Smoky Mountain News | November 23, 2022

ART

Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com

Micah McClure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com

D ESIGN & WEBSITE: Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com

D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com

ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Shetley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com

Amanda Bradley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com

Sophia Burleigh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com

WRITING: Holly Kays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com

Hannah McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com

Cory Vaillancourt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com

Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Amanda Singletary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

If you’ve got some time before the end of the year to read some books, or are looking for some books to give as gifts, here are some of my recommendations:

1. “The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harness the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live” by Danielle Dreilinger –About the work and influence of home economists in everything from clothing for children and food for astronauts to food preservation and recipe development during World War II.

2. “To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure and Dinner in Your Own Backyard” by Tamar Haspel –Washington Post columnist details her life on Cape Cod learning about food self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

3. “The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care” by Rina Raphael – The lure and promise of “wellness” and how if often especially targets women and leads to expensive and unnecessary purchases and a belief in pseudoscience.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian @InglesDietitian

Leah McGrath - Dietitian

Keeping it simple — and local

Iwas standing at my desk this morning looking forward to the coming Thanksgiving weekend with our grown children and fixating on the importance of shopping local. It’s an annual exercise for me, worrying that too many people in Western North Carolina will forgo our local businesses for online shopping and large national retailers as they prepare for their annual holiday shopping. This year, with inflation eating up paychecks and talk of a looming recession, it’s even more important to visit our local stores.

It’s gratifying that the shop local push has — over time — turned into a kind of movement, but I totally understand it. From the Shop Small Saturday and Small Business Saturday (that’s this Saturday, Nov. 26) that started just over a decade ago to the “buy local” campaigns that have become commonplace, by now most Americans realize the value of spending their money with the small business owners they see around town every day. It makes economic sense, environmental sense and is just good for the town you live in.  Chambers of commerce throughout our region and local downtown districts all have some unique celebrations and shopping events planned. Take part, see old friends, take the family downtown and just enjoy shopping rather than getting caught up in the mall frenzy.

Over the last couple of holidays online spending surged

as the pandemic had us homebound and not wanting to mix it up with big crowds. That’s understandable, but now we’ve learned enough (mask up if you’re still concerned) that

there’s not reason not to visit our local entrepreneurs.

If you’re hooked on the online shopping, well, how about trying something different. During the pandemic many of these local small businesses upped their online game. Perhaps instead of visiting Amazon, you should check out the website of your local retailer and you might discover it’s just as convenient.

My holiday shopping rituals have fallen into an annual pattern, one I look forward to each year. At some point — usually just few days before Dec. 25 — I’ll visit Blue Ridge Books, Hazelwood Soap, wander down Main Street in Waynesville, perhaps even make the drive to Canton and Sylva, and buy jewelry, pottery, books, clothes, maybe more. I’ll run into folks I know — including proprietors — catch up on small talk, perhaps grab some coffee or a beer. Sometime in that runup to Christmas, Lori and I will hit a few stores together as we finish up our list. Simple, easy, no pressure.

Enjoy the season, and support the locals. Cheers.

(Smoky Mountain News Publisher Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Editor Scott McLeod

Patricia Miller, owner of Affairs of the Heart in downtown Waynesville, has all kinds of gift items for those looking to take advantage of Shop Small Saturday.

Five ways to support small businesses this season

Small businesses long have been the heart and soul of local communities.

There is something to be said about being on a first-name basis with a local restaurateur or another small business owner, as such familiarity often translates into exemplary service.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 99.9% of companies in the country, due in large part to the broad definition of small businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees).

However, the vast majority of businesses in the United States have a staff that’s smaller than 20 workers, according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

These firms employ nearly 60 million workers, says the SBA.

Despite the prevalence of small businesses, fewer than 80% of entrepreneurial small business ventures make it beyond their first year, and only around half make it beyond five years.

Consumers who want to help their favorite small businesses survive can use the holiday season and beyond to set the course for success. Consumers can make a concerted effort to fuel this important cog in their local economic engines.

■ Shop local. The concept is simple but effective. Opting to shop in local stores over

What happens

you shop local

larger conglomerates and franchises can help small businesses take root. Before making holiday shopping lists, visit local stores and base gift ideas on items they have in stock. Chances are those gifts will be one-ofa-kind.

■ Purchase gift cards/certificates — All businesses have slow periods, and post-holidays is often a time when sales stagnate. Gift cards may bring new customers into local businesses who might otherwise not have patronized them, potentially creating new repeat customers.

■ Cater holiday meals and gatherings — The holiday season is chock-full of entertainment opportunities. Individuals can rely on nearby restaurants and other food and beverage businesses to cater holiday parties. Some businesses also may be willing to discount or donate food for nonprofit group activities, such as church holiday bazaars, school holiday concerts or fundraising fairs.

■ Mention small businesses on social media — The holiday season breeds excitement. Therefore, when shoppers are in local stores, they can snap pictures of products and overflowing shopping bags and post them online while praising local businesses.

■ Think about subscription gifts — Enrollment in a health club or a massage therapy service are gifts that keep on giving for the recipient, but also help ensure consistent incoming cash for the business providing the service.

when

nesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.

6. You conserve your tax dollars

1. More of your money will be

kept in your local economy

For every $100 you spend at locally owned businesses, $68 will stay in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? Only $43 stays in the community.

Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify your community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong— in your community.

7. You create more choice

2.

You embrace what makes your community unique

You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You create local jobs

Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for your neighbors. When you shop locally, you help create jobs for teachers, firemen, police officers, and many other essential professions.

4. You help the environment

Buying from a locally owned business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation and less packaging.

5. You nurture community

Local business owners know you, and you know them. Studies have shown that local busi-

Locally owned businesses pick the items and products they sell based on what they know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because they buy for their own individual markets.

8. You took advantage of their expertise

You are their friends and neighbors, and locally owned businesses have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. They’re passionate about what they do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invested in entrepreneurship

Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.

10. You made your community a destination

The more interesting and unique you community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests.

Go homemade with food gifts

Gifts from the heart are among the most coveted and appreciated come the holiday season. Hobbyists from all walks of life can turn their passions into handmade gifts, but few gifts may be as welcomed as those that can be eaten.

Cooking and baking ramps up during the holiday season. People can turn extra time in the kitchen into opportunities to create festive treats that are ideal for gifting. But which items are the best of the best?

Even though tastes are singular, these items will appeal to most foodies and others on your gift list.

■ Jams and preser ves — Fruit jams and preserves are versatile foods. They are as at home on toast and biscuits as they are as fillings in cookies and tarts. Jams and preserves can be made with relatively few ingredients and work well with seasonal fruits.

■ Cinnamon rolls — Warm, sticky and full of aromatic spice, cinnamon rolls are the perfect comfort foods. These rolls do not typically have a long shelf life, so be sure to present them promptly before they get stale.

■ Pancakes (or cookies) in a jar — If you have a fantastic recipe that you can’t resist sharing, try turning it into a gift. Measure and package the ingredients into mason jars, tie with ribbons and include directions for preparation and cooking.

■ Mini bundt cakes — Fruit cakes may be

a holiday standard, but bundt cakes make for great and traditional offerings as well. Miniature bundts filled with chocolate chips, dried fruits or even those soaked in a favorite boozy-butter glaze can be moist and delicious.

■ Chocolate barks or fudges — Seasonal flavors can come to life in chocolate treats. White chocolate filled with peppermint pieces or dark chocolate and cherry chunks are tasty pairings. Break apart portions of the bark or cut the fudge with cookie cutters and gift inside cello bags tied with ribbons or in cardboard candy boxes.

■ Cocktail syrups — Create spicy or sweet syrups that are tailor-made for enhancing cocktails. Anyone on your gift list can then become a master mixologist.

■ Shortbread cookie ornaments —

Circular shortbread cookies can be decorated with royal icing to look like Christmas ornaments. They can be eaten or even placed on trees to complete holiday decor.

■ Festive cookie pops — Cookie pops can be made by mixing homemade or prepurchased crumbled cake with frosting or softened cream cheese and formed into balls.

Insert a lollipop stick and dip the balls into melted chocolate or candy melts. Sprinkles, nonpareils or luster dust can be used to enhance the covered pops.

Food gifts are perfect for the holiday season. Handmade treats from the heart show loved ones how just much you care.

Affairs of the Heart

Experiential gifts for kids

The popularity of experiential gifts is undeniable.

In its Winter Holiday Shopping Report, the market research firm Mintel revealed that nearly half of individuals surveyed for the report felt that experiential gifts are superior to tangible items. Such preferences are something holiday shoppers can keep in mind as they pursue the perfect gift for their loved ones.

Experiential gifts are often associated with adults and their bucket lists, but kids have much to gain from being gifted experiences as well. In addition to the lasting memories inspired by experiential gifts, such offerings also get kids up and out of the house. Parents recognize that’s not always so easy in the digital age.

Though children likely don’t have a bucket list that can make it easy for holiday shoppers to find the perfect experiential gift, the following are a number of experiences that kids of all ages can enjoy.

• A day at the zoo

• A trip to a trampoline park or bouncy house facility

• Tickets to a sporting event, concert or live

show

• Music lessons

• A paint and sip (juice) event with one or both parents

• Cooking lessons

• A day at a nearby national park

• A camping trip

• Horseback riding lessons

• A day at a nearby amusement park

• A day at a local arcade

• A day at a local museum with interactive exhibits

• A helicopter ride

• Art lessons

• A day on the ski slopes

• A day on the beach

• Gymnastics lessons/classes

• A day at the bowling alley with friends

• Ice skating lessons

• A round of mini golf

• Jewelry-making lessons/classes

• A fishing trip on a nearby body of water

There’s no shortage of experiences that can benefit children’s lives. That’s something holiday shoppers can keep in mind as they shop for the perfect gifts for youngsters on their shopping list this December.

Dogwood is filled with 12 rooms of handmade gifts. Create a memory! Come shop at Dogwood.

A craft cooperative featuring fine crafts and gifts handmade by artisans living in the mountains of North Carolina.

Gifts for people who love the great outdoors

Certain people feel right at home in the great outdoors. With the sun on their faces and the wind in their hair, rock scramblers and kayaking buffs simply can’t get enough of being outside in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Outdoor enthusiasts need reliable gear to make their experiences that much more enjoyable. Brandon Gaille Small Business & Marketing Advice reports that $230.6 billion was spent worldwide on sportswear and outdoor apparel in 2021. However, there’s always room to improve on adventures large and small, and holiday shoppers can keep these items in mind as they look for items for their favorite nature lover this season.

■ Plasma lighter: A plasma lighter can start fires in conditions that aren’t conducive to other fire-starting measures. Plasma lighters are water- and wind-resistant and work in nearly all weather conditions. Saberlight even makes a rechargeable option with USB charging cable.

■ Lantern: Outside magazine recently

named the BioLite AlpenGlow 250 as its new favorite road trip item. It can be used in a variety of settings, including inside a tent or at a hunting cabin, and produces customizable illumination.

■ Backpack cooler: These soft coolers make carrying food and beverages even more convenient. This is a backpack and a cooler, so it’s a hands-free and portable option when out in nature.

■ Hiking socks: Keeping feet cool and comfortable is essential on hiking trips. Good socks — and there are many quality brands — provide a blisterfree wilderness experience designed to minimize friction and keep you warm.

■ Waterproof backpack: Whether a loved one spends time in or near the water or just wants to safeguard his or her belongings in inclement weather, a waterproof backpack is the ideal outdoor gift. It’s easy to clean and keeps items inside dry.

■ Power bank/solar charger: Many people can’t live without their devices, even when out in the great outdoors. Since you can’t plug a phone into a tree, a portable solar charger and power bank is key.

Kick off the season with a Christmas home tour

BY CAROLE TERRELL C ONTRIBUTING W RITER

After the Canton tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30 and the Christmas parade on Dec. 1, the festivities continue with the Holiday Tour of Homes. After being put on hold during the COVID pandemic, the self-guided driving tour returns from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 4.

Nine festively decorated homes are on the tour and the homes can be toured in any order. Each home offers a different theme and you may gather some new ideas along the way for your own decorating.

All proceeds from the tour help fund the scholarships from the Canton Miss Labor Day pageant. The Miss Labor Day Pageant is sponsored by the Cruso Endowment and the scholarships are funded by the Canton Educational Foundation.

Canton Alderwoman Gail Mull is the organizer of the event.

“We get people to participate by begging and pleading,” said Mull. Sometimes a home may be for sale and some of the homes are historical. “People have a lot of fun with it. I tell people that agree to be on the tour that they don’t have to go out and buy new things. Just decorate as they always have, whether it’s new items or heirloom or homespun decorations. People on the tour don’t necessarily want to see new, they want to see ‘you.’”

Josh and Laura Simmons will participate

in the tour for the fourth time.

“I have a very eclectic decorating style,” Laura said. “My holiday decorations follow

some new. I love vintage Shiny Brite ornaments. It feels like they have a history or a story to tell. I love the idea of having something in my home that seems so fragile, yet has remained intact after many holiday seasons.”

Laura says a lot has been done to the house in the past 15 years, with some rooms having been changed multiple times. “I love the idea that my home feels comfortable and cozy and that both can be achieved with a little creativity,” she said. “I have recently done some interesting wall finishes in two smaller rooms that I think will garner

More

This year, there is not a paper map but if you are not familiar with the area, the homes can be found by using GPS. Street numbers were changed last year due to 911 updates. Here is a list of homes on the tour, including the new and old street numbers:

• Evan and Gracie Paulson, 394 Newfound St. (formerly 76 Newfound St.) Parking available just past the white house at 453 Newfound St. (empty lot)

• Robert and Robin Lumpkin, 72 Newfound St. (formerly 10 Newfound St.) Enter on Plum Street for parking.

• Brayden and Krista Valentine, 457 Academy St. (formerly 157 Academy St.)

• Joshua and Laura Simmons, 152 Johnson St. (formerly 128 Johnson St.)

• Perry and Della Brindley, 182 Wood Lily Drive (formerly 18 Johnson Drive)

• Caleb and Sally Simmons, 318 Wood Lily Drive (formerly 38 Johnson Drive)

• Brandon and Janna Young, 628 Pisgah Drive (formerly 144 Pisgah Drive)

• Eric and Ana Henry, 4625 Dutch Cove Road

• Cory and Lee Bentley, 47 Gazebo Court (Plott farmhouse off N.C. 110)

some interesting attention. I like to take risks and I love to try new things when it comes to home decor.”

Couple calls out FedEx after driver admits to 17 break-ins

“There’s nothing that confirms it’s FedEx other then [sic] your facts of the loss, stating a FedEx vehicle caused the damage, there’s nothing else able to identify the person, no license plate, no photo’s [sic] of the vehicle, nothing,” a FedEx rep wrote. “My options are limited when there’s nothing provided to verify the identity of the party.”

The Smiths allege that about two weeks later, Bufkin returned and again aroused suspicion.

“He went all the way up to [a neighbor’s] house and there were home and saw it. And so that at that time, Jim ran out to the driveway, and that’s how we got that picture,” Penelope Smith said.

“I just had another Fed Ex driver drive up and back down my driveway without delivering a Package,” an email Jim Smith sent to FedEx reads. “It’s raining so I haven’t been able to see what additional damage may have been done. How do I stop Fed Ex from TRESPASSING on my property?”

In addition to all this, the Smiths find it hard to believe that FedEx wouldn’t have additional cause for suspension, given that a simple Google search turns up results that highlight his prior struggles with opioid addiction.

“FedEx Ground is appalled by this activity and cooperated fully with law enforcement during their investigation,” the statement reads. “The individual arrested no longer provides service on behalf of FedEx Ground.”

The contractor that employed Bufkin to drive a FedEx truck is JOT Delivery Inc. out of Candler. Joe Buckner, who runs that operation, said in his 22 years he’d encountered some people he believed were using illegal drugs and he’d even terminated some based on poor performance, but he’s never had someone steal while on the job.

Buckner said Bufkin was a decent employee, the kind of guy who’d bring everyone biscuits at the beginning of a shift.

“The guy always came into work,” Buckner said. “He was usually there early every day.”

However, Buckner did note one particular thing that seemed odd.

“The only thing I seen when this took place was that he would sweat a lot,” Buckner said. “Nobody else would be like that. He’d be drenched at times.”

