From dogs and cats to snakes and ferrets, the disaster caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina created a crisis in the already stressed animal welfare community. In some cases, people have had to give up pets on a hopefully temporary basis until they could secure stable housing. Inside is a look at one such case and a Haywood County animal rescue helping to ease the burden. (Page 6) Cory Vaillancourt photo
News
Pactiv merger leaves questions about Canton mill site............................................4 Maggie Valley responds to former police chief’s lawsuit..........................................5 Commissioners claim conflict of interest in TDA board appointment................10 Jackson appoints two new members to library board............................................11 Jackson considers investments in walkability............................................................13 SCC Executive VP Thom Brooks announces retirement ....................................15 Education briefs..................................................................................................................17
Opinion
Four hundred miles from home, signs of hope........................................................18 Viewing the holidays from a different lens..................................................................19
A&E
A year in review: The best albums of 2024..............................................................20 Haywood Arts to offer Helene support grants..........................................................28
Outdoors
Word from the Smokies: Christmas Bird Count marks 125 years....................30 Up Moses Creek: Cinnamon Bun eats out ..............................................................34
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Pactiv merger leaves questions about Canton mill site
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
According to a press release issued Dec. 9, a merger between Pactiv Evergreen and Charlotte-based Novolex will provide better customer service, increased product innovation and additional distribution capabilities across North America, but what the merger means for Pactiv’s lawsuits, its languishing 185-acre parcel in Canton and the future of the town’s wastewater treatment, isn’t yet clear.
Novolex currently has more than 10,000 employees and 56 manufacturing facilities across Europe and North America that produce and distribute food packaging materials made of paper, plastic and renewables.
Per terms of the agreement, which is expected to close in mid-2025, Novolex will acquire Pactiv in an all-cash transaction valued at $6.7 billion, including Pactiv’s existing debt. The transaction will result in Pactiv becoming a privately held company, with its common stock being withdrawn from the NASDAQ.
Pactiv’s board of directors.
“This milestone is a testament to our talented employees and Pactiv Evergreen’s inherent value,” King said in a press release. “Over the past three years, we’ve made significant progress on our transformation, focusing on our core strengths while driving operational excellence and enhancing profitability. We look forward to this next exciting chapter.”
That transformation, however, hasn’t worked out well for all parties involved — especially the town of Canton, where in 2023 Pactiv shuttered its century-old paper mill on short notice with little mind to the approximately 800 employees who lost their good-paying union jobs and health care coverage in the process.
As a result of the closing, Pactiv now finds itself embroiled in several sticky legal situations, including a lawsuit filed by Attorney General and Josh Stein earlier this year alleging the company violated terms of a JMAC economic development grant from the state in 2014.
Shareholders will be paid $18 per share, a 49% premium.
A prospective buyer, Eric Spirtas, has been in talks to purchase the 185-acre mill site since at least May but is now being sued by Pactiv for failing to close the deal on Oct. 1, just days after Hurricane Helene devastated the region and damaged the parcel on Sept. 27.
The damage affected Pactiv’s wastewater treatment plant, which failed early in the storm, spilling untreated human waste into the Pigeon River. Structures and other infrastructure on the sprawling parcel may also have been affected. Pactiv has not allowed Spirtas or his representatives access to the site since the hurricane, per Spirtas.
“This transaction reflects the continuation of our long-term growth strategy to create the industry’s most innovative, sustainable and customer-focused company,” said Stan Bikulege, the chairman and CEO of Novolex who will lead the combined entities. “Pactiv Evergreen’s strong product portfolio, along with their talented team,
“This milestone is a testament to our talented employees and Pactiv Evergreen’s inherent value. Over the past three years, we’ve made significant progress on our transformation, focusing on our core strengths while driving operational excellence and enhancing profitability. We look forward to this next exciting chapter.”
— Michael King, Pactiv president & CEO
will complement and add significant depth to Novolex’s diverse packaging solutions.”
Major shareholders of Novolex include global asset manager Apollo Funds, which manages more than $730 billion in assets and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which manages more than $675 billion on behalf of 22 million beneficiaries.
Pactiv president and CEO Michael King said his company was pleased to reach an agreement, which has already been approved by
“Two Banks [Spirtas’ LLC] stands currently with a contract, and Two Banks adamantly wants to close this deal. We have looked to close, wanted to close, expected to close, and there’s just a couple things missing. Number one, we need access to inspect the site,” Spirtas told The Smoky Mountain News Dec. 9. “The bottom line is, in fair dealings and fair standards, there’s no one that would say you can’t enter, you can’t inspect, and you can’t see what happened — just close.”
Since the mid-1960s, Canton has relied on the paper mill’s various owners to treat the town’s municipal waste, but that agreement expires in March 2025 and a solution hasn’t yet presented itself. The town has the money, thanks to the General Assembly, but has not located a site to build its own wastewater treatment plant. Construction of a new plant will take years.
Spirtas also voiced concerns over Pactiv’s repairs to the site and any insurance coverage the company may have.
Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers remarked on Pactiv’s continuing lack of communication about its ongoing state of affairs.
“I learned about this deal by text, from people here, not from Pactiv,” Smathers said.
The deal between Novolex and Pactiv Evergreen is still subject to regulatory approval.
“It is my hope and my expectation that all issues with the parcel, including the potential purchase and the JMAC agreement will be resolved by that time, and I fully expect they will be,” said Smathers. Novolex didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Smoky Mountain News.
This is a developing story.
Charlotte-based Novolex will merge with Pactiv Evergreen by mid-2025, if regulators approve the deal. Novolex photo
Maggie Valley responds to former chief’s lawsuit
BY KYLE PERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
Two months after former Maggie Valley Police Chief Russ Gilliland filed a lawsuit against the town for wrongful termination, the town has responded by requesting either a dismissal or a jury trial.
The initial suit, filed on Gilliland’s behalf by Charlotte attorney Michael Elliot, claims the former police chief’s firing last year was retaliatory and that it caused damage to his reputation, causing him to be “effectively stripped of his career in law-enforcement.” It also claims that Gilliland had an “exemplary record.”
“He was trusted, reliable, and knowledgeable, and in more than twenty years in law enforcement — including nearly twenty years in Maggie Valley — he never had a disciplinary issue or reprimand, and consistently earned excellent performance evaluations, prior to the events described below,” the suit reads.
The suit further alleges that when Vickie Best was promoted from Maggie Valley town clerk to town manager, Gilliland’s performance was “baselessly questioned for the first time.” This allegedly began when Gilliland investigated the criminal activity of Best’s son, Thomas Medford, who according to the suit was “well known in the area for being involved in criminal activity, specifically as a habitual user of narcotics, and as having a propensity for violence.”
On Jan. 13, 2023, about two weeks after Best got the nod to go from interim town manager to gaining the job permanently, officers were called to her residence for a domestic disturbance, investigating an allegation that she had been assaulted by her son.
“When the officers arrived, they discovered handgun ammunition and blood on the living room floor and in the bedroom of the residence,” the suit reads. “The officers also noted drug paraphernalia in the residence. The son had left the scene, but the Town Manager was still present. She denied any assault had occurred, refused to cooperate with any investigation and eventually, the officers left the scene without taking any formal action.”
According to the suit, Gilliland became concerned that a full and proper search of the residence hadn’t been conducted, that the assault hadn’t been fully investigated and “the actions of officers on the scene could be perceived of as showing favoritism towards the Town Manager.”
Gilliland met with Medford to talk and eventually gained consent to search his residence, allegedly finding a marijuana pipe.
He seized the items and logged them into evidence at the police station. The suit claims that shortly thereafter, Gilliland had a conversation with his captain, Matthew Boger — who is now the chief — and
expressed concerns a full investigation wasn’t pursued, especially considering Medford’s history of violent crimes, a pattern that could worsen over time if left unchecked.
“Over the following two months, Officer Gilliland noted a sharp turn in the Town Manager’s attitude towards him,” the suit reads. “Specifically, she was cold and hostile to him, largely ignored him when he spoke, and seemed angry with him. Additionally, she left him out of certain meetings and excluded him from a project in which he should have played a part.”
On April 10, 2023, Best requested a meeting with Gilliland, during which she read a number of concerns related to his performance. The suit claims it was the first time anyone had questioned his performance or leadership. A week later, Gilliland was suspended pending an investigation, and a month after that, he received his termination letter.
Throughout the response to the suit, filed on the town’s behalf by attorney Adam F. Peoples of the law firm Hall Booth Smith out of Asheville, it is noted that contrary to Gilliland’s claim that he had an exemplary performance record, he in fact was fired due to “inadequate performance.” The response says in several places that there is ample documentation to back that claim.
Perhaps most noteworthy, the response from the town notes that in an EEOC complaint, Gilliland claimed that age discrimination was the driving force behind his termination.
“In his Complaint, the Plaintiff does not make any allegations whatsoever regarding age or discrimination,” the town’s response reads. “To the extent the Plaintiff intends to reserve other potential causes of action arising out of his termination, including but not limited to alleging age discrimination, those claims should be barred.”
Ultimately, Peoples moved to dismiss the claim against the town; however, it also said if the case is not dismissed that there should be a trial where all the facts can be laid out before a jury.
Russ Gilliland. File photo
Saving the storm’s silent victims
The high-water mark from flooding associated with Hurricane Helene at Asheville’s Brother Wolf can be seen well above the animal enclosures. Brother Wolf photo
Helene stressed animal care infrastructure to its limits
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Mary Garrison and her husband, Fairview Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Garrison, awoke around 4 a.m. on Sept. 27 to a darkened home with no electricity, torrential rainfall pounding the ground and high winds from Hurricane Helene screaming through their tiny, isolated Craigtown community.
Tony had always wanted to be a firefighter, from the tender age of four — his mischievous eyes illuminated with the flickering light of the family television that would hopefully deliver those big red trucks, sirens blaring and racing toward danger to save people in distress.
He started volunteering with the fire department as a teenager before he met Mary, who admitted to feeling frustration when his pager would sound off during their dates, pulling him away.
“You kind of adjust to that life,” Mary told The Smoky Mountain News. “By marrying him, I married that part of him as well.”
Shortly after sunrise that Friday morning, Mary drew Tony’s attention to a waterfall in their back yard that didn’t used to be there; it was cascading down the mountain, around the house, into the front yard. As Tony prepared to fire up the generator, Mary heard the sharp crack of a tree snapping, and they both headed for the front door.
“Oh shit,” Tony said, with desperation that still rings in Mary’s head. Then, he said it again.
“All of a sudden, from that mountain across from us, a landslide. It was like water, mud, trees,” Mary recalls. “I have never seen anything like that in my life.”
In that instant, Mary couldn’t have known that she was spending her last precious moments with Tony, the man
You can help
Nearly every pet care organization mentioned in this story relies — some, exclusively — on generous donor support to provide pet care services for our four-legged friends. This holiday season, consider supporting them if you’re able. Visit aspca.org/aspca-spay-neuter-alliance, bwar.org, hcasfriends.org, misfitmountainnc.org or sarges.org to learn more, or to make a tax-deductible donation today.
she’d loved for more than 30 years.
“He didn’t think twice that day,” she said. “He just went. He grabbed his raincoat and out the door he went.”
Mary and their daughter headed out to retrieve their hunting dogs from an outbuilding, while their son suited up to help Tony check on the residents of Craigtown.
Craigtown was established in the 1950s when a man by the surname of Craig bought large swaths of land off Old Fort Road. Over the years, as Craig’s children and grandchildren — Tony’s aunts and uncles and cousins — grew up and started families of their own, the land was sectioned off and given or sold to them, creating an insular community where nearly everyone was related by marriage or blood. Family Christmas gatherings in Craigtown drew nearly 100 people.
As Mary was handling the dogs, Tony ran down the driveway. Joined by his son and a cousin, he had just successfully moved a relative to safety right as the situation escalated dramatically.
“We heard another sound, and there was another layer of trees, water, mud, come streaming down that mountain,” Mary said. “I mean, it was just like a train speeding off there.”
Tony headed back toward the second slide to look for another relative who’d been swept away F
in his truck, but it was already too late. Tony told his son to run, but they didn’t make it more than five steps before they too were swept away.
“That was the last time I actually saw Tony,” Mary said.
About an hour later, the three men were located. Miraculously, Mary and Tony’s son was alive but had ingested a good amount of mud and was possibly hypothermic. He had to be cut from the tangle of trees, roots and rubble that had enveloped them.
Tony and his cousin weren’t as fortunate. Rescuers found that Tony had died with his arms around his son.
All told, at least three landslides racked the tight-knit Craigtown community and killed 13 people, 11 of them from the extended Craig family.
Six hours after Tony was killed, Mary and her son were evacuated so he could receive medical treatment, but amid all the damage, destruction and death, Mary’s thoughts eventually turned to other members of their immediate family — five snakes, four ferrets, three cats, two dogs and a rabbit — that were still stuck in their largely undamaged home.
Friends and neighbors had taken up care of the animals as Mary and her daughter sought shelter with family, but those friends and neighbors, like Mary, had to focus on their own losses as well.
Eventually, the Garrisons came to grips with a choice no one ever wants to make.
“We made the decision as a family that foster was the right thing for us at the time, because we just were not able to do it ourselves, and we’re not ones to ask for help,” Mary said. “That was really hard. You know you are their primary caretaker, and when you’re not able to care for them, it makes you feel like a failure.”
With an aim toward reclaiming the animals when they were better equipped to care for them, the Garrisons said goodbye to the last semblance of a normality — the pitterpatter of little paws plodding the hallways, the purrs and the woofs and the ever-silent snakes coiled and basking in the warm comforting glow of their pens, the fuzzy ferrets cuddled on Tony’s chest as he relaxed in a recliner watching woodworking videos on YouTube — forever shattered by a hurricane 3,000 feet above sea level.
All the Garrisons’ pets, including Tony’s favorite ferret, Bandit, ended up at Haywood County’s Misfit Mountain, a nonprofit animal rescue group located just outside of Canton owned and operated by Amy McIntosh and her wife, Tara.
“My former supervisor who now works at East Asheville Family Vet had reached out to me because the veterinarian there that got involved in their case,” said McIntosh, who works part-time as a nursing assistant at Emergency Veterinary Group in Asheville.
“She was like, ‘Can you help with this?’ I didn’t know what any of it entailed. Like, I don’t know snakes. I’m not a snake person. But this family just literally lost everything and I’m not saying no to that.”
During the chaos and confusion of the storm, plenty of pets became separated from
their families. After the storm, some of the animals had no home to return to, or no owners to reunite with; animal rescue facilities and shelters were offline, leaving few options and highlighting how another form of infrastructure — not transportation infrastructure, not water system infrastructure, not communications infrastructure but rather pet care infrastructure — was stressed to its limits. “I would say that it’s pretty bad,” McIntosh said. “People are definitely trying to get a grip on everything now. I mean, we’ve had random people reach out from afar needing medical assistance for their animals, just basic stuff. We want to be that bridge, so we help them get medical attention and we took on the financial
responsibility. People are out of work, and maybe finances were difficult already before the storm, so it’s just been difficult to navigate.”
Because Misfit Mountain was only lightly damaged during the storm, it ended up being the best option for some, including the Garrisons who lived more than 30 miles distant. McIntosh thinks she took in took in around 20 pets after the storm, even a few pigs.
who don’t really want to part with them but have to — the unsheltered, those facing incarceration, those needing in-patient substance abuse rehabilitation or those trying to flee an abusive domestic situation. Misfit Mountain provides free pet food and pet supplies to their volunteers, who keep the animals safe and happy until their owners are ready to reclaim them.
“It is so important to foster animals, to step up and be there for them, because these animals do not have a voice,” said McIntosh. “They do not have a way to speak up for themselves and to ask for help. That is where we come in.”
Nor is Misfit Mountain a veterinary clinic; all but the most basic procedures require advanced care from licensed professionals under proper surgical conditions, but after Helene, finding those services became nearly impossible in light of the complete failure of Asheville’s municipal water system.
“Our primary vet, Open Door Veterinary Care, didn’t have running water, so we were put on a wait list to see when they would get that water,” McIntosh said. “We had all of our spay/neuter surgeries through the ASPCA, but we weren’t able to get spay neuters there either because there was no water.”
Eleanor Sprinkle, vice president of the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance in Asheville, said her group began removing animals from their New Leicester Highway facility days before the storm.
“The buildings themselves fared well. We had some downed trees that covered the parking lots that we had to get removed,” Sprinkle said. “Obviously, water stopped for us and power was out for quite a while, but we have generators for each building, so the at least we had power to those buildings as we were trying to figure out where staff was and if they were okay and if our partners were good.”
For roughly a month, the ASPCA couldn’t perform surgeries — a major problem for an organization that handles about 21,000 animals in any given year. Weeks ago, the ASPCA finally began to ramp up operations again and have recently approached pre-storm levels, but their absence created a substantial backlog for groups like Misfit Mountain.
“We are probably one of the largest providers [of spay/neuter services] so yes, we have multiple partners that we work with and it’s always painful when we have to alter or stop operations,” said Sprinkle. “We had the same effect during COVID.”
But Misfit Mountain isn’t a long-term shelter. McIntosh relies on a dedicated network of volunteers to care for animals who become part of Misfit Mountain’s innovative foster program, which is usually focused on finding a safe place for vulnerable pets surrendered by vulnerable people
To mitigate some of the bottleneck, Sprinkle said they’d utilized a surgical suite available at the Avery Humane Society in Newland, but Avery County had also been hit hard by Helene and is a bit of a drive for people who live in major population centers in Buncombe County, Henderson County or further west, like in Haywood County.
“We didn’t get any flooding this time, which was awesome,” said Windy McKinney, board chair of Sarge’s Animal
Fairview Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Garrison was tragically killed on Sept. 27 as he was attempting to rescue a neighbor. Mary Garrison photo
Rescue Foundation in Waynesville.
McKinney said that historically, Sarge’s Industrial Park Drive location has experienced flooding, but she thinks that a debris cleanup in Richland Creek — the same Richland Creek that submerged Waynesville Recreation Center’s athletic fields and gutted Frog Level just a few miles upstream — spared them this time.
Sarge’s has the capacity for 40 to 50 animals in the summer, when outdoor areas can be utilized, but that shrinks as the weather cools. They stopped taking animals shortly before the storm, McKinney said, and had fosters lined up to take animals as Sarge’s activated evacuation and medication distribution plans.
Thankfully, Sarge’s was besieged not with floodwaters but instead with donations, so McKinney and another board member hopped in a van and began visiting supply distribution hubs around the county, giving away dog food, cat food, cat litter, litter boxes, collars and leashes, crates and food bowls.
“All the things that you don’t think to grab when you’re running out of your house,” McKinney said.
As of Nov. 1, Sarge’s distribution totals were 6,508 pounds of dry dog food, 3,892 pounds of dry cat food, 1,363 pounds of cat litter, 619 cans of wet cat food, 496 cans of wet dog food, 98 boxes of dog treats, 300 puppy pads and 10 crates.
With spay/neuter access from the ASPCA, Asheville Humane Society and other providers extremely limited, McKinney said at one point it became time to transport the 69 animals in their care to other operations that had the capacity to receive them. Sarge’s didn’t see a huge influx of animals after the storm, but did take some from Brother Wolf, which was completely wiped out.
“I was at Brother Wolf the day after the hurricane hit, and I couldn’t even get close to the shelter because there was still so much water in the area,” said Leah Craig Chumbley, executive director. “The shelter had over 12 feet of water in it, and so we lost every material asset that we had.”
Chumbley estimates the loss at $1 million. Brother Wolf came away with only a $45,000 check from its insurer.
Animals had already been moved out of Brother Wolf, many to the Humane Society of Charlotte, although some were transferred all the way up to the Massachusetts SPCA.
Brother Wolf previously had a mobile medical unit that provided care across the area, but it was destroyed by flooding. Volunteer veterinarians then staffed a borrowed mobile unit, providing free treat-
ment to animals that needed it.
“We were able to actually give care to over 1,200 animals in the weeks following the storm,” said Chumbley. “We saw animals who had fish hooks in them from being in the flood waters, animals who were sick from consuming the flood waters, animals with broken limbs who had been hurt by falling trees or by being swept
Ferrets belonging to the Garrison family are heading home after a short stay at Misfit Mountain and a longer stay with two foster families. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Eventually, that borrowed unit had to go back to its owners, eliminating Brother Wolf’s mobile capacity, which used to account for roughly 1,500 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries each year.
Now, as surgical capacity remains low, Sarge’s pays $150 to Country Lane Animal hospital in Clyde for spay/neuter surgery of animals that are adopted. Sprinkle said the ASPCA charges between $25 and $65, depending on the animal.
Haywood County operates a shelter of its own with a capacity of about 100 animals. Director of Animal Services Howard Martin said they were prepared for the storm, and that the shelter off Jones Cove Road never lost power.
“I came out of Florida, retired back in 2013, and I was over on the east coast, so I’ve been through hurricanes and similar situations,” said Martin, who’s been with Haywood County for about five years. “I’ve just never seen water move this quickly, with such force.”
of potential adoptions and a full month of caring for four-legged friends that so many people consider full members of their family.
“We’ve foreseen, it’s going to be an ongoing problem for a while,” she said.
S OLUTIONS
On Nov. 16, Mary Garrison and her daughter traveled to Misfit Mountain to retrieve their four ferrets, just before they were to return home for the first time since that terrible late September day. The reunion was joyful for all involved, with the ferrets slinking and squirming all over Mary and her daughter, nipping and nuzzling and emitting happy little chuckling barks.
Their lives forever changed, the Garrisons know their home and their community will never be the same.
“They have done a lot of work around our home, a lot of cleanup, which is wonderful, but the emptiness is still there,”
“In a perfect world, we would have enough providers for these services, but there’s not. Access to veterinary care is a serious problem across the entire United States. There’s just simply not enough veterinarians and not enough technicians to provide the volume that’s needed for animal care. I mean, that’s the issue. That’s the problem.”
—
Eleanor Sprinkle, vice president of Asheville ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance
Although the shelter was closed to the public, they were still able to look after the animals already in their care and helped a temporary (people) shelter at the Armory accommodate the pets that displaced survivors brought with them.
“Coming off the weekend, we started reaching out to the eastern side of the state, who were calling and wanting to help the western side,” Martin said. “And by the middle of that week, we transferred probably 40 animals to a humane rescue.”
But the county shelter doesn’t provide spay/neuter services to the general public, only to animals that have come under the county’s care. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Animal Welfare Act of 2005, oversees all licensed shelters in the country, but to provide such services to walk-ins, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board would have to approve and associated liability would skyrocket. A related concern is that governments, with near-limitless funding, generally try not to compete against private businesses.
Using funds from the nonprofit Friends of Haywood County Animal Shelter, the Haywood shelter used to utilize about 10 surgical slots a week from the ASPCA in Asheville.
As the surgical backlog slowly clears, the impact lingers. McKinney said the system still isn’t totally caught up from COVID, and like the region’s devastated tourism industry, area shelters lost out on a full month of revenue, plus a full month
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Mary said. “We’re rebuilding our home by bringing ourselves back, and bringing our animals back.”
That joyful reunion might not have been possible but for the efforts of pet care providers like Misfit Mountain; however, among the important lessons Hurricane Helene has taught is how precarious the whole system is and how next time, it might not be there for people like the Garrisons.
“In a perfect world, we would have enough providers for these services, but there’s not,” Sprinkle said. “Access to veterinary care is a serious problem across the entire United States. There’s just simply not enough veterinarians and not enough technicians to provide the volume that’s needed for animal care. I mean, that’s the issue. That’s the problem.”
Until then, the Garrisons remain thankful for the help provided to the storm’s silent victims.
“Not having to worry about the animals and whether they were okay, whether they were fed, or whether they had a warm place to sleep was a huge blessing for us and I’m so thankful that there are organizations like this that exist for people like me who would never have asked for help,” Mary said. “We were able to focus on ourselves and do what we had to do and to take care of the arrangements for my husband. Now we have to come back home and begin building whatever our new normal looks like.”
Commissioners claim conflict of interest in TDA board appointment
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
When a routine appointment to the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority came up last week, commissioners decided to table the issue claiming there was a conflict of interest.
At its Dec. 3 regular meeting, the commission was set to vote on filling a vacancy on the TDA board that would fulfill the role of representing North Jackson Hospitality and Tourism. The TDA board is made up of nine members serving staggered one, two and three-year terms.
Sylva’s Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters had been recommended to fill the North Jackson slot on the board and received a letter of support from TDA Executive Director Nick Breedlove.
“This appointment will fill a key board vacancy and ensure strong leadership for our organization,” said Breedlove. “We greatly appreciate your consideration of Bernadette Peters for this appointment to our Board of Directors. Her extensive experience and dedication to economic development make her an outstanding candidate to support our mission.”
unused spaces,” the letter read. “Her leadership has contributed over $600,000 in private investment and $230,000 in public investment in the past year. Through the program, volunteers logged 676 hours to organize town events, promotions, and improvements.”
However, when the question of appointment came before the board, commissioners tabled the item.
“I’d like to make a motion to table that,” said Commissioners John Smith. “The only applicant we have is the TDA person of the town and I think that’s a conflict of interest.”
The letter of recommendation noted that Peters has more than 35 years of experience in marketing, business development and entrepreneurship. As economic development director for the Town of Sylva, she has worked closely with new businesses, property owners and developers to support growth and revitalization efforts.
“Bernadette also manages the nationally accredited Main Street Sylva Association program, helping property owners in historic downtown Sylva rehabilitate buildings and activate
While the Town of Sylva does not have its own TDA, Peters does work as the economic development director for the town and leads the Main Street Sylva Association.
In October, the County Commission approved a request from the TDA to expand career categories permitted to make up the JCTDA board.
Because several hotels in the county have consolidated under the same ownership, there has been difficulty getting enough members to fill the board of directors.
Previously, board members had to be hoteliers of establishments with 10 or more rooms, with some representing the northern and some representing the southern portions of the county.
However, with the change approved by commissioners, board membership is now open to hospitality and tourism workers more generally.
“This would create what’s called a hospitality and tourism category and our first preference would be on hoteliers, but if we can’t get a hotelier in that role, our second preference would be moving down for broader representation and those key peo-
ple in the industry that understand hospitality and tourism,” Breedlove told commissioners when requesting the change.
Peters was recommended for the TDA board in this new category to represent North Jackson in hospitality and tourism.
The October shift isn’t the first time the TDA board has had to make changes to its organization due to lack of available membership. In 2017 the JCTDA board shrunk from 15 members to nine following a unanimous vote by Jackson County Commissioners.
“We simply are streamlining and making the TDA more compatible with other counties in North Carolina, and we think this will benefit the TDA and ultimately the county,” TDA board chairman Robert Jumper told commissioners at the time.
The TDA had been discussing reducing its board size since 2014, not that long after its 2012 formation. The ordinance setting up the TDA outlined the specific business sectors and regions of the county that each member must come from and finding people willing to fill all those positions had proven difficult.
Of the 30 counties surveyed in a study by the TDA in 2017, Jackson’s board was the largest.
“It does make it a challenge for recruitment,” Breedlove said at the time.
Now, with commissioners tabling the JCTDA appointment, the board will continue with a vacancy at least until the next commissioners meeting, the soonest point they could decide to vote on the appointment.
Part of the JCTDA board’s job includes overseeing the Tourism Capital Project Fund, which provides money for capital projects in the county. Since the JCTDA began the grant process, it has awarded funding to the Town of Sylva in the amount of $367,757 for Bridge Park improvements, which were completed this spring, as well as $745,000 to Jackson County to extend the Tuckasegee River Greenway in Cullowhee.
Jackson appoints two new members to library board
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
The Jackson County Commission, with two new commissioners seated this month, chose to appoint two new members to the public library board, despite requests from two incumbent board members for reappointment and comments in support of them from the public.
At its Dec. 3 meeting, the Jackson County Commission welcomed Michael Jennings and Jenny Lynn Hooper to the board, who had been sworn in at an organizational meeting on Dec. 2. One of the first issues the commission addressed with its new membership was to fill two spots on the public library board.
Maggie Carton and Boyd Sossamon had both been serving on the library board and their terms were expiring at the end of the year. Sossamon had been serving since he stepped in December 2021 to fill the unexpired term of Sheryl Rudd, and Carton had joined the board in January 2023 to fill the unexpired term of Rebecca Bryson.
board, Carton chaired both the Jackson County Public Library Board and the Fontana Regional Library Board.
“This is a challenging time for libraries across the United States and I’m pleased that with the stewardship of the Fontana Regional Library Director Tracy Fitzmaurice, the new FRL agreement was executed during my tenure as FRL board chair,” said Carton. “In addition, we have implemented a new child safety policy and a restricted child card option for parents that has been approved and will be implemented shortly.”
The three counties that make up the Fontana Regional Library system just reached a consensus on an updated interlocal agreement after almost two years of controversy. What started with complaints about certain books in circulation at FRL turned into a lengthy look at how the FRL functions and an attempt to rewrite some of its rules.
Fontana Regional Library formed in 1944 when the Tennessee Valley Authority
Carton came to speak before commissioners at the December meeting and said that both her and Sossamon hoped to be reappointed to the library board because they enjoyed the work and the ability to serve their community in that capacity.
“I believe that I have the experience that’s relevant for this role and that was what led to my original appointment two years ago,” said Carton.
Carton worked as a financial executive for Coca-Cola enterprises and has lived in Cashiers for 20 years. Since 2005, she has served on Vision Cashiers, Friends of Panthertown, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cashiers and Highlands, Panthertown Map Association and the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.
During her time working on the library
board to the Fontana Regional Library Board that oversees the whole FRL system.
“I am hopeful you will give me the opportunity to continue to serve on these library boards and contribute back to our community in this capacity by reappointing me tonight,” said Carton during public comment at the Dec. 3 meeting.
Two other members of the public came to speak in favor of both Carton and Sossamon.
“I’ve had the privilege of attending both county and regional library board meetings this past year and I’ve seen firsthand how skilled and efficient Maggie has been in chairing the meetings,” said Pat Steinbrook. “She has consistently demonstrated her knowledge and her competence and her commitment to libraries and our community.”
“Maggie and Boyd are extraordinarily experienced and qualified,” Steinbrook continued. “The citizens of Jackson County and the whole Fontana region are fortunate that they are willing and eager to continue their terms.”
Another member of the public took to the podium in support of reappointing Carton and Sossamon, noting the importance of having experienced members on public boards. “[Sossamon’s] renewal and Margaret’s renewal will provide a continuity that I see here with the commissioners,” the public speaker said. “Three stayed, two new
sponsored a regional bookmobile to visit the most remote areas of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
Today, the system offers full library services to rural counties that might not otherwise be able to fund them. By combining cataloging, human resources, finance departments and information technology services for libraries in the three counties, it is cheaper for each county than if they were to provide for each of those departments individually. The regional agreement is renewed every 10 years and can be dissolved or withdrawn from at any time.
Under the new agreement, county commissions not only have the power to appoint members to each prospective public library board; they also have the power to appoint members from the public library
members, which is the way I think committees and boards need to operate because you need to bring the experience along with the new ideas.”
Other than Mary Gelbaugh, who serves on the library board as a representative of the Town of Sylva, Sossamon is the longestserving board member on the public library board, having stepped in to fill an unexpired term in December 2021. Every other member has been serving since 2023 or later.
In addition to the requests for reappointment from Carton and Sossamon, the commission received two applications from Marva Jennings and Kitti Chisholm.
Jennings lives in Glenville and is employed by Mountain Meadows.
Chisholm lives in Whittier. On her application said that she was a concerned citizen with computer, office work and volunteer experience. She also said she is an avid reader. Chisholm did not list a place of employment but under personal affiliations listed Jackson County GOP.
When the time came for motions to appoint new board members or reappoint current board members, Commissioner John Smith made a motion to appoint Marva Jennings and Commissioner Hooper made a motion to appoint Kitti Chisholm. The board approved these motions unanimously, without discussion.
Jackson County Public Library. File photo
As we celebrate this special season, we’re reminded of the blessings in our lives and the importance of faith, gratitude, and community. Your trust, loyalty, and friendship mean the world to us, and it’s an honor to work with you in achieving your real estate goals.
With gratitude and faith, THE PAMELA P ENNY WILLIAMS R EAL E STATE G ROUP Pamela Penny Williams, Sarah Corn, Linda Reynolds, Travis Bouck, Michael Weaver, Juli Rogers, Travis Rogers and Hayden Whitley. Wishing You a Joyful Thanksgiving, a
Jackson considers investments in walkability
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
Two projects underway in Jackson County are set to expand walkability and access to green spaces for residents.
“The park is more than a green space; it is a hub for connection, culture and commerce,” said Matthew Tornow, chair of Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, also known as CuRvE.
In Cullowhee, CuRvE is working toward a riverside park that connects to the expanded greenway, and in Cashiers, the community is working to construct five miles of trails to make the area more pedestrian friendly.
CuRvE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible redevelopment of the Cullowhee downtown area. The Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor has been working towards a river park for over a decade.
“It’s my vision that it would be part of the Greenway Project,” said Finance Director Darlene Fox.
In Cashiers, the Walk Cashiers Initiative aims to make the unincorporated community more walkable by creating the Cashiers Greenway Ramble.
“If you’ve been there, you probably know you have to get out of your car, get back in your car, drive to the next place you want to go,” said Paul Robshaw, president of Vision Cashiers.
With money from the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, Cashiers had a study completed by Equinox Environmental to plan for five miles of walkability in the community with small parks, pathways and sidewalks.
“Thanks to your leadership and your predecessor’s leadership and dedication, this dream has already started to take shape,” said Tornow. “Over the years, you’ve supported the acquisition and preparation of key properties, setting the stage for the next phase of this transformational project.”
The county has already acquired two properties on Wayehutta Road and removed buildings on those properties, as well as invasive plant species. Work has also been done to ensure that the old Cullowhee Road Bridge would be conducive to the greenway expansion and connection to the park, as well as the viability and economic impact of the Cullowhee Dam removal.
“In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the strength and resourcefulness of the people of Cullowhee have shone brighter than ever and this period of resilience inspires a belief that the Cullowhee River Park will not just be a park, it will be a unifying space, destination for connection and community and the center for growth and renewal,” said Tornow.
The next phase of the project includes construction of park amenities including parking, reservable pavilions, an event stage, restrooms, an event vending pad for food trucks, ADA river access, a wading beach and access to the expanded greenway.
“This phase focuses on the riverside park along the water’s edge providing green space, picnic areas and facilities to host events,” Tornow said. “As we look ahead to the second phase featuring river recreation, we plan to first await the outcome of the Cullowhee Dam removal decision before we pursue a cost estimate there.”
The total cost estimate of the park construction is just under $1 million.
“They gave us a price that was like $11 million to do it,” said Robshaw.
Three developments in Cashiers with prospective projects in the community have committed to embracing the walkability project and, combined, will cover about half of the total cost of the project. Those developers are Cashiers Lake, East Village and Cashiers Marketplace.
“This could probably take three years to get it all done,” said Robshaw.
Robshaw says Vision Cashiers is also working to solicit private donations and has already raised about $1.6 million from Cashiers residents. In addition, funds may be available for the project through the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority’s Tourism Capital Project Fund.
According to Nick Breedlove, JCTDA executive director, there is about $1.5 million currently available for capital projects. In order to receive any funding for the project through the JCTDA, Cashiers Greenway Ramble would have to submit an application for grant funds to be considered by the JCTDA board.
Phase one of the project — a one-mile loop around the heart of Cashiers — is already complete, and now the group is looking toward the second phase of the project. The request from the Jackson County Commission is $500,000 to help with construction of the second phase of the project.
“We think it’s important for the county to be involved in this because it really helps the county and the county’s going to get a lot out of it by having it,” Robshaw said.
Funding for both the Cullowhee River Park and Walk Cashiers will be considered during the upcoming budget season.
Cullowhee Greenway. File photo
SCC Executive VP Thom Brooks announces retirement
As a young boy, maybe 10 or 11 years old, Thom Brooks set foot onto Southwestern Community College’s campus in Sylva for the first time.
His mother, Rhonda Brooks, worked fulltime and had enrolled in some evening classes to better her life. Not only did young Thom have a front-row seat to his mother’s life-changing journey, he also got to participate in a class activity.
“She was taking a ‘Creative Activities’ course, and I made a shoebox camera in that class,” Brooks recalled. “I entered that into the science fair at my elementary school, and it won.”
impression.”
Despite that positive initial experience, a profession in education wasn’t on the radar in the early 1990s when Brooks started his career as an accountant.
He was approached by Renee Cohen, who at the time oversaw SCC’s robust night program, about teaching an accounting class in the evenings. As is Brooks’ trademark, he arrived with a fully prepared syllabus and lesson plan only to find himself with a severe case of stage fright.
“‘What have I gotten myself in to?’” he recalled thinking in the moments after he stepped in front of a dozen or so students. “I
the fall semester.
classroom where he taught his first accounting course more than 32 years ago. Donated photo
Little did he know that this earliest experience was teeming with the themes that would define his future career at SCC: Innovation, encouragement and changing lives.
Next month, Brooks will depart campus for the last time as executive vice president of instruction and student services, having successfully done his part in keeping those themes alive and thriving.
“That’s been the emotional part about it,” Brooks said, reflecting on his tenure. “I feel the college is in such a good place right now with the people who are here at the college, and the mission hasn’t wavered, and I can look back and think literally from an early age — not only how it’s affected the communities, but also how it’s affected my life, my family’s life.”
“It changed the trajectory of my family’s life,” Brooks continued. “My mother was able to come here, start here, earn a degree, get a better job and model — and encourage — going to college for me. It made quite an
In that initial cohort of accounting students, Brooks recognized the value in demonstrating how the coming wave of technology and Personal Computers (PCs) would transform their profession — so he gathered them around one of the few PCs on campus.
Just as when he later sought to bring ceiling-mounted data projectors on campus, Brooks was impressed by how his superiors not only encouraged his innovative ideas — they helped him connect with the resources to make it happen.
It’s a culture he and others in SCC’s senior leadership have sustained and grown over the years, as evidenced in the latest technology available in the Don Tomas Health Sciences Center as well as other facilities across all Southwestern campuses and locations.
“I remember 20 years ago at a budget hearing, Nursing instructors were showing us how they simulated IVs by raising one arm over their head then using the other hand to pretend like they were inserting a needle,” Brooks recalled. “That was nothing unusual for community colleges; a lot of our programs were underfunded. So seeing the resources we have available now in labs and instructional spaces is very rewarding. We have better facilities and equipment than we’ve ever had.”
Along with the skilled and supportive
faculty and staff members, those resources are among the primary reasons Brooks has peace about his decision to leave the college that has meant so much to him — both personally and professionally.
“There are a lot of emotions; I’ve felt a lot of the same emotions as the first time I taught,” Brooks said. “Everything from fear and hesitation to excitement and anticipation; it’s all been in there.”
“There’s never an ideal time to leave,” he continued. “I read somewhere recently that maybe it’s better to leave a few years too early than to stay a few years too late in a job. The thing I’m proudest of are the people. That might be the best part of what I do — having been part of the process of hiring the majority of people who are in instruction and student services now. I feel like we have good people in place, and that’s always been at the heart of SCC and what SCC is able to do.”
Over the past 13-plus years, Brooks has worked alongside Don Tomas, SCC president.
“I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Brooks on his retirement, extraordinary service to our students, college and community for more than three decades,” Tomas said. “Dr. Brooks brought a passion to his position that has set a standard to inspire future leaders. He will certainly be missed.”
remember thinking if I could just get through reviewing this course syllabus, I’ll tell everybody, ‘Have a good evening and we’ll start the next class period.’ And I remember thinking in my mind, ‘I don’t know if there’ll be a next class period.’”
There was — thankfully for Southwestern and all the lives he’s positively affected over the years.
In a bit of a happy coincidence, one of those lives was Toby Allman — a student in Brooks’ very first class. Earlier this month — in the same semester Brooks announced his retirement — Allman was sworn in as the newest member of SCC’s Board of Trustees.
“I knew Thom already from Swain County; he was several years ahead of me in high school,” Allman recalled. “I think that was an income tax class, and he was one of the very best teachers I ever had. He was very friendly, very willing to help. He seemed to be a pro at it. It just kind of came naturally for him.”
Dr. Thom Brooks, the executive vice president for instruction and student services at Southwestern Community College, will be retiring at the conclusion of
He’s shown here inside the
New Century Scholars inducted at SCC
Walking across the same stage on which they’ll one day receive their college degrees, seventh graders from Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties were inducted into the New Century Scholars program on Thursday, Nov. 7, in Myers Auditorium on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.
Made possible entirely by the generosity of private donors, the New Century Scholars program guarantees support and last-dollar tuition assistance to a total of 30 inductees this year (10 from each county).
Special guest speaker for this year’s ceremony was Benjamin Rodriguez, a former New Century Scholar who went on to earn an associate degree from SCC, a bachelor’s from Western Carolina University and a master’s from Cameron University. He is now a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Franklin.
Established in 1995 by the late Dr. Charles McConnell, who was superintendent of Jackson County Schools, and then-SCC President Dr. Barry Russell, New Century Scholars is designed to improve academic readiness, bolster student persistence toward high school graduation and increase the college attendance rate.
SCC students join National Technical Honor Society
Thirty-seven Southwestern Community College students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) during a ceremony on Nov. 21 at the college’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.
Inductees must hold at least a 3.5 Grade Point Average, be nominated by a teaching faculty member and rank among the top 20 percent of active students in their respective programs.
“Every student who’s been inducted has every reason to feel extremely proud about joining this prestigious organization,” said Dr. Thom Brooks, SCC’s executive vice president for instruction and student services. He also serves as Southwestern’s NTHS faculty advisor.
For more information about SCC and the programs it offers, visit southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4394. Spring classes start Jan. 13.
Out of this world: ‘Moon Tree’ arrives on WCU campus
Amy Fagan, an associate professor with Western Carolina University’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, knows she’s a bit of a space addict.
Her office is adorned with figurines of astronauts, patches from the Apollo missions and a poster signed by Apollo 16 astronaut, Charles Duke. So when a tree grown from a seed that was on the Artemis I mission arrived on campus, Fagan was over the moon.
“My students got to see me just totally giddy, excited, kid on
More than 2,500 students have been inducted into the program over the years.
For more information about the program and how to support it, visit southwesterncc.edu/new-century-scholars.
Christmas morning when that tree arrived in the box, which was probably good to see their faculty get that excited about something,” Fagan said.
Fagan was a key player in getting the coveted “Moon Tree” to WCU, as the university’s application was accepted by NASA earlier this semester. The American sweetgum tree was planted near the main entrance of campus.
NASA, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, has helped distribute Moon Trees to schools, museums, libraries and other places across the country, starting this past spring.
This isn’t the first time seeds that orbited the moon have been grown on earth, as the Apollo 14 crew flew seeds with them on their mission. Those Moon Trees were also planted all over, including the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.
As part of the application process, Fagan highlighted how the tree would be used as an educational tool and how it would benefit the region.
“We are the stewards of this little visitor from outer space who’s going to hang out with us for the next however many years and maybe someday have baby Moon Trees if we can germinate those,” Fagan said.
“But yeah, I feel very honored that we were selected and that our department is going to be the caretakers.”
And that provides some educational opportunities for the department’s students with many of them interested in forestry and dendrology.
“I think it’s a nice educational tool,” Fagan said. “As the tree gets older, we have some ideas of how we can expand opportunities with the tree, but it’s going to probably take a few years before it’s big enough for us to do some of them.
Fagan hopes a ceremony will be held for the Moon Tree in the spring.
Ken Wilson establishes scholarship for HCC students
The Haywood Community College Foundation is pleased to announce the newly established Ken Wilson Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established in memory of Ken Wilson, owner of Ken Wilson Ford in Canton.
This scholarship is open to 10 students per semester in the program areas of automotive, business, professional crafts, medical and general programs. These scholarships are $1,000 per semester and are renewable throughout a student’s time with HCC as they pursue their Associate Degree. Additionally, there are funds available for tools and technology fees associated with the automotive program.
Registration for the Spring and Summer 2025 semesters is currently open. Students can apply for scholarships through Jan. 9, 2025, for the spring term.
For more information about this scholarship or to give to the HCC Foundation, call 828.627.4544 or email hebirenbaum@haywood.edu. For more information about registering, visit haywood.edu or email hcc-advising@haywood.edu.
HCC announces the Bobcat Resiliency Grant
Spring and summer registration at Haywood Community College is currently open. The Spring 2025 term begins on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
Haywood Community College has received funding to support students looking to return to the classroom who may be facing financial challenges from Hurricane Helene impacts.
The Bobcat Resiliency Grant will provide free tuition and coverage of select fees for all students entering the Spring 2025 semester. These funds are available for new and returning students. The goal is to reduce financial barriers that students may be facing to support their desire to return to the classroom. As a last-dollar funding source, students must still ensure they have completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA application. This is an exciting opportunity for all students in Haywood County looking to continue or start their educational journey with HCC.
In addition to free Spring 2025 tuition, students who were enrolled in the Fall 2024 semester can apply for an emergency relief grant that could provide up to $2,500 per student based on need and funding available. Funds can cover financial impacts related to transportation, utility bills, rent, textbooks and more. The college has established a simple online form for students to submit. Eligibility is based on Fall 2024 enrollment and is available to students even if they have received emergency support from other sources. The goal is to ensure HCC students can support themselves and their families so they can continue to focus on their coursework.
With over 30 curricular programs in nine different career clusters, students can pursue a certificate, diploma or associate degree at a fraction of the cost of a four-year school. Students can enjoy small class sizes, which result in one-on-one attention. HCC offers a variety of courses delivered using an array of methods to fit all schedules. From in-person to entirely online, the college has what students need to create a flexible schedule for those who are employed or may also be balancing a family, making it easy to get the credentials required to move forward. Students will find options in fields directly aligned with career opportunities, including healthcare, manufacturing, natural resources, public safety, professional crafts and many others.
Both financial support opportunities can be applied for on HCC’s website at haywood.edu/getting-started.
Swain County seventh graders who were inducted into the New Century Scholars program on Nov. 8 at Southwestern Community College, are front row, from left: Isaac Haigler, Joy Guest, Phoenix Crawford and Erin Cody. Back row: Kimberly Stevenson, Carson Reagan, Emma Nations and Ary Menaka. Not pictured are Kaylie Green and Axel Wilmot. Donated photo
Four hundred miles from home, signs of hope
Glass half full, that’s me. Lots of good folks out there doing good things. We had a couple of gentle reminders of this on Monday.
I’m hunkered down on a drizzly day in the cabin of our boat, which is docked at Duck Creek Marina in Bridgeton, North Carolina. That’s just across the Neuse River from New Bern for those familiar with the Carolina coast.
That puts us at about 390 miles from our home in Waynesville. It’s a cool 57 degrees, but we’ve opted not to use our portable heater and instead are wearing warm clothes, keeping the cabin hatch open to enjoy the morning. A mug of hot coffee on this morning is more than satisfying, and my laptop literally sits on my lap, its warmth a welcome heat source.
This boat has been in my wife’s family since her father purchased it in 1986, nearly 40 years. It’s a 1979 Bayfield, a 32foot cutter rigged sailboat built in Canada, its beam is wide and its full keel sturdy, a design built to handle the storms of the Great Lakes made famous in songs and legend.
Tranquilo, the boat, goes nowhere fast. The 15 horsepower Yanmar diesel maxes out at around 6 knots, and on a 20-mile per hour wind she’ll make at most 7 knots. A seasoned sailor we spoke with yesterday — one who has lived aboard his boat for the last nine years and sailed the entire Caribbean and the east coast of Central America — joked “if you’re in a hurry, get a plane ticket, don’t take a sailboat.”
But it’s a haven for us mountain folk. We make our way around the Pamlico Sound, to Ocracoke and Cape Lookout, inland to Oriental and Beaufort. New Bern, its riverfront and quaint downtown are actually somewhat similar to Waynesville’s downtown in size and look. We feast on seafood and local craft beers, wandering through shops and what is almost always a lively town. One of my favorite towns in the state.
As we drove toward the marina on this trip — Monday,
Relief bill an insult to
To the Editor:
WNC
I’m writing to thank Rep. Mike Clampitt, Rep. Karl Gillespie and Rep. Mark Pless for siding with the people of Western North Carolina in voting against Senate Bill (SB) 382.
This bill — also called the Hurricane Relief Bill — was passed on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Wednesday, Nov. 20, by a majority of the House and Senate. While the bill has been branded a hurricane relief bill, it has very little to do with helping WNC’s hurricane relief efforts.
SB 382 fails to provide necessary relief to residents of the region, like rental assistance and small business grants to start long-term recovery and rebuilding. The two disaster packages before SB 382 provided less than 2% of the estimated $954 million for Helene recovery. Just $1 million was provided for rental assistance out of a $25 million need. WNC deserves better than SB 382. Politicians shouldn’t play political games with our recovery. We need a bill supported by our
Dec. 9 — the sign caught my eye: “Pray for WNC,” red and blue letters against a white background, obviously homemade, stuck in the median of U.S. 17, the famous coastal highway. I was thinking the rest of the state was forgetting about our woes, about the heartbreak and years of rebuilding ahead for us in the mountains. The sign was a gentle reminder that people care, that fellow North Carolinians care.
As we boarded Tranquilo and prepared her for us staying aboard for just a night, another boat owner walking the dock stopped to chat. Conversations bounced around from the boat, different anchor types, what color is best for painting a boat’s hull, etc. Then we got to the personal questions, where you from, all that.
town see much damage, that was a terrible storm.”
And so we reiterated what all of us in the mountains know, that yes, we took a big hit, that storm-related work and recovery will be a part of our lives for years to come, that the road to recovery is still fraught with challenges.
As we told him “Waynesville, in the mountains,” his first words were hurricane-related. “You guys all right, did your
LETTERS
representatives and our representatives should be consulted on such a bill and not told to get in line to vote for a bill that treats our communities like an afterthought.
I’d like to ask Reps. Clampitt, Gillespie and Pless to stand together and say no to this bill when the State House votes again this month to override Gov. Cooper’s veto. This bill doesn’t reflect our needs. We need a bill that prioritizes critical support like rental assistance, small business aid and homeowners’ relief. We need our WNC representatives to be courageous and put the people first by voting against SB 382 and boldly showing us that they will take a stand for what we really need.
Nilofer Couture Cullowhee
Not sure state will do what’s needed
To the Editor:
But I also felt a welling hope that was nearly overwhelming. Here we are nearly 400 miles from the mountains, from the damage we still see every day, and yet people are concerned. That sailor will be on his boat headed toward Miami and the Keys in a few days, but his comments and that small sign planted in the median were signs for me, signs that we have not been forgotten. As we celebrate family and all our blessings this holiday season, I’m coming away from our trip to the coast filled with a bit more hope about what the future holds for the mountains.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
I do not share Mr. McLeod's optimism that the the legislature "...will do what is needed for our region ...." (Volume 26, Issue 28).
Those in power have a primary goal of enhancing and perpetuating that power. Constituents’ needs are far down the list, except when those needs align with theirs.
While I applaud Reps. Gillespie, Clampitt and Pless for standing up for WNC, I have my doubts that they would have stood up for us if they represented another region of the state. John
Acuti Maggie Valley
Editor Scott McLeod
Viewing the holidays from a different lens
Like everything in life, the holiday season is about perception. On one hand, you can view it as a commercialized frenzy or you can see it as a time to slow down and reflect, or maybe a little of both. I tend to fall in the combined category, but it hasn’t always been that way.
and process whatever is going on in my world.
The Advent wreath has also become an integral part of my holiday experience. Each year, we use the discarded tree trimmings to make a homemade Advent wreath and each Sunday we light the respective candles and say a prayer over the coming week. It’s a time-honored ritual that I look forward to year after year.
When my boys were little, my mom was alive and my marriage intact, I embraced the hullabaloo of the holidays with gusto. Bring on every parade and family-friendly festive event, write the Christmas cards, take the family photo at the tree farm, sit on Santa’s lap, ooh and aah over the gingerbread houses at Grove Park, buy Christmas pajamas, search for the elf on the shelf each morning, bake homemade cookies, make the crafts, visit Biltmore, and so on and so forth.
These are all things we faithfully did year in and year out, and to be honest, I absolutely loved it. Not only did I love it, I photographed and filmed our adventures and wrote stories on my mom blog to share with the world. When one is still naive, it’s easy to get swooped up in a warm and fuzzy existence. As I reflect upon those years now, I feel like I wasn’t being sensitive to people who didn’t have it so great during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Then my own life unfolded in a direction that wasn’t so picture-perfect and trying to keep up the merry facade became not only exhausting but impossible. Grief, whether it’s from the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage or some other loss, creates a quick-sand effect, like you’re moving in a very slow manner and everything takes monumental effort. My old holiday agenda suddenly felt overwhelming and rather lonely with such pivotal cast members no longer part of my story.
After over seven years in my new normal and what feels like lifetimes of wisdom gained, I have developed a new outlook on the holidays and one that I actually prefer to my old one because not only is it more realistic, it’s easygoing and buttressed with compassion for others and myself.
One of my favorite simple holiday pleasures is enjoying a cup of coffee in the early morning with only the fire and Christmas lights illuminating the living room. This time of day always feels magical to me, but the fire and lights make it extra comforting. Sometimes I work or read or journal, or maybe another family member wakes up and we use it as a time for conversation, but other days, it’s just a time to be myself
Recently I found the bin with my mom’s Christmas sweaters. Tacky Christmas sweaters weren’t always a part of pop culture. When I was growing up, these overly festive sweaters were simply the attire for every teacher and mom I knew, and not only during Christmas but also Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. My mom, who was also a school librarian, owned attire for every holiday on the calendar. In fact, one time my mom got rather upset when my sister and I wore some of her sweaters to an “ugly Christmas sweater” event because she saw her sweaters as quite lovely. Finding this bin was a highlight of my week and as I cleaned and folded each sweater, I was flooded with sweet memories.
Finishing a holiday puzzle is a new tradition we’ve started as a blended family. It stays on the table throughout the season and whenever someone has time, they place a few pieces. It’s a methodical, rewarding experience that serves as the perfect antidote to the rat race of modern society.
I still enjoy gifting Christmas pajamas to the family, writing Christmas cards, visiting Biltmore, baking cookies or any of the aforementioned holiday activities, but now they feel like a treat or a privilege as opposed to something I’m trying to check off a list.
Further, my heart is oh so sensitive to others’ grief now that I’ve experienced my own. The holidays can be grueling for many with that empty seat at a table, a diagnosis, or for a number of other reasons. I’m learning to not compare my life to others but to be grateful for every beautiful moment I have with those I love.
As we navigate these final weeks before Christmas, be gentle with yourself. If you don't get all the things accomplished, it’s okay. The holiday season isn't meant to be a flurry of activity. It’s actually meant to be a time of waiting and anticipation. And if you’re really struggling to find joy this time of year, just know that I see you and others see you and in those dark moments, you must look for glimmers like sipping coffee beside the Christmas tree or a bin of special sweaters or placing the last piece of a puzzle. It’s often in the smallest of moments that we feel the true spirit of the season.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist who lives in Waynesville. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
Columnist
Susanna Shetley
A year in review
The best albums of 2024
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
Editor’s Note: Since August 2012, Garret K. Woodward has held the position of arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News. In December 2018, he also became a contributing writer for Rolling Stone.
Below are a handful of excerpts from my Rolling Stone travels this year covering some of the best albums of 2024, excursions that took me from Maine to Montana, Florida to New York, Utah to Kentucky and then some — always in search of all things beautiful and true, especially when it comes to the sacred act of live performance.
Support live music. Support independent artists. Support local venues. For the more you do, the more these incredibly creative and intrinsic folks can do for you, musically and spiritually.
THE RED CLAY STRAYS — “LIVE AT THE RYMAN”
The Red Clay Strays are arguably the hottest new act on the scene when it comes to Americana and rock music. Their latest album, “Live at the Ryman” is a mix of fire-and-brimstone vocals and swampy blues-rock that also serves as a testament to the band’s reputation as a must-see live act.
When they took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, it was as if Lynyrd Skynyrd were backing 1950s Elvis Presley, but with more snarling edge in tone and intent.
“We try to put on a good show and just want to be an inspiration for people,” lead singer Brandon Coleman said. “You don’t lean against a shovel and pray for a hole. You’re going to have to do the work.”
CHARLIE PARR — “LITTLE SUN”
Recorded in Portland, Oregon, “Little Sun” is Charlie Parr’s 18th studio album since his 2002 debut. It’s signature Parr, a
gritty blend of Delta blues and Depression-era roots music soaked in his hardscrabble Minnesotan voice. It’s a sacred realm of folk wisdom and sorrowful vulnerability, reserved for the likes of Willis Alan Ramsey, John Hartford or even Link Wray.
During the recording sessions, one of the worst snowstorms that Portland has ever seen overtook the city. And yet the weather was rather poignant, a symbolic ode to Parr’s meditative tone — swirling sounds and existential thoughts like driving a backcountry road in a haze of undulating snowflakes, bright headlights and enveloping darkness.
“I have self-confidence I didn’t have before. I feel better about myself as a musician,” the 57-year-old Parr said. “I feel better about myself as a father, as a friend. I feel comfortable in my skin, my clothing, my age. I present myself better because I feel better. I found my voice.”
WIDESPREAD PANIC — “HAILBOUND QUEEN”
In truth and in method, Widespread Panic is the musical amalgamation of the Southeast. There’s the swamp rock of North Florida à la the Allman Brothers Band and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the hard rock of Atlanta in the same vein as the Black Crowes and Drivin N Cryin and the thick thread of Memphis R&B/soul and Mississippi Delta blues. There’s also an oozing jazz/swing element straight out of New Orleans.
The balancing act of tension and release within the live setting is the epitome of what Panic set out to do when they started playing Athens, Georgia, dive bars and fraternity parties in the mid-1980s.
It’s also the foundation of Panic’s new album “Hailbound Queen,” the band’s 14th studio LP and the second offering this year from the group. In June, they released “Snake Oil King,” their first studio record in nine years.
“We’re in there and exploring the music together,” said lead singer and guitarist John Bell. “Sometimes you’re fighting to catch a wave and it takes all six of you [onstage] to catch the wave. And when you’re catching it together, you get that big inward smile going. Everybody’s listening, everybody’s present.”
CRIS JACOBS — “ONE OF THESE DAYS”
What has emerged from this current, cathartic chapter of Cris Jacobs’ life is his latest release, “One of These Days.” Produced by Jerry Douglas, himself a bluegrass icon, the album features Jacobs backed by Grammy-winning jam-grass act the Infamous Stringdusters.
“One of These Days” also features guest appearances by Billy Strings, Lindsay Lou, Lee Ann Womack, Sam Bush and
the McCrary Sisters. The result is a blend of bluegrass, indiefolk and blues sensibilities anchoring Jacobs’ soaring, fiery voice, a vocal tone akin to that of Scott Avett or Dan Auerbach. Although Jacobs is wellknown for his electric guitar playing and rock-n-roll stage aesthetic, putting together a bluegrass album isn’t something out of left field. It’s more so a return to form, with Jacobs circling back to his musical roots.
“Musically, I had this identity crisis and I wanted to bring it back to a place where I was having fun again,” Jacobs said. “Where I was connected to myself and the music was coming from a pure place.”
BLITZEN TRAPPER — “100’S OF 1000’S, MILLIONS OF BILLIONS”
Blitzen Trapper formed in Portland, Oregon, around 2000 and hovered in the indie-folk and alt-country realms with a sound that was vibrant, ethereal and catchy, evoking a mix of Tom Petty, Beck and Van Morrison.
They pivoted seamlessly between poignant ballads and soaring rock numbers, with each song’s melody inspired by the raw emotions and stage presence of lead singer Eric Earley, which resides at the core of their latest album, “100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions.”
“[Songs] have always been my way of journaling or processing all the things that have happened to me over the years,” Earley said. “For a lot of years, I was at odds with touring. Now? I’m more in tune with the people around me, onstage and in the audience. It almost feels like I’ve sort of awakened to what I had all along.”
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Ode to Asheville, ode to the good people of WNC
It was quiet, so damn quiet. Wednesday evening. Myself flying solo, exiting Interstate 240, merging onto Patton Avenue and rolling into the heart of downtown Asheville. No traffic. No cars. No people. It was odd.
Parking at the Otis Street garage, the new sign said “Free,” to make note of the fact you can pull up and put your vehicle there at no charge. Normally, it’d be hard to actually find a spot at that high-demand parking structure, but not on this day. Shit, I even got a prime real estate spot within a moment of entering the facility.
Exit the vehicle. An eerie silence swirled through the city, much like the cold fall breeze ricocheting between buildings of numerous floors surrounding the garage. Again, no people. Just me and my trusty book under my arm as I made my way back down to Patton, onward to Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas.
Walk up. Walk in. Immediately seated. Order the pork dumplings (Shanghai style) and spicy chicken, a cold Sapporo to boot. When the beverage arrived, I took a sip and gazed around the establishment, my eyes slowly shifting to Patton Avenue. At that moment, I realized it was my first meal in the city since the flood.
Two months and a handful of days since Hurricane Helene ravaged through our backyard of Western North Carolina. Our homes and our lives were dismantled, our friends’ homes and their lives, too. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions and actions and will remain so for the foreseeable future — not months from now, but years and decades.
A few more sips into the Sapporo and I think of all the flood victims I’ve crossed paths with, interviewed and written about this past fall into the impending winter. Their daily existence bulldozed. Rollercoaster of feelings and experiences, mostly surreal and imaginable. Their heartfelt words and heavy tears, new fears and new realities. You soak in all of these things and try to make sense of it on the unwritten page for your readers.
I think of the first time I found myself at Red Ginger. Summer 2012. I’d just relocated to this area from my native Upstate New York. I was 27 years old and the new arts/features editor for this publication. I sat alone and sipped a Sapporo, wondering just what was lying just around the corner of not only that physical building, but also of my intrinsic intent of emergence into that fresh chapter.
Skip ahead a decade and two years. I again sit alone, but there’s an incredible woman awaiting my return to our humble abode. She wanted to stay home tonight, myself eager to
see some live music in the city. Eat my pork dumplings (Shanghai style) and spicy chicken, all the while pondering the line in the sands of time that was pre-Helene and postHelene — where to from here?
Park across the street from Eulogy and make my way inside, but not before noticing the brightly-lit Chai Pani restaurant radiating out into the cold night, this beacon of commerce and culture in a city darkened by
our region,” I said. “And however bad you think the situation is, it’s worse, much worse.”
I spoke of the small mountain towns that orbit Asheville, forever altered by Helene: Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Hot Springs, Marshall, Swannanoa, Canton, Waynesville, Black Mountain, Bethel, Cruso and so on. The work will continue, even if the help from the outside dries up. We’ll rebuild and do so in due time.
Earlier in the day leading up to the Eulogy gig, Big Something hosted a cleanup effort, with fans of the group showing up to volunteer and lend a hand. I asked the audience to raise their hands if they helped in the cleanup: one-third of the crowd raised their hands. I asked them to raise their hands if they were directly affected by the flood: half of the audience raised their hands.
personal unknowns and professional closures. Familiar businesses disappearing on a daily basis. Familiar faces leaving town for higher ground, literally and financially.
Word of Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium and sister operation next door, Cultura, in South Slope closing its doors. I’ve also heard the same about Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria on Biltmore Avenue, an iconic anchor business for the city of Asheville when many folks weren’t taking much of a chance on downtown back in the 1990s.
Add to that the countless other WNC businesses now erased from the Google maps for locals and visitors alike wandering our beloved area, many of which I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing over the years, countless stories about their hopes, dreams and legacies.
A few days later, I found myself back at Eulogy, this time to attend the Big Something flood benefit. A wildly popular jam-rock act out of Burlington, North Carolina, Asheville and its music freak vibe has become something of a second home for the ensemble. And there I was, asked by the band if I wanted to get onstage and say a few words about the flood and recovery to the raucous audience.
Grabbing the microphone, the stage lights were blinding as I tried to make out the faces in the audience. This sea of excited expressions. I told them how beautiful of a crowd they were and how great it was to be in the presence of live music again in Asheville after such a long period of radio silence. I sincerely meant what I said. And they howled in unison to my sentiment.
“Since late September, I’ve been interviewing flood victims and driving around
Then, I asked them to raise their hands if they knew someone directly affected by the flood: every single person of the sold-out crowd of hundreds raised their hands. I told the audience to look around and acknowledge their neighbors and how we’re all going through something so horrendous and traumatic, but together and with compassion.
“I remain an eternal optimist. Someday we’ll not only return to normalcy, we’re going to come back better and stronger than ever,” I finished up by saying, the crowd roaring in solidarity at the moment unfolding in real time. “And I truly believe that.”
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
HOT PICKS
1
The 41st annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 13-14 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro.
2
Featuring Celtic/world musical ensemble Eireann’s Call, the “A Kilted Christmas” concert will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center.
3
The inaugural “Cold Mountain Christmas Craft Fair” will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Lake Logan Retreat Center in Canton.
4
A special stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas Musical Extravaganza” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
5
The Haywood Community Band will host its “Sounds of the Season” concert at 4 p.m. Dec, 14, at the Calvary Road Baptist Church in Maggie Valley.
Saturday, December 14 th Yachty or Nice A Holiday evening of Yacht Rock & Tiki cocktails. Captain Kipper Spinnin’ those easy breezy jams 7pm-10pm! Wear your best luau attire! 5pm-Midnight
Wednesday, December 18th
Yuletide with Holler & Crow
Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Join us for a festive evening of holiday music and carol singing! • 8pm - 10pm
Friday, December 20th
Holiday Jazz & Prohibition Cocktails Join us for an evening of Holiday Jazz and prohibition cocktail specials. Cocktail Attire Encouraged 5pm-Midnight
The back of Chai Pani in downtown Asheville.
Garret K. Woodward photo
Blow the tannery whistle
BY GARY CARDEN · S PECIAL TO SMN
Foxfire Christmas: traditions and superstitions
Back in the 1980s, when I was telling stories in the Cope Crest Conference Center in Tiger, Georgia, I heard about Eliott Wigginton, who was teaching English in the Rayburn County school system. Wigginton had asked his students to go home and interview their family members. In a short time, Elliott had acquired enough interviews to publish a book, “Foxfire,” which contained fascinating Interviews that dealt with topics such as hunting, cooking and folklore.
I immediately bought a copy of “A Foxfire Christmas” and found myself reading about traditions and superstitions. Some were familiar since I had encountered them in my own childhood, and some were unique. I had never heard of “serenading,” but I would eventually discover that my own relatives in Macon County had been “serenaders” in the past! I also discovered that it was an old Christmas tradition that was now “against the law” according to a newspaper article I read in Clayton in 1990.
According to my relatives in Cowee and Rabun Gap, “serenading” was practiced by groups of local citizens who traveled in the dark and often on Christmas Eve to a neighbor’s house. They traditionally covered their faces with soot, and the women dressed as men and the men dressed as women. They carried an assortment of objects, including pots, pans, shotguns, firecrackers and hammers, and when it was near midnight, the group burst into celebration which lasted until the neighbor’s light came on! Eventually, the neighbor would open the door and invite the serenaders inside where everyone had a cup of apple cider and a slice of poundcake. I immediately knew that the neighbors knew that the serenaders were coming, and I guess they had prepared an ample supply of cider and poundcake. Now, it occurs to me that the active serenading was a community event; in the past, it was actually “an honored tradition.” However, why did they cover their faces with soot? Why the crossdressing?
tops on Christmas Eve and when I looked around, there were similar fires on surrounding mountain tops. This tradition is popular in Scotland and Ireland and is thought to be older than other Christmas celebrations. In fact, the fires are thought by modern folklorists to date from a distant past when people who lived through harsh winters sometimes felt that “the sun had stopped.”
The fires and the loud noises were thought to be an effort to make the sun return to its traditional journey through the sky.
An interesting tradition that was practiced in Foxfire country and in Appalachia
Christmas, it was selected for its ability to last a long time. It is supposed to last from Christmas Eve until Jan. 6. In my greatgrandmother’s house, the remains of the Yule log were removed on Jan. 6 (old Christmas), wrapped in cloth and placed in the barn. In the following year on Christmas Eve, the remnants of the Yule log are used to ignite the new yule log. This is an old English tradition, and it suggests that the fire never goes out in my great-grandmother’s fireplace.
When I was teaching at Lees-McRae, a local folklorist told me about a “dumb supper” which is a meal prepared by four unmarried women in the hope of seeing the face of their future husband in the plate. It was a complex ceremony which had to be performed by the four ladies while walking backwards. One of the unmarried girls left a knife on her plate and it disappeared. According to this folklorist, the knife returned in the hand of her future husband. He killed her with it. Oh my!
It is interesting that many of these old
was the belief in “first footers.”
In essence, it was a superstition that the first person to step into and out of your home on New Year’s Day would determine your future in the coming year. Specifically, if your “first footer” was a blonde or a redhead, you were in danger of failed crops, domestic disasters (divorce) and poor health. On the other hand, if your visitor was dark-haired, your crops would be generous, your household would be blessed and you would have good health. Now, I am sure you would have guessed how to enjoy a blessed future — traditionally you would invite a ”first footer” who was dark-haired and you would ask him to come early. The general belief is that the first footer tradition dates back to a war or invasion by those fairhaired French.
Another ritual which was carried out in conjunction with serenading was the burning of large fires on mountain tops. I remember participating in gatherings on mountain
My great-grandmother in Macon had a huge fireplace, and the annual selecting of a Yule log was a big tradition. Since the back log would be in the fireplace for the entire
beliefs have a “dark” side. There is an old folklore belief that the animals talk on Christmas Eve. So it is that animal owners are warned that they should never attempt to hear the animals talk. To do so is to risk hearing the animals talk about their owner’s death.
However, most of the traditions involving animals were gentle and promised blessings, such as the one that said that the bees always hummed the 100th Psalm on Christmas Eve. I never heard that one!
(Gary Carden is one of Southern Appalachia’s most revered literary figures and has won a number of significant awards for his books and plays over the years, including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012. His most recent book, “Stories I lived to tell,” is available at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, or online through uncpress.org.)
• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. every Tuesday. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 / facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host an “Open Jam” 6 p.m. every Tuesday and the “Christmas Jazz & Country” concert featuring Glenn Basham, Michael Collings & Friends 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets are $20 per person. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Doug & Lisa Dec. 28. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 / thebluestage.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host DJ Kountry (pop/hip-hop) Dec. 14 and Rossdafareye (indie/jam) Dec. 21. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every first Thursday of the
Ready for ‘A Kilted Christmas’?
Featuring Celtic/world musical ensemble Eireann’s Call, the “A Kilted Christmas” concert will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center.
The show features the band’s unique and powerful take on Christmas throughout the Celtic world. Songs range from driving rock to the sacred and from rollicking dance tunes to the hilarious. The family friendly event features dancers and a dramatic/humorous narrative to create a memorable event.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is pay what you can, starting at $15 per person. Donations welcome. Dina’s Taco Truck will also be onsite during the event.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on folkmoot.org or call 828.452.2997.
Eireann’s Call will play Waynesville Dec. 12. File photo
month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Calvary Road Baptist Church (Maggie Valley) will host the “Sounds of the Season” concert with the Haywood Community Band 4 p.m. Dec. 14. Free and open to the public. Donations accepted to provide scholarships to student musicians attending college and band camps. haywoodcommunityband.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Lydia Hamby 5 p.m. Dec. 13. For tickets and
Lazy Hiker gets the blues
Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.
Dubbed “music to grow your hair out to,” the Murphy musician, whose real name is Gavin Graves, is well-regarded in this region for his mix of blues and roots music into a unique Southern Appalachian tone. Both shows are free and open to the public. For more information, click on lazyhikerbrewing.com.
Woolybooger will play Dec. 13-14. File photo
shows begin at 6 p.m. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “A Kilted Christmas” w/Eireann’s Call (Celtic/world) 7 p.m. Dec. 12. Admission is pay what you can, starting at $15 per person. Donations welcome. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Chris Caruso (singer-songwriter) Dec. 11, Bridget Gossett Trio (Americana) Dec. 13, Different Light Dec. 14, Kevin Dolan & Paul Koptak (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Dec. 15, Ken Morgan (singer-songwriter) Dec. 19, Rich Manz Trio (oldies/acoustic) Dec. 20, Bemi Dec. 21 and Simple Folk Trio 3 p.m. Dec. 22. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
reservations, click on cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/livemusic.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic Night” 6 p.m. Dec. 13. Free and open to the public. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Team Trivia” Mondays and John Philip Brooks (singer-songwriter) Dec. 14. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at The Farm” sessions w/Mike Kinnebrew (singer-songwriter) Dec. 12. All
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main St. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) Dec. 13, Charles Walker Dec. 14 and The Remnants (rock/pop) Dec. 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience (classic rock) 8 p.m. Dec. 13, Colter Wall (Americana/country) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and Home Free (country/a cappella) 9 p.m. Dec. 20. For tickets, click on caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2200 /
On the beat
highlandsdive.com.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” on Thursday evenings, “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the “Salon Series” w/The Secret Sisters (Americana) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 19 ($50 per person). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic w/Phil” Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678/ innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Woolybooger (folk/blues) Dec. 14 and The Remnants (rock/pop) Dec. 21. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Woolybooger (folk/blues) Dec. 13 and Prophets Of Time (rock/jam) Dec. 20. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host an “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.
• Listening Room (Franklin) will host Chris Rosser (singer-songwriter) 2:30 p.m. Jan. 5. Suggested donation $20. Located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/Frank Lee every Wednesday, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Dec. 13, Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) Dec. 14, Bridget Gossett (Americana) 5 p.m. Dec. 15, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Dec. 20, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) Dec. 21 and Wollybooger (blues/folk) 5 p.m. Dec. 22. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Old Edwards Inn (Highlands) will host live
music in the Hummingbird Lounge at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Free and open to the public. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.
• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 / orchardcoffeeroasters.com.
• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host “Celtic Christmas Ceili” (Celtic/folk) 6 p.m. Dec. 19 and James Thompson (Americana) 4 p.m. Dec. 20. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. 770.335.0967 / go2ottonc.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Pinnacle Relief CBD Wellness Lounge (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.508.3018 / facebook.com/pinnaclerelief.
• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 / facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Karaoke 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Open Mic w/Dirty Dave Dec. 13, Ernest Collins (singersongwriter) Dec. 14, Rob Jorett (singer-songwriter) Dec. 19, Michael Kitchens (singersongwriter) Dec. 20 and Ron Dalbora (singer-songwriter) Dec. 21. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke w/Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on Sundays. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 / facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.
• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 / saucedwnc.com.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Yachty Or Nice Holiday Event” w/DJ Captain Kipper 7 p.m. Dec. 14, “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party” w/Yuletide and Holler & Crow Dec. 18 and “An Evening of Christmas Jazz & Prohibition Cocktails” 5 p.m. to midnight Dec. 20. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
HCB will play Maggie Valley Dec. 14. File photo
‘Sounds of the Season’
The Haywood Community Band will host its “Sounds of the Season” concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 14, at the Calvary Road Baptist Church in Maggie Valley.
The event is free and open to the public. Donations accepted to provide scholarships to student musicians attending college and band camps.
For more information, click on haywoodcommunityband.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Seth & Sara (Americana) 6 p.m. Dec. 13 and Harvest String Duo (Americana) 5 p.m. Dec. 15. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host “Christmas With Mark Lowry & Friends” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 (tickets start at $28 per person with seating upgrades available). 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host semiregular “Live Music Mondays” with local/regional singer-songwriters. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” w/Melissa McKinney (indie/soul) Dec. 12 and Tori Parrish (classical) Dec. 19. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Twisted Spoke Food & Tap (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1730 / facebook.com/twistedspokerestaurant.
• Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 / theuglydogpub.com.
• Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Jon Cox & Ginny McAfee (Americana/country) Dec. 12 (free), Johnnie Blackwell Band Dec. 13, Jon Cox Band (country/rock) Dec. 14, Karaoke w/Lori Dec. 19 (free), Macon County Line Dec. 20 and Lori & The Freighshakers (classic rock/country gold) Dec. 21. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valleytavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. Family friendly, dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
On the street
‘Christmas at Lake Junaluska’
A beloved annual tradition, the “Christmas at Lake Junaluska” celebration will be held Dec. 13-15 at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.
Enjoy carriage and trolley rides, Christmas lights, a hot chocolate bar, marshmallow roasts, music, a special service and more.
• “Holly Jolly Trolley Tour” from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the York Dining Commons. Join Jolly Elf as you tour the lake in the Holly Jolly Trolley. Enjoy festive Christmas lights, an onboard scavenger hunt, music, hot cocoa, cider, a marshmallow roast and more.
• “Festival of Lessons and Carols” at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Memorial Chapel. Feel the spirit of Advent and Christmas this holiday season during Festival of Lessons and Carols, a one-hour traditional English service featuring Scripture readings and corresponding music.
‘Christmas at Lake Junaluska’ will be Dec. 13-15. (File photo)
• “Polar Express” train ride will roll down the tracks on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, 800.872.4681 or gsmr.com.
ALSO:
• “Christmas Wonderland” hayrides will be held through mid-December at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Limited seating available. For a full schedule and/or to purchase tickets, click on darnellfarms.com.
• “Carriage Rides” from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Harrell Center. Enjoy a scenic ride on a horse-drawn carriage that offers mountain views, and the lakeside Rose Walk decorated for the holidays, a marshmallow roast, hot chocolate bar and more. For more information and a full schedule of activities, click on lakejunaluska.com/events-calendar/christmas-lake-junaluska.
Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries’
The 41st annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 13-14 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro.
Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios.
Each night, shops will stay open way into the night providing free refreshments, musicians and singers performing in individual shops. The sound of hooves will echo through the night with old-fashioned horse and buggy rides.
With retail shops offering a variety of quality arts and crafts, unique gifts, clothing, gourmet foods/wines and specialty Christmas items, the festival provides a unique holiday shopping experience. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music will also be held on Front Street. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on dillsboronc.info.
On the wall
• Stecoah Artisan Gallery will also offer its handcrafted Christmas gift options onsite from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. There will be a special gallery open house Tuesday, Dec. 17. For more information, 828.479.3364 or stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• “Yuletide Market” will be held from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at Bridge Park in Sylva. Crafts, caroling, food, s’mores and more. Free and open to the public. discoverjacksonnc.com.
• “A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration” will be held from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, in downtown Waynesville. Hundreds of Luminaries, live music, clogging, church choirs, Santa & Mrs. Claus, storytelling, holiday treats/beverages and more. For a full list of participants and events, click on downtownwaynesville.com.
• “Holiday Night Market” will be held 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Axe & Awl
Leatherworks on Depot Street in downtown Waynesville. Free and open to the public. axeandawlleatherworks.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• “Art & Artisan Walk” will be held from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (MayDecember) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yellow and blue balloons identifying participating businesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host an adult arts and crafts program at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 par-
• “Christmas Light Show Drive-Thru” is running everyday through the holidays at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park in Bryson City, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. greatsmokies.com/events.
• “Ice Skating at The Yard” will be 4-8 p.m. Fridays and 1-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at The Yard on Depot Street in Bryson City. For more information, click on facebook.com/theyardbc.
• “Enchanted Island Of Lights” will be shown 5-10 p.m. each day through Jan. 3 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. visitcherokeenc.com/events.
• “Ice Skating & Food Trucks” will be offered Dec. 1314, 20-21 at the Cherokee Islands. visitcherokeenc.com/events.
• Cherokee Christmas Parade will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Cherokee Visitor Center. Free and open to the public. visitcherokeenc.com/events
• “Santa In The Park” will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 21 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park in downtown Highlands. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
ticipants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, click on cre828.com. dawn@cre828.com / 828.283.0523.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. galleryzella.com / 517.881.0959.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. haywoodarts.org.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. dogwoodcrafters.com/classes / 828.586.2248.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. coweeschool.org/events.
On the stage
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
A special stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas Musical Extravaganza” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
The show brings the beloved “Charlie Brown Christmas Special” to life in this short
90-minute production. The show follows Charlie Brown as he searches for the true meaning of Christmas among the growing commercialism of the holiday.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ will be at HART on select dates. Donated photo
• “Christmas at Pemberley” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, 14 and 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.
• “Once Upon A Christmas Star” stage production will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 13-14 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company and friends, the story will be told through traditional/sacred songs, dance and more.
On the table
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
ALSO: ALSO:
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular taptakeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine
Tickets are $15 per person in advance. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.
• “Home For The Holidays” stage production will run through Dec. 22 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center in Highlands. Presented by the Mountain Theatre Company. For a full schedule and/or to purchase tickets, click on mountaintheatre.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org or call 828.389.ARTS.
Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
On the wall
HCAC ‘Small Works’ exhibit
The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.
The annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curated exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee. With dozens of artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays — ways of celebrating and ways of experiencing holidays.
For more information, click on haywoodarts.org.
Haywood Arts to offer Helene support grants
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) in Waynesville has announced the launch of the HCAC Helene Support Grant. Designed to provide financial assistance to HCAC artist members who have been significantly impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the application process is currently underway. Funding will range from $300 to $1,500.
Wesley Bowers is an HCAC member. File photo
The Helene Support Grant is intended for individual artists, providing critical relief as they recover from the storm’s impact on their lives and livelihoods. Eligible artists must be active members of the HCAC as of September 2024 and must be working in one of the following artistic fields: craft, literary, media, performing, visual or interdisciplinary arts.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Applicants must be an HCAC artist member as of September 2024 and be 18 years of age.
• Available to artists and creatives who have experienced loss due to Hurricane Helene, including loss of a studio, home, supplies or income.
• Applicants must have been affected by Hurricane Helene.
• This grant is intended for individual artists; nonprofits are not eligible for this opportunity.
The HCAC is committed to supporting local artists who contribute so much to the cultural fabric of our mountain community. With these funds, artists can begin to recov-
er and rebuild after the storm’s devastation.
For more details about the Helene Support Grant and to submit an application, please visit haywoodarts.org/grants-funding or contact the HCAC at director@haywoodarts.org.
‘Cold Mountain Christmas Craft Fair’
The inaugural “Cold Mountain Christmas Craft Fair” will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Lake Logan Retreat Center in Canton.
Holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, cookie decorating and more. Live music by The Moon & You (3-5 p.m.). Guests will experience a charming holiday event in a pristine gem of Haywood County.
Mile-long Lake Logan is surrounded by the Shining Rock Wilderness and Pisgah National Forest, making this a premier destination for Southern Appalachian hospitality, adventure and down-home family fun.
Folks can enjoy a glass of warm cider by the fire or embark on a hiking adventure using one of the on-campus trails. Lakeside cabin rentals are available for families and friends who would like to make it a weekend getaway (email info@lakelogan.org).
For more information, click on lakelogan.org/event/cold-mountain-christmascraft-fair.
Desperate times, desperate measures
It’s spring of 1941 and Britain stands alone against Hitler’s Germany. The British aircraft dropping their bombs on German military and manufacturing bases, and cities, were having an effect on that nation’s morale and production, but every downed British aircraft meant fewer experienced airmen. A good number of these crews survived, parachuting into different European countries when their planes ran out of fuel or were shot out of the air. Some were taken prisoner and sent to camps; others eluded capture. Either way, the loss of these aviators was damaging Britain’s war effort.
In Alan Furst’s thriller, “A Hero of France” (Random House, 2017, 256 pages), we enter into the French underground that rescued these pilots and their crew members, hid them from the Nazi occupiers, and attempted to smuggle them back to Britain and into action. Mathieu — a false name — is one of the leaders of the Resistance, head of a cell in Paris devoted to saving the airmen and if possible, delivering them safely into neutral countries like Spain.
friend and lover. Others involved in stymying the Nazis include a café owner, a young Jewish teacher seeking revenge for the atrocities committed by the Nazis against his people, and several more who, while never becoming formal members of Mathieu’s group, are willing to lend a hand — the loan of a van, for instance, or providing a safe house.
As the authorities close in on Mathieu’s operation, the tension in “A Hero of France” ratchets up. Otto Broehm, a senior police inspector working with the Wehrmacht’s military police, recruits a criminal refuge imprisoned in France, Stefan Kusar, to become a mole in Mathieu’s cell. Though Mathieu has doubts about taking Kusar into
right things, you will have to be an actor, a good actor.”
“Nothing new, Major, I have been a good actor all my life. And I have studied people, their behavior, their desires, their weaknesses, with me it’s a kind of talent. I don’t like to be fooled.”
“People will be arrested, you know, as a result of your work.”
Kusar shrugged. “They gambled, they lost, life goes on.”
Though many of the characters in “A Hero of France” lack Kusar’s cynicism and try to avoid cooperating with the Nazis, they are also either afraid or too self-absorbed in protecting themselves to oppose their conquerors. By including such timid men and women in his story, Furst is merely reflecting historical truth, for despite impressions today, only about three percent of the French belonged to the Resistance.
As we follow Mathieu’s rescue efforts, we meet his accomplices. Max de Lyon, who among other things was an arms dealer before the war, now operates a risqué night club frequented by German soldiers and bureaucrats. Lisette, at 17 the youngest member of Mathieu’s group, acts as a courier, riding her bicycle around Paris after school and delivering messages about possible threats and upcoming operations. Chantal is the beautiful sophisticate who frequently poses as Mathieu’s wife or companion when they’re on a mission, while Joëlle, who comes late to this game of intrigue, is Mathieu’s good
Libro for the audiobook lover
the Resistance, he finally puts them aside. It’s then that the trouble begins.
Earlier in the story, during his interview with Broehm, Kusar makes an admission that reveals his true character. Broehm explains to Kusar, “Of course, it will be dangerous, you will have to be patient, and cunning, you will have to understand the people you are dealing with, you will have to say the
In many other ways as well, Furst brings alive the occupation and the city of Paris through the use of facts and details, so much so that about halfway through “A Hero of France,” I paused in wonder at the amount of research that he must have conducted to put together such a story. The clothing and fashion worn by Parisians and others, the descriptions and names of the streets, buildings, metro stops, and parks of Paris, the customs and etiquette of the times, the limited foods available during wartime rationing, the operations of the black market: Furst not only had to play archaeologist and dig these pieces out of the past from histories, newspapers, and documents, but he then had to blend this information in a natural fashion into his writing.
In “The Art of Fiction,” novelist John Gardner stressed the importance of inducing in a reader a “dream-like” state, which “creates a vivid and continuous dream in the reader’s mind.” Like other fine writers, this fictive hypnosis of the reader is precisely what Alan Furst accomplishes. As we sink into the book, we find ourselves living in Paris 80-odd years ago.
If you decide to give Furst’s novel a try and find it a pleasure, here’s some good news. “A Hero of France” is only one of 15 such stories in his “Night Soldier” series, all of which take place in the European underground during World War II.
(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.”)
Bookshop.org gift cards for those far away
Writer Jeff Minick
Christmas Bird Count marks 125 years
SWord from the Smokies
BY HOLLY KAYS | S PECIAL TO SMN
ince its origin in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count has become a holiday fixture for ever-expanding numbers of birders across the globe, giving a valuable gift to generations of wildlife scientists — a massive trove of data on bird populations in the Western Hemisphere. This annual avian census, set to commence for the 125th time, began in an era when many bird species were facing steep declines, especially waterfowl prized for their feathers. The Christmas Bird Count was the National Audubon Society’s answer to the traditional Christmas Side Hunt, a team competition that encouraged participants to kill as many furred and feathered creatures as possible in a single outing.
“The Christmas Bird Count really got started as an alternative to those kinds of hunting efforts,” said Curtis Smalling, executive director of Audubon North Carolina. “This year is the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count, and that makes it the longest-running community science project in North America.”
Anyone can participate in the CBC, regardless of their birding skill level, by joining one of the thousands of circles, each 15 miles in diameter, that comprise the event. The organizer of each circle chooses a day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 to conduct their count. On the appointed day, all participants in the circle have 24 hours in which to tally as many birds as they can. In addition to listing the individual species spotted, they also count the number of individual birds seen and participant hours logged.
On count day, “out in the field” can mean a lot of different things. People who live inside a count circle can participate by simply watching their bird feeder and sending their observations to the count compiler. Half of the Gatlinburg circle lies within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and half lies outside it, so Watson tries to make sure that some of his participants — in recent years, more than 30 of them — get out on trails in the park to look for birds beyond eyeshot of the road. Some observers drive US 441 through the Smokies, pulling out at each overlook to watch for birds, while some make the rounds in the lower-elevation areas outside the park, driving around until they find a place where they’re allowed to pull over and walk around. Night shift counters are welcome too — after dark is the best time to call for owls.
All that data helps paint a comprehensive picture of how birds are faring over time — not just in the Great Smoky Mountains but across the continent as well. The overall picture is quite bleak. Dubbed the “three billion birds report,” a 2019 research article published in the journal Science used a variety of datasets, including the CBC, to show that bird populations in the US and Canada had declined by 29% — or nearly 3 billion — since 1970.
Keith Watson leads a birding trip in the Kuwohi area during a July Smokies Life event. Holly Kays, Smokies Life photo
Participation in the Christmas Bird Count has grown dramatically over the past 125 years. The first one in 1900 involved 27 people conducting counts in 25 locations within the United States. Last year, the Audubon Society marked a new record of 2,677 count circles and 83,186 participants, with counts held not only in the US but also in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The Great Smoky Mountains region includes circles in Gatlinburg, Cades Cove, Knoxville, Franklin, Highlands, Waynesville, Hot Springs and Asheville, to name a few.
“It’s just fun,” said retired migratory bird biologist Keith Watson, who has organized the Gatlinburg circle since 2020 and participated in it regularly for decades. “It’s an opportunity to spend all day out in the field, watching birds and counting them.”
“The species that seem to be doing the worst are the birds that are highly specialized and need large blocks of habitat,” said Smalling. Grassland birds like bobwhite quail and eastern meadowlarks, for example, have seen drastic declines over the past 50 years — in North Carolina, their numbers are down 98% and 70%, respectively. But more than 40% of species in the state are trending upward in population, Smalling said. This includes waterfowl species that have benefited from successful conservation efforts as well as species that adapt well to the kinds of changes humans make to the environment, like urban development and forest fragmentation. Some birds fit both categories.
“The bird that has increased the most in North Carolina is the Canada goose,” said Smalling. “We do a great job of making Canada goose habitat.”
Every year, more land is developed, leaving spots that were once reliable contributors to the CBC list devoid of birds. But Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and much of the hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land adjoining it — remains undeveloped.
“The mountains act as a stronghold for many interior forest birds,” Smalling explained. “Some things that are external to the region, like acid rain, can still impact birds, but in general those big blocks of F
A pair of red-bellied woodpeckers seeks out a winter meal on a snag in Cades Cove. Photo by Reggie Tidwell.
forest really make this an extremely important area for conservation and species persistence.”
This habitat has become even more important in the face of a warming climate, with CBC data revealing how some birds’ winter ranges are shifting northward. Over the past five years, Watson said, the Gatlinburg circle has started logging brownheaded nuthatches and yellow-crowned night herons, species previously found in nearby counties but not recorded in the Smokies until the 2020 Christmas Bird Count. Smalling said changes like these are likely related to shifts in the climate.
“We’re staying a little bit warmer, and there’s less snow than there used to be, so the birds are responding to that,” he said. “The Christmas Bird Count is a great way to quantify those changes.”
The Smokies, with their great variation in elevations and ecosystems, are an important refuge for many species — avian and otherwise — that may find their traditional home range a little too warm for comfort. Set to mark its 50th count this month, the Gatlinburg CBC circle has averaged 58 species over the years, ranging from a high of 75 species in 2020 to a low of 38 in 2004. Last year’s count recorded 64 different kinds of birds. A greater number of species may be spotted in the Smokies over the course of the calendar year, as some reside there only in the warmer months. The Christmas Bird Count captures only year-round and winter residents, while the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, managed by park partner Discover Life in America, lists 254 species that have been seen in the park at least once.
Count results can vary significantly based on participation and access to counting sites. If the park closes for inclement weather on the day of the count, then CBC teams can’t look for birds there. But the count goes on regardless. Whether the day dawns bright and sunny or gray and wet, for many birders it’s one of the best parts of the year.
Easily identifiable by its bright gold-andorange head, the golden-crowned kinglet can be found year-round in high-elevation areas of the Smokies.
Society.
“I go out no matter what the weather is, even if it’s raining,” said Watson. “I know a lot of other people do too.”
Holly Kays is the lead writer for the 29,000member Smokies Life, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the scientific, historical, and interpretive activities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services such as this column. Learn more at smokieslife.org or reach the author at hollyk@smokieslife.org.
For more information about the Gatlinburg CBC circle, contact Keith Watson at piedbird@comcast.net. To join one of the thousands of other circles scattered around the globe, visit audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/join-christmasbird-count. If you can’t get out in person, watch live count updates at gis.audubon.org/cbclive.
A male (left) and female common merganser perch on a rock in a river. Though this species may winter in coastal areas, it tends to prefer freshwater habitat and winters in the
NCWRC votes to advance Red Wolf recovery
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission today voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to advance Red Wolf recovery in the state. The resolution replaces all previous resolutions on Red Wolves and commits the agency to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop and implement collaborative management actions on the Albermarle Peninsula in order “to meet the recovery goals for Red Wolves and for the benefits of North Carolina’s citizens.
“The Wildlife Resources Commission resolu-
tion on Red Wolves addresses the need to recover America’s native wolf and other wildlife at a landscape scale and centers collaboration in order to achieve success,” said Heather Clarkson, Defenders of Wildlife regional outreach representative. “Committing to Red Wolf recovery is an obligation to all species in the Albermarle Peninsula, and we are extremely grateful to the Commission for demonstrating leadership at a time when critically endangered species like the Red Wolf need support the most.”
The commission is responsible for wildlife management throughout the state and last issued a resolution on Red Wolves in 2015.
Wolf Conservation Center photo
Dale Vanderheyden photo, courtesy of National Audubon
Smokies in small numbers. Photo by Warren Bielenberg.
HCLT to conserve 100 acre tract of pristine land in Cashiers
Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) is under contract on 100 acres of raw and pristine land in Cashiers. Fully surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land, this property is visible from Whiteside Mountain and protects streams in the Chattooga watershed. Located off Bull Pen Road, it is home to many rare and endemic species of plants and animals.
Thanks to the support of a generous private foundation and HCLT’s Donors, the Twigg Tract will remain untouched and conserved forever, a huge win for conservation.
Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is a nationally accredited nonprofit organiza-
tion that has been conserving land on the Plateau since 1909, making it the oldest land trust in North Carolina and one of the oldest in the state.
Conservation is a powerful way to make a difference. Forests store carbon, reducing greenhouse gases while providing stunning landscapes, recreational opportunities, and critical habitats for wildlife. Wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing stormwater to prevent flooding and releasing water during droughts to sustain ecosystems, improve water quality and support diverse species.
Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is protecting forests and wetlands across the Plateau and safeguarding the natural beauty and resilience of our region. To learn how to help to create a healthier and more sustainable future for people and nature contact HCLT at info@hcltnc.org or 828.526.1111.
North Carolina announces drinking water awards
The North Carolina Division of Water Resources has honored 79 water treatment plants for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2023. The division’s Public Water Supply Section awarded the facilities the prestigious N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award, which is part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities.
For 2023, the state recognized 16 facilities with the “Gold Star” honor, which is awarded to systems that have received the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award for 10 or more consecutive years. The only winner in The Smoky Mountain News coverage area was the Maggie Valley Sanitary District Water Treatment Plant.
Awards are given each year to water systems that
demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a key test of drinking water quality. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by individual particles that can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Microbes are microscopic particles that occur naturally but can include harmful bacteria and viruses.
While all drinking water systems must meet strict state and federal drinking water standards, these systems met performance goals that are significantly more stringent than state and federal standards. In 2023, over 3.6 million North Carolina residents were served by these award-winning plants.
The award winners from the SMN coverage area for 2023 are:
• Fontana Dam Water Treatment Plant
• Franklin Water Plant
• Maggie Valley Sanitary District Water Treatment Plant
• Western Carolina University Water Treatment Plant
The drought has now spread to most of the state. ncdrought.org photo
Most of WNC now in moderate drought
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has again classified the whole state as at least abnormally dry with a moderate drought now affecting the entire Smoky Mountain News coverage area other than a sliver of northern Haywood County. Residents are asked to take caution as fires burn in nearby McDowell County.
Sign up for night skiing at Cataloochee
Jackson County Recreation is offering four, five and six-week programs that will allow skiers to enjoy lessons under the night sky at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. Lesson times run from about 3-5 p.m., but skiers can hit the slopes afterward until 10 p.m.
Slope Pass and Rental costs $100 a week.
Here’s a look at the price breakdown:
• 4 Week - Lesson Only - $30.00 per day ($120.00 Total)
• 4 Week - Slope/Lesson Only - $75.00 per day ($300.00 Total)
• 4 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental - $95.00 per day ($380.00 Total)
• 4 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental/Helmet - $102.50 per day ($410.00 Total)
• 5 Week - Lesson Only - $29.00 ($145.00 Total)
• 5 Week - Slope/Lesson - $74.00 ($370.00 Total)
• 5 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental - $94.00 per day ($470.00 Total)
• 5 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental/Helmet - $100.00 per day ($500.00 Total)
• 6 Week - Lesson Only - $28.33 per day ($170.00 Total)
• 6 Week - Slope/Lesson - $73.33 per day ($440.00 Total)
• 6 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental - $93.33 per day ($560.00 Total)
• 6 Week - Slope/Lesson/Rental/Helmet - $100.00 per day ($600.00 Total)
Participants must sign up before Friday, Dec. 13, the date of the first lesson. To register, email trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org, call 828-293-3053 ext. 9 or visit jcprd.recdesk.com/community.
Jackson County hosts
youth spring soccer
Youth soccer is coming to Jackson County next month.
Registration for spring soccer begins Jan. 1 and runs through Jan. 31. Registration fee is
$65. Anyone born between 2011 and 2020 is eligible to participate. Practices will start in mid-March. For more information, parents in the Cashiers area can call 828.631.2023 or send an email to annataylor@jacksonnc.org, and parents in the Cullowhee or Sylva areas can call 828.293.3053, ext. 4 or send an email to joelyon@jacksonnc.org.
Up Moses Creek
BY B URT KORNEGAY
Cinnamon Bun eats out
Afemale timber rattler lived inside an old railroad tie beside our back porch last summer, coming out in the afternoons to lie on the steps in the sun. Curled up like that, the snake showed swirls of light brown, with dark-toasted bands, and her scales gave off a sugary glaze, so Becky named her Cinnamon Bun. We knew the snake was female because in July she’d shed her skin, and I counted the scales on the underside of the tail. Female timber rattlers have fewer than 21 such scales, males more than 21. Cinnamon Bun had 19. Her skin measured 40 inches long, plus two more inches if you add the 10 rattles.
One afternoon in late August I assumed Cinnamon Bun was emerging to bask when I heard Becky call from the kitchen window, “Come see!” But that afternoon, as we watched, the snake climbed up a nearby rock wall instead, from which she scanned the yard. Then she slowly slithered along the stone walkway and across the front steps— while we followed from window to window. Snakes smell with their forked tongues, and the way Cinnamon Bun flicked hers out continuously like black lightning, we guessed she was on the hunt.
When the snake went under our deck, we tiptoed out and caught glimpses of her down through the spaces between the deck boards. Suddenly we saw her move quickly out into the yard — then stop. A chipmunk was just inches away! Chipmunks are a timber rattler’s favorite food, and we thought Cinnamon Bun would strike. Several minutes passed before I realized the chipmunk was strangely hunkered, head down, as if falling asleep.
“It’s already been struck!” I whispered to Becky, pointing to a wet spot at the creature’s right shoulder where the fangs had penetrated. I knew there was no need to whisper, of course, since snakes don’t have ears, but to our ears it sounded like the right thing to do. Cinnamon Bun must have struck while she was under the deck, and the
chipmunk — envenomated — ran a little way but could go no farther. We were close enough to see flies landing on the wet spot. But when we drew up chairs and looked through our binoculars, what happened next felt almost too close.
The snake paid them no mind. When a fly landed on her head, she shook it off like a dog.
Now Cinnamon Bun moved nose to nose with the stricken chipmunk, as if savoring its little breaths. Then, unhooking her jaws, she gaped and took the chipmunk’s head into her mouth. The chipmunk jerked back out. Three times we watched the snake mouth the chipmunk. Three times it kicked back out. The fourth time the rattlesnake clamped tight. Chipmunk time was up.
deformed. Next, as the ‘munk went deeper, the snake’s dark narrow neck ballooned and turned white — the skin color showing between the scales. Before they disappeared, I thought I saw the Chipmunk’s little back feet quiver. Then the only thing left sticking out was its furry tail.
The rattler reared up like a cobra. Her eyes bulged and glared: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” The furry tail slipped out of sight.
Cinnamon Bun yawned to re-hook her jaws. And as she worked the white bulge on
With a motion nearly imperceptible, the snake edged up and smelled the chippy from head to tail. The chipmunk gave a spasmodic lurch, and the snake drew back. Time was on the rattler’s side. Chipmunk time was running out. Slowly, the snake moved close again and put her snout up to the chipmunk’s ear. I thought of the serpent in the Garden of Eden hissing to innocent Eve, “Take and eat!”
A yellow jacket joined the flies. The yard birds gathered overhead to scold and fuss.
With the chipmunk’s head now secure, Cinnamon Bun began tugging at her prey, and with each tug the little animal went in deeper. Reaching the Chipmunk’s shoulders, the snake “walked” her top jaw over one of its front legs then walked her bottom jaw over the other leg, tugging each time. The flies were frantic. Their food was disappearing.
As she swallowed the chipmunk, Cinnamon Bun herself began to grow. First, her head expanded until it was grotesque,
down, her head became triangular again, her neck shrunk. When she started moving toward the back porch, she alternately pulled with her head and pushed with her tail to drag her swollen belly along.
I was at my desk writing this up when Becky called again from the kitchen. I joined her in time to see Cinnamon Bun slide back into the old railroad tie. The hunt had taken her four hours. For us it was suppertime.
(Burt and Becky Kornegay live in Jackson County.)
The rattlesnake basked by the hollow railroad tie that was her home. Burt Kornegay photo
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