Smoky Mountain News | November 24, 2020

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

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020 Vol. 22 Iss. 26

HOLIDAY GUIDE INSIDE

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: There are many Cherokee stories worth telling all year long, but in honor of Native American Heritage Month in November, The Smoky Mountain News interviewed Blythe Winchester. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Winchester is one of perhaps two physicians in the nation specializing in geriatric medicine. (Page 10) Geriatrician Blythe Winchester has a conversation with one of her patients, Cherokee Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver Johnson. Matt Martens photo

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News Nikwasi Initiative moves forward with big plans ......................................................11 Tribe considers Indiana casino purchase ..................................................................12 County applies for funds to renovate Clyde armory ..............................................15 Dealing with COVID difficult for school systems ....................................................16 Major development proposed for Cashiers crossroads ......................................18 Haywood GOP will fill commission vacancy ............................................................20 DA undergoes breast cancer treatment ....................................................................21 Education News ................................................................................................................23

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CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

Opinion Be smart, and things don’t have to get worse ........................................................24

SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

A&E Lazy Hiker Brewing celebrates milestone, pushes ahead ....................................26 Tracing the human family tree ........................................................................................29

Outdoors

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing) Boyd Allsbrook (writing)

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Shop Local Saturday

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

HOLIDAY GUIDE

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Support local businesses onsite and online

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BY BOYD ALLSBROOK CONTRIBUTING WRITER his year’s post-Thanksgiving weekend of shopping holidays will be unlike any other. This should come as no surprise when one considers a market made unpredictable in the wake of a global pandemic, large swaths of the consuming public now reticent to venture outside and their consequent move to the safety of purely online vendors.

The entire cultural zeitgeist around what Americans mean by in-person shopping has shifted from “a leisure activity I enjoy doing” to “a calculated risk I sometimes have to take.” As Black Friday and Shop Local Saturday approach, some wonder if Cyber Monday will steal the show.

Western North Carolina’s many momand-pop shops have weathered the pandemic’s curveballs to the best of their ability, with varying means and degrees of success.

Some local vendors have adopted online options as part and parcel of their day-today operations, while others say they haven’t needed to. Some, like Jo Gilley of Hazelwood’s Blue Ridge Books, have taken advantage of unique programs like Bookshop.org in addition to maintaining limited in-person hours.

“What we’re doing is kind of different,” said Gilley. “Independent bookstores all got together and formed Bookshop.org — but it isn’t through us, it’s through our distributor.

So you’re not actually shopping books from our store, but we still get a little piece of the action.”

The website is essentially a way for over 800 independent bookstores to pool their resources, to help each other make it through a time where Amazon’s convenience dominates the bookselling world. Bookshop functions similarly to mega-sites like Amazon, with one key difference: if you select your local bookstore on the site, they receive the 30 percent of the profit, without having to worry about inventory or shipping. Even unspecified purchases help local stores — they all share 10 percent of the website’s general purchases, just for being members.

“It’s helped all of us a lot,” Gilley said. “It started right at the beginning of COVID, and we all get a profit sharing, a little piece of the pot.”

Even with Bookshop.org’s added monthly support, however, Blue Ridge Books is still struggling. Though they’ve expanded hours since the pandemic’s initial losses, Gilley said that she’s still afraid they might close every day.

“We’re gonna try our best to keep going,” she said. “We still don’t have normal hours, just because there’s no reason for me to pay somebody to stay here just to sell a newspaper or two.”

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to single out particular indie bookstores.”

Though times are still harder than usual, between their website, Bookshop.org, and strong local support, City Lights is doing just fine.

“We had five local authors drop new books this season. Any one of those books would have made a month for us in a normal year, and we had five! We had strong sales in July and August,” Wilcox said. “We were back down a little bit in September, but hey — back down a little bit is a new up. So we’re holding our own and we’re grateful for it.” He emphasized the importance of people shopping locally, saying, “you’re betting with your pocketbook on the importance of having a strong local economy.”

Gilley cited an outpouring of local support as the reason they’ve lasted this long.

“We were very fortunate that customers from all over were ordering books from us just to keep us viable during that bad time.

We had other customers who just donated money to us, bought gift cards. We’re very grateful to all of them,” she said.

Sylva’s City Lights Bookstore dealt with similar challenges at the onset of the pandemic.

“A couple off-site events that we depend on were cancelled in March. We had to lay City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. everyone off which was very painful,” said owner Chris Wilcox.

“While we closed the shop floor, the cat and I stuck around to do curb service, the website, phone orders, text, Facebook messenger — we were taking orders however we could. That was it until we got into phase one of reopening.”

Though City Lights was significantly hampered by reduced occupancy — they still only allow nine people in the shop at one time — they were aided by their longrunning independent website.

“We’ve been doing e-commerce for 20something years,” said Wilcox. “So we were glad we had a little leg While many small vendors like Blue up. It’s a pretty full-functioning website. It Ridge and City Lights have leaned into works pretty well — people can opt to either online shopping, others surprisingly haven’t pick up here, curbside, have things mailed. needed to. Patricia Miller of Waynesville’s We’re trying to help people stay home, stay Affairs of the Heart, a gift boutique, said safe if that’s what they need to do.” that she considered e-commerce in early Wilcox was more prepared than most March, but now simply doesn’t have the local vendors. Already well-practiced in time. mailing books all over the country, when “We’re technologically challenged,” she COVID hit, City Lights had a system in place laughed. “I do think at the beginning it was for locals to turn to. tough for us not to have online shopping, “A lot of customers who’d never really but now we’re so busy!” had occasion to use it were like, ‘Oh, yeah, Affairs of the Heart closed in early March they do have a website!’ and so a lot of our for a few weeks before reopening to sell old friends suddenly became web shoppers,” hand sanitizer and masks along with their said Wilcox. “Having the website means that regular inventory. they can shop online and still shop local.”

“We opened a little early — we’d been City Lights also joined Bookshop.org. doing curbside service, offering pick-up on “That organization is doing good work Facebook. But the real turning point was — they kind of take care of all the fulfillwhen we opened our doors again,” said ments so there’s not really a local pickup.

Miller. “People were getting their stimulus They don’t really have some of our more money but were going to the big box stores locally published stuff though, so we still feel for gifts, because they were the only things that our own website is a very useful tool. open. So that’s when we decided that we But we’re very grateful for what Bookshop is were essential.” doing,” Wilcox said, adding, “It’s also a great Affairs of the Heart was curiously shieldway for authors to say, ‘you can get my ed from the brunt of COVID’s economic books through bookshop’ instead of having hardship.

“If you’d have told me in March that we’d be where we are now, I wouldn’t have believed you, said Miller. “Because once people started moving, it has been really busy.

People are flocking to the mountains.

They’re not going to the cities — they wanna come here and be outside and hike, so business has been phenomenal. I think we’ll actually end up on an up year!”

Though this influx of travelers increases the risk of COVID transmission, Miller believes that if we’re careful, we can walk that line.

“It’s a double-edged sword. All these people are coming in and you don’t know where they’re coming from and, yeah, that’s true, but you have to work. This is not a hobby for

me,” she said. “So, we wear our masks, and we wash our hands, and that’s all we can do.”

Affairs of the Heart still offers pick-up orders and more socially-distanced options, but Miller said that she hasn’t had any requests.

“I would do it — I made a video for Shop Local Saturday saying ‘message me! We’ll pick out anything you want and have it ready for you outside. We’ll empty the whole shop for you to browse alone!’ But they haven’t asked for it.”

Miller, like Gilley and Wilcox, cited strong local support as the lifeblood of her pandemic success. “People have been so supportive,” she said. “The locals, who even way back bought gift cards and made a point to just come in and buy something, we are so grateful for. Though tourists are what help keep us in business, we truly love our locals, and we wish we had more of them. We’re very blessed.”

For those planning to shop local this weekend or on Cyber Monday, remember to check with your favorite local shops to see what they have to offer online or by curbside pickup to support the local economy.

Shop local, be safe The numbers I Scott McLeod

• Small businesses accounted for 65% of all new jobs over the past 17 years.

• Small businesses employ 77 million Americans.

• 89% of consumers agree that independent businesses contribute positively to local economies.

• Residential neighborhoods served by successful independent business districts gained, on average, 50% more in home values than their citywide markets.

• Independent retailers and restaurants return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales back to their communities than national chains.

• If just half the U.S. employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate $42.6 billion in revenue.

Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration; Intuit Small Business Innovation Study; U.S. Dept. of Labor.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS HOLIDAY GUIDE

Which is even more reason to shop in one of our downtowns or one of our locally owned retailers. You won’t face the huge, jostling crowds and even long lines that are a normal part of the holidays at the big box stores. And with COVID having already hurt many local businesses, they need your love — in the form of your cash — more than ever this year.

One more reality worth looking into this shopping season is that many of these small businesses have pivoted during the pandemic and 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 and buy jewelry, pottery or 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, I might join my wife or my son and hit a few stores together as they finish up her 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.)

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

’m semi-quarantining in the week leading up to Thanksgiving due to a potential exposure to COVID. At this very moment I’m working at my stand-up desk enjoying a homemade hot mocha made with freshly roasted Colombian coffee beans from Steamline Coffee Company. It’s damn good coffee.

Steamline is new the roasting arm of Orchard Coffee, located in downtown Waynesville, and I bought a couple of 12-ounce bags over the weekend. For years, my wife Lori and I have bought Editor fresh beans from local roasteries, usually Panacea Coffee or Smoky Mountain Roasters. When I heard that Cabell Tice at Orchard had started roasting, I couldn’t wait to give his beans a try. We’re fortunate that we have three local coffee roaster in the small town I call home. The caffeine addict in me is in heaven.

So, I’m sipping this fantastic hot drink, pondering what promises to be a very different Thanksgiving 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 as they prepare for their annual holiday shopping. This year, with the pandemic raging and online retailers sucking up local dollars at an unprecedented pace, 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 (that’s this Saturday, Nov. 28) that started 10 years 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.

According to Adobe Analytics, on almost every day in November online shopping increased by double digit percentages over 2019. Another research firm, Digital Commerce 360, projects a 43.3-percent year-over-year jump in online commerce from November-December 2019.

Convenience is what has traditionally been the catalyst for online shopping, but this year safety has become a factor. The pandemic has most of us fearful of crowds.

Shop small For more information on Shop Small Business Saturday, you can watch Katy Gould, Haywood Community College Small Business Center, and Kim Czaja, Haywood Chamber of Commerce, on Facebook live (www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=671053513604546&ref=watch_permalink) as they share the dirt on Small Business Saturday.

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eople have spent more time at home in 2020 than they likely have in years past. This has provided homeowners with plenty of time to ponder potential upgrades to their homes. After taking inventory of their lifestyles, surroundings and furnishings, people have embarked on construction projects or home interior design renovations in record numbers.

Holiday gifts that cater to projects around the house are likely to be highly valued this holiday season. Here are some ideas for home improvement-related gifts.

• Home improvement retailer gift card: Home improvement centers are one-stop shopping for do-it-yourselfers. To help offset the cost of supplies, gift-givers can give a gift card to a neighborhood hardware store.

• Magazine subscription: There are plenty of ideas on the internet, but a subscription to a home remodeling or interior design magazine puts inspiration right in homeowners’ hands. Pages can be marked or cut out and used on idea boards.

• Tools and supplies: Homeowners just starting out may benefit from the basics.

Stores often sell starter tool kits that can be used in home improvement-themed baskets.

Experienced DIYers may have a special tool in mind that is outside their budget right now, like a chop saw or cordless power drill.

Purchasing one of these items can help projects move along more smoothly.

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an interior designer or professional contractor to help complete plans that may be a little out of reach for the average DIYer. • Big-ticket item: Some friends and family members may want to pool their resources and offer loved ones an overthe- top gift. This can include a backyard playset for children, a storage shed, a pool installation, or even a new appliance package. Gift ideas are endless and only limited by budget.

• Room re-do: All it may take is some new linens or accents to transform a room. From throw pillows to curtains to wall art, give the gift of an easy room makeover. Riding the momentum of increased home improvement projects from the past several months, holiday shoppers can choose home-related gift ideas to keep the projects and ideas flowing.

Jane McClure,oil artist:

Patrick Clinch, stained glass art:

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MASKS REQUIRED: We are following all state and federal COVID-19 guidelines to ensure the safety of our staff and guests

The holiday season is steeped in tradition. Baking is one tradition that comes with the holiday territory. Many people may only bake in November and December, so it’s understandable if they’re a little rusty come the holiday season. These baking tips can lead to successful yields of cookies, cakes and other holiday treats.

• Spoon out your measurements It can be tempting to dig a measuring cup right into a bag of flour, but scooping packs the ingredients down — potentially causing you to use more than the recipe calls for. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup gently and use a straight edge to level it out. Even better, use a scale and metric measurements to ensure exact amounts of wet and dry ingredients.

• Read up on temperature Certain ingredients, like butter and eggs, are temperature-dependent. Cold butter in biscuits helps them to rise up flaky and delicious. Eggs brought to room temperature enable the emulsification process to work more readily. The difference in temperature can mean a completely different

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chemical reaction, so follow the recipe accordingly.

• Calibrate the oven Purchase an oven thermometer, set your oven to 350 F, the standard baking temperature, and see what the thermometer reads.

If it is different, adjust cooking times accordingly or have the oven repaired.

Cooking at the wrong temperature might mean the recipe doesn’t turn out right.

• Use unsalted butter Most recipes will call for unsalted butter so you aren’t adding unwanted sodium to the recipe, affecting dough consistency and flavor.

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• Position pans centrally Pans should be on the center rack of the oven. If the oven isn’t wide enough to put multiple pans side by side, place them on different racks and slightly offset them to enable air circulation.

• Use parchment paper This unsung hero of baking can keep cookies from spreading out on baking sheets, prevent cakes from sticking to pans and may even help batter and dough bake evenly.

• Flip cakes Cool cakes upside down on a cooling rack. This will help flatten out the tops, which makes it easier to stack and level cakes for layered cakes. A few tips can go a long way to helping holiday baking go more smoothly.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

• Follow the recipe carefully When cooking, it is easy to add an extra dash of this or a pinch of that. But baking is a science and the ingredients are used in a ratio to produce a desired chemical reaction while cooking. To ensure success, do not substitute ingredients unless the recipe tells you how to do so, and measure each addition carefully.

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Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Business owners cannot predict what the future holds, but many are hopeful that the 2020 holiday retail season will provide a muchneeded boost to their bottom lines. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in late 2019 and early 2020 led to plunging revenues for small businesses across the globe, forcing some to close their doors for good while others had to lay off or furlough staff to stay afloat. The holiday season is a lucrative time for retailers, and while small business owners are hopeful consumers will return this December, they may need to go the extra mile to calm any safety concerns their customers may have. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned about the potential for a second wave of COVID-19 infections in late 2020, and that could compel holiday shoppers to stay home and shop online rather than in person. While it’s wise for small business owners to improve their e-commerce capabilities so shoppers find it easier to buy their products online, business owners also can follow these CDC-recommended procedures to prepare their stores for shoppers concerned by the COVID-19 virus.

When cleaning a store, the CDC advises owners and their employees to wear disposable gloves. Surfaces should first be cleaned with soap and water, and then disinfectant should be applied. That’s because soap and water and disinfectant perform different functions. Soap and water reduces the number of germs, dirt and impurities on surfaces, while disinfectant kills any remaining germs. Stores with heavy foot traffic should be cleaned frequently, but all stores require daily cleaning to keep customers safe. Store owners can devise their own cleaning schedules, but those whose stores are routinely welcoming customers throughout the day should plan to clean and disinfectant their facilities several times per day. The CDC advises paying special attention to high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, handles, countertops, and tables.

