Smoky Mountain News | December 27, 2023 by Smoky Mountain News

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

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024 Vol. 25 Iss. 31

A year in review: The best albums of 2023 Page 22 Ringing out the Year of the Trail Page 30

Smoky Mountain News Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Smoky Mountain News

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CONTENTS On the Cover: Well folks, we finally made it. We have wrapped up 2023, a year that will be remembered for turmoil in multiple local governments, an all-too-early runup to a presidential election year and major changes for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. There were unexpected heroes and characters we never thought we’d write about. Perhaps most notably, Pactiv Evergreen decided to turn the town of Canton upside-down by abruptly closing down its paper mill in that town, shaking up the lives of thousands of Western North Carolina residents. We’re here to recap all of those stories and more with our annual spoof awards and Fake News Freakout. Finally, we here at Smoky Mountain News are happy to inform you that the finish line is in sight. At least 2024 shouldn’t be too crazy, right? RIGHT?!

Opinion A lot to look forward to in 2024 ....................................................................................20 All different, all the same, all over again ....................................................................21

A&E A year in review: The best albums of 2023 ..............................................................22 McAfee returns to Meadowlark......................................................................................24

Outdoors Ringing out the Year of the Trail: A highlight reel of trail news in 2023............30 Year-in-review tool breaks down weather trends......................................................33

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Jack Snyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jack.s@smokymountainnews.com Stefanee Sherman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stefanee@mtnsouthmedia.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Kyle Perrotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Jamie Cogdill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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This is totally not North Carolina’s new U.S. Senate District map. Cory Vaillancourt photo illustration

Smoky Mountain News

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

LEGISLATURE SOMEHOW GERRYMANDERS U.S. SENATE MAPS

The North Carolina General Assembly’s latest round of redistricting has already prompted several lawsuits over allegations of gerrymandering, but watchdog groups were shocked last week to discover that lawmakers had radically altered the state’s borders to ensure the election of Republican U.S. senators remains free and fair. “We really don’t know how this happened,” said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), who in October drew himself a congressional district to run in after a 2022 attempt was thwarted by courts. “But I think this new map looks pretty good, actually.” Earlier this year, state legislative districts were again 6 drawn to preserve Republican supermajorities in the General

Assembly, while the state’s congressional districts — previously a 7-7 partisan split — were likewise rejiggered to all but guarantee a 10-4 Republican advantage in a state that Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020 with 49.8% and 50.1% of the vote, respectively.

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT FAKE N EWS E DITOR elcome to the eighth installment of The Smoky Mountain News’ annual Fake News Freakout. I feel like I say this every year, and I do, but this satirical feature was initially conceived as a one-off back in 2016, when it seemed the whole world had gone mad with literal fake news. Of course, we thought we’d get in on the action with a tranche of Onion-esque fake news stories, and since then, well, we’ve had some doozies. Especially the ones that don’t get printed. But after another year full of ridiculousness, coming fast and hard from all quarters, we couldn’t help but soldier on; so long as society continues to support calling lies “misinformation” and liars “misinformed,” calling medicine “poison” and poison “medicine,” calling war a “special military operation” and calling traitors “tourists,” there will continue to be fake news, and we’ll continue to be there, once a year, to join in the fun with another batch. A word of warning: we’ll be back with this feature next year — if we have to be. (SMN Staff Writer Hannah McLeod and Outdoors Editor Holly Kays contributed to this fake news report, which is fake.)

light on how, exactly, the new maps came to be went unanswered. Moore, however, did answer a question about the apparent exclusion of Mecklenburg County from North Carolina’s new U.S. Senate map. “Who cares? Nobody cares. And nobody can’t do nothing about it, neither,” Moore said. “They’re Lindsey Graham’s problem now.”

The new map incorporates several counties from north Georgia and far western Virginia into North Carolina’s U.S. Senate district, and also subsumes a vast swath of the east Tennessee mountains. South Carolina’s oceanfront Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, is included as well. U.S. Senate districts, commonly understood to be the legally established borders of the several states, were once thought to be unaffected by partisan gerrymandering. Article 1 Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution stipulates that “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State,” but is silent on the meaning of the word “shall” as well as the meaning of the word “two” and the meaning of the word “state.” Election advocacy groups, led by the Soros-funded, China-based nonprofit Voting Voters Gonna Slay the Vote Y’all, vowed legal action in the state’s highest court. A spokesperson said in a TikTok video that they’d already raised millions of Dogecoins to fund the suit. Moore said any suit would receive a fair hearing by the Republican Senate President Pro Temp’s son in the Republican-dominated state Supreme Court and, if necessary, would also receive a fair hearing in the Republicandominated U.S. Supreme Court. Due to recent legislation by the General Assembly allowing only the General Assembly to decide what public records the General Assembly has a duty to release, public records requests by The Smoky Mountain News intended to shed

CANNABIS DELIVERY DOGS TO EARN ULTIMATE ‘GOOD BOY’

The dogs of Swain County are expected to play a key role in the future of Cherokee’s cannabis business, forever solidifying their title as man’s best friend, the Qualla Enterprises LLC Board of Directors announced today. For months, the board has been stuck on how to legally transport cannabis grown on the farm on Coopers Creek to the dispensary on the main Qualla Boundary. Driving between the two locations requires traversing a short stretch of road that falls under Swain County’s jurisdiction, where marijuana remains an illegal drug. But as Qualla Enterprises Board Chair Carolyn West was playing fetch with her dog one night, the solution struck her. “Swain County doesn’t have an animal control department, so while the sheriff would certainly stop any vehicles that attempted to transport our product through county land, nobody will bat an eye at a pack of off-leash dogs,” she explained. The canines will be equipped with individually fitted packs and given a load of cannabis proportional to their body weights. Then, they’ll be driven to the property line and released while Qualla Enterprises employees fry up some bacon at the edge of the main Qualla Boundary, about a quarter-mile away. After arriving at the bacon fry, the dogs’ packs will be unloaded, and they will be given bacon, scritches, and repeated assurance that they are all good boys and good girls. “It’s a foolproof plan, really, and allows us to do something good for the community at the same time,” West said. “We plan to include shelter dogs in need of a permanent

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home in our dog pack, and we expect those dogs to be promptly adopted by grateful customers.” The Smoky Mountain News attempted to obtain comment on the plan from representatives of the canine community, but could not get further than the word “bacon” without the interview degenerating into a prolonged episode of excited slobbering.

CHINESE REVEAL REAL MISSION OF ‘SPY’ BALLOON SPOTTED OVER HAYWOOD

LOCAL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CRAFT APOLOGIES

budget has increased by $25 million under his management. “On behalf of a lot of citizens in Macon County … a lot of us feel that publicly, John, you owe Derek an apology,” said Hazel Morris. “We need to be pleasant. Whether we like one another, whether we agree with one another, whether we don’t agree with one another, we still need to be pleasant and civil and respectful.” Until now, neither commissioner had even hinted at the possibility of an apology. But just last week, residents finally got what they’d been asking for from their local representatives when both men crafted public apologies in the spirit of the season. “We understand that as elected officials, our job is to sow unity, not division, and that we were put in this position to represent the will of the people,” their statements read. “In this case, the will of the people called for more compassionate, mature behavior from their elected leaders.”

CAUSE OF CANTON EARTHQUAKES DETERMINED, UFOS INVOLVED For months, credentialed geologists insisted that the string of eight minor earthquakes that shook Canton this summer was due to geologic stress from the long-ago formation of the Appalachian Mountains, but new testimony indicates they were in fact the result of alien visitation from the planet Arrakis — and that geologists knew it the whole time. “If you’d seen her when she was as tiny and adorable as when the aliens gave her to me, you’d do the same thing I did. You’d do your best to keep her safe, to tell people the earthquakes were part of the natural rhythm of things, nothing to worry about, blah blah blah,” said Duane Johnson, senior geologist for the N.C. Geological Survey, who added that, no, he is not “that” Dwayne Johnson, pointed out that he spells his first name differently, and acknowledged that, yes, it is funny that his career also deals with rocks. It all started, Johnson revealed while under oath in a Senate hearing held this fall, when a spaceship landed in his backyard during July 2022. Johnson treated the weary travelers, who introduced themselves as Fremen from the planet Arrakis, to North Carolina barbeque (ketchup-based sauce, of course) and sweet tea. They were so grateful for the hospitality that they gifted him a baby sandworm, a valuable specimen from a line bred for companionship, without the aggression so prevalent in the wild population. But the sandworm, which Johnson named Precious, eventually became strong enough to escape its terrarium. One day Johnson came home from work to find Precious

gone, and a deep, deep hole in the front yard. “She left a note,” he said tearfully. “She’d escaped to celebrate the Year of the Trail. It was her dream to create sandworm-accessible facilities underground. I only wish I could have gone with her.” Unfortunately, Precious’ activities have caused consternation to Canton residents, some of whom have watched nervously as crystal dinnerware vibrated on the shelves or family photos suddenly began to hang crooked on the walls. The sandworm remains at large, but Johnson predicts that Precious-caused earthquakes will cease in the New Year. “Once the Year of the Trail comes to an end, she’ll stop tunneling,” he said. “She’s always been a very punctual sandworm.”

FESTIVAL-GOERS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN ICE FESTIVAL WON’T INVOLVE METH Visitors from across the southeast will flock to Haywood County this winter for the annual Maggie Valley Ice Festival, but some are already demanding ticket refunds after learning that the event has nothing whatsoever to do with the ingestion of methamphetamines, known on the streets as “ice.” Organizers encountered the same problem last year, when some attendees felt they’d been misled after they showed up to find wholesome family activities instead of free-range open-air intravenous drug use. Angry customers stormed out, only to steal thousands of catalytic converters on their way home and leave the fairgrounds parking lot strewn with colored pencils and coloring books. Maggie Valley Police, however, ended up arresting an estimated 832 people on various outstanding warrants, like child support, failure to appear and trespassing. Officers also impounded 32 unregistered vehicles, seized $3.2 million in copper tubing and confiscated 7,976 items suspected to be drug paraphernalia. This year, organizers want to clear up lingering confusion over the nature of the event, which will draw thousands to participate in ice skating and ice carving, but not ice snorting. Local vendors will offer plenty of artisanal, homemade holiday products, none of which will be methamphetamine, methamphetamine-based or methamphetaminederived. Precursor substances are likewise strictly prohibited.

THEY’S A BAR A-WALKIN ROUND THE DOLLA GENR’L [SEE BAR, P. 75]

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In a stunning turn of events, two commissioners who were publicly called on to apologize to their constituents seemed to have been taken by the holiday spirit as they both addressed the public’s complaints in heartfelt apologies last week. Earlier this year Jackson County Commissioner John Smith was called on to make a public apology after he referred to the LGBTQ+ community as the “perverted one percent.” “In light of these events, both the executive board of Sylva Pride, as well as Sylva Belles Drag, calls on Jackson County Commissioner John W. Smith to issue a formal apology to the Sylva Pride community, as well as to refrain from using his title to manipulate public policy at the whim of his personal views,” said Burgin Mackey during the Sept. 5 Jackson Commissioners Meeting. “As a representative for all the tax-paying citizens of Jackson County, it is not acceptable to discriminate against an entire community.” A few months later, just over the county line, similar calls were made for Macon County Commissioner John Shearl to apologize after he asked for County Manager Derek Roland’s resignation after falsely stating that the

This is totally not a spy balloon. Cory Vaillancourt/pngtree photo

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

After some in government raised concerns about espionage, a representative of the Chinese Communist Party is now speaking out on the true purpose of the mysterious white balloon that in February floated across the United States — including right over Haywood County. “We just wanted to know if Ghost Town was open yet,” said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China. “I have some great memories from there back in the 1980s.” Wu explained that the CCP has been monitoring its favorite local newspaper, The Smoky Mountain News, to keep up with developments on the legendary mountaintop amusement park’s condition since at least 2012, but lately began using the balloons to acquire more frequent updates. The park closed for good in 2016, and has gone through several unsuccessful rehabilitation attempts since. “It would just be really great if I could bring my family there, and also my grandchildren,” said Wu, who also visited the Knoxville Wigsphere while he was in the region on a student visa. “I wish somebody would do something with it. I heard Dolly Parton is going to buy it.” Wu said that the metal undercarriage hanging beneath the balloon contained a sophisticated array of high-definition video cameras used to capture images of the languishing park. They’re looking for signs of construction activity, but absent any, they’ll just store the footage until it’s used to create another batch of anti-Trump clickbait advertisements on Meta and X. The ads will be ready in advance of the 2024 election, Wu said. Wu added that he was ultimately “disappointed” to learn that the balloon had eventually been shot down by an Air Force F-22 off the coast of Myrtle Beach, but said he wasn’t overly concerned. “You must remember it was but one balloon,” said Wu. “We launch these things, like, six times a day now.”

