Sports are a big deal in Haywood County, with the County Clash rivalry popularized by the annual Pisgah vs. Tuscola football game now gaining more notice across all sports. However, with more students moving from Tuscola to Pisgah, people are questioning the transfer policy. Should students have to sit out a year if they transfer? Is there a cultural problem at Tuscola leading to the transfers? As the school board takes action, The Smoky Mountain News dives into the issue. (Page 10)
Attorney General Stein recognizes heroism in Canton............................................5 Lumbee, seeking recognition, doubles down against EBCI..................................6 Haywood Commissioners press on against misinformation..................................9 General Assembly overrides governor’s veto of flood relief bill..........................14 The exit interview: Roy Cooper looks back, looks forward....................................16
Community briefs..............................................................................................................19
Opinion
A lesson in how lies lead to dangerous outcomes..................................................20 GOP’s rationale for power grab just doesn’t wash................................................21
A&E
Heart of the arts: The stories that mattered in 2024..............................................22 All aboard ‘The Polar Express’........................................................................................27
Outdoors
Bill passes providing millions to dams, flood mitigation........................................30 The Joyful Botanist: Happy Holly Days......................................................................34
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Friends and alumni contributed more than $6 million to Western Carolina University during the 2024 GivingTuesday initiative, nearly quadrupling the previous record set last year and setting the stage for a corresponding challenge gift that would unlock significant additional funding for WCU athletics facilities renovations.
National construction contracting company Phillips and Jordan Inc. has pledged $1 million toward upgrades to WCU’s athletics facilities, specifically to E.J. Whitmire Stadium, if the Catamount Club reaches a total of 2,000 members by June 30, 2025. That challenge issued by company CEO Teddy Phillips, Jr. kicked off during the GivingTuesday campaign.
While the 2024 edition of GivingTuesday at WCU centered on growing membership in the Catamount Club and increasing support for athletics facilities improvements, donors were free to direct contributions to any area of the university of their choosing. The Phillips and Jordan challenge, however, is focused solely on enlarging the Catamount Club.
GivingTuesday also featured several other challenge gifts providing bonus funding to the university based on meeting certain criteria. Members of the WCU Foundation Board of Directors committed to contributing an extra $2 per donor for the first 1,000 donors during GivingTuesday.
With a GivingTuesday donor tally topping 1,550, meeting that challenge has resulted in an additional $14,000 for the Catamount Club. In addition, 16 members of the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Office of Alumni Engagement staff collectively offered a matching gift for the Catamount Club totaling $800 in added support.
Going into this year’s GivingTuesday, which fell on Dec. 3, WCU’s Division of Advancement had announced a goal of 1,300 individual donors, with an emphasis on increasing financial contributions to the Catamount Club and athletics facilities renovations.
Now that the dust has settled, the division reports that 1,555 individual donors made 1,628 gifts on GivingTuesday, surpassing the original goal by 255 donors. That total includes 274 new, first-time donors. The final tally of gifts and pledges raised through GivingTuesday totaled $6,074,007.73, shattering last year’s then-record of $1,571,180.51 received from 1,251 donors.
Rebekah Cheney, WCU’s director of annual giving, compared tallying contributions to GivingTuesday to counting ballots after Election Day.
“The counting period for GivingTuesday actually began on Nov. 1, which is akin to early voting,” Cheney said. “We continue counting contributions through Dec. 9 so we can include any gifts that were sent through the mail in the total figures. Our team reviews all the gift data to ensure we’ve counted every gift and every donor, similar to how election results are not certified until they are confirmed through the
canvassing process.”
In addition to the Catamount Club and support for WCU athletics facilities renovations and programs, GivingTuesday gifts went to assist other areas such as academic program endowments, the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and the Division of Student Affairs Student Emergency Fund.
With another successful GivingTuesday now in the
acterized the Phillips and Jordan challenge gift as one of the most impactful in the university’s history.
“The challenge will help us make critical improvements to our athletics facility infrastructure while also building the base of philanthropic support for the future. The amazing response from our donors on GivingTuesday reflects the significant sense of commitment that our alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff, students and stakeholders feel for helping this institution deliver on its mission,” Pendry said. “I am optimistic that they will now rise to answer this new challenge. We need each and every person to step up and join the Catamount Club as we work toward reaching 2,000 members to meet the goal.”
rearview mirror, WCU is turning its attention to increasing membership in the Catamount Club and meeting the challenge issued by Phillips and Jordan Inc., a company with roots in the Western North Carolina town of Robbinsville and headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Phillips, Jr., a former member of the university’s Board of Trustees who studied business management at WCU in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has pledged $1 million in corporate support toward renovations to E.J. Whitmire Stadium if the Catamount Club hits the 2,000-member mark before the close of the fiscal year. The gift represents the latest example of a long history of support of Catamount athletics by the company and the family that founded it.
The Phillips and Jordan challenge is part of the ongoing “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign to raise support for WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs. The campaign, entering its public phase in early 2025, is WCU’s first with a significant focus on raising philanthropic support for improving facilities used by student-athletes.
Ben Pendry, WCU vice chancellor for advancement, char-
Wes Cogdill, associate athletics director and director of the Catamount Club, called support for the Catamount Club “the lifeblood of the WCU athletics program.”
“The more than 350 student-athletes who represent this university by donning their purple and gold uniforms on the courts, fields and tracks of intercollegiate competition depend upon the contributions of members of the Catamount Club,” Cogdill said. “We appreciate Teddy Phillips and his company for helping energize our fan base through this generous challenge gift, and we are thankful for the wonderful support received on GivingTuesday.”
Launched in 2012, GivingTuesday is a nationally observed day of philanthropy held on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and after the big shopping days of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Next year’s GivingTuesday will be on Dec. 2.
For those who missed GivingTuesday but still want to make a gift to WCU before the end of the calendar year, contact the Division of Advancement (828.227.7124 or 800.492.8496) or by email at advancement@wcu.edu. Online giving also is available by visiting the website makeagift.wcu.edu.
WCU’s mascot, Paws. The university broke records with its GivingTuesday efforts. Donated photo
Attorney General Stein recognizes heroism in Canton
BY KYLE PERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
Acouple of people from Canton were recognized by Attorney General and incoming governor Josh Stein for their actions during the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
On Thursday, Dec. 12, people from across the region gathered to receive Dogwood Awards from Stein. The Attorney General’s Dogwood Awards, created in 2017 by Stein, are given to honor North Carolinians who are dedicated to keeping people safe, healthy and happy in their communities.
ders, were just truly heroic in those days and weeks immediately following the storm,” Stein said. “I want to put [Chief] Sluder right there on that list. They’ve been helping Canton deal with so many challenges for so many years, because they keep getting knocked down, but every single time, Canton stands back up.”
Stein noted that WPTL coming up on the air as soon as possible following the storm was vital for people desperate for information.
“When people couldn’t access the internet or phone lines, they were a critical voice, so that people get the information that they
Awards: Canton Police Chief was given a Dogwood Award, while Terryll Evans accepted one on behalf of Canton radio station WPTL. Kyle Perrotti photo
Last week’s recipients ranged from law enforcement officers to firefighters to mayors to business owners who went above and beyond. For Canton, that was Police Chief Scott Sluder and Terryll Evans, who accepted the award on behalf of local radio station WPTL.
This ceremony marked Stein’s last presentation of Dogwood Awards before he takes office as governor. Stein noted that presenting these awards has been one of his favorite duties as attorney general.
“When the storm hit here in Western North Carolina, we simply could not have imagined its consequences, the lives lost, the devastation to home and properties, the destruction to roads and vital infrastructure, the loss to people’s livelihoods,” he said. “We saw a lot of bad after the storm, but my goodness, did we also see a lot of good neighbors helping neighbors, people sharing everything they had with other people who had lost everything.”
Stein recognized Sluder as one of many law enforcement officers who stepped up.
“Practically every police chief, practically every sheriff, practically every police officer, practically every deputy, all the first respon-
needed to make the safest decisions possible for themselves and their family,” Stein said.
Both Sluder and Evans told The Smoky Mountain News that they are aware that there are so many people in the region — and even in Canton alone — that acted in a way that would merit a Dogwood Award but that they were honored to have their hard work recognized.
“Without men and women that work for me, without my officers, my telecommunicators, and without the town staff something like this award, for the reasons we’re receiving it, would have never happened,” Sluder said. “It’s because we have good, hard-working people that work for the town of Canton, that want to come together and take care of our citizens.”
“WPTL is the fabric of the county, but this took so much community support … When this disaster came and hit our area in Western North Carolina, [first responders] helped me to get back on the air to give out the information to all those folks who felt like they didn’t know what to do,” Evans said. “It takes it takes everybody, and so to be a part of this group, it makes me feel like I wouldn’t be here without all of them.”
Lumbees double down against EBCI
Incoming governor faces tough political decision on federal recognition
BY KYLE PERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
The bitter battle between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Lumbee as the Lumbee seek federal recognition has grown even more contentious over the last few months. And now, following the announcement from Attorney General and Governor-elect Josh Stein that EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks — who has long called into question the Lumbees’ identification as a tribe — will be appointed to Stein’s transition team, a state representative from Lumbee country is sounding the alarm.
According to a press release, Hicks will chair the committee for the state’s Department of Administration, which oversees the Commission of Indian Affairs, on the transition team.
In a statement sent to The Cherokee One Feather, Hicks said that the tribe’s working relationship with Stein has been “positive and productive.”
“Serving on this transition team allows us to ensure that the unique needs and priorities of the Tribal community are represented as decisions are made that impact all North Carolinians,” Hicks said. “This partnership reflects a shared commitment to equity, progress, and collaborative leadership.”
Stein declined to comment for this story, but during his campaign, he made a stop in Cherokee and spoke to Hicks and members of Tribal Council. Stein thanked the tribe for inviting him to speak and noted that he intends to maintain a positive relationship with the tribe.
“As attorney general, we’ve always had an open door and welcomed the opportunity to meet with you all, whether it’s up here in Cherokee or in the west or in Raleigh,” he said. “As governor, I want to continue that kind of open communication and open-door relationship with the tribe, and I look forward, God willing, to being able to do that with you in the years to come.”
Although Stein didn’t comment on the record, a News and Observer story noted that, according to Stein’s transition team, Lumbee Tribal Chairperson Harvey Godwin Jr. now has a spot on that team, as well.
direct economic benefits to the Eastern Band at the expense of the Lumbee.
“The Commission of Indian Affairs has long served as the bridge between state government and tribal communities,” Lowery wrote. “Chief Hicks’s appointment raises serious concerns about whether this vital institution will remain a space of collaboration for all tribes.”
Carolina.”
This language mirrors a statement the Department of Administration released following Lowery’s letter to Stein. That statement notes that the Commission of Indian Affairs is concerned with a “troubling pattern of behavior” in which the Eastern Band questions the legitimacy of other groups, calling the EBCI “an oppressor” of fellow tribes.
Rep. Jarrod Lowery (RRobeson), a former member of the Lumbee Tribal Council, sent Stein a letter expressing concern over questions over Hicks’ potential motives that could limit Lumbee sovereignty while also providing
Lowery noted that under Hicks — who is a registered Republican — the Eastern Band doesn’t even participate in the Commission on Indian Affairs. At this time, the Eastern Band has two spots on the commission, one of which is vacant; the Lumbee have three. Lowery also claimed that Hicks had a history of divisive, even racist rhetoric.
“There is considerable concern within the Native community about Chief Hicks’s history and leadership approach, which is painted by racially inflammatory remarks,” he said. “It is widely perceived that Chief Hicks harbors a vision that marginalizes other tribes in North
titled “Understanding Lumbee History: A Brief for Policymakers” co-authored by eight Lumbee scholars, not only argues in favor of full recognition of the Lumbee by citing primary and secondary sources; it also explains the tribe’s native identity. The authors argue that the ancestors of the Lumbee have thousands of years of history in the region and specifically along the Lumbee River. As with other tribes, throughout the colonization of the early United States, assimilation and dispossession have shaped the Lumbees’ history and culture. In a story from The Assembly, one of the authors of the paper, Malinda Maynor Lowery, is paraphrased as saying “refugees of decimated peoples huddled together in the impenetrable Robeson County swamp, where, over time, they intermarried with English- and Gaelic-speaking settlers, as well as Black slaves and freedmen.”
“Outside influences have not disrupted the Lumbees inherent understanding of kinship and homelands,” the brief reads. “Furthermore, their existence as a political entity which has retained its sovereignty is consistently demonstrated according to the standards of rigorous peer-reviewed research,” it reads, further noting that evidence drawn from genealogy, oral history, land records and maps demonstrate that the Lumbees’ ancestors came from the Tribal Nations Hatteras, Tuscarora, Cheraw and Powhatan.
The brief talks about the divisive rhetoric from entities, including The Eastern Band, that has been harmful to the Lumbee and others.
“This rhetoric is not new to Tribes seeking federal recognition especially those in the Southeast and east coast who have long histories of colonialism that intertwine deeply with histories of slavery and must contend with anti-Blackness in a region profoundly shaped by racial segregation, Indian Removal, and the denial and appropriation of Native identity by non-Native individuals,” the paper reads.
“In particular, the defamatory statements made by the EBCI regarding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina are baseless and have been disproven on numerous occasions,” the statement reads. “These unfounded assertions not only tarnish the reputation of the Lumbee Tribe but also perpetuate unnecessary division.”
Hicks has certainly marginalized the Lumbee, although he would take issue with Lowery’s use of the word “tribes.” The Lumbee were recognized by the state in 1885 and received partial federal recognition in 1956 under the Lumbee Act; however, the tribe has not been entitled to the full federal benefits that are offered to other tribes, despite numerous attempts to get such legislation passed.
An academic paper published this year
In the past, people have claimed that the opposition to full recognition for the Lumbee from the Eastern Band and other tribes is economically driven, given that there is a set amount of federal funding — meaning everyone else would get a slightly smaller slice of the pie — and potentially casino revenue.
Hicks has been on the record with his opposition to Lumbee recognition for decades, including during congressional testimony in 2006 when he said that the Eastern Band has questioned the Lumbees’ tribal identity since 1910.