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DISINFECTING

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The CDC recommends using household disinfectants registered by the Environmental Protection Agency, a list of which is available at

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www.epa.gov/pesticideregistration/ list-n-disinfectants-useagainst- sars-cov-2-covid-19.

When using disinfectants, business owners and their employees should wear skin protection and consider protective eyewear to protect again potential splash hazards. Ensure adequate ventilation when using disinfectants, opening windows if need be. Follow manufacturer application recommendations, which should be listed on product labels. Avoid mixing chemicals, such as household bleach with ammonia or any other cleansers.

ELECTRONICS The CDC urges business owners to use wipeable covers on electronics to further reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Such covers also can calm customers’ nerves and reassure them that business owners are taking every safety measure possible to ensure their health.

EFFORTS Business owners should post their policies regarding cleaning and disinfecting in full view of customers. Such postings may reduce anxieties about entering a store. In addition, business owners can inform customers they are willing to offer delivery or curbside pickup to anyone who’s hesitant to enter stores this holiday season.

Opportunity awaits small business owners this holiday season. Taking every step to clean and disinfect their stores each day can reassure potential customers who may be hesitant to shop in person.

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Ways to stick to a holiday budget T

2. Determine how much you can spend.

Money for gifts and other holiday expenses should ideally come from your disposable income. Look at your finances in advance of

3. Set a spending limit for individuals.

Based on your numbers and how much you plan to spend overall, start allocating money to categories, including gift recipients. Come up with a spending range for each person and stick to it.

4. Pay in cash as much as possible. It’s easy to know what you’re spending when using cash as opposed to credit. There is some risk with carrying around cash, but that risk may be offset by the benefit of spending only what you can afford to spend.

5. Track all purchases. Save the receipts and keep a running total of expenditures so you can see how your spending is measuring up to your budget. If necessary, scale back on one category if you’ve tipped the scales in spending on another.

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6. Shop sales and deals. High-end stores may have the impressive tag, but their prices can set you back. Instead, look for comparable gifts at other retailers. Also, if you must

HOLIDAY GUIDE

1. Budget for everything. When working out holiday spending plans, factor in all of the expenses associated with the holidays — not just the most obvious, like gifts. Costs for gas, parking lot fees, greeting cards, postage, travel expenses, and much more should be included in your final number.

the holiday season and figure out how much extra cash you have for the holidays, and use that figure to determine how much you should spend. Find ways to make up any deficit by curtailing expenses like dining out or entertainment extras. Many people plan to use credit cards to pay now and worry about the aftermath later. Only use credit cards if you have the money in the bank and can pay off the entire bill when the balance due is in January.

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he holidays are an exciting, fun and joyful time of year. And for many people, the holidays also are expensive.

According to the Motley Fool Company, a financial wellness resource, the average American spent $882.45 on Christmas gifts, food, decorations, travel, and other holidayrelated expenses in 2019. Around 56 percent of gift shoppers set a budget for holiday spending, but only 64 percent stuck to it. In addition, 21.5 percent of respondents went into debt due to holiday shopping. Who doesn’t want to have a super holiday with delicious foods on the table and lots of presents to share with family and friends? While that’s tempting, such a bounty should never result in financial peril. These six strategies can make it easy to establish and stick to a budget this holiday season.

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from her patients. She often finds herself upset by society’s obsession with and glorification of youth.

“It bothers me when people think that somehow older people are not supposed to still make dirty jokes, or still be interested in sex, or still want to drink wine and dance,” she said. “It’s these sorts of things. I really enjoy getting to know people and just encouraging them with whatever it is that they still enjoy in their life — in a safe manner, of course.”

That conviction spurs Winchester to go the extra mile for her patients, to be their advocate as they try to navigate the maze of specialists and red tape that people often find themselves dealing with as they get older.

“I think a lot of times our older population is not given the focus, the attention and the priority that they need,” she said. “I love being able to be the person who says, ‘No, this is important. We’re gonna make this happen.’ It doesn’t matter if I have to communicate that to other specialists, to medical equipment companies, to whoever it is. I’m also happy to be that advocate, because they deserve it more than anybody. They deserve the best care and focus and attention, especially our tribal elders. They have knowledge that no one else may ever have. It’s just that important.”

‘They deserve the best’ Culture is key to care for Cherokee geriatrician

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER lythe Winchester has known since a young age that she wanted to be a doctor.

She remembers “doctoring” her dolls as a child in Cherokee’s Wolfetown community, using the empty needleless syringes her father would bring home from his job as a social worker. The little girl would inject the toys with Coca-Cola, staining their plush bodies brown.

“It’s been for a very long time that I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” she said.

She tried to convince herself otherwise. It takes years of school, way too much money and extreme dedication to practice medicine.

She tried to convince herself that she’d be just as happy somewhere else in the medical field — somewhere that doesn’t require an M.D. — and left a whole year between undergrad at Davidson College and med school at UNCChapel Hill as she tried to make something else stick.

It didn’t work. Winchester was meant to be a doctor.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

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DISCOVERING GERIATRICS

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Now 42 with 11 years of post-residency practice, Winchester is one of the only Native Americans in the country to specialize in geriatrics — which is itself a small and shrinking specialty.

“I’ll tell you that right now, I know that there’s like one other Native geriatrician in this country. And there might be more, it’s just there’s only one that I know of,” she said.

“To be honest, I just want there not to be a need for geriatricians. I wish that all of the primary care physicians knew what I know and had that approach with elders so they didn’t even need a whole specialty for our elder population.”

Geriatrics is not a favored field within the medical community. It’s the only subspecialty that does not get paid additional money for completing a fellowship and becoming a subspecialist, Winchester said, which may be a contributing factor as to why 2015 data from the National Resident Matching Program showed that 56 percent of the nation’s 353 geriatric medicine fellowship positions remained unfilled, with only 19 percent of the available positions filled by doctors who had graduated from American schools. However, 10 Winchester said, geriatrics tends to be the

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Winchester checks in with her patient John Ed Walkingstick. Laci Nations photo subspecialty with the highest satisfaction rate among practitioners.

Winchester didn’t go to med school with the explicit aim of working with senior citizens. It wasn’t a specialty she really even heard about while going through her training. She finally stumbled upon it at the end of her family medicine residency at the Center for Family Medicine in Greenville, South Carolina, where she took a geriatrics elective.

“I just absolutely fell in love with everything about it,” she said.

In 2012, four years after finishing her residency, she began her geriatrics fellowship, and since completing that program in 2013 she’s practiced the specialty full-time.

Winchester is a clinician at the Cherokee Indian Hospital, medical director at Tsali Care Center and chief clinical consultant for geriatrics and palliative care for the Indian Health Service. She lives in Cherokee with her husband and a menagerie of dogs and cats — it’s always been her goal to live where her roots are.

‘IT’S JUST THAT IMPORTANT’ To Winchester, there’s nothing more rewarding than getting to know her patients and helping them to live out their later years on their own terms.

“In geriatrics, it’s always something different. It’s very challenging,” she said. “Because our older patients have so many different medical problems, they’re often on many medications, a lot of them they don’t often need. Their issues are with advanced care planning and looking at their futures and

“I think a lot of times our older population is not given the focus, the attention and the priority that they need. I love being able to be the person who says, ‘No, this is important. We’re gonna make this happen.’”

— Blythe Winchester

what’s going to be helpful for them to stay independent. So there’s just all these different issues, and sometimes you have to be a bit of a detective.”

Winchester loves the detective work.

With older people especially, it’s important to know their background, what they did for work, their lifestyle, their medical history and the treatment they’re currently getting from other specialists — all the experiences they’ve had over the course of their life.

“Sometimes finding out something about someone’s background or history can make a huge difference in their care now,” she said.

That said, Winchester definitely sees her patients as people, not just puzzles. With decades of accumulated knowledge and experience, they know things that younger people just don’t. They have stories to tell, jokes to share — Winchester is constantly learning

As a Cherokee woman, Winchester has a special respect for the importance of caring for the elderly. The Cherokee culture elevates and reveres its elders, because they are the keepers of tribal knowledge and wisdom.

“My culture and my role here as a member of this community, in this tribe, it affects everything,” she said. “And it should, really, when you think about it.”

Being a member of the community she serves gives Winchester a unique ability to connect with her patients and earn their trust. She’s one of them. Her grandmother Kay Sanders, a longtime teacher in Cherokee, doled out praise or punishment to more than one of her patients; her ancestors drew their sustenance from the same mountains that theirs did.

That said, Winchester is always trying to connect closer, to plant her roots deeper. A lifelong language learner, she’s always working to strengthen her Cherokee language skills, and she’s constantly trying to remind herself of the foundations of traditional health care, rooted in the trees and herbs that Native people relied upon for millennia before the European arrival.

In 2019, she completed the Remember the Removal Bicycle Ride, which retraces Trail of Tears. She’s also a graduate of The Right Path Adult Leadership Program and a member of their alumni program, which helps her continually sharpen her skills in culturally based leadership.

“Everything that I learn there, I just pull it right into what I do at work to help me make sure that I’m doing my job in the best way that I can and that I’m just being a strong Cherokee woman the best way that I can,” she said.

Fostering that cultural connection is more than just a feel-good goal.

Multiple studies have shown that

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Nikwasi Initiative moves forward with big plans

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR s November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month, it seemed like a perfect time for Nikwasi Initiative leaders to give Macon County commissioners an update on their longterm vision to bring more awareness to the Nikwasi Mound and other lands that hold cultural significance to the Cherokee people.

The Nikwasi Initiative formed as a nonprofit several years ago. The collaborative effort between Macon County, the town of Franklin, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Mainspring Conservation Trust was seen as a way to work together after years of controversy over who should own and maintain the Nikwasi Mound property.

While the mound is sacred native land, it’s located in the middle of downtown Franklin and surrounded by city streets and industry. The mound was saved from development in the 1940s when residents raised enough funds to buy the property and deed it over to the town for safe keeping.

The deed remained in the hands of the town government until 2018 when the Franklin Town Council voted unanimously to give the deed over to Nikwasi Initiative. It

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UNDERREPRESENTATION The history behind that disparity in life expectancy is complex and multi-faceted, but the fact that Native Americans are the most under-represented race among American physicians certainly can’t help.

According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, 56.2 percent of

all active physicians in the U.S. as of July 1, 2019, were White, 17.1 percent were Asian and 13.7 percent were listed as “unknown.”

That’s vast overrepresentation for Asians, who constitute 5.9 percent of the overall population according to 2019 census data, and slight underrepresentation for whites, who constitute 60.1 percent of the U.S. population.

However, Hispanics, Blacks and Native Americans were extremely underrepresent-

Donated photo

scape restoration organization and a healing arts start-up.

Eisenbraun recently told county commissioners, who have offered financial support for the project, that the organization was in the middle of developing a strategic plan.

“We had a feasibility study done a year ago, but I think we’ve outgrown it at this point and have some bigger ideas that could be very important to the county, especially for economic development,” she said.

In addition to placing educational kiosks along the cultural corridor and developing some kind of educational and cultural center near the mound, NI has other projects in the

ed. Only 5.8 percent of doctors were Hispanic despite Hispanics making up 18.5 percent of the overall population. Another 5 percent were Black, just 37.3 percent of the race’s 13.4 percent share of the population, and an infinitesimal 0.3 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native — just 23 percent of that ethnicity’s 1.3 percent share of the U.S. population.

That underrepresentation is even reflected at home in Cherokee, within the walls of the tribally run Cherokee Indian Hospital — of the 77 medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physicians assistants and nurse practitioners at CIH, only five are Native American. That’s just 6.5 percent of the total, despite the fact that the hospital is located on the Qualla Boundary and that the population of Swain County overall is 30.1 percent Native American, according to 2019 census data.

“It’s more of a struggle for Native people from the very beginning,” said Winchester.

“There are fewer of us that are even going to undergrad. Harder to be away from home, commuting to places — I mean, there’s just a huge number of factors involved.”

Despite her long-held conviction that she was meant to be a doctor, Winchester said that it was difficult, and isolating, to be the only Native American in her med school class.

Med school is hard, and for students from underrepresented backgrounds, it’s important to hear a clear message that their presence is welcome and even expected.

works. NI is also working with the Macon County Women’s History Trail project to get a life-size bronze statue commissioned and placed somewhere near Nikwasi Mound.

Eisenbraun said the 7-foot statue would depict three women who were integral to the county’s history — a white settler woman, a Black slave woman and a Cherokee woman. Fundraising efforts are underway for the $350,000 needed to complete the public art piece being created by sculptor Wesley Wofford.

To hear Eisenbraun’s full presentation on NI, watch the commissioners’ meeting at https://youtu.be/V8fJFPik2A8.

Progress is being made. In August, the first class of students arrived at the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation, the nation’s first tribally affiliated medical college. Winchester also applauds work being done by the nonprofit We Are Healers, which works to encourage and inspire young Native Americans to envision themselves as doctors, nurses and other types of medical professionals.

ALL ABOUT THE PATIENTS Winchester has found her place, but the work isn’t easy. It’s demanding of her time, of her mind and of her emotions. She works with older people, so by definition death is part of her everyday life.

“My patients die,” she said. “This is what happens, and so that’s difficult. By no means is this all just sunshine, flowers and candy. It’s a struggle.”

The support she receives from her boss, her coworkers and everyone else around her is vital to powering through the hard days and continuing to see the joy in what she does. In the end, though, it’s all about the patients.

“The patients are really why I continue to work so hard and spend so much time, because they’re really just such unique and fantastic people,” she said. “Almost every time that I sit and talk with one of my patients, I’m learning something from them.” 11

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LEGACY OF

Winchester was chosen for the 2019 Remember the Removal Ride, cycling 950 miles to retrace the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. Bear Allison photo

An educational kiosk was recently installed at Nikwasi Mound in Franklin.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

patients prefer doctors who share their race or ethnicity; The authors of a 2002 study that was the first to test whether the preference for same-race doctors actually exists suggested that the preference may be due either to greater feelings of trust and comfort with a physician of the same race, or to distrust of physicians from the same race.

Either way, it’s of vital importance for patients to have access to physicians that they’re most likely to trust — trust encourages patients to see their doctor regularly, and to be honest with them about information that could be key to successful treatment.

Those may be subjective generalizations, but it’s an objective fact Native Americans are vastly underrepresented in the ranks of medical doctors and that nationwide, the life expectancy for Native Americans is 5.5 years less than that of the overall U.S. population — 73 years versus 78.5.

“There’s no reason that should exist,” said Winchester.

was indeed a historic but controversial moment — some Macon County residents, including Mayor Bob Scott, were not in favor of giving over the deed to a fairly unestablished nonprofit — while others thought it was the right thing to do.

With the deed in the hands of NI, the future of the mound could be decided by a group representing all the stakeholders instead of just the town government. The town of Franklin has maintained the mound over the years but hasn’t had the funds to promote it or take further measures to preserve it.

On the other hand, EBCI has the funds available to invest in making the mound a cultural education centerpiece in town. NI put together a feasibility plan to develop the properties surrounding the mound — Mainspring purchased the parcel next to its office on East Main Street to turn into greenspace along the Little Tennessee River while EBCI purchased the parcel adjacent to the mound with plans to build an annex for the Cherokee Indian Museum.

NI’s vision goes beyond Nikwasi — the organization’s plan is to create a cultural corridor from the North Carolina-Georgia state line to the Qualla Boundary that includes other cultural sites like Cowee and Kituwah’s Mound.

NI conducted a nationwide search for its first executive director and hired Elaine Eisenbraun in the spring of 2020. In the past, she has served as executive director for three other organizations — an outdoor education center, a large river and land-

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Tribe considers Indiana casino purchase

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is hoping to close a deal to buy Caesars Southern Indiana Casino, with Tribal Council on Nov. 12 giving Principal Chief Richard Sneed the go-ahead to incur the costs necessary to pursue the purchase, to the tune of approximately $10.5 million.