Sweating can be a symptom of even brief opioid withdrawal experienced between doses.

BY KYLE P ERROTTI N EWS E DITOR

Acouple that owns a home near Highlands is speaking out after they say FedEx failed to act even after warned that one of its drivers was likely robbing several homes along his route.

By the time Gregory Bufkin, 43 was caught, he’d broken into at least 17 homes in the Highlands and Scaly Mountain areas, and multiple people expressed that they believed he was responsible for break-ins elsewhere in Macon and Bryson counties.

Bufkin was arrested when a homeowner called the police to report that they saw a Macon County Sheriff’s Deputy on a home security camera. The deputy was there to investigate a call that the home’s door was wide open even though no one was thought to be home. Once the deputy cleared the residence, he left. But once the residents reviewed all their security footage, they saw Bufkin had been inside prior to the deputy’s arrival.

Almost a year after his arrest, Bufkin pleaded guilty to 17 counts of felony breaking and entering, seven counts of larceny after breaking and entering, seven counts of possession of stolen goods and six counts of larceny of a firearm. According to reporting from The Southern Scoop, Bufkin was sentenced on each charge to 6-17 months in prison, but that sentence was suspended and Bufkin instead was given five years of probation. In addition, Bufkin must spend a total of 238 days in the county jail — time that can be served at the discretion of his probation officer.

FedEx sent settlement offers to cover restitution that included nondisclosure

agreements to Bufkin’s victims. Jim and Penelope Smith, Florida residents who live part time in the Horse Cove area, refused to sign and instead spoke with The Smoky Mountain News.

“I wasn’t going to sign away my First Amendment rights,” Jim Smith said.

In addition to sitting down for an interview with The Smoky Mountain News, the Smiths shared a series of emails outlining their communications with FedEx. The emails show that the Smiths were upset with Bufkin trespassing and damaging property well before he broke into their home.

Jim Smith recalled the day they first spotted Bufkin, noting that they knew it was him and not a driver because he was driving a “bubble truck,” which is far rarer than a typical FedEx truck. They were sitting in their living room when they heard the back-up buzzer on the truck turning around near their driveway.

“The door was open, and we saw the FedEx truck. We’re like, where’s he going? Because [our neighbors] up the street, they don’t even get mail on the street. They get it they have a P.O. box … FedEx doesn’t come up this road,” he said. “When [Bufkin] turned around, he displaced a bunch of rocks and a drainage system I have up there.”

After some back and forth, FedEx did not reimburse The Smiths for repairs to the damaged culvert because there wasn’t video evidence of Bufkin’s delivery vehicle damaging the property.

The Smiths told SMN said that as soon as break-ins began getting reported in the Highlands area, they reached out to law enforcement saying they felt it was Bufkin and that he had likely cased their home. They said that although the Macon County Sheriff’s Office did put an undercover deputy in their area to watch delivery trucks as they came and went, it didn’t turn up any evidence that could lead to an arrest. Before long, their home was broken into and an antique double-barrel shotgun was stolen. In the process of breaking in, Bufkin severely damaged the home’s front and back doors.

Because the Smiths had informed FedEx several times that Bufkin had trespassed and they told law enforcement they thought he was casing homes, they believe the problem could have been nipped in the bud sooner, which would have prevented numerous break-ins, including the one that occurred at their home.

Two months passed between the date that the Smiths initially complained about Bufkin to the time that he was caught.

“Why the heck would FedEx knowingly keep using the problematic employee?” Penelope Smith said. “And he was on drugs using their vehicle? I mean, why did they not care about that? Why are they really so hard up for help? They need to wait until he got popped for breaking and entering? And it ended up costing them.”

The Smiths believe that the nondisclosure agreements are an obvious means for FedEx to avoid bad publicity or even civil liability. While FedEx declined SMN’s request for an interview and didn’t respond to written questions submitted via email, the company offered a brief statement.

Buckner said he has 25 drivers employed now, and while he cuts the checks and provides the trucks, it’s FedEx’s responsibility to conduct drug screenings. He said it’s a shame the way things happened with Bufkin.

“The guy’s a good guy and a good worker,” Buckner said. “I hate that was going through addiction.”

Either way, the Smiths are clear that they feel someone dropped the ball by allowing Bufkin to continue driving, considering he was stealing on his route, and they believe he was likely using opioids on the job, as well.

“If they’re starting to get questions about this driver, I can’t believe they didn’t just drug test him, because he was probably high while he’s driving there,” Penelope Smith said. “If they didn’t care about us in our burglary, you would think that they wouldn’t want him to kill somebody in their FedEx truck.”

Jim Smith took this photo of what is allegedly Bufkin’s truck trespassing on their property. The Smiths believe he was casing their home while on his delivery route.

Gregory Bufkin

The Smiths’ back door, which like the front door, was severely damaged when Gregory Bufkin broke into their home.

Untangling the web

Leading Native journalist says ignorance on Native issues poses danger for tribes

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF W RITER

As voting hours ended on Election Day 2020, talking heads waiting for results to roll in filled the TV airwaves with speculation based on the exit polling data before them. What might it mean for the final results, and for the future of the American presidency? During the melee, CNN displayed a graphic showing the racial demographics of presidential election voters in Arizona — and for many Americans this shifted the conversation to something else entirely.

Because, according to the graphic, “something else” was synonymous with “Native American.” The poll showed the percentage of voters classified as white, black, Latino or Asian but lumped the remaining 6% of exit poll respondents into the catchall “something else” category — according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Native Americans constitute 5.3% of Arizona’s population.

“What CNN erased with that phrase, ‘something else,’ is actually very serious. And that’s the power of Native voters in Arizona,” Rebecca Nagle, an award-winning journalist and citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, told a crowd of nearly 50 people during a Nov. 17 lecture at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee.

Arizona went blue in 2020, an unexpected outcome that was pivotal to President Joe Biden’s victory. As it turns out, the blue areas of Arizona overlay almost perfectly with its tribal lands.

Nagle wasn’t in North Carolina to talk about the 2020 election results, however. Invited to deliver Western Carolina University’s annual James A. Cooper Memorial Lecture in Cherokee Studies on campus and in Cherokee, she was there to talk about the reality of indigenous erasure in the media — and the serious consequences it has for Indian tribes.

CHANGINGTHECONVERSATION

Nagle grew up in Joplin, Missouri, less than an hour from the boundary of Cherokee Nation tribal lands in Oklahoma. Her culture was always important to her, and she always loved writing, but at first she refrained from pursuing a writing career — she knew it would be a difficult path.

Then, while working as a community organizer in Baltimore, Maryland, Nagle started learning how to navigate labyrinthine government bureaucracies and translate what she found into simple language community members could understand.

“I became very passionate about how these systems that govern people’s lives and have huge impacts on people’s lives are really opaque and are kind of meant to be opaque, I think, and meant to be inaccessible,” she said in an interview. “And so, as an organiz-

er, I was passionate about making the law and making policy more accessible to folks.”

Later, she penned some opinion pieces related to her work on sexual assault and domestic violence. Some of those pieces reached a surprisingly large audience.

“After seeing that impact I was like, ‘Oh, this is a thing that can really change the conversation,’” she said.

Since then, Nagle has established herself as a respected journalist on Native American issues and is one of a small number of journalists who are Native American. According to a 2018 survey from the News Leaders Association, only 0.38% of American journalists are Native, despite Native Americans making up 1.3% of the American population according to the most recent census.

Nagle has won a bevy of prizes, including the American Mosaic Journalism Prize, Women’s Media Center’s Exceptional Journalism Award and a Peabody nomination. Her writing has appeared in publications such as the Atlantic, the Washington Post, The Guardian, USA Today and Indian Country Today, and her podcast “This Land” offers groundbreaking reporting on issues of critical importance to tribes and tribal sovereignty. The most recent season examines a lawsuit seeking to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act, and all the dominos that could fall should the suit prevail.

“These are not small topics,” Museum Director Shana Bushyhead Condill said as she introduced Nagle Nov. 17. “I admire Rebecca’s bravery and tenacity as she tackles these huge cases, and unravels the tangled web of case law, history, motivation and unexpected stakeholders. Spoiler, it’s never about the surface conversation.”

As Nagle outlined in her talk, Native underrepresentation in media goes far beyond CNN’s unfortunate Election Night graphic. She cited research from Dr. Stephanie Fryberg showing that in an analysis of 2,300 television characters on screen between 1987 and 2007, only three were

Catch the podcast

Rebecca Nagle’s award-winning podcast “This Land,” distributed by Crooked Media, is available on various podcasting platforms.

Over the course of two seasons, “This Land,” has thus far explored the Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta case and its implications for tribal land restoration, and how a case challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act threatens the entire legal structure surrounding Native American rights.

Learn more at crooked.com/podcastseries/this-land.

Native; in a 2015 study looking at the top 100 Google Image search results for “Native American,” 95% were historical images. Early reporting on racial disparities in COVID impacts often left out indigenous people, and in many cases state data did not record Native Americans as a separate demographic category, meaning the pandemic’s true toll on Native communities will likely remain unknown.

“Because people are not seeing real, alive, breathing Native people, it makes us less real,” Nagle said in her talk. “I feel like we’ve all had that moment. I’ve had people say really weird things to me, like, ‘I didn’t realize Native people still existed.’”

Such ignorance leads to uncomfortable

moments for individuals, and dangerous ones for tribes.

“If you’re not real, you don’t need laws,” said Nagle. “If you’re not real, you don’t need treaty rights. If you’re not real, you don’t need those things that we are still having to fight for.”

ICWA AND TRIBALSOVEREIGNTY

In the most recent season of “This Land,” which concluded in October 2021, Nagle examined a federal court case out of Texas that challenges the constitutionality of a 1978 law, the Indian Child Welfare Act. ICWA sought to end the epidemic of Native children being removed from their homes and communities, and the lawsuit’s outcome could have detrimental consequences for tribal sovereignty.

ICWA contains various provisions governing child custody cases involving Native American children, including an order of preference for adoptions. First preference goes to a member of the child’s extended family, second to an adoptive family within the child’s tribe and third to members of other Indian tribes — non-Native families can adopt only once these avenues have been exhausted. The law was passed shortly after the end of the boarding school era and dur-

Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is a journalist and podcast host examining Native American issues.

Donated photo

“Because people are not seeing real, alive, breathing Native people, it makes us less real. I feel like we’ve all like had that moment. I’ve had people say really weird things to me, like, ‘I didn’t realize Native people still existed.’”

— Rebecca Nagle

Macon County votes ‘no’ on quarter-cent sales tax

Question lingers regarding capital project funding

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Decisions about following through with the new Franklin High School project were always going to fall to a new board of commissioners made up of different members than those who occupied the seats when plans were first initiated.

However, with Macon County residents voting no to the quarter-cent sales tax referendum, the county may have to rely completely on increased property taxes if the new high school and other capital projects are to come to fruition.

“The people have spoken,” said incoming Republican Commissioner John Shearl, who won the race to represent district two. “They did not approve of a tax increase.”

The referendum asked voters whether they wanted county government to implement an additional quarter-cent sales tax on all items sold in Macon County other than unprepared food and gas. This would have raised the sales tax from 6.75 to 7 cents per dollar, impacting out-of-towners and locals alike. All additional revenue from the increase would have stayed in Macon County for use on the school system’s capital projects. It was estimated to generate over $2 mil-

lion in annual revenues.

“As superintendent, I have a neutral opinion of the recent failure of the quarter-cent sales tax referendum in Macon County,” said Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin. “As a lifelong Macon County resident and adult taxpayer, I am disappointed that the referendum failed. The sales tax potentially would have led to lower Macon County ad-valorem taxes in the future.”

The tax referendum proposal came about earlier this year when Macon County commissioners began planning for a new Franklin High School. The project may come in over $100 million. In their discussions about funding, commissioners saw that if they implemented the optional sales tax increase, it would offset the need for a property tax increase of about 2 cents.

“The questions is, how do you pay for it?” said Commission Chairman Jim Tate during a March 8 board of commissioners meeting. “Would you rather pay for it with an increase of property taxes, or would you rather pay for it by letting some of our visitors who pass through this county also help pay for it through a quarter-cent sales tax increase.”

In North Carolina, all counties have the option to locally levy a quarter-cent sales tax. According to the legislation, the sales tax can be implemented on the first day of any calendar quarter as long as the county gives the N.C. Department of Revenue at least 90 days advance notice. If a referendum is held in November during the General Election and passes, the earliest a county could begin col-

lecting the revenue would be April 1 of the following year, provided it adopts a resolution levying the tax and forwards it to the Department of Revenue prior to December 31.

If the referendum fails, a county can legally hold a subsequent referendum on the same question after one year. For Commissioner Gary Shields, a retired life-long educator, this might be an option for Macon County.

“I still feel there is hope in two years when the commissioner board has the opportunity to put the quarter-cent sales tax back on the ballot,” said Shields. “This was the first for our county and we now have two years to learn from what we/I should have done better to educate our populace.”

The sales tax is not restricted and can be used for any allowed use by a county. However, the board of commissioners can adopt a resolution that stipulates how they plan to use the revenues.

“The sales tax, as stated in the resolution passed by the Macon County Board of Commissioners, would have gone towards funding capital projects for the Macon County School System,” said County Manager Derek Roland.

Out of 15,903 ballots cast on Election Day in Macon County, 15,124 people voted on the referendum to implement the quarter-cent sales tax; 8,575 (or 55%) voted against the measure, 6,829 (or 45%) voted in favor. The number of voters participating in the referendum decision is consistent with the number of people who voted on referenda on the ballot during 2018 midterm elections which also

hovered just over 15,000. The population of Macon County is about 37,000.

The makeup of the Macon County Board of Commissioners, responsible for both approving funding of capital projects for the school system and property tax increases for the county, is set to change at the end of this year.

During the November election, Republicans John Shearl and Danny Antoine both won seats on the board of commissioners. Shearl will replace Jim Tate to represent district one; Tate did not seek re-election, but Shearl beat independent candidate Jerry Moore. Danny Antoine beat incumbent Democrat Ronnie Beale to represent district two; Beale has been on the board since 2006. Antoine and Shearl will join Shields, Joshua Young and Paul Higdon on the board.

There are several capital projects ongoing in the Macon County School system right now, of which the new high school is only one. At its last joint meeting with the Macon County School Board, the Board of Commissioners approved several capital project fund requests. One of the larger projects, and one that has yet to be fully funded, is the Highlands School pre-K and expansion project. This would involve renovation of the elementary building to add pre-K classroom space and expansion of the middle school buildings to accommodate needs for CTE classrooms and improve the media center.

The estimated cost of the project is approximately $4.7 million. At its October meeting, the county approved entering into contract negotia- F

Here’s a look at Franklin High School as it currently sits. A new school will likely be built in that spot and may run upward of $100 million. File photo

tions with LS3P for architectural services.

This decision was made by a 3-2 vote with both county commissioners and school board members. Commissioners Paul Higdon and Joshua Young voted against the measure and questioned the timing of the decision to move forward with a project that was not outlined in the school board’s capital outlay request earlier in the year.

At the commissioners’ Nov. 8 meeting, the board approved $329,255 for architectural services.

“The expansion of Highlands School will be beneficial to the entire community by improving access to pre-school childcare in Highlands,” said Baldwin. “The renovations associated with the Highlands project are also necessary and will lead to improved instruction.”

In addition to improvements at Highlands School, the new board will have to make decisions about whether or not to move forward with the new high school project and if so, how to fund it without revenue from the local sales tax option.

“Based upon financial projections provided by Davenport, Macon County’s Financial Advisor, in July of 2022 the sales tax would have generated additional revenue equal to the amount generated by an ad-valorem property tax increase of approximately 2 cents,” said Roland. “This particular scenario assumed an up-front tax increase in 2024, to fund the estimated $118.4 million project, including the main campus and athletic facility. With the sales tax passage, the ad-valorem tax increase required under this scenario was estimated at 5.91 cents. Without passage of the sales tax under this scenario, the required ad-valorem tax increase was estimated at 7.83 cents.”

Commissioner Paul Higdon was in favor of letting voters decide on the sales tax option, but said that his personal opinion on the issue didn’t matter as much as that of the voters.