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GRINCH AWARD The Grinch who Stole Christmas and Pactiv Evergreen have a lot more in common than just a shared color scheme and stealing presents right out from under the Christmas trees of children. Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, officials from Pactiv announced on March 6 that they would soon shutter the venerable old paper mill at the heart of Canton but didn’t bother to give local or state officials any warning whatsoever. With all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Pactiv threw hundreds out of work with little notice and also failed to facilitate continuing health care coverage for those workers, even after top executives dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock for one last cash grab just days before the announcement. With a heart full of unwashed socks and a soul that’s full of gunk, Pactiv’s futile attempt to secure a tax break from the county can only be described as follows: “stink, stank, stunk.” Perhaps the biggest three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce served up by Pactiv — above and beyond its attempt to turn Whoville into a Hooverville — was the revelation late this year that the $6 billion multinational corporation may have misread the paper market by forecasting decreased demand for its milk carton paper. “Market conditions” were cited as a reason for closing, but in November, multiple news outlets reported a milk carton shortage in schools, depriving thousands of Cindy Lou Whos of their favorite lunchtime beverage. Unlike the Grinch, Pactiv doesn’t even have an adorable little dog to serve as the company’s moral compass and push it along towards its redemption arc, so don’t hold out any hope this holiday season that the company’s small heart will one day grow three sizes. Or two. Or even one. You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, but Pactiv’s got you beat.

A kayak-view photo looks upstream from the paper mill site in Canton. Anna Alsobrook/MountainTrue photo

Nick Scheuer. File photo

HOMETOWN HEROES AWARD Smoky Mountain News

When Pactiv Evergreen announced it would close its 115-year-old paper mill in Canton earlier this year, local leaders had to deal with a host of issues: the plight of the workers and their families, their health care coverage, declining school enrollment, pollution and the future of the site itself. One issue, however, floated to the top of that pile — the future of the town’s wastewater treatment, which had been handled by the mill, for free, for generations. With the clock ticking, three local government administrators who don’t often make headlines jumped into action, searching for a solution. Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer, Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead and Haywood County Community and Economic 8 Development Director David Francis

Bryant Morehead. File photo

David Francis. File photo

have worked (and are working) behind the scenes to solve this problem, which is crucial to the future of the town. But Scheuer, Morehead and Francis aren’t the only local officials who stepped up once the closing was announced. Shelly White, president of Haywood Community College, marshalled her resources to lead the rapid response effort. Trevor Putnam, superintendent of Haywood County Schools, began assessing potential funding disruptions due to declining enrollment. Canton’s assistant town manager, Lisa Stinnett, and the town’s CFO, Natalie Walker, took the initiative on several projects, including an early job fair. Russ Harris, executive director of the Southwestern Commission, David Garrett, SWC’s workforce development director and Nathan Ramsey, of the Land of Sky Regional Council, did likewise. While most people know the roles of Haywood County’s legislative delegation —Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), Sen. Ralph Hise (RMitchell) and Rep. Mark Pless (RHaywood) — in securing General Assembly funding for Canton’s future, we thought it appropriate to bestow the “hometown heroes” award to those others, working diligently with little recognition, on helping to keep milltown strong.

‘THAT’S SO METAL’ AWARD This one goes to the Pigeon River, due both to the actual metals found in a sampling site along its bank and to the very metal way its fish populations have rebounded after the Canton paper mill shut down in June. After 115 years of operation, the mill at the heart of Canton said goodbye to its last shift of workers June 8 following owner Pactiv Evergreen’s March 6 announcement that the mill was closing for good. The closure was a blow to the region’s culture and economy but a boon to its environmental health. Now, environmental regulators are working to get a handle on what’s needed to clean up the site after more than a century of papermaking. Analysis of a comprehensive sampling event conducted in September is not yet complete, but a preliminary report from sampling conducted on mill property in June revealed that one site, a pit dug along the exposed riverbank, had extremely high levels of several toxic metals. Lead levels were 2,796 times higher than the state standard. Copper was 332 times higher, chromium 21 times higher, nickel 17 times higher, zinc five times higher and arsenic nearly four times higher. Beryllium came in more than 30% above the state limit. The results were expected to be representative of the water-saturated soils beneath the riverbed in that area. Despite contamination issues, aquatic life downstream from the mill seems to be rebounding nicely. In July, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission sampled fish populations at three sites downstream from the mill and found double the diversity and 15 times the number of fish as when they sampled the same sites in May, while the mill was still operating. However, unexplored avenues of study remain. For instance, the research did not investigate whether there is an association between high metal levels and the prevalence of Pigeon River fish wearing long hair and leather jackets.

MICROMANAGER(S) OF THE YEAR AWARD Sometimes there are awards that call for two winners, like back in the day before the College Football Playoffs system when two schools would sometimes share a national championship. Such is the case for two Western North Carolina legislators, reps. Mike Clampitt (RSwain) and Mark Pless (R-Haywood), who have been intent on putting their pie pokers in county government business.

mayor and two of the aldermen “depraved,” something he doubled down on during a small press conference, during which he offered residents who don’t like the policies a chance to de-annex, which would shrink Maggie Valley’s tax base. When asked by a Smoky Mountain News reporter whether the move was political retribution, he straight-up admitted that his aim was to punish the Maggie Valley leaders who he’d perceived had wronged him. “I do some really bad stuff and I do some good stuff; it just depends on which side of the bed I crawl out of as to which you get sometimes,” he said. We know these are spoof awards, but he really said that! Now, we can’t be sure exactly what has been said behind closed doors to ruffle these legislators’ feathers, but rest assured, local leaders will dish out a healthy amount of side-eye whenever they’re in the same room.

METER MAID AWARD

Mark Pless. File photo

Mike Clampitt. File photo

NOT ON MY WATCH AWARD Newly elected Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke stepped into some big shoes following the retirement of longtime Sheriff Greg Christopher, but earlier this year Wilke showed Haywood County, along with some of its most vulnerable residents, that he wears some pretty damn big shoes himself. For years, Haywood County Schools didn’t have full coverage from school resource officers — armed deputies from the sheriff ’s office. As recently as last year, seven SROs rotated between the county’s 15 public schools, leaving a better than 50/50 chance that a school shooter would find no opposition on school grounds. On the rise for at least a decade, school shootings in 2023 have already outpaced 2022’s record high. The people of Haywood County are possessed of a heightened sensitivity to the subject; in 2019, Haywood native Riley Howell was killed during what was an ultimately successful attempt to stop a shooter in a classroom at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He was only 21 years old but sacrificed himself to save many lives. On May 15, Wilke spoke before Haywood County commissioners, in essence selling a 1.5-cent property tax increase to fund the addition of eight dedicated SROs. Now, if you know anything about Haywood County, you know that its residents hate tax increases with the fury of a thousand suns. However, Wilke’s request, which amounted to a whopping $37.50 yearly increase on the average homeowner’s tax bill, garnered nary a peep of dissent and passed unanimously. 9

Smoky Mountain News

Clampitt has ruffled the feathers of of Swain County’s elected leaders on multiple occasions. Along with hounding the county’s board of elections, he’s come after the TDA for what he perceives as potential wrongdoing, claims for which there is little to no evidence. Most notably, he tried to push the county’s emergency services to consolidate with Bryson City, which led to public rebukes from county commissioners. Not to be outdone, Pless has not only been on a quest ever since he got to Raleigh to make municipal elections in Haywood County partisan — something town leaders across the county have rebuked — but he’s also meddled in Maggie Valley’s affairs by trying to strip the town of many of its development powers. In a statement, he called the

Bill Wilke. File photo

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has earned this one for its decision to begin charging for parking, effective March 1 this year. The parking tag program was extremely controversial in communities surrounding the park, with the governments of all six surrounding counties and the N.C. House of Representatives issuing formal statements in opposition. Since it was established in 1934, the park has always been free to enter and visit. Legislation and deed restrictions prevent the park from charging an entrance fee, but rapidly increasing visitation combined

with stagnant federal funding meant the park needed another revenue source to do its job well. The new fee represents a monumental change in park policy but has received high levels of support. Of those who commented on the proposal, 51% were in favor and only 15% were opposed. However, of commenters who lived in one of the park’s six neighboring counties, 25% were opposed and only 25% were in favor. Nevertheless, the park says compliance has been even higher than anticipated during this first year of the fee’s implementation, and that revenues are coming in strong. Between the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2022, and June 30, the park collected double the total parking and camping fees it had during the entire previous fiscal year — despite the fee having been in effect for only four months at that time. Funds will be used for a variety of purposes, with hiring to make up for long-standing staffing shortages a top priority. The trophy for this award is shaped like a parking meter, but that might be a bit misleading. Parking tags come in the form of printed pieces of paper or window decals, so the beauty of the Smokies will not be marred by metal meters.

Automated fee machines dispense parking tags at 13 lots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Macon County Commissioner John Shearl called for County Manager Derek Roland’s resignation earlier this year. File photo

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER AWARD The classic 1980s dance film Dirty Dancing taught all of us that “nobody puts Baby in a corner.” And if one does, that baby might just erupt from the corner with wild and salacious dance moves. In December, Macon County Commissioner John Shearl offered a stark reminder of the dangers of putting a baby in a corner. After Shearl berated County Manager Derek Roland during a public meeting for an increasing county budget — despite Macon County maintaining the lowest property tax rate in the state — Shearl asked for Roland’s resignation. Members of the public were quick to hold Shearl to account and ask him to apologize publicly. However, Shearl made no such apology, choosing instead to take the moment to harken back to Patrick Swayze’s audacious dance moves and his insistence that Baby would indeed not be put in a corner. “If you back me in a corner, when I come out of that corner it’s going to get ugly,” said Shearl. “I’m not going to crumble, I’m not going to bow down to whatever, but I assure you that when I come out of that corner it’s not going to be pleasant. And in my mind, I was backed in a corner and that’s not where I want to be.”

YOU WANTED IT, YOU GOT IT AWARD

Smoky Mountain News

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Congrats to Macon County GOP’s newest slate of officers. A dedicated bunch who fought hard, and allegedly

dirty, to secure their seats. In the words of the great John McLean, “Welcome to the Party, pal.” It turns out running a political party — mustering enthusiastic volunteers and candidates, fundraising, checking all the boxes, communicating with the district and state parties — it’s all complicated and requires experience and tenacity. The Macon County GOP was in great shape and handled these duties admirably, so Chairman Jimmy Goodman and company inherited a well-oiled machine, one of the most active and formidable county political parties in any of the state’s rural areas. However, it hasn’t taken long for the new top brass to struggle. Along with having substantial infighting — squabbles that have risen to the surface during county commission meetings — there have been issues with party members acting out of turn. At one point, Rob Tolp, a new precinct chair, sent out an email criticizing some more moderate members of the party that he perceived to be part of some ominous establishment. Goodman claimed Tolp’s letter was not sanctioned by the Macon GOP and “in no way reflects our opinion.” He said in the statement that Tolp would be dealt with, but it’s not clear if there was ever any disciplinary action. So here’s to you, the new slate of Macon County GOP officers. Everyone wants the throne, but it can be a hell of a thing once you find yourself on it.