“We’re trying to be strategic and get into these other markets, because we know these threats are coming, and so the decisions we make now or don’t make now will determine what the new normal is five years from now,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed told tribal members in an explanatory video he posted Nov. 5.

Since 1997, the casino enterprise in Cherokee has enjoyed a complete monopoly over the region’s casino industry, but now that monopoly is facing threats on multiple fronts. The Catawba Nation has broken ground on a casino in Kings Mountain, though the EBCI hopes to stop that project through an ongoing legal battle. However, there are solid plans to build a new casino just 130 miles away in Bristol, Virginia. Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida already allow commercial gaming, and Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina are all considering doing likewise. In a few years, there could be casinos all over the Southeast.

If the tribe doesn’t take action now to

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Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

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develop other sources of revenue, Sneed said, there might be three to seven years of status quo before the bottom drops out of the tribal coffers.

“There were wise people 20 years ago in our tribe who said, ‘We need to diversify.

Don’t always count on per cap to be there, because it may not be there one day,’” Sneed said in the video. “Unfortunately, over the course of last 23 years, even though everybody who’s run for office has said we need to diversify, it just didn’t happen.”

Principal Chief Richard Sneed discusses the potential purchase in a video his office released Nov. 5. EBCI photo

EXPANDING THE FOOTPRINT The Indiana casino is up for sale as the result of a July merger between Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment — the same company that owns Harrah’s, the tribe’s casino management company. The merger created the nation’s largest casino and entertainment company, and in some states the union put them afoul of antitrust laws, meaning that the company had to sell off some of its properties in those jurisdictions. The casino in Elizabeth, Indiana, is one of those properties.

“What we’re purchasing is cash flow,” Sneed told Tribal Council Nov. 12. “We’re purchasing a business with a known amount of cash flow and a known return for the tribe.”

The properties being sold as a result of the merger are highly profitable, Sneed said in the Nov. 5 video. The tribe could potentially

have multiple purchase opportunities related to the merger.

“Looking toward the future, our approach would be to obviously continue to own and operate our two casinos — the resort and Valley River — to continue to develop and operate our convention business, but then also to create a regional portfolio with casinos in the commercial market, to where we have literally a presence all over the East,

Southeast and even into the Midwest,” Sneed said in the video.

If the tribe does that, he said, it will be less affected by competition from any one casino, and players will be able to spend their money with Cherokee-owned casinos even as they travel.

Council’s Nov. 12 vote does not constitute a decision to buy the property.

Rather, it constitutes a decision to

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“We’re trying to be strategic and get into these other markets, because we know these threats are coming, and so the decisions we make now or don’t make now will determine what the new normal is five years from now.”

— Principal Chief Richard Sneed

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The decision followed a vote held earlier Nov. 12 to approve a resolution that outlined the form of a limited liability operating company the tribe is creating to develop future commercial gaming ventures.

The tribe has had its eye on commercial gaming ventures for some time as part of the ongoing discussion about diversification.

Sneed said he expects a return on investment of 12 to 24 percent from such enterprises, which is double to quadruple the 6 to 8 percent typically earned from investment funds.

Sneed spearheaded the creation of Kituwah LLC in 2018 as part of his efforts to diversify the tribe’s income streams, and while Kituwah has several major projects in process, a separate organization is needed to handle the complexities and tribe-to-state relationships inherent in the commercial gaming business. Unlike Kituwah, which is a fully tribal entity, the new LLC will be registered under state law, most likely in Delaware.

Council first discussed the LLC resolution during Annual Council Oct. 29, at that time deciding in a split vote to table the legislation for a work session. However, when it returned to the floor Nov. 12 it passed without discussion. French, Sneed, Crowe and Rose voted against it, and the remaining eight members raised their hands in favor.

Casino revenues make up about half of the tribal budget, and they also fund bi-annual per capita payments to tribal members.

Unlike county governments, the tribe does not tax its citizens outside of the tribal levy paid by businesses on the Qualla Boundary, a charge akin to a sales tax. The tribe receives $13 to $16 million per year in levy receipts, but even that money is largely dependent on the casino.

“The bulk of that $15 million is from transactions that occur at the casino,” Sneed said in the video.

Casino proceeds make life better for tribal members in countless ways. About $8 million per year goes toward higher education for tribal members, and the Cherokee Indian Hospital received a $16 million subsidy from the tribe last year to augment the federal funds it receives. Gyms, community centers, various social programs — it’s all possible due to the casino.

“What we’re looking for is longevity,” said Sneed. “We’re looking for sustainability rather than depending on revenue to come over every year to cover our costs. That’s essentially living paycheck to paycheck.”

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

$150,000 for legal counsel to handle local issues in southern Indiana.

Several Tribal Council members expressed cautious optimism about the project.

“Unless we go through with it to the end, all of this amount will not be used,” said Yellowhill Representative Tom Wahnetah.

“It’s not going to be paid up front or anything.

It’s going to be billed as due, as necessary. I think this is a good start to make sure we don’t make a bad decision on this property.”

“This is a major investment, and I think that part of what this is going to do is basically let us know if this is a good investment for the tribe for now, which I think is a good vetting process to have in place, and that’s something I’ve been advocating for for a while,” said Wolfetown Representative Chelsea Saunooke.

Sneed emphasized the comprehensiveness of the due diligence process ahead, telling Council that everything “top to bottom, inside and out” would be examined.

“Every last thing is going to be vetted before we sign on the dotted line,” he said.

The resolution ultimately passed, with

eight members in favor and three opposed — Painttown Representative Dike Sneed, Big Cove Representative Richard French and Wolfetown Representative Bo Crowe.

Birdtown Representative Albert Rose abstained.

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expend funds to do the inspections and audits necessary to determine if the casino would be a wise investment, and then to pay any fees surrounding the potential purchase.

The tribe and Caesars Entertainment have signed a letter of intent to work together exclusively for 45 days in order to come to an agreement about the potential transaction, with Dec. 1 as the approximate date for signing the agreement.

The tribe estimates that the cost of due diligence will be approximately $500,000 through Dec. 1. If a purchase agreement is signed with a closing date on or about July 1, 2021, the tribe will incur additional estimated costs of $10.11 million, including regulatory licensing fees, debt financing fees, insurance and other costs. The resolution also allows Sneed to increase the contract amount for attorney’s fees with Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schrek and to pay an estimated

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR aywood County is applying for federal funds that would allow for a major renovation project at the Clyde armory building, which was gifted to the county a couple of years ago.

The commissioners approved the Community Development Block grant application during an October meeting following two public hearings, but constituents still had concerns about how the shelter would be used during the COVID-19 Pandemic. During the board’s Nov. 16 meeting, commissioners had to spend a lot of time dispelling rumors that the armory would be used to contain people who were either exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or those who refused to wear masks or get the forthcoming vaccination.

Melanie Williams asked commissioners to clarify after citing a report from WLOS that stated the renovated armory would be specifically used as a COVID shelter. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issuing protocols for a “shielding approach” to the virus, Williams said she was concerned the armory would be used to hold people exposed to or at-risk for COVID or those refusing to follow COVID protocols, similar to what other countries are doing.

“How can we feel protected when we’re taking steps to do the same thing as other countries?” she asked.

Another resident Stephanie Parsons spoke about what she called a “plandemic” and the unconstitutionality of forcing people to wear masks and take a vaccine that hasn’t received safety testing.

“Nothing will be injected into my body or

my children’s bodies that hasn’t been tested,” she said.

Joseph Thomas shared his frustrations about having to wear a mask and not being able to congregate at church.

“I’m not wearing a mask today because I’m not fearful. This is the image of God,” he said pointing to his face. “And this would be covering up the image of God. The mask thing is an anti-Christ movement and this is the spiritual war we’re in.”

Commissioners have a policy of not having back and forth exchanges with constituents during meetings, but they felt like the misinformation regarding the grant application needed to be addressed.

Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley said the county was applying for over $700,000 in federal funds — a majority of it would go toward getting asbestos and led removed from the 15,000 square foot armory facility so that the county could utilize the building for several purposes. In addition to offering space for Haywood Community College trainings, county recreational opportunities and an EMS base, the building could also serve as an emergency shelter during natural disasters.

Right now, the county currently has two designated spaces for temporary emergency shelters — at the county Health and Human Services Building in Clyde and at a school facility. However, those spaces aren’t sufficient, especially under COVID-19 social distancing requirements. The health department space can only hold 26 people and still meet COVID restrictions.

“If we have a heavy snow this winter and need to place people somewhere, we can’t house that many people in current space because of COVID social distancing guidelines and we can’t use the (armory) building right now because of asbestos and lead,” said Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick.

IN SYLVA

Haywood County resident Stephanie Parsons tells commissioners that mask and vaccine mandates are unconstitutional. Screenshot from meeting

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County applies for funds to renovate Clyde armory

County Manager Bryant Morehead said setting up an EMS base at the armory would also help reduce 911 response times in parts of the county by up to 4 minutes.

“This goes a long way to serving the community,” he said. “The other part of it is to help keep people in their homes this winter.”

In addition to funds to renovate the armory, the grant application also includes $75,000 to support Mountain Projects’ plan to implement a funding pool to provide people with rental assistance and utility disconnection prevention.

“When we have flooding or hurricane events, we open these kinds of shelters. All we’re doing with the armory is having a stand-alone emergency shelter building that gives us more capacity and more room,” said David Francis, county program administrator. “It’s not anything to do with COVID specifically. We’re not hauling or taking people because they have COVID — that’s far from the truth.”

As the liaison to the health and human services board, Commission Brandon Rogers assured people that the county has never discussed making vaccines or masks mandatory.

“I believe it should be a choice,” he said.

While he believes in personal choice, Ensley said he wished people would wear masks without having to mandate it. Ensley explained that he has Multiple Sclerosis and is on a treatment that knocks out part of his immune system, making him more vulnerable if he were to contract the virus.

“I believe wearing a mask is the best way to protect people and could help quell this a lot quicker than we have been,” he said. “You do unto others as you’d have them do to you so it makes me feel like no one cares about my condition or my elderly parents.”

As for masks being dangerous, Ensley said he didn’t believe that given the fact that surgeons wear masks for hours during surgeries to prevent the spread of possible infection to their patients.

“We do live in a country where you don’t have to and I don’t think our citizens are going to stand for a mandate,” he said. “I saw a pastor preaching one time and he said freedom is the ability to make choices, but liberty is the ability to make the right choices. I’d hope we would use liberty and make the right choice to wear a mask.”

Williams, Parsons and others could be seen rolling their eyes and commenting to each other in the back of the courthouse as Ensley shared his thoughts on the pandemic and masks.

Meanwhile, health department officials warned commissioners that cases are on the rise and that Haywood could easily go from an “orange” county to a “red” county quickly.

Mission Hospital is reporting its highest number of hospitalized COVID patients (54) since the pandemic began.

“We had 47 new cases just today. COVID is as hot in Haywood as it has been since this pandemic started,” said Interim Haywood County Health Director Garron Bradish.

The health department has had to pull in staff from environmental health and DSS to manage the growing amount of contact tracing staff has to do when a new case is reported.

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The new norm difficult for schools

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER hen the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in North Carolina in March of 2020, public schools were forced to close their doors. First for two weeks, then for the rest of the school year.

During that time teachers and administration worked hard to develop best practices on the spot for virtual learning.

Now, almost halfway through the 202021 school year, case numbers are the highest they have been since the pandemic began, much higher than the entire time North Carolina schools were closed for in-person learning. Schools in WNC have managed to keep spread minimal within their doors. But with holidays just around the corner, and case numbers still rising, there is very real danger of worse COVID spread.

Jackson County Interim Superintendent Tony Tipton has said his goal is to keep schools open.

“We feel like the safest place for students to be is in school,” said Kelly Doppke, director of student support services and part of the COVID response team. “We monitor, we social distance, we sanitize, we make them wash their hands. And if you look at our Jackson County COVID dashboard, you can see that we’ve got less than 0.05 percent of our students out right now with COVID.” Jackson County Schools has regularly

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maintained a lower positivity percentage than Jackson County. Since Aug. 17, JCPS has reported a total of 12 staff cases and 20 student cases, six of whom are remote only learners.

Dr. Bill Nolte, superintendent of Haywood County Schools, is concerned about rising case numbers and the upcoming holiday season.

“We’re very mindful of the situation. We will promptly respond to any state action. We have a very good relationship with local Medical Director Dr. Jaben, and if he suggests we should shut down because of clusters in the community, or more likely in the schools, we would do that,” said Nolte. “But we will try to address that on a case-by-case basis.”

According to Nolte, the administration is not aware of any positive cases that involved student transmission while at school. There have been transmission instances where students got together after school hours.

Recently at Pisgah High School there were five positive cases within one week, but after talking with public health officials, HCS did not deem the cases a cluster because the students were in different grade levels and classes.

“As best we could tell, with the information we had and the information that we received back from public health on their contact tracing, those folks were not connected,” said Nolte.

“We continue to remind families that we’re not getting an academic pass this year. All of our accountability standards and models are in place for the state. And so it’s important that students be engaged so that we can give them credit for their courses.”

— Kelly Doppke

Haywood County Schools has had 43 positive cases among students and staff since Oct. 5.

“In terms of mitigation, we’re following the governor’s executive order, working closely with the Macon County health department,” said Macon County Schools Superintendent Chris Baldwin. “We’re following the social distancing protocols that are in place, the three W’s, requiring folks to wear the mask, wait six feet apart and wash their hands frequently.

And yet, we’re watching the numbers closely.”

Macon County Schools has had a total of 28 positive staff cases and 32 positive student cases since August.

In addition to quarantining students and staff who have had close contacts with a positive case in schools, schools have worked out ways to maintain regular social distancing and use pods to mitigate possible spread.

Due to the logistics of these guidelines, students and parents have had to choose whether or not they would be on the rotating in-person learning schedule, or fully remote.

Jackson County Schools allowed parents to choose for students to return to face-toface learning following the first nine weeks for grades K-8. Those that chose remote learning at that time, were committed for the remainder of the year. The requirement to commit for the rest of the year was based on a need to plan for school operations in a meaningful way.

School and district leaders needed to plan for the number of teachers needed at each grade level to support both face-to-face and remote learning. Students in grades 9-12 that chose remote learning were committed for the semester, and registration is underway now for spring semester. Students can choose to go back to face-to-face for spring semester or remain remote for the remainder of the year.

Jackson County Schools started the year with 37 percent of students opting for remote instruction. That

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Macon reports ninth COVID-related death A Macon County resident diagnosed with COVID-19 passed away Sunday. The person was over the age of 65 and had underlying health conditions.

This individual is not related any existing clusters or outbreaks, to the knowledge of Macon County Public Health. To protect the family’s privacy, no further information will be released about this patient.

“The family and loved ones of this individual are in our thoughts and prayers.

With the approaching holiday and as more people gather indoors, please continue to practice the 3Ws and be mindful of those that are higher risk,” stated Kathy McGaha, Macon County Health director.

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Haywood County Health and Human Services has reported three more COVID19 related deaths as of Nov. 24, bringing the county’s total to 40 people.

With the latest death, reported Tuesday, COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause of death (the disease that initiated the events resulting in death). The individual was over the age of 65 and died in the hospital. The individual had been exposed to the virus by a family member, who was exposed by coworkers. To protect the family’s privacy, no further information about the patient will be released.”

The previous two deaths reported on Nov. 20, COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause of death. Both individuals died in the hospital, were over the age of 70, and had several underlying medical conditions.

One had been exposed to COVID-19 through contact with multiple positives in the family, while the other was a secondary contact in a COVID-19 cluster identified at Enchanting Hair Fashions Salon in September. This is the third death to result from that cluster. To protect the families’ privacy, no further information about these patients will be released.