“We have to honor our constituents’ choices,” said Higdon. “I have a pretty strong stance on taxes. My philosophy is that the government has enough money, we just need to be better stewards of it.”

And while Higdon would like to see a new high school in Franklin, he says it’s not that simple.

“We have got to have some adult conversations about funding and financing,” said

This architectural rendering shows an overhead look at what Franklin’s new high school may look like.

File photo

Higdon. “This thing has turned into a political, emotional topic. I’m for any improvements, not only for education, but to services provided to the citizens of Macon County. But behind all that is, how do we fund it? What effect will it have financially on the citizens?”

Higdon is staunchly against raising property taxes by 7.8 cents, the amount needed to fund the new high school without revenue from the local sales tax option, especially, he says, in economic conditions like these. Two viable options for Higdon are looking at other funding sources that may be available to the county and changing the scope of the project so it costs less.

However, Commissioner Shields noted that data from the Franklin High School Facility Assessment indicates that a renovation of the existing campus would not be in the best interest of the county due to the cost of renovating and re-coding each building, making them safer and ADA-compliant and the need to find other instruction space while renovations take place.

“The renovations of the current facility are not cost effective and would not effectively address the ADA and security concerns,” said Baldwin. “Therefore, the funding required to build a new high school is not going to be avoidable. Furthermore, additional delays in the project will likely lead to increased costs which will be transferred to the taxpayers of Macon County.”

The new members of the Macon County Commission will take office in December. While voters voted against the local sales tax option, they will not have a say if commissioners raise property taxes to fund capital projects for the school system or any other necessary county business. Property tax changes are approved by the county commission when they approve the budget each year, usually in June or July.

“Anytime the county is viewing this type of expense a lot of soul searching has to take place with the commissioner board and the citizens of Macon County,” said Shields. “The property tax increase of 8 cents to finance this project could have been approximately 2 cents less if we had passed the quarter-cent sales tax. What the public and commissioner board have to come to terms with is, what is the option if a new high school is not built?”

Commissioner Joshua Young and incoming commissioner Danny Antoine could not be reached for comment.

NAGLE, CONTINUED FROM 13

ing a time when 25-35% of Native children were being removed from their homes. Of those, 85% were placed outside their tribal communities, even when relatives were willing to take them in.

But in a 2018 ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Conner determined that ICWA codifies unconstitutional race-based discrimination, throwing the whole law into jeopardy. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments Nov. 9 and is expected to publish a ruling in late spring or early summer.

In ruling that ICWA’s adoption preferences are racially discriminatory, O’Conner overturned centuries of precedent establishing Native Americans as a political group — not a racial one. When Europeans colonized North America, they encountered existing sovereign nations of indigenous people. Though they pushed them out through physical violence and manipulation, the relationship was that of adversarial nations. Many tribes signed treaties with the United States, binding documents indicative of a government-togovernment relationship.

Native lands are not like city neighborhoods populated by a certain ethnic group. They are like countries ruled by a distinct government structure.

“The fear is, if they can overturn ICWA using this argument, that literally all of federal Indian law could be next,” Nagle said in her talk. “So if ICWA is unconstitutional discrimination, what about the clinic where I go and get my health care? If ICWA discriminates against non-Native foster parents, what about laws that allow tribes to operate casinos where non-Native casino operators can’t operate casinos?”

JOURNALISMPROBLEM’

There is, as Condill said, a “tangled

web” of motivations spurring ICWA’s opponents, but if tribal sovereignty is at risk, the general public’s ignorance of tribal issues — underscored and exacerbated by underrepresentation and misrepresentation in the media — is part of the problem.

“We’re not going to have federal judges and members of Congress and U.S. presidents who understand and uphold tribal sovereignty until we have a voting citizenry that does,” Nagle said Nov. 17.

That will require effort from the news media — a commitment to reaching out to Native communities, spending time building relationships with them and becoming students of Native history and perspective.

“We have to stop looking at it like it’s the diversity problem and start looking at it like it’s a journalism problem,” Nagle said in an interview. “Our indigenous communities deserve the same level and the same rigor of journalism as any other community, and I think because of ignorance, because of the lack of resources, because of there not being enough Native people newsrooms, because of all of those things, we don’t get it.”

There have been some glimmers of promise in recent years. In her talk, Nagle pointed to the Standing Rock Sioux’s protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline as a turning point, saying that, for the first time in her life, her Native friends and her nonNative friends were talking about the same thing on social media.

But there’s still a long way to go, and the stakes are high.

“What’s at stake is law and policies that impact people’s lives and impacts the sovereignty of our tribe,” Nagle said. “I think that journalists recognize that in other areas. There’s been this big question about how important press is in our democracy in this moment where it’s felt like it’s under attack. I would hope that people would think that continued existence and the sovereignty of indigenous nations is also an important part of our democracy.”

Nagle addresses her audience at Western Carolina University’s A.K Hinds University Center Nov. 16. WCU photo

Mainspring signs agreement in dam removal effort

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR

After months of discussion and deliberation, Mainspring Conservation Trust and Northbrook Carolina Hydro II have signed an agreement allowing Mainspring to purchase the aging Ela Dam in Swain County — paving the way for dam removal efforts to progress.

In use since 1925, the dam is small, old and produces very little energy. Discussions about removing it began last year when Northbrook Power Management inadvertently released a massive amount of sediment that blanketed the downstream river, severely impacting aquatic communities living there. Afterward, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Joey Owle approached Northbrook Carolina Hydro II about removing the dam. Northbrook proved willing to explore that option.

Owle spearheaded creation of a coalition to pursue dam removal, with Tribal Council unanimously approving a resolution to have the tribe lead removal efforts. The coalition had envisioned the EBCI as the end owner for the dam property, but when legislation seeking approval for that role came before the body in June, five of the 12 members voted against it and one walked out prior to the vote. The vote failed, and the entire project was in jeopardy. If removal efforts were to continue, Northbrook needed to start the process of transferring the property to a third party, and soon.

Now, Mainspring will be that third party. The agreement it signed with Northbrook provides Mainspring or its assign the option to buy the entire dam structure, lands and

property for a nominal value — if available funding makes removal feasible and if regulatory agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approve the action.

The

Cherokee strengthens banishment law

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF W RITER

In a unanimous vote during Annual Council Monday, Oct. 24, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed an ordinance to strengthen the tribe’s ability to enforce its banishment rules. It’s been refining the legislation since March and discussing the topic for much longer.

Native American tribes have the power to decide who is and is not welcome on their lands. In Cherokee this power is most often exercised against non-enrolled drug dealers, though tribal law gives Tribal Council broad authority to use this punishment. Prior to the update passed Oct. 24, Tribal Council could vote to banish any non-enrolled person “when necessary to protect the integrity and law and order on Tribal lands and territory or the welfare of its members,” but could banish enrolled members only for offenses related to drug trafficking and child sexual abuse. No tribal members are currently on the banishment list.

The new ordinance gives Council the authority to banish tribal members for the same breadth of reasons that apply to non-

members, but it also gives it more discretion over the impact of that banishment.

Previously, the statute read that a banished member’s name “shall” be removed from the membership roll, but now the law says that the name “may” be removed. Tribal Council may choose to exclude banished persons permanently but can also make the banishment effective for a more limited period of time.

The ordinance also strengthens the punishment for defying a banishment. Anybody who harbors an excluded person will serve at least 30 days in prison and up to a year, or a $5,000 fine (formerly a six-month maximum and seven-day minimum sentence). A person who violates a banishment order against them will serve at least 30 days in jail and up to a year, or a $5,000 fine (formerly a six-month maximum with no minimum sentence). Anybody who helps an excluded person access tribal benefits or services will serve at least 30 days and up to a year in prison, or a $5,000 fine (formerly no minimum sentence). The new ordinance removes a provision that would allow a person who helps a banished person obtain services to

be excluded for a term equal to the term originally imposed on the banished person.

To make it harder for non-members to violate exclusion orders, the new law requires landlords to check a newly created EBCI Exclusion Registry before renting to non-enrolled people for more than 90 days out of a year.

The registry, whose creation the new ordinance mandates, will be kept and maintained by The Cherokee One Feather. This publicly available digital registry must “at a minimum” contain the name of each excluded person and the date their banishment was effective. It “should” also contain a photograph and other identifying information for each person, along with the resolution’s number and a copy of the resolution.

Better enforcement for banishments has been a topic of discussion for years on the Qualla Boundary, with One Feather Editor Robert Jumper frequently opining on the topic in his editorial page. In a Dec. 1, 2015 piece, Jumper wrote about his quest to get a copy of the current banishment list, something he assumed would be a simple task. But, after contacting four tribal offices and

departments, he came up empty.

“As I visited these offices, I began to realize that there does not seem to be an official mechanism or procedure in place to prevent those who are banished from re-establishing themselves on tribal land,” Jumper wrote.

The One Feather eventually got a list, but in the years since Jumper has written that a list of names does little good without photographs and other information the public needs to know if they’ve spotted a banished person.

“I urge our Tribal Council to mandate that a photo or physical description be attached to all resolutions for banishment and that information become a matter of public record once the resolution is ratified,” Jumper wrote in an Aug. 6 column on the topic. “That would at least give the community a way to identify someone who has been deemed a threat to their land and people. Until we make banishment a real hinderance to those who are a threat to our community, it is no more than a minor inconvenience to those who chose to exploit and attack the Qualla Boundary and its citizens.”

The ordinance Tribal Council passed last month gives legal weight to Jumper’s suggestions, and now that it has been signed by Principal Chief Richard Sneed, it is tribal law.

option expires in April. Mainspring Executive Director Jordan Smith said that each of the partners in the EBCI-led coalition have been critical to suc-

cess. Coalition members also include American Rivers, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern

“As a land trust, we are used to owning assets,” Smith said. “American Rivers brings their expertise in managing dam removals while the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have supported the initiative from day one, identifying and providing funding and prioritizing this project within their offices. And without the leadership from the EBCI and Northbrook’s willingness to essentially contribute the property to the effort, we absolutely could not move forward. This is truly a team effort.”

Removing Ela Dam was one of the first ideas Owle pitched to his team when he was named secretary in 2017. Doing so would open 549 river miles of the Oconaluftee River and its tributaries, connecting streams across the Qualla Boundary and parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the lower Oconaluftee and Tuckasegee Rivers. Culturally important fish species will now have access to spawning areas in upstream tribal waters after nearly a century of disconnection.

“The accidental sediment release coincided with an unprecedented funding opportunity from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Owle said. “That, coupled with determined parties all around ready to pursue the idea of reconnecting 188 square miles of the watershed through a social and environmental justice lens, was perfect timing. I am grateful that Chuck Ahlrichs (of Northbrook) took my call in December 2021, and with a team of exceptional partners, we were able to come together to create an opportunity from the ground up.”

The dam was initially constructed to support rural electrification. But now, the social, economic and environmental values of reestablishing a free-flowing Oconaluftee River vastly outweigh the one megawatt of output it generates, the coalition believes. Northbrook also wanted to improve relations with organizations and agencies that work to protect and improve the nation’s rivers.

“Removing a dam is the fastest way to bring a river back to life,” said Erin McCombs, Southeast Conservation Director with American Rivers. “This project is one of the most exciting river restoration efforts in the U.S., with tremendous benefits including improved water quality, habitat for imperiled fish and wildlife and cultural reconnection.”

According to American Rivers, 56 dams have been removed in North Carolina to restore river health. If this project is successful, it may serve as a template for how dam owners can work cooperatively with American Rivers and other partners to decommission dams when the value of a free-flowing river outweighs a dam’s power generation.

Now that the purchase agreement is signed, the coalition can work on the next phase of project planning. With funding from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, American Rivers is leading the design and engineering studies for dam removal while the coalition moves forward with planning and regulatory approval processes.

green

Inexperienced tax collector-elect gears up for new role

BY KYLE P ERROTTI N EWS E DITOR

Of the many Republican victories in the 2022 General Election amid a red wave washing over Western North Carolina that brought multiple unexpected GOP wins, 21-year-old Sebastian Cothran’s remains the most surprising.

When the inexperienced UNC Asheville college student decided to run for tax collector, he didn’t do so in coordination with the Haywood County GOP, although he did eventually gain their endorsement and appeared on voter guides. This has led to plenty of speculation over whether he won because people knew who he was and trusted what they may have seen as earnest ambition or whether they just blindly cast a ballot for the candidate with an “R” next to his name.

But Cothran’s not too worried about that now.

Since getting elected, Cothran, who told The Smoky Mountain News he’s lived in Canton his whole life, has been the subject of statewide intrigue, not only because of his age, but because he received about 52.5% of the vote to unseat Democrat Greg West, who’d previously achieved the county’s highest tax collection rate in history at 98.35%.

Cothran said his brief time in the political spotlight hasn’t bothered him too much — after all, there will always be supporters and detractors. He said he just wants to get to work. Among his first steps is simply upping his knowledge of what’s required to do the job, given his lack of prior experience. While he said he still hasn’t talked to West about turning the office over, he is still doing what he can.

“I’ve been looking at some of the tax documents like the Machinery Act,” he said. “And I’ve had meetings with the county manager and talked to a couple of the commissioners. I’ve been working on the transition, filling out the paperwork and doing stuff like that, just trying to make sure to smooth the transition out as much as possible so I can hit the ground running once I take office.”

Cothran said that while there will be plenty to learn, the one thing he can lean on as soon as he assumes the role is his work ethic.

“If you talk to my professors or the board of elections, because I’ve worked for them, just anybody that I’ve been in contact with, they’ll talk about my work ethic,” he said. “I got my Associates in a year and a half. And now I’m double majoring. I’ll have two

degrees in four years, so that says I know how to get stuff done.”

He specifically said that as he transitions, he will prove his dedication to the job, specifically noting that he won’t have any of the issues that bogged down Republican Mike Matthews when he held the office from January 2015 to January 2019. While Matthews had some attendance problems, he also faced scrutiny for improperly waiving tax payments.

“You can’t show favoritism in government,” Cothran said. “You have to treat

everybody the same, regardless of if they’re family, not family, whatever their party affiliation is.”

County Manager Bryant Morehead has been helping Cothran get up to speed. He was candid about the fact that he’s been impressed with Cothran’s attitude and maturity.

“The magnitude of this isn’t lost on him,” Morehead said. “I think he’s committed to the job; he’s taking it seriously.”

And he’d better be. The tax collector is responsible for ensuring everyone pays up, or at least as close to

Sebastian Cothran.

Kyle Perrotti photo

Jackson County man indicted on first-degree murder charge

Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a former Cashiers resident this week for first-degree murder, Sheriff Chip Hall said.

Grant Alexander Higgs, 42, is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center under a $5 million dollar bond. Monday, a Jackson County Grand Jury indicted Higgs in the shooting death of Brittney Nicole Leftridge, 31. At the time of his arrest Higgs was a resident of Nashville, Tennessee and previously resided in St. Louis, Missouri and Cashiers, North Carolina.

On July 1, 2020, deputies went to a Racquet Club Drive residence near Cashiers in response to a report of a gunshot wound. They found Leftridge deceased.

Leftridge and Higgs lived together at the residence on Racquet Club Drive.

“We hope as the case progresses there will be some answers for Ms. Leftridge’s family,” Sheriff Hall said. “We extend our condolences to her friends and family members.”

Lt. John A. Beegle is the primary investigator for this case. Investigators and prosecutors continue to seek information regarding Higgs and Leftridge. Acquaintances of both persons wishing to talk to investigators can do so by contacting Lt. Beegle at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 828.631.1130 or by using the “Submit a tip” portal on the Jackson County (NC) Sheriff Office mobile app.

Man found guilty of attempted murder in pig dispute

A dispute about a pig that escalated into attempted murder ended last week with a Tuckasegee man ordered to serve at least two decades in prison, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

A Jackson County jury returned a verdict of guilty, rejecting defense attorney Frank Lay’s argument that Kenneth William McCall, 68, acted in self defense.

McCall shot William Walker McCall, 39, also a Tuckasegee resident, ostensibly about freeranging pigs.

William Walker McCall said the animals were rooting up and damaging the family owned Pinhook Valley Campground on Charleys Creek Road.

He shot one of the pigs.

In response, Kenneth McCall shot into William Walker McCall’s vehicle, hitting him two times in the torso.

