Smoky Mountain News | December 8, 2021 by Smoky Mountain News

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December 8-14, 2021 Vol. 23 Iss. 28

WNC makes plans for American Rescue funds Page 4 Bluegrass Boogie concert to benefit local charities Page 22

CONTENTS On the Cover: A large amount of sediment was discharged into the Oconaluftee River following an unannounced release from the Ela Dam on Oct. 4. The sediment release could be detrimental to the rare aquatic life downstream. (Page 30) Ela Dam in Whittier. Holly Kays photo

News Jackson uses ARP money to assist nonprofits ..........................................................5 Census tract limits Swain’s options for ARP spending ..........................................7 Macon uses rescue funds to increase employee pay ..............................................8 How schools are spending relief funds ....................................................................10 Haywood undecided on rescue fund spending ......................................................12 Cherokee rolls out ARP spending plan ....................................................................13 Domestic violence shelter planned for Jackson ......................................................14 Maggie alderman wants to limit campgrounds ........................................................15 Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards joins race for NC-14........................................16 Education News ................................................................................................................19

Opinion Here it comes; we better be ready ..............................................................................20 GOP leaders espouse radical views on education ................................................21

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

Bluegrass Boogie to benefit charities ........................................................................22

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Rescue funds to assist local governments

ARP funding by county, in millions Buncombe County...............................$50.66 Cherokee County ...................................$5.55 Clay County...........................................$2.18 Graham County.....................................$1.64 Haywood County..................................$12.09 Jackson County .....................................$8.52 Macon County .......................................$6.95 Swain County........................................$2.77

ARP funding by city, town or village

The bill provides funding for a long list of programs — agriculture and nutrition, extending SNAP and EBT benefits for families, expanding broadband for education purposes, expanding childcare assistance, COVID-19 vaccination, treatments and prevention, mental health and substance-use disorder services, renter and homeowner assistance, transportation, small business help and more. A majority of Americans already benefited from the individual provisions set forth in the bill when they received additional unemployment benefits, economic impact payments for $1,400 per person and the recent child tax credits that recently rolled out. Local governments are also benefactors of the bill, with $130.2 billion to be divided

evenly between cities and counties. While $65.1 billion was allocated for metro cities, $45.57 billion will be allocated to municipalities with a population of at least 50,000. The Community Development Block Grant modified formula was used to divide the funds and send allocations directly to towns. About $65 billion will be allocated to counties based on population and $19.53 billion was allocated to municipalities with fewer than 50,000 people. Aside from those funds, the law also created a new $10 billion Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund for “critical capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease.”

Smoky Mountain News

December 8-14, 2021

Signed by President Joe Biden on March 17, 2021, the American Rescue Plan will provide $1.88 trillion in federal funds in an effort to defeat the COVID-19 virus and provide workers and families with resources to survive the pandemic.

Andrews..........................................$540,000 Bryson City......................................$420,000 Canton .........................................$1,270,000 Clyde...............................................$380,000 Dillsboro............................................$70,000 Forest Hills......................................$110,000 Franklin........................................$1,200,000 Hayesville........................................$140,000 Highlands .......................................$290,000 Maggie Valley .................................$360,000 Murphy............................................$480,000 Robbinsville....................................$190,000 Sylva ...............................................$800,000 Waynesville..................................$2,970,000

Source: democrats.senate.gov/arp

The bill, which required the Department of Treasury to establish a grant application process for the funds, will distribute $100 million split equally between states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; $100 million to be split equally between tribal governments and Hawaii and the remaining $4.7 billion will be distributed to states based on a formula (50% based on population; 25% based on rural population and 25% based on household income that is below 150% of the poverty line). Counties and municipalities patiently waited for the federal government to issue guidelines for how these rescue funds could be used. Those guidelines rolled out a few months ago — some local governments have already decided how to spend the money while others are still discussing their options.

Sylva still undecided on ARP projects

ylva is slated to receive a total of $880,000 in American Rescue Plan funds, but the town has not yet made any decision as to how it will spend the money. “Smaller towns are being encouraged to wait and see if more uses open up with the final guidance from the treasury, which we are still waiting on,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling. The federal government issued its interim final rule in May, assuring all ARP recipients that any uses allowed under that preliminary rule will also be allowed in the final rule. But Dowling hopes to see the final rule, as well as pending federal legislation, approve additional uses, such as general government spending and looser regulations for distributing the money to local nonprofits. “There were a lot of nonprofit community groups that were impacted by COVID, and I would like to see Sylva stretch this money to have it reach as much of the community’s needs as it can,” she said. Municipal elections also complicated the timeline — two seats were up for election this year, and the winners will be sworn in Thursday, Dec. 9, for fouryear terms. The board will likely begin discussions in earnest after the new year, Dowling said, and continue them concurrently with the overall budget discussion. It’s “very possible” the town will have a spending plan by the start of the fiscal year July 1, she said, and in fact she hopes to have the plan finalized before then. So far, the town has received half of its overall allocation and expects to receive the rest next year. ARP funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2025. — By Holly Kays, staff writer

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Jackson uses ARP money to assist nonprofits

human services are eligible for ARP funds. According to County Manager Don Adams, ARP funds can be used to respond to the public health emergency or its economic impacts. This means the county can help businesses and nonprofits with the funds it has received. The county is still awaiting final rules for ARP funds before further discussion about assisting nonprofits.

ARP IN WNC

The county is able to use ARP funds through these organizations because the federal government has determined that issues such as mental health, substance use and family and individual assistance programs have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath WHAT TO DO WITH…APPLES Have you ever bought a big bag of apples for yourself or your family with the intention of using them as a snack, only to watch as they sit, uneaten, on your counter or fridge? Tip: To keep apples fresh longer be sure and store them in your fridge in a plastic bag with holes punched in it Don’t let those apples go to waste! Here are some ways to use apples: 1. Breakfast – add chopped fresh or cooked apples to hot cereal or plain Greek yogurt for natural sweetness. 2. Snacks – slice apples and spread with nut butter (sprinkle with mini chocolate morsels or dip into caramel sauce for a sweet treat) 3. Lunch – add thinly sliced apples to hot grilled cheese sandwiches before grilling or to cold sandwiches or wraps to add crunch and sweetness; put thin slices of apple on arugula and spinach salad; add chopped apples to whole grains like quinoa, barley or wild rice. 4. Beverages – Get out that blender or juicer to add apples along with vegetables to make your juice drinks or to make a smoothie. For an apple smoothie use milk or a vanilla non-dairy beverage, add vanilla Greek yogurt, cinnamon, or ginger. Note: for smoothies, peeling the apple ahead of time will make a creamier smoothie – but with less fiber Other ideas: Use the “low and slow” method (low temperature, baking for longer) to make dehydrated apple slices in your oven • Make apple crisp or cobbler • Use your slow cooker to make applesauce • Combine apples, cilantro, lime juice and onion to make a smooth or chunky apple salsa using a food processor.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Smoky Mountain News

Once the rules are released, the county will finalize its application process for nonprofits in Jackson County to apply to receive money from ARP funding. AWAKE, another nonprofit in Jackson County, is already working on its request for monetary support from ARP funds for facility repairs and expansion. AWAKE advocates and coordinates services for victims of child abuse and was recently given a building for its facility, but the building is in need of repairs. County commissioners will continue discussions about the best use of ARP funds in January, when there will likely be more final rules on how the money can be spent. Discussions will include using funding for workforce and affordable housing as well as creating an application process to assist more nonprofits in need.

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he American Rescue Plan, signed into law March 6, allocated $350 billion for state and local relief in response to economic fallout from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Jackson County will receive a total of $8,534,441 as a result. A portion of ARP funds could go toward filling a request from Sheriff Chip Hall for funding for an in-car video, body camera and taser system. The system would cost up to $1,315,024 over the next five years. This request was previously considered during budget discussions. Use of ARP funds for this purpose would fall under allowances for public safety upgrades, but the county will await final rules before entering into a contract for the equipment. Just over $2 million has already been allocated to match grants from the Dogwood Health Trust for the creation of the new Center for Domestic Peace facility, planning of the CDP facility and planning the new HERE shelter for people experiencing homelessness (see story on page 6). The county is able to use ARP funds for these organizations because the federal government has determined that issues such as mental health, substance use and family and individual assistance programs have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. For this reason,

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Bryson City approves one-time bonuses

ARP IN WNC it might be different, but right now we don’t feel comfortable spending the money on anything else. I think we did the right thing.” King said he was hopeful other money would become available specifically for infrastructure projects. The North Carolina state budget that recently passed included some funding for Swain County projects, including $50,000 for improvements at Alarka Community Center; $250,000 for improvements to the county fairgrounds and $100,000 to replace the HVAC system at the county recreation center. King said Swain as well as Haywood County is expecting to get additional funds from the federal PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program this year. The PILT program provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial federal land acreage within their jurisdictions. King said Swain could end up seeing $1 million a year in additional PILT funds since Swain is 85 percent occupied by federally owned land.