“We at Haywood County Health and

Human Services extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones during this time of loss,” said Interim Health Director Garron Bradish. “We urge everyone to be vigilant about masking and social distancing any time you’re going to be around anyone who doesn’t live in your household.”

To stay up to date on COVID-19 in Haywood County, visit www.haywood countync.gov/684/coronavirus-covid-19information.

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ity issues. They may have transportation issues. Those same limitations are going to be in place in the summer and in the fall. So we’re very concerned about these students who are behind academically and how we’re going to get them to where they need to be for school year [2021, 2022] and beyond.”

“We don’t want to send any messages that it’s an automatic credit because the state is very consistently telling us that is not the case,” said Nolte. “Our students who are inperson are pretty well engaged. Our remote only students, we have a pretty large proportion of folks that we’re just not hearing from.”

Attendance is a different story. Because of the obvious fluctuation in students’ ability to be in school due to COVID positivity or the need to quarantine following exposure, attendance will be dealt with differently than in years past. Attendance is policy mandated by each local school board, so school systems have more flexibility to implement a policy that will best serve students during this time.

“We are accepting more parent notes, we’re not requiring medical notes. But once they have 10 days unexcused, we’re problemsolving and trying to figure out what the barrier is because after 10 days there is a potential for a reduction in grade or a non-course pass, not passing that course,” said Doppke.

“If a student submits their work, then we can count them as being present. Obviously the issues that we’re seeing is that students aren’t submitting their work. So then it’s a twofold problem. Their work isn’t counted because they don’t submit it or they’re unable to submit it. And then because they’re not able to submit to work, they’re also counted absent. So attendance in the virtual academy has been a real problem,” said Baldwin.

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number shrank after the first nine weeks. As of Nov. 5, 75 percent of JCPS students are participating in face-to-face learning and 25 percent are fully remote.

Macon County Schools has asked middle and high school students to choose remote or in-person learning for the entire semester.

“We have implemented the policy at the middle and high school that if a student chooses to become a virtual student, that is a semester long decision,” Baldwin said.

Schools around the country reported problems with student engagement after schools went fully remote at the beginning of the pandemic this spring. Now, that problem looks to be persisting for some students.

“Students who are attending and are engaged are doing well. And by attending that means attending remotely or attending face-to-face. So students who are doing what their plan of academics is supposed to be, are doing well. Students who are what I call ‘off our radar’ are not doing well,” said Doppke. “We continue to remind families that we’re not getting an academic pass this year. All of our accountability standards and models are in place for the state. And so it’s important that students be engaged so that we can give them credit for their courses.”

The bottom line, Doppke says, students have to be engaged and communicating with teachers to be successful.

“There’s definitely going to be a COVID19 slide,” said Baldwin. “The frustrating thing for us is that the students who are falling behind now are going to be very difficult to reach in terms of a summer school program or credit recovery program next year, for the same reasons that they’re struggling around now. They may have connectiv-

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Major development proposed for Cashiers crossroads

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he face of Cashiers could change significantly if a proposed 55.52-acre development is approved. Planned as a mixeduse development in the northeast corner of the N.C. 107 and U.S. 64 intersection, it would add 726 residential units and 158,557 square feet of commercial space right at the crossroads.

The development would be built on 13 parcels currently owned by Cashiers Village LLC and Straight Eight Company LLC. Cashiers Village LLC is a company associated with South Carolina-based Raven Cliff Company, a real estate development and investment company owned by Stephen Zoukis. Straight Eight is an investment company that names William Barrs as its manger in its last annual filing. The project’s developer is named on county permit applications as Atlanta-based MaCauley Investments LLC.

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The project would be built in two phases, the first of which would front N.C. 107 and serve as the development’s commercial and community hub. This first phase would be split into two parts — the town center, and the area north of the town center.

The town center portion would offer a 27,400-square-foot hotel, an open market and 28,975 square feet of retail buildings, as well as two mixed-use buildings featuring a combined seven commercial units for a total square footage of 54,550 square feet and 90 residential units totaling 102,031 square feet.

Additionally, the area would include a fourstory multi-family building with 121 units, a condominium with 18 units, a live-work twostory with two units and a live-work threestory with 10 units.

Outside the town center, the phase would include a 44,000-square-foot spa/hotel; a 40,000-square-foot building intended as office, event and restaurant space; and 298,492 square feet of family-oriented residential space comprising 173 units.

Phase two would be developed as a residential community featuring a variety of sin-

The town center, the first section of the development to be built if approved, would feature a combination of residential and retail spaces. Nequette Architecture & Design rendering gle-family options including townhomes, villas, cottages and multi-family units. The phase would also include low-impact commercial operations intended to support the residential community, including a wellness center, garden center, childcare and a restaurant/cooking school. The phase would total 37,000 square feet of commercial space and 465,524 square feet of residential space comprising 312 units.

The property’s average slope of 19 percent will not call the density standards contained in the county’s steep slope ordinance into action. However, standards surrounding stormwater, grading and the like, which are also contained in that ordinance, would apply.

Of the 55.52 acres, 11.44 would be kept as open space in compliance with the 20 percent open space requirement. While the current review process does not require the developer to submit detailed utility plans, a staff report from the Jackson County

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Planning Department states that staff have been told that some sewer service for the project would be provided by the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority and some would come from private, on-site treatment package systems. Potable water would be provided by private, on-site well systems.

If approved, the project would be the largest single development in Cashiers’ history. The unincorporated community is known for its strong rural character, with the high-dollar homes, resorts and country clubs that characterize the area often built with a private, low-density design. Though the plateau’s population swells up close to 30,000 residents during the summer months, prior to the pandemic it had only an estimated 1,500 year-round residents.

Assuming an average of three people per residential unit, the development could add more than 2,000 people to the local population.

THE PROCESS Two separate approvals will be required for the project to move forward. First, the Cashiers Area Community Planning Council will have to grant the developer a special-use permit. Under the Cashiers Community Area Ordinance, the special-use permit process is triggered anytime a proposed building project will exceed 1,500 square feet. The question will be decided following a court-like quasi-judicial hearing. A majority of council will have to agree that the proposal meets each of six standards: that it will not endanger public health or safety; is reasonably compatible with the site’s natural and topographic features; won’t substantially injure values of adjacent properties; will be in harmony with the community’s scale, bulk, coverage, density and character; is appropriately located with respect to transportation, water, fire, waste disposal and police resources; and will not cause a traffic hazard or undue congestion.

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If the council grants approval, the Jackson County Planning Board will be asked to approve the plan under the county’s major subdivision ordinance, triggered for projects including more than eight lots. No public hearing is required prior to that vote, but there will be an opportunity for informal public comment.

The planning department’s staff report recommends approval on both counts.

The planning council was supposed to make its decision on the special-use permit during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Nov. 16, but the board voted to delay the quasi-judicial hearing following a passionate appeal from adjacent property owners. They needed more time to adequately respond to the proposal and line up the subject matter experts they’d need to prove their point, they argued.

Several of the property owners banded together to retain Asheville attorney John Noor to represent them, and Noor started out the meeting by requesting a continuance, stating that his clients hadn’t retained him until 4 p.m. the previous Friday — they’d found out about the hearing 16 days prior to it, and it just took that much time for them to organize and find an attorney.

“This is through no fault of county staff, but it’s virtually impossible for my clients to be prepared for a hearing of this magnitude involving the issues that are going to be considered by council with that amount of time to prepare,” he said.

Adjacent property owners had some grave concerns about the project’s impact on their community, he said. Those concerns related to landslides, traffic, water quality and property values, for starters. The subject matter experts Noor wanted to testify to those concerns would not be available until after the holidays, he said.

The meeting was held at the Cashiers Village Green, and while members of council and representatives from the developer were physically present, Noor, as well as adjacent property owners with standing, attended via Zoom. The meeting was also livestreamed on YouTube, where the more than 200 virtual attendees made it clear on the chat that poor sound quality severely challenged their ability to understand the proceedings.

“If they are going to hold this remotely, then they need to get the appropriate audio equipment needed,” wrote Nicole Sloop.

“It’s not reasonable access,” said Jane Davis, with strings of similar comments preceding and following hers and Sloop’s.

Craig Justice, the attorney representing the developer, strongly objected to Noor’s request.

“With all due respect, we’re ready. We’ve been ready,” he said. “We would respectfully ask to move forward. None of these points in the objections actually matches what the state law or your county requires.”

Noor had asked for the hearing to be delayed until February to ensure that he’d be able to secure the experts he needed and build an adequate case. However, Justice said that the developer would incur a financial hardship if the hearing were delayed by more than a month — as a compromise between the two sides, the council rescheduled the hearing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6.

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Haywood GOP will fill commission vacancy

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR vacancy on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners will soon be filled, albeit through an unusual method that gives the privilege to the Haywood County Republican Party.

The way the party has begun going about its work already says a lot about where the post-Trump HCGOP is headed, but so will the person the party ultimately selects, after a recent change in leadership and a divisive Congressional Primary Election.

Republican Commissioner Mark Pless raised eyebrows when, less than halfway through his first term on the Board of Commissioners, he announced he’d seek the General Assembly seat of retiring longtime Republican Rep. Michele Presnell, of Burnsville.

Pless won the deep-red district easily on Nov. 3 and in doing so will create a vacancy on the five-member commission board when he formally joins the House in January. Per the board’s attorney, Frank Queen, the seat must be filled by person of the same political affiliation as the person who resigned it.

Normally, commissioners would entertain a non-binding recommendation for the seat from the duly-constituted county party, but Haywood is one of just 42 North Carolina counties where such recommendations from county parties are binding if made within 30 days of the vacancy.

That leaves it all up to the HCGOP and its newly-elected chair, Kay Miller.

Although it would be completely within bounds for Miller and the HCGOP to simply present its preferred candidate, Miller instead opted to conduct the search in a series of Q & A/meet-and-greet events, with the final decision left up to a vote of 22 current precinct chairs and the five-member executive board.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

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Learn more The victory of Haywood County Republican Commissioner Mark Pless in the House 119 race will create a vacancy that must, by law, be filled by a person of the same political affiliation. That person will be selected by a vote of Haywood County Republican Party precinct chairs along with members of the HCGOP executive board. The HCGOP has decided to conduct an extended interview process in full public view. The first session was held on Saturday, Nov. 21, but two more sessions remain before the vote will be taken. All sessions are open to the public.

Commission candidate event • Time: 6 p.m.

• Date: Monday, Nov. 30 • Location: HCGOP headquarters, 297 N. Haywood St., Waynesville Candidate event & HCGOP executive committee meeting • Time: 6:30 p.m.

• Date: Thursday, Dec. 10 • Location: HCGOP headquarters, 297 N. Haywood St., Waynesville “I just thought it was an opportunity for other people to come and hear and have the opportunity to submit questions,” said Miller, who recently succeeded longtime chair Ken Henson. “Even if they’re not part of the party, they could ask questions.”

Miller said she’s trying to stay as neutral as possible. Candidates volunteered for consideration and weren’t directly recruited by the party.

Six of the original eight candidates made their first public appearances at an event on Nov. 21, before a small crowd of about 20

observers at the Historic Haywood Courthouse in Waynesville.

Some of the candidates are better-known than others. Ronnie Clark is a two-term Haywood School Board member and Twinkle Patel is a Maggie Valley alderman. Clark obviously brings experience in education, just as Patel brings hospitality industry expertise.

If Republicans decide they don’t want to poach someone who is already an elected official, they could consider Jennifer Best, who came in third out of four in this year’s Republican commission primary, narrowly losing to Kevin Ensley by less than a hundred votes. Alternately, the fourth-place finisher in that race, frequent candidate Terry Ramey, is also in the running. Ramey was absent due to illness.

That leaves three others, including Jeff Sellers, who comes from a law enforcement background; anti-mask, anti-vax, microchip conspiracy theorist Todd Bradley; and Hylah Birenbaum, president of the Haywood Schools Foundation and editor-in-chief of Smoky Mountain Living magazine. Smoky Mountain Living is owned by the same enti-

ty that owns The Smoky Mountain News.

Another candidate, Haywood Health and Human Services Board member Paul Turner, failed to appear at the event and withdrew from consideration on Nov. 23.

Statements made by candidates included their motivation for running, their positions on mask mandates, vaccines and COVIDrelated shutdowns (all were against mandates), their pre-existing time commitments and how they intend to appeal to voters if and when they run again in 2022.

“I just really want the best candidate.

That’s my position,” Miller said, referring to the fact that no woman has served on the commission since 2008. “I’m certainly not against that candidate being a woman, but I think the committee will select the right person, the best person.”

The winning candidate must receive 50 percent of votes cast plus one, so it may take several rounds of balloting to select the winner.

“I feel a sense of duty and I hope that extends to everybody on the committee,” Miller said. “This is a serious thing.”

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and thorough job on the initial count that he doubted the end results would change.

Jones, 61, is a well-known name in local politics, having previously served on the board from 2006 to 2016. He’s a fifth-generation Jackson County native who has spent his career in hospitality, currently working as front manager for Mica’s Restaurant and Pub in Sapphire.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old Letson has lived in Jackson County since 2006 and is the fulltime director of amenities at Trillium Links & Lakes Club in Cashiers, also owning Cashiers Valley Pharmacy with his wife Brandi. This was his first campaign for an elected position, but he is currently chairman of the Jackson County Planning Board and sits on the Cashiers Small Area Planning Council and Business and Economic Council. Letson said that he will likely consider running for the county board again in 2024.

New commissioners will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 7. Jones will be part of a 4-1 Democratic majority on the board, with Commissioner-Elect Tom Stribling the body’s sole Republican.

DA undergoes breast cancer treatment

said. “Their determination to take care of the court’s business while I take care of this health issue makes me value them still more.”

Welch had surgery last month and starts radiation treatment after Thanksgiving. She will be treated for six weeks, five days a week.

“I am truly grateful for the outpouring of support from colleagues, other lawyers,

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judges, law enforcement and members of the media, who have known about my diagnosis almost from the beginning,” she said.

“Cancer is frightening. But the support has made my journey easier than it might have been, otherwise.”

The American Cancer Society recommends routine mammography for women starting at age 45; however, doctors are increasingly discussing with their patients the benefits and risks of earlier mammograms.

“Have that conversation,” 42-year-old Welch said. “Figure out what’s right for you, then follow through.”

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District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced that she has breast cancer and is undergoing medical treatment.

“I wanted to publicly share the information to raise awareness about the importance of early detection,” Welch said. “Because of the threat of coronavirus, health officials say many women are delaying or even skipping routine mammograms. I am proof that these basic health checks save lives.”

Barring a mammogram, Welch likely would have learned Ashley Welch about her cancer later pictured in her in the process, risking office with her dog additional spread of Bella. Donated photo the disease.

Welch has stage II breast cancer. Doctors expect her to make a full recovery.

“Going public with private information is tough,” Welch said. “But, I believe that it is the right thing to do.”

Welch holds elected office as the top prosecutor for the 43rd Prosecutorial District, made up of the state’s seven westernmost counties.

The district attorney has continued working, though on a limited basis; meanwhile, day-to-day office functions have been handled by staff members.

“I have a terrific team of people,” Welch

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER recount of votes cast in the race for the District 4 seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners has confirmed that Mark Jones won the seat against his opponent Mark Letson with a slim majority of just seven votes.

The recount, held Thursday, Nov. 19, yielded the same results as those announced after canvass the previous Friday, Nov. 13.

“I want to take a moment to thank our Jackson County Board of Elections staff for their long hours and dedication to ensure that every vote counts,” Jones told his constituents in a message posted to his Facebook page. “Now, let’s get to work!”

Election Day results had Jones, a Democrat, up by just nine votes over Letson, who ran on the Republican ticket. However, canvass added 68 absentee ballots and 90 provisional ballots to that tally, which narrowed the gap by two votes. Last week, Letson said that he planned to ask for a recount but that the Board of Elections had done such a careful

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Recount confirms Jones’ win in Jackson County

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Education time student in any program of study. HCC’s scholarship applications are currently open.