Welch said it was a miracle that William Walker McCall survived his wounds.

Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts sentenced Kenneth McCall to serve in prison a minimum of 23 years up to a maximum of 30 years.

Assistant district attorneys Andy Buckner and Jenica Hughes were the coprosecutors. Jackson County Detective Sgt. Brandon Elders served as primary investigator.

everyone as possible. County services, including those like police and EMS that can save lives, depend on a healthy fund balance — a fund balance driven primarily by property tax collection. The job itself requires a combination of technical and statutory knowledge, as well as an ability to deal with people who may be facing tough circumstances.

“Well, there’s always gonna be people that hate me. That’s the nature of the tax system,” Cothran said. “I do have a little bit of wiggle room, but I have to, number one, follow the laws. For some people, as long as they’re really trying, I can do payment plans … I will work with people as much as possible.”

One big question surrounding Cothran’s election was what his surety bond may look like, considering he’s so young and has no practical experience to ready him for his new job. Bonds can vary greatly. For Matthews, the bond was $800,000, a relatively high number due to his prior credit issues; that bond cost the county $9,000. The board of commissioners voted Monday to authorize the finance director to solicit a $1 million bond for Cothran. Cothran told SMN that his credit score is in the low 700s, which is a decent number for someone so young, and Morehead noted that the high bond wasn’t specifically tied to any credit concerns.

“Because of Cothran’s inexperience, we

decided to move it up to $1 million, so if something goes awry, we have protection,” Morehead said

With all the questions surrounding Cothran’s qualifications, it’s worth considering who he is outside of the fray. Although he was ridiculed on social media for his age and his appearance on filing day when he wore a T-shirt with a video game logo, he said he actually doesn’t spend much time, if any, playing video games. He said on a typical Saturday afternoon, if he has some free time, he’s likely hanging out with his four younger siblings or reading. He noted that he’s a fan of classic American literature, specifically mentioning the works of John Steinbeck and Herman Melville.

“And obviously I’m still in school until the spring,” he said. “So I don’t play video games like I used to.”

Ultimately, Cothran said that amid all the noise surrounding his victory over West, he wanted to remind people that he plans on prioritizing public service, as he said any elected official should.

“I intend to do the job to the best of my ability. If anybody has any issues or just needs to talk to me, then talk to me. I’ll be in the tax office,” he said. “I’m passionate about what I’m about to start doing. I’m not just out to game the political system. I genuinely care.”

Grant Higgs

Kenneth McCall

‘FRIENDRAISER’

REACH partners with Adamas Entertainment for Christmas benefit show

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

In a world mired with conflict and divisiveness, it can seem like there is little common ground to be found with the proverbial neighbor. But Patrick Schneider of Adamas Entertainment and Julia Freeman of REACH feel sure that if common ground is to be found anywhere, it most likely involves two of the most basic tenets of human nature — music and helping others within a community.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, the pair hopes to bring people together at Frog Level Brewing’s event space for Jingle Jam, a benefit show for REACH that will include seven up-and-coming, local acts.

“Music is just so universal, it brings us all together,” said Schneider. “We’re so crazy divided right now. One of the things that music does is it brings us together. I love this town, I love living here. What better reason to put on a show than to possibly help women, children and families from dire straits?”

Jingle Jam will host 12 straight hours of live music and communion. Andrew Scotchie & David Earl will open the show from noon to 1 p.m., Appalachian Renegades will follow from 1-2:15 p.m. The evening will continue with performances by Arnold Hill, Jackson Grimm Band, Pink Beds, The Get Right Band and Abby Bryant & The Echoes. On Friday night Adamas will host a pre-party at The Scotsman in Waynesville with music from the Tricia Ann Band, where tickets will be on sale for the next day’s event.

“The opportunity to see all of these bands together in one place for such a great cause is something that’s never happened in Haywood County, ever. And that was the point,” said Schneider.

Tickets for the show cost $12 and guests are encouraged to come and go as they please, enjoying all downtown Waynesville has to offer during the holiday season. All profits will benefit REACH of Haywood County. In addition to ticket sales, organizers are seeking local businesses and community members to sponsor the event at different levels and receive brand visibility as well as VIP tickets to the event.

“Since this is the very first year, we look at this as what we call a friend raiser instead of a fundraiser,” said Freeman. “So we’re going to be there in full force the day of the event, get our name out there, have our information there and let the community know what we do and the services that we can offer those in crisis and in need.”

REACH is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides aid to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse. It offers a plethora of services to the community, including a 24-hour helpline that connects victims of domestic violence

Want to go?

A fundraiser for REACH of Haywood, the inaugural "Jingle Jam" will feature a full day of live music and fellowship at the brand new event space at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Presented by Adamas Entertainment, the event will take place from noon to midnight Saturday, Dec. 3, at 40 Commerce Street. The event will feature an array of acclaimed regional acts, including Abby Bryant & The Echoes (indie/soul), The Get Right Band (rock/jam), Pink Beds (indie/rock), The Jackson Grimm Band (Americana/folk), Arnold Hill (rock), Appalachian Renegades (Americana), and Andrew Scotchie & David Earl (indie/folk).

Admission is $12 per person for “Jingle Jam.” The Fuego food truck will also be onsite. To purchase tickets, you can do so the day of the event or go to eventbrite.com and search “Jingle Jam Waynesville.”

Sponsorships and volunteer positions are also currently available.

A “Jingle Jam” pre-party will be held with the Tricia Ann Band from 9 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 2, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. The pre-party is free and open to the public.

with access to services, emergency shelter for survivors and children displaced from their home, court and legal assistance for survivors in the judicial system, counseling for survivors of domestic abuse and permanent housing assistance to help survivors transition to a safe home.

While this is the first Jingle Jam, the partners hope the collaboration will continue with an annual benefit show in years to come.

“We look forward to the partnership with Adamas Entertainment and Frog Level Brewing,” said Freeman. “So we hope that people show up and have a good time. That’s also a big part of it. Have a good time and enjoy the music.”

REACH of Haywood County receives over 50% of its funding from the local community, whether that be municipalities, the REACH thrift store, United Way of Haywood County or local donors and supporters. Federal and state funding make up the smaller half of funding.

“That’s why this benefit is so important for us,” said Freeman. “Our last fundraiser for our agency, which has always been an integral part of making sure that we can meet the needs of those who come to us, was in 2019. We were not able to do any local fundraising during the pandemic.”

While fundraising opportunities may have stopped during the pandemic, needs for REACH services only increased. The

organization was forced to try and accommodate increased need while dealing with staff limitations due to health guidelines.

“The two significant increases that we saw, number one was an increase for mental health services,” said Freeman. “We provide individual counseling for adults and that number doubled throughout the pandemic and continues to be extremely high. Then the other was our court staff. They saw an increase in the need for protective orders during the time.”

As the end of the year and the holiday season were approaching, Schneider had a nagging desire to give back to the community he lives in and cherishes.

“REACH is what immediately came to mind,” said Schneider. “They are a direct link. If you have an issue or a problem those people are there. This is a way that we can all help people out, make a direct impact on our community, for the better.”

Schneider has spent over 20 years in the music industry, first, as a sound engineer at the largest arena in South Florida, and then as a production manager for the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. The names of the countless musicians and bands that Schneider has put onstage over the years — from Madonna, to Ray Charles and Pavarotti — sound like the lineup of any music freak’s dream festival; impossible in breadth and depth.

Though the idea for Adamas Entertainment, a production company bringing live music to rural Western North Carolina, sprouted over a decade ago, the company got its start about three years ago, just before the world dove headfirst into the stillness of the pandemic and the shutdown of the live music industry.

While these initial years have been difficult, the production company has survived for two reasons. First and foremost, it is a labor of love. After years spent in the music industry, Schneider began building houses for a change. But it only took so long before his passion caught back up with him and he knew he needed to be bringing people together again. Second, because it is a family affair. Schneider’s son is Adamas’s stage manager, and his daughter-in-law runs the books.

Schneider’s best friend, Adamas cofounder and Smoky Mountain News Arts & Entertainment Editor, Garret K. Woodward books the acts.

“Music is the one thing we all have in common, whether it be songs we like, bands we adore, or live shows we might find ourselves at,” said Woodward. “For every person at a particular show there’s a specific reason they’re there, and in that moment, the common denominator being a shared love and passion for an artist or band. There’s a million reasons why someone likes a song or finds themselves at a concert, but the soothing effect of the music is the shared experience between everyone present on both sides of the microphone.”

“The bottom line was, we have a love for music, we have a love for the community, it’s so beautiful here and music just brings it all together,” said Schneider. “This place exemplifies the innate nature of our love for music, fellowship and our surroundings.”

And while Schneider looks forward to every single show Adamas is able to put on for the community, this one holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s bigger than Adamas Entertainment,” said Schneider. “Adamas Entertainment is fun. REACH is life or death in some cases.”

A popular Asheville indie/soul act, The Get Right Band will be one of the headliners at the inaugural 'Jingle Jam,' which will take place on Dec. 3 at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. (File photo)

As natives of Haywood County, we are both invested in our community home in these beautiful mountains. We have immense gratitude for the wonderful place we get to call home, for the connections we’ve made over the years, and for doing what we love, day in and day out.

North Carolina is more than a job. Local knowledge, market expertise, and lasting connections are at the core of our business. Whether you are buying, selling, wondering what your home is worth, or have general real estate questions, reach out. We would love to help!

Teague earns Girl Scout Gold award

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont announced that Amanda Teague, of Waynesville, has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn.

Teague, daughter of Mark and Denise Teague and a member of Girl Scout Troop 30032, created a sensory area for the town of Canton. The different sensory boards portray animals and river scenes common to the area. Teague also developed a website to bring more awareness to the animals living around the community.

Girls in high school can earn their Girl Scout Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. Gold Award Girl Scouts address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each girl must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out her project, which must benefit the community and have long lasting impact.

As they take action to transform their world, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need.

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award designation is truly a remarkable achievement. It is the culmination of so many things, from a girl’s self-discipline and leadership abilities to time management and the creativity, initiative and mastery of skills it takes to complete these kind of projects,” said Jennifer Wilcox, CEO for Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont. “Every girl who earns this prestigious award is making a difference not only in her community, but her own life as well. The skills gained through the Gold Award process- strategic thinking, communication, collaboration, problem solving- are ones that will be used often in her future endeavors.”

Thousands of Girl Scouts earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities.

FUR rings in the holidays with December events

Feline Urgent Rescue of Western North Carolina (FUR) is ringing in the holidays with two special events in December: a kitty adoption day and a special drawing for a handmade tree skirt.

Anyone looking for a festive addition to their family can come to FUR’s Home FUR the Holidays adoption event from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 4.

While visiting the sanctuary is usually by appointment only, on this special day, the public can stop by the cage-free, no-kill sanctuary without an appointment to meet and play with available kittens, adult cats and senior cats. The sanctuary is located at 38 Safe Haven Drive in Waynesville.

“Adopting a cat from a sanctuary like ours,” said Lisa Sanborn, FUR Board president, “is usually safer and less expensive for families in the long run. All FUR cats have been vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped for no extra cost, so families don’t have to worry about those initial expenses.”

For this special event, FUR will reduce its standard adoption fees to encourage adoptions ($35 per adult cat and $50 per kitten).

“We’re eager to place our available kitties in loving homes,” said Syd Klocke, co-coordinator for the event. “The more cats we adopt out, the more cats we can rescue. The need is so great in our area, but we can only help the cat population when we have the space and funds to do so.”

On Dec. 6, FUR will draw the lucky winner of a beautiful, appliqued tree skirt, handstitched and donated by Lisa Siegrist. Tickets are just $3 each or eight for $20 and can be purchased at Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery (4 North Main St., Waynesville) until Dec. 5. Winner need not be present to win. All proceeds benefit FUR.

For more information about FUR’s adoption day or the tree skirt drawing, visit furofwnc.org or call 844.888.CATS.

Dr. Michael Wall takes the reins at Balsam Mountain Trust

The Board of Trustees of Balsam Mountain Trust, located on Balsam Mountain Preserve near Sylva, is delighted to announce the arrival of Michael Wall, Ph.D., as new Executive Director of the Trust. A nationwide search was held to replace

the pioneering and recently retired Executive Director Michael Skinner, who led the Trust since 2002.

Dr. Wall, a distinguished leader in the field of environmental conservation and education, came to the Trust from the San Diego Natural History Museum where he most recently served as Vice President of Science and Conservation. Upon his leaving, the museum’s president and his boss Judy Gradwohl shared, “To say that we are grateful for his outstanding leadership, scientific skills, camaraderie and kindness, and his many professional talents is an understatement. We’re excited for him and so appreciative that his almost two decades of dedication leaves us in a position of strength.”

Wall received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in botany from Auburn University and Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Connecticut. While at UConn, he was selected as a Visiting Fulbright Fellow at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia. He was also an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University for many years.

Describing his own work ethic, Wall said, “My first and unending love is teaching about the wonders of nature. Though a scientist, I’ve always leaned more into science communication than

research…to not just tell people about nature, but to give them gateways to experience it. In short, my mission is to deepen community involvement in the science and practice of conservation.”

“We’re thrilled to have Dr. Wall lead the Trust,” said Balsam Mountain Trust Board Chair Sheri Wiltshire Straw. “His background and ideas will benefit our community at large in so many ways. It’s thrilling to imagine the next chapter of the Trust.”

Coming to Western North Carolina fulfilled Wall’s desire of returning to his roots, as most of his formative years were spent in the south. His father was employed by Michelin Tires and thus young Wall primarily attended schools in Greenville with stints in Winston-Salem, the south of France, Dothan (AL), and Nova Scotia. Now, extended family is not far for he and his wife, Allison Teem, a pre-school teacher, except for their son and daughter who are completing college in California.

Memory Lane collection debuts at Fontana Regional Libraries

Fontana Regional Library is pleased to announce the debut of a new Memory Lane Collection at all library locations. This collection offers books, DVDs, and jigsaw puzzles created primarily for older adult library patrons. Folks who enjoy reminiscing and telling their stories will appreciate this alternative-format collection. All items are available for checkout.

Lifelong readers who enjoy books, DVDs, and puzzles, yet are finding reading is a challenge, can continue to enjoy the mental stimulation, visual appreciation, and entertainment value of the resources they always appreciated. Loved ones and caregivers who make use of these items to share conversations and togetherness may add significantly to the overall quality of life.

Images are a powerful way to activate personal thoughts and memories. The books in this visually oriented collection offer high-quality pictures, oversized print, and minimal details to recall. Instead of too-small print and complex plot lines, Memory Lane books are designed to spark interest, reminiscences, and conversations with family, friends, or caregivers. Books range from short fiction to wordless picture books, all designed specifically for adults to enjoy.

Jigsaw puzzles range from 35 pieces to 300 pieces with attractive topics at adult interest levels. Ambient DVDs, with engaging videos of puppies, sunsets, aquariums, etc. can be customized with different background tracks, and can be set to loop for unlimited entertainment.

Fontana Regional Library is delighted to be able to offer these new resources to the community. The Memory Lane project is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Amanda Teague of Waynesville was given the Golden Scout Award, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn. Donated photo

Resurrecting the joy of the holidays

Ihave felt disconnected from the holidays ever since my mom passed away six years ago. Throw a divorce, two moves and a pandemic in the mix and things really get wonky when the goal is to be joyful.

Yet, during that period, so much good has come into my life. I’ve blended families with a wonderful man, moved into a beautiful home and now have three other amazing children in my world. I’ve reached several career milestones and have nourished friendships and professional relationships. I’ve maintained my fitness routine and have transitioned to a plant-based diet. I’ve instilled a daily practice of gratitude where I journal about all of the good in my life instead of ruminating on what I’ve lost.

It wasn’t that I dreaded the holidays, per se, but my cheerfulness was lackluster compared to years past. My boys and their excitement kept me going, but sometimes it felt like I was merely going through the motions. A lingering feeling of despair blanketed an otherwise merry season. This year I decided to flip the switch. I’ve done the hard work of healing and accepting. It’s time to embrace the holidays as I once did.

To truly rewire the brain, it’s important to stimulate all the senses. I realize a lot of people have a firm rule of waiting until Thanksgiving is over to begin celebrating Crhsitmas, but I’ve decided to ignore that. Who made that rule, anyway?

