Thursday, Oct. 14, and Friday, Oct. 22. For additional details and registration, visit www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/town-hallevents.htm.

• The session will cover soil preparation, insect and disease control, weed control and how to encourage beneficial insects. Hosted by Haywood Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent Sam Marshall, the session will feature Area Specialized Agent Craig Mauney as presenter. Sign up by Saturday, Oct. 16, at bit.ly/3oorSRg. Cost is $10.

Market WNC PLACE

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36

Work services. Applicants should complete an application for Jackson County which is located at www.jcdss.org and submit it to the Jackson County Department of 6RFLDO 6HUYLFHV *ULI¿Q Street, Sylva, NC 28779 or the Sylva branch of the NC Works Career Center.

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37

SUPER

CROSSWORD

SEVEN THREE WAYS ACROSS 1 Verbal quirk from the 43rd U.S. president 8 Actor Gabe 14 "Go ahead" hand gesture 20 Diplomatic agreement 21 "Stop already!"

22 Workweek ender 23 Disturb calm piccolo players?

26 Alley -27 Card game with melding 28 Chef Emeril 29 Rival of Bing 33 Singer Wilson with the 1977 hit "Telephone Man" 34 Diner patron 35 Most agile men of the cloth persevere?

42 Moreno of film 43 Goddess of dawn 44 -- Na Na 45 Noisy baby toys make an aspiring actress jump?

56 Hilo "hello" 57 Related to fat, in biochemistry 58 Neighbor of a Syrian 59 Tiny drink 60 Directive to Danno on "Hawaii Five-O" 62 French actor Delon 63 More sickly-looking buccaneers wander around?

71 Tiny bits 72 At minimum 73 Above, to poets 74 It links England and France 77 Retina part

79 Actor Romero 81 Shows where a few foodindustry calves are hiding?

85 Rage 86 Suffix of sugars 87 Yale attendees 88 Threw away the most rigid filaments?

100 Salk vaccine target 101 "-- pronounce you ..."

102 Make certain 103 Add to a database 106 Munich's state 109 Actor Romero 110 Doorkeeper's purplishred uniform ID? 115 River through the Carolinas 116 Devoted fan 117 "Let's do this now" 118 Letter-shaped tracks in metalworking 119 Softhearted 120 Operating room knives DOWN 1 Enshrouds in haze 2 Remove a lasso from, e.g.

3 Mental torpor 4 "-- So Fine" (1963 hit) 5 Bank acct. earnings 6 Fr. nun, maybe 7 Former div. of Ford 8 More acute 9 Actor Aziz -10 Anson Williams' role on "Happy Days" 11 Liza Minnelli's half sister Lorna 12 Water, in Peru

13 Sabres' gp.

14 In the recent past 15 Diane who played Helen in "Troy" 16 Hindu lutes 17 May 15, e.g.

18 Needlefishes 19 Wall Street market inits.

24 Exit incline 25 Lickable envelope part 30 Waist size 31 Actress Arcieri or Kenzle 32 Punta del --, Uruguay 34 To be, to Nero 36 Prof's aides 37 Alien-seeking proj.

38 Recounted 39 Dot on an ocean map 40 Silverstein of kiddie lit 41 Comic actor Jacques 45 Filing tool 46 Inter -- (among others) 47 Summits 48 Splashes liquid on 49 -- torch (luau light) 50 Mimicker 51 Lovey stuff 52 Riverbed deposits 53 Old Russian autocrats 54 Opera tune 55 Hindu queen 60 Chewed leaf stimulant 61 Spoken exams 62 Give -- of approval 64 Fork point 65 39-Down off Scotland 66 Series of gigs 67 Jazz legend Fitzgerald 68 Ask, as a question 69 Char 70 Blows it

74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 103 104 105 brand 106 107 108 111 112 113 114

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"It's nobody -- business" Arty area of NYC Doc for pets K-12 Swimsuit brand Certain wasp Best-of-the-best groups Merrill of old movies Shift, as attention Glossy paint 1957 Jimmy Dorsey hit Mattress size Mom's sis Saw things while asleep Marsh plants Pre- -- (replace) Scottish turndowns Neutrogena shampoo Expressed, as a farewell Lots Blue dye Comedy bit -- loss Rival of AOL Misc. abbr.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on HTXDO RSSRUWXQLW\ EDVLV

Rentals

TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS. Wesley Financial Group, LLC. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019.

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 34 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

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October 13-19, 2021

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WNC MarketPlace

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Smoky Mountain News October 13-19, 2021