Registration for spring is underway now. For more information about this endowment or how to donate, call 828.627.4544 or email pahardin@haywood.edu.

SRCA runners win dual meet Shining Rock Classical Academy recently hosted the first public school athletic event in Haywood County since March. The boys and girls teams each won their dual meet against Franklin School of Innovation (Asheville) in addition to individual runners from SRCA winning each race.

The race was held on a course designed at the Smoky Mountain Event Center.

“The Event Center served as an excellent location to host the meet in every way,” said SRCA coach Tori Keuhn. “Our runners have been putting in the work, so I was very pleased that their performance reflected their efforts.”

The girls’ race finished with a tie for first place between two SRCA runners, Eva Shapiro and Summer Lynn in a time of 15:55. Liam Lange won the boys’ race with a winning time of 13:52.

Western Carolina receives language grant Western Carolina University is the recipient of $583,074 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education for an afterschool program designed to help improve the academic skills of students at Cullowhee Valley School who speak English as another language.

The three-year Language Enhancement Afterschool Program, or LEAP, is a partnership involving the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Allied Professions at WCU, Jackson County Public Schools and the Cullowhee United Methodist Church.

The program also is designed to be a community initiative that not only includes the parents of the school children in decisions, but that also respects the culture of participants and invites them to share their experiences.

Despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, LEAP is up and running this fall, through on-line sessions and face-to-face activities at reduced capacity at Cullowhee United Methodist Church.

For more information about LEAP or to volunteer to serve as a tutor, contact Díaz Juárez at 828.380.4120 or 828.227.2082, or by email at jdiazjuarez@wcu.edu.

WCU professor named P.E. Teacher of the Year Western Carolina University assistant professor Amy Stringer has been named North Carolina College/University Physical Education Teacher of

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SCC awards $200,000 in scholarships

the Year by NC SHAPE, the state’s professional organization for health and physical education educators.

Stringer, who is originally from Girard, Ohio, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo in exercise science and physical education. After teaching K-12 health and physical education in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for six years, Stringer completed her master’s degree in exercise and sport science at Michigan State University.

She then taught health and physical education at Macatawa Bay Middle School in Michigan before getting her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to joining WCU’s Health and Physical Education Program, Stringer taught at Elon University and Brevard College.

Stringer is a past president of the North Carolina College Conference, a lifelong member of NC SHAPE and an active member of the North Carolina School Health Training Center.

Butterscotch Scholarship at HCC The Butterscotch Scholarship Endowment was recently established at Haywood Community College’s Foundation. The gift was received from the Estate of Thomas E. Donovan, who passed away Feb. 17, 2020.

Named for one of his beloved Golden Retrievers, Donovan originally started the scholarship in 2003. With the gift of more than $300,000, it was his desire to establish this endowment after his passing.

Student scholarship recipients must be a resident of Haywood County and be enrolled as a full-

The difference between a college graduate and a college dropout could be something as simple as a broken laptop, a failed well pump or need for childcare.

It could also be a scholarship that provides the extra tuition a student might not otherwise be able to afford for a particular semester at Southwestern Community College.

For 2020-21, the SCC Foundation awarded 142 individual scholarships totaling $172,000; supported 33 students through their Student Emergency Fund totaling $7,000; and provided $21,000 toward the New Century Scholars program at SCC. While the SCC Foundation relies heavily on private donors to support students, more than $16,000 came directly from the donations of SCC faculty and staff.

To support students or learn more about the SCC Foundation, visit www.southwesterncc.edu/foundation.

Grube named College of Business dean Angela “A.J.” Grube, a member of the faculty in Western Carolina University’s College of Business for more than 20 years, has been named to lead the college as its next permanent dean, effective Jan. 1.

A professor of sport management, Grube has held numerous leadership positions in the College of Business, including acting dean and interim associate dean. She served as director of the School of Accounting, Finance, Information Systems and Business Law from January 2015 through August 2019 and head of the Department of Business Administration and Law, and Sport Management from June 2010 through December 2014.

Grube was selected by a search committee chaired by Jon Marvel, director of the School of Economics, Management and Project Management, to fill a vacancy created by the December 2019 departure of Hai-yang Chen.

SCC sticks to original spring calendar Southwestern Community College’s spring semester will include a spring break, an Easter break and a relatively high number of online classes.

College officials have decided to start classes as scheduled on Jan. 11, and the semester will run through Thursday, May 13.

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Dr. Thom Brooks, Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services, said the schedule has already been built and is designed to help keep students and employees as safe as possible while still providing much-needed breaks during the stress of a global pandemic. Face coverings and social distancing will still be required inside college buildings.

The vast majority of face-to-face classes will be in programs with lab components and in-person requirements such as Cosmetology, Automotive Systems Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant and Nurse Aide.

For students struggling with depression from lack of socialization, SCC employs a professional counselor who can meet in-person or virtually. The college also offers assistance to students who are unable to get reliable internet service at home.

UNC-A, Harrah’s partner on scholarship UNC Asheville and the Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos have established the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Scholarship Endowment to award undergraduate scholarships to students from Western North Carolina.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos’ first endowed scholarship with UNC Asheville will exist in perpetuity and provide an annual award of over $1,000 each year to qualified students. The first scholarship will be awarded to a student in the UNC Asheville Class of 2025. First-year students and transfer students are eligible to apply.

Scholarship recipients must have a GPA of 3.0 or better and live within Harrah’s service region of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Swain, Jackson, Macon, or Haywood counties. Priority will be given to Harrah’s employees and their children or grandchildren with preference for students demonstrating financial need.

Complete your application at www.unca.edu/admission/apply.

HCC gets grant for internet assistance Haywood Community College was recently awarded a $5,000 grant to help bridge the digital divide in the community.

The Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University awarded the grant for Building a New Digital Economy in NC to HCC and nine additional communities. It is designed to support rapid response community innovation grants and assist communities with digital inclusion plans.

HCC library will use this grant to purchase and activate 10 hotspots for one year. These hotspots will be loaned to HCC students who cannot afford internet access that is required to complete their coursework. This grant will provide many students the option to borrow a hotspot, which will provide them a much safer and more convenient means to complete their course work at home.

For more information about the student hotspot checkout availability at HCC, call 828.627.4550.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Be smart, and things don’t have to get worse et me wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Each year at the Passover celebration, there is a saying: “Next year in Jerusalem.” It’s a way of saying: “next year may we be in a better place.’’ Right now, I bet we can all get behind that.

The challenge is how do we head in that direction at a time when the future looks so unsettled — the pandemic, political turmoil and all the threats to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There’s just so much uncertainty — all the “what if ’s” and mostly the “how bad it’s going to be.” In the absence of any real clarity, it’s human Guest Columnist nature to latch onto the worst-case scenario, hoping for at least some foundation to act upon. But is that the only possibility out there? Is it inevitable that it’s going to turn out that way? And what will it mean for you if that belief isn’t what happens and actually turns out to be wrong?

So how about this — hold onto what you think, but leave a

Dr. Mark Jaben

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Prior elections had mail-in ballots To the Editor: To counter the recent assertions from some suggesting that this past election was fraudulent and illegitimate, I would like to put out the following arguments: • Every single election prior to this one has involved mail-in ballots and states have always taken longer than one day (Election Day) to count votes. What made this year different was the massive number of mail-in votes due to the pandemic, which some states, such as Pennsylvania, were not able to start counting until Election Day. Therefore, it took longer for the media to call these races.

Notably, it was the Republican legislature in Pennsylvania that made the rule that mail-in ballots couldn’t begin to be counted until Election Day. Other states, like Florida, that were able to begin counting sooner were able to call their races sooner.

• The last point feeds into why Biden’s lead didn’t begin to appear until after Election Day. Because Trump encouraged his supporters not to vote by mail, most of them voted in person on Election Day. Therefore, most of the mail-in ballots came from Democrats.

Because they couldn’t begin to be counted until Election Day in some states, Biden began to have a stronger lead in the days after.

• Interestingly, Trump didn’t declare fraud in any other states where votes were still being counted after Election Day, simply because those races had already been called.

He also wanted votes to stop being counted in states that he was beginning to lose (like Pennsylvania), but to keep being counted in states that he thought he might win (like Arizona). Therefore, it’s obvious that his only motive for declaring election fraud was that he was beginning to lose.

little space in your mind for the possibility it might be otherwise. As the saying goes: “be the change you want to see.” If we want to be in a better place next year, what can we do right now to head in that direction?

Well, the answer is Thanksgiving. You may find it interesting to know we as a country have been here before — pandemic, suffering, uncertainty, beliefs, distrust, deep disagreement — and you can see how it worked out then: www.burlingtonfreepress.com/indepth/news/nation/2020/11/21/covid-and-thanksgiving-howwe-celebrated-during-1918-flu-pandemic/6264231002/ How do we want it to work out now? We know that the risk of spread is much increased when we gather together too closely. Together too long in a confined space raises the likelihood that enough virus concentrates in the air to overwhelm the immune system. Too many of us increases the chance one of us unknowingly brings more to the table than just our presence.

And yet, it is that presence that is so precious on Thanksgiving — the sharing of gratitude and emotional closeness that propels us together.

LETTERS • All of the claims about dead people or foreigners voting have had no evidence so far.

While there are videos circulating on social media claiming to show fraud, many, if not all, of these are falsified, such as one video supposedly showing ballots being stuffed in Flint, Michigan, when it was actually from Russia two years ago.

• The only reason that Republican legislators have sided with Trump on calling the election fraudulent is because they are afraid of upsetting him and losing the support of his base, especially since 73 million people voted for him. They are more concerned with staying in power than protecting our democracy.

Rachel Smith Whittier

Partnership provided valuable COVID data To the Editor: Like government and business leaders across the country, I am continually looking for ways to help prevent the spread of COVID19 in our county. So when I discovered new research that could detect traces of COVID in wastewater, I felt compelled to try and replicate it in Jackson County.

I serve on the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority and was familiar with wastewater surveillance for opioids. But the research by Mathematica that I read about was measuring the viral load of COVID in wastewater. Our board agreed it was data we wanted as part of our county’s COVID response.

In looking for a funding partner, I was led to Dogwood Health Trust, and they quickly said they would fund as a pilot study. With Dogwood’s grant we tested the main Jackson

How can we overcome tradition and peer pressure to preserve that while at the same time preserve each other to share a better world next year?

Here are some ways: • Head to YouTube, watch the Daily Pandemic Update With Dr. Mark. Watch video #103 — Toward a Safer Thanksgiving; and #104 — A Closer Look At A Safer Thanksgiving.

• Check out this tool www.omnicalculator.com/health/swiss-cheese-coronavirus- to see how you can reduce the risk if you choose to gather together.

• Give yourself and your family permission to spend Thanksgiving a little differently and choose together what you feel is best.

And let’s aim to look up after Thanksgiving, having preserved yourself, those you care about, your community and world in a safer, healthier space on the way to the next step toward a better year.

(Dr. Mark Jaben is the medical director for Haywood County Health and Human Services.)

County reservoir, and the data showed that spikes in community spread were preceded by elevated levels of the virus in the wastewater.

In fact, the first sample collected showed a high viral load, then about nine days later the number of COVID cases in Jackson County spiked from eight to 21.

This science is new, but since utilities are equipped for sampling a single test can measure the exposure of thousands of people. It’s important for rural communities like ours to have the right partners to make projects like this possible. I encourage all rural counties to pursue innovative ideas, and more importantly, innovative partners who value the insight of local leaders.

Ron Mau, Commissioner Jackson County Board of Commissioners

Those moving here threaten our lifestyle To the Editor: I read with understanding and sadness the article about people leaving the cities and moving to Western North Carolina because of the fresh air and space. Before long they will turn Western North Carolina into exactly what they are trying to get away from. It won’t take long. It’s already happening.

Janice Workman Bryson City

Abolishing college debt is unfair To the Editor: This is my first letter to the editor, ever.

So you know that I feel strongly enough to write it.

What’s on my mind is the platform to wipe out student debt. It all sounds great, but

I have a problem with it. I had student debt. I was one of three of my parents’ kids in college simultaneously. My dad had just started his business and I had to take out a loan to help pay my public university tuition. When I graduated, I worked hard and paid it off. My husband put himself through college, with no debt. He did it the old fashion way. He worked his tail off. Two jobs and classes at the same time. Some semesters, he had to take off just to work to save enough for the next semester. He graduated and became a successful businessman.

Fast forward to today’s kids. We have employed several college kids over the years. We have watched them go to Panama City Beach for spring break, take cruises, buy 50-inch TVs and a myriad of other extravagances (for a college kid), all with their student loan money. The loans are made payable to the students, with intent for the money to help pay expenses so they can study. Why aren’t the checks made directly to the university, for tuition only?

Back in my day, there were work-study programs. Every kid had a part-time job to help with expenses. I live in a college town and have several friends that own businesses. They can’t find employees and say the college kids don’t want to work. I know there are some exceptions, probably a lot of exceptions.

I’m sure there are plenty of hard-working kids out there. But the system is flawed. I definitely have an issue funding spring breaks.

Another point. This should hit home for your editor, Scott McLeod. He comes from a working-class military family, as does my brother-in-law. Why should those who choose the route of the military or the trades pay for those who did not? Why should a soldier or a plumber that is making his/her own way pay for for someone else’s education? Some choose the military so that they can use the GI bill after their service to

I am trying to understand

help pay for college. They want to go to college and are thinking outside the box to get it done.

When my own kids were applying for college, we sat them down and told them how much of their college we would pay for. They had applied to state-funded schools, out-ofstate schools and private colleges. Guess what? They looked at the bottom line and chose a state-funded school and got an excellent education and have great jobs now. Why should they pay for the kids that chose an

expensive private college over a state-funded school for a fraction of the cost?

I don’t know what plan the new president will put forward. Maybe his administration will take some of these points into account. I know student debt is outrageous, but the student bears the responsibility. And it’s not the responsibility of those who paid their own loans, or took no loans or just simply went to work.

Robin Enterline Boone

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Smoky Mountain News

Michigan, completely overthrowing the rule of law that this country was founded on?

Of course they saw this, but cheered “lock her up” anyway.

So I am trying to understand why people cheer what they must know are obvious and dangerous lies.

Now Trump is making wild claims, refuted by election officials of both parties in almost every state, that millions (!!!) of ballots were corrupted. But wait a minute — these same “corrupt ballots” elected hundreds of local, state and national Republican candidates. I guess there were just two different elections with different ballots from the presidential election. NOT! Can’t folks face this obvious falsehood?

Of course folks can comprehend this contradiction — but they cry “stolen election” anyway.

So I am trying to understand. I believe most Trump supporters are hard-working, family-loving people, who would gladly help a neighbor in need. Yet there is a need to believe in this dishonest, self-absorbed man who uses the Bible as a prop, who hides his financial dealings with foreign players, who boasted on camera of his friendship with child rapist Jeffrey Epstein, who a smiling Trump mentioned “he likes them young.”

But still they cheer and believe him.

When Trump declared that doctors make a lot more money by writing down “COVID-19” on faked medical charts, did folks think their own doctor would do this?

That it was really happening?

Of course people who think for three seconds know this is a lie — but they cheered anyway!

So is it really worth it? Is the Trump Team that wonderful that you can ignore facts and take seriously insane cult conspiracy theories? Like about the Clintons and Bill Gates harvesting organs of abducted children and liberals drinking their body fluids to give them eternal youth or some other idiotic nonsense?

Of course most Trump followers — who pause for a moment and take a deep breath and think — know the truth. They know that what has replaced a legitimate political party is beginning to look like a North Korean or Soviet Russian cult of the personality of the Great Leader.