On Nov. 12, I ordered Christmas socks and a slew of Christmas teas. Every time I look at my feet, they are covered in wreaths, Santas, reindeer, ornaments and jingle bells, and this makes me happy. Moreover, I’m a big fan of hot tea and enjoy trying varieties from around the globe. I ordered several boxes of seasonal teas as well as a Pukka Advent tea set, which includes a different tea for every day of Advent. Holding a steaming mug of tea that smells of cinnamon, wild orange or peppermint while enjoying a fire in the cozy comfort of one’s living room is an excellent way to propel the mind into a state of contentment.

Additionally, I’ve already begun watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music. I’ve always been a sucker for Hallmark movies but have avoided them over the past several years, most likely because my mom watched them from October to January. Having them on in the background seemed too emotional, but what I’m discovering is they actually make me feel happy and relaxed. None of those dark emotions have bubbled up. I admit the movies are cheesy and predictable, but that’s why they’re soothing. We’re getting our Christmas tree earlier than in year’s past. In fact, it may even be decorated before we break bread on Thanksgiving Day. When you think about it, autumn decorations are often up for three months, while Christmas decorations are up for one month. That’s not fair.

I’m a big fan of and believer in essential oils, so for the past couple of weeks I’ve been diffusing my favorite seasonal scents such as peppermint, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. I’ve also been opting for culinary dishes that include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, rosemary, walnuts and thyme.

Soon, the Advent wreath will adorn our dining room table and each Sunday we’ll light a new candle and say a prayer. From every direction and in every way, I’m welcoming the spirit of the season.

Recently, I sent a text to some friends telling them my plan to resurrect Christmas. I told them how my mom’s death and the divorce altered my perception of the holidays so significantly it’s been challenging to find a new path. A few days later, one of those friends sent me this poem from Scottish writer Donna Ashworth. This sums up what I’ve been struggling with for so long.

Christmas without your mum… Means you are now she.

You are the one who creates ‘Christmas.’

You are the one who honours the traditions, ensures that the joy is passed down as she would have liked.

But that is hard when you are hurting, when you are still just a little girl deep down who misses her mama.

So, be kind to that little girl, but go forth, and do what she taught you to do… love.

Because one thing is for sure, she taught you well.

My mom’s home was the epicenter of the holidays. It’s where we gathered to share meals, open gifts and make memories. It’s where we sat by the fire with wrapping paper surrounding us, my little boys running around playing with their new toys. It’s where my sister and I pulled presents and trinkets from the same stockings we’ve had since birth. It’s where we drank rum and eggnog and laughed at Chevy Chase on “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

As I enter this holiday season, I do so with anticipation and determination to shift my perception and make it happy again. I encourage you to check on friends and family who may be dealing with this specific struggle. Whatever life change they’re battling, it can greatly alter their holiday experience. Make sure those folks are OK. To everyone, Happy Thanksgiving, and have fun prepping for Christmas.

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

After elections, less hate, more love

To the Editor:

By the time you read this letter, we will have outcomes of the 2022 mid-term elections. Many people will have worked and volunteered hard to support candidates and issues. More will have listened and read carefully to inform their votes. Some will have voted straight ticket, some not voted at all, and too many without checking the facts about candidates or issues.

Post-election, we each have another choice to make: will we remain divided as a straight ticket county, district, state, country? Will we continue to line up and soldier on as Democrats versus Republicans, recruiting unaffiliated independents to pick a side? This either/or approach polarizes people into us/them, right/wrong, good/bad. Next, we’re engaged in disrespect, hate, and then comes physical violence.

Divide and conquer cannot be our only choice. Between now and the 2024 elections, could we cross boundaries, start conversations, and consider multi- or non-partisan

LETTERS

actions? What outcomes could we emphasize? Could we build unity rather than advance division? Listen to each other’s stories, rather than judge one another’s humanity? Examine and research issues of most concern for our county and country?

Let’s not be straight-ticket thinkers. What have we got to lose? It can’t be worse than the paralyzing partisan division growing nationwide over the last several years. It can be better. Less hate/more love.

Marsha Lee Baker Sylva

SMN has lost a loyal friend

To the Editor:

Long-time Haywood County resident Kitty Phillips passed on Election Day this month.

Kitty was a fan of The Smoky Mountain News who enjoyed the investigative reporting in the paper. She was a volunteer at Haywood Regional Medical Center during the dark times when SMN was reporting on the the

David Rice problems. When the then CEO Rice forbade SMN from the hospital campus, Kitty would gather an armful of the papers and place them around the hospital. Kitty knew the importance of a viable hospital and the First Amendment right/duty to disclose shortcomings.

We enjoyed being Kitty’s neighbor for 20 years. She was always very well informed on political matters. The irony of her passing on Election Day — of all days — brought a smile to many of her friends. Kitty would have enjoyed following the outcome of the election as she did during her 95 years.

Walt Logan Haywood County

Sylva Sam messed up the view

To the Editor:

Driving through Sylva today I noticed the steps of the old courthouse beautifully decorated with rows of American flags. It was breathtaking. This display was in observance of Veterans Day, and I was filled full with pride and gratitude.

Well … there on those same steps, near the top, stands Confederate soldier Sylva Sam keeping vigil over Main Street. It was disorienting. I mean, granted, Sam was a veteran, but didn’t he fight against the United States? Has it been forgotten that Sam pledged allegiance to the invented Confederate States of America? As a Confederate soldier he swore to uphold and defend its constitution which enshrined “the right to property in negro slaves” into irrevocable Southern law. So, Sam was not an American veteran at all. In fact, he fought to destroy our union in order to protect slave ownership. Think about that. It’s historical fact.

That is why it was surreal today to see those American flags flapping around Sylva Sam as if he, too, was being honored and thanked for this service … as if he was in the same category as any other American veteran. He was not and is not the same. It’s 2022. It’s time to acknowledge the truth. Take Sam down but leave the flags up. Displaying the American flag in honor of our veterans should not include honoring those who fought to destroy our nation for slavery’s sake.

Faye Kennedy Whittier

Columnist Susanna Shetley

Fears of a politicized court system grow

BY ROB SCHOFIELD G UEST C OLUMNIST

Maybe the change was an inevitable byproduct of our charged and contentious era.

Maybe it was naïve to ever think that things were dramatically different in the past.

Whichever the case, one thing for sure in 2022 is that public perceptions of the American judiciary as a neutral dispenser of blind justice ain’t what they used to be. And indeed, those altered perceptions may reflect a new, sobering and thoroughly politicized reality.

As has been made painfully clear in an array of news stories and commentaries since Republicans swept several North Carolina appellate court races in the recent election, there is a widespread perception across the political spectrum that this development will lead to sudden and dramatic reversals in some very important areas of constitutional jurisprudence — maybe even with respect to some momentous rulings on which the ink is barely dry.

As veteran journalist and North Carolina Council of Churches commentator Steve Ford explained in an insightful column last week, one such high-profile case in the 28year-old Leandro school funding case.

Just last month, after witnessing more than a quarter century of willful and maddening non-compliance from elected leaders with its 1997 ruling that the state’s public schoolchildren enjoy a constitutional right to a “sound basic education,” the state Supreme Court finally ordered the legislature to appropriate the funds necessary to provide it.

But as Ford detailed, Republican legislative leaders reject the notion that the court can enforce such an order and many observers suspect/fear that now that the GOP will soon enjoy a 5-2 majority on the court (a majority that includes the son of the Senate Republican leader and a former member of the Senate GOP caucus), the new line-up will spur a “180” course reversal.

Here’s Ford:

“How such a reversal would come about is both unclear and problematic. One could assume an attempt to have the ruling enjoined from taking effect. But if a partisan or ideological flip in the makeup of our appellate courts is allowed to bring wholesale changes in how laws are applied, that can fuel the corrosive sense that the supposedly impartial courts have been politicized. Respect for precedent can be followed out the window, but disrespect does its own kind of harm.”

And the Leandro case is far from the only matter on which such a dramatic flipflop might conceivably be in the offing.

As Lynn Bonner of NC Policy Watch explained in a recent news story, the high court’s ruling that the General Assembly acted unlawfully when it placed a pair of constitutional amendments to man-

date voter ID and cap the state income tax rate on the state ballot in 2018 (because its members were elected from unconstitutionally drawn electoral districts) continues to draw conservative fire as it percolates through the courts.

And then there are a number of criminal justice rulings on which reform advocates fear the GOP “tough on crime” campaign mantra could very well give rise to reversals of hard-won progress.

As Kelan Lyons of NC Policy Watch reported last week, two in particular stand out: racial discrimination in jury selection and limits on the amount of time a child must spend incarcerated before they are eligible for parole.

The notion of high courts turning to the hard right as a result of political and electoral activism is hardly unique to North Carolina. Republicans have made such a shift a top national domestic policy goal for years — a shift on which the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority put an exclamation mark earlier this year with its extraordinary and precedent-shattering decision to remove a fundamental constitutional right by reversing Roe vs. Wade.

That said, the Roe reversal at least took decades to lay the groundwork for and execute. And even with that, it’s a ruling that has dragged public respect for the nation’s highest court to new and striking depths. As Steve Ford observed, the idea that the North Carolina Supreme Court would simply delete important constitutional protections just a few months or years after they were first formally conferred would be a remarkably brazen and disturbing act.

The bottom line: While it won’t be surprising or even inappropriate if the recent electoral switch spurs a gradual ideological shift in the court’s approach to some issues, North Carolinians have a right to expect that the justices will act like justices — not legislators.

This means that, in keeping with centuries of judicial practice, the new court will respect established precedent and not undermine its own legitimacy by rushing to overrule recent court rulings, merely because some members of the court might have decided the cases differently had they been there when the rulings were handed down.

Fortunately, during their recent campaigns, both of the newly-elected Republican justices — Richard Dietz and Trey Allen — pledged to interpret and apply the law in a fair and neutral manner and not to bring a political agenda to their new positions.

All North Carolinians have a right to expect that they will live up to this pledge.

(Rob Schofield, Director of NC Policy Watch, has three decades of experience as a lawyer, lobbyist, writer and commentator. At Policy Watch, Rob writes and edits daily online commentaries and handles numerous public speaking and electronic media appearances. rob@ncpolicywatch.com.)

Christmas in Appalachia

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

As the temperatures drop in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how — with friends, family and visitors alike.

Families can partake in wagon rides, Polar Express trips, craft sales and art demonstrations, all the while enjoying authentic mountain music, clogging and parades through several downtowns. These are just some of the innumerable activities to be had.

Within every date, time and place found amid this section, the communities around the region once again open their arms to share in the winter festivities.

It’s a winter wonderland out there. It’s yours for the taking — so reach out and enjoy all Southern Appalachia has to offer.

Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries’

The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2-3 and 9-10 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter, and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios.

Each night, shops will stay open way into the night providing free refreshments, musicians and singers performing in individual shops. The sound of hooves will echo through the night with old-fashioned horse and buggy rides.

With retail shops offering a variety of quality arts and crafts, unique gifts, clothing, gourmet foods and wine, and specialty Christmas items, the festival also provides a unique holiday shopping experience.

Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through

town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street.

For more information, call 828.586.1439 or click on dillsboronc.info.

Franklin Christmas Parade

The annual Franklin Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, in downtown.

The Grand Marshall will honor all of our essential workers. The floats will line up on Church Street, entering Main Street through the Town Hall parking lot. The parade will continue down Main Street, turning left onto Porter Street at the Lazy Hiker. Turning left again onto Palmer Street at the red light, continuing to the Highlands Road intersection, turning on the Highlands Road, and ending at the Flea Market.

The parade will feature fire trucks, EMS,

police cars, floats, trucks, cars, and walkers. For more information, contact the Franklin Chamber at 828.524.3161.

‘Requiem for the Living’

The Haywood Choral Society will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday Dec. 4, at the Waynesville First United Methodist Church.

This holiday season, the HCS will be performing Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living,” which the highly acclaimed composer distinguishes from traditional requiems, composed originally as masses for the dead. Forrest is a local composer, living and working in Greenville, South Carolina, whose compositions include choral, instrumental, orchestral works.

In addition, the HCS will perform traditional and contemporary holiday pieces by composers including John Rutter and Bob Chilcott, as well as a gospel rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus.

HCS is funded by the Lake Junaluska Assembly and supported by a grant obtained from the North Carolina Arts Council through the Haywood Arts Council. In addition, the chorus is supported by its “chorus angels.”

Admission to this concert is free; donations are welcome. For more information, visit haywoodchoralsociety.org.

‘Hard

Candy’ holiday craft show

The 35th annual “Hard Candy Christmas” arts and crafts show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25-26 inside the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.

This mountain tradition started in 1987 in Franklin with eight local artists. It has grown to over 100 regional artisans who sell their work at great prices. Expect a dazzling display of fine hand-crafted creations such as Father Christmas dolls, fresh mountain greenery, and folk dolls. The ornament collectors always find new additions for the tree.

Admission is $5 for a two-day pass. Children under 12 are free. Parking is also free. For more information, click on mountainartisans.net or call 828.524.3405.

‘Christmas on the Green’

The 10th annual “Christmas on the Green” celebration will be held on Friday, Nov. 25, at The Village Green in Cashiers.

Come share your Christmas wishes with Santa from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Lewis Hall. Santa will visit with children of all ages. Appointment slots for Santa visits are available on The Village Green website and a $5 per child donation is suggested at the door. Schedule your visit at villagegreencashiersnc.com/christmas-on-thegreen.

The festivities also include the annual Cashiers Christmas Tree lighting ceremony from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Gazebo near the Cashiers Crossroads. The evening features holiday music, but the highlight of the day will be when the switch is turned on to illuminate the 65-foot spruce in the center of Cashiers followed by thousands of twinkling lights throughout the village core.

Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries.’ JCTDA photo Franklin Christmas parade.

Sylva Christmas parade. JCTDA photo

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

And a man must forfeit all he owns for a glimpse at the reason why

Iwas about an hour behind schedule leaving my native Plattsburgh, New York, the truck aimed for Waynesville and greater Western North Carolina. Some 1,100 miles in one direction, and yet it was already 1 p.m. on Thursday when I finally embarked from my folks’ farmhouse.

My mother made me promise I’d swing by my little’s sister home and say goodbye to our matriarch as she watched my niece and nephew while my younger sibling was teaching in the next school district over. Kiss my mom and wave goodbye, two honks of solidarity as the truck left the driveway and made its way down Route 3.

A widespread late fall snowstorm was quickly rolling into the northeast, with upwards of six feet of accumulation expected for the Buffalo and Western New York region, several inches for the North Country and Route 3. And, right as I started to climb up Route 3 into the depths of the Adirondack Mountains, the sunshine disappeared, with dark clouds hovering above, thick snowflakes soon hitting the windshield.

Before passing through Saranac Lake, I pulled off the road and parked at the Bloomingdale Bog Trail. An old railroad line now recreational trail in the middle of nowhere, I find myself there as often as I can while back in the North Country. The trail goes for miles and miles, with usually nobody around.

Emerging from the truck, I was met with a harsh wind from the early stages of the snowstorm. The ground was already covered with ankle-deep snow from a couple days prior. Heavy snowflakes and frigid air. Add another layer underneath the windbreaker and make sure the shoe laces are tightened. Thick gloves and a fleece beanie. Onward into the snowy abyss.

The beauty of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail is how immediate the sense of isolation is, how you’re automatically immersed in Mother Nature as soon as you disappear into the tree line from the parking lot. About a mile or so in, there’s a lone pond, now frozen over. I stopped for a moment to admire it, and to howl for a hot second in an effort to hear the echo boom across the pond and into the forest on the other side. A moment

later, silence. Pure, blissful silence.

Another half-mile further down, you find yourself in this pine grove, the massive tree canopy you run under with a simple, childlike glee, this sense of wonder and awe only found and reclaimed in moments like that. I again stopped to take it all in, the only sound being the snowflakes hitting the tree branches above, slowly cascading down upon my face and current position.

Pushing through the snow and making my way back to the truck, I couldn’t help but soak in anything and everything surrounding me. Although winter was just settling in to the Adirondacks, I probably won’t be

HOT PICKS

1Hosted by the Curatory Gallery, the second annual ThirstyCanvas Art Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 26, at The Gem Taproom (below Boojum Brewing) in downtown Waynesville.