“Today, like other tribes, we face a new threat to our separate identity: groups of people who claim, or who have claimed Cherokee, or other tribal affiliations whose legitimacy is doubtful at best,” Hicks said.
In 2020, former Principal Chief Richard Sneed similarly testified in front of Congress.
A map included in that brief shows how various peoples migrated to the area the Lumbee now largely call home. Map from Understanding Lumbee History
Rep. Jarrod Lowery
“We are Cherokee not because we woke up one day and decided to be,” Sneed said. “We are Cherokee because we always have been, from time immemorial”
Sneed claimed that most Lumbees can’t demonstrate any native ancestry.
“When a group of people falsely claim our identity, whether it’s to gain fame, financial gain or federal recognition, it is our duty and responsibility to defend the identity our grandmothers and grandfathers,” Sneed added.
This exact claim is heavily disputed in the previously mentioned brief.
In 2022, during their annual Tri-Council session, the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes agreed unanimously to a resolution opposing state and federal recogni-
the inclusion of groups that aren’t federally recognized. Anyone else, the release claims, is looking to “exploit Indigenous identity for personal gain, detracting from the benefits and resources meant for true Indigenous tribes. Countless groups across the United States have persistently and falsely claimed to be Cherokee. Today, there are only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes.”
During his 2006 testimony, Hicks argued that that the Office of Federal Acknowledgement, established in 1978, is the proper venue for the government to consider full recognition of a group of people. This argument was mirrored in a YouTube video posted a few weeks ago. That video features appearances by leadership of the Eastern Band, the Delaware, the Cherokee Nation, the Shawnee, the Seminole
tion of groups they say erroneously claim Cherokee identity, including the Lumbee.
“There is a war on our identities right now, and just us having to go to D.C. and educate our senators and congressmen about who we are, this is going to be huge what we’ve done today,” then-EBCI Vice Chairman Albert Rose said of the approved resolution.
Hicks has maintained and even strengthened this stance. In an op-ed published in The Smoky Mountain News March 6, he said that the Eastern Band faces “persistent challenges” from entities that seek to exploit Cherokee culture for their own ends.
“It is imperative to recognize that protection of Cherokee land and identity is not a trend — it is a sacred part of who we are as a people,” Hicks wrote. “Falsely claiming Cherokee and other Indian identity and culture not only dishonors our ancestors but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and erases the lived experiences of genuine Native communities.”
and Lummi tribes.
“As I think about groups, such as the Lumbee group, that have no sister tribe in Oklahoma, where the southeastern Native Americans were moved to, it makes you wonder, it makes you question their validity.” Hicks said in the video.
In the video, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee, Chuck Hoskin Jr., claimed that recognition through legislation has become political.
References to the Lumbee claiming to be Cherokee date back about a century when the tribe sought recognition under the name “Cherokee Indians of Robeson County.”
The tribe has also stood against any kind of recognition — even informal — of other native groups claiming Cherokee heritage. For example, in July, following the Atlanta Braves’ recognition late last month of several groups in Georgia recognized by that state as Native American, Eastern Band officials issued multiple statements decrying
tion a priority for many state official’s (sic) campaigns,” one image reads.
Politics does play a large role in the effort to gain full recognition for the Lumbee. At one point in his letter to Stein, Lowery said that the state deserves a governor for all people, “not just those who are able to write large campaign checks.” While the Eastern Band donates to both Republican and Democratic candidates and groups, as noted in the Dec. 11 edition of the email newsletter NC Tribune, so too do the Lumbee.
“Instead of just going through a PAC, this gets expressed through individual donations from Lumbees such as insurance agent Jarette Sampson and Metcon Buildings & Infrastructure founder and CEO Aaron Thomas,” the newsletter reads, noting that those individuals have given six figures.
“Thomas … gave an assortment of Republicans $121,400 in the 2023-24 election cycle alone,” the newsletter continues. “He backed Lowery and such figures as incoming State Treasurer Brad Briner, incoming State Auditor Dave Boliek and rising House Majority Leader Brenden Jones.
His wife, Azalea Thomas, gave an additional $24,800, including a donation to Stein.”
The Lumbees’ quest for recognition and the opposition from tribes like the Eastern Band has also risen to become an issue that garners national attention. Most recently, companion bills in the House and Senate — called the Lumbee Fairness Act — seek to amend the Lumbee Act to give the tribe full federal benefits. The companion bills were filed earlier this year by Congressman David Rouzer, the Republican who represents Robeson County, and North Carolina’s Sen. Thom Tillis. The bill extends federal recognition to the Lumbee and members of the tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke and Scotland Counties.
“The Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services must develop, in consultation with the tribe, a determination of needs to provide the services for which members of the tribe are eligible,” the Senate bill’s summary reads.
Following Tillis’ introduction of his bill, the Eastern Band struck back in a press release calling his speech on the Senate floor an “emotional tirade.”
“Sen. Tillis owes tribal leaders across the nation an apology,” the release read. “Tribal governments have struggled, fought, and bled for centuries to exist and maintain our cultures. Our concerns are rooted in historical facts and a desire to protect what our ancestors fought to pass down. For him to ignore these realities and launch a personal attack on those who dare to disagree with him is unacceptable and unbecoming of a U.S. Senator.”
Following the Eastern Band’s fiery statement, Lowery released one of his own praising Tillis.
“What I see is that when the congress weighs in on recognition it is completely divorced often, or largely divorced, from a real examination of this historic record,” Hoskin said.
Hicks said something similar.
“As I think about the responsibility of Congress, the senators that are working so hard to make sure this recognition occurs, I feel that they haven’t done their homework. They haven’t allowed the process to do its job,” he said.
Most recently, “Commentary cartoons” by Jakeli Swimmer posted to the Cherokee One Feather’s Facebook page gave a list of reasons to oppose Lumbee recognition. The cartoons claim that recognizing the Lumbee not only undermines Cherokee sovereignty, but also Cherokee culture. Ultimately it claims the Lumbee are the “true bullies.” Given the size of the Lumbee nation, the post claims, they are spread across the country and have embedded themselves into positions of political influence, influence they’ve wielded to harm the Eastern Band.
“The biggest problem is their political voting power, again having a large population makes their federal recogni-
“The Lumbee Tribe, Senator Tillis, and our many allies on the Hill, continue to fight against a multimillion dollar fueled opposition led by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians EBCI, owner of several casinos in North Carolina and nearby states like Virginia,” Lowery’s letter read. “The Eastern Band’s highly paid lobbyists profit mightily while the Eastern Band leadership complain incessantly about the housing dollars the Lumbee are eligible to receive from the Federal government.”
The Eastern Band’s beef with Tillis has carried over to other areas, as well. During the tribe’s effort to begin sales of recreational cannabis, Tillis and fellow North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd penned a letter posing questions over the merits and logistics of the move toward legalization. This after Tillis said in Haywood County that he would be in favor of looking at recreational cannabis “like tobacco,” legal, regulated and taxed.
In addition, The Eastern Band has excoriated Tillis for his opposition to the “Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act,” which would direct the Department of the Interior to take 40 acres of land in Oglala Lakota County, S EE LUMBEE, PAGE 8
Attorney General and now Governor-elect Josh Stein speaks to members of EBCI’s Tribal Council. File photo
EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks
South Dakota, and return it to the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes to be maintained as a memorial and sacred site.
During its April 4 meeting, EBCI Tribal Council approved a resolution in support of that legislation that notes that Cherokee leaders recently met with leaders of the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, along with other leaders of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association and the Coalition of Large Tribes.
The resolution claimed that Tillis was blocking both the Wounded Knee Sacred Site Act and the EBCI’s Historical Lands Act to force tribes to give up their opposition against Lumbee recognition.
“Senator Tillis is also blocking other federal legislation important to federally-recognized Indian Nations as punishment for insisting that groups of people who claim to be American Indians and tribes should be required to go through the existing regulatory process developed by the Department of Interior over many years, to achieve federal recognition, and that these groups should not be allowed to circumvent this process through federal legislation,” the resolution read.
people. Full federal recognition is about fairness and increased economic opportunities that will be a huge economic impact for southeastern North Carolina.”
Robeson County, the heart of Lumbee country, is indeed Trump country, but its shift to the right over the last decade and a half has been the biggest in the whole state. It was blue in 2012, when President Barack Obama, during his re-election bid, won the county by over 17 points. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the Presidential election by over four points. Trump beat current President Joe Biden by 18 points in 2020 and almost 28 points in this year’s election.
In 2022, the Republican National Committee opened a community outreach center in Robeson County, the focus of which was Native American outreach.
The resolution further called for the Lumbees to be “held accountable” for con-
“When we talked about where in North Carolina do you wanna start a strategic office, where do you want to start with a community office, Robeson County was very natural and it was the first place that we thought,” thenNCGOP chairman, and current RNC chair Michael Whatley said at the opening of the community center in 2022. “When you think of this county, the tri-racial make-up of it, a third being Native American, a third of them being black, a third being white, this is just an absolute perfect place.”
“Tribal governments have struggled, fought, and bled for centuries to exist and maintain our cultures. Our concerns are rooted in historical facts and a desire to protect what our ancestors fought to pass down. For [Tillis] to ignore these realities and launch a personal attack on those who dare to disagree with him is unacceptable and unbecoming of a U.S. Senator.” — EBCI statement
tinuing to push Tillis to “hold hostage” the interests of federally recognized tribes.
To add to the political intrigue, incoming president Donald Trump has promised that he would sign a bill recognizing the Lumbee, should one cross his desk.
“I’m officially announcing that, if I am elected in November, I will sign legislation granting the great Lumbee Tribe federal recognition that it deserves,” Trump said during a rally in Wilmington earlier this year
“I’m glad President Trump supports full federal recognition for the Lumbee people,” Lowery told the Carolina Journal following the Trump rally. “He understands that ending the nearly 70-year termination policy that Congress put on the Lumbee Tribe will finally conclude the 130-year journey for justice that has been sought by the Lumbee
That same year, Lowery won his first General Assembly race, flipping the District 47 House Seat to GOP control. As the Lumbee have shifted their politics to become more conservative, the county has become a Republican stronghold, and the timing has lined up for Lowery to become a greater political force in a relatively short period of time and may continue to have a louder voice, which could put Stein in a tight spot down the road since he likely doesn’t want to alienate either tribe.
Lowery’s letter urges Stein to clarify his intentions regarding Hicks’ influence on tribal policy. Ultimately, Lowery asked to meet with Stein to see if the Governor-elect could address his concerns, although it isn’t known whether that meeting occurred or will in the future.
Sen. Thom Tillis
Haywood Commissioners press on against misinformation
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
Two weeks after an unusual meeting where
Commissioner Terry Ramey was told to resign over lies he helped spread about the post-Helene housing situation in Haywood County, the other four commissioners made clear they weren’t in the mood for any more shenanigans — removing one woman from the meeting, refuting more lies and even using a little bit of poetry from a cherished Western North Carolina scribe to keep things on track.
Ramey, who hadn’t heeded Rep. Mark Pless’ Dec. 2 call to “serve with them or step down,” was mostly silent during the meeting, but Chairman Kevin Ensley seemed intently focused on maintaining the dignity of the proceedings after weeks of personal threats that emerged when Ramey appeared in a YouTube video by an out-of-state grifter who encouraged Ramey to force a commission vote overriding state building codes.
Only the state could relax the codes, which it did when the sham Helene relief bill became law on Dec. 11, but on Dec. 2, more than a dozen people who spoke during a heated public comment session — most not from Haywood County, or anywhere near it — presented even more lies suggesting commissioners could indeed act as they wished.
As the public comment session began on Dec. 11, the first speaker refused to provide her name and was asked to sit down.
“We’re very transparent at this board, and we expect the folks that come to speak to us to do the same, so if you don’t want to be transparent, we don’t want to hear what you got to say,” said Vice Chairman Brandon Rogers.
After several more refusals to identify herself, Ensley waved over two sheriff’s deputies. Eventually, the woman was escorted out without further incident. Her expulsion
from the meeting is believed to be the first in a decade, if not more.
Later, Chief Deputy Matthew Trantham presented an update on allegations raised during the previous meeting, namely, that people were living in tents and weren’t getting help. Trantham said there were “very few” reports of such situations over the past two weeks, but his department investigated them anyway.
“We’ve checked those. The sheriff checked one of those himself. All of those have been either nonexistent when we get there or they were folks that were homeless prior to the flood, had nothing to do with the flood and didn’t want anything to do with us,” he said.
“So you haven’t found anybody living in a tent that didn’t want to be there?” Ensley asked, receiving an affirmative response from Trantham.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Ensley said. “Because we take care of our people here whether people want to believe it or not. We do.”
Ensley went on to describe a video he’d heard about allegedly showing flood victims in tents; however, those people were not flood victims and weren’t even located in an
area that flooded. Ensley implored Trantham to continue to be on the lookout for scams.
“People not from here, they see things that are made up and not true and then it gets them to give money and then that money goes into somebody’s pocket, and it doesn’t help any flood victims,” Ensley said. “Nothing makes me madder than that … that’s not ‘misinformation,’ it’s really just lies is what it is and they keep perpetuating it and it’s unfortunate.”
Later in the meeting, commissioners considered a request to erect a privately funded memorial to one of Canton’s favorite sons, legendary writer Fred Chappell, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County library. Chappell passed away at the beginning of 2024. Commissioner Tommy Long took the opportunity to read into the record one of Chappell’s poems, which he said resonated with him after the recent loss of his father.
“We’ve had some unusual meetings here recently, kind of some jaw-droppers, so I guess this is a little unusual as well,” Long said, before reading Chappell’s “Time when,” which explores grief and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss — not specifically loss incurred during Helene, but also perhaps the loss of a civilized, educated populace working in good faith to solve society’s biggest problems together.
“The woman pauses her needle and stares before her. Silently she comes to know a man she loved in sudden years gone by has died. From him she learned the many thousand ways the world is not. Strange, how the power of memory increases when objects of its longing are taken away. Strange, that the woman has no power to weep. For half an hour she sits alone, examining the shapeless silence with its dark message, and then she puts her sewing by and rises to address new ceremonies of her altered life, to bear her sorrow gracefully, as a tree bears snow.”