City is currently under a water and sewer moratorium for any new service until it can get a handle on its inflow and infiltration issues at the water and sewer plant. “We’re getting a USDA loan/grant, but when we talked to them about a new sewer plant, they said we’re treating a lot of water through old pipes and so they’re not allowing a new plant until we address the inflow and infiltration issues,” Mathis said. The USDA will provide a $6.2 million loan and the rest will be granted to start that project. The town also has a $1.5 million Community Block Development Grant to replace sewer lines on Carringer Street. Mathis said she’s been sitting through numerous American Rescue Plan meetings to stay up to date on all the guidelines and any changes that could be coming in the future. “From what I’ve heard, we can still spend the money on infrastructure but we have to target low to moderate income households, so I don’t think we’re tied down yet because of the census tract, but we will have to check on that to be sure.” — By Jessi Stone

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Bryson City Council approved premium pay for 32 employees during a Dec. 6 board of aldermen meeting. Town Manager Regina Mathis said the board approved giving employees a one-time $1,500 bonus, though a few newer employees’ bonus will be prorated for the time they’ve been on the job. Employees will receive their bonuses before Christmas. The bonuses will cost the town $41,475 of its $420,000 ARP funds. “We’ve been working on pay increases for our employees for five or six years and I think we’re doing pretty well,” said Mayor Tom Sutton. “That’s not something we’re walking away from now either. We’ll continue to make adjustments as we go. We raised our starting pay to $13 an hour but that had nothing to do with this money.” Sutton is hopeful the rest of the money can be put toward water and sewer infrastructure projects — a top priority for the town. Bryson

rounding agencies that could offer more competitive pay. Commissioners approved offering $1.50 more an hour for three years for full-time employees up to 40 hours a week. Similar to Macon, that premium pay will be retroactive back to March when ARP was passed. “I think this will make the county more marketable,” King said. “If they would go back and look at changing the requirements

December 8-14, 2021

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR wain County Board of Commissioners voted to spend its American Rescue Plan allocation on pay for employees since a guideline regarding “qualified census tracts” limits the county’s ability to put the money toward infrastructure projects. Swain County Manager Kevin King said the ARP guidelines say that the population of an area has to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the criteria for deciding that is by having a qualified census tract. “They (the Department of Treasury) look at a county’s population density and minority groups in the area — that’s a qualified census tract and we don’t have one,” he said. “It puts a lot of counties at a disadvantage.” Not that Swain’s allocation — $2.77 million — would have gone far toward any major infrastructure projects like expanding water/sewer or broadband, which is why Swain followed suit with Macon County by increasing pay for its employees instead. “We’re doing what Macon and lot of other counties are doing by offering premium pay,” King said. “It’s hard with the amount of money we got, we couldn’t get into the assistance programs for sewer and water. We wanted to look at the Ela area, but we knew we couldn’t qualify because of the way the law is currently written.” Improving pay for employees seemed a safer route, especially since the county has also struggled to recruit and retain employees the last few years. Just like Macon County, Swain continued to lose public health and public safety employees to sur-

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Census tract limits Swain’s options for ARP spending

smokymountainfootclinic.com MEDICARE PROVIDERS & MOST OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED

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Macon uses rescue funds to increase employee pay BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR acon County decided early on to invest all of its American Rescue Plan allocation toward county employees. Macon County’s share from ARP is $6.95 million. During an Oct. 12 Board of Commissioners meeting, the board voted unanimously to spend about $9 million over the next three years to increase county employee pay. While Macon County has a long list of capital improvement and infrastructure projects that need to be done, County Manager Derek Roland told commissioners that establishing a new pay scale for county employees had been a top priority for years, but that the COVID-19 pandemic had prevented them from implementing recommendations outlined in a recent pay study.

Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland says the county’s recently passed employee pay plan will help his department recruit and retain qualified officers.

December 8-14, 2021

ARP IN WNC Roland and commissioners are hopeful the new pay scale will make the county more competitive in the labor market, making it easier to recruit and retain critical county positions. At the time of the meeting, the county had about 50 open positions — a majority in the sheriff ’s office, emergency management and public health. In addition to approving a more competitive pay scale, commissioners also approved a premium pay policy to give all employees an extra $2 an hour retroactive to April 26, 2021, through Oct. 20, 2024, to spread the $6.9 million over three years. “One of the primary usages authorized is to support those who’ve shouldered the health risk in the public sector,” Roland said. “I can tell you today, because of these unprecedented times were in, if we don’t follow suit with that, I feel like we risk leaving here today and being in the same position we are in today.”

Sheriff Robert Holland and Emergency Management Director Warren Cabe told the board that many of the positions had been open for quite a while with few applications and even fewer qualified applicants coming through the door. “This gets you to market rates in a normal year, but this is not a normal year,” said Cabe. “We’re short in EMS — we’re holding it together but we’re on the edge of having to decrease services. I think this is a must right now. There’s still other things we need to discuss, but this is a really good start. I’ve been here a long time, and this is as close as we’ve

“We’re short in EMS — we’re holding it together but we’re on the edge of having to decrease services. I think this is a must right now.” — Emergency Management Director Warren Cabe

ever been to perfect with the pay scale.” When Cabe reported back to the board in November, he said the department hadn’t had any more resignations since the new pay scale was adopted. He said he was in the middle of reviewing 11 applications that came through in October and hoped to be able to hire two or three from those that applied. Holland said the candidate pool for the sheriff ’s office was also improving. After years of losing deputies to surrounding agencies that had higher pay, he said finally has deputies in other counties interested in coming back to work in Macon. “We didn’t have any applications for some time but since you announced the pay raises, we’ve had a substantial amount of applications coming in,” he said. “For the first time in two years, the patrol unit is full. The problem is they still have to go through the field training so we’re trying to fill those shifts now.” Roland explained that the ARP funds could also be used to replace lost revenue, but Macon County didn’t experience any lost revenue during the pandemic. The county actually saw an increase in sales tax collections during the pandemic. Funds can be used for water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, but again, Macon doesn’t operate water and sewer systems and implementing some kind of a broadband plan would take years to accomplish, then longer to implement. “The point of this money is to pump money into the economy, and that’s what this would do,” he said.

Smoky Mountain News

Franklin approves premium pay policy

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR ranklin Town Council has agreed on how to spend $73,000 of the town’s $1.3 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan. During the Council’s Nov. 1 meeting, Town Manager Amie Owens presented the board with three options to use a portion of the funding to show appreciation to the town’s employees that worked during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first option was to do nothing. The second option was to match what Macon County Commissioners did — to give employees a $2,000 bonus twice a year through 2024 — which would cost $930,000. The third option — the one Owens recommended — was to give full-time employees a one-time bonus of $1,000 and an additional 40 hours of vacation time and give parttime employees a one-time $500 bonus. This option costs $73,000, which would still leave the town with more than $1 million to use toward other needs. During the meeting, Councilmember Jack Horton said

he saw the third option as a reasonable approach — a way to reward employees but also do what’s right for the residents of Franklin. Horton’s motion passed unanimously. The board met again Dec. 6 to swear in Horton as the town’s new mayor and swear in board members David Culpepper, Rita Salain and Stacy Guffey. With a new board in place, Owens said the councilmembers need to have more discussion to set priorities for the rest of the funding. “We have a lot of infrastructure considerations to consider so once we have our board retreat, we’ll know what our priorities are,” Owens said. The ARP funds must be spent by December 2026. Franklin has received half of its funds — $654,000 — and expects to receive the other half next spring. “The guidelines have changed a couple times so our finance director has been in contact with the treasury department to make we are adhering to the proposed guidelines, but we know infrastructure is one of the key things,” Owens said. “We’re waiting on confirmation from

the treasury to make sure our premium pay policy meets the guidelines.” Horton said he would like to see the rest of the funding put toward the town’s water and sewer infrastructure — something the council has been working toward for the last few years “We’re currently doing major improvement project at the water treatment plant. The first phase is $1 millio,n and we have several phases after that so we’re looking at an excess of $5 million,” he said. “And we still have areas to work on for sewer, like pump stations and inflation — so it’s really going to be a big help. Like most places, as we grow, the demand grows and sometimes you worry about meeting the demand and fail to maintain the system you have.” With a new town manager, two new members joining the board and one appointment to be made to the board, Horton said they’re in a little bit of a learning curve right now but hopes to discuss projects and guidelines early in the year.