2A fundraiser for REACH of Haywood, the inaugural “Jingle Jam” will feature live music and fellowship from noon to midnight Saturday, Dec. 3, at the brand new event space at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

3Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27.

4The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Bridget Gossett & Tyler Kirkpatrick (Americana/blues) at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

5Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & Friends (indie/soul) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26.

and soul, are all of those moments of solitude amid desolation. For me, the ancient Adirondacks are a constant urge that tugs at the beating muscle in my chest. These peaks and valleys, small communities and genuinely good folk nurture my state of being — true nourishment for anything that ails you. Try it for yourself, you’ll see in due time.

I recall all of those mountain trails and backwoods treks throughout the Adirondacks during this year, where I was somehow able to slip my southern collar and bolt for the North Country. A full tank of gas, windows rolled down, a warm breeze swirling into the truck, the vehicle holding steady along Interstate 40 to I-81, onward to I-88 and I-87.

Friday November 25th

Live Music w/Bridget Gossett & Tyler Kirkpatrick

9-11:30 p.m. - Americana - Folk - Blues

Thursday December 1st

Live Music w/ Borderline Band

8-10 p.m. - Traditional Country - Americana

Friday December 2nd

Adamas Ent. presents Jingle Jam Pre-Party Tricia Ann Band 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. - High Energy Rock

Thursday December 8th

Live Music w/ Rene Russel

8-10:30 p.m. - Americana -Rock-World Music

Friday December 9th

Live Music with The Jacktown Ramblers Trio 8-11 p.m. - Bluegrass

Celtic Sundays

back up through here until next June. At least, that’s the plan as of now, with plans always changing in the face of whatever the universe has in mind for you and me, and all of us kind souls.

Since the pandemic and shutdown, I made it a personal mission to be more present in the North Country moving forward. And, this past year, I’ve been lucky enough to be home a handful of times, and to be in attendance for several family occasions that, normally, I’d not be around for — either on the road on assignment or just unable to head north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

But, this go-round, I watched my eightyear-old niece blowout her birthday candles, toast my parents on their 50th anniversary, and countless bouts of deep laughter and memories rehashed on an old porch, alongside a quiet lake or at a dive bar with old friends that I’ve dearly missed — those who know you the best and love you the most, truth be told.

And, in the furthest depths of my heart

Leave I-87 at the Beekmantown exit, head towards Route 374, merge onto Route 22, a quick shot to the farmhouse with the stone walls, small pond, father’s woodpile, and those dozens of types of flowers my mother constantly tends to. The family dog barks and runs around the backyard when I put the truck in park and make my way inside the farmhouse, the smell of a homecooked meal wafting from the kitchen.

One may never know how long those moments and visions in the previous paragraph will again occur in real time, seeing as nothing is forever. But, the moments are eternally etched in the walls of my memory, those instances of time and place that are held close, especially when the truck nose is aimed below the Mason-Dixon Line, back to the mountains of Southern Appalachia, back to that small apartment in downtown Waynesville, the one filled with books, vinyl records and fridge with good beer, the walls decorated with photos, posters and trinkets from the North Country, the centerpiece an old painting of the fall foliage.

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

ScotsmanPublic.com

• 37 CHURCH STREET • DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE

W/The Carter Giegerich Trio - 2-5 p.m. Incredible Celtic Folk - Every Sunday Relaxation Along With Your Guinness! Mon-Thurs: 4PM-12AM |

Bloomingdale Bog Trail. (Garret K. Woodward photo)

On the season

BRYSON CITY

• Christmas Tree Lighting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Swain County Visitor Center & Heritage Museum in downtown Bryson City. Christmas caroling and live nativity. Tree lighting by Bryson City Mayor Tom Sutton at 6 p.m. Free cookies and hot cocoa, letters to Santa, take family photos in front of the tree. Please bring a nonperishable food item or an unwrapped toy for donations to local Swain County charities. greatsmokies.com/events.

• Bryson City Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City. Floats, marching bands, fire trucks, Santa & Mrs. Claus, and much more. 828.488.3681 or greatsmokies.com/events.

• “Holiday Market” with local artisans will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Dec. 17 at 117 Island St. in Bryson City. Outdoor event. Leashed pets are welcome. 828.488.7857 or greatsmokies.com/events.

• “Christmas Hayrides Through the Lights” will run on Wednesdays through Saturdays until Dec. 23 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Enjoy the hayride and a cup of hot cocoa. Limited seating available. Reservations are priority with limited walk-ins. There will also be a “Santa’s Workshop” onsite. darnellfarms.com or call 828.488.2376.

• “Polar Express” train ride will resume rides on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.

• “Letters to Santa, Cocoa & Cookies” is now being offered by the Swain County Heritage Museum and Visitor Center in Bryson City. Complimentary hot cocoa and cookies. Kids will love the opportunity to write and mail their letters to Santa. Materials provided, with the last day to submit letters being Christmas Eve. greatsmokies.com.

• “Christmas Lights Drive-Thru” will run through Dec. 31 at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park (formerly Inspiration Park) in Bryson City. For more information, a full schedule of activities and/or to purchase tickets, click on greatsmokies.com/christmas-light-show-bryson-city.

CASHIERS

• Mistletoe Market will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25-26 at The Village Green in Cashiers. An event featuring artisan vendors with a unique assortment of handcrafted Christmas gifts and decorations. Admission is free. villagegreencashiersnc.com/ christmas-on-the-green.

• Cashiers Christmas Parade will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. The onemile parade route starts on N.C. 107 South and heads north towards the Cashiers Crossroads where participants are announced to the crowd. The parade then turns left on U.S. 64 heading west, ending at the intersection of Frank Allen Road at the

Cashiers Community Center. discoverjacksonnc.com.

DILLSBORO

• Innovation Station will host its “Indoor Holiday Market” from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10. Free and open to the public. If you’d like to be a vendor, email beer@innovationbrewing.com. For more information, click on innovation-brewing.com.

FRANKLIN

• “Winter Wonderland Nights” will return at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, in Franklin. Downtown will feature living window displays of the holidays, live sounds of the season outdoors at the gazebo and inside stores, free holiday attractions (weather permitting), refreshments, hot cider, great sales from local merchants, and much more. The celebration will continue throughout the holidays in December. franklin-chamber.com.

• “Scott Thompson:Christmas Back Home” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Filling the stage with music, stories, laughs and more, “Christmas Back Home” will kick start your holiday season and have your toes tapping to your favorite Christmas tunes. From blues to reggae and jazz to rock, they’ll turn classic holiday tunes new again with a delightful twist on some well-worn favorites as well as original songs that are sure to become clas-

sics. Tickets start at $18 per person. For more information, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 828.524.1598.

• Mountain Voices Christmas Concert will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin. An evening of Christmas music, both secular and sacred. The performance will include songs by the full chorus and feature additional instrumentalists. Admission is free. Donations will be collected to support Mountain Voices: a community chorus under the direction of Beverly Barnett and accompanied by Mary Pittman with 50 members from around Southern Appalachia.

LAKE JUNALUSKA

• “Christmas at Lake Junaluska” will be held Dec. 9-11 at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Lessons & Carols will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Memorial Chapel. The service will be led by the Rev. Susan Giles, with music provided by Hilda Ryan and special guest guitarist Mark Shultz for a candlelit singing of “Silent Night.” From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, board the four-passenger vis-a-vis carriage or eightperson wagonette for a leisurely 15-minute ride that offers breathtaking lakeside mountain views and a unique view of the decorated Rose Walk along North Lakeshore Drive. To participate in this activity, reserve your seat online. Stop into Junaluska Gifts & Grounds and the Lake Junaluska Golf Course Pro Shop, or visit Christmas Memories in historic

Lambuth Inn for your last-minute gifts. To book the lodging special, call 800.222.4930. For more information on the Christmas activities, click on lakejunaluska.com/ events-calendar/christmas-lake-junaluska.

SYLVA

• Polar Expressand Teddy Bear Sleepover at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Join the event in your PJs and don’t forget your teddy for a fun Polar Expressthemed night. After a story, the group will tuck in their teddies for their sleepover. Just don’t forget to pick them up on Friday. This program is free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

• Sylva Christmas Tree Lighting will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in front of the Historic Jackson County Courthouse on West Main Street. There will also be a Christmas music concert onsite. discoverjacksonnc.com.

• Sylva Christmas Parade will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, on Main Street. The parade takes place along Historic Main Street for celebration, cheer and a chance to see Santa. The floats start at, and end at, Mark Watson Park after a loop through town. discoverjacksonnc.com.

• “Holiday Fireworks” will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, on West Main Street in Sylva. discoverjacksonnc.com.

WAYNESVILLE

• “Strand of Lights” drive-thru light show will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 25 to Dec. 30 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center (formerly the Haywood County Fairgrounds). Tickets for the nightly show are available online at 38main.com, with only 100 cars per one-hour time slot. This helps reduce wait time and traffic congestion for a more enjoyable experience. Admission is $20 per vehicle. The drivethru winds around the Smoky Mountain Event Center campus for nearly one-mile. Play your favorite carols (and sing-along) as the route takes you past numerous 2D displays, mixed with lighted buildings and holiday experiences throughout.

• Waynesville Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, on Main Street. Parade starts at First Presbyterian Church and proceeds down Main Street to Bogart’s Restaurant. downtownwaynesville.com.

• “A Night Before Christmas” will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17 in downtown Waynesville. Hundreds of Luminaries, live music, clogging, church choirs, Santa & Mrs. Claus, storytelling, holiday treats and beverages, and more. For a full list of participants and events, click on downtownwaynesville.com.

The Sylva Christmas tree. (JCTDA photo)

On the beat

Balsam Range ‘Art of Music’ festival

The annual Balsam Range “Art of Music” festival will take place Dec. 2-3 in the Stuart Auditorium at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

Alongside two performances by Balsam Range, other stage acts will include Sierra Hull & Justin Moses, Travelin’ McCourys, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble, Shannon Wright & Adam Wright, and The Studio Dream Team Band.

For more information, a full schedule of performances/workshops, and to purchase tickets, click on balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com.

Ready for ‘Jingle Jam’?

A fundraiser for REACH of Haywood, the inaugural “Jingle Jam” will feature a full day of live music and fellowship at the brand new event space at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Presented by Adamas Entertainment, the event will take place from noon to midnight Saturday, Dec. 3, at 40 Commerce St. The event will feature an array of acclaimed regional acts, including Abby Bryant & The Echoes (indie/soul), The Get Right Band (rock/jam), Pink Beds (indie/rock), The Jackson Grimm Band (Americana/folk), Arnold Hill (rock),

Appalachian Renegades (Americana), and Andrew Scotchie & David Earl (indie/folk).

REACH of Haywood: A local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides aid to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. REACH offers advocacy, emergency shelter, community outreach, and prevention education to empower individuals to live a self-sufficient life free of violence. For more information, click on reachofhaywood.org.

Admission is $12 per person for “Jingle Jam.” The Fuego food truck will also be onsite at Frog Level. To purchase tickets, you can do so the day of the event or go to eventbrite.com and search “Jingle Jam Waynesville.” Sponsorships and volunteer positions are also currently available. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

A “Jingle Jam” pre-party will be held with the Tricia Ann Band from 9 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 2, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. The pre-party is free and open to the public.

Mountain Layers gets the blues

Beloved regional blues/folk singer-songwriter Heidi Holton will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City.

Holton is turning heads with her unique take on one of America’s oldest popular musical traditions: the blues. She began young,

leaving Murphy to play in rock bands in Athens, Georgia, and New Orleans, Louisiana, before the blues called and she answered.

She studied under the great Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna) and then disappeared to Alaska’s arctic interior to perfect her craft. She has then moved back to Murphy and is touring around the country.

The show is free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. (File photo)

Heidi Holton. (File photo)

Pink Beds. (File photo)

• 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 balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Nov. 26. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” on select dates. Tickets start at $25 per person. For tickets, click on oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.

• First Presbyterian Church of Franklin will host the “CareNet Benefit Concert” at 3 p.m. Dec. 4. Admission to the concert is free, with a love offering being taken for CareNet. FPCFranklin will match the first $1,000 of donations. For more information, please contact the church office at 828.524.3119.

• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host Darren Nicholson w/Tim McWilliams, William Ritter & Audie Blaylock (Americana/bluegrass) 7 p.m. Dec. 13. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. folkmoot.org.

• Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Nick Mac & The Noise Nov. 25, Aunt Vicki

Nov. 26, and “Jingle Jam” with Abby Bryant & The Echoes (indie/soul), The Get Right Band (rock/jam), Pink Beds (indie/rock), Arnold Hill (rock/jam), and more from noon to midnight Dec. 3 (admission is $12). All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music every Saturday. All shows are free and are held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located at 573 East Main St. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

to the public. Food trucks and beverages available onsite. Bring a lawn chair. Presented by Drake Software.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Open Mic Night w/Ivor Sparks every Wednesday, Steve Heffker (singer-songwriter) Nov. 26 and Heidi Holton (blues/folk) 5 p.m. Nov. 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

ALSO:

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular live music and entertainment on the weekends. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night with Kirk” from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Open Mic Night every Wednesday and JR Williams Nov. 26. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” with Hibiscus Sunshine every Wednesday and Calico Bear Dec. 2. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) Community Jam will resume in April. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

• Moss Valley (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & Friends (indie/soul) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows behind at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. noc.com.

• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 or orchardcoffeeroasters.com.

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. every Tuesday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

• 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. 828.369.6796.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Carter Giegerich Trio (Celtic/bluegrass) from 2 to 5 p.m. every Sunday and Bridget Gossett & Tyler Kirkpatrick (Americana/blues) Nov. 25. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Tricia Ann Nov. 25 and Carolina Freightshakers (rock/oldies) Nov. 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Wine Bar & Cellar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.

• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.200.2169 or eatrealfoodinc.com.

Stecoah Drive-About Tour

The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25-26 at featured studios in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville.

With their studios open to the public, the self-guided driving tour highlights artisans who have built a livelihood with their creative talents. Media include pottery, beeswax lanterns and pillar candles, original paintings and drawings, fiber, quilts, photography, artisan cheeses and more.

The tour includes: Gallery Zella, Local Handmade Pottery, Stecoah Artisans Gallery, The Shed Gallery, Wehrloom Honey & Essentials, Junk N Style, Hunting Boy Wood Carving, and Marie’s Lavender Farm.

For more information, click on stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held 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.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every

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

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.

Wehrloom Honey & Essentials. File photo

HCAC ‘Small Works’ exhibit

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville. The annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curat-

ed exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee.

With dozens of artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged 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.

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

“Our vision is that this exhibit embodies not only the giving spirit, but also a multi-cultural spirit that speaks to the diversity of people, cultures, and religions that make up Appalachia,” Beryl said.

A reception for the exhibit will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Gallery & Gifts. haywoodarts.org.

WCU student art exhibit

Western Carolina University will host its annual “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition” through Dec. 9 at the Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee.

This exhibition gives graduating students in the WCU School of Art and Design the opportunity to share their work with the wider community in Western North Carolina.

Fourteen studio art majors and 16 graphic design majors, all who have followed a rigorous art curriculum during their time at WCU, will share their creations ranging from paintings and book arts to motion graphics and poster design.

The BFA program of the WCU School of Art and Design prepares emerging artists for a career or postgraduate study in art, design, or related disciplines. BFA students gain a foundation in observational drawing, 2D design, 3D design, and art history, and then select a studio emphasis to focus their area of study.

Studio art majors choose an emphasis in painting and drawing, ceramics, photography, sculpture, or print and book arts.

Graphic Design majors explore communication design, interactive media, typography, and motion design, all the while developing professional production skills.

The Bardo Arts Center echoes the WCU School of Art and Design’s goal of preparing students for a career after they have finished their degree. BAC not only works with the students through this exhibition but also through curriculum and performances that enrich their college experience and provide a different perspective on the world around them.

In this exhibition, the students are given the freedom to create, explore their artistic voices, and collaborate with a museum that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

There will be a reception for the exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be available at the reception. Free parking is available at the BAC lot at 199 Centennial Drive.