Haywood County Commssion. File photo
Board approves athlete transfer policy without path for implementation
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
Despite having no recommendation to do so from its policy committee, legal advice outlining the complications of such a move, opposition from principals at both high schools and calls for caution from several board members, Haywood County’s school board decided to enact a policy that will require students who transfer from one high school to another to be ineligible for athletics for one full year.
The action was taken at least partially under the assumption that this would align Haywood County Schools with the policy of both the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), as well as that of 108 out of 115 school districts across the state. But that assumption turned out to be far from reality. Districts across the state are almost evenly split when it comes to athletic eligibility rules.
After passing the policy by a 5-3 vote Dec. 9, the board held a work session Dec. 12 to flesh out important aspects of the policy like exemptions for the new rule and what the appeals process would look like, only to conclude that changing the policy would be as complicated as some had initially warned. At the end of last week’s work session, the board decided to send the policy change to the policy committee for review and recommendations.
In the meantime, any students transferring schools under pupil reassignment will be automatically ineligible for athletic participation for 365 days.
THE POLICY CHANGE
The change concerns policy 3620-R and eliminates the section that allows students who transfer schools via pupil reassignment to be eligible to participate in athletics immediately.
NCHSAA guidelines state that “after a student’s initial entry into Grade 9, and absent a change in residence for a bona fide purpose… A student who transfers from one school to another school within the same Public School Unit (PSU) shall not participate in interscholastic athletics for 365 calendar days following the student’s enrollment in the new school.”
However, while the guidelines say a student is ineligible for the first year after a transfer for any other reason than a bona fide move, they also allow for the governing authority of a PSU to adopt a policy allowing immediate eligibility for students.
A bona fide move happens when a student’s residential address changes, and they are districted to a new high school under the new address — moving from Waynesville to Canton or vice versa is an example of this sort of move that might warrant a change in high schools. Under this type of transfer with a bona fide change in residency, the student athlete does not lose eligibility for athletics under either the NCHSAA rules or Haywood County School Board policy.
The other category in which a student transfers between schools is considered a pupil reassignment. This happens when a student has no bona fide change in residen-
cies would be affected by the change and what the process for implementation would be.
“I’m asking to table the policy 3620-R,” said Henson. “I think at this time that I would like to see some more information from Mr. Haynes; he’s supposed to get us some, on not only how many other policies it’s going to affect, but there’s a whole lot of questions that we have.”
Assistant Superintendent Graham Haynes explained that changing the regulation does create a host of considerations for the board like exemptions to the rule and an appeals process.
cy that warrants a jump from one high school to another, but the family requests a transfer for some other reason. In the past, a student athlete in Haywood County that requested pupil reassignment did not lose athletic eligibility. Now, however, with the new policy, that student would lose athletic eligibility for one full year.
Previously, the policy regarding student athlete transfers mandated that high school student athletes approved for transfer did not lose eligibility due to the transfer. The rule applied whether the student transferred for a bona fide move or under pupil reassignment.
Board Member Logan Nesbitt brought up the issue of student athlete transfer policy during the Nov. 12 school board meeting when he requested adding the policy change to the agenda for first read. Nesbitt joined the board in 2020 and serves on the Building and Grounds and Special Issues committees.
The policy change passed first reading at the Nov. 12 school board meeting and was on the agenda for second read during the Dec. 9 meeting. After a policy passes second reading, it goes into effect.
COUNSELING CAUTION VS. PUSHING FOR CHANGE
At the outset of the Dec. 9 meeting, Board Member Larry Henson suggested that the board table the policy for 30 days to garner more information about what other poli-
“It may even be that a student leaves the early college and decides to go back to Tuscola or Pisgah, and in that case, with no exceptions, if they’re transferring, they’d have to sit out, which I think would probably be unintended,” said Haynes. “So, if that is the will of the board to change that regulation, I would caution you to consider just what exemptions you think you’d need. Do you need an appeals process?”
Nesbitt asked Haynes whether the board could adopt the policy change and then evaluate the other policies that are connected.
“You could,” Haynes said. “But if it goes into action now, if there are any transfers while we’re evaluating, it’s going to be blanket, no exemptions, 365, it just is what it is.”
Board Attorney Pat Smathers also counseled caution, as he tried to explain the sorts of complicated cases that could come before the board if it decided to enact the 365-day rule. Not only did Smathers foresee complications in parsing out what constituted a bona fide change in residency — pointing out child custody agreements that split time between parents, as well as families claiming residency somewhere they don’t actually live — he also outlined consequences of barring students from sports for legitimate pupil reassignment decisions.
Smathers used the example of a student choosing to transfer between Tuscola and Pisgah for a different ROTC program — Tuscola has an Air Force program while Pisgah has a Navy program — and that student being ineligible from their sport, whatever that may be, for a full year.
“It ain’t just football,” Smathers said. “I mean, are you F
Larry Henson
Graham Haynes
Pat Smathers
going to say, ‘we’re not going to let you play volleyball?’ That’s a tough thing for y’all to say. How do you enforce that? It’s not the intent.”
“I’m not saying don’t do it,” Smathers continued. “But think about the possibilities of how it’s going to affect the kids.”
School board member Ronnie Clark noted that the policy committee did not recommend the change that the board was considering, and Haynes confirmed, “they were not in support of changing the policy.”
“So traditionally this board has taken the recommendations from the policy committee and respectfully taken their wishes and then taken it and carried it forward,” Clark said. “Every time we’ve had issues we say, ‘send it to the policy committee.’ But this time we decided they’re not good enough, so let’s go ahead and do it this way?”
before enacting it.
“I think we need to get the procedures, said Rogers. “Before we actually enforce it.”
“So, you don’t think over the past eight or 10 years that we’ve had time to think about it?” Nesbitt asked. “How much longer do we need to explore?”
“We may have [had time], but we didn’t do it, and now it’s brought up in one month and we still don’t have it,” said Rogers. “So that part needs to be done before the next meeting.”
Henson also said that he wasn’t necessarily against the policy change, but that certain aspects of the change needed to be figured out before implementing it.
“I’m not saying that I’m opposed to this,” said Henson.
ning of the discussion over implementing the 365-day rule, because in doing so, there is essentially more recourse for students transferring into the county from another school district and aiming to maintain athletic eligibility than for students transferring from one high school to another within the county.
Under the NCHSAA rules, and the HCS policy change as approved Monday, Dec. 9, when a student transfers from one high school to another within Haywood County, they are automatically barred from participating in high school sports for one year, unless they’ve had a bona fide change in residency.
side the county take positions our kids have been playing all their life,” said Burnette. “That shouldn’t be happening.”
But how common is it for students to transfer into Haywood County Schools without having a bona fide change in residency?
“We have several right now, mostly elementary aged, but they claim work-related hardship, work in our county, want their kids to come with them where they work,” said Superintendent Trevor Putnam. “Some of them work for us, some of them work in our county. The opposite county releases them, it comes to us to accept them and so they would not have a bona fide move.”
But other board members argued that barring students who transfer from one school to another was the right decision because it aligned with NCHSAA policy, as well as that of most other school districts around the state.
“So y’all are saying the NCHSAA has it wrong, because that’s their policy,” said Board Member Marla Morris. “108 districts out of 115, is my understanding, follow these guidelines right here and I don’t see how 108 districts have it wrong.”
“I’m saying that we’re jumping the gun trying to implement it tonight when we don’t know the repercussions of what’s going to happen to the kid that has to be reassigned. We’re punishing kids that are legitimately going to have to switch schools.”
That 108 estimate was thrown out by Nesbitt at the November meeting, but the board later learned it was pretty far off. At the Dec. 12 work session, after he’d had time to gather more information on the issue, Haynes explained that out of 115 school districts in North Carolina, 51 allow for immediate eligibility when students transfer under pupil reassignment. The other 64 either have policy requiring pupil reassignment transfer students to sit out for 365 days, or they have no policy and therefore revert to the NCHSAA rule requiring 365 days of ineligibility.
Nesbitt said that between the November and December board meetings, he received 27 public inputs. Of those, three were against the change and 24 were in favor of it. He said that no Tuscola parent, from the inputs he received, has been against the policy and that of the five received from Pisgah parents, three were against the change and two were for it.
“One [Pisgah parent] was totally for the 365 rule because a student transferred from Tuscola to Pisgah and took their child’s spot on a team,” said Nesbitt. “This doesn’t just affect the kids that’s transferring, it affects kids at the school they leave, it affects kids at the school they go to. It hurts kids at both schools.”
But without this pertinent piece of information, a majority of school board members pushed ahead for the change at the Dec. 9 meeting.
“I’m the one that brought this up a month ago, and I’m going to take full responsibility for it,” Nesbitt said. “I’ve been on this board and have been blessed to be on this board for four years, and we have kicked this can down the road the four years I’ve been on here and sitting back watching the board for another eight to 12 years, two to three terms. It’s time something’s done. When a 3A school cannot even field a girls’ basketball team, it’s ridiculous.”
Both Henson and Jimmy Rogers argued that even though the policy change might be the right thing to do, the board should take the time to flesh out the full procedure
At the Dec. 9 meeting, the school board voted 3-5 against tabling the policy for 30 days, with Henson, Rogers and Clark voting in favor of tabling and Nesbitt, Morris, David Burnette, Steven Kirkpatrick, and Jim Francis voting against.
The board then held a vote to approve the 365-day rule on second read, which passed by the same margin.
QUESTIONS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION
After the board passed the policy Monday, Dec. 9, it held a work session Thursday, Dec. 12, to hash out the ripple effect of the change — what other policies would be affected, what would the appeals process look like, whether there would be any exemptions, and how to deal with outof-county transfers.
The question of out-of-county transfers had been a topic of concern since the begin-
When a student transfers from one school district to another, they must receive permission from the district they are leaving and the district they are entering to be immediately eligible for high school athletics. However, if either district denies eligibility, the student can appeal to the NCHSAA. That body can grant immediate eligibility, overriding either or both districts’ denial and essentially force the receiving school district to allow the student to participate in athletics.
The same recourse through the NCHSAA is not available for students transferring from one high school to another within the same district if they are denied eligibility by school board policy or the appeals process.
“It’s hogwash to let somebody from out-
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Associate Superintendent Jill Barker told the Smoky Mountain News that the school system had 48 new enrollments and 24 withdrawals. However, Barker did note that the school system couldn’t determine exactly how many of those were due to the flood.
Rogers and Clark both noted that after the flood, families around Western North Carolina were living in precarious situations, a lot of which are not permanent, whether because they are having to rent temporarily, stay with family members or some other intermediate fix.
“I think what you’re hitting on, is it’s impossible to police,” said Putnam.
Ronnie Clark
Jimmy Rogers
Marla Morris
Logan Nesbitt
THE CULTURE QUESTION, THE DEEPER PROBLEM
Throughout the entire process of changing the policy related to high school athletic eligibility, the normally civil, quiet school board engaged in discussion that at times became heated.
Anyone in Haywood County knows just how serious the Pisgah-Tuscola rivalry is, and conversation among the school board about high school athletics was tinged with emotion. Board members on both sides of the issue at one point or another took time to recognize that the root of the issue might be deeper than whether students are allowed to transfer schools without athletic penalty.
During the Dec. 9 meeting, Nesbitt asked Putnam point blank, “Do we have a culture problem at Tuscola High School?”
“Well, I think within athletics, you may,” Putnam responded. “As a whole, you do not. But I think within athletics, you may.”
Putnam conceded that he wasn’t the best person to answer the question, as he does not work at the school every day and interact with students and coaches, and that Principal Casey Conard would be better equipped to talk about that issue.
“I think his track record already, if you look at academic performance, is on a positive trajectory,” said Putnam. “But Tuscola High School didn’t get to the place where it is overnight, and it’s not going to get out of the place it’s in overnight.”
At the Dec. 12 work session, the culture question came up again when board members tried to delve into why Tuscola couldn’t field a girls’ junior varsity basketball team.
Haynes told the board he had looked at the past five years of girls’ basketball teams at Waynesville Middle School. He found that there are currently 11 students at Tuscola who played basketball at Waynesville Middle that are currently playing at the high school level. There are another nine girls at Tuscola that do not play basketball that did play at Waynesville Middle. There are five girls at Pisgah currently playing basketball who played at Waynesville Middle School. Of those, four transferred to the Pisgah district due to bona fide moves. There have been six other girls at Pisgah, not playing basketball, who played basketball for Waynesville Middle School.
The varsity basketball team at Tuscola currently has 14 girls, the Pisgah varsity team has 16 girls and the Pisgah JV team has 8.
But not all board members are convinced that transfers are the primary issue.
“That participation problem you got right there, I don’t think that’s all been related to transfers,” said Rogers.
But Chambers argued that there isn’t a problem with non-athlete students transferring.
“It has hurt us the past 10 years for sure,” said Chambers. “I’m glad the board made the decision they made the other night. I think it was time. I think they did the right thing.”
Tuscola Principal Casey Conard said that the focus needs to be on students, and that he would like to see a committee that is available to weigh in on individual cases, as well as clear exceptions for the 365-day rule.
“I’ll be very honest, I’m on the policy committee; I was not for this rule at first,” said Conard.
movement you make, you do it in a way that preserves inside the walls of the school.”
Part of the complication arising following the policy change is determining who will approve student transfer requests. Previously, principals at each school approved student reassignment requests, and because there was no 365day rule, athletics were not part of the decision.
Now, it is unclear whether principals will still be approving student reassignment requests and athletic eligibility will be a separate decision for the board to make, or whether the school board will be making both pupil reassignment and athletic eligibility decisions.
Smathers asked the board whether this was “a solution in search of a problem,” and asked the athletic directors from each high school to chime in on the issue.
“It’s a problem, and I support the 365 rule,” said Tuscola Athletic Director Adam Chambers.
“I think for us at Pisgah, we have kids that transfer; it’s not an issue,” said Pisgah Athletic Director Heidi Morgan. “If a child doesn’t want to be in a certain school, I don’t think they should be forced to stay. Forcing them to stay doesn’t mean they’re going to play athletics, and this is a policy about athletics.”
Conard said that now, he is in support of 365-day rule for a couple of reasons. First, it’s difficult for the principals to make the decision whether to approve a pupil reassignment request, especially when it impacts a school negatively. Both Conard and Morgan said that it would be important to have exceptions for bullying.
Putnam asked principals and athletic directors whether there had been uproar over transfers and athletic eligibility within the schools and all agreed that there had not.
“It’s good inside the walls,” said Putnam. “The stir is outside our schools, and it begins or tries to creep into our schools. The thing I would ask is that whatever change or
Spectators observe pregame activities at C.E. Weatherby Stadium. File photo
Under current policy, principals would still approve pupil reassignment requests, which would automatically make a student ineligible for athletics, unless they qualify for the set of exemptions the school board has yet to outline.
The school board now seems to want to put a procedure in place that would create a two-member committee of the school board to approve or deny each pupil reassignment request and athletic eligibility decision. Then, the student could choose to appeal that committee’s decision to the rest of the board if needed.
The board came up with five broad exemption categories that they would like to see for the new policy including medical or mental health issues; social services or court system decisions; children of employees being allowed to attend the school where their parent works; safe school transfers for bullying or similar incidents; and students experiencing homelessness or foster care.
The board sent this list of exemptions back to the policy committee to review. The policy committee will send it back before the board after 30 days for review. There will then be another 30-day period before final approval of the exemption or appeal policy.
However, as the policy currently stands, approved by the board on Dec. 9, if a student transfers between high schools under pupil reassignment, they are automatically ineligible for high school athletics for one year. This will be the case until the board passes policies — or addendums to policies — that address exemptions and the appeals process.
Tuscola has an Air Force JROTC program while Pisgah has a Navy JROTC program. File photo
We’re still matching kids and books
General Assembly overrides governor’s veto of controversial flood relief bill
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
After decades of paying for hurricane recovery operations along the North Carolina coast, Western North Carolina taxpayers finally had a reason to ask the rest of the state to return the favor in the wake of Hurricane Helene. On Dec. 11, the rest of the state answered with a resounding “no.”
Senate Bill 382, rich — not with badly needed aid for small businesses — but instead with myriad unrelated and controversial proposals, has become law without including any meaningful flood relief.
The region’s last best chance to head off potential economic hardship now stands solely with Congress, after initial opposition to the bill from the three westernmost Republican Party legislators failed to materialize on the day of the veto override vote.
and education-related support. Specific allocations included $130 million for state matching funds for federal programs, $50 million for capital recovery in schools, additional funding for mental health services and emergency grants for community colleges.
But that second bill alarmed a number of elected officials and administrators in Western North Carolina because it didn’t contain any direct grant assistance for business owners still underwater with SBA loans from the Coronavirus Pandemic and Tropical Storm Fred, which killed six and unleashed a half-billion dollar tragedy on eastern Haywood and western Buncombe counties in 2021.
Gov. Cooper had proposed $475 million in direct grant assistance as part of his $3.9 billion relief proposal but was ignored.
On Nov. 20, alarm turned to outrage after it was revealed that the third relief bill was, in fact, a sham — a partisan power grab that contained no actual flood relief. A paltry $225 million was transferred from the state’s savings reserve for Helene recovery but will not be spent “until appropriated by an act of the General Assembly,” probably next year. No direct grant assistance, as was requested by local officials, was included.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Prior to the vote, legislators attended a meeting of the House select committee on Helene Recovery, chaired by Republican Rep. Dudley Greene, who represents Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties, and Wayne County Republican Rep. John Bell, who visited Haywood County after deadly flooding from Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.
Mark White, of the state’s fiscal research division, provided a brief recap of the General Assembly’s hurricane relief appropriations to date, totaling $1.13 billion.
The first relief bill, enacted Oct. 10, included a $273 million transfer from the savings reserve to the Helene Recovery Fund. Notable disbursements included $250 million for state matching funds for federal disaster assistance and $16 million for educational support to replace school nutrition employees’ lost compensation.
The bill passed the Senate on a strict party line vote and subsequently sailed through the House, over the objections of three western reps, Mike Clampitt (RSwain), Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) and Mark Pless (R-Haywood). Cooper vetoed the bill on Nov. 26, but the Senate voted to override his veto on Dec. 2. North Carolina’s westernmost Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) voted in support of the override, namely because of child care funding he’d asked for, but he told The Smoky Mountain News that he “didn’t particularly care for” some aspects of the bill.
During the committee meeting, Clampitt implored White to restate the obvious, for the record.
“Are there any directed grants to some of the small businesses that [are] already underwater with loans?” Clampitt asked. “They don’t need any more loans, but are there directed grants available to them?”
White reiterated that there was no direct grant assistance for small businesses in any of the legislation passed by the General Assembly.
Later, Bell elaborated, saying there were a number of privately funded grants available from entities like the Dogwood Health Trust and that he’d provide Clampitt with a list.
The second relief bill, enacted Oct. 25, consisted of a larger transfer of $604.2 million from the savings reserve to the Helene Recovery Fund for emergency response, recovery grants to local governments
“Thank you, Mr. Chair, that’d be very good,” Clampitt said. “I’ve just got a text from a small business out of Marshall saying that her entire stock has been completely wiped out, and I have other businesses that are having issues. They’re not meeting ‘the criteria’ for any kind of loan because it was
Richland Creek, in Waynesville, flows past an apartment complex on Sept. 27.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
only like 50% loss, but 50% loss for a small business of a quarter million dollars can put some of those businesses out of business permanently.”
Kristin Walker, from the office of state budget and management, gave a presentation breaking down the $53.6 billion in estimated storm damage and said that even if Cooper’s full request had been granted, and even if the state comes away with the $25 billion requested of the federal government by North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, there would still be about $17.8 billion in unmet needs.
One key assumption is that the state needs to preserve its savings to be able to meet matching requirements for federal aid. Typically, the feds would contribute 75% of the funding and the state would be responsible for 25%, however President Joe Biden recently made the state match easier by upping the federal cost share to 90%.
Buncombe Democrat Lindsey Prather asked Walker to elaborate on the state’s fiscal reserves.
“Right now, we have $9.1 billion unappropriated in reserves across a variety of accounts,” Walker said. “The governor’s request would have pulled just about $3.5 billion out of those reserves, so you’d be left with about five and a half billion still in still in reserve funds right now.”
That figure is far more than the widely quoted $4.7 billion “rainy day fund” legislators have been using to fund the first two Helene relief bills.
Walker also pointed out that in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018, the state contributed 26% of all recovery costs for a storm that was only a third the size of Helene, but for Helene, that figure currently stands at about 2%.
In response to another question, Walker said that not all of the FEMA match is needed immediately, and that the cost-matching process will take years. Indeed, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is still waiting for a small amount of federal reimbursement from Hurricane Florence.
THE VOTE
Three hours after the committee meeting adjourned, the House was supposed to reconvene and begin deliberations. When that time came, Republicans had not emerged from their 1:30 p.m. caucus meeting and wouldn’t for another hour.
Once they did, rules committee chair and likely incoming House Speaker, Rep. Destin Hall (R-Caldwell), defended the state’s disaster relief efforts while speaking in favor of overriding Cooper’s veto and waiting around for help from Congress.
“I spent all day yesterday in D.C. talking to our federal delegation, including both of our U.S. senators. We’ve got every indication that help is on the way and on the way very soon, probably by Christmas,” Hall said. “By the end of this month, we anticipate getting maybe $25 billion or so, and that’s the kind of money that it’s going to take to make a material impact on the disaster in Western North Carolina.”
When Prather got her chance to speak, she opted for a cold open — simply repeating the names of area businesses that had already closed. Continuing with an anecdote about a Grove Park Inn employee who’d been out of work since Sept. 27 and wouldn’t go back until Dec. 19.
“Five of her colleagues have already moved away from Western North Carolina because they simply could not afford to wait for help,” Prather said.
Prather’s fellow Buncombe County Democrat, Eric Ager, like Prather, has been outspoken about what they perceive as the bill’s shortcomings and said that the bill didn’t meet the moment or North Carolina’s values.
“Our state’s motto is something that I’ve always tried to live up to — esse quam videri, ‘to be rather than to seem’ — and this bill just ‘seems’ to do something to help; it doesn’t actually do it. And that’s the real problem,” Ager said. “The people of Western North Carolina, as you’ve heard here and have heard yesterday and today, people need help, and this bill just doesn’t get it to them.”
Ager went on to say that the people of the west were tired of hearing, “Help is on the way.”
“I struggle every day wondering what I’m supposed to tell my friends, my family, my neighbors when I go down Food Lion to pick up groceries, the only grocery store in my little community,” he said. “Do I just tell them what they already suspect, that we’re just too far away from Raleigh for the state to really pay attention? That’s what they already think. That’s what people in Western North Carolina think.” Greene, a Republican, shared his own emotional experience of fleeing his home during the storm, and took exception to assertions that some victims hadn’t received the help they needed because he had.
“Volunteers, church groups, faith-based places, organizations were there. Help was there,” he said. “I’ve heard help’s not coming — it has been there in Western North Carolina and in my yard, hauling off debris. In my house, helping me get my appliances out. Help has been there.”
The motion to override Cooper’s veto passed 72-46. All three dissenters, Clampitt, Gillespie and Pless, dropped their initial opposition and voted yes.
Pless issued a statement shortly after the vote. Editor’s note, the emphasis in the statement is Pless’.
“Senate Bill 382 came to be three weeks ago,” the statement reads. “At that time the bill was rushed to the floor for consideration. The bill did nothing for hurricane Helene victims of Western North Carolina. I disagreed with the bill and subsequently voted no to the bill. Since that day, I have spent hours examining the bill to understand the content and explore options to get funding to the hurting people of Western North Carolina. I have discussed needs with numerous elected leaders, local state and federal. I am convinced there is a path forward and money will be available quickly to provide help [for] the people of Western North Carolina.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates in The Smoky Mountain News, online and on newsstands on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
On Jan. 11, 2025 at 10 a.m., North Carolina will have a new governor for the first time in eight years — and what an eight years it’s been.
Born in Nashville, North Carolina, in 1957, Cooper attended the University of North Carolina both for undergraduate studies as well as for his law degree. In 1986, he defeated a 12-term incumbent in the Democratic Primary Election for Nash County’s legislative seat, going on to serve two terms during an era when Democrats enjoyed a stranglehold on state government.
After the unexpected death of Sen. Jim Ezzell in 1991, Cooper was appointed to serve out the rest of Ezzell’s term. Cooper was in the Senate for a total of 10 years, the last four as majority leader.
In 2001, Cooper was elected the state’s 50th attorney general, serving a total of four terms through 2016 as Democratic control of state institutions waned. That year, Cooper filed to run for governor and defeated embattled Republican incumbent Pat McCrory by less than a quarter of a point — exactly 10,263 votes out of more than 4.7
The exit interview Roy Cooper looks back, looks forward
pay and increased access to pre-K while opposing the so-called “school choice” movement that gives taxpayer money to wealthy parents who send their children to schools that can — and do — discriminate against students for a litany of reasons.
Cooper also encouraged more than $24 billion in clean energy investment, an important step to preserve the state’s pristine mountains, waterways and coastal beaches that drive tourism-based economies from east to west.
Managing disasters, including two in Western North Carolina over the past three years, will also be part of Cooper’s legacy, but much will still be written as the region faces a recovery that, by all accounts, will take years. Cooper recently presented a plan, never embraced by legislators, to provide $3.9 billion in recovery assistance, including $475 million in direct grants to affected business owners who need help but don’t need more debt. The Republican-dominated General Assembly responded with a little over a billion dollars.
All of these accomplishments came with a Republican supermajority hell-bent on overriding every single veto Cooper ever issued — dozens.
The Smoky Mountain News spoke with Cooper on Dec. 13 about his legacy, his regrets and how he plans to spend the coming years.
The Smoky Mountain News: You’ve highlighted your achievements in Medicaid expansion, education funding, job creation, clean energy and disaster recovery efforts during your eight years as governor. Which do you consider your most important accomplishment for the state moving forward?
million ballots cast.
Much of that campaign was about the controversial HB2, known as the “bathroom bill,” which prohibited transgender people from using public accommodations that don’t match their birth gender. McCrory signed the bill, which Cooper called “a national embarrassment.” Economic fallout from the bill resulted in boycotts, corporate divestment and an estimated $5 billion impact to the state’s economy. The bill was subsequently repealed, returning the situation to status quo ante bellum and enshrining it as one of the most short-sighted political miscues in state history.
That election also firmly established Cooper as someone who could appeal not only to a Democratic base — he earned nearly 120,000 more votes than unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton — but also to unaffiliated voters, now the state’s largest bloc. Cooper thus became one of few Democrats to win a gubernatorial election in a state won by Donald Trump.
In 2020, Cooper’s margin for reelection was much greater, as he prevailed over his Republican lieutenant governor, Dan Forest,
by 4.5 points and again strengthened his reputation as a Democrat who could earn electoral success in the purple-est of purple states — he outperformed then-President Donald Trump, who ultimately won the state, by more than 75,000 votes. During that election, Cooper was criticized by farright conspiracy theorists for public health initiatives related to COVID-19, but he still earned more than a 51% share of the vote.
Having never lost an election, Cooper now leaves the office with a long list of achievements as governor in a state very different than the one in which he was born.
North Carolina is one of the nation’s most populous and fastest-growing states. It has been named “best for business” twice in the last few years and is now considered a national political battleground, resulting in Cooper’s brief consideration by Vice President Kamala Harris as a possible running mate in her ill-fated 2024 presidential bid.
Throughout his tenure, Cooper championed issues important to working-class North Carolinians, most importantly by adding more than 600,000 jobs and advocating for Medicaid expansion, higher teacher
Gov. Roy Cooper: I think we had put together a way to form coalitions to get things done that we didn’t think could get done. For example, with Medicaid expansion, I came into office with the legislature suing me to stop me from expanding Medicaid, and we ended six-and-a-half years later with those same legislators coming to the mansion for me to sign the Medicaid expansion bill that I asked them to pass.
We did that by forming coalitions of people in these Republicans legislators’ districts who let them know why we needed Medicaid expansion, keeping rural hospitals open, helping law enforcement, helping small businesses. I believe that will be the same strategy that we can use to get them to pay attention to quality child care and investment in public schools. That is the area right now where I think we are most in need.
As we continue to grow these jobs and making North Carolina a place where businesses want to be, we need people to have the education and training to get those jobs and parents need quality childcare so that they can get the employment, and businesses will need them in the workforce. So I think that strategy of convincing legislators on things that they originally don’t want to do will be important for us going into the future.
SMN: Throughout your gov- F
Gov. Roy Cooper, seen here at the historic Haywood County Courthouse in 2022, has left an indelible mark on the Tarheel State over his 40 years in public service. Cory Vaillancourt photo
ernorship, you faced a Republican-controlled legislature that at times significantly curtailed your powers, yet you’re still able to point to a long list of successes. What is it about Roy Cooper, the person, that made all that possible?
RC: I’ve always believed in trying to find consensus when we can, to make progress, even in the midst of the most extreme partisanship. I’ve done that my entire career, from being in private practice as an attorney, in the state legislature and as attorney general. The fact that we worked together with Republican legislators to provide performance-based incentives to attract jobs, and we were able to grow the number of jobs in North Carolina by 640,000, the fact that we worked with them to get this clean energy bill passed and Medicaid expansion passed, I think my desire to achieve consensus and to never give up helped in all of that.
I also had, I think, the best cabinet and governor staff in the history of the state. The team of people who worked with me has been extraordinary, and I’m very grateful for them.
SMN: Looking back, what do you think your administration’s most significant shortcoming or missed opportunity was, and what lessons should your successor Josh Stein take from it?
RC: I’m deeply concerned that the legislature got away with believing the false narrative that’s being pushed by right-wing groups and for-profit schools so that they voted to fund private school vouchers for the very wealthiest among us. That is such bad public policy.
RC: In the last few years, state legislators have made major changes to our system of government just to fit their partisan moment, and it’s so important that we remember that people in both parties are going to be in the governor’s office in the future, in the attorney general’s office, in the state legislature, and there needs to be a balance of power so that government properly responds to the people. When you concentrate so much power in one branch of government, that makes the system fail at the end of the day. It’s disappointing that they’ve done this yet again.
“... there needs to be a balance of power so that government properly responds to the people. When you concentrate so much power in one branch of government, that makes the system fail at the end of the day.”
— Gov. Roy Cooper
In the first few years as governor, we worked with them on investment in teacher salaries. We were able to raise teacher salaries by 19% over the first few years, but these last few years where they have essentially given up on public schools, where 80plus percent of our children still go by the way, to knuckle under to these extremists who want to provide these private school vouchers to the wealthy. That’s just very disappointing, and Governor-elect Stein is going to have to make that one of his goals, just to help to form these coalitions throughout North Carolina that can convince Republican legislators that this is going to cause a massive budget hole, that children aren’t going to get better educations and that we need to fund our public schools and make that a priority.
SMN: Most recently, you and Stein filed suit against lawmakers over the sham Helene relief bill, which also strips incoming Democrats of power before they take office. Compared to everything else you’ve done, where does this lawsuit rank in importance for how the state is governed moving forward?
I do think good governors who are good at running the executive branch still make a tremendous difference in this state, but this constant erosion of authority makes it difficult when you think about the fact that they have decided that they were going to make the Highway Patrol independent, that they were going to appoint the commander of the Highway Patrol, that the only way that the Highway Patrol commander could be out of office would be through death or resignation or mental incompetence. That means — and not to say that he would — that the commander of the Highway Patrol could even commit criminal acts, and there would be no way to remove that person from authority. These new laws they passed not only are bad ideas, they are poorly written. The state legislature is not supposed to enforce the law. The state legislature makes the law, and what they want to do is to both make the law and enforce the law, and that’s not the way that a democracy works.
SMN: As you prepare to leave the executive mansion for the last time to focus on your private life, what do you envision as your role in public life over the next few years?
RC: First, I’m going to practice driving again [laughing]. I haven’t driven in eight years, so I look forward to that and probably will do a little eastern North Carolina driving before I do some driving on the curvy roads in the mountains.
I am going to take a little bit of time, a couple of months, to make decisions about what I want to do next. I promised my family that I would.
I’m sure there are a number of opportunities and things that I could do. I want to keep making a difference, and I’m just going to take that time and make decisions then. What I’ve said was, I’m not going to make any decisions now. I’m going to make decisions later. First, I’ve got to run through the tape and finish this job as governor, and that’s what I intend to do.
Community Almanac
Methodist Church donates to Mountain Projects
The North Carolina Conference of the Global Methodist Church has made a transformative donation of $150,000 to Mountain Projects, demonstrating their commitment to aiding communities in need.
Raised through the generosity of congregations across North Carolina and 26 other states, this contribution will support disaster relief, emergency assistance and critical heating aid for families in Haywood and Jackson Counties.
On Dec. 11, Mountain Projects Deputy Director Si Simmons received the donation during an informal presentation.
“We have been collecting contributions for Hurricane Helene relief since it struck,” said Carolyn Hindel, conference controller for the North Carolina Conference of the Global Methodist Church. “We trust Mountain Projects to deliver help where it’s most needed — they’re the boots on the ground.”
The Rev. Farron Duncan of Plains Methodist Church in Canton underscored the collective spirit of this effort.
“It’s incredible to see so many people united to help Western North Carolina,” Duncan said. “The heart of the church is rooted in giving and supporting others in need. Everyone requires a helping hand at some point, and this is how we live out that mission.”
“This gift is a testament to the power of community,” Duncan added. “When neighbors come together to help one another, it shows the true spirit of compassion and care.”
Hindel echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the significance of this contribution for Western North Carolina.
https://bit.ly/LJyouthleadersummit.
Cherokee foundation awards grants
The Eastern Band of Cherokees Community Foundation, a North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate, has awarded $5,240 in grants to organizations supporting the local community.
While these grants were awarded for specific projects, the organizations are being offered flexibility to repurpose funding awarded for specific programs or projects to best support their current needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Funds for 2024 grants came from EBCCF’s community grantmaking fund. Each year, EBCCF’s local volunteer advisory board uses dollars from its endowment fund to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches.
Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/ebccf to learn more about EBCCF and its work in the community or make a tax-deductible donation. For information about EBCCF, contact the western community leadership officer.
“You don’t expect hurricanes in these mountains, but disasters like Helene show us how important it is to stand together,” Hindel said. “The support we’ve received reflects the kindness and generosity of so many people and organiz Mountain Projects expressed deep gratitude for the donation, calling it a beacon of hope for those facing hardship.
“This contribution is more than financial — it’s a reminder that we’re never alone,” said Patsy Davis, executive director of Mountain Projects. “Together, we can rebuild, restore and create brighter futures for our communities.”
Jackson Community Foundation announces $46,000 in grants
The Jackson County Community Foundation, a North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate, announced $46,620 in grants to organizations supporting the local community.
The JCCF board of advisors voted on and awarded $15,120 in grants in mid-September:
• $2,458 to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Plateau for academic support for students not proficient in reading and math
• $3,000 to Full Spectrum Farms for general operating support
• $3,000 to International Friendship Center for food pantry supporting Jackson County residents
• $500 to Meridian Behavioral Health Services for Narcan and first-aid kits
• $4,162 to Rolling Start NC, Inc. for vehicles for individuals in need
• $2,000 to Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics Jackson County
While these grants were awarded for specific projects, the organizations are being offered flexibility to repurpose funding awarded for specific programs or projects to best support their current needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Additionally, the Balsam Mountain Preserve Fund for Jackson County granted $31,500:
• $3,000 to Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina for HOMEBASE program at Western Carolina University
• $3,000 to Center for Domestic Peace for funds for direct client expenses in delivering programs in Jackson County
• $3,000 to Christmas Connection of Jackson County for supplies to support the Christmas project for Jackson County children
• $4,000 to Circles of Jackson for transportation support for program clients
• $2,500 to HERE in Jackson County, Inc. for shelter and food supplies in Jackson County
• $2,500 to HIGHTS for fuel costs in providing programs for at-risk youth
• $2,000 to Meridian Behavioral Health Services for Narcan and aid kits for clients experiencing substance disorders in Jackson County
• $1,000 to Mountain Projects for hands-on Jackson program support
• $1,500 to North Carolina Symphony for Ensembles in the Schools program in Jackson County
• $3,000 to Pisgah Legal Services for Plateau Poverty Law Initiative in Jackson County
• $3,000 to The Community Table for program support for providing food for the needy
• $3,000 to Uncomplicated Kitchen for supplies needed to provide cooking classes for those experiencing food insecurity
Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/jackson to learn more about JCCF and its work in the commu-
nity or make a tax-deductible donation. For information about JCCF, contact the western region community leadership officer.
Youth leader training offered at Lake Junaluska
Nationally known youth leader Mark Ostreicher will be the keynote speaker at a Youth Leader Summit scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Lake Junaluska’s Shackford Hall. Oestreicher will talk on current culture and how it shapes youth ministry and the church.
This training is ideal for volunteer youth leaders in local churches and communities or for those who serve as part-time youth ministers. It’s designed to help youth leaders stay engaged with youth at a time when numbers of youth and their families participating in church is changing.
This event is separate from SEEK: Mission and Ski Retreat, which is being held Jan. 17-20 at Lake Youth leaders attending SEEK: Mission and Ski Retreat with their youth who also want to attend the Youth Leader Summit will need to provide supervision for their youth who may not be left unattended. To learn more about SEEK: Mission and Ski Retreat and other ENCOUNTER Youth & Adult Leader Retreats, visit https://bit.ly/ljencountermissionskiretreat.
For more information about the Youth Leader Summit and to register, visit
Nantahala Health invests in youth
Nantahala Health Foundation is pleased to announce recent community investments in support of youth and young adults of more than $250,000.
The funds were invested in six regional organizations, all of which strive to improve health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth and young adults ages 5 – 24 living, learning and earning in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, as well as on the Qualla Boundary.
Grant recipients in the SMN coverage area are:
• Hawthorn Heights, Bryson City: Allowing them to expand mental health services to their youth residents, many of whom were left waiting for services due to the limited number of providers working in the region.
• HIGHTS, Sylva: Allowing them to connect underserved youth with education, employment, housing, independent living skills, mental health and substance abuse services.
• Swain County Schools, Bryson City: Allowing them to support after-school learning and care for students during the school system's spring 2025 semester.
After setting aside a year to listen to the community partners and investigate where gaps in services were causing the greatest harm, Nantahala Health Foundation’s Board of Directors unanimously decided to concentrate their grantmaking efforts on the region’s next generation.
“Where we can, we want to make a difference in the lives of our region’s children,” Lisa Leatherman, NHF’s board chair said. “With this grant opportunity, we have prioritized the health and well-being of young people and significantly improved their chances for a brighter, healthier future.”
Carolyn Hindel, controller of the North Carolina Conference of the Global Methodist Church, Rev. Farron Duncan, Pastor of Plains Methodist Church in Canton and Si Simmons, deputy director of Mountain Projects. Donated photo
A lesson in how lies lead to dangerous outcomes
Facts, once unassailable, have become, well, difficult to quantify. People make up or repeat lies, especially on social media platforms and other online spaces, and people believe them, think what they read or hear is true, is a fact. As it turns out, those lies can be dangerous. We’ve all witnessed it at the national level, but it’s also happening right here in Western North Carolina.
Take what happened recently in Haywood County. During a time of year when most look forward to being thankful for their blessings and spending quality time with family, Haywood commissioners have dealt with the repercussions of false information spreading around the internet. Those repercussions included threatening emails and phone calls, all because of the spread of false information online.
It started when Commissioner Terry Ramey appeared in YouTube “personality” John Ward’s video about hurricane response in Haywood County, or the supposed lack of hurricane response. Ward claimed county commissioners could ignore state building codes and allow campers for homeless hurricane victims to be set up at, say, the fairgrounds (formally known as the Smoky Mountain Event Center). Ramey agreed but said he was just one of five votes.
In a subsequent video that aired Dec. 1 — one day before a county commission meeting — Ward posted the names, phone numbers and email addresses of all the commissioners, and encouraged citizens to call FBI offices and have commissioners arrested: “Call your local FBI field office and have the county officials involved arrested under citizen’s arrest … for
Slow down, spread the joy
To the Editor:
felony conspiracy against rights in violation of title 18 USC section 241, felony deprivation or rights under color of law … [and] section 242, insurrection and rebellion against the constitution of the United States, perjury and violating oath of office, crimes against humanity, and domestic terrorism for refusing to allow tiny homes ….”
With that, what had been on onslaught of emails and calls became a larger deluge and even more threatening. There are a lot of issues in the video and the subsequent fallout at the Dec. 2 meeting that are symbolic of how the unreliability of online “news” sources can lead to potentially dangerous situations. In The Smoky Mountain News story by Cory Vaillancourt, Haywood Sheriff Bill Wilke “said that he was ‘alarmed’ that new rumors were again circulating about people living in tents or otherwise out in the cold because of commissioners. He directed his deputies to double check and said there were ‘zero’ people living in tents.”
Ward and Ramey served as a catalyst for this whole controversy by starting the spread of outright lies. The larger issue, though, is that some intentionally spread misinformation and gain fame and followers (that means money) by doing so. And those folks don’t have to deal with the repercussions, but folks like Wilke do.
I appreciate Scott McLeod’s sage advice to relax for the upcoming Christmas day and following New Years. One of the problems with the way our society celebrates this time is it depends too much on “the one big day.” Liturgically, Christmas is a 12-day holiday starting on Christmas Day. I am no longer a church-goer, but I still have advocated for spreading out the celebration so that the obligation to get everything done for the 25th isn’t so selfdefeating, stress inducing, and spirit depriving.
LETTERS
For one, we all know about Christmas Creep, a phenomenon that has morphed since Black Friday sales day. This whole rush to shop has swamped Thanksgiving and starts a frenzy push that for some “feels good,” but for all is “not good.”
We just finished decorating yesterday. We have only a few gifts purchased. We plan to have a “12th night” holiday meetup for friends and family. My sister in New Jersey does the same.
I say this to readers of The Smoky Mountain News because Appalachia would benefit from being a genesis of such a cultural shift from frantic to reverence.
Tim Truemper Salisbury
This is somewhat like the whole “Haitians eating dogs and cats” lie spread by — yes, let’s say it though some will accuse me of just going after him — incoming President Donald Trump and incoming Vice President JD Vance.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said Sept. 10 during a presidential debate. “The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
The problem was, it wasn’t true. But Trump and Vance did not walk back what they said despite Springfield, Ohio, officials saying it just wasn’t true. Trump, when asked, said he had heard this on TV. Vance claimed constituents were calling him and making the claims.
The fact that it wasn’t happening didn’t matter. What did matter is that, suddenly, grocery stores, schools and other places in Springfield began getting bomb threats. Just for the record, this whopper of a lie earned Politifacts “Lie of the Year” for 2024.
Some people are unwitting puppets won when episodes like this occur, and that may be what happened with Ramey. But that does not excuse his actions and his role in the fallout from it. Instead, this episode should serve as a reminder of how dangerous the spread of misinformation can be, how quickly sensationalized accusations can take an ugly turn for the worst, and how the ability to discern fact from fiction is more important than ever.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
Air the laundry. The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786
Editor Scott McLeod
GOP’s rationale for power grab just doesn’t wash
BY ALEXANDER H. JONES
G UEST COLUMNIST
When they are challenged on their authoritarianism, North Carolina Republicans’ most frequent ploy is to retrieve grievances from decades ago. The party is run by a coterie of legislators who suffered years of irrelevance and disrespect at the hands of the eastern North Carolina Democratic machine, and these people still enjoy resurrecting Democratic misdeeds to justify their own malfeasance.
This canard has arisen recently in the case of the atrocious “Helene Relief” bill. North Carolinians must understand that, whatever the genuine excesses of previous Democratic majorities, the assault we now are seeing on democracy is unprecedented and inexcusable.
The old Democratic bull moose had an occasional — and deplorable — habit of enhancing their own power at the expense of political rivals. The most notorious example of this corruption took place when Republican Jim Gardner flipped the Lieutenant Governor’s office from Democratic to Republican control and Senate Democrats stripped it of its authority.
Completely inexcusable, this abuse was, however, different in kind from what the modern GOP has done to offices held by Democrats. First, the Democrats were removing legislative powers that had been informally awarded to the lieutenant governor over the course of the state’s history. Gardner did not have any constitutional authority to appoint committee chairs or run the Senate. His office’s only job, then and now, is to preside over Senate sessions and break tied votes.
Unlike the Gardner affair, the “Helene Relief” bill is an act of aggression against the other branches of government. It does not reduce the role of one office within a branch already controlled by legislative leaders. The bill reduces the authority of executive offices on their own terms and awards much of that power to the legislature, which has no constitutional right to wield them.
In particular, the bill effectively makes the AG into a puppet of legislative leaders — an egregious encroachment on a constitutional office that reeks of autocracy. This bill smashes the guardrails of democracy.
The second distinction rendering GOP
excuses bogus is that previous Democratic turpitude was carried out by a party that bears almost no resemblance to the Democratic opposition today. In the heyday of its majority, the NC Democratic Party was far more conservative and “Southern” than the largely urban party Republicans now enjoy tormenting. Legislative kingpin David Hoyle was a pro-business conservative whose politics were solidly right-of-center. Even the more moderate members of Marc Basnight’s Senate caucus opposed the state House’s efforts to raise taxes on the wealthy after Wall Street destroyed the American economy. Throwing stones at a party led by Sydney Batch — a woman lawyer from the affluent Raleigh suburbs — because the old-school Southern Democrats misbehaved decades ago is perfect nonsense.
Finally, the GOP’s assault on democracy has been far broader, and far more comprehensive, than any of the isolated abuses Democrats committed in the ‘80s and ‘90s. As right-wing blogger Brant Clifton has observed, Senator Phil Berger is spreading his tentacles across state government. He rules the legislature without dissent. His son sits on the Supreme Court. He has key staffers in the incoming Treasurer’s office. He is attempting to shift the administration of elections from the elected governor to a hardcore partisan operative and legislative factotum who has just won the Auditor’s office. Berger clearly wields more power than his predecessor Marc Basnight ever did, and his constellation of influences increasingly resembles the autocracy of Depressionera Louisiana demagogue Huey Long.
I doubt any North Carolina progressive would defend what Democrats did to the lieutenant governor’s office 35 years ago. This is so clear as to be rather uninteresting. What is crucial to understand is that even the most egregious abuses in the increasingly distant past were not comparable to what right-wing politicians are doing in North Carolina today. We are encountering a vigorous effort to replace the separation of powers with untrammeled rule by a few legislative mandarins. It’s a profound challenge to our state’s long and shaky journey towards authentic democracy.
(Alexander H. Jones is a Policy Analyst for Carolina Forward. Reach him at alex@carolinaforward.com.)
Heart of the arts
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
You sure as heck can pack a lot into 365 days, especially when it comes to the immensely vibrant arts and culture scenes right here in our backyard of Western North Carolina.
Below are excerpts from some of our most important stories that involved arts/culture in our area this year. In my honest opinion, the true litmus test of the beauty, strength and resiliency of a community resides in how well its arts/culture are supported.
Beyond this recap of 2024, I’d like to also encourage each and every single one of you in the impending New Year to perhaps finally take on that art project, hobby or skillset you’ve been putting off for way too long. Discover your creativity and
explore its endless depths.
To that point, have you been thinking about picking up an instrument as your resolution for Jan. 1 onward? Do it. Do it now. I finally tried my hand at learning guitar during the 2020 shutdown and I haven’t been able to put it down ever since. In truth, I wish I had done so years (and years) ago. No matter, my smile remains.
With delving into any new passion in life, don’t feel overwhelmed. Trust me, just 10 minutes a day spent in the arts will do wonders for your heart and soul, not to mention that of society at-large. As they say (and it works), “Eat the elephant one bite at a time.”
Oh, if you needed a sign from somewhere in the cosmic universe to pursue and immerse yourself in these untapped talents within you, well, this is your sign. And yes, I’m specifically talking to you.
Support the arts. Support local artists. Support small business.
North Carolina musicians to raise funds and provide aid to those in need.
From benefit concerts to much-needed supply drives, backyard jam sessions and art functions, all with the same ethos in mind: “anything helps and everything counts.” Which is why these latest musical projects —
“Caverns of Gold” and “Cardinals at the Window” — are so impressive in nature when it comes to collaboration, camaraderie and community.
A compilation album featuring melodies from 280 artists, “Caverns of Gold” involves innumerable WNC musicians and national acts, with R.E.M., Leftover Salmon, Steep Canyon Rangers, Milk Carton Kids, North Mississippi Allstars and moe. all offering up tracks.
Mountain power: Artists come together for flood relief albums
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in September, there has been numerous initiatives put forth by local Western
Clocking in at 136 songs, “Cardinals at the Window” also showcases some of the biggest names in Americana, rock and indie-folk, including Phish, Jason Isbell, Watchhouse, The War on Drugs, Futurebirds, Drive-By Truckers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Hiss Golden Messenger.
“My heart breaks to see the devastation,” said M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger. “And, at the same time, I’m truly inspired by the collective, community-based, boots-on-theground organizing that is happening around relief efforts.”
The natural beauty and splendor of the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley highlights a rollercoaster year where all of us are embracing what we truly love and value in WNC. Brie Williams Photography
S EE H EART, PAGE 24
The stories that mattered in 2024
J.D. Pinkus. Garret Woodward photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘Let the mind beware, that though the flesh be bugged, the circumstances of existence are pretty glorious’
Sunday. Late morning. I’m awakened by the sounds of a curious dog in my upstairs neighbor’s apartment. He’s a sweet pitbull mix. Always running around the yard, happily barking at the knowns and unknowns of this big ol’ world outside of his second story window.
Cloudy skies, grey in nature. Slight raindrops as evident from the ripples witnessed in the mud puddles outside my living room window. The fog hangs heavy over the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. There’s people and homes and what not behind the fog and I wonder what they’ve got planned for this otherwise lazy Sunday.
There’s a fresh bag of coffee next to the pot in the kitchen, but no creamer could be found in the refrigerator. I don’t feel like going to the grocery store and going through “all that” for just creamer, so I head to a coffee shop and order a large cappuccino. I add in an “extra shot” of espresso to really kick things into gear. Sipping the warm beverage, I wait at the traffic light to turn green. Merging back onto Russ Avenue, the vehicle in front of me has a rather interesting license plate. It states “PSLM40:2,” to which I grab for my smart phone and decide to look up the Bible Psalm at the next red light. Hovering there, I track it down.
The Psalm reads, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” And according to the AI Overview from Google, “Psalm 40 can be a reminder that God holds onto us through good and bad times, and that His truth and Word will hold us until eternity.”
It’d only been my third sip of the large cappuccino (with “extra shot”) and here I was absorbing some heavy stuff for an otherwise lazy Sunday. No matter, the thoughts within my restless mind, body and soul are always vibrating on those wavelengths, whether I want to indulge in them or not (I mostly do). Sip and contemplate.
Emerge from the truck in the slight drizzle. Gaze up at the fog overtaking the nearby peaks. Acknowledge the gloomy weather, the mysterious fog, the cold raindrops, the ancient mountains and the hot coffee with a deep, precious sense of gratitude. For don’tcha know it’s all just some wild, wondrous dream we dream?
This ain’t no rose-colored glasses. Real depth in any journey in pursuit of your true self resides in actual appreciation for any and all emotions, experiences and expressions you may encounter or immerse yourself in. The good, the bad and the ugly, as they say. I retain the same genuine awe and respect for genuine sadness as I do for jubilant happiness — in essence, it’s all one thing. Truth.
The previous two paragraphs is usually the undulating undertow of my subconscious and conscious mind. Appreciate for all things, no matter implication, interaction or interpretation. And those sentiments usually bubble up to the surface more this time of year, especially when the temperatures drop and the holiday fever is in full swing, this wild-n-out dichotomy of gloomy and glowing.
And usually ‘round Christmas, I find myself once again peeling back the pages of Jack Kerouac’s seminal 1958 novel “The Dharma Bums.” It’s the same beat-up and well-worn copy I’ve had since college. Dogeared several times at certain points in the book I’ve always wanted to remember and recite. The copy has traveled all over America with me: in my backpack, center console of my truck or in my hands at some roadhouse diner or dive bar.
Last night (Saturday), I found myself sitting solo for dinner at Singletree Heritage Kitchen in downtown Waynesville. Crack open “The Dharma Bums” and take a slow, enjoyable sip from a glass of Pinot Noir. Order the New York strip steak (medium) with sautéed onions. Take a moment to acknowledge the gratitude to be able to afford said glass of wine, the steak and onions. Take a moment to be thankful to be standing upright and able to wander this earth.
HOT PICKS
1
Grammy-nominated Americana act The Secret Sisters will perform as part of “Salon Series” at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, in The Ruffed Grouse Tavern at the Highlander Mountain House in Highlands.
2
Jam-rock ensemble Prophets of Time will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.
3
Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Rich Manz Trio (oldies/ acoustic) at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.
4
“The Polar Express” train ride will roll down the tracks on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City.
5
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 hub-bub of Saturday night. The whirlwind of white noise. Of voices and cutlery clanging. Of wine glasses saluting the evening. Of the impending Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the days immediately following each. Places to be and people to see, whether or not you’re ready to do so. It’s all so much to watch and be part of and yet so quickly fading like snowflakes on your windshield.
The white noise of life in motion as I splash my old soul with the words of the late Kerouac, “I felt like lying down by the side of the trail and remembering it all. The woods do that to you, they always look familiar, long lost, like the face of a long-dead relative, like an old dream, like a piece of forgotten song drifting across the water, most of all like golden eternities of past childhood or past manhood and all the living and the dying and the heartbreak that went on a million years ago and the clouds as they pass overhead seem to testify (by their own lonesome familiarity) to this feeling.”
It’s now Sunday afternoon. The raindrops have ceased, if but for a moment. Time to put on the warm running gear, waterproof jacket and lace up the shoes. Beyond that, there’s a Christmas party in town later that I was invited to attend. Put on a nice shirt and a pair of clean jeans, dust off the boots and roll right on up, diving right into the holiday spirit of compassion and camaraderie.
Tomorrow is Monday, with Tuesday being the supposed shove-off point to aim the nose of my pickup truck towards the North Country of Upstate New York, my hometown and the ruins of my youth. Memories of loved ones lost and gone. Moments yet to be shared with old friends who I’ll surely cross paths with, most likely at the Fourth Ward Club over a cold pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon. My head is still held high. I remain. And so do you (and you, too).
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
The North Country woods. Garret K. Woodward photo
‘Rock for Relief’ raises over $34K
In an impressive feat, the “Rock for Relief: A WNC Flood Benefit Festival” was able to garner more than $34,000 in its one-day musical extravaganza.
Held on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Waynesville and surrounding communities, the gathering consisted of over 60 artists performing at 16 venues around Haywood County.
“It’s just incredible to see how our community came together for a great cause,” said Patrick Schneider, president of Adamas Entertainment, a Waynesville-based production company who helped organize the event. “This is what live music is all about.”
Schneider noted that plans are already in the works for another similar event this coming spring, with “Rock for Relief” expected to return for its second installment next fall.
“There will always be a call for aid to help our family, friends and neighbors here in Western North Carolina,” Schneider said. “And we want to continue to be part of the process to assist those in need.”
Proceeds were distributed between Mountain Projects, a beloved longtime nonprofit organization helping those in need in Haywood and Jackson counties, and also be given directly into the hands of local artists heavily affected by the floods through the Rock for Relief Musicians Fund.
Saddle up: Cataloochee
Ranch rides into next chapter
“The [Cataloochee Ranch] has an amazing history and it’s always had this unique identity,” said Annie Colquitt. “It’s this special place in Haywood County and has been a draw [for almost a century].”
Alongside her husband, David, the Colquitts recently reopened the beloved Cataloochee Ranch. Purchased by the couple in 2020, the extensive and expensive renovation project itself has taken the better part of the last two years to complete. The official grand reopening ribbon cutting celebration was held in March.
Coming to fruition in 1933, the Cataloochee Ranch was created by the Alexander family as a place of divine respite and outdoor
adventure in the heart of Western North Carolina.
Whether it was horseback riding up to Hemphill Bald, hiking around the vast 700-acre property, evenings eating a hearty homecooked meal with gusto or storytelling and music around a campfire under a canopy of stars, the Cataloochee Ranch remains an escape hatch from the organized chaos of daily life way down below.
“We want the ranch to be a place that locals love, but also a place that folks come from all over,” Annie said. “Adventure is not knowing how the story is going to end.”
I am one of you forever:
Remembering WNC literary icon Fred Chappell
as a child (below), and later in life
In a November 2022 interview with The Smoky Mountain News, storied writer Fred Chappell, a Haywood County native who was 86 at the time, was asked what the culmination of his life meant to him looking back.
“It’s taught me that I didn’t deserve what happened to me — I was too lucky for my own good,” Chappell said in his signature matter-of-fact tone.
A longtime resident of Greensboro, Chappell passed away on Jan. 4. He was 87 years old.
As one of the most beloved and acclaimed writers in North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia, Chappell accumulated a vast catalog of work, dozens of books poetry and prose — covering the vast unknowns and intricate beauty of the world around us, many through the lens of the mountains of his youth.
And, in his straightforward — yet heartfelt, hardscrabble ways and means — Chappell took a moment to reflect on just what it was about poetry that’s captivated his mind and existence as far back as he could remember.
“It seems to me, [poetry is] the most natural kind of a speech there is,” Chappell said. “It’s the most natural, the most elevated, and the most fun — poetry is always attractive. Everybody is immersed in poetry, whether they know it or not.”
On the beat
• 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 semi-regular 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 semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
ALSO:
• 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.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host 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.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana/country) 5 p.m. Jan. 18. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/livemusic.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host Jon Shain & Piedmont Blues 2 p.m. Jan. 26 ($15 for adults, $7.50 for ages 6-16). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Team Trivia” Mondays and Adam & Joe 6:30 p.m. Dec. 27. 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. 17. All shows begin at 6 p.m. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/ orchardsessions.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Ken Morgan (singer-songwriter) Dec. 19, Rich Manz Trio (oldies/acoustic) Dec. 20, Bemi Dec. 21, Simple Folk Trio 3 p.m. Dec. 22, Sugah & Thuh Cubes Dec. 27, Natti Love Joys (reggae/roots) Dec. 28 and Jim Cook (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m.
Chappell
(above). File photo
File photo
File photo
On the beat
Dec. 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host The Remnants (rock/pop) Dec. 20 and Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Dec. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.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 Fabulous Equinox Orchestra (jazz/soul) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The Remnants (rock/pop) Dec. 21, Ray Ferrara (country/rock) Dec. 28 and New Year’s Eve Party w/The Remnants (rock/pop) 9 p.m. Dec. 31. 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, Prophets Of Time (rock/jam) Dec. 20, The Remnants (rock/pop) Dec. 27 and New Year’s Eve Party w/DJ Mox 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• 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, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Dec. 20, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) Dec. 21, Wollybooger (blues/folk) 5 p.m. Dec. 22, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Dec. 28 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) 5 p.m. Dec. 29. 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.
• 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.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin)
Highlands welcomes The Secret Sisters
Dec.
Grammy-nominated Americana act The Secret Sisters will perform as part of “Salon Series” at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, in The Ruffed Grouse Tavern at the Highlander Mountain House in Highlands.
Since their 2010 self-titled debut, The Secret Sisters have brought their spellbinding harmonies to songs that untangle the thorniest aspects of life, love and womanhood.
In the making of their new album, “Mind, Man, Medicine,” Alabama-bred siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle found their songwriting transformed by a newfound sense of self-reliance and equanimity, threading their lyrics with hard-won insight into the complexities of motherhood, commitment, compassion and self-preservation in an endlessly chaotic world.
Centered on a kaleidoscopic sound that boldly blurs the edges of country-folk, the duo’s fifth full-length ultimately confronts many of modern life’s harshest challenges, while leading the listener toward a more open-hearted state of mind.
The follow-up to “Saturn Return” — their 2020 Grammy-nominated LP co-produced by Brandi Carlile and lavishly praised by the likes of Rolling Stone — “Mind, Man, Medicine” finds The Secret Sisters co-producing alongside Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones) and John Paul White (formerly of Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars).
Tickets are $50 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit highlandermountainhouse.com or call 828.526.2590.
Rock, jam at Lazy Hiker
Jam-rock ensemble Prophets of Time will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.
A multi-genre blending rock band hailing from the mountains of Western North Carolina, the Prophets of Time are composed of six freewheeling spirits, the culmination of which being an energetic live show built around dance-able rock-n-roll music.
will host Karaoke 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Rob Jorett (singer-songwriter) Dec. 19, Michael Kitchens (singer-songwriter) Dec. 20, Ron Dalbora (singer-songwriter) Dec. 21, Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) Dec. 26, Open Mic w/Dirty Dave Dec. 27 and Joe Munoz (singer-songwriter) Dec. 28. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party” w/Yuletide and Holler & Crow Dec. 18, “An Evening of Christmas Jazz & Prohibition Cocktails” 5 p.m. to midnight Dec. 20, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) Dec. 26, TrancEnd (rock/pop) 9 p.m. Dec. 28 and “New Year’s Eve Party” Dec. 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host The Water Kickers 6 p.m. Dec. 20 and New Year’s Eve Party w/Alton Lane Band Dec. 31. 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.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” w/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.
Prophets of Time will play Sylva Dec. 20. File photo
The show is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.349.2337 or visit lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke w/Lori Dec. 19 (free), Macon County Line Dec. 20, Lori & The Freighshakers (classic rock/country gold) Dec. 21, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Dec. 26, Ellis Haven Band Dec. 27, Dirty South Band Dec. 28 and Outlaw Whiskey (classic rock/country gold) “New Year’s Eve Party” (reserved seating $30 per person) Dec. 31. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.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.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
The Secret Sisters will play Highlands
19. File photo
All aboard ‘The Polar Express’
“The Polar Express” train ride will roll down the tracks on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. Climb aboard one of the powerful locomotives and historic train cars as it departs the Bryson City Depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus himself. Upon arriving at the depot, you’ll be immersed in the story as GSMR chefs serve you hot chocolate and sweet treats while singing and dancing all the way to the North Pole.
On the return trip to Bryson City, Santa will visit each coach and hand out the first gift of Christmas to each child. To note, there are a handful of seating and pricing options available.
For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.
On the stage
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host comedian Dave Koechner 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• “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, go to mountaintheatre.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
• “Christmas Light Show Drive-Thru” is running everyday through the holidays at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park in Bryson City, except 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, visit 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. 20-21 at the Cherokee Islands. visitcherokeenc.com/events.
• “Santa In The Park” will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 21 at KelseyHutchinson Founders Park in downtown Highlands. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
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.
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
• 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. 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.
• 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 (May-December) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yel-
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 recover and rebuild after the storm’s devastation.
For more details about the Helene Support Grant and to submit an application, please visit haywoodarts.org/grantsfunding or contact the HCAC at director@haywoodarts.org.
low 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 participants. 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, go to cre828.com. dawn@cre828.com / 828.283.0523.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. 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 photogra-
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, visit haywoodarts.org.
phy and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 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.html / 828.586.2248.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semiregular arts and crafts workshops. coweeschool.org/events.
The ‘Small Works’ showcase will be held at HCAC. File photo
Cold Mountain Art Collective in Canton was decimated by Hurricane Helene. File photo
Real perspectives from a fictional Russian
The ever growing stack of my “to-read” books has had Amor Towles’ “A Gentleman in Moscow” for about a year now. Several friends, whose literary opinion I respect, raved about this novel and one of them even bought me my copy. However, time flies when you’re trying to read all the books you’ve been suggested and diminishing my “to-read” stack is a Sisyphian (albeit, welcome) task at this point. But I finally picked this one up and although I’m a little late to the game, better late than never.
Set in early 20th century Russia, this story follows the witty, lovable Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov and his unique survival of the Bolshevik revolution and all its chaotic intensity. Like most aristocrats of that time (who remained in Russia), Count Rostov was brought before a tribunal and sentenced to death, guilty by association of his class. And being unrepentant, he would have received his punishment if not for a proRevolutionary poem attributed to him a few years prior. So instead of the firing squad Count Rostov was placed under house arrest in the Hotel Metropol in Moscow.
Necessity is the mother of invention and a person needs to have a community. Between that and Rostov’s enigmatic demeanor, he soon runs in a diverse, eclectic circle. Throughout the novel, Rostov gives thought-provoking insights on the passage of time, when to change with it or not, and how to do so. His reflections on the current state of his own affairs give greater context to the fascinating historical period the story takes place in. Through Rostov’s eyes, readers are provided a deeper look into the turmoil and difficulty of post-revolutionary Russia.
One of my favorite things about Rostov’s character is his adaptability. At the outset, he is forced to move into a tiny, cramped
tomorrow. Neither is he cold and totally detached from memories.
He cherishes old mementos, reminisces on days gone-by and admires the propriety that he was raised in. Rostov is a realist and he manages to hold onto his ideals without letting them chain him down.
Given the limitations of his lifestyle, particularly his inability to ever leave the Metropol, Rostov doesn’t have many options or paths to pursue. Nevertheless, he makes them. He doesn’t grow idle, bitter or depressed. He perseveres and optimistically plays the hand he’s been dealt.
Especially with the Thanksgiving season upon us, I have found myself thinking of Rostov’s character and how his general demeanor of gratitude allowed him to thoroughly enjoy whatever he did have, despite obviously lacking most freedoms and their subsequent pleasures.
At this point you may wonder what I myself did: how much can really happen in the singular setting of a hotel? Well, more than you can think. But perhaps more than action, the vividness of each character, brought so cleverly to life, is captivating and keeps the reader gripped to the story. Count Rostov’s acquaintances become friends and some become like family. A young girl, Nina, whose parents reside in the Metropol, soon becomes one of his dearest companions; along with the skilled chef, the maitre d’hotel, and a beautiful actress, to name a few.
space in the servants’ quarters and is allowed limited personal items. The few he can bring along with him hold sentimental value and the beautiful craftsmanship of an age quickly passing by; and what he must leave behind, he does so sadly but promptly. Rather than becoming overshadowed by nostalgia, he adapts and maintains an unrelentingly positive outlook.
While he misses the past and grieves loved ones and ways lost, he doesn’t keep one foot in yesterday, unable to step into
Given his situation, it would be understandable to simply be glad he survived, but by being grateful for the small amount of things or moments he had — even the responsibilities he continues to pick up over the years — Rostov cultivates the desire to live and thrive, not merely to exist.
Count Rostov is a good reminder to love the little things in life. They say the devil is in the details, but more often than not I find God there instead. Those small, unnecessary things that prove neither imprudent nor practical: whipped cream in your morning coffee, picking flowers for your own desk, an unplanned phone call from an old friend, or a pair of detailed silver earrings from a pawn shop.
When life gets difficult and times are hard, it seems to be those little things that people fight for. Something about adding a little beauty, receiving a little grace, is what keeps us human. As times grow tougher in Russia, Rostov and his friends strive harder to embrace and enjoy those little things.
While we may not be suffering the extreme instability of a complete political upheaval as is the case in this novel, we all have an internal chaos within our individual lives. Rostov is a perfect example of the fact that we cannot fix the messiness of the world but that we can put order into our own lives; and only by doing that can we truly progress.
Although it took me longer than I would’ve liked to get around to reading this, I’m so grateful I did. Towles manages to hearken back to the deep introspection of a classic Russian novel while at the same time keeping a lighthearted, modern air. Cleverly written, delightful characters and a beautiful era, this story should not stay in your “toread” stack for too long.
(Anna Barren teaches fifth grade and is a lifelong lover of books. annab4376@gmail.com.)
Writer
Anna Barren
House passes bill providing millions to dams, flood mitigation in WNC
BY KYLE PERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
Abill approved by Congress last week will provide money for improvements to the nation’s ports and harbors; inland waterway navigation; flood and storm protection; and other aspects of the nation’s waterways.
The approved measure is the House Amendment to S. 4367, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which is the bipartisan, bicameral product of several months of negotiations between House and Senate leaders after each chamber passed its own version of WRDA legislation earlier this summer.
The bill has been touted as a bipartisan success by House members.
“After months of negotiations, this bill represents a carefully crafted agreement across both chambers and parties,” said NC-7 Rep. David Rouzer. “This bipartisan legislation enhances the efficiency of our ports, harbors, and inland navigation systems, bolsters both domestic and international commerce, and strengthens our resilience during natural disasters. I am grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who helped craft this commonsense legislation, which will have a lasting impact from coast to coast.”
In The Smoky Mountain News coverage area, the bill will provide more than $41 million for flood mitigation along the Pigeon
River in Canton, an area that was particularly hard-hit not only during the recent deluge from Hurricane Helene but also in 2021 during Tropical Storm Fred. Each storm caused a loss of life, hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in the Canton area and even extreme damage to town government buildings and town infrastructure.
In addition to the funding for the Pigeon River, when it comes to Western North Carolina, the bill included $1.5 million for downtown water system rehabilitation in Murphy, $4 million for water plant expansion in Weaverville and More than $3.4 million for water infrastructure upgrades in Robbinsville.
There were also three bills that brought in additional funding for the National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act of 2023, the National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act and the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act.
“This WRDA delivers critical water resource infrastructure improvements for communities across America – from ports to levees to navigation channels, and more. The bill also makes reforms at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to streamline processes, reduce cumbersome red tape, and get projects done faster. This legislation also keeps Congress on the schedule of regularly passing WRDA improvements and reforms every
ers’ money, and repurpose unobligated TIFIA balances to help our states better address their surface transportation infrastructure needs. I want to thank Ranking Member Rick Larsen, Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer, Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano, as well as Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito in the Senate, for their hard work in developing and negotiating this final measure.”
“WNC, with its many lakes and rivers, must remain at the forefront of dam safety and I’m pleased that the House passed three of my bills to provide federal support for the nearly 92,000 dams that serve critical functions across our nation,” Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) said in a press release. “The significant flooding following Hurricane Helene underscored the importance of improving dam safety efforts to prevent catastrophic dam failures, protect lives and downstream communities, and make sure that dams continue to provide the services that Western North Carolinians depend on.”
two years,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, Rep. Matt Graves (R-Missouri). “This measure also includes important provisions to reauthorize and modernize federal economic development programs, make us better stewards of federally-owned office space and the taxpay-
In the release, Edwards’ office also discussed the specifics National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act. Edwards’ district, NC-11, is home to more than 750 dams, many of which are in poor or unsatisfactory condition. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave America’s dams a “D” grade in safety, and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) estimates that more than 2,300 high-hazard dams are at risk due to a lack of investment in dam safety. ASDSO estimates that it would cost $157.5 billion to place these high-hazard dams into a state of good repair.
The bipartisan National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through fiscal year 2028.
The bill will now make its way to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill provides $41 million for flood mitigation along the Pigeon River near Canton. File photo
Design studies on tap for Foothills Parkway
The National Park Service will conduct additional design work and technical studies for Foothills Parkway Section 8D. This decision was based on feedback from subject matter experts and public comments received during a 30day public comment which ended on Aug. 21.
The NPS will reinitiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and inform the public of opportunities for future public engagement once this additional work is completed. A schedule for completing the additional work has not yet been established.
portation network inside and outside the park and fulfill the intent of federal and state legislation authorizing construction of the Foothills Parkway.
The concept of a parkway in Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountains National Park was conceived in the 1930s.
Similar to the creation of the park itself, the NPS worked closely with Tennessee officials and park supporters to develop concepts for a scenic parkway. Legislation to establish the parkway was signed into law in 1944 and construction began in the 1950s with the Gatlinburg Spur.
The proposed Foothills Parkway Section 8D in Great Smoky Mountains National Park would extend the parkway within the existing NPS-managed corridor approximately 9 miles from Wears Valley to the Spur near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
The construction of this proposed section should provide recreational opportunities, support tourism, improve the trans-
Completed portions of Foothills Parkway now include the Spur and five other sections at either end of the 72-mile corridor. The western sections (8H, 8G, 8F, and 8E) extend 33 continuous miles from Chilhowee to Wears Valley and the eastern section (8A) extends 6 miles from Cosby to Interstate 40. Construction on the three middle sections (8B, 8C, and 8D) has not begun. The completed sections of the Foothills Parkway provide breathtaking views and recreational driving experiences for more than 400,000 vehicles per year.
The DMAC classified all or parts of 93 counties as experiencing moderate drought. ncdrought.org photo
State sees widespread moderate drought
Most of North Carolina continues to experience moderate drought, according to the latest advisory from the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.
The DMAC classified all or parts of 93 counties, including almost all of the Smoky Mountain News coverage area, as experiencing moderate drought, or D1 conditions, while seven counties were classified as abnormally dry.
“North Carolina saw well below average rainfall in October and November,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC. “Even though it’s been dry, impacts are low this time of year since water demands are typically lower. The whole state received at least half an inch of rain, and a band of central North Carolina saw more than two inches in the last two weeks, which has helped.”
Corey Davis, assistant state climatologist at the North Carolina State Climate Office, said: “Recent rains have been a welcome way to start this winter, but with the seasonal outlook favoring a La Niña-like pattern, we know that typically means fewer significant precipitation events and overall drier weather for North Carolina.”
DMAC is a collaboration of drought experts from various government agencies in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, and organized by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR). Members of DMAC meet weekly and submit their drought condition recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor (i.e., drought map), a map of the nation’s drought conditions.
DMAC’s drought map is updated weekly on Thursdays, and is based on conditions through the previous Tuesday. To view North Carolina’s drought map, visit ncdrought.org. To view the U.S. drought map, visit http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
Foothills Parkway. Joye Ardyn Durham photo
Public comment sought on proposal to list hellbender as endangered
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as an endangered species throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Eastern hellbenders are found in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
“The eastern hellbender is a unique salamander that plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems,” said Service Midwest Regional Director Will Meeks. “As key indicators of stream and river health, hellbenders need protection that also will help support healthier ecosystems across their range.”
Ozark hellbender, occurs in Missouri and Arkansas and was listed as an endangered species in 2011. In 2021, the Missouri distinct population segment of the eastern hellbender was listed as endangered.
Historically, eastern hellbenders have been documented in 626 populations. Recent data indicate only 371 of these populations (59%) remain. Donated photo
Historically, eastern hellbenders have been documented in 626 populations. Recent data indicate only 371 of these populations (59%) remain. Among the remaining populations, only 45 (12%) are stable, 108 (29%) have an unknown recruitment status, and 218 (59%) are in decline.
The eastern hellbender is one of two subspecies of hellbenders in the United States. The other subspecies, the
Hellbenders are the largest of North America’s salamanders, growing up to 29 inches. They can live up to 30 years and spend their entire lives in water, living in perennial streams and rivers of the eastern and central United States. Hellbenders hide under large, flat rocks on the streambed. Cool and clear water is important because hellbenders breathe through their skin, which contains numerous folds to increase oxygen absorption. The primary threats to eastern hellbenders include stream sedimentation, poor water quality, disease, habitat loss and pet trade collection.
The ESA prohibits the “take” of species listed as endangered, which includes harming, harassing (such as removing from the wild), or killing the species. The listing also mandates that federal agencies consult with the Service to ensure the species’ conservation.
The proposal to list the eastern hellbender as endangered will appear in the Federal Register on Dec. 13, starting a 60-day comment period. Information on how to submit comments can be found on regulations.gov by searching docket number FWS–R3–ES–2024–0152.
Sylva to host Cycle NC Moutain Ride
North Carolina Amateur Sports announced that the Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride is headed to Jackson County Aug. 13, 2025. Registration for the 2024 Mountain Ride is now open at ncsports.org.
The Mountain Ride brings in over 350 cyclists to participate in a fully supported weekend of summer cycling along the scenic mountain back roads in the region. Lake Lure, Tryon, Brevard, Forest City, Marshall, Murphy and Bryson City have all hosted the event in the past. This will be Sylva’s first time hosting the event. Cyclists typically hail from over 20 states and range in age from 13 to 80. The weekend will offer two days of cycling, plus many offthe-bike activities and opportunities to explore the beautiful mountain town of Sylva and the neighboring Jackson County towns.
The Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride is a fully supported bicycle event with support vehicles available to aid cyclists who experience physical or mechanical breakdowns. Rest stops will be set up every 10-20 miles along each route for riders to get off their bikes and explore, while quenching their hunger and thirst. Indoor and outdoor camping areas with amenities will be provided in downtown Sylva, within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shopping.
Cycle NC photo
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The Joyful Botanist
BY ADAM B IGELOW
Happy Holly Days
Editor’s note: This is a re-print of a column that originally ran in 2022.
There are many different plants that Appalachian mountainfolk have used for centuries in their decorations and celebrations on or around the winter solstice.
Ferns, lycopodiums, mosses, lichens, holly and other trees, and many other native plants have been used as garlands and decorations for holiday celebrations. Among the most common Christmas trees sold is the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) known for its soft, rounded needles which make putting on ornaments a much less painful experience than the sharp needles of spruce trees (Picea spp.)
days where it is warm enough, they can gather sunlight and perform photosynthesis. Other times, however, they must protect themselves against the cold. Evergreen plants have developed different methods of doing so. Trees like pines (Pinus spp.) and hemlocks (Tsuga spp.) have multiple, small leaves we call needles that highly reduce the surface area of the leaves. This helps reduce water loss and limit cold exposure. Other, mostly low-growing plants like ragwort (Packera spp.) and toothwort (Cardamine diphylla) have dark purple on the underside of their leaves. Dark colors absorb and hold heat, allowing it to be slowly radiated at night, helping to keep the plants alive. Rhododendrons will roll their leaves up when temperatures dip below 25 degrees, reducing surface area, and holding air in the tube that’s formed.
One thing that they all have in common is being evergreen. Evergreen plants, those that do not die back to the ground and go dormant for the winter, have been celebrated as special, sacred and holy in many different cultures for thousands of years. Celtic, Druid and other Pagan European peoples, where many of our modern Christmas traditions were derived, saw magical symbolism in plants that could not only survive the long, dark and cold winters, but would thrive through them.
There is a story from the traditions of Cherokee people that tells how all the plants and trees were tasked with staying awake for seven days and nights when they were first created. Most of them were not able to do so and ended up falling asleep. Those who were able to stay awake were celebrated and gifted the power to remain green all winter long. This is why most plants go dormant and lose their leaves, since most of them fell asleep. Balsam trees, pines, cedars, hollies, laurels, hemlocks and many others were rewarded by becoming evergreen.
Evergreen plants have an advantage in gathering sunlight and energy over deciduous plants in the winter and early spring. On
One native plant of southern Appalachia that has been associated with holiday celebrations and decorations is the Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). This evergreen fern is common throughout the mountains and has been used as garland for mantle and stairway decorations for as long as there have been Christmas celebrations in this area. And its holiday association has even become a fun and easy way of identifying it. Each frond, or fernleaf has a triangular notch where it connects to the stem, known in ferns as a “rachis.” When held horizontally, this notch can be said to look like Santa riding in his sleigh. Or, when held vertically, the notch becomes where you would hang the stocking from the chimney with care.
While the words “holly” and “holy” aren’t truly related, they sound enough alike that I tend to associate one with the other. And with their dark green leaves and red berries, the connection with Christmas and the holiday season deepens even more as red and green are the traditional colors of Christmas. This time of year brings forth many different holidays from many different traditions, religions and different parts of the world in the northern hemisphere. Most, if not all these holidays have a connection to the natural world, to the length of the day and night, and to plants. No matter what and how you celebrate, I hope you find warmth, comfort and light in this period of cold and darkness. And remember that no matter how long and dark the winter, the wildflowers will come back.
(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is common throughout the mountain region and often used in Christmas decorations. Adam Bigelow photo
Haywood Waterways creates jobs to clean up Helene litter
After Tropical Storm Fred moved through Western North Carolina in 2021, litter cleanup throughout the East Fork and downstream along the Pigeon River was an unfunded effort, leaving local responsibility on the backs of property owners, volunteers and programs like Adopt-a-Stream. Larger woody debris and hazardous material removal was led by Haywood County Soil & Water Conservation District, with the program nearing completion just as Helene arrived.
As was the case post-Fred, no immediate funding was available to conduct litter cleanups after Helene moved through the region. Haywood Waterways Association pitched the need to several partners and found an opportunity with Southwestern Commission and the Haywood County NCWorks Career center.
A program was developed to hire individuals impacted by Helene (reduced income, lost jobs, etc.) to conduct litter cleanups and streambank plantings across the county for the next 12 to 24 months, at $25 per hour, part or full time. As
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler encourages communities impacted by Hurricane Helene to apply for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance.
of mid-December HWA has hired eight individuals and is working with towns, the county and various agencies to grow the program over the next few months.
The crews will conduct cleanups across private and public land, along and within the waterways, using boats and barges during the warm weather months.
This is an ongoing effort, as is the hiring process. Anyone interested in working picking up litter for $25 per hour (paid weekly) can call the NCWorks Career Center in Waynesville at 828.456.6061 and ask about the Haywood Waterways job opportunity. Equipment will be provided.
Anyone interested in having the HWA Cleanup Crew clean up their property can email info@haywoodwaterways.org, subject line “Cleanup” and they will send someone to scout the property, followed by a scheduled cleanup.
More information about the organization can be found at haywoodwaterways.org or by contacting them at 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.
“The Emergency Watershed Protection program is not as widely known or used historically in Western N.C. communities, but funding is available and this program could be beneficial in ongoing recovery
efforts,” Troxler said. “I want to make sure that groups eligible to apply for EWP are aware of this program and the upcoming application deadline and I urge communities to look and see how this program can help.”
EWP is an emergency recovery program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. EWP objectives are to relieve imminent hazards to life and structures/infrastructures caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural occurrences. With the exception of floodplain easements, USDA-NRCS does not provide EWP assistance directly to private property owners. All projects undertaken, which include public and private properties, must have a project sponsor. EWP is available to eligible sponsors; a legal subdivision of the
Crews will conduct cleanups across private and public land, along and within the waterways, using boats and barges during the warm weather months. Donated photo
state, such as a state agency, county, city, town, soil and water conservation district, or an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization.
Potential sponsors should reach out to their local NRCS office for additional program information including templates for preparing requests for assistance to NRCS. Sponsors cannot be reimbursed for work done prior to entering into a formal agreement with NRCS. NRCS state conservationist, Tim Beard, is currently accepting requests for assistance through Jan. 31, 2025.
For Tropical Storm Helene, USDA-NRCS may provide up to 100% of the construction costs for eligible emergency measures. Sponsors are prohibited from utilizing other federal funds for EWP projects. Funding is subject to Congressional approval.
To get answers to your questions about EWP in North Carolina, contact your local NRCS office or the NRCS State Office at 919.873.2100.
Steve Troxler
Market PLACE WNC
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23 Like babies who throw tantrums when you try to put diapers on them?
25 News outlets
26 RBI or ERA
27 Film lead-in to "Cop"
28 Photo --
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30 Trellis climber
32 Having a sore mouth
working long hours at a kissing booth?
36 Joint a sock often
39 Chipped in, in poker
40 Beckett title character
41 Intense
46 Pie -- mode
49 Abbr. on a road map
50 With 44-Down, decay of building timbers
51 Colon part
52 Communist Joseph
55 Egyptian god of the dead
57 Declaration while pointing at a group of workers on strike?
62 Scent sensor
63 George at Gettysburg
64 Airy melody
65 Statement when you're nearly ready to complete a collage?
72 The "A" of "A-Rod" 73 Depart
ANSWERS ON PAGE 34
SUDOKU
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