But they cheer anyway. When will they stop?

(Steve Wall is a retired pediatrician who lives in Waynesville.)

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

BY STEVE WALL G UEST COLUMNIST n Sept. 10, 2020, Donald Trump greeted a cheering crowd in Freeland, Michigan, with these exact words: “We brought you a lot of car plants, Michigan! We brought you a LOT of car plants. You know that, right!”

This was greeted with excited cheers. So I have to wonder — did many of the people in the crowd realize there were no new car plants built in Michigan during the Trump administration? Were any aware that over 3,000 workers in the Michigan auto industry had lost their jobs since 2017?

Of course many knew this, but cheered anyway.

When epidemiologists like Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota worried in March 2020 that we could face 200,000 deaths from COVID-19, I found it hard to believe. I didn’t want to believe it.

But now we are on track to suffer over 300,000 to 400,000 deaths before a vaccine begins to calm this storm. Six Vietnams.

President Trump and Vice President Pence, however, have been congratulating themselves for months about “turning the corner” and the “perfect” job the administration has done. Did Trump supporters not hear his voice recorded by Bob Woodward admitting that he lied blatantly to the American public months ago, and that the virus was going to be much worse then he was going to publicly explain?

Of course they heard this, but cheered anyway.

When Trump had his big (two-thirds empty) rally in Tulsa (ignoring that the same week commemorated the anti-Black race riot of 1921 that killed and lynched between 150 to 300 Black people), among the cheering crowd was former Republican presidential candidate and Trump supporter Herman Cain. Trump claimed that “no one” gets sick at his rallies — it’s all a hoax.

But Herman Cain died of COVID a few weeks later. Did no Trump supporters hear of Mr. Cain’s death? Was it even reported on Fox News?

Of course they heard about it — but they cheered “hoax” anyway, and threw their masks away.

When armed thugs plotted to kidnap and possibly murder the duly elected governor of Michigan, did folks not see Trump cheer for his crowds to “lock her up” and encourage armed gangs to “liberate”

ASHEV VILLE, NC

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin (left). The ‘Trail Haze New England IPA.’ (photos: Garret K. Woodward)

Staying true to your roots Lazy Hiker Brewing celebrates milestone, pushes ahead

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s an unusually warm and sunny day for late November in Macon County. The patio tables at Lazy Hiker Brewing in downtown Franklin are filled with locals and visitors alike, each enjoying the concoctions pouring out of from the large warehouse behind the taproom.

“We always want to make great beer. But, how do we tie it into the community? How do we get people to come here and make them want to come back?” said Timothy Sark, assistant brewer at Lazy Hiker. “Our big thing is all of those people going northbound or southbound on the Appalachian Trail. We want to cater to their tastes and what they’re looking for in a craft ale.”

What those rugged and determined AT hikers in the mountains surrounding Franklin are looking for is a craft beer that is not only flavorful and drinkable, but also crisp and refreshing after those endless miles of blood, sweat and tears.

While many breweries focus on hearty styles and tend to be heavy on the hops, Lazy

I

Hiker remains a bastion for ales that you can easily sip and immerse yourself in amid your “carry in, carry out” backwoods journey.

“It’s about seeing the joy on people’s faces when they do the brewery tour and head into the taproom. It’s a great feeling to know that craft beer is being brewed in Franklin,” said Graham Norris, a Franklin native and head brewmaster at Lazy Hiker. “And for us, we’ve been able to continGraham Norris ue to build on that, where now you’re seeing our beers in bars, restaurants and grocery stores all over Western North Carolina.”

Coming into 2020, Lazy Hiker was gearing up to celebrate its fifth anniversary in operation.

It’s was, and remains, a milestone for the brewTimothy Sark ery, even more in the face of eventual shutdowns and restrictions in the current era of the coronavirus.

“Five years is a benchmark for any business, especially in craft beer,” Sark said. “You can have a great place to drink beer, hang out and see live music. But, no matter what, the beer

has to remain consistent. Your reputation is attached to every pint poured and keg sold. At Lazy Hiker, we know our band and what works — so, let’s continue doing it and making it better each time.”

During the 2019 calendar year, Lazy Hiker produced around 1,500 barrels on a robust 15barrel brew house, which includes six 30-barrel fermenters, one 15-barrel fermenter and two brite tanks.

With its new in-house canning line, the ales are now available in 38 counties in North Carolina and 37 counties in Georgia. Last year, Lazy Hiker also opened a satellite taproom on Main Street in Sylva.

“We’re a small company, but we’re pretty tight-knit. We support each other, and that has allowed us to grow into what we do and want to do,” said Norris, who has been the brew master since opening day.

But, beyond the brand and the brews, the core of Lazy Hiker is its family spirit. The same week the bars, breweries and restaurants shutdown in March, Sark also became the father of twin girls. Even with a newborn in each arm and a pandemic raging outside, his mind was at ease in regard to his line of work.

“Graham took the reins and said, ‘We’re good here at the brewery and the setup will be fine. Take time with your babies and your family,’” Sark said. “We brewed quite a bit before the shutdown to prepare for me being at home

“You pour your heart and soul into these products and then you see someone drink that product and enjoy it — that’s a pretty quick return on investment.”

— Graham Norris, head brewmaster

with my girls. Our company has always been ‘family first’ — that business model means a lot to us here.”

Finishing up their work duties for that day, Norris and Sark lock up the warehouse and head for the patio to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Sipping on Lazy Hiker’s “Trail Haze New England IPA,” the duo relaxed at the picnic table, soaking in the last of the sunshine as it faded somewhere behind the nearby mountain ridge that cradles the Appalachian Trail and all its explorers.

“You pour your heart and soul into these products and then you see someone drink that product and enjoy it — that’s a pretty quick return on investment,” Norris smiled. “It comes down to community, and how communities gather around the taps to be together and have a good time. This place brings people together and from that, the culture and camaraderie of the town evolves, too — it’s a beautiful thing.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

Like every Thanksgiving, I’ll figure something out.

With my family over 1,000 miles away back up in the North Country, I tend to be an orphan during this holiday feast in Western North Carolina. Luckily, over the last eight years here, I’ve been invited into homes all over Southern Appalachia, where the food is plentiful and there’s always an extra seat at the table for you.

But, this year is a different. Very differ-

ent. Not only are there now restrictions on how many people can gather inside for Turkey Day (and for good reason), but most folks simply aren’t comfortable taking a chance on someone not from their immediate family (or social bubble) or from across state lines.

So, here I am, editing and proofing this week’s newspaper on Tuesday morning in our office. It’s quiet back here in the conference room. Normally this week, it would mean folks have already headed out of town for Thanksgiving. This year, it’s colleagues either working from home or on a welldeserved stay-cation following months of covering the endless depths of local, regional and state politics.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

They’re cutting through the steady wind and landing on the ground

native Adirondack Mountains. Going for a swim at Split Rock Falls on a hot day, cold beer in hand. Coffee with my dad in the morning.

Margaritas with my mom in the afternoon.

Campfires with old friends in the evening.

But, the one moment that really brought my gratitude and quest for silver linings full circle this year was that random day in September when I found myself standing in the Medicine Bow National Forest (pictured).

Just west of Laramie, Wyoming, it’s this awe-inspiring mountain range of jagged peaks and lakes, seemingly dropped from the heavens above onto the flat-as-a-gameboard high desert prairie of “The Cowboy State.”

It was a solo trek in my rusty, musty truck from Waynesville to Bozeman, Montana, to meet up with my parents while they were visiting my aunt and cousin. I took off for the open road of America — my true home and place of glorious refuge — in an effort to wander the geographic desolation of this country and, perhaps, find myself once again in the process.

Medicine Bow wasn’t planned for this trek, as aren’t most of the great things that occur in your existence. Suggested at the last minute by a road dog buddy, it was only an hour or so out of my way to Montana. Screw it. Why not, eh? Take a chance and see what lies just beyond the horizon.

And what I soon discovered was one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever encountered. Pulling the truck into a dusty parking lot, I hopped out and put on my trail running shoes. Like a mountain goat, I bounced from rock to rock and along the narrow dirt paths, only to stand in front of this freezing cold lake, the crisp wind of an impending winter swirling around me, the last of the summer sun warming my bones and putting a kick in my step.

Back down to the truck, I grabbed my bottle of Yellowstone bourbon. Popping open the bottle, I saluted the mountains and the day at hand. I saluted my late grandfather, who adored the West, but never got a chance to see Wyoming. I saluted my friends and family in their respective endeavors. I saluted all of you reading this, who continue to support the written word. And in that moment, I took a sip with gusto: my gratitude overflowing, as per usual.

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

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Part of me has this urge to walk out of the office right now, get in my truck and drive the 18 hours straight to my parents’ farmhouse in Plattsburgh, New York. The woodstoves in the back den and living room roaring. My mother’s fine cooking wafting through the old home. Football on the TV. Our golden retriever running around the side yard covered in fresh snow, just as excited as I am to be immersed in the scene unfolding before our eyes.

But, someone has to hold down the fort in the newsroom. And there’s still several articles that I have due to submit by the end of the month for one of our travel magazines. So, the carrot that is heading home for Christmas remains hanging in front of me, each article written and emailed to my publisher another inch closer to seizing the orange vegetable and cranking up the engine for the Champlain Valley.

Regardless, Thanksgiving is here. The first thing on the 2020 calendar that actually seems somewhat familiar and reminiscent of the “before times.” Even amid the chaos and confusion of this year, sitting down to a hot meal with your family to celebrate what your thankful for in this universe is a pretty special thing. It always has been. But, seemingly way more emphasized (and needed) in the here and now.

And that’s been my mindset during “all of this,” seeking out and trying to find those silver linings, whether physical or emotional.

I’ve always been someone who pursues gratitude, to sincerely acknowledge how fortunate it is to embrace the tangible and intrinsic beauty in this world. It’s important each and every single day to do so.

It sounds obvious, but feeling “alive” is the most amazing thing you’ll ever experience. It’s also incredible that we get to participate in life each time we get out of bed, put on our shoes and head out the front door. Never sit on the sidelines of life. Chase after it. Run alongside it.

And don’t forget: getting older is a privilege. This is truth. Each candle on that birthday cake of yours is an ode to another layer of moments and wisdom you’ve been able to acquire (and share). So, hold up that gratitude.

The silver linings in my personal 2020 have been numerous. And I’ve made damn sure of it. Spending the summer with my family in the North Country. Hiking all over my

Smoky Mountain News 27

arts & entertainment

On the street ‘It’s a Small, Small Work’ exhibit The Haywood County Arts Council annual show, “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be showcased through Jan. 9 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.

The 2020 exhibit will feature 47 artists and almost 300 individual works of art for sale. The show provides a unique opportunity for budding artists to exhibit their work, as well as the opportunity for more seasoned artists to test their boundaries.

All pieces submitted are exactly 12” or smaller in every dimension, including base, matting, and frame. All artwork is for sale, priced at $300 or less, and must have been created in the last two years. Commission will be the gallery’s usual 60 percent (artist) to 40 percent (HCAC) split. www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Sylva readies for holiday season The Main Street Sylva Association (MSSA) is working hard to provide a Covidsafe holiday experience for visitors and locals alike in 2020.

The MSSA has already started its annual Shop Small, Shop Local campaign by distributing flyers and making social media posts about effort. This is in conjunction with the annual American Express campaign, which assists small towns all across the country with marketing materials.

By being Covid safe, the public is encouraged to social distance, wear a mask and frequently sanitize hands.

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

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

Smoky Mountain News

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Isaac Corbitt (rock/soul) Nov. 28 and Natti Love Joys (rock/soul) Dec. 5. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Natti Love Joys (rock/soul) Dec. 4. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on 28 www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

The MSSA has announced that holiday music will be provided throughout the Home for the Holidays season starting on “Black Friday,” Nov. 27. Downtown shoppers and diners can expect to hear holiday music on Friday nights in downtown Sylva from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 27, Dec. 4, 11, and 18.

Additionally, on Shop Small Saturday (Nov. 28), holiday music will fill the streets from noon to 4:30 p.m.

For the first time, the Bridge Park Pavilion will be lighted throughout the holiday season.

Main Street Sylva Team member Kelly Donaldson said the Jackson County Ale Trail will be extra spirited this season with “Holiday Cheer Beer” as well.

Shops have been encouraged by the MSSA to stay open late on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the holiday season.

The second annual Holiday Window Decorating Contest is being sponsored again this year by the MSSA and its Sylva Art and Design Committee (SADC).

The MSSA is offering three $50 Visa gift cards to the winners of each of the following categories: 1. Most Innovative; 2. Most Traditional; and 3. Town Favorite.

Businesses should email sylvaartdesign@gmail.com with their business name and contact information to participate.

Displays should be finalized by Thanksgiving Day for judging on Friday, Nov. 27. The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. on Nov. 23.

The official annual Town of Sylva Christmas Tree will be beautifully decorated and ready for viewing at the fountain in front of the historic courthouse throughout the Home for the Holidays season, starting on Friday, Nov. 27.

For more information, contact the Main Street Sylva Team at 828.586.2155 or email mainstreetsylvateam@gmail.com.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host an Open Music Jam with The Vagabonds 2 p.m. Dec. 7. All are welcome to come and play or simply sit and listen. Free and open the public. 828.524.3600.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Waynesville Yoga Center will host Akitchitay (traditional/indigenous) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 27. $20 per person. www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

• Artist demonstrations will be held at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville.

“Watercolor Batik on Rice Paper” with Barbara Brook 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 4. “Fiber Baskets” with Sarah Altman 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 5. “Collage on Wood Panel” with Wendy Cordwell 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 12. All demonstrations are free. www.haywoodarts.org.

• A holiday wreath-making class will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 28 at Ray’s

‘Lights & Luminaries’ returns to Dillsboro

Nick Breedlove photo

The 37th annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown Dillsboro from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4-5 and 11-12.

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. Horse and buggy rides available each night. Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa. Carolers sing and children can see Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop off at his special mailbox.

Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. www.visitdillsboro.org.

Florist & Greenhouse in Sylva. Cost is $59.95, which includes supplies and light refreshments. A $10 deposit will reserve your spot. www.greatbluefarms.com.

• The annual “Handmade Holiday Sale,” which is normally held at Western Carolina University, will have its event go virtual this year. Those interested can view and purchase the handmade items by visiting arts.wcu.edu/handmade.

ALSO:

• The Christmas tree lighting will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Nov. 27 at The Village Green in Cashiers. Holiday music, s’mores and more. Visit Santa at the gazebo from 5 to 6 p.m. Free to attend. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com or 828.743.3434.

• “Winter Wonderland Nights” will return at 5 p.m. Nov. 28 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), refresh-

ments, hot cider, great sales from local merchants, and much more. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The annual Franklin Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 29 on Main Street. The theme is “Christmas Together.” The parade floats will line up on Church Street entering Main Street through Town Hall’s parking lot.

The parade will continue down Main Street, turning left onto Porter Street at the Lazy Hiker Brewing. 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. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The annual “Polar Express” train ride is now departing 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 visit www.gsmr.com.

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

On the shelf

Thomas Crowe

A

for the last Family (with names such as Big Mother, Him, Bent, Runt, Sister and Fat Boy) of the species as it very quickly is depleted to but a single family member, GIRL. In the second epoch we are with archeologist Rosamund Gale (known to friends and colleagues as Rose) on her archeological dig in France where she discovers

on each tree and this allowed them to tell one from the next, just as we can with human faces.”

Then on page 184 she continues her description of Neanderthal physical acumen and awareness.

“The clouds overhead gave a rumble. It wasn’t thunder but a small pulse that she could feel on the skin under her lip. She gave the air a sniff.

Soon the weather would turn. Lifting a wet foot, leaning more on her spear, she closed her eyes.