To learn more about the exhibition, click on arts.wcu.edu/bfa2022. To see BAC’s full calendar of events, please visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS.

‘Exasperation’ by Bella Cugini.

On the wall

ThirstyCanvas Art Auction

Hosted by the Curatory Gallery, the second annual ThirstyCanvas Art Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 26, at The Gem Taproom (below Boojum Brewing) in downtown Waynesville.

Doors will open at 4 p.m. The auction begins at 7 p.m. Over 50 artists of diverse styles, mediums, themes and influences. Live music will be provided by TrancEnd (rock/soul) 6 p.m. and an EDM Dance Party after the auction until midnight.

The ThirstyCanvas Visual Arts Fund was developed by the Curatory Gallery (located at 120 Miller St. in Waynesville) to provide financial aid, professional development and mentorship opportunities to promising young artists in Western North Carolina.

All proceeds from the auction sales go directly toward the college scholarship and senior residency programs put forth by the Curatory Gallery.

“The foundation and glue to our continued efforts in the various exhibitions, projects, school scholarship opportunities, and artist development/LGBTQIA+ support services are largely held together by donations from our artists, collectors, and members of the communities to whom we serve. It is truly a humbling honor,” said Curatory Gallery owner/artist Ashten McKinney.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations encouraged and accepted for the arts funds. Special thanks to sponsor John Highsmith, DDS.

For more information and/or to make an online donation towards the arts fund, click on curatorygallery.art or thirstycanvas.art.

• Artwork by Justin Moe will be on display during the month of November in the cabinet outside of the meeting room at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Stop by to see his sketches made by gel pens on cardstock whenever the library is open. Library hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

ALSO:

• “Cultivating Collections: Glass” exhibition will be on display through Dec. 9 in the Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and until 7 p.m. on Thursday. 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will host an array of upcoming art classes and workshops. dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.html or call 828.586.2248.

Language is illuminated in new memoir

Once in a great while, something unexpected and exceptional crosses my desk. In this case it was a gift from a friend and a new book by our recent U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo — a tome written during the global pandemic when she obviously had the opportunity to find some quiet time and reflect. She has emerged in her new book “Catching the Light” (Yale University Press, 2022) as a kind of visionary.

Early on in this metaphoric memoir she asks the question “where are the prophets for our time?” The answer to that question could easily be answered by her simply looking in a mirror. In “Catching the Light,” she speaks to us through her own experiences as a slow learner having to learn the hard way as many of us do. I have followed the work of Harjo since her first major publication and from her first music CD. She started strong. She is finishing stronger. Early on she “had some horses.” Now, she has some wisdom and visions for a better, more just and compassionate world. Or as she says: “The pandemic has shown us just how far away we have been from ourselves. Now we need to figure out where we are going together and how to get there, together.”

“Catching the Light” is a miracle of sorts. A hymn of her path, her journey, her arrival from early years of poverty, abuse and grief, to Poet Laureate of the U.S. and now as an elder and wisdom-keeper for her people and for the rest of humanity. “Our relationship to the land defines how we understand our place in the world. Our cultural stories live within our DNA and unwind throughout our lifetimes, as singular entities and as Native nations and countries,” she writes early on in the book. “These lands aren’t my lands. These lands aren’t your lands. We are the land,” she goes on to say. In many ways this book, which is divided into 50 short essays, is a collection of socio-political and spiritual catechisms. In that sense one would be justified in saying that this new book is something of a literary bible.

In fact, I’m going to go so far as to say that I believe that “Catching the Light” should be required reading for all MFA programs. In fact, Joy Harjo states in essay #20:

“You can teach the mechanics, the craft, the genres of poetry by referencing the ancestor texts of poetry or by studying the field according to theory, but you cannot make a poet. Poetry is not a career — it is a state of being.” But then she goes on to explain that “The process of creating [a poem]is a gathering together of perception and sound as you accumulate experience and knowledge on this road of becoming.” And how do we become? “We who take breath here emerge, we learn to walk, run, and engage with that

essay 48; It is in this time of wars, loss, pandemic, a divided nation, that we search for what singers, poets, and storytellers bring forth. We are hungry for prophets, even as we are given to despair as we turn to forgetfulness. Being a poet is a calling, a demand by your spirit to speak to the truth of an age, an appeal to assist justice in finding a home, for healing to take place so the succeeding generations are greeted with an abundance of food, beauty, and fresh air and water.” Powerful words these. If I were sitting or standing in nature’s church I’d say “Amen” to that!

which challenges us, with always a light inside that will show us the path.” Harjo says. “We are in a continuum of embrace.”

Coming back to words and the importance of how we use them, Harjo says: “I will use words together that lift us over and through to beauty, so that nothing or no one can ever be lost or uncared for again, now, or forever.” And I believe that Joy Harjo is right in her belief and focus in her devotion and dedication to using words in this way and for this purpose. Through this process, she dreams of a time when “what is repetitive and ordinary becomes flowers blooming in a blizzard.” More specifically she states in

Are you a fan of mermaids?

Finally, but not lastly, in “Catching the Light,” Joy Harjo speaks directly and succinctly of her heritage and the history imposed upon Native peoples in this country and culture. Not embittered, but speaking realistically and with care and compassion she provides her readers with a new perspective and a new paradigm. “Indigenous artists must be part of the leadership in the revision of the American story. We can change the story of a violent hierarchy and a caste system that places value according to skin color, culture, sexual identity and economic standing. We can turn to honoring female power. Rivers, mountains, lands, other animals, and elemental inhabitants will be respected co-inhabitants. It is while practicing our arts and in ceremony that we come closest to who we really are, as individuals, as part of a family, a generation, a country, a planet, a timeless point of experience.” Then she goes on to say, “I bow down to the story keepers, to the keepers of poetry.” And I bow down to the poet, musician and dancer Joy Harjo, for her life, her vision and for sharing it with all of us for our betterment. May she, her words and We, continue.

(Thomas Crowe is a regular contributer to The Smoky Mountain News and author of the multi-award-winning non-fiction nature memoir Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods.)

Children’s author Emily B. Martin will read from her new book, “A Field Guide to Mermaids,” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

As well, Martin will teach attendees how to draw a mermaid. There will also be mermaid crafts and activities for all ages. This program is co-sponsored by the City Lights Bookstore. Books will be available for purchase at the library the day of the program. Free and open to the public.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

Writer Thomas Crowe

Trail turkey

Thanksgiving feast brings Appalachian Trail family together

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR

Twenty-two years ago, Janet Hensley, now 59, was working in guest services at a new hotel in her hometown of Erwin, Tennessee. She noticed that many of the guests were long-distance hikers, coming off the nearby Appalachian Trail for a shower and a warm bed while they restocked their food sacks — and she had an idea.

That year, the hotel hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for hungry southbound hikers, who were less than 350 miles from the end of their 2,200-mile journey by the time they reached Erwin.

“It was a pretty awesome turnout and a lot of fun,” said Hensley.

Since 2000, the hotel has changed hands and Hensley has changed jobs, but the Thanksgiving tradition lives on, now based in Hot Springs. Every year, more than 100 hikers, trail angels, A.T. alums and community members gather for feasting and fellowship with old friends and one-time strangers.

“It’s become something that is very important for a lot of people,” Hensley said. “I have families coming from Florida, from Pennsylvania, that are that are part of the hik-

ing family because they either just walked in on Thanksgiving one year and they come back ever since, or they did it once 10 years ago and they want to come back, and then dozens of people that are on the trail right now.”

BAKINGTHROUGHTHENIGHT

The move to Hot Springs was coincidental but turned out to be providential. Through 2012, Hiker Family Thanksgiving was a small, in-home kind of event. Hensley would host it at the hostel she operated for a dozen years in Erwin, called Miss Janet’s House, serving the smorgasbord to any hikers passing through. That changed in 2013, when she got a call

Join the feast

The 22nd annual Hiker Family Thanksgiving will start at noon Thursday, Nov. 24, at Laughing Heart Lodge in Hot Springs.

It’s an open invitation for anybody who wants to spend Thanksgiving eating delicious food and getting to know others in the Appalachian Trail community. Volunteers are always welcome to help shuttle hikers from nearby trailheads, and anybody attending by car is asked to bring a covered dish or readyto-eat store-bought items to share.

For more information, contact organizer Janet Hensley at themissjanet@gmail.com or 423.483.0620.

from the family of a southbound hiker who wanted help planning a Thanksgiving spread at the trailhead. The weather forecast looked miserable, so Hensley called around Hot Springs looking for an indoor spot to serve and prepare the meal.

“We really didn’t know what to expect,” said Hensley. “We had almost 50 people and we had such a good time and it just came together so wonderfully, that we continued that tradition there in Hot Springs.”

This year, Hensley is planning to bake 100 pounds of turkey, 50 pounds of ham, 20 pies, and an array of other Thanksgiving staples. The preparations begin Monday with meal prep at her home in Erwin, but the real marathon starts Wednesday evening, when Hensley plus about a dozen helpers work through the night to peel and mash potatoes, cycle casseroles and meats through the oven and ensure everything’s ready come Thursday afternoon. They take turns sleeping. Hensley parks her van outside the kitchen door so she can take naps between trips to the oven.

In addition to the fruits of this cooking marathon, the Thanksgiving table also groans under the weight of ample potluck offerings, creating an “amazing smorgasbord,” Hensley said.

TRAILFAMILY

Hensley is a beloved figure among A.T. hikers, and not just because of her Thanksgiving dinners. For the past 15 years, she’s followed the northbound crew from Georgia to Maine, providing hikers with shuttles, planning assistance and resupply management. She leaves in March and returns in October, just in time to prepare for Thanksgiving.

“She’s a very wellknown and highly regarded trail angel on the A.T.,” said David Kinniburgh, who goes by the trail name Foghat. “I’m not even sure she could give you the number of people she’s met and helped over the years. I’m guessing it has to be in the thousands at this point.”

Hensley herself says she only “occasionally” gets to be a trail angel — someone who performs unsolicited acts of kindness for hikers on an A.T. journey — and defines herself as an A.T. service provider. But she also says that she considers all the hikers, regardless of their age, to be “my kids.”

“She’s like a trail mom,” said Kinniburgh,

who at 66 is slightly older than Hensley.

Kinniburgh has been attempting an A.T. thru-hike since 2017, which is also the year he first met Hensley. Though he’s hiked more miles on the A.T. than the trail’s total length, he keeps starting at the beginning in Georgia, so he’s never completed it. On each of his three attempts, an injury kept him from reaching the end.

While he still hopes to someday summit Mount Katahdin at the trail’s northern terminus in Maine, with each hike attempt the importance of doing so has faded in favor of other, less tangible priorities.

“The experience that I cherish the most is the community and the people,” he said. “The fact that I haven’t actually hiked up to the summit of Katahdin is not as important to me as it would have been once upon a time.”

Hiker Family Thanksgiving is a chance for Kinniburgh to connect with that community

during a time of year when most people are off trail, hunkering down until warmer weather arrives.

“Just being in the community, whether it’s on the trail during the spring, summer and fall seasons or events such as this Thanksgiving meal is what really brings a lot of goodness to my life,” he said.

PAYINGITFORWARD

Kinniburgh, who lives in Boston, attended Hiker Family Thanksgiving

Janet Hensley has been hosting Hiker Family Thanksgiving since 2000. Donated photo

Guests fill their plates during a previous Thanksgiving dinner. Donated photo

Water quality groups land grants

Environmental groups in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison Counties were recently awarded grants totaling $197,500 from the Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

Recipients for the fall 2022 awards are:

■ Asheville GreenWorks, which received $25,000 for its Youth Environmental Leadership Program, which deploys interns to work to decrease litter in the waterways and increase citizen awareness about resource protection.

■ Environmental Quality Institute, which received $35,000 for programs that support volunteer stream monitoring throughout the Pigeon and French Broad River basins.

■ Haywood Waterways Association, which received $70,000 spread over two grants. A $45,000 grant funds program and administrative costs for the 2023 calendar year while a $25,000 grant will help repair failing septic systems and educate Haywood County residents

about water quality issues — and particularly bacteria — in the Pigeon River watershed.

■ Laurel Community Center Organization, which received $12,500 to complete an outdoor pavilion for experiential learning and recreational purposes, and to support administrative costs.

■ Mountain Valleys RC&D Council, which received $35,000 to address water quality in the Ivy River Watershed and Madison County waterways.

■ RiverLink, which received $20,000 to build the Southside Community Stormwater Project to treat runoff at Erskine Apartments to solve flooding issues and improve surface water quality in Town Branch.

Since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed nearly $9 million in grants. The money comes from Duke Energy in exchange for the company’s damming the Pigeon River for hydropower. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, with grants available for projects in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties. The next application deadline for grant funds is March 15, 2023. Learn more at cfwnc.org.

The Marble groundwater well in Cherokee County rose after Tropical Depression Nicole but remains below median. N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council map

for the first time last year, and he’s making it an annual tradition. It’s not just about the feast and the dinner table conversation — it’s also about the preparation and the feeling of giving something back to a trail community that has given so much to him.

Every year, thousands of people start the trail in Georgia with the goal of hiking nearly 2,200 miles to Maine. Though there’s marked attrition as the miles tick by, the core group remains large enough that communities along the way hold festivals and events and offer hiker-friendly services like shuttles and hostels.

The cohort of southbound hikers walking from Maine to Georgia is much smaller. In 2022, 5,562 people registered to start an A.T. thru-hike from Georgia, while only 393 people signed up to begin their attempt in Maine. This makes for a more isolated, wilderness-like hiking experience. There are fewer festivals and even fewer services. Some providers shut down as winter sets in, and those offering mobile services like shuttles tend to follow the northbound group.

For Kinniburgh, it’s incredibly rewarding to help create a nourishing community experience for hikers who have had fewer such experiences than their northbound counterparts. He comes down early to help

set up and joins the volunteers who help shuttle hikers into town for the meal.

“It just feels really good to be able to share some of that community with them,” he said.

Kinniburgh is grateful to Hensley for giving him — and hundreds of other people over the years — the chance to be part of it.

“It’s a reflection of what she does throughout the course of the year,” he said. “It’s not just Thanksgiving that is her way of bringing goodness to lots of the folks out there.”

Hensley said the flow of goodness is a two-way street. Her favorite memories, she said, are of the surprises from old friends who show up unannounced, and the privilege of watching young families grow up with each successive holiday.

“I think they love making me cry,” she said.

Hiker Family Thanksgiving, she hopes, is a tradition that will live on beyond her time at the helm — though she has no plans to leave the ship.

“Just watching how everyone working together can put something together like this, it makes it feel like a family,” she said. “It’s definitely my family Thanksgiving now.”

Drought

improves, but holds on in far west

Drought conditions have improved across much of the state following rains from Tropical Depression Nicole, but the westernmost counties remain quite dry.

According to the most recent drought map released Nov. 17 and based on data collected as of Nov. 15, Swain, Graham, Clay

and Cherokee counties remain in severe drought, with 14 counties in moderate drought including Haywood, Jackson and Macon. An additional 53 counties are labeled abnormally dry, including Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania. The total 71 counties included in one of the three classifications is down from the 81 included the previous week.

Drought maps are released every Thursday at ncdrought.org.

Winter trout stocking starts soon

Surplus trout will be stocked in 40 small impoundments across western and central North Carolina between Nov. 30 and Dec. 22 to improve seasonal angling opportunities.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission staff will stock more than 60,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout during this time, all 10 inches or longer. Anglers can harvest up to seven trout per day in impoundments with no bait restrictions or minimum size limits.

Counties to receive stockings include Jackson, Macon, Buncombe and Transylvania. Visit ncwildlife.org/fishing for more information, including stocking dates and locations.

Prescribed burns planned in Cherokee National Forest

Residents in the furthest west counties may see smoke over the next month as the Cherokee National Forest carries our prescribed burns on an estimated 21,850 acres in Monroe and Polk counties, Tennessee, which abut Graham and Cherokee counties in North Carolina.

The planned burns include areas in the Tellico and Ocoee ranger districts of the national forest and will be conducted when weather and fuel conditions are favorable to do so safely. This window is expected to occur between now and the end of December.