HARD JOINT TO PASS AWARD Gary Carden remains a Western North Carolina insitution. File photo

KEEPER OF THE FLAME AWARD

This one goes to Cherokee voters, who decided in this year’s election to look back to build their future. The 2023 election was a big one for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, with the principal chief and vice chief seats both up for election, as well as all 12 Tribal Council seats,

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The tribally owned Qualla Enterprises LLC started growing cannabis this year but has not yet opened its dispensary. File photo

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MARTY MCFLY AWARD

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This little award may not mean all that much to him — after all, he’s one of Southern Appalachia’s most revered literary figures and has won a number of far more significant awards for his books and plays, including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012 — but we’re going to give it to him anyway because we’ve all been big fans of his work for a long time. Gary Carden, now in his late 80s, has played a leading role Western North Carolina’s arts scene for more than half a century. Of late, Carden’s career has experienced a bit of a resurgence despite health concerns and mobility challenges. Last year, Carden revived The Liar’s Bench, his longtime regular program of tall tales and mountain lore. This year, a documentary about Carden more than a quarter-century in the making premiered in his hometown of Sylva. Next year, a collection of Carden’s work will be published by Neal Hutcheson, the man behind the “Storyteller” documentary. In a world where authenticity has become increasingly rare, Carden remains a bright light of sincerity, both preserving and passing on the legacy of a unique culture that is rapidly disappearing. Thanks for everything, Gary Neil — you always was a queer yung’un, but maybe your blood isn’t quite as bad as they’d always told you it was.

three School Board seats and a pair of referendum questions asking voters to approve recreational cannabis for people over 21 and permits for mixed drink sales. A total of 43 candidates with varying backgrounds and levels of experience in tribal government filed to run, but in the end voters picked familiar faces to occupy the horseshoe and executive office. That’s not to say voters didn’t ask for change. Financial issues facing the tribe deeply concerned many voters, and three Tribal Council representatives — Albert Rose, Andrew Oocumma and T.W. Saunooke — lost their bids for re-election, as did Principal Chief Richard Sneed. But the candidates elected in their stead were no strangers to tribal government. Most notably, 65% of voters chose Michell Hicks, who had served as principal chief 2003-2015, to oust Sneed. Rose was replaced by Jim Owle, who had previously spent more than a

Sharing smokes has proven more difficult than anticipated for the winners of this award, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ cannabis business Qualla Enterprises LLC. Qualla Enterprises, first organized as Cherokee Medical LLC, has received $31 million in tribal funding since March 2022 and began growing cannabis for medicinal use this spring. The EBCI has big hopes for the business, which aims to employ nearly 500 people and to generate enough revenue to send $260 million back to the tribe by 2026. In September, tribal members voted overwhelmingly to support legalizing cannabis use for adults 21 and older, which would vastly expand the enterprise’s potential customer base. But Qualla Enterprises has yet to turn a profit, in large part because it has yet to figure out how to transport cannabis from the farm on Coopers Creek to the main Qualla Boundary, where the dispensary is located. Driving between the two locations requires passing through a short piece of road under

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decade on Tribal Council. Oocumma was replaced by five-term Council member Bo Crowe, who ran for his old seat after resigning it in January. Saunooke lost to Tom Wahnetah, who had sat on Tribal Council 2017-2021. Meanwhile, former nine-term Tribal Council member Perry Shell won the seat previously occupied by Teresa McCoy, who had filed to run for the office of vice chief instead but lost to incumbent Alan “B” Ensley. With the term just beginning, the tribe’s newly elected leaders have a difficult task ahead of them — bringing the tribe back to stable financial footing in the face of faltering casino revenues while also balancing risk and reward in directing multiple high-investment business ventures. Like the namesake of their award, Cherokee voters are left hoping they’ve made the right choices to get their future back on track.

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The group had tried to get a constitution adoption referendum on the ballot in 2019, but Tribal Council members said they didn’t think the document was ready. After years of community meetings and public outreach, Sgadugi tried again, aiming to get the constitution on the ballot as a referendum question in the September election. For a brief moment it seemed they’d gotten their wish. In April, Tribal Council voted unanimously to add the referendum question to the ballot, eliciting cheers and joyful embraces in the Council chambers. But in the following weeks, Attorney General Michael McConnell expressed concerns with the document, saying that certain aspects of it would have “very troublesome” unintended consequences. This led to Tribal Council reexamining its April decision and ultimately rescinding the referendum resolution. They adopted a new resolution in its place that directed additional constitution conventions to be held to keep working on the draft. Sgadugi members were disappointed to see years of work toward a 2023 decision crumble, especially when success had seemed so close within reach. But they’re also glad that a path forward remains. Not to be kept down, they’ll get up again — and keep on working toward a constitution that is both by and for the Cherokee people.

ODD MAN IN AWARD This famous back-up from the beloved cartoon character Homer Simpson may have inspired Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith’s conduct during and after the events of Dec. 13, 2022.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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the jurisdiction of Swain County, where marijuana remains an illegal substance. Sheriff Curtis Cochran has made it clear he intends to enforce that law. In a Facebook post following the September election, Qualla Enterprises said it expected the dispensary to open in late 2023 — but with just days left in the year, no opening date has been announced. Moreover, the enterprise is running out of money as it works toward a funding agreement with Tribal Council. In November the body allotted $3 million in stop-gap funding but laid out a series of stipulations that Qualla Enterprise must meet before accessing the additional $16 million it says it needs to move the business forward. Working out a transportation plan is one of those requirements. Once Qualla Enterprises starts passing those joints, every North Carolina resident with a medical card will be able to follow suit.

lished home security video contradicting that story, Smith started backing up. “Neither myself nor Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs were on the scene at the time of the shooting,” he wrote in a new statement placing blame solely at the feet of the CIPD. Except, it seems, he was. In their responses to a sprawling civil suit seeking millions in damages, CIPD-affiliated defendants said that Smith was indeed at the scene, and radio traffic from the night of the shooting supports this version of events. The Cherokee County Sheriff ’s Office response said simply that “defendants lack sufficient knowledge or information to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations” that Smith was present. The lawsuit does not mince words in concluding its assertion that Smith was there the whole time. “Immediately after the shooting,” it reads, “Sheriff Smith finally walked up from lurking in the shadows.” As to whether there were any bushes in those alleged shadows, the suit remains silent.

HOMER SIMPSON AWARD

CHUMBAWAMBA AWARD

We can’t say for certain whether Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith backed into a literal bush as the events of Dec. 13, 2022, unfolded, but at this point it’s pretty clear that in the aftermath he did his best metaphorical impression of the infamous Homer Simpson meme. Smith was just a week into his tenure as the county’s chief of law enforcement when resident Jason Harley Kloepfer was severely injured in a police shooting that occurred as he held his hands above his head in the doorway of his own home. The shots were fired by Cherokee Indian Police Department officers, who were there at Smith’s request to deal with what had been described to them as a potential hostage situation. An initial press release from Smith’s office said the shooting occurred because Kloepfer confronted the officers as he 12 emerged from his camper trailer. But when Kloepfer pub-

This award goes to Cherokee’s Sgadugi Constitution Committee, which, as the namesake band sang in its 1997 classic “Tubthumping,” keeps getting knocked down — but just gets up again. The group has been working since 2017 to see the tribe adopt its first constitution in more than 150 years. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is currently governed by a charter, a document intended to govern organizations and corporations. Constitutions, by contrast, define the relationship between a government and its people. The effort goes back even further than 2017. One Sgadugi member, Beloved Woman Carmaleta Monteith, was active in a constitution adoption effort in the 1990s, and the group’s chairman, Lloyd Arneach, said his father and his great-uncle were both involved in constitution efforts dating back to the 1960s.

Maggie Valley is gonna Maggie Valley. It comes with the territory. To win a seat on that town’s board of aldermen one has to endure some contentious moments, likely over a residential development or (gasp) a park. Alderman Phillip Wight used to be a strong ally of Mayor Mike Eveland, but over the last few years, the two men have grown apart, largely over differing views on development. The feud blossomed to the point that Rep. Mark Pless (see

Phillip Wight. File photo

MICROMANAGER pg. 9) even became involved and hosted a press conference at Wight’s motel. By the end, it seemed as though Wight’s only ally on the board when it came to development was his wife and fellow alderman, Tammy. Well, not anymore. The Wights were both up for reelection in November, and Tammy decided she’d had enough of life as a public official. Phillip, seemingly reluctant, filed to run again. And wouldn’t ya know it — Phillip won! However, Eveland also won his reelection and Tim Wise, who didn’t run on the same ticket as Eveland but is clearly an ally, won the race for Tammy’s seat. This means Phillip is even more of an odd man out, or is it odd man in? The question is, will everyone play nice?

bill aimed at banning drag performance. Two sponsors of that bill were Rep. Mark Pless, (R-Haywood) and Rep. Mike Clampitt, (R-Swain). In August, a Sylva Pride Pageant elicited threats and controversy, and a Jackson County Commissioner referred to the LGBTQ+ community as the “perverted 1%.”

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tos and vistas and restaurant recommendations, but the most consistent content appears to be complaints against Zito, and some can get quite colorful. Maybe one day, internet access will be considered a utility and regulated as such to ensure equal access, but until then, Zito, please just get it together.

The Sylva Police Department received grant funding for its Community Care program. File photo

COMMUNITY CARE AWARD

HONEY, THE INTERNET’S OUT AGAIN AWARD O Zito, O Zito, wherefore art thou, Zito? In case you didn’t know, the phrase “wherefore art thou” is fancy Shakespeare talk for “why?” Which brings us to the point. Why, Zito. Why? Jonathan Creek is a beautiful area with great people, and damnit, they deserve highspeed internet just like the rest of us. But Zito seems intent on letting those fine folks live in digital squalor, unable to access the internet for days at a time. To make matters worse, the people at Zito — at least upper-level management — don’t really care. They’ve received no shortage of complaints. There’s even a Facebook page called “FCC Formal Complaint Against Zito Media” that documents issues customers have had in North Carolina and elsewhere. Some people even provide graphs showing how inconsistent their internet is. But for the best content, we’d recommend visiting the Jonathan Creek Facebook page. Sure, there are plenty of pastoral pho-

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

This year, the Sylva Police Department received a grant from the Dogwood Health Foundation to continue the Community Care Program with a paid, full-time community care liaison position for the next three years. The Community Care Program places a social worker within the Sylva PD to serve in the role of community care liaison. Their functions are to follow up with citizens involved in police calls for service and to connect victims with community services. This in turn allows the police department to better serve people with issues related substance use, mental health, housing and poverty, by connecting them with the local resources that can help, such as Jackson County Department of Social Services, Meridian, HERE of Jackson County, Center for Domestic Peace, Jackson Neighbors in Need and Rolling Start. In July, the Sylva PD won the Law Enforcement Agency of the Year Award from the North Carolina Police Executive Association, for its innovation in policing.

Here’s a look at the Zito office in the Jonathan Creek area. Kyle Perrotti photo

PERSISTENCE AS RESISTANCE AWARD This year was filled with slights and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by local elected officials. But despite the environment, Sylva Pride and Sylva Belles Drag have continued to do their work of celebrating, uplifting and bringing together the LGBTQ+ community. In April, lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly introduced a

Smoky Mountain News

Participants pose for a photo at the Sylva Pride Pageant. Sylva Pride photo

Still, these two grassroots organizations persist — celebrating the community, providing resources and putting on a great show. For Sylva Pride and Sylva Belles Drag, the very act of persisting in their mission was an act of resistance this year. As drag queen Marigold Showers told The Smoky Mountain News this year, “There has never been a world without trans people; there never will be a world without trans people … It’s important to know that you’re not alone. That’s really all there is to it.” 13

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This award goes out to the Fontana Regional Library, which, despite consistent attacks throughout 2023, is still standing, and continues to serve the residents of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. The blows started early in the calendar year when a hoard of Macon residents launched complaints about the presence of literature with LGBTQ+ content and themes in the Macon County Library. These complaints eventually led to some residents and commissioners alike calling for withdrawal from the FRL system. One commissioner even claimed, “pornographic books are being distributed to kids through the library.” And while county commissions are recommending changes to the FRL bylaws, the library system made it out of this difficult year alive. For now, libraries in all three counties will continue to be a place where residents of all walks of life can go to access vital information, use technological resources and explore the world through literature.