With the fine bones of her foot, she could feel that the pressure in the air was dropping. The winter storms were a way off, but the first hints of them had already arrived.”

While most of The Last Neanderthal deals with these kinds of particulars and the struggles for personal and professional survival by both of our heroines, the questions of brilliance and equanimity of the Neanderthal race remains at the heart of this novel, highlighted by GIRL’s first sighting of a homo sapien.

“It’s because of their similarities to us that I can speak for them when I say that much of what you’ve heard isn’t true. They were kind and clever. Their brains were larger than ours by about 10 percent. Many of us have inherited up to 4 percent of their DNA, and we know that their genomes differed from ours by only about 0.12 percent. By curling up the top lip, they could feel the heat of a body from a mile away. Their ears could pinpoint where a drop of water had fallen in a pond long after the ripples were gone.

Their eyes could see the unique pattern of bark

From here and at the end of the book, we’re transported to the present day with Rose in the dirt at the dig where she is dusting off the bones of the female Neanderthal and looking directly into her eye sockets and thinking, “We are so much the same.”

Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor toThe Smoky Mountain News. He is the author of the historical fiction novel The Watcher (Like Sweet Bells Jangled) and lives in Jackson County.

He can be reached at newnativepress@hotmail.com.

“A small movement caught her eye — the twitch of a branch. It rattled just slightly and she knew something was there, high on the rocky perch above the river. From where she was she was able to define the shape. It watched them.

The shape of the body was long and thin. It was upright with tight hides over its skin and was smaller with a round head and dark hair.”

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the bones of an integrated pair of “lovers” coming from both sides of the evolutionary tree and her efforts and struggles to establish this bit of evidence as scientific fact and to gain credibility with a skeptical institutional bureaucracy in order to add to our expanded knowledge of the history of humans.

On page 3, speaking of Neanderthals, she states:

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Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

s someone who was an anthropology major in college and have been somewhat obsessed by the truth behind the idea of human evolution, discovering bestselling, prize-winning Canadian author Claire Cameron’s 2017 novel, The Last Neanderthal (Little Brown & Co., 2017, 273 pages), not only came as a surprise, but as I began reading, soon became a revelation.

Instinctively, I have never cottoned to Darwin’s ideas or path to contemporary human existence. It’s too linear, too set in stone for variation or the Writer unexpected or the undiscovered.

In Cameron’s novel, at the very outset, the undiscovered is discovered and gives way to the unexpected and a possible explanation for who we are and how we got this way. Cameron’s main contemporary character, archeologist Rosamund Gale, while excavating at a dig in France, discovers the skeletons of a male homo sapien and a female Neanderthal lying side by side and facing one another, like lovers, in a private section of a grotto known to have been inhabited by Neanderthals. Knowing of the theory that homo sapiens and Neanderthals probably, in some cases, were sexual partners and that recent DNA testing gives evidence to this idea, Rosa believes that she has discovered one of the substantial missing links in our human lineage and that we are, indeed, the sum of our parts.

But this is only half of the story. The other half takes us back 50,000 years to the time and the family from which the female Neanderthal (named GIRL in the novel) lived, and we experience in great descriptive detail the day to day activities of some of our most ancient ancestors.

Cameron’s theory, which is being confirmed with each passing year in the scientific community, is that Neanderthals are anything but the dumb apes that they have been portrayed to be in popular media, but rather creative, intelligent hominids with sensory powers that we have long lost via the social and technological “advances” of the past several thousand years. The Neanderthals in Cameron’s book are knowledgeable and sensitive to their surroundings and able to survive simply and sustainably without destroying their bioregions or ecosystems. That’s something that modern-day hominids certainly cannot claim.

Our story in The Last Neanderthal takes place in two extreme epochs: one occurring 50,000 years ago at the approximate time of the extinction of the Neanderthal lineage; and one occurring in the present day. In the first epoch we experience what Neanderthal life was probably like on a day-to-day basis

arts & entertainment

Tracing the human family tree

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Visitation has surged at Black Balsam in recent years, with the trail full of backpackers and retreating day hikers as sunset approached Saturday, Oct. 3.

Holly Kays photo

Federal money coming to WNC public lands Agencies announce Great American Outdoors Act funding priorities

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ublic lands in Western North Carolina are set to get a chunk of the $950 billion approved for deferred maintenance projects with the Aug. 4 ratification of the Great American Outdoors Act. The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service both released project lists last week.

Hailed as the largest single investment in public lands in the nation’s history, the bipartisan act dedicates up to $9.5 billion over five years to address the much larger maintenance backlog on federal lands, as well as $900 million per year to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has for the past 50 years protected land for parks, wildlife refuges and recreation nationwide. The law requires that half of the money received from energy development revenues on federal lands and waters go toward these programs, not to exceed $1.9 billion in any fiscal year.

Nationwide, the Forest Service has a deferred maintenance backlog of $5.2 million, while the Park Service’s stands at $12 billion.

As of 2018, the last year for which figures are

P

available, the backlog in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was worth $235.9 million, and the Blue Ridge Parkway carried a backlog of $508.1 million.

The funds will go to agencies under both the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture, each of which is handling the process of prioritizing and carrying out the projects in a different way.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE The Forest Service, seated under the Department of Agriculture, is seeking public feedback on the projects it’s proposing before issuing final approval of the project lists. It will use the funds to focus on efforts to improve forest conditions and increase forest resiliency for present and future generations.

Projects in the Forest Service’s southern region were chosen based on seven criteria: reducing deferred maintenance, promoting management of America’s forests, improving visitor experience, contributing to rural economic development, improving visitor access, ensuring health and safety and leveraging partner contributions and resources.

More than 90 projects are proposed for the National Forests in North Carolina, with a complete list available at bit.ly/USFSprojects.

Some of the highlights are: n A major rehabilitation of the Cradle of

Forestry in America National Historic Area would include restoring six chimneys at four historic buildings, rebuilding an historic sawmill, interpretive master plan and exhibit improvements, trail resurfacing, finishing amphitheater wings, HVAC upgrades and pond enhancement. n The entire 31-mile Art Loeb Trail, which runs between Bethel and Brevard, would receive much-needed maintenance. Other proposed trail maintenance projects include the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Loop, Slickrock Creek Trail, Deep Creek Trail, Blackburn Trail, Leatherwood Loop Trail, Daniel Ridge Trail, Flat Laurel Creek Trail, Buckhorn Gap Trail, Sam Knot Trail, Courthouse Falls Trail and Rim Trail. n Tsali and Jackrabbit Mountain campgrounds would be rehabilitated. At Tsali, this would include complete renovation of 38 camping units and addressing site slope, drainage issues, rotting timbers and outdated amenities, with a road widening and repaving proposed as well. At Jackrabbit, 70 campsites would be rehabilitated, the group pavilion replaced, the dump station sewer line replaced, and new eight-unit bathhouse with accessible pathways built. n A proposed renovation at the Pink Beds Picnic Area would decommission the existing pavilion, replace the bathroom in place of the old pavilion, construct accessible pathways

and update picnic area amenities and signage. n Extreme use at Black Balsam Trailhead is spurring a proposal to replace the undersized vault toilet, expand the parking lot by 75 percent and reconfigure parking to improve traffic flow and mitigate unsafe conditions. n A major rehabilitation at the Standing Indian Recreation Area in Franklin would replace the plumbing fixtures in five bathhouses, rehabilitate 84 campsites and three group sites, remodel the concession office, replace three road bridges, repave eight loops, replace the amphitheater seats and floor and replace minor construction features. n The Pisgah District Office would receive much-needed rehabilitation work, and renovations would commence at the Nantahala Administrative Site and Grandfather District Ranger Office. n Frying Pan Tower’s stairs would be removed and a fence constructed.

The Forest Service is accepting public comment on the proposals through Monday, Nov. 30, in an attempt to gauge public opinion. Specific projects will be announced and noticed for a formal public comment period as required by law.

To learn more, view the complete project list or submit a comment, visit https://cara.ecosystemmanagement.org/public/commentinput?project=np-2651.

F

Rare shrub seeds for sale

NATIONAL PARKS The U.S. Department of the Interior, under which the Park Service falls, created the Great American Outdoors Act Coordination and Implementation Task Force to determine which projects should receive funding.

In Secretary’s Order 3388, DOI Secretary David Bernhardt said that the awards must prioritize investments that increase public access for recreation, enhance conservation and support recovery

of endangered species; increase flexibility for how states and local communities spend and match LWCF grants, and give states and communities a voice in federal land acquisitions.

The order garnered criticism from environmental groups, who said the policy would add bureaucracy and restrictions to dispersal of the funds, and that the guidelines would not allow for the Park Service’s backlog to be adequately addressed.

According to a press release from the DOI, a team of “career employees” who are “technical experts in facility management,

workbootsandmore.com

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles dietitian Leah McGrath

WHAT TO DO WITH ...

A CAN OF CRANBERRY SAUCE Like many of you I bought some extra cans of whole berry cranberry sauce at my Ingles Market. So then I started thinking—what can I do with it besides making cranberry sauce?

HERE ARE SOME IdEAS:

DESSERT: Mix cranberry sauce with sliced apples and make a cranberry cobbler, crisp or pie SALAD DRESSING: Put cranberry sauce in a sauce pan and reduce it until it has thickened. Let cool and mix with apple cider vinegar, canola oil and salt and pepper to make a salad dressing.

STUFFING: Use cranberry sauce and apples as a stuffing for pork chops or pork tenderloin or chicken breast. (see our Ingles Table Magazine or the recipe on our website: https://www.ingles-markets.com/recipes/stuffedpork-chops as a starting point) SPREAD: Mix reduced cranberry sauce with peanut butter or cream cheese as a sandwich spread or dip.

TOPPING: Top brie cheese with whole berry cranberry sauce for a festive addition to a cheese board.

SMOOTHIE: Mix up a smoothie with whole berry cranberry sauce, vanilla soy milk and protein powder for a tangy and colorful breakfast smoothie

dO YOU HAvE MORE IdEAS? LET ME kNOw!

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

Smoky Mountain News

Margaret Hester photo

828.454.0707

53 Frazier St. • Waynesville

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Major rehabilitation projects for the Cradle of Forestry in America are proposed in the U.S. Forest Service’s plan.

construction, budget and related fields” spent multiple weeks reviewing proposed projects and thinning the list to deliver final recommendations for approval from Bernhardt and the task force.

“The team narrowed the list down to projects that would have the greatest overall impact on reducing the agencies’ maintenance backlogs while also benefiting the American people,” the press release said.

For fiscal year 2021, the Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will leverage more than $125 million for 46 different conservation projects as funded through the LWCF. Approximately $1.6 billion will be invested into more than 160 deferred maintenance projects, benefiting a majority of states and numerous Bureau of Indian Education schools.

Projects approved for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are: n Rehabilitation of 17 miles of the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee.

This would include a full depth reclamation or complete mill and overlay of the road section. n Replacement of the maintenance facilities at Sugarlands in Tennessee. The project would address deferred maintenance on multiple park buildings and supporting infrastructure.

Projects approved for the Blue Ridge Parkway’s North Carolina miles are: n Replace the existing Laurel Fork Bridge in Ashe County, built in 1939. n Rehabilitate and reconstruct 75.5 miles of the Parkway in North Carolina between Stone Mountain and Grandfather Mountain State parks as well as associated overlooks, ramps and park areas.

The only LWCF project approved for fiscal year 2021 in North Carolina is $1 million to purchase 8,263 acres to connect the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Pocasin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern part of the state.

outdoors

Alarka Institute in Cowee is now selling seeds and young plants of the Franklinia, one of the most rare shrubs in the world.

Franklinia seeds have only been collected once in the wild, by 18th-centurty naturalist William Bartram. However, Alarka owners Brent and Angela Martin have har-

vested countless seeds from the Franklinia plants on their property, and last year’s seed crop has yielded some young plants that are for sale.

The seeds are available in packets of 36 for $10, plus shipping. The plants are $10 apiece, and depending on geographical proximity to the Martins’ home in Cowee, they will deliver and plant them for an additional $15. Order online at https://bit.ly/2qFyifP.

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

31

outdoors Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020 Smoky Mountain News 32

Comment on proposed trail plan A draft plan is now out for the Great Trails State Plan, a proposed network that would link local and regional trails in all 100 North Carolina counties. The N.C. Department of Transportation is accepting public comment through Dec. 4.

More than 11,000 North Carolinians shared their thoughts in a survey published this summer, and the next step is to take feedback on an initial draft plan.

“The plan builds upon local and regional trails to identify one overall trail network that is focused on connections to state parks and populated areas,” according to a press release.

The draft proposes connecting Asheville, Canton and Waynesville via U.S. 19/23 with some alternate loops in sections of that route. The trail would stop at Balsam and then resume in Sylva, where it would follow South River Road and Old Cullowhee Road to Cullowhee and run along the Tuckasegee River to Whittier and Bryson City. The current draft does not propose any connection to Cherokee or to the existing greenway in Franklin save for a small extension at the south end.

For more information, including an interactive map of the proposed plan and information about commenting, visit www.publicinput.com/ncgreattrailsstate.

Conservation groups sue over red wolf policy A trio of conservation groups is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act, charging that new and illegal agency policies bar use of proven management measures to save the red wolves.

Currently, only seven animals are known to exist in the wild, though the number had exceeded 100 every year between 2002 and 2014.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service is managing this species for extinction,” said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents the conservation organizations in court. “Faced with a wild population of only seven known animals, the Fish and Wildlife Service is now claiming — without basis — that it’s not allowed to take proven, necessary measures to save the wild red wolves.

The service urgently needs to restart red wolf releases from captivity, which it did regularly for 27 years. Otherwise we’re going to lose the world’s only wild population of this wolf.”

The SELC is representing the Red Wolf Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife and the Animal Welfare Institute in the lawsuit.

Weaver represented the same three groups in 2015, when they also sued the FWS over its handling of the red wolf recovery project. That suit questioned the FWS’ decision to suspend the red wolf reintroduction pro-

gram. In 2012, the SELC represented the three groups in a suit against the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for allowing nighttime spotlight hunting of coyotes.

In that action, they claimed the practice could lead to hunters mistakenly shooting red wolves instead.

Two years ago, in November 2018, a federal court found that the FWS had violated the Endangered Species Act in its management of wild red wolves.

The only wild population of the critically endangered red wolf is located in Eastern North Carolina. U.S. Forest Service photo “Rather than resolving those violations, the agency has doubled down on its abandonment of those measures and invented a new, illegal policy that the USFWS claims

does not permit it to release red wolves from the captive population into the wild,” reads a press release from the Animal Welfare Institute released last week.

The policy in question deals with concerns regarding red wolf hybridization with coyotes.

Following successful conservation efforts and reintroductions from captive populations, America’s red wolves rebounded from extinction in the wild in 1980 to number more than 100 animals between 2002 and 2014. By 2019, however, the population had fallen to fewer than 18 animals, and now numbers only seven. No red wolf pups were born in the wild in 2019 or 2020 for the first time since 1988. However, the captive red wolf population continues to increase with more new pups being born every spring.

The FWS did not return a request for comment. A copy of the environmental groups’ complaint, filed Nov. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, is online at https://bit.ly/2kgfmak.

Stayat

Maggie Valley Club & Resort thisWinter!

outdoors

A young volunteer makes a face in a reflective piece of trash. Donated photo

Volunteers remove 1.8 tons of trash from Lake Chatuge More than 50 volunteers showed up for MountainTrue’s 10th annual Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup on Nov. 7, removing 1.8 tons of trash.

That figure brings the 10-year total to nearly 14 tons of trash. Participation from the Rotary Club of Lake Chatuge-Hiawassee and Cub Scout Pack 407 was instrumental

in achieving that result.

Tennessee Valley Authority provided bags, gloves and grant sponsorship, the U.S. Forest Service Blue Ridge Ranger District provided the big dump truck and driver, and Towns County government provided the pavilion and disposed of all the trash for free.

Local climate group seeks new members

Film festival coming to a screen near you

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Smoky Mountain News

The 5Point Adventure Film Festival will come to Western North Carolina with an online screening at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.

The festival, screened by MountainTrue, will include select films from the 2020 5PointFilm Festival, many of which portray overcoming cultural clashes or other forms of adversity in the outdoors. In “United States of Joe’s,” dirtbag climbers descend on a community in rural Utah and learn to connect with locals after initial distrust. In “Voice Above Water,” a 90-year-old fisherman who can no longer fish because of plastic pollution in the ocean catches trash with his fishing net with the hopes of one day being able to fish again. In “Pedal Through,” a team of three Black female bikepackers take on a trip across the Three Sisters, Three Rivers route in Central Oregon, finding healing and self-growth

along the way.

The 5Point Film Festival was founded in 2007 based on the five guiding principles of respect, commitment, humility, purpose and balance. MountainTrue has chosen to make the experience free this year, but those who are able are encouraged to make a donation as part of Giving Tuesday, and a raffle will also be held with prizes from a variety of well-loved outdoor brand names. All proceeds will support MountainTrue’s ongoing work to protect the region’s rivers, forests and mountains.

Register at www.mountaintrue.org/5pointfilm.

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

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Despite the pandemic, the recently formed WNC Climate Action Coalition is still hard at work.

The group has its origins in the weeklong worldwide climate strike of September 2019, with a loosely knit group in Waynesville meeting the month prior to discuss how to support this global effort while also addressing local climate-related concerns. The non-partisan group decided to continue meeting monthly as the WNC Climate Action Coalition and held several events and activities over the following months.

The group suspended in-person meetings in March but has recently begun meeting again, this time via teleconference. Working with other environmental groups and some local officials, the group is addressing concerns related to local needs. These include plastics, composting and waste; stormwater runoff; agricultural efforts; sustainable energy; and the Youth Conservation Corps. To get involved, visit www.wncclimateaction.com.

1819 Country Club Drive, Maggie Valley, NC

33

outdoors

STORAGE UNITS AVAILABLE ONLY 1 LEFT

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Frugal Backpacker closes Asheville store, moves online Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Great Smokies

STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com

Smoky Mountain News

434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786

34

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

The beloved discount outdoor gear store The Frugal Backpacker has announced that it will close its stores in Asheville and Greenville, South Carolina, as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

“Like so many small businesses, we have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our vendors are experiencing significant and ongoing supply chain interruptions that have prevented us from

being able to stock our store with the high quality frugal finds that makes our shop so unique. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to close the store,” reads an announcement distributed Tuesday, Nov. 17.

While the business hopes to someday have a storefront again, it will transition to an online model for the foreseeable future. www.frugalbackpacker.com.

FSA elections underway Ballots for this year’s Farm Service Agency county committee elections have been mailed to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country, and they must be returned or postmarked by Dec. 7 to be counted.

Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office, and at least one seat is up for election each year. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2021. County committee members help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, and emergency programs and eligibility.

For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Blue Cross donates $275K to fight food insecurity Blue Cross NC has contributed $275,000 to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project this year to help combat food insecurity caused by the pandemic while also helping farmers.

The onset of COVID-19 caused food insecurity in Western North Carolina to increase by 60 percent, with 250,000 people

lacking access to adequate nutrition.

Meanwhile, in a March survey from ASAP completed by 85 WNC farmers, 80 percent reported a decrease in sales due to the pandemic and two-thirds reported that if the disruptions lasted for several months, they would result in bankruptcy or closure.

The Blue Cross money will fund ASAP’s Appalachian Farms Feeding Families Program, which buys food from farmers and farms and then delivers it to overburdened food pantry and feeding sites across WNC. The initiative is helping to feed 3,000 to 4,000 families each week.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Sylva First United Methodist Church will host an Open Door Meal “To Go” FROM 5-6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 1. Guests are asked to drive into the church parking lot and stop in the area indicated. A church volunteer will deliver the free prepared meals to the cars. This method of serving is in keeping with the governor’s policy of no group gathering during the current pandemic.

The church is located at 77 Jackson Street in downtown Sylva.

• There will be a food drive 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 6, at 45 Crown Ridge Road in Sylva.

Contact foodministry@liveforgiven.life for more information.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center is joining with Southwestern and TriCounty Small Business Centers to present the 2020 Agribusiness Summit Online. This free summit will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7. The 2020 Virtual Agribusiness Summit is Free to attend; however, preregistration is required. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register today.

• NCWorks Career Center will be available to assist with job search, resume writing and interview skills and more at the Marianna Black Library, in Bryson City, from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Appointments are required for employment assistance, call 828.488.3030. If you can’t make it to the library on Friday, stop by the Swain County NCWorks Career Center, located in the County Administration Building at 101 Mitchell Street. The Career Center is open on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. www.fontanlaib.org.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • City Lights Bookstore will host a virtual discussion with Ginny Sassaman, author of Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World, and co-founder of Gross National Happiness USA (GNHUSA). Sylva poet and former GNHUSA board member Jeannette CabanisBrewin will also join the discussion, along with Dave Molinaro who is the volunteer leading the drive for a Wellbeing Index. This Zoom event will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2. To reserve a book and/or a spot on the Zoom event, contact City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499 or email more@citylightsnc.com.

A&E

• The 5Point Adventure Film Festival will come to Western North Carolina with an online screening at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1. Register at www.mountaintrue.org/5pointfilm.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Isaac Corbitt (rock/soul) Nov. 28 and Natti Love Joys (rock/soul) Dec. 5. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Natti Love Joys (rock/soul) Dec. 4. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host an Open Music Jam with The Vagabonds 2 p.m. Dec. 7. All are welcome to come and play or simply sit and listen. Free and open the public.

828.524.3600.

• Waynesville Yoga Center will host Akitchitay (traditional/indigenous) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 27. $20 per person. www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

HOLIDAY EVENTS • The annual “Polar Express” train ride is now departing 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 www.gsmr.com.

• The Christmas tree lighting will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Nov. 27 at The Village Green in Cashiers. Holiday music, s’mores and more. Visit Santa at the gazebo from 5 to 6 p.m. Free to attend. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com or 828.743.3434.

• The annual Franklin Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 29 on Main Street. The theme is “Christmas Together.” www.franklinchamber.com.

• “Winter Wonderland Nights” will return at 5 p.m. Nov. 28 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. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• A holiday wreath-making class will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 28 at Ray’s Florist & Greenhouse in Sylva. Cost is $59.95, which includes supplies and light refreshments. A $10 deposit will reserve your spot. www.greatbluefarms.com.

• The annual “Handmade Holiday Sale,” which is normally held at Western Carolina University, will have its event go virtual this year. Those interested can view and purchase the handmade items by clicking on arts.wcu.edu/handmade.

• The 37th annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown Dillsboro from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4-5 and 11-12. Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. For more information, click on www.visitdillsboro.org.

Smoky Mountain News

35

BROKER ASSOCIATE “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be showcased through Jan. 9 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.

GALLERIES • Artist demonstrations will be held at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville.

“Watercolor Batik on Rice Paper” with Barbara Brook 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 4. “Fiber Baskets” with Sarah Altman 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 5. “Collage on Wood Panel” with Wendy Cordwell 1 to 4 p.m.

Dec. 12. All demonstrations are free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Haywood County Arts Council annual show,

(828) 400-9463 michelle@beverly-hanks.com Haywood County Real Estate Expert & Top Producing REALTOR®

Outdoors

• A pop-up shop showcasing nature-oriented merchandise will set up outside the Highlands Nature Center 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. Products include books, board games, puzzles, finger puppets, coffee mugs, canvas totes and more. Quantities are limited, so come early.

Call 828.526.2623 for more information.

• The red-cockaded woodpecker could be downgraded from an endangered species to a threatened species if a proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is adopted, and a public hearing slated for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, will give citizens a chance to weigh in. The meeting will feature a presentation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and public comment from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Written comments will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 7. To attend the meeting and provide oral arguments, follow the instructions at https://bit.ly/3poH4vM. • The Agribusiness Summit will return in a virtual format this year, slated for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 7. The summit is offered by the small business centers of Haywood, Southwestern and Tri-County community colleges. Registration is free, but pre-registration is required at www.ncsbc.net/workshop.aspx?ekey=250400110.

• Friends of Panthertown is hosting a series of trail workdays this fall, and all are invited to come pitch in. Scheduled workdays are Saturday, Nov. 28; Wednesday, Dec. 2; Friday, Dec. 11; Saturday, Dec. 12; Saturday, Dec. 19. To sign up, visit www.panthertown.org/volunteer.

• The annual Winter Lights event at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville opens Friday, Nov. 20, but due to COVID-19 it will be a drive-thru experience this time around. To better accommodate guests, the Arboretum has extended show dates and times, with the event running daily 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. from Nov. 20 to Jan. 10, 2021.

Incoming gates close at 10 p.m. When purchased in advance, tickets are $25 per vehicle and $30 at the gate. Tickets are on sale at ncwinterlights.com.

Catherine Proben Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

cproben@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC

828.452.5809

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

Follow Amanda Williams Real Estate on Facebook

Once a client always a friend

Amanda Cook Williams

RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

(828) 400-4825

amandawilliams@beverly-hanks.com

• The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, typically held each year in Savannah, Georgia, will be offered virtually this year Jan. 5-7. For more information, visit www.seregionalconference.org, or call 877.994.3842.

HIKING CLUBS ART SHOWINGS AND

Michelle McElroy

• The Nantahala hiking Club will take a 6.2-mile hike from Winding Stairs to Wallace Gap on the Appalachian Trail on Friday, Nov. 27. The club will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Westgate Plaza in Franklin. Call leader Katharine Brown for reservations, 421.4178. Visitors are welcome.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy, 3-mile walk along the Cullasaja River on Friday, Nov. 27. The club will meet at 2 p.m. in the Bi– Lo parking lot or at 2:15 p.m. at the Whistle Stop Mall. Call leader Kathy Ratcliff, 526.6480, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.

Jerry Powell Cell: 828.508.2002

jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville

828.452.5809

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CHRISTMAS MASKS! Locally made. S, M, L $10. Includes FREE silver charm. Limited quantities.

UpLove Bridal 432 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville.

Wed, Fri, Sat 10-4. (828)564-3096 CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, highend, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash!

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Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents The Strength of Teamwork The Reputation for Results

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com 71 N. Main St., Waynesville (828) 564-9393

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 71 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

Dan Womack BROKER

828.

243.1126 MOUNTAIN REALTY

71 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC

828-564-9393

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

MaggieValleySelfStorage.com

MaggieValleyStorage4U@gmail.com

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Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate 91 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070

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

Call: 828-476-8999

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

Log & Frame Homes - 828-734-9323

OWNER/BROKER

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

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Lakeshore Realty

(828) 712-5578

Climate Controlled

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Phyllis Robinson

Storage

Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@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

• Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net • Pam James - pam@pamjames.com

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a /RDQ 0RGL¿FDWLRQ" ,V WKH bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now!

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Climate Control

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com Conveniently located in the Bethea Welcome Center

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • Holly Fletcher - holly@hollyfletchernc.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com • Juli Rogers - julimeaserogers@gmail.com • Amy Boyd Sugg - amyboydsugg@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

WNC Real Estate Store • Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com • Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

37

SUPER

CROSSWORD

POMES FOR BEGINNERS ACROSS 1 No-frills 6 Very cloying things 14 "Li'l Abner" drawer 20 Fast Amtrak choice 21 Industry of a merchant marine 22 Not as fatty 23 1987 Steven Spielberg war film 25 Rubble on "The Flintstones" 26 Hangs on to 27 Start to doze 28 Herb that tastes like anise 29 Pixel, e.g.

30 1930s coalition between Italy and Germany 35 Suffix with Method 38 -- Major (Great Bear) 40 Called off the relationship 41 Cacklers with clutches 42 Neophyte, in modern slang 44 -- Harbor (Guam port) 46 Longtime name in restaurant guides 47 Mooch 48 Racecar track near a Japanese mountain 51 Has begun, as a TV show 53 Suffix with method 54 Ontario tribe 55 Put on one's big-boy pants 57 Rock's Reed 60 -- Spumante (Italian wine) 62 "-- lizards!"

65 Specialists in stone 67 What you do when you

72 74 75 76 78 80 84 85 88 91 94 95 96 97 99 101 102 105 107 109 113 114 118 119 120 121 122 123

read the first words of 23-, 30-, 48-, 85-, 102- and 114-Across?

Like gluttons 73 "That so?"

Bruins' sch.

I, to Kant Metric "thousand" Lie dormant Rub clean Venue Festive affair Japanese noodles Half of a 45 -- avis Whirlpool Had a debt Mosque turret Fire: Prefix Drivers' org.

Gratifying wry twist Brand of TVs Pago Pago islander 108 Aussie jumper Things worth saving Dearies Composer of the musical "Rent" "Encore" rapper Invitation for radio call-ins Mafioso Frank Longtime Nissan It helps pay for roads and schools Lie dormant

DOWN 1 Boxer Max 2 Vertex 3 30-day mo.

4 24-book epic

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 24 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 43 45 47 49

52 55 56 57 58 59 61 63

Actor Len General -- chicken Arena arbiter "Jack Sprat could -- fat" In the house Legless sideboard -- Vegas Univ. URL ender VIP in D.C. Even though "Big Deal" singer Rimes "The A-Team" director Joe Appended 18 Stripping off Nose about Snare Enter like a butterfly Less usual Time to wear a conical party hat, for short Brain wave test: Abbr.

Nutrition std.

Vancouver-to-Seattle dir.

Facts, briefly Inner self Magic charm Coin money Galoot Long Island university Do some dickering in court Net message board operator 50 Tearful Rash-causing plant Perceive in error aurally Kitchen pest IM chuckle Two halved Navy vessel inits.

"Give this a shot" Bristol beer

64 66 67 68 69 70 71 77 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 93 97 98 100 103 104 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117

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106 30-day month Construction toy brand Villa d'-Learning by memorizing Short cut "-- So Fine" "-- Boys" (Louisa May Alcott novel) Decide (to) Tchr.'s union Santa -- winds

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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

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Legal, Financial and Tax ATTENTION: AUTO INJURY VICTIMS If you have suffered a serious injury in an auto accident, call us! Our attorneys have the experience to get you the full compensation you deserve! Call Now: 844-545-8296

TAX PROBLEMS- Behind 10k or More on Your Taxes? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unÂżOHG WD[ UHWXUQV SD\UROO issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 855-828-0617

Wanted to Buy

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

38

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Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

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Smoky Mountain News

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39

WAYNESVILLE OFFICE 74 North Main Street | (828) 634 -7333

Smoky Mountain News

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020

Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.

Junaluska Highlands | 4BR, 5BA | $1,300,000 | #3660973

Canton | 2BR, 1BA $139,900 | #3628626

Balsam Valley View | 2BR, 1BA, 1HB $175,000 | #3629724

Canton | 2BR, 2BA $199,000 | #3564322

Canton | 3BR, 2BA, 1HB $259,900 | #3649214

The Glade | 3BR, 3BA $329,000 | #3638486

Waynesville | 3BR, 1BA, 1HB $409,900 | #3586991

Quail Cove | 3BR, 4BA $509,000 | #3630196

Cullowhee | 3BR, 2BA $579,000 | #3540189

Riverside Farms | 4BR, 3BA, 1HB $625,000 | #3582030

Mountain Song | 4BR, 3BA, 1HB $698,000 | #3611304

Waynesville | 3BR, 3BA $699,000 | #3619401

Smoky Mountain Sanctuary | 5BR, 4BA, 2HB $1,250,000 | #3652980

BEVERLY|HANKS.COM 40

CALL TODAY (828) 634 -7333