Prescribed fires are implemented in accordance with a written burn plan that prescribes specific weather and smoke dispersion conditions before crews proceed. Crews are responsible for igniting vegetation, monitoring the behavior and spread of fire, smoke, and ensuring fire is held by control features. Prescribed fire is used in the Cherokee National Forest for several reasons, including to reduce fire hazard, improve habitat, and to help manage for desirable vegetation.

Smokies to repair 19 bridge locations

Work has started on a $1.3 million effort to repair bridges at 19 locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with construction to continue through August 2023.

The routine improvements include bridge joint repairs, stone masonry repair, railing replacement and deck replacement. In most locations, single-lane closures will be sufficient to safely accomplish the work, though at a few select sites full road closures may be necessary.

“Work activity is likely to inconvenience motorists on busy days, however, closures are expected to be in place for less than a week at each of the 19 bridge locations,” said Facility Management Division Chief Barbara Hatcher. “We remind motorists to slow down when traveling through work sites to protect workers.”

Single-lane closures will occur at the Spur, Gatlinburg Bypass, Little River Road, Tremont, Laurel Creek Road, Newfound Gap Road, Smokemont and Deep Creek.

No Man’s Land Film Festival returns to WNC

The No Man’s Land Film Festival, the premier all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center in Asheville at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, and it will also stream online.

Hosted by MountainTrue, films will feature jaw-dropping stories of women capable of amazing athletic feats, and the stories of those who have risen above stereotype or disability to reclaim agency over their own lives.

Free, with donations to MountainTrue encouraged. Register for the virtual event at www.mountaintrue.org/nmlff2022. No sign-up required for in-person attendees.

Short-duration, full-road closures will occur at Greenbrier (Ramsey Prong Road), Tremont (gravel road section), Big Creek

and Cataloochee. The park will announce specific dates for the temporary, full-road closures when work schedules are finalized. Most of the planned repair work requires

minimal equipment and is anticipated to be accomplished within a week at each location.

Bryant’s Land and Development Industries Inc., based in Burnsville, received the Federal Highway Administration contract for the work.

The Wiley Oakley Bridge on the Spur is among the bridges slated for repair. NPS photo

Wrap up the year with Haywood Waterways

After two years in virtual mode, the Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership dinner will occur in person, 5:45 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. The meeting will feature a year-end review and introduction from new executive director Preston Jacobsen, an awards ceremony honoring three “very deserving” watershed heroes, a holiday buffet dinner and a silent auction. Dinner is $25 per person, with a registration deadline of Thursday, Dec. 1. RSVP to christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 1.

Forest Service gives Trout Unlimited $40 million for projects

In a five-year agreement to improve watersheds on national forests and grasslands, the U.S. Forest Service will give Trout Unlimited up to $40 million for projects including cleanup of abandoned mines, removing barriers to improve fish passage and stream habitat improvements.

Made possible by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this five-year National Watershed and Aquatic Restoration Initiative aims to increase the pace and scale of watershed restoration on national forests and grasslands, with priority given to projects that use local employees and contractors to improve water quality in underserved communities and on tribal lands.

Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, said the agreement builds on a “long and productive partnership” with the Forest Service. Over the years, the two organizations have restored more than 400 miles of fish habitat, reconnected more than 700 miles of habitat by removing barriers to fish migration and improved hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest lands.

“We are excited to continue and expand on this work over the coming years,” he said.

More than 40% of trout streams in the U.S. flow through the 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. In recent years, Trout Unlimited leveraged $20 million in Forest Service funding to carry out $62 million worth of projects, improving forest health, water quality and building key partnerships while supporting hundreds of family-wage jobs in rural communities.

Wild and native trout and salmon face countless challenges, including warming fueled by climate change. Trout Unlimited is identifying a national network of priority waters based on the best fisheries science and guided by its strategic plan. Over the coming years, Trout Unlimited will use the funding from this agreement to work alongside partners to protect and restore these waters to improve fish population diversity, resilience and productivity.

Puzzles can be found on page 46

These are only the answers.

East Street Park stream project complete

A project to improve a tributary to Shelton Branch that runs through East Street Park in Waynesville is now complete. Through the project, the stream was relo-

“The headwaters of Shelton Brach and the waters downstream, including Richland Creek and Lake Junaluska, are important economic drivers for Haywood County,” said Will Summer, executive director of the North Carolina Land and Water Fund. “We

stream and

The stream at East Street Park has been relocated and raised up. Donated photo

cated and raised up in order to address erosion and protect town utility infrastructure. Meanwhile, the stream corridor through the park was improved for public enjoyment.

recreational opportunities along its path.”  The N.C. Land and Water Fund provided funding for the project. The Town of Waynesville, Southwestern N.C. Resources Conservation Council, Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District, Haywood Waterways Association and other partners collaborated to carry it out. Michael Baker International managed the project along with Charles Baker Grading and Landscaping, who performed the work.

New parking lot at Cullowhee Rec Center

Change is happening at the Cullowhee Recreation Center as construction of an aquatics complex proceeds.

A new parking lot is now complete at the back of the center, and the old parking lot at the front is no longer accessible. The front desk and check-in area has been relocated down the hallway near the new entrance to accommodate the building’s new flow of foot traffic.

Santa to visit Chimney Rock

Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 3 and 10, for the 25th year running practicing his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound.

Between rappel trips down the chimney, Santa will take a break to meet visiting children with Mrs. Claus. The day will include breakfast with the elves from 8 to 11 a.m., Santa photos and one-of-a-kind wish lists typed up on the vintage typewriter of local poet Eddie Cabbage. Students from Lake Lure Classical Academy will perform holiday music Dec. 3, and Park Musician John Mason will play Christmas classics on his hammered dulcimer Dec. 10.

Elves will host guided hikes to Hickory Nut Falls, and guests can join naturalists on the Outcroppings Deck to meet the park’s animal ambassadors. The day will also festive craft stations and s’more making.

The event is free with park admission.

are pleased to help the community improve this

the

Santa Claus rappels down Chimney Rock. Donated photo

Word from the Smokies

BY F RANCES F IGART

Smokies Life celebrates

trees and their stories

Have you ever tried to count the number of branches on a tree? One limb leads to many appendages from which grow several more, each with its own shape, size and direction. The prospect of keeping them sorted long enough to perform an accurate count presents a nigh-impossible task.

It might seem easier to count the number of trees on an acre of terrain in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But due to the vertical nature of the land and the myriad sizes and species of trees in a healthy ecosystem, even that would prove to be a difficult feat for all but the most intrepid treefocused humans.

The stories that can be told about the Smokies — tales involving the natural and cultural history both before and after this place became the most-visited national park — are just as impossible to count as tree branches or individual trees.

When I took my job as the creative services director for nonprofit park partner Great Smoky Mountains Association a little

more than five years ago, I inherited a magazine to edit — the fourth in my career.

Smokies Life was the brainchild of my storytelling predecessor, Steve Kemp, who began to publish the biannual journal in 2007.

Kemp had worked in Yellowstone and Denali national parks before arriving in the Smokies, where he would spend 30 years directing creative work and publishing books, brochures and magazines to interpret the park’s countless resources. His titles include “Trees of the Smokies, Great Smoky Mountains: A Visual Journey,” and “We’re Going to the Mountains.” The park’s Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency, managed by GSMA, is named in his honor.

Kemp planted the seed, nourished the roots, and soon Smokies Life sprouted up and became the premier benefit for GSMA’s members, who receive a new large-format, full-color issue brimming with stories each spring and fall. These 29,000 subscribers align themselves with the Smokies and already know a great deal about the park. They are those bold champions of this mountainous region who seek to increase the breadth and depth of their knowledge of all things Smokies. Reading this magazine

allows them to imagine diving like the native brook trout to the deepest creek beds and soaring like the bald eagle to the highest ridges.

Those highest Smokies ridges are one of the few places in the United States that still harbor ancient trees. “One of the most compelling reasons for creating the park was to save the Smokies’ dwindling old-growth forest,” Kemp points out in the recently released fall issue’s cover story, “The Last Best Wildwoods.”

It’s a story well worth reading, and accolades have been floating in via email to both Kemp and me. One of the important takeaways is that second-growth forest — all we have left in many places — is just as critical to conserve as the rare first-growth.

“While no comprehensive apples-toapples comparison of old-growth biodiversity to second-growth biodiversity in the Smokies has ever been completed, it’s apparent that both types of forests offer attractive habitats for different cadres of species,” Kemp writes. “The presence of both younger and more mature forests is therefore a contributor to the park’s overall biodiversity.”

My editor’s column for this issue gives a nod not only to Kemp but to Smokies resident Richard Powers, who wrote in his Pulitzer Prize-winning magnum opus, The Overstory: “Trees have long been trying to reach us. But they speak on frequencies too low for people to hear.”

Perhaps, just maybe, some of us are beginning to cultivate an ear for the stories

trees have to tell. Fortunately for me, Smokies Life’s very development has been like that of a tree. Kemp formed the trunk of this publication onto which limbs began to grow, and upon them, in turn, many branches. When it was placed in my care, I asked Kemp to continue to write for the journal — and so he forms new branches on the tree with each issue.

Our national park is full of stories, from the history of the people who once lived here to the incredible biodiversity of plants, animals and lifeforms. Smokies Life was created as a forum for sharing some of the best of these Smokies stories. It is my great joy to facilitate the work of the many quality writers, photographers, designers, illustrators, and editors who bring these stories to life for our audience — and who allow nature to teach the great benefits of collaboration.

Smokies Life is available in the GSMArun visitor center bookstores in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and also at visitor centers outside the park in Gatlinburg and Townsend, Tennessee, and Bryson City, North Carolina. Visit SmokiesInformation.org to become a member of the association and receive the magazine in the mail.

(Frances Figart (rhymes with Tiger) is the editor of Smokies Life and the Creative Services Director for the 29,000-member Great Smoky Mountains Association, an educational nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Reach her at frances@gsmassoc.org.)

Michele Sons photos

Steve Kemp worked as interpretive products and services director for Great Smoky Mountains Association for 30 years and began to publish the biannual journal Smokies Life in 2007.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Cowee School Farmer’s Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.

• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May-December) in downtown Waynesville. For more information, go to facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty.

H OLIDAYS

• Dillsboro Lights and Luminaries will take place 5-9 p.m. Dec. 2-3 and 9-10. There will be live music, visits with Santa, shops and restaurants open late, and free old-fashioned buggy rides.

• Santa will be in town 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Cullowhee Rec Park Pavilion. Bring your Christmas list for Santa and get a picture with him. For more information contact Joe Lyon at joelyon@jacksonnc.org or 828.293.3053.

• Holidays at the University Center will take place 4-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at the AK Hinds University Center at WCU. Build a buddy, custom mug, hot cocoa ornaments and Santa paws. Get a holiday pass for $15. For more information visit dcc.wcu.edu.

• Smoky Mountain Christmas Light Spectacular will take place 6-10 p.m. Nov. 10-Dec. 31, at the Great Smoky Mountain Event Park. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays in November, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. BrysonCityChristman.com

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Health Sciences Education Building will be held at Haywood Community College 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29.

• NCWorks Job Search Assistance will be held 1:15-4:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Waynesville Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Receive help with your job search, resume-writing, and more. No appointment necessary. For more information, call 828.456.6061 or visit ncworks.gov.

FUNDRAISERS AND B ENEFITS

• New blankets can be dropped off at the Mountain Projects Office, 2177 Asheville Road in Waynesville, or online purchases can be shipped directly to the agency through Dec. 23, for the annual Blanket Drive. Financial contributions towards winter heating bills can be made online at mountainprojects.org/giving or checks can be sent by mail. Annotate checks with “Winter Warmth.”

• This holiday season the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is hosting its 6th annual “Stuff the Stockings” for more than 120 animals currently in its care. For more information visit chhumanesociety.org or call the shelter and adoption center at 828.743.5752.

CLUBS AND M EETINGS

• Indivisible Swain County will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, via Zoom. All are welcome. For more information email maryherr2017@gmail.com or call 828.497.9498.

• The Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society will hold its Holiday Party, “Mountain Holiday Traditions” at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive, in Bryson City.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com

• The Canton Branch Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• ecoEXPLORE: Mammalogy will take place 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. Get an up-close encounter with animal artifacts, like tracks, scat, and fur samples in this program about mammals in Western North Carolina. Ideal for all ages. For more information or to register, contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.

• Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567.

• Mother Goose Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Wednesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years old. For more information, contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.

• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.

• Next Chapter Book Club Haywood is a fun, energetic and highly interactive book club, ideal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Storytelling with Gary Garden will take place 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, in the meeting room of the Macon County Public Library.

• “And Still We Dance,” a story of Cherokee resilience through 22 paintings tracing the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is on display Nov. 9-30, in the Harrell Center at Lake Junaluska. JodyBradleyArt@gmail.com.

• Karaoke takes place at 7 p.m. every Friday at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. Call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

F OODAND D RINK

• BBQ and Live Music takes place at 6 p.m. every Saturday at the Meadowlark Motel. Call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

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

• Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420

• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

CLASSESAND PROGRAMS

• Watercolor Class will take place 1-3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Learn watercolor techniques with artist Joan Doyle. For more information or to register, contact Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov.

• “Spice It Up!” a monthly spice celebration series will take 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Waynesville Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. This month learn about Szechuan Peppercorns. Attendees will receive spice sample and will be taste testing. For more information, or to register, contact Kathy at kathleen.olsen@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2507.

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

n Complete listings of local music scene

n Regional festivals

n Art gallery events and openings

n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers

n Civic and social club gatherings

• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.

• Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.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. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.

Outdoors

• Hike Panthertown at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23. The group will meet at the Cullowhee Recreation Center and head up to the trailhead for a hike of 4-6 miles. Cost is $5, with children under 18 accompanied by a parent. Open to ages 10 and up. Register at jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program. Contact Trevor Brown with questions at 828.293.3053, ext. 9, or email trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org.

• The No Man’s Land Film Festival, an all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center in Asheville at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, and it will also stream online. Free, with donations to MountainTrue encouraged. Register for the virtual event at www.mountaintrue.org/nmlff2022. No sign-up required for in-person attendees.

A&E

• Learn the basics of reed weaving and create a festive reindeer decoration 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Waynesville Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. All materials provided. For more information, or to register, contact Kathy at kathleen.olsen@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2507.

• Haywood Choral Society will perform Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living,” in addition to other traditional and contemporary holiday pieces at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Waynesville First United Methodist Church. Free, donations are welcome. For more information, visit haywoodchoralsociety.org.

• Greenies Art Hour will take place 9:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for adults with disabilities. For more information or to register contact jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• Community dance classes for all levels and ages will take place this fall, September through November at the Wortham Center for Performing Arts. For more information and tickets visit stewartowendance.com/classes or worthamarts.org/classes.

• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.

• Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County 8-11 a.m. Saturdays, Dec. 3 and 10, practicing his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound. The event is free with park admission.

• The Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership dinner will take place 5:45-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. Dinner is $25 per person, with a registration deadline of Thursday, Dec. 1. RSVP to Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 1.

• Tickets are now on sale for Winter Lights, an open-air walk-through light show of more than 1 million lights running Nov. 18-Dec. 31 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Ticket prices range from $30 to $60 per car depending on the date and entry time, with members receiving a $5 discount. Flex tickets are $75. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit ncarboretum.org/winter-lights.

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.22-E-653 Mary Q. Welch aka Mary Noland Welch, having

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad! Rates:

• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)

• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

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

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

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

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

four year degree in

Home

Pets

PITBULL MIX DOG, POPPY (CHARCOAL&WHITE) Sweet 7-year old girl; easy to handle, likes car rides. Prefer to be only pet. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org

KITTENS! Asheville Humane Society has kittens ready for adoption! All 2-6 months old; in a variety of colors and cute as can be! (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - esither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com

• Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com

• John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com

• Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com

• Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com

• Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@beverly-hanks.com

• Darrin Graves - dgraves@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group - emersongroupus.com

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com

• Chuck Brown - chuck@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

• Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436

• Steve Mauldin - 828-734-4864

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

• Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

Mountain Creek Real Estate

• Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Premier Sotheby's International

Realty

• DeAnn Suchy - deann.suchy@premiersir.com

• Kaye Matthews - kaye.matthews@premiersir.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com

• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

• Mary Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net

• David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com

• Sara Sherman - sarashermanncrealtor@gmail.com

• David Rogers- davidr@remax-waynesville.com

• Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

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