news December 8-14, 2021

Smoky Mountain News

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ust after the Coronavirus Pandemic broke out in the United States in March of 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. Among other things, this bill established the Education Stabilization Fund, part of which is designated for K-12 public schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, also known as ESSER funds. “This plan, together with the unprecedented funding available under ARP ESSER, will help ensure that districts and schools in your State can continue to reopen safely; support sustained access to in-person instruction throughout the summer and into next school year; and address the social, emotional, mental health and academic needs of students due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), particularly those students most impacted by the pandemic,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt. ESSER funds are provided to State Learning Agencies in order to provide Local Education Agencies with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had and continues to have on elementary and secondary schools across the nation. Throughout the pandemic, ESSER funds have come in waves. The first set of funds came when the CARES Act was signed into

December 8-14, 2021

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Relief funds aim to keep up with difficulties in schools ARP IN WNC law. The second wave, ESSER II, came at the beginning of this year after the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act became law and the third wave, ESSER III, came with passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. School systems in Western North Carolina have been able to use ESSER funds to keep schools running throughout the difficulties of the pandemic. The money was especially helpful for the new costs created by the pandemic such as additional sanitation supplies and the technology needed to do virtual school. Haywood County Schools received a total of $24,751,914 between all three phases of ESSER funding; Jackson County Schools received $13,668,824; Macon County Schools received $18,077,401; Swain County Schools received $6,160,719. Most of the first wave of funding will have been spent out by the end of December. This wave of funding had to be spent in specific categories such as summer learning programs, health support personnel, remote instruction, devices and software for remote learning, school nutrition, and exceptional children support. ESSER II funds will mostly be spent out by July 2022, and ESSER III funds will be

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spent between July 2022 and September 20224. Most school systems in the region spent a considerable amount of ESSER II and III funding on staff supplemental pay or staff retention bonuses. Macon County Schools spent $4.5 million to give all full-time employees a $1,500

retention bonus and all part-time employees a $750 bonus. Similarly, Jackson County Schools spent $1,649,599 to give all employees $1,000 retention bonuses. Swain County employees will receive up to $1,000 bonuses

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and employees in Haywood County Schools will receive a retention bonus just over $1,000. Schools across the country are struggling to fill vacancies during the pandemic and retention bonuses became a popular way to try and incentivize current staff to remain in their positions. Another major line item for local schools focuses on addressing learning loss. Part of that goes toward remedial learning, throughout the school year and some goes towards summer school programs. Summer schools have had to be more robust since the pandemic began due to the increased number of students that have fallen behind and failed to pass courses. School systems paid staff more than their normal salary as incentive to work throughout the summer school program after what had been another difficult pandemic year for school employees. Schools in Western North Carolina have also placed considerable attention and ESSER funding toward the mental health of their students. School administration and school boards are concerned that isolation, disruption of

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normal routines and the collective stress of dealing with a global pandemic are having serious impacts on K-12 students. To compound this issue, most of the contracted organizations that schools work with to assist students with additional learning, mental health or behavioral needs have stopped working in schools since the pandemic. Jackson County Schools will spend $266,055 in ESSER II funding and $730,169 in ESSER III funding for mental health services. This includes social and emotional learning assistants, additional school counselors and social workers. Haywood County Schools spent $41,500 of ESSER funds to hire teaching assistants that can work with students who struggle to remain in the classroom all day, as well as licensed clinical social workers. In Macon County, part of the $1.7 million to be spent on staffing needs will provide the funding to hire six additional mental health professionals. Administration is hopeful that the $500,000 allocated to staff development will also help address mental health needs. “We have been able to fill six of those throughout the district utilizing the ESSER funds. That could not have come at a more poignant time not only for our students, but also for our teachers as well. I feel like we are being really good stewards of the funding and will continue to do so,” said Associate Superintendent for Macon County Schools Josh Lynch.

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Waynesville Soda Jerks is hosting a Food & Dry Goods Drive with all donations going to support The Community Kitchen in Canton. Items donated will either go toward the meals that they prepare to serve or toward their bi- monthly food boxes. The most needed items for their meal service are coffee, sugar and gallon sized tea bags. Other items needed include (but not limited to) cooking oil, spices, canned meats & fish, cereals, snacks, toiletries, feminine products, diapers & wipes, and other nonperishable goods. “We chose to support The Community Kitchen because of their efforts to provide for the community and also because they suffered damages (though now repaired) during the floods earlier this year,” said Soda Jerks co-owner Megan Brown. “My family suffered loss during the floods. My grandmother, who lived in the Hidden Valley Community of Bethel, lost her home and the majority of her belongings. Fortunately, and most importantly, she was rescued by boat and is still alive.” To encourage donations, Soda Jerks will be holding a raffle at the end of the month. For every item that is donated the person will receive an entry into the raffle. Four separate raffle drawings will be held for the following items: a mixed fourpack soda; a mixed six-pack soda; a WSJ T-shirt color and size of choice and a gift bundle. All donations can be delivered between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday to the Soda Jerks’ production facility at 35 Bridges Street in Waynesville.

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Haywood undecided on rescue fund spending BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR aywood County commissioners haven’t made any decisions regarding how they plan to allocate the $12 million coming from the American Rescue Plan Act. Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley said County Manager Bryant Morehead had been following the issue closely to ensure he understands all the guidelines before the county makes any decisions. “To me, I think we need to use it for some kind of infrastructure — the jail expansion or a water and sewer project,” Ensley said. “Our county manager has asked the department heads for a list of priorities, but we haven’t reviewed any of that yet.”

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ARP IN WNC

When asked if the county might consider spending any of it on increasing pay for employees like other counties have done, Ensley said he was hesitant to take on a recurring cost using one-time funding because the county would have to find new revenue to continue paying higher personnel costs in a few years when the federal funding dries up. Ensley said the Southwestern Commission was partnering with Land of Sky Regional Council and Dogwood Health Trust to host a free workshop for members on Dec. 8. The workshop will further educate local government leaders on the American Rescue Plan Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and how they can use the funds based on the current guidelines and how they can maximize opportunities from these funding sources. Speakers will include experts from UNC School of Government, N.C. Pandemic Recovery Office, N.C. Association of County

The Town of Waynesville will likely prioritize some of its American Rescue Plan funding toward major renovations needed at the water and sewer plant. Commissioners, and N.C. League of Municipalities as well as a panel of local government experts who have spent ARP funds successfully. Maggie Valley will receive a total of $394,228 in ARP funding. The town has not yet allocated the money as it awaits the release of final rules on how the money can be used before making any decisions. Town Manager Nathan Clark said that with the limited funds available to the small

town, it will be beneficial to wait and see what the final rules are for how money from the ARP can be used before making any allocations. The town board will discuss how best to use the money at a series of retreats at the end of January, at which time they will also receive any public input. Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites said the Board of Aldermen allocated its first payment of ARP funds in the 2021-22 budget and

won’t allocate the remainder of its $3 million until next year’s fiscal budget. The second payment should be rolling in by next July. “We spent a good amount of it on new police vehicles and we’ve set aside some for improvements to our water and sewer system,” he said. “We have a considerable amount of inflow issues from broken pipes that date back to the second World War.” The town has borrowed $19 million to renovate its aging water and sewer plant — something the state is requiring to without providing any additional funding make such a large project possible. “So we’ve got an unfunded mandate,” Hites said. He said the town will be looking for additional funding sources to put toward the project, including looking into the ability to receive some of the state’s ARP allocation. “In the far west, we sometimes think the state sometimes forgets us, but personally I’d like to get a proportion of the money the federal government has sent to the state to help with water and sewer projects through the new infrastructural bill just enacted,” he said. The town chose to fund raises for employees through the general fund since it’s a reccurring expense. Canton received $1.27 million in ARP funding. The town maintains that it will use most of the funding to buy a fire truck, though an official decision has not yet been made. “We are still waiting on the final treasury guidance to make determinations on the ARPA money, but would like to use it for first responder equipment and infrastructure, pending approval as a reimbursable expenditures,” said Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer. Staff writer Hannah McLeod contributed to this report.

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project that will run fiberoptic cable to nearly all of the Qualla Boundary by 2023. That cable will then provide internet to individual homes through direct connections, wireless connections, or a radio spectrum that the U.S. government recently released for civilian use with an eye to increase broadband availability. “We’re going to have more options than ever before to connect people in these rural areas to some type of high-speed internet connection,” said Blankenship. Another $16.5 million will go toward direct financial assistance to tribal members impacted by the pandemic. That includes $13.5 million for $1,200 individual payments for adult members, $2.8 million for $600 direct payments to minor members and $3 million for an energy assistance program that will provide 6,000 households with $500 apiece, regardless of whether they reside on the Qualla Boundary or not. The application process to receive the funding is “straightforward and simple,” Blankenship said, and the tribe did not deny any member who applied. The tribe also plans to spend $32 million on a slew of initiatives under the heading “building stronger neighborhoods and communities.” This includes $10 million for water and sewer infrastructure; $9 million to further the tribe’s goal of putting a recreation center in every community; $3 million apiece for language revitalization efforts as well as infrastructure and site preparation for 50 home sites; $2.5 million apiece to pave 100 home driveways and to expand HELP program services; and $2 million for solar energy at 400 homes. Finally, the plan includes $5 million to help Cherokee Central Schools address education disparities and $8 million for small business assistance programs, including $3 million for the tribe’s cultural partners and $2.5 million apiece for ecotourism projects and local business assistance programs. “ARP is really focused on long-term investment,” said Blankenship. “What improvements can we make in our community over the long-term that makes us stronger and more resilient?”

December 8-14, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER long-term care center, massive expansion to broadband access and direct payments to tribal members are some of the many uses the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians plans for the $117 million it will receive directly from the American Rescue Plan — with even more money likely to come from ARP-funded grants other agencies are in the process of awarding. “After all these agencies are done with their competitive processes, that number could substantially increase,” said EBCI Secretary of Treasury Cory Blankenship. Spending guidelines for tribes are similar to those that govern cities and counties, but with more flexibility, especially when it comes to addressing access to housing, health care and broadband internet. The tribe “really wanted to make a long-term investment in those areas,” Blankenship said. To develop its plan, the tribe engaged a consultant to review the guidelines and then met with elected leaders to get their input on spending priorities. From there, tribal leadership developed internal policies on funding use and finalized its plan. While $117 million dwarfs the typical annual budget for surrounding counties, it represents just 18.5% of the $633 million budget the tribe adopted for the current fiscal year. And while only $10.5 million of the sum will be used to make up for lost revenue, Blankenship said that the tribe could have justified using the entire $117 million that way. Overall, he said, the ARP funding brings the tribe about level with where it would have been financially had the pandemic not occurred. The single largest line item in the ARP spending plan is $25 million toward the construction of a new long-term care facility to replace the aged Tsali Care Center. Tribal Council approved the $105 million project in August, and at the time didn’t know that ARP funds would be available to help. The $25 million will nearly cover the estimated $27 million needed for site work. The facility is expected to open in early 2025. The plan also includes $20 million for broadband expansion, a game-changing

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Domestic violence shelter planned for Jackson BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER oo often at the Center for Domestic Peace in Jackson County, a staff member picks up the phone to encounter a client who is trapped in an abusive relationship and ready to seek emergency housing. But then they learn the closest domestic violence shelter is in Franklin, and they back out. “That’s a gigantic barrier,” said Executive Director Wesley Myers. “We have records of clients who have called us and said, ‘If I have to drive to Macon County, I will stay in this abusive situation.’” Thanks to grant funds from the Dogwood Health Trust and federal American Rescue Plan, that won’t be the case for much longer. Jackson County plans to spend about a quarter of its $8.5 million ARP award on planning and construction for a new domestic violence shelter, on a 2.27-acre parcel owned by Mountain Projects just off N.C. 107 south of downtown Sylva. ARP funds and a recently announced grant award from Dogwood will each pay $2.05 million for facility construction and $62,500 for planning, a total price tag of $4.22 million. The CDP is planning a two-story, 7,000square-foot facility with eight bedrooms capable of housing two people apiece, for a total capacity of 16. The shelter will also feature shared kitchen and living space, plus room to offer programs and other services. “Having that residential space would really be an incredible asset,” said Myers. “We have to turn away a lot of clients

Planning starts for homeless shelter Planning for a permanent homeless shelter in Jackson County will start in the new year, after HERE in Jackson County received $125,000 for that purpose. HERE, which has been overseeing homeless services since 2019, currently shelters its clients in hotel rooms, but for years the community has discussed the need for a permanent shelter. HERE has identified a location, a 17,237-square-foot building for lease near Harris Regional Hospital owned by the Evergreen Foundation but needs money to plan how best to use the building and, later, to renovate it according to those needs. The nonprofit will receive $62,500 apiece from Dogwood Health Trust and Jackson County’s American Rescue Plan funds to start the planning process. Most of the money will

long off, the CDP is already in fundraising mode to ensure sustainability once it comes online. Myers estimates it will cost between $100,000 and $150,000 to operate the shelter each year, including staffing, heating and cooling, and other operational expenses. “We will have our shelter staffed 24/7,” he said. “There are different models that don’t require 24/7 staffing, but we don’t intend to subscribe to that.” The conversation comes during a season of all-time high demand for domestic violence services in Jackson County, which has

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December 8-14, 2021

because we simply don’t have that space right now to put folks in a safe, secure area. We think it’s going to close to double the individuals that we’re going to be able to help every year.” Currently, the CDP works with 250 to 300 clients per year, referring those who require emergency shelter to organizations outside Jackson County. Myers said the CDP does not record how many Jackson County residents take advantage of those out-ofcounty services but that he’s assured Jackson County the shelter will house at least 50 to 60 people per year. “But we expect that to be far, far higher,” he said. At an emergency shelter, length of stay is typically capped at 60 to 90 days, with longer stays possible if extenuating circumstances are at play — but the average stay is 60 days, with most people out in 30 to 45 days, Myers said. Typically, about 25% of a domestic violence organization’s clients are residential, while the remaining three-quarters have their own housing. Jackson County issued requests for qualifications from architecture firms to design the project last month. The county plans to review the submissions this month and make a decision in January. Myers hopes to have the shelter open by the end of 2023 but said that might be an optimistic goal. The project could take up to four years to complete, depending on the availability of professional services, labor and materials. While the shelter’s opening date is still

The Center for Domestic Peace has offices located at 26 Ridgeway Street in Sylva. Contact its 24-hour safeline at 828.586.1237. Holly Kays photo

go toward architect fees, but it will also fund homeless services consulting, said HERE Executive Director Bob Cochran. “A big question is how do we divide up the square footage of that building to accommodate a homeless shelter with multiple purposes,” he said. There will need to be private rooms for families and individuals, as well as congregate space for freezing nights and office space. It’s a large building, so Mountain Projects will likely move its offices there as well, Cochran said. The second issue is staffing. In the current hotel model, issues like security and overnight staffing are provided automatically. With a permanent shelter, HERE will have to plan and fund those needs itself. For now, Cochran expects to engage an architect in January and finish the planning aspect this spring. From there, the timeline is uncertain and largely dependent on the success of HERE’s fundraising efforts.

not had its own shelter since 2012, when a perfect storm of financial struggles forced REACH of Jackson County to cease operation. The CDP formed the following year under REACH of Macon County, which took over services for Jackson County. The CDP slowly began to grow its capacity, securing a building in 2015 and in 2020 achieving independence from REACH. As awareness of the CDP’s existence grew, so did the number of people seeking its services. Then the pandemic hit, and with it a global spike in domestic violence issues. Despite a widespread return to normal life, that spike has not fallen off in Jackson County. Myers said the CDP’s new client count has been higher with each successive month. Some of that could be an artifact of a backlogged court system. Jackson County still has cases pending that were filed in 2020 but have not yet been addressed, so those clients are still on CDP’s roster. There’s also the fact that the CDP is still relatively new — many of the services it now provides didn’t start until last July. But with more than a year gone since then, the boost in services is no longer novel enough to explain the continued accumulation of new cases. Myers thinks eased pandemic restrictions have spurred increased reporting of existing issues, issues that were perhaps exacerbated during lockdown. “Now people are able to actually come forward about their experiences during lockdown,” he said. “They’re starting to go back to work, and that can cause strife, or the kids are starting to come home from school. Different things can trigger domestic violence, and different things can trigger reporting of domestic violence.” Those high numbers make the shelter even more of a necessity, and Myers is excited to see it become a reality. “This shelter is so incredibly important, and we’re so thankful that we’ve been able to requisition this money and get our ducks in a row to have it,” he said.

SCC to hold traditional graduation ceremony

The auditorium is in the Balsam Center on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. Masks will be required for all attendees, and each event will be small enough to allow everyone to socially distance themselves as much as necessary in order to feel comfortable and safe. “Our drive-through commencement ceremonies were all tremendous successes, and we received a lot of very positive feedback from participants and their families,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President. “And yet, there is something refreshing about going back to the traditional ceremonies where we can all gather in one large room and celebrate with our graduates in a safe environment. We are all looking forward to it.”

After enduring a series of unexpected, pandemic-related challenges, the latest group of Southwestern Community College graduates will celebrate their accomplishments with family and friends during the college’s first traditional, indoor commencement ceremonies in two years. SCC’s fall graduation will be spread out over two events on Dec. 10: Career Technologies graduates will walk across the Myers Auditorium stage at 5:30 p.m. followed by a ceremony for the Health Sciences and Arts & Sciences grads at 7 p.m.

grounds and RV parks. “I realize that campgrounds can be an eyesore, but we’re also in the tourism department, we’re known for outdoors, hiking trails and all the things that people come here to do and campgrounds kinda fall into that category too. So what kind of message are we sending to the RV world and all those places?” she said. Allen Alsbrook, a hotel owner in Maggie Valley, tried to broaden the discussion to include “other things that clutter up the valley.” According to him one big problem is RV storage. The board did not decide to include RV storage or other clutter problems in their upcoming discussion. The call for public hearing and direction for staff to draft a text amendment will be added to the agenda for the Dec. 14 board of aldermen meeting. If the motion passes at that meeting, the public hearing will take place at the board’s January meeting. “This is also a great opportunity to really get to hear what people think about campgrounds, because you’re calling for the public hearing,” said Clark.

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public hearing and direct staff to draft a text amendment. It only takes two consenting board members to have an item added to an upcoming agenda, so the request will be on the agenda for the December meeting of the Board of Aldermen of Maggie Valley despite protestation from Alderman Phillip Wight. “That blanket policy could hurt people in certain situations,” said Wight. Alderwoman Tammy Wight also expressed her concerns with banning camp-

December 8-14, 2021

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER aggie Valley will discuss restricting all campgrounds and RV parks after newly-elected Alderman Jim Owens recommended the move during his first board of aldermen meeting. At the Dec. 7 agenda setting meeting, Owens spoke of the strong public input during the November elections that saw Owens and John Hinton elected to the board. “About a month ago we had an election that drew the largest voter turnout in history and the voters were both vocal and very engaged,” said Owens. “And during the campaign, the most passionate and consistent appeal was ‘please no more campgrounds in Maggie Valley.’ We heard that loud and clear from so many of the people that were out voting during the campaign, we talked to dozens and dozens of people.” He called to remove campgrounds from what is permissible under C1 and C2 zoning, the only zoning options under which campgrounds are permitted. Additionally, he asked that RV parks and campgrounds not be allowed under Planned Unit Developments in C1 and C2 zoning. The Town of Maggie Valley currently has no Unified Development Ordinance but is working on one and plans to have it completed in the next year. Regardless of what, if any, decision is made about campgrounds and RV parks right now, the issue will be taken up again in the creation of the UDO. “At that point in time, when we look at the new master plan, we may be able to designate areas where they fit. But the constant input we got was no more campgrounds please, along the corridor [of Soco Road],” said Owens. Town Manager Nathan Clark told the board that this is not something that could be taken care of this month, due to laws requiring advertisement of public hearings. However, the board could add to the agenda for the December meeting a call for a

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Maggie Valley will discuss restricting campgrounds, RV parks

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Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards joins race for NC-14 BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR fter much speculation, three-term Henderson County incumbent Sen. Chuck Edwards made his 14th Congressional District candidacy official with an announcement at the old Hendersonville courthouse on Nov. 30. “I grew up right here in these moun-

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tains, carrying a squirrel gun. I went to work at the age of 16 and learned how to be a public servant behind the counter of a restaurant. I learned how to be a businessman behind the front counter of a restaurant. I played high school football just a few miles in this direction,” Edwards said. “Well, honestly, I sat on the bench while other folks played.”

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Election season in North Carolina got off to a predictably unpredictable start on Dec. 6 when an appellate court issued a temporary stay 30 minutes before candidate filing for the 2022 elections was set to begin. The order was entered in the matter of the League of Conservation Voters v. Rep. Destin Hall et al by a three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and enjoined the state from opening the filing period for candidates seeking congressional and General Assembly seats. Hours later, the full 15-member court vacated the order, allowing filing for those offices to proceed. The back-and-forth over the filing periods is related to lawsuits over whether North Carolina’s new electoral maps are constitutional. Maps have been overturned by North Carolina courts in the past. While that’s still a possibility this year,

Jokes aside, Edwards said he wouldn’t sit on the bench in Washington as he railed against the current Democratic administration. “I see that Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have lost their way,” he said. “Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. Businesses are limiting their capacities because they can’t find employees. There is so much work that needs to be done in Washington and I’m going to ask you to send me there and let me do the same things in Washington for you and the people of this district that I’ve been able to do in Raleigh so far.” Edwards had been highly critical of freshman incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn (RHenderson), especially in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, and for more than a year was rumored to be contemplating a primary challenge against Cawthorn. That all changed after North Carolina’s new congressional maps were approved last month; the state gained a new seat and Cawthorn opted to run there, instead of the district in which both he and Edwards live.

such a move would complicate North Carolina’s political landscape immensely, especially if the March 8, 2022, Primary Election were to be postponed or rescheduled. Then, there’s the intricate series of candidate announcements that were made in the wake of Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s decision to run in the newly-drawn 13th Congressional District instead of the 14th, which was previously called the 11th and most closely resembles the district that elected Cawthorn in 2020. Cawthorn’s move left NC-14 open, and precipitated the candidacies of Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) as well as former NCGOP District Chair Michele Woodhouse. Were the maps to be struck down, attention would again fall on Cawthorn, as the political calculus of his decision affected races from Congress on down to state House and Senate. Unless further delays or modifications come from courts, the candidate filing period is slated to close on Dec. 17, so more candidates could still join congressional and legislative races based on maps that may end up being modified. Up-to-date filing information is available at the state board of elections website, ncsbe.gov.

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Students visit Hazel Creek Eighth-grade students from Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City went on a five-day and four-night backpacking up Hazel Creek. Students learned about the lumber industry in the Appalachia Mountains and the development of the Fontana Dam. In addition to the curriculum, students learned outdoor skills, such as tarp construction, cooking on stoves and using natural resources. Beginning their adventure at the edge of Fontana Lake, they paddled across Lake Fontana starting at the Cable Cove boat ramp. After two hours, they arrived at Hazel Creek, grabbed their backpacks and started up the trail to Bone Valley. They learned about the early 1830s when settlers Moses and Patience Proctor relocated from their ranch in northern Tennessee to the area of Hazel Creek. Students learned about the techniques they may have used to harvest lumber; splash dams and workers called river hogs. Then they hiked up to the old copper mine to see the openings of several copper chutes they used during the mining operation. The final subject was World War II and its effects on the Fontana region. Students learned how and why the dam was built and the impact on the families that lived in the backcountry.

Spring registration open at HCC Haywood Community College spring semester registration for new and continuing students is now open. HCC plans to offer in-person, hybrid and online options for student flexibility. Through a series of funding sources, HCC can help students attend classes at little or no cost. HCC offers career planning assistance with career coaches to help you start your journey. Resources are in place to make success a priority. HCC’s Learning Support Services also offers a wide range of assistance, from tutoring and grammar evaluation to learning strategies. Online programs include Associate in Arts, Accounting and Finance, Business Administration, Criminal Justice Technology, Early Childhood Education, Information Technology and Medical Office Administration. Visit haywood.edu or contact us at hcc-advising@haywood.edu or 828.627.2821.

Supply chain could impact school meals During the pandemic, Macon County Schools has worked hard to continue to serve healthy meals to fuel students for success. While meal service has largely gone uninterrupted this year, school nutrition programs nationwide are experiencing many of the same supply chain and staffing issues that have impacted restaurants and grocery stores throughout the pandemic. Macon’s school nutrition team is com-

mitted to ensuring students continue to have access to healthy meals each school day. “While our commitment remains strong, we may have to make some last-minute changes to our regular menus and style of service, based upon product availability and staffing levels,” said School Nutrition Director David Lightner. “There may also be times that we do not have as many menu choices as we typically offer our students, but we will continue to make sure all students are nourished and ready to learn. Our school nutrition department appreciates your patience and understanding as we continue to sort through these supply chain and staffing issues.”

WNC schools receive grants The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina recently awarded grants totaling $2,395 to Swain County Schools and $3,130 to Jackson County Schools from the Learning Links grant program. The grants provide local teachers with funding for activities designed to make required coursework engaging and relevant for their students. Three Learning Links grants will support projects at Mountain Discovery Charter School, Swain County High School and Swain County Middle School as well as Jackson Community School and Smokey Mountain Elementary School. The grants for Jackson County will fund field trips, drumming circles and historical Cherokee art lessons and materials. The grants for Swain will purchase materials

for a fifth-grade project that integrates art and science and an art project for sixth-grade students as well as fund an instructor to teach a drumming course for students with disabilities. Learning Links offers grants up to $800 per classroom to public school teachers in Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford and Swain counties to provide experiential learning projects for students. The grants are made possible by the Ben W. and Dixie Glenn Farthing Charitable Fund, Cherokee County Schools Endowment Fund, Leon C. and Grace E. Luther Charitable Fund and Fund for Education of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This year, 61 grants were awarded totaling $87,715. For more information, contact The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina at 828.254.4960 or visit cfwnc.org.

New student rep joins SCC Board Heber Najera, who’s in his first year of the Physical Therapist Assistant program, has been named the student representative to Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees. Originally from Los Angeles, Calif., Najera was 4 years old when his family moved to North Carolina. He graduated from Polk County High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Appalachian State University. He worked as a teacher’s assistant for a year and decided he was better suited for a career in the field of physical therapy — so he enrolled in

Southwestern’s PTA program. “When I was first asked to be on the board here, I felt like there are probably other students here who would be more qualified for something like this,” Najera said. “But it is an honor to be selected, and I enjoy participating in the meetings and seeing what happens behind the scenes when major decisions are made. Everyone on the board has made me feel very welcome.” For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.

SCC student awarded nursing scholarship In early September, a new recipient was announced for the Judy Moore Memorial Scholarship Endowment. Southwestern Community College Nursing student Corrie Kinsland of Otto received the scholarship worth a total of $1,500. Awards are issued for tuition, books, and any other related educational expenses for those enrolled in the Nursing programs. The scholarship was created in 1997 in memory of Judy Moore, RN. Moore was a nurse who practiced in Public Health in Macon County. The initial award was issued in 1998, and since then 40 candidates and 45 awards have been given, creating a total of $46,400 in financial aid. After graduating at SCC, Kinsland intends to enroll in the RN to BSN program at Western Carolina University.

SCC to hold traditional graduation ceremony After enduring a series of unexpected, pandemic-related challenges, the latest group of Southwestern Community College graduates will celebrate their accomplishments with family and friends during the college’s first traditional, indoor commencement ceremonies in two years. SCC’s fall graduation will be spread out over two events Dec. 10: Career Technologies graduates will walk across the Myers Auditorium stage at 5:30 p.m. followed by a ceremony for the Health Sciences and Arts & Sciences grads at 7 p.m. The auditorium is in the Balsam Center on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. Masks will be required for all attendees, and each event will be small enough to allow everyone to socially distance themselves as much as necessary in order to feel comfortable and safe. “Our drive-through commencement ceremonies were all tremendous successes, and we received a lot of very positive feedback from participants and their families,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President. “And yet, there is something refreshing about going back to the traditional ceremonies where we can all gather in one large room and celebrate with our graduates in a safe environment. We are all looking forward to it.” For instructions about the ceremonies, graduates can visit southwesterncc.edu/registrar/commencement-instructions.

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Here it comes; we better be ready e are at one of those tipping points in the mountain region, a time when locals, recent transplants, parttime residents and those looking to move here are all looking around and trying to comprehend the seemingly rapid growth, the escalating prices, and how this is going to affect their own lives and this place we call home. We wrote a story last week about Wall Street Books, which has been a Waynesville mainstay for 28 years. The building it calls home has recently been sold, and so the bookstore owners have been told they need to pack up their 50,000 books and find a new home over the next few months. To call that news unsettling for the bookstore owners is an understatement, but it’s the same feeling many who live and work around Western North Carolina are feeling. And it’s not just rents that are going up. The paragraph at the beginning of this column is from the multiple listing service used by all real estate professionals in Haywood County. Average home prices have risen more than 21 percent in just a single year. That kind of increase prices more and more people out of a market that two years ago was already in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. In Waynesville alone, there are plans for about 800 new

Don’t let ‘conservatives’ destroy our ideals To the Editor: This is in regards to Sen. Thom Tillis email of 3:10 a.m. Saturday morning, Dec 4, “Preventing $450,000 payments to illegal immigrants.” The former “president” did untold damage to America with his tax cuts and his pandemic response, as well as his actions at our borders. Those who thinks it’s OK to separate parents from their children as was done by his regime, have even less heart than him. I am a constituent, 73, a USAF Vietnam veteran, seven years in the service. The email, and the proposed legislation, is the most perfect example of fake news, perfected by the disgraced, dishonorable, disgusting 45th “president” who continues to lie and divide us, thanks to the likes of Sen. Tillis. The former “president” and all the other planners/leaders of the January 6 attack on Washington, D.C., should be behind bars. That he remains free to lie, divide and incite, is totally the result of senators who, fearful of his rabble-rousing, failed in their duty to the Constitution and their oath of office. Republican “conservatives” have absolutely no problem descending to the depths of divisive anti-American rhetoric in order to fire up their racist, extremist, radical white supremacist base. It worked for 45, right? It worked once. People of good will had no idea how many confederate-minded traitors to the ideals of

single-family homes, townhouses, condos and apartments to be built over the next couple of years. That doesn’t account for the custom building one sees as they drive around town. It also doesn’t include all the building occurring throughout the rest of Haywood County and the entire region. Every county in this newspaper’s distribution area — Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Buncombe — had record tourism numbers in 2020, a trend that has continued in 2021. As the pandemic turned people away from large cities, WNC became a Editor wonderful alternative. As we who call this place home know all too well, often those vacations to these mountains turn into a love affair and a desire to eventually move here. For those of us already here, it’s obvious why folks are coming: if you want to escape the storm-ravaged coastal areas, the infernos burning out West or the drought-stricken stretches of the Great Plains, well, Western North Carolina and its four distinct seasons, mountains, and relatively mild weather looks like a pretty damn good alternative. All this activity is pumping a lot of money into the economy, that’s for sure. But it’s also leading many to worry that the very reason they love mountain communities like Waynesville — its charm, small-town feel, unique personality

Scott McLeod

“Both the median sales price ($325,000) and the average sales price ($379,003) rose 26.5 percent and 20.3 percent year-over-year respectively [in Haywood County], while the average list price rose 21.4 percent compared to last year, to $429,042.”

LETTERS our founders existed in today’s America. They must not prevail, despite all of their efforts to bias our voting processes in every way that might seem possible by people who have no regard for our country and its forward progress. William Aylor Bryson City

— will be lost in the frenzy of development. I just don’t think that’s going to happen. Waynesville has strong development ordinances to guide the coming growth. Developers of all the homes and apartments must follow these rules, and town staff is doing its part to make sure this happens. Way back in 2007, when that real estate boom was happening, we heard many of the same sentiments. Towns and counties throughout the region, for the most part, bit the bullet and established strong guidelines. Here’s a quote from a column I wrote in August of that year: “Last week Jackson County commissioners passed what is being called the strongest set of development regulations in North Carolina. They’ve set a standard for other counties to follow, and we think they’ve accomplished this in a manner that won’t hurt the home-building industry that has become so important to Western North Carolina.” We need housing in the region west of Asheville. The rental market has always been tight and places hard to find. None of this new development directly addresses the affordable housing crisis, but that’s an important issue our communities can’t ignore forever. The reality is we can’t pull up the ladder or lock the gate and keep people from coming to the mountains. No, the best we can hope for is an engaged citizenry, thoughtful elected leaders and rules and regulations that encourage smart growth that avoids sprawl and all the problems associated with it. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Mexico, Myanmar and Peru,” to name a few. It should come as no surprise that the destruction of our democracy will have a deleterious domino effect throughout the free world. Talk about giving “aid and comfort to the enemy,” we’ve done this to ourselves, no help needed from foreign adversarial powers, the leaders of which are dancing in the streets while we suffer, struggle and bleed democracy

American democracy is backsliding To the Editor: By now most Americans (and people around the globe) will have learned that the United States (for the very first time) has been added to the list of “backsliding democracies” by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. America has fallen victim to “authoritarian tendencies,” the Institute stated in its Global State of Democracy 2021 report. We have been “knocked down a significant number of steps on the democratic scale,” a direct result of former President Donald Trump’s baseless allegations of fraud in the 2020 elections and his efforts to pressure state election officials into changing vote totals and, lest we forget, the January 6th insurrection that evidence clearly shows, Donald Trump provoked and inflamed. The report added there were “spillover effects” around the world, an “anti-democratic model followed by political actors in Brazil,

with every passing day. It is imperative, absolutely essential, that our leaders immediately acknowledge and respond to the most direct and dangerous threat to our republic since WWII. If they don’t, the loss of our independence, our sovereignty and our democracy, beyond a shadow of a doubt, will trigger worldwide repercussions and consequences. Make no mistake, Americans can no

longer trust or take anything for granted. Donald Trump (endorsed and aided by the Republican leadership and Party majority) has rendered a previously functional democratic government - impotent. Approximately two and a half centuries after declaring our independence we have finally witnessed an American citizen proving himself (thus far at least) immune to and above the law. Law and order (as we conceived it) is essentially an illusion; “checks and balances,” a figment of our collective imaginations; “representative government;” a pipe dream; and our Constitution, simply meaningless dialogue from a bygone era. If we, the American people, cannot convince our leaders to honor and respect their oath, to put our nation’s well-being and prosperity above party politics and their own self-interest and do the jobs they were elected to do, right now this very day, then we aren’t going to have much of a country left worth defending and the American experiment, that countless numbers of men and women have sacrificed so much blood and treasure for, will be lost forever. David L. Snell Franklin

GOP leaders espouse radical views on education

Rob Schofield

REPAIR WELDING &

FABRICATING AND

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

Smoky Mountain News

— including, last week, a pair of appellate court judges — say that no court can order the legislature to actually fix the problem. In effect, they argue, 25-plus years of trials, expert witness testimony, findings, rulings, appeals and remedy planning were all just a meaningless exercise in pushing paper. When it gets right down to it, the power to decide whether to make our K-12 schools constitutional remains right where it’s always been — at the whim of state legislative leaders who are the chief authors of the current failed system. And just in case anyone had any doubts about the complete power they claim to wield (or had any inkling to question it), GOP lawmakers are firing some unmistakable warning shots designed to intimidate naysayers. In concert with right-wing allies, lawmakers have sent the clear and appalling message in recent days (see item #8 of the recently adopted adjournment resolution) that they are considering the extraordinary step of impeaching Superior Court Judge David Lee — the visionary and courageous jurist who has been seeking to enforce the Leandro ruling and make it real. The apparent grounds: They don’t like the idea of him telling them what to do. It’s difficult to convey what a radical stance this represents. Indeed, the parallels to the infamous “Impeach Earl Warren” mantra voiced by mid-20th segregationists opposed to the Brown v. Board school integration case are unavoidable. All that said, state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger has taken things a step further. Not only did he deny the power of courts to remedy the state’s unconstitutional education system, but last week he also blamed the situation in the state’s schools on the plaintiffs in the case — that is, low wealth counties and the kids unlucky enough to attend school therein. No, that is not a misprint. In response to the court ruling authored by the GOP judges, Berger said: “Rather than accepting responsibility for lagging achievement and outright failure, the Leandro parties insist that the pathway to student improvement is always the simple application of more money.” Talk about taking victim blaming to a new level. The bottom line: If the position staked out by Berger and his pals somehow triumphs, it will set a potentially disastrous precedent that will almost certainly harm millions of schoolchildren and, quite conceivably, serve to undermine many other basic individual rights. The state Supreme Court should stand up for all North Carolinians and definitively reject this absurd and extreme stance as quickly as possible. (Rob Schofield, Director of NC Policy Watch, has three decades of experience as a lawyer, lobbyist, writer and commentator. rob@ncpolicywatch.com.)

EQUIPMENT AND TRUCK

December 8-14, 2021

t’s a bedrock principle of American law that average people can vindicate their legal and constitutional rights in courts of law and have those courts compel or prevent acts of other branches of government. From preventing the taking of private property without compensation, to ordering necessary services for, say, people living with disabilities, or even an incarcerated person, such action can take several forms. Without such a Guest Columnist rule, many basic rights would be rendered as meaningless as they are in countries like Putin’s Russia and Xi’s China. Although there are literally thousands of examples from American jurisprudential history that illustrate this basic premise, a classic example is the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright. In that case, the Court ruled that an indigent criminal defendant has the fundamental right to have the assistance of counsel in order to have a fair trial, and that it is the state’s obligation to provide such counsel for free. Or take the 1982 case of Plyler v. Doe, in which the court established the basic rule that states must provide free public education to all children – including those who are undocumented. And then, as noted above, there are the scores of cases — some of them in North Carolina — in which courts have ordered governments to provide humane and adequate conditions in prisons, jails and institutions that house people living with mental illness, substance abuse problems or developmental disabilities. It’s true that the oversight process for enforcing such judgments frequently gets messy and contentious. But the basic premise — that courts have the fundamental power to compel government action (even when it requires the expenditure of public resources) — remains (and should remain) unassailable. Without such a basic rule, states would be free to house prisoners in outdoor pens like farm animals, lock patients suffering from mental illness into windowless dungeons, or cram schoolchildren, 70-per classroom, into tiny, unheated and overcrowded trailers that fail to meet fire or electrical codes. What’s more, the people forced to endure such torturous conditions would be out of luck and without a possible remedy. Amazingly, however, this is the precise position that state Republican politicians say should prevail with respect to North Carolina’s landmark Leandro school funding case. Despite multiple judicial determinations that the state’s K-12 schools are unconstitutionally deficient, the Republican politicians

HEAVY

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

LAST OF THE BETTER DAYS AHEAD

recent past. And all of that stuff kind of goes into the book to help move forward with mental health. Right now, most of what I do with my anxiety and depression is dialectical behavioral therapy, which is a practice. You have to practice it every day in order to get it right. Like with everything, it’s a process every day. So, everything kind of goes into the book and fuels the fire, so to speak. It’s going to be with me forever. I’m not naïve about that. I understand what’s happening. I’m always going to kind of have it with me, it’s just learning how to live with it — gaining balance and get in phase.

Charlie Parr. (photo: Shelly Mosman)

SMN: It’s the idea that to appreciate happiness, you have to embrace sadness, and be consciously aware that being sad is to be human. But, the difference is knowing how and when to pull yourself out of it. CP: That’s exactly right. It’s easier said than done on some days. And some days, you feel like you get it, you know? I mean, you can’t predict all the weird things that are going to come up and kind of get in your way and interrupt the process. But, then again, it’s also hard to predict when those things are going to come up, which is why it’s instrumental in getting ahead [of those interruptions].

A conversation with Charlie Parr BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR To be blunt? Charlie Parr is one of the finest singer-songwriters today. Based out of Duluth, Minnesota, Parr is true poet/musician, one who embraces the ebb and flow, the changing landscape of his surroundings, whether it be geographical, seasonal, political or social. Parr’s attentive and observant, usually wandering and pondering, this human weathervane atop some universal backwoods barn. He’s constantly shifting and moving to the winds of change with his unique, signature tone described as “North Country gothic,” something deeply felt on his latest release, “Last of the Better Days Ahead.” And yet, Parr’s an old soul and kindred spirit. He’s a salt of the earth entity, one who gazes as much into the rearview mirror of the past as he does through the windshield onto the unknowns of what tomorrow may bring, for good or ill. In recent years, Parr had aimed to more

present, subscribing to the idea of “the now” and what wonders that can do for a restless and busy mind. Through it all, Parr keeps his head up, come hell or high water. He’s a selfproclaimed work-in-progress in the face of a modern world that sometimes seems too scary and daunting to greet each morning. It’s all of the traits and characteristics listed above that make Parr so relatable to die-hard longtime fans or the curious onlooker who just happened to stumble into a small club and bear witness to one of the most captivating voices and stage acts in the current live music scene. Simply put, Parr is as real and alive as his audience, this sacred bond forged in the ancient ways and means of what it means to be a songwriter and voice-of-reason amid confusing, uncertain times. Smoky Mountain News: What is it about the landscape of Minnesota that inspires your words and music so much? Charlie Parr: Duluth is a really unique place. Geographically, it’s actually built in an area that was probably underwater when Lake Superior was first formed. So, it’s a steep hillside that leads down to the lake. When you’re in Duluth, when you get up in the morning, one direction out of the four is

Want to go? Beloved singer-songwriter Charlie Parr will perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, at The Grey Eagle in Asheville. Dead Horses will open the show. The concert is all ages and seated. Tickets start at $15, with premium seating available for $22. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to thegreyeagle.com and click on the “Calendar” tab. nothing but nothing. Sometimes the lake and the horizon look the exact same, especially in the fall when they turn the same color. It’s a weird feeling. It gives you this expansive, living on the edge of eternity kind of feeling. SMN: You’ve spoken at-length about finding balance with your mental health. And that was a big thing during the shutdown, everyone trying to find balance within themselves and check in on others. I’m curious if the pandemic has either hampered or fueled your growth? CP: It definitely fueled my growth. But, everything kind of does, in a weird way. I’ve had some pretty massive setbacks in the pretty

SMN: So, how does that play into the title of the new album, “Last of the Better Days Ahead,” when you apply it to these last couple of years? CP: It comes out of conversations that I’ve been having. I’ve gotten to spend more time with my mother, too, which has been really good. She’s 93 and has Parkinson’s disease. But, her brain is actually fine, and I’m grateful for that. She’s got her memory and she cognitively doing well. Ever since I was young, she’s always encouraged me to be kind of aware of the moment I’m in than living in the future or living in the past. She’s a big advocate for trying to stay present in the moment. She and my dad weren’t philosophers or anything. They were meat packers. They worked in a plant all their lives and did labor work. But, they were both these [sort] of wise people that would throw these little bits of wisdom at you every once in a while. And that’s one she’s come back to again and again — be here in the present moment. It’s that idea that, you know, “you’re going to get there tomorrow” and “free beer tomorrow,” and that it’s a lie. So, my idea about the “Last of the Better Days Ahead” is to try to put aside this idea that there are better days coming and to concentrate on the day that I have. It’s the idea that there’s going to be something about this day that I can be grateful for. Even if this is a bad day, there’s going to be something here that I can say, “Yeah, this is something I’m grateful for.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Doc’s Bar, Tybee Island. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

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HOT PICKS The inaugural “Bluegrass Boogie: A Haywood County Holiday Celebration” charity concert will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

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“Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10-11 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro

LA special stage production of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10-11, 17-18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

December 8-14, 2021

Popular rock/blues outfit Sanctum Sully will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, downstairs at The Gem taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

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Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11.

p.m. and I know damn well it will be hard to get a meal elsewhere if I don’t stop and order a cheeseburger and potato salad to go. Plop down at the bar counter. Place a food order. Order a Budweiser. Glance at the college basketball game on the TV above me. Make small talk with the locals — all smoking and drinking, all talking about how wild the now long-gone summer was. I can see my signature still there in black marker on the wall, with the years 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016 and (as of that night) 2021 on it. Back in 2007, when I was 22 and a senior in college in Connecticut, my two best

Smoky Mountain News

n t’s 11:16 a.m. Wednesday. Sitting in the l lobby of the Dunes Inn & Suites on Tybee - Island, Georgia, I can finally collect myself e and write this column, seeing as the Wi-Fi is t only good in the lobby and not the motel o room (#132) at the back of the property. e I awoke not knowing where I was for a g moment, which usually happens now and again when you’re on the road. You awaken into this unfamiliar space of seashell bedf sheets and cable TV blaring from the corner ” of the $57-a-night room. Half-drank bottle of ? beer on the nightstand. To-go containers e from that delicious burger and potato salad e on the table nearby. y The sun is out and streams into the room. . It’s definitely morning, but what hour is it? l The smell of cigarettes on your clothes and in - your hair. I don’t smoke, but everyone else did who I sat next to at the bars last night, - this seemingly last vestige of indoor smoking m in public places, especially in terms of late . night libations (last call is 3 a.m. ‘round n these parts). Currently, I’m en route to Florida to be r the stage emcee for a music festival. Quite y possibly the final melodic boogie of its size r on (at least) the Eastern Seaboard until e spring. Several high-profile acts. Thousands - of concertgoers. Grab the microphone and get the people excited for live music once d again, eh? s Whenever I’m within vicinity of Tybee t Island, I swing through. It’s not necessarily by ” necessity. More so, this magnetic urge to, perf haps, circle back to a place that resides in the e back of my mind, in the depths of my memod ry. Even so, it’s the holiday season. The air is cool. The beaches empty. Nobody really - around. But, I’m drawn by the forces of the . universe, whether known or unknown. e Cruising along U.S. 80 East into Tybee, I s see the sign to the right amid bright lights: The Quarter Bar & Grill. It’s already after 9

old times sake, for the pure love of the place. At that time, my native New York was already shutdown. My home in North Carolina closed a couple days prior. I ended up in Tybee with the rest of country and our new normal quickly closing in on me. Everything going dark and uncertain in the rearview mirror. Talk around Doc’s that night was about Georgia shutting down the following day. The vibe in the bar was, “Let’s live it up, who knows when we can do this again?” Truth, my brothers and sisters. By the time I rolled into Florida the next afternoon, St. Augustine had just mandated its shutdown and restrictions. So much has changed since that night at Doc’s. For me, for every soul on this planet. Each day is a new, unfamiliar landscape, at least for the time being. And yet, I remain optimistic. It was so damn ironic that Doc’s is closed right when I return for the first time since March 2020. Off-season and the impending winter means early hours. Just as I was about to walk back to the motel, I heard the ocean waves crashing onto the nearby beach. I wandered down to the shoreline and disappeared into the darkness, away from the streetlights. Looked up at the night sky and the luminous constellations. Surreal. Stupendous. So much gratitude for this existence in this universe, come hell or high water. Leave the beach, head into a nearby dive bar. The Wind Rose Café. Order a cold domestic ale. Sip with gusto. And I think of all you reading this (or not reading this) on an ocean side night of cold sands and hopeful hearts. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

buddies and I (Brett and Dan, whose names are also still on the wall) hit the road from New England to Tybee for spring break. We crashed my parents vacation home for a week — laying out on the beach all day, running around the bars all night. Chasing girls. Drinking beers. Taking shots. Sunburns and sunshine. Memories for a lifetime. Organized chaos. We were young adults and the world was our oyster. I remember first signing this wall some 14 years ago and wondering if or when I would ever return to post up another year underneath my name. Fourteen years later, here I am, here yet again. Since then: the endless miles traveled, numerous loves found and lost, trucks driven and junked, all the wondrous (and mysterious) people, places and things, the idea of nothing and everything (and anything inbetween). It’s all so damn overwhelming and incredibly beautiful at the same time. Pay the tab and check into the Dunes motel. Eat the burger and potato salad. Take a shower. Freshen up in an effort to, well, hit the town — in search of strong drink and hearty conversation. No sense in heading down that lost highway if you ain’t going to make any new friends or new experiences. Sheesh. What’s the point of not participating in life as it happens in real time? Walk a couple blocks to Doc’s Bar. Downtown Tybee. The exact last place I drank a cold beer and hungout with good folk before the nationwide shutdown in March 2020. I was working my way down to Florida to spend a week with my parents. Stopped in Tybee for

On the beat arts & entertainment

public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

Interested in learning the dulcimer? Natti Love Joys.

Reggae, soul at Lazy Hiker

Smoky Mountain News

December 8-14, 2021

The Natti Love Joys will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. The band will also perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin. A roots-rock-reggae band that has been playing live since 2003, the group consists of husband and wife duo Anthony “Jatti” Allen and Sonia “Marla” Allen (formerly Sonia Abel). Jatti was previously the bassist for the reggae group The Congos, while Marla originates