DIDN’T READ THE FINE PRINT AWARD Congressman Chuck Edwards apparently doesn’t read The Smoky Mountain News, but if he did, it may have saved him some humiliation earlier this year. On Sept. 5, SMN first reported on a meeting of shady sovereign-types who’ve formed an organization espousing the preposterous “constitutional sheriffs” movement, which is anything but. The group, founded by a former sheriff from Utah, held a meeting in Murphy that same month to share its crackpot theories on how a “constitutional” sheriff: · has more authority than even the

Founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association Richard Mack (left) looks on as Ronald J. Wright speaks at an event in Murphy earlier this year. Kyle Perrotti photo

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THE HERO YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED AWARD

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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The race for Macon County Board of Education will remain non-partisan. File photo

President; · can pick and choose which laws they decide to enforce; and · may ignore centuries of precedent, jurisprudence and legislation regarding the Constitution. Veering off into the bizarre, the group also espouses election denialism and COVID-19 conspiracy theories and has strong ties to the disgraced Oath Keepers movement. So what did Edwards do? He sent some poor staffer all the way from the other end of his district to Murphy to present the leader of the group with an award. If that’s not revolting enough for you, a pledge on the group’s website, which ostensibly exists for law enforcement officers to download and sign, was authored by a selfavowed Christian nationalist and white supremacist who now serves on the group’s board of directors. The pledge also contains a threat, similar to threats made by former Haywood County resident/Aliceville FCI inmate # 20217-510 Darris Moody, to “arrest, detain and recommend prosecution” of government officials

Not all heroes wear capes. At least not Amanda Seay. She seems more the utility pants and boots type. A former probation officer who’s handled all kinds of tough cases of people either trying to get their lives together or trying to dodge accountability, this woman has been through it all. “But what makes her so special?” you may ask yourself. She’s the person on the ground floor of the greatest revelation the Haywood County judicial system has encountered in quite some time — the new recovery court.

who don’t agree with their perverted interpretation of the law. The new chairman of the group’s board runs an internet “news radio” service that the Southern Poverty Law Center says airs white supremacist content. As is his custom, Edwards refused to speak to SMN about the award.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK AWARD The Macon County Board of Education has put in countless hours this year working to provide the best education possible for its students. Even with two new members elected last November, the board hasn’t skipped a beat. Board members not only spent time at their own board meetings, but regularly attended hours of county commission meetings to advocate for the schools. After Macon residents chose not to pass the quarter-cent sales tax to help pay for a new Franklin High School, the school board has worked hard to keep commissioners funding the planning process for the new school, while simultaneously trying to get

Amanda Seay. File photo grant funding through the Department of Public Instruction. The board has ticked away at several needed capital improvements in the schools throughout the calendar year and hired a new superintendent for the start of this school year. As the year drew to a close, the board was faced with one final challenge, a push from some Macon County Commissioners to try to change the board of education from a non-partisan board to a partisan-elected board. But once again, school board members rallied together, voiced their opposition, attended a county commission meeting to drive home their point, and succeeded in convincing county commissioners to toss out the resolution.

The program offers people struggling with addiction a second chance, and it provides all the resources necessary to ensure a holistic approach to recovery. There are dozens of people who made the program possible and who continue to ensure its success — from judges to legislators to local leaders. But it’s Seay who does the work on the ground to keep that thing ahummin’ along. It’s Seay who daily deals with participants in the program; it’s Seay who stands side-by-side with these brave souls looking for change, celebrating every victory and offering compassion and guidance in light of any setback. And by all accounts, Seay is loved by the participants and is

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seen as the rare kind of person that actually provides the balance of encouragement and tough love. So, Amanda Seay, we recognize you as the hero we never knew we needed, who is making Haywood County a better place.

Senior guard Vonterius Woolbright has been a key factor in WCU men’s basketball’s success this year. WCU photo news

COMEBACK PLAYER(S) OF THE YEAR AWARD

THROWBACK AWARD Million-dollar mountaintop vacation homes, phony moonshine from corporate mega-distilleries, dime-a-dozen seedy strip

malls — none of these things are Appalachian things, and if one of the hardy old Mountaineers of yore was magically transported through time to the present day, they’d hardly recognize the place. The Town of Waynesville, however, isn’t going to sit idly by and watch the rich cultural legacy of Southern Appalachia fade into a sepia-toned memory on some crinkled postcard. Waynesville already has one of the most beautiful period downtowns in the whole region, and through various downtown associations has spent untold time and treasure to make it so. Antique decorative streetlights. Brick sidewalks. No visible power lines. There’s a reason people flock here for festivals throughout the year, and it ain’t the nudge gambling machines in smoky gas station backrooms. It’s the suspension of disbelief, the idea that if only for a moment, you can experience a feeling money simply can’t buy — the feeling that you’re back in a simpler time, in a small Smoky Mountain settlement. A few months ago, the town broke

Artist Teresa Pennington has created a rendering of how the new arch will look once installed. Teresa Pennington illustration

ground on the erection of a historic arch that once spanned North Main Street for decades but was torn down in the early 1970s. That groundbreaking followed more than two years of work by an army of dedicated volunteers, donors and elected officials who vowed to bring the arch back, and along with it, a flood of memories for older residents who still fondly recall its

presence. Although the arch is now located on the opposite end of town, when it’s completed later this year — it was funded completely by private donations, meaning nary a nickel of taxpayer money — it will go a long way towards preserving and enhancing the look and feel of a place that, if you squint your eyes just right, still holds just a little bit of that old mountain magic.

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Raise your hand if you’ve been paying attention to Western Carolina University athletics this academic year. If your hand is down, hit Google and peep some highlight reels from this year’s football team. The squad finished 7-4, which is pretty darn good, but there for a while, it was looking like the Catamounts might stand a chance of making a deep playoff run. The team featured a strong line and quick skill players, especially Desmond Reid, who could light up a stat sheet on any given day, almost as though he could break a big one at will. And now, let’s turn our attention to the pitch, where the WCU women’s soccer team asserted its dominance all season and even came away with the Southern Conference championship, all after having a losing season in 2022. But those teams’ seasons are done, so excited fans may be left wanting to see some action. Fear not. The Catamounts men’s basketball team may be in the midst of the most impressive run of any WCU team this academic year. Led by the sensational 6-foot-7 guard, Vonterius Woolbright, the team is 102 with impressive wins over Power Five schools Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. Coach Justin Gray, who made a name for himself playing at Wake Forest, is doing something special over there in Cullowhee, and it’s not too late for fans to a part of it. Here’s to WCU athletics for fielding some of the finest teams the school has seen in years, and here’s to that trend continuing.

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Opinion

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A lot to look forward to in 2024 I

into the debate that takes place at the most local level of politics. I’m not sure how we — by we, I mean this country, our culture — are going to manage a reset on the tone of political debate. In Ezra Klein’s 2020 book, “Why We Are Polarized” — I’ve read excerpts, not the entire book — he argues that the political polarization in the U.S. has grown as people’s social identity has become intertwined with their political identity. Take any issue — race, climate change, the economy, immigration, education, abortion, international relations — and the disagreements are Editor profound. More to the point, we accuse those we disagree with of being our “enemy,” or worse that they are lacking “American values” or “Christian values.” Once we descend to that kind of finger pointing, finding common ground or a way to compromise becomes all but impossible. Blame it on the popularity of cable news talking heads, the

Scott McLeod

f 2024 were a table laid out before you, how would you imagine it: a beautiful, feast-laden smorgasbord of rich and tasty dishes with succulent sides, or an after-dinner wreck piled high with crusted up dirty dishes, overturned wine glasses and already eaten carcasses of dead birds and picked-over porcine bones? In more simple terms, are you a glass half full or glass half empty person? Reality is seldom that simple for most of us, including me. In the journalism biz, we are often accused of focusing on and perpetuating the negative, or highlighting the divisions in our culture versus those things we have in common and what brings us together. I plead guilty, especially when it comes to political stories. There’s little doubt that to cover this era’s political messaging and what candidates are doing and saying means there will be aggressive quotes and angry news. Politicians and their minions have normalized a bitterness toward their opponents that has — over the last 25 years or so — become the norm. People and politicians aren’t punished these days for being crude, and indeed many are rewarded. Words and actions that were once deemed reprehensible have slithered down

vast social media echo chambers and even the growing lack of responsible and ethical local media outfits like ours, but the problem of covering politics and having winners and losers feel they got fair media coverage is becoming ever more difficult. But when assessing the credibility of local media, let’s remember that we cover a lot more than politics. Every week we write about your neighbors and friends, whether it’s about efforts to help laid off Pactiv Evergreen workers find jobs, a school board member giving their time to help children, a sports fanatic sharing the benefits of discipline and hard work with young athletes, a retiree helping build a home for a family in need, local volunteers working to rescue abandoned pets, or the remains of a pilot missing in action since the Vietnam War coming home to be buried. Just as political stories tend to dredge up divisions, these kinds of stories exemplify what we share as a culture and what we have in common as Americans. We have a lot more in common than we might disagree about. I’ll leave it at that. Glass half full. Life is short, I can’t imagine living any other way. Happy New Year. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Nostalgia’s great, but ditch the rose-colored glasses

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onship game on a national network — was amazingly lame and uninformative. Even the broadcasters calling the game — who I had remembered rather fondly — were mostly dreadful. Lacking technology, they often couldn’t tell what was happening on the field and regularly fell back on clichés and plain old guesswork. And after I clicked back over to the 21st century and pondered the matter for a few minutes, I was reminded that the trivial topic of sports TV is far from the only field of endeavor in which nostalgia for the past is, Guest Columnist for most of us, a function more of our yearning for lost youth than an accurate recollection of genuine quality. Oh sure, one mustn’t paint with too broad of a brush. History, both near and distant, is replete with all manner of genius and brilliance when it comes to entertainment _ as well, of course, in politics, philosophy, literature and all other forms of human creativity. But it’s also vitally important — especially in this present era in which a large and frequently virulent movement seeks to overhaul the national social contract based on the premise that our country has fallen and must be “made great again” — to recall accurately

Rob Schofield

ike a lot of middle-aged-to-older Americans during the holiday season, I’m a person with a healthy nostalgic streak. The people at Meta regularly do a good job of extending my visits to Facebook by peppering the feed with images of old sporting heroes and ballparks, and especially at this time of year, fun photos of mid-20th century families with amusing hair and strange outfits gathered around Christmas trees and family dinner tables. And through the magic of the internet, it’s possible to relive any number of moments from my television-drenched childhood and youth — especially for a sports nut like me, old ballgames, auto races and tournaments that comprised so much of the fabric of my life before the responsibilities of adulthood intervened. The other night, with my wife away visiting our daughter, I reached for a dose of nostalgia by finding and starting to watch the recording — commercials and all — of a late-1960s football championship game that I’d vaguely remembered from the haze of my pre-adolescence. Wow, I thought, was this going to be a blast. The thrill lasted about five minutes. What I quickly discovered and then remembered was a hard fact about so much of the early decades of sports on television: it was, in a word, terrible. The cameras were clunky, and the video quality was mostly lousy. The pre-game show — even for a big champi-

that many, many aspects of American life, in addition to televised football games, were decidedly inferior in the last century. Think about it. In countless areas of life — in the things we did and could do, the things we could consume, the experiences we could have, the knowledge we had of other nations and peoples — life for most Americans was vastly more limited, even stifling. A huge proportion of Americans were blindly addicted to tobacco and dying at mindboggling rates from heart disease and cancer (which was almost invariably a death sentence). Most automobiles were seatbelt-free death traps and drunk driving was widely viewed and portrayed as a humorous lark. Meanwhile, a half-million Americans had been displaced to a pointless and primitive overseas war while a terrifying nuclear arms race raged with a hostile totalitarian dictatorship. And while it’s true that the modern political far right has taken a deep and deeply worrisome plunge into racism, nativism, sexism and homophobia, truth be told, those things weren’t even controversial for the majority of white adults in the 1960s. In 1968: • George Wallace won five southern states running as an avowed racist and segregationist. • RFK and MLK were assassinated. • LGBTQ people risked arrest if they

admitted who they were. • Married women couldn’t get a credit card in their own name. • Huge swaths of North Carolina were poor, insular and blatantly segregated. Indeed, unless you were a white man of a certain age and status, America was, effectively, an autocracy in that era. None of this is to say or imply that everything is peaches and cream in 2023. Anyone who opens their eyes can see the enormous and frightening challenges that we face today — some of which, like the climate emergency and related environmental threats, are existential in nature. There’s no denying that the 8 billion people who crowd our planet have made and inherited some enormous messes. It is to say, however, any real hope we may have for successfully coping with these challenges (and maybe even overcoming them) is to be found in embracing progress — in science, in peacemaking, in extending democracy and human freedom — while looking and moving forward, not backwards. In short, there were many wonderful things about life in 20th century America, just as there were in previous centuries. But if we remove the rose-colored glasses and look honestly at how things really were then and are now, we ought to realize how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. (Rob Schofield, the Editor of NC Newsline, has four decades of experience as a journalist, commentator and lawyer. rschofield@ncnewsline.com.)

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., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

All different, all the same, all over again

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Chris Cox

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grown since summer, and we’d all pile our plates high with ham and turkey and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Eventually comes another Christmas, the kids now grown but back at home. It is well past dawn before a much more matterof-fact knock, the kind of knock doctors make before they enter the room where you are waiting for them to tell you something positive about your lab results. “Dad? Christmas.” I looked at the clock on the nightstand: 9:58. I looked outside. Rainy, windy. Frody, now 15 years old, struggled toward the Christmas tree, pausing briefly to poop on the rug. He has been battling cancer for years and is finally just about out of time. We are happy he made it to another Christmas. The kids are adults now, but they’re good sports and have a little bit of their parents’ weakness for nostalgia and tradition in them, so we watch Christmas movies and play “Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You a Swingin’ Christmas,” our Christmas soundtrack since they were tiny. We watch the Christmas story episode of “The Andy Griffith Show,” the one where even mean old Ben Weaver is overcome with the Christmas spirit. We make the same Christmas cookies and Chex Party Mix. We take a ride out into the neighborhood to admire the neighbors’ Christmas lights. We play games, including some new ones. We have a Christmas Eve dance party in the matching Christmas pajamas that Tammy got everyone to wear. Disco Christmas. “Dancing Queen,”“ Knock on Wood,” “Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting,” “Staying Alive,” “Le Freak.” As ever, Tammy captures all of this on video. The presents are kind of different, but kind of not. Kayden got a Kindle. Jac got a turntable. Some assembly is still required. There are more clothes, more practical things. The parents are upgraded from homemade art projects to thoughtful and much more expensive gifts. My son got me a Kendrick Lamar album and my daughter got me a cool Appalachian State University T-shirt. Yes, Christmas is definitely different in many ways, but the best is this. Now, that we are all adults, we can finally all be kids again. (Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com.)

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Once upon a Christmas, our children came creeping down the stairs before dawn like little burglars. They would tip toe across the kitchen toward the living room, where the glow from the Christmas tree lights was just barely enough to reveal what they hoped to confirm: Santa had been and gone, the cookies and milk consumed, a brief and cheery note left by the dish, their presents arranged in fetching pyramids on either side of the tree. Then a tentative knock on our bedroom door, and another, slightly Columnist more urgent, and then, the door slowly opening with two faces appearing around it like little moons rising. “Mommy? Daddy? We just thought you might like to know that Santa was here. He was HERE!” Upon receipt of this news, our miniature dachshund, Frody, tunneled underneath the comforter, emerged on the other side, and executed a perfect dive over the ramp and onto the floor, barking in midair, and then jetting into the living room with the kids in close pursuit. “You ready, babe?” What time is it?” “Um, 5:28.” “I’ll get the camera, you start the coffee.” So many of those Christmases, and so few. The assembly of race tracks and doll houses, the battle with elaborate boxing and toys sheathed in impossibly heavy plastic, the perpetual search for batteries. Trying to be in the moment but also to capture it all on video, trying to keep the dog from chewing the arms off of action figures. It was over before the sun came up, each of the kids retreating to their rooms with their Christmas bounty to marvel and ponder the miracle of gifts so many months longed for and now right there in their hands. We made cinnamon rolls and drank our coffee while I loaded the car for our threehour trip to have Christmas lunch with the family. The kids would be able to show off their presents with their cousins, who would bring theirs, too, and the grown-ups would make a big to-do over the kids’ Christmas outfits and how much they’d

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tudes,’” Lou grinned.

Hiss Golden Messenger — “Jump for Joy”

A year in review: the best albums of 2023 By Garret K. Woodward Arts & Entertainment Editor ditor’s Note: Since August 2012, Garret K. Woodward has held the position of arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News. In December 2018, he also became a contributing writer for Rolling Stone. Below are a handful of excerpts from his RS travels this year covering some of the best albums of 2023. Support live music. Support independent artists.

Todd Snider — “Crank It, We’re Doomed” At 57, [singer-songwriter Todd] Snider has always harbored an old-soul heart in his relationships with others, but earlier this [year] he looked more deeply into his own past and unearthed “Crank It, We’re Doomed” — an album Snider initially recorded in 2007 and shelved. Sixteen years later, it’s finally seeing the light of day. “[Crank It, We’re Doomed] was a real pivotal point. I was probably doing my best stuff and [producer] Eric [McConnell] was on top of it,” Snider said. “He was just trying to find what I tried to call ‘my sound,’ which I hadn’t done — [it was] maybe the best time for [my] music, but I just sort of flamed out.” Within “Crank It, We’re Doomed,” there’s a genuine, intrinsic sense of “nothing’s the same, everything’s the same.” Sure, the tunes were recorded in 2007, but the topics hold water almost two decades later — an upcom-

ing presidential election of dire consequence, war raging in the Middle East, a rising epidemic of school bullying and violence. “‘All the news just repeats itself ’ — that’s what John Prine said,” Snider said.

Lindsay Lou — “Queen of Time” Lou, an artist who has been deftly weaving bluegrass into ethereal, indie-folk explorations since moving to Nashville from Michigan in 2015, has been through the ringer. While gearing up for her new album, the exquisite “Queen of Time,” she faced what she describes as a period of “radical transformation.” Lou got divorced, discovered the concept of the “divine feminine,” and lost her north star, her maternal grandmother. “When you don’t embrace [sadness] and sit with it — acknowledge it, ask it what it wants to teach you, ask it how it’s a part of you — then you’re never going to climb out,” Lou said. You can hear Lou’s transformation on “Queen of Time,” a confident 11-song document that combines Americana, folk, indie-soul, and Lou’s brand of progressive bluegrass. That broad musical pedigree is what’s made her such an easy collaborator with marquee names, including Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Sierra Ferrell, Jerry Douglas, Molly Tuttle, Greensky Bluegrass, Peter Rowan, and Leftover Salmon. “Like Bob Dylan says, ‘I contain multi-

“I’ve struggled with depression for forever and it came to a head,” said [Hiss front man] MC Taylor. “I was confused, and I’m still confused. But you’re aware of the confusion: do I grow despondent because I’m confused, or do I kind of celebrate it?” Taylor chose the latter with Hiss’s new album “Jump for Joy,” a whirlwind ride of rock and folk elements that is both playful and bouncy, with a lightness of spirit radiating throughout tracks like “Shinbone,” “The Wondering,” and “NuGrape.” “People have often told me how they feel this sense of hope from a lot of the songs on my records,” Taylor said. “I’ve always tried to foreground vulnerability in my work, because I always felt this connection between showing that, talking about that, and the way people respond to it. I know the way I respond to vulnerability in art is really powerful. I value vulnerability in art way more than I value chops or anything like that.”

Gov’t Mule — “Peace…Like a River” “Peace…Like a River” [is] an undulating sonic landscape blending elements of rock, blues, soul, funk and folk — all signature ingredients at the heart of what has made the band, and [guitarist Warren] Haynes himself, one of the torchbearers of eclectic rock music.

Wrangling an array of A-list musical talent like Billy F. Gibbons, Ivan Neville, and guitar phenom Celisse, Haynes crafted an album that doubles as a meditative journey along the river of life. But it’s also a celebration of Mule itself,

which is nearing 30 years as a band since Haynes and late bassist Allen Woody formed the group in 1994 as something to do when the duo wasn’t playing with the Allmans. “It’s strange that a band formed as a side project to another major band has had this kind of longevity,” Haynes said. “Our intent was to make one album.”

Devon Allman & Donovan Frankenreiter — “Rollers” Situated at the crossroads of Interstate 81/77, the Millwald Theatre is in Wytheville, Virginia. Sitting in the basement of the newly reopened historic theatre, it isn’t lost on Allman and Frankenreiter how — even this far into their respective careers — they’re still discovering new things in the depths of America. “Last night, we played Clarksburg, West Virginia,” Allman said. “And small-town America still exists, this old coal-mining town from back in the day. It was this place we wouldn’t normally get to see, and the show was so much fun. Sometimes those smaller shows are the best.” Before embarking on the “See It All Tour,” Allman and Frankenreiter hit the studio and put together a six-song EP. It was a “see what happens and let the tapes roll” kind of thing. The project is aptly titled Rollers because, according to Allman, “the songs weren’t rockers, they were rollers.” Onstage, the sound and spectacle is bright, fiery and inspired. The undulating tone weaves seamlessly between numerous avenues of rock music — indie, surf, garage, Southern, psychedelic — with other textures of jazz fusion and funk added for good measure. “Everything is so fresh [onstage],” Frankenreiter said. “We’re all in it for a purpose. Everybody gets why we’re here and it’s been refreshing every night.”

HOT PICKS BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘Olden times and ancient rhymes, of love and dreams to share’

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Garret K. Woodward photo

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville. Western Carolina University is delighted to announce its recent exhibition “Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” will now be extended through June 28 in the Fine Art Museum at WCU in Cullowhee.

“Enchanted Island of Lights” will be held nightly from 5-10 p.m. through Jan. 3 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee.

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Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Liz Petty (singersongwriter) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30.

rhythmic breathing. Thoughts of Sarah and what she’s going through with the passing of her father, the future of her family uncertain, at best, at this juncture. I thought of her dad, too, how I’m grateful for having met him several times throughout this past year, how I enjoyed our conversation early on — before he became bedridden and unable to speak much — about how he first learned to play guitar, his late father teaching him “three chords and the truth.” Reaching the Johnny Mercer Fishing Pier, I turned around and circled back to the resort via Lumina Avenue seeing as the beach was now pitch black. I noticed how every streetlight had some festive holiday light pattern — mermaid, starfish, dolphin, etc. I smiled in appreciation for the small token of Christmas spirit provided by the town. I thought of similar lights strewn about in my hometown way up on the Canadian Border, this sense of seasonal cheer and collective togetherness in a frozen landscape. I wondered how my parents and little sister were enjoying their holiday season. I wondered how often my 81-year-old father would be going back and forth from the wood pile outside the farmhouse to keep the two fireplaces chugging along to keep my mom warm. With the resort soon in sight, I knew Sarah would want to soon head to The Palm Room once I returned, perhaps a tequila drink or some cold suds to hold off the restless sentiments, if but for a moment. The next few days will surely be one of deep emotion, sadness and reflection. But, no matter, for we’re in this thing called life together. We’ll figure it out, just like everyone else tries to do to the best of their ability, especially during this time of year. Onward. To be continued (next week). Happy holidays, y’all.

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Checking in at the Shell Island Resort, it was an oddly surreal feeling to be one of the only guests in the massive hotel. The onsite restaurant and bars were closed, but the indoor pool and outdoor hot tub were still operational. A cold breeze would waft into the lobby whenever the automatic doors would open. The incessant sound of Christmas music echoing down the empty hallways as if some eerie Carolina version of the film “The Shining.” Dropping our bags in the fifth-floor suite, I opened the door onto the balcony. The fading early winter sun was ducking behind the homes on the mainland nearby. Pink, purple and orange skies high above the frigid waters below. There was just enough sunlight to go for a quick run. Lacing up my shoes and tightening my winter running jacket, I trotted down the beach and into a realm of pure solitude. As with any jog enjoyed in your own time and pace, the mind drifts into a million different directions, but majority of which usually in line with whatever you’re thinking, feeling or experiencing within vicinity of the activity itself — wander and ponder, the sounds of your shoes atop the hardened sand and subtle

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

t 7:12 a.m. Friday, the sun broke the horizon atop the Atlantic Ocean, its undulating waves crashing upon Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. My girlfriend, Sarah, and I on the small balcony of our hotel, the warm rays of the new day sun washing over us. Soon, we’d have to pack our bags and bolt up Interstate 40 towards Goldsboro, Sarah’s hometown and the place we’d have to find ourselves that afternoon for her father’s wake. Earlier in the week, after a tumultuous yearand-a-half bout with terminal brain cancer, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was 69 and had only been retired a couple years when initially diagnosed. This whirlwind of travel and rollercoaster of emotions was sparked Monday evening while sitting in an airplane awaiting the gate to open so we could exit the craft. After a few days together in Las Vegas, Sarah and I took a direct flight back to Southern Appalachia via Knoxville — a less expensive flight, an easy drive home and we could visit some dear friends while in Knox. While in Vegas, Sarah received an early morning phone call that her father’s condition had deteriorated drastically. He was holding steady and she said we’d be rushing down to Goldsboro as quick as we got home. Skip ahead to Knoxville. The plane lands after a cross-country flight. Sarah turns on her phone. It dings with new messages. Her eyes immediately began to water. She looked at me and whispered with a quivering voice, “He’s gone.” Tears quickly rolled down her cheeks. Well, now what? Where to from here? It’s already Monday night. Let’s head to our friend’s house in Knoxville. Grab a quick bite to eat. Do a quick load of laundry seeing as most of our clothes are dirty from several days in Nevada and lords knows how long we’ll be down in Goldsboro. Get a few hours of sleep and be ready to hit I-40 for about a seven to eight-hour trek east following breakfast. The entire way down to Goldsboro, Sarah kept weaving between disbelief that her father was gone, how she was still grieving her mother who passed away just last year (her beloved grandmother the year before that), rehashing fond memories of her youth and adolescence, what the family dynamic might look like going forward and, in essence, what her life itself may look like beyond today. Endless miles and gas/rest stops. Waynesville. Asheville. Hickory. Statesville. Greensboro. Raleigh. By late Tuesday evening, my truck pulled down the dirt driveway of her father’s log cabin way out in the rural countryside of Wayne County, in the unincorporated community of Grantham on the outskirts of Goldsboro.

The endless tobacco fields surrounding the cabin, now dormant following the fall harvest, were silent and covered by the black blanket of night. The only light being that of the dining room of the cabin, this beacon shining out into the darkness. We could see the rest of her family gathered ‘round the dinner table. Cross the threshold of the household and accept this new reality. The next morning, Sarah and I sat in the hotel room in Goldsboro. We had to checkout soon, but didn’t really know what the next move was. The wake wouldn’t be for two more days. So, we decided to head for Wrightsville Beach, a location held closely by Sarah — the sand, water and sunshine all attached to childhood memories with her late parents. Cruising into the seaside community, it was quiet compared to the throngs of faces and vehicles during the warmer months. The week of Christmas, the place is somewhat deserted. Quiet streets with no traffic. Restaurants with no wait to get a table, same goes for drinks at The Palm Room within a stone’s throw of the Johnny Mercer Fishing Pier and the crashing waves of the mighty Atlantic.

Singer-songwriter Christina Chandler (singer-songwriter) will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.

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Americana, indie at Scotsman Asheville-based singer-songwriter Christina Chandler will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Chandler is a rising melodic force in the Americana and indie-folk realms of Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia. Chandler was also a featured artist during the recent “Jam by Day” festivities at the Jack of the Wood in Asheville, an annual gathering leading up to the annual “Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam” celebration at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.246.6292 or go to scotsmanpublic.com.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host a Sunday Bluegrass Residency noon to 2:30 p.m. and Tyler Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Jan. 25 (admission is $25 per person). For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandermountainhouse.com. • Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For tickets, go to highlandsperformingarts.com. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night w/Kirk” from 7-9 p.m. every Monday and Live Band Karaoke 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and Divas On Tap 8:15 p.m. Dec. 30. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Karaoke on the second/fourth Friday of the month and live music every Saturday. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays and live music every Friday. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Lineside at Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to froglevelbrewing.com.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Christina Chandler will play Waynesville Dec. 28. File photo

• 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 or facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco. • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 810 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, go to blueridgebeerhub.com.

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• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 or gm@thebluestage.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host music bingo 7 p.m. Mondays, karaoke at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com. • Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to coweeschool.org/music. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Thursdays and Andy Phommakisone (singer-songwriter) Dec. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com. 24 • Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at

the Farm” sessions on select weekends. For more information, go to oldedwardshospitality.com. • Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. For a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, go to folkmoot.org. • Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com. • Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” at 5:30 p.m., Andrew Rickman (singer-songwriter) Dec. 28, Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) Dec. 29 and Rhythm Tryst Dec. 30. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) Dec. 29 and Frank Lee (Americana/oldtime) Dec. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or call 828.926.1717. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an “Open Mic w/Frank Lee” Wednesdays, Terry Haughton (singersongwriter) Dec. 29 and Liz Petty (singer-songwriter) Dec. 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. • Nantahala Brewing Outpost (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com. • Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 or orchardcoffeeroasters.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main St. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

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

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Doug Ramsey (singersongwriter) Dec. 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Styx (classic rock) 9 p.m. Jan. 19. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke w/Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.

• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. highlandsdive.com or 828.526.2200.

• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on

On the beat Sundays. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar. • Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com. • Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 or saucedwnc.com. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a “Celtic Jam” 2-5 p.m. on Sundays, Christina Chandler (singer-songwriter) Dec. 28 and TracEnd (alt-rock/pop) Dec. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or 866.273.4615. • Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or go to stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke w/Lori Dec. 28, Kayla McKinney (singer-songwriter) Dec. 29, Mile High Band (classic rock) Dec. 30 and Chris Key Band (reservations required, $30 per person) Dec. 31. All shows are $5 at the door and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.538.2488. • Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar. • Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com. • Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to eatrealfoodinc.com.

Unplugged Pub welcomes McKinney Rising Americana/country singer-songwriter Kayla McKinney will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at Unplugged Pub in Bryson City. McKinney grew up in Buncombe County and began singing hymns in Bible study with family and friends. She later followed the music of Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline and

Carrie Underwood. She’s earned a solid following by performing in mountain dive bars, honky-tonks and country karaoke nights around Western North Carolina and beyond. Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, call 828.538.2488. To learn more about McKinney, go to kaylamckinneycountry.com.

McAfee returns to Meadowlark Haywood County singer-songwriter Ginny McAfee will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. For McAfee, the stage is not just a place to showcase her talent, it’s a platform to share her own unique musical expression with attentive audiences who appreciate originality. The loss of her father to cancer last year profoundly altered her perspective on life, rekindling her sense of purpose and igniting her spirit. McAfee believes there’s a hunger in the world for genuine messages — messages of virtue, truth and the celebration of the simple yet beautiful aspects of life. And she’s determined to deliver these messages through the universal language of music. McAfee’s musical prowess knows no boundaries, transcending traditional genres to create a captivating blend of diverse musical styles. Her voice effortlessly embodies the vulnerability of Stevie Nicks, the angelic innocence of Alison Krauss and the unbridled confidence of Dolly Parton. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or call 828.926.1717.

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

Kayla McKinney will play Bryson City Dec. 29. File photo

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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

Ginny McAfee will play Maggie Valley Dec. 29. File photo

arts & entertainment

On the wall

‘Spark of the Eagle Dancer’ extended Western Carolina University is delighted to announce its recent exhibition “Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” will now be extended through June 28 in the Fine Art Museum at WCU in Cullowhee. It is the museum’s hope that with the exhibition remaining open, it will give people in and around Western North Carolina and beyond the opportunity to experience one of the Fine Art Museum’s most visited exhibitions and allow people to be inspired by Wilson’s collection. In conjunction with the exhibition extension, the museum will also host a new program series titled Spark Talks that invites the WNC community to learn from exhibiting artists about their artwork, process, and the relationships they formed with Lambert Wilson. Dates will be announced shortly regarding this programming. The exhibit features works of contemporary Native American art from the collection of one of Western North Carolina’s most notable art

enthusiasts, the late Lambert Wilson. He devoted his life to supporting and encouraging Native artists, amassed an extensive collection of objects during his lifetime, focusing primarily on artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation and sovereign nations of the Southwest. This exhibition brings together a selection of baskets, pottery, carving, painting, photography, and more that tell the story of the relationships Wilson built and the impact that he made by dedicating himself to this remarkable collection. “Spark of the Eagle Dancer” gives visitors a glimpse into this vast collection built over 47 years and features work by 83 artists of various tribal affiliations. To learn more about the exhibition and reception, go to arts.wcu.edu/spark. The Fine Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

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• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, go to southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. For more information, email waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net or follow them on Facebook: Waynesville Photography Club.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, go to dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.html or call 828.586.2248.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide-range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information and a full schedule, go to haywoodarts.org.

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• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, go to galleryzella.com or call 517.881.0959.

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

‘Pueblo Houses and Deer Dancers’ by Jody Naranjo. Tim Burleson, Frontier Photography

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, go to jcgep.org.

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Get your Together for the Holidays! ‘Small Works’ will be showcased at HCAC through Dec. 31. File photo 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, go to haywoodarts.org.

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On the street • “Party Like It’s 1998” will be held Friday, Dec. 29, at the Museum of the Cherokee People. The evening will include artist talks, food/drink, entertainment/dancing and plenty of prizes for the best 1990s costumes. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the museum’s 75-year legacy, what we’ve learned and our big plans to share the Cherokee story from a Cherokee perspec-

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tive in a new, updated exhibit. Free for tribal members/museum members, $25 general admission. All ages. visitcherokeenc.com. • “Enchanted Island of Lights” will be held nightly from 5-10 p.m. through Jan. 3 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. There will also be an ice skating rink near the Art Market Area from 3-8 p.m. Dec. 22-23 and 29-30. Free admission. Skates available in all sizes.

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

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• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. For more information, call 828.538.0420.

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• “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. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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 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.

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This project is supported by the Kate B Reynolds Charitable Trust, the Dogwood Health Trust and the Haywood Healthcare Foundation The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity number NAVCA210405-02-00 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.

Smoky Mountain News Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

arts & entertainment

On the shelf

n a recent online search, I came across “Good Riddance, But Now What?” by that master of light verse, Ogden Nash:

Come, children, gather round my knee; Something is about to be. Tonight’s December thirty-first, Something is about to burst. The clock is crouching, dark and small, Like a time bomb in the hall. Hark! It’s midnight, children dear. Duck! Here comes another year.

Jeff Minick

Given the wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, our upcoming primaries and presidential races that are likely to make MMA matches look like child’s play, and our ongoing culture wars, Nash’s poem should give us all pause. Most of us may be happy to wave a heartfelt Writer good-bye to 2023, at least in its public manifestations, and look with expectation, as is our wont, to better times. As Tennyson writes in his poem of the New Year, “Ring Out, Wild Bells,” we’re hoping to “ring out the false and ring in the true”:

page, a thought as stark and memorable as a solitary winter tree. Here we’ll look at three of these poems. When William Ernest Henley was just 16, doctors were forced to amputate his left leg. Over ten years later, when they thought the right leg also required amputation, he sought medical treatment elsewhere, and after several surgeries on his foot, the leg was saved. From this came “Invictus,” his poem on the stoicism and the endurance of pain and suffering, which ends “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Known best for her poem “Solitude,” which I recommend, Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s

“The Things That Count” recommends the old virtues as shield and sword against trouble and sorrow: But it is the doing of old things, Small acts that are just and right; And doing them over and over again, no matter what others say; In smiling at fate, when you want to cry, and in keeping at work when you want to play— Dear, those are the things that count. You might also enjoy Wilcox’s “Will,” which echoes Henley’s sentiments, and her poem “The Year,” which is excellent New Year’s fare, with its emphasis on the rhythms of time and change.

For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife Whose judgment upon you must pass; The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one staring back from the glass. You can find these poems online. If these don’t work for you, you can search online for “poems about courage and strength, where you’ll find classics like Rudyard Kipling’s “If,” a valuable poem for the young in particular, and more contemporary verse like Maya Angelou’s “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.” Take them as you might take a medicine, or better yet, as a vitamin, when you’re lost and afraid, and looking for the spiritual energy to face down adversity. As a powerful aid to these poems, you can listen to some renditions of them on YouTube. Particularly well-done are those put out by Redfrost Motivation. And if you’re looking for New Year’s poems in general, words to welcome January, once again just search online. Here’s hoping for the best of the New Year for all you readers. (Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)

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All well and good, but suppose that fuller minstrel never shows up? Suppose the turn of the calendar page comes not with the ringing of glad bells but with foghorns and klaxons? Whenever disaster strikes, and on whatever stage large or small — more inflation and shortages, a job lost, the death of a loved one — hard times demand resilience and courage if we are to carry on. If we need reinforcements, we can often draw on friends and family members for this strength. Literature, film, and podcasts can also offer inspiration and solace. In biographies, histories and novels, we can read the stories of others who have triumphed over catastrophe and loss. In movies ranging from “Cinderella Man” to “A Quiet Place,” we receive examples of men and women who battle the odds and win their fight, and the Internet is replete with podcasts aimed at encouraging our inner warrior. And then there’s poetry. If we’re looking for words to rouse our spirit of fortitude and grit, poetry possesses one advantage over these other genres: concision. It comes as a flash of lightning on the

When you get what you want in your struggle for self And the world makes you king for a day, Just go to the mirror and look at yourself And see what that man has to say.

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in.

A favorite of mine is Peter Dale Wimbrow’s “The Man in the Glass,” originally titled “The Guy in the Glass.” Here he urges on us that old axiom from Shakespeare, “To thine own self be true.” Here’s the beginning:

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Come what may: poetry for the new year

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Outdoors

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there,” said Callie Moore, western regional director for MountainTrue. “They’re not afraid of you at all. And as long as you don’t thrash around and make a bunch of noise, you can just sneak right up on them.” MountainTrue, Mainspring Conservation Trust and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are all partnering on the snorkel trail effort. Sites are now available in Swain, Jackson, Graham, Macon, Cherokee, Haywood, Buncombe, McDowell and Wilkes counties, with hopes of eventually covering all 24 western counties and parts of northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee.

A mountain biker curves along a trail in Berm Park, the mountain biking skills course within Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. Great State Trails Coalition photo

HCC GIVES HIKING THE COLLEGE TRY

Ringing out the Year of the Trail A highlight reel of trail news in 2023 BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR eclared to be the Year of the Trail more than a year before it even began, 2023 had a lot to live up to. But over the last 12 months of land protection, trail building and organized hikes, 2023 has measured up to its name.

THE CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN TRAIL SYSTEM GROWS UP Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park was born in 2022 with a unique-to-the-region bike skills park and 0.6-mile access trail — but in the past year, its trail system has grown to include more than 17 miles of hiking and biking paths. Now, the town is turning its attention to front-country amenities like a picnic pavilion, restrooms and a concessions area. The simultaneous development of Pisgah View State Park on the other side of the ridge in Candler also presents exciting opportunities for the future. The property line for the park, which is expected to open to the public in 2025, is separated from Chestnut Mountain’s land by only about a mile of privately owned forested ridgeline. “I think there’s an opportunity to make a connection there, which would be pretty unbelievable,” said Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer.

Haywood Community College cut the ribbon this year on the new Dahlia Ridge Trail System that weaves through its forested campus, offering a more accessible hiking option compared to many existing trails in WNC. HCC Foundation Executive Director Hylah Birenbaum said the new trail is simply another way to fulfill the vision of A.L. Freedlander, who in 1966 issued the fundraising challenge that birthed the HCC campus. “Mr. Freedlander wanted people to come

TRAILS AREN’T JUST FOR LANDUBBERS Since it debuted this year, the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail has offered a first-of-its-kind experience in the South, inviting people young and old to explore the underwater world of our mountain streams. The trail currently consists of 10 publicly accessible sites where people are invited to bring a snorkel mask, put their heads underwater, and observe the diverse aquatic life that often goes unseen. “When you get under the water with your snorkel and stuff on, the fish think you belong

In WNC’s shallow streams, snorkeling is an all-ages activity. Mainspring Conservation Trust photo

A blue arrow signals a bend in the path on Kingfisher Trail. Holly Kays photo on campus and enjoy the beauty of nature and the outdoors,” Birenbaum said. “We are an anchor for Haywood County, and we just want to bring people on campus, to add another avenue to enjoy.” Of the 3.5 miles in the Dahlia Ridge Trail System, 2.5 miles are new or redesigned. The net elevation gain between the highest and lowest points of the trail system is only about 100 feet, making for a relatively easy hike that’s just a short drive away from any of Haywood County’s main population centers.

HIKE LIKE IT’S 1923 The Carolina Mountain Club, Western North Carolina’s largest and oldest hiking club, turned 100 this year, celebrating a centu-

Carolina Mountain Club volunteers work on a trail along Big Laurel Creek. CMC photo ry of volunteerism, activism and enjoyment in public lands. Since its founding July 16, 1923, CMC has been involved in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, completion of the Appalachian Trail, construction of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and preservation of Max Patch. Its members have built countless miles of trail and are currently responsible for maintaining 450 miles. The group leads four to six hikes each week and organizes 10 weekly trail maintenance crews. Hundreds of people came to CMC’s July 16 birthday party at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, but the event wasn’t focused on looking backward. The club is actively looking forward to its next 100 years, with projects to replace the Walnut Mountain Shelter on the A.T. north of Max Patch and help with trail design at the new Pisgah View State Park at the top of its list — along with a constant desire to make the club continually more welcoming and inclusive to the constellation of people who call WNC home.

THE TRAILS OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE The past 12 months saw the launch of several projects that will likely result in the creation of spectacular new trails over the years to come. On the Buncombe/Haywood county line, a master planning

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both of which supply the town’s drinking water, are conserved. The new acquisition allows for easier public access to this conserved property, meaning that, following a master planning process, there’s potential for new hiking trails to be built there — and even the possibility of tying into existing trails on Blue Ridge Parkway land.

THE PATH THROUGH 2024 The Year of the Trail is drawing to a close, but trail development efforts in North Carolina are not. The 2023-2025 state budget ratified in September created the new Great Trails State Fund, which will offer grants for construction of new trails and extension of new ones, and supplied it with $25 million over two years. The budget also gave the Complete the Trails Fund an additional $5 million toward its mission of building out North Carolina’s 12 official state trails and appropriated $24.9 million for specific trail and greenway projects across the state. “I can’t even say how thrilling it is to get this fund in the next General Assembly session,” Palmer McIntyre, coordinator of the Great Trails State Coalition, said during the Outdoor Economy Conference in September. “So we’re so excited … our legislature is tuned in to trails right now. They are seeing that that is a worthy investment.”

The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon will return to Waynesville April 6. File photo 19. • Waynesville Sunrise Rotary Turkey Trot 5K will be Thursday, Nov. 28, at Lake Junaluska. For more information or to register for any of these events, visit gloryhoundevents.com.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

process is underway for the new Pisgah View State Park, which the N.C. General Assembly created in 2019 and funded land acquisition for in 2021 and 2022. The 2,000-acre property, formerly known as Pisgah View Ranch, is a culturally and ecologically rich area that’s expected to offer a variety of options for hikers and horseback riders, and potential for a future connection to Chestnut Mountain Nature Park on the other side of the ridge. Park managers hope Pisgah View State Park will open to the public in 2025. In Cherokee, the tribal government has approved a $2.7 million project contract for Fire Mountain Ignitor Park, which former Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Secretary of Operations Jeremy Hyatt called a “true, game-changing project.” It will feature two asphalt pump tracks totaling 20,000 square feet connected by a 750-foot asphalt “Snake Run,” as well as a bicycle playground for strider bikes and small children and an intermediate skills park with two flow lines. Asphalt is expected to start going down in early 2024, with completion by late summer or early fall. Meanwhile, Maggie Valley celebrated a significant conservation victory this fall when 1,250 acres were added to the conserved lands within the town’s watershed. Now, 51% of the Campbell Creek Watershed and 31% of the Jonathan Creek Watershed,

With a new year approaching, it’s the perfect time to start setting fitness goals — and to plan for participating in any of the 15 races Glory Hound Events has on its schedule for 2024. • Land and Lakes Relay covering the distance from Asheville to Lake James is first up, scheduled for Saturday, March 2. Runners race in teams of four or six. Captains must register by Jan. 1 to secure the early bird price for their team. • Asheville Catholic School Shamrock 5K/10KFun Run will be held Saturday, March 16, in Asheville. • Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon and Mighty Four Miler will be held Saturday, April 6, in Waynesville. • In the only bicycle event of the year, the Fire Mountain Inferno cross-country and enduro mountain biking weekend will be May 4-5 in Cherokee. • Strawberry Jam 5K and Half Marathon will be Saturday, May 18, in Bryson City. • Highland Night Flight 5K will be

Saturday, June 29, in Asheville. • Wilson Creek Half Marathon will be Saturday, July 13, in Lenoir. • AVL Runway 5K will be Saturday, Aug. 17, in Fletcher. • Not a Sprint 3/6/12 Hour Endurance Run will be Monday, Sept. 2, in Forest City. • Power of Pink 5K will be Saturday, Sept. 21, in Waynesville. • Ascent at Mountain Air 5K will be Saturday, Oct. 12, in Burnsville. • Geyser Growl Half Marathon will run from Black Mountain to Old Fort Saturday, Oct.

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Made X Mtns Partnership Director Amy Allison speaks during the Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee.

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N.C. sees uptick in hunting accidents Across the state, there has been an increase in firearm-related hunting incidents involving serious injury and fatalities. So far in 2023, 14 hunting-related incidents have occurred, of which 11 involved a firearm and five were fatal — more than the past three seasons combined. There was only one fatal hunting accident between 2020 and 2022. From 2013 to 2022, 114 total firearmrelated hunting incidents occurred in North Carolina, of which only seven were fatal. Many firearm injuries occur when hunters fail to properly identify their target and mistake another hunter for game, or carelessly handle a firearm resulting in self-inflicted injuries. To decrease the risk of a hunting incident, practice firearm safety. Always point guns in a safe direction, treat every firearm as if it’s loaded, use binoculars rather than a rifle scope to identify the target, keep fingers away from the trigger guard until ready to shoot, positively identify the target before pulling the trigger, ensure there are no houses, vehicles, powerlines, livestock or people in front of or behind the target, don’t use alcohol or drugs that may affect judgement while hunting and comply with blaze orange laws. When going hunting, always let someone know your intended destination and return time.

Home to the highest peak east of the Mississippi, Mount Mitchell State Park offers a chilly environment more frequently seen in locations much further north. Max Cooper photo

Hike into the 2024 The standing tradition of starting the New Year off on the trail will continue at N.C. State Parks Monday, Jan. 1, with more than 50 staff-led hikes showcasing the wonders of the Great Trails State. “After a few years of smaller First Day Hikes programming, we are excited to offer a wide variety of guided hikes and events at most of our state parks for 2024,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong. “We hope our visitors take the opportunity, as we wrap up the holiday season, to bring family and friends and begin a new year of outdoor

adventures together.” Here’s what’s happening in Western North Carolina: • Gorges State Park. Choose from a 30minute hike to the Upper Bearwallow Falls Overlook or a 60-minute hike down the Raymond Fisher Pond Trail — or do both. Park Superintendent Kevin Bischof will lead the Upper Bearwallow Falls Overlook hike starting at 10 a.m. from the Upper Bearwallow Picnic Shelter. Ranger Melanie Briley will start the Raymond Fisher Pond hike at 1 p.m., meeting at the Rainbow Falls

Trailhead. 828.966.9099. • Chimney Rock State Park. A 3.2-mile walk or bike ride up the park’s entrance road will begin next to the Old Rock Café at 8 a.m. A park ranger will lead an informative discussion about the park’s history along a route that is typically restricted to vehicular traffic only. Participants will receive a ticket to enter the park for free that day after taking the shuttle back down to Chimney Rock Village by 10 a.m. 828.625.1823. • Mount Mitchell State Park. Choose from three First Day Hike offerings at the highest mountain in the eastern U.S. Experienced hikers can embark on a strenuous 6-mile loop around the park starting at 9 a.m., while a family-friendly hike on the 1mile Balsam Nature Trail will be held 10-11 a.m. At 11 a.m., a moderate 2.6-mile hike will go to Mount Craig, the second-highest peak in the park. The weather at Mount Mitchell can be more than 20 degrees colder than at the base of the mountain, with strong winds making it feel even colder, so hikers should dress appropriately. Hot chocolate and buttons will be available at the museum after each hike. Registration is required via email to mandy.blake@ncparks.gov. 828.675.4611. Nationwide, First Day Hikes is organized by the National Association of State Park Directors. The annual event began in 1992 in Massachusetts, and as of 2012, all 50 states have participated. The full list of First Day Hikes for North Carolina State Parks is available at ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes.

outdoors

SNOW REPO ORT 9 Trails r Open 3 Aerial A i Lifts i 2 Su urface Liftss 23-49 9 Inch Basse

A hiker navigates a snowy trail. SAHC photo

The Winter Hiking Challenge Registration is open for the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s fourth annual Winter Hiking Challenge, asking participants to complete 60 miles of trail in the 60 days between Jan. 1 and March 1. Participants will receive informative emails with suggestions for great places to

hike in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, including recommendations on lands that SAHC has protected. Those who complete the challenge will receive a commemorative SAHC patch. Registration costs $25 and ends Feb. 25, but earlier registration means more time to log the miles. Sign up at appalachian.org.

WEEKDAYS: Y 9:00AM – 10P PM WEEKEND DS: 8:30AM – 10PM

Year-in-review tool breaks down weather trends

Cataloochee offers homeschool discount

Cataloochee Ski Area. File photo

Spend Friday nights on the slopes Ski Cataloochee for less this winter, with discounted night skiing available through Jackson County Parks and Recreation Friday nights, Jan. 5, 19 and 26. Offered through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, the program offers slope passes at Cataloochee Ski

Area in Maggie Valley for $40 and slope passes with rental for $50 to ride 5-10 p.m. Friday nights. February dates will be Feb. 2, 9 and 23. Skiing may also occur March 1 depending on the weather. Parents must accompany children ages 8-14. Sign up at jcprd.recdesk.com/community. Contact Trevor Brown with questions at trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org or 828.293.3053, ext. 9.

Smoky Mountain News

Homeschool students can visit Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley at discounted rates during Homeschool Days, offered 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 9 through the end of the season. Rates are $34 for lift pass only, $53 for lift pass and rental, and $69 for pass, rental and lesson. No registration is required. Participants need only present valid homeschooling credentials at Guest Services. cataloochee.com.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

The N.C. State Climate Office has launched a year-in-review tool that gives a review of trends and records at weather stations across the state. Among others, fields include hottest daily maximum temperature, coldest daily minimum temperature, wettest days and most consecutive days with precipitation, without precipitation, with a maximum temperature over 90 degrees and with a minimum temperature below freezing. Check it out at products.climate.ncsu.edu/weather/station-reviewer.

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Forest Service enhances 128 plans with old growth protections 1.

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The U.S. Forest Service has issued a proposal that would amend all 128 forest land management plans in its jurisdiction with language aimed at better maintaining, improving and expanding old-growth forests. The proposal, which stems from an April 2022 executive order issued by President Joe Biden, would have a significant impact on the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests if enacted. After a decade of work, new man-

Pisgah National Forest covers more than 500,000 acres. File photo agement plans for these forests were adopted Feb. 17. Many stakeholders had voiced concern that the plan didn’t do enough to protect old-growth forest. “Our old-growth forests provide a straightforward way to fight climate change, safeguard clean water and air, create unmatched recreation experiences and are habitat for rare species. We are excited about the Forest Service’s critical step toward protecting these remarkable ecosystems,” said Sam Evans, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center and leader of the organization’s National Forests and Parks Program. SELC represented five conservation

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

Delve into the amazing biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians with a program offered at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the University of North Carolina Asheville’s Reuter Center in Asheville or via Zoom. Will Harlan, southeast director and senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, will give the talk. This region has more species of freshwater fish, mussels and crayfish in its waterways than anywhere else on earth. The presentation will discuss local biodiversity, global biodiversity and the connections between concurrent extinction and climate crises. Harlan is the author of the book “Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island,”

groups who this summer told the Forest Service they would sue over the new PisgahNantahala forest plan if the Forest Service didn’t fix alleged flaws that the groups claimed violated the Endangered Species Act. These issues were partially related to old growth management. SELC Senior Communications Manager Eric Hilt said the Forest Service has not fixed these alleged problems, leaving conservation groups with “few other options” besides a lawsuit. Trout Unlimited has joined SELC in applauding the Forest Service proposal to amend all 128 management plans. “Bully for the Forest Service! As one of the nation’s preeminent land managers, they know well the importance of older forests for combating climate change,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “Our national forests not only store carbon, they also provide clean water for tens of millions of American families and healthy habitat for wild and native trout and salmon. This kind of conservation leadership would make [the first Forest Service chief] Gifford Pinchot proud, and gives the agency the opportunity to create stronger, more resilient forests that will benefit generations.” The Dec. 19 announcement kicked off a months-long process to update the forest plans, and a 45-day window for public comment ending Feb. 2. For project documents and a comment portal, visit fs.usda.gov/project/?project=65356. Hard copy letters can be sent to: Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination, 201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108, Washington, D.C. 20250–1124. — Holly Kays, Outdoors Editor which was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the Society of Environmental Journalists’ Rachel Carson Book Award and one of Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2014. He was editor-in-chief of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine for 19 years and continues as a senWill Harlan. ior editor there. Emily Diznoff photo The program is offered free by the WNC Sierra Club. Register to join in on Zoom at wncsierraclub.org.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m. to noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram. • The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists. • Cowee School Farmer's Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Museum of Haywood County History will open its doors to celebrate ‘A Christmas of Old’ from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, in the historic Shook-Smathers House, built in 1795, at 178 Morgan Street in Clyde. The house is decorated for the holidays and docents will be present to give tours and provide interpretation for the exhibits. There will be children’s activities and refreshments. The event is free but donations are gratefully accepted. • Cataloochee Ski area will offer two field trips on snowmaking Tuesday, Jan. 23, and Tuesday, Feb. 13. The program is designed to offer STEM, science and math principles within a two-hour period and will include a lecture, guided tour and visual experience looking at the world of snowmaking. The program is open to six adults and 12 youth, with online registration required by Saturday, Dec. 23. There is no cost, but the field trip does not include a lift ticket. Learn more or register at cataloochee.com/programs/adult.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • The Pollinators Foundation offers weekly Mindful Movement Qigong classes for all ages to reduce stress and improve health and well-being. Classes take place 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398. • The Pollinators Foundation and The Share Project host weekly Happy Hour Walks 5-6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays at Lake Junaluska. The group meets at the Labyrinth. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398. • Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS • The Western Carolina Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 6 p.m. An eclectic group of young and old, male and female. The group supplies boards, cards, pegs and are always willing to help those still learning the finer points of the game. For more information contact kei3ph@bellsouth.net. • Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at

Smoky Mountain News

fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567. • The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561. • Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com. • Sylva Writers Group meets Wednesday mornings at City Lights Books. If interested contact sylvawriters@gmail.com. • A Novel Escape Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Every other month one book is selected for discussion. On alternate months the meeting is round-table discussion in which participants share what they’ve read lately. For more information call the bookstore at 828.369.9059 or visit anovelescapefranklin.wordpress.com.

KIDS AND FAMILIES • The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a kids’ program about moon exploration on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Randi Neff will lead these activities focused on NASA’s Artemis program, with aims to one day establish a base on the Moon. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information call 828.586.2016. • Creative Writing Club will take place at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. The writing club is intended for ages 8-12. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600. • Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567. • Mother Goose Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Wednesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years old. For more information, contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511. • Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511. • Next Chapter Book Club Haywood is a fun, energetic and highly interactive book club, ideal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561. • Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit

• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600. • Culture Talk takes place at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. Travel the world from inside your library. This event features guest speakers and food sampling from the location being discussed. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600. • Art afternoon takes place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Macon County Public Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

A&E

• There will be a lunchtime contra dance from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at Bridge Park in Sylva. No partner or experience required. All are welcome. • Trivia Night is hosted 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Thursday evening at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. For more information visit meadowlarkmotel.com. • Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45. • Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com. • Smoky Mountain Event Center presents Bingo Night with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and games starting at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday and fourth Monday of the month. For information visit smokymountaineventcenter.com.

FOOD AND DRINK • Roll Up Herbal Bar, a mobile cocktail bar, will be stationed at Frog Level Brewing for Cocktail Mondays every Monday in January, serving non-alcoholic beverages from 2-8 p.m. • “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075. • Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420 • Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

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

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n Complete listings of local music scene n Regional festivals n Art gallery events and openings n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings • Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924. • Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.

Outdoors

• A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. Breakfast food will be available for sale, with cash prizes offered. The event is weather-dependent. The American Legion is located on 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville. • Hike to Upper Bearwallow Falls Overlook with park Superintendent Kevin Bischof at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. For more information call 828.966.9099. For a full list of First Day Hikes for North Carolina State Parks visit ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes.

• Hike down Raymond Fisher Pond Trail with ranger Melanie Briley at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 1, meeting at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead. For more information, call 828.966.9099. For a full list of First Day Hikes for North Carolina State Parks visit ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes. • Walk or bike to Chimney Rock State Park at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. A park ranger will lead an informative discussion about the park’s history along a route that is typically restricted to vehicular traffic only. For more information call 828.625.1823. For a full list of First Day Hikes for North Carolina State Parks visit ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes. • Several New Year’s Day hikes with a range of difficulty will be offered at Mount Mitchell State Park Monday, Jan. 1. Register via email to mandy.blake@ncparks.gov. For more information call 828.675.4611. For a full list of First Day Hikes for North Carolina State Parks visit ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes. • A presentation by Will Harlan on local biodiversity, global biodiversity and the connections between concurrent extinction and climate crises will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the University of North Carolina Asheville’s Reuter Center in Asheville or via Zoom. The program is offered free by the WNC Sierra Club. Register to join in on Zoom at wncsierraclub.org. • Homeschool students can visit Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley at discounted rates during Homeschool Days, offered 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 9 through the end of the season. Rates are $34 for lift pass only, $53 for lift pass and rental, and $69 for pass, rental and lesson. For more information visit cataloochee.com.

Market WNC PLACE This 15th day of December, 2023.

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

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Rates: •

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION COUNTY OF SWAIN FILE NO. 18 CVD 114

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Real Estate Announcements PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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MAKING 20 OUT OF 9 ACROSS 1 Pueblo dweller 5 Sound of an "air kiss" 9 Forensic facility in Quantico, for short 15 Gig hookups 19 Refined finds 20 Civil rights leader Parks 21 In an uncivil way 22 Lawn mower brand 23 Parts of wholes 25 Key related to G major 26 "Jurassic Park" dino 27 "Billions" channel, in brief 28 Some boxing blows 30 Horn blowers 32 Person whose name consists entirely of the letters in 23-Across 37 Los Angeles neighborhood 38 "I knew -- along!" 39 Old Nissan brand 40 Stephen of "Angie" 41 Humongous 44 Foot, in verse 47 Tattered 48 Novel whose name consists entirely of the letters in 62-Across 54 Others, in Oviedo 55 Last letter, in Leeds 56 Trig function 57 Arab nation 60 Titanic sinker 62 Didn't type or text, perhaps 67 Relating to an eye layer 71 Corn, to a Brit

73 Neighbor of Latvia 74 Relatives of terraces 76 Silent performer 78 Consumer 79 Coup d'-80 Attain 81 Exit 85 Film whose name consists entirely of the letters in 74-Across 93 Verve 94 Words of woe 95 Desert haven 96 Sch. founded by Thomas Jefferson 97 December mall temps 100 Consumer 103 Very talented 105 Setups whose name consists entirely of the letters in 117-Across 110 Some legumes 111 Lindsay of "Liz & Dick" 112 Be in debt to 113 Imp Simpson 114 Throat tissue 117 Lawbreaker 121 -- fixe 122 Menu offering 123 In -- (stuck) 124 Lasting mark 125 Betting info 126 "Mad" Carroll character 127 Some votes in Congress 128 Those folks DOWN 1 Great athletes are enshrined in it: Abbr. 2 Bobby in the Hockey 1Down

3 Leguminous side dish 4 Low pelvic bones 5 Hosp. test in a big tube 6 "Mrs. Dalloway" novelist 7 Ed of "Lou Grant" 8 Is trustful 9 Citrusy diet soft drink 10 Idling type 11 Cruel Amin 12 Slower than andante 13 Socially distant 14 Side street 15 Give proof of 16 Novelist Toni 17 Strong-arm 18 Boston Red -24 This evening 29 Building-blasting stuff 31 Bag-screening org. 32 Gotten sight of 33 Attempter 34 Fibber's admission 35 Cabbage side dish 36 Little hotel 37 Playtex item 42 "Ugly Betty" actress Ortiz 43 Crash-probing agcy. 45 Little plateau 46 Pickle liquid 49 Bubbly mixer 50 Blogging pundit Klein 51 Prescribed diet, say 52 Finishes up 53 Swamp wriggler 57 Round body 58 "Call -- taxi" 59 Ocean east of Mass. 61 Inits. on an ambulance 62 Tailor's edge

63 City on the Seine 64 Put- -- (jokey pranks) 65 Knot up 66 Part of a jug 68 Yuletide song 69 Opposer 70 Climbing vine 72 Rigatoni's kin 75 Ingrain 77 Filmdom's Kazan 80 Shimmer 82 Golfer Ernie 83 Even up 84 Out-of-towner 85 "Shane" star 86 Teased one another playfully 87 International alliances 88 Harbinger 89 Medieval Scandinavian 90 Group's activity in the community 91 Crooner Burl 92 Frowny-faced 93 Suffix with Vietnam 98 Aesthetic interest 99 Sewing unit 101 Bank job 102 "Neroli" musician Brian 104 Least 106 Maui greeting 107 Contrarian's retort 108 Nile capital 109 Come next 113 Short history 115 Park oneself 116 Cooler cubes 118 Divs. of dollars 119 Scot's turndown 120 Give it a whirl

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024

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Smoky Mountain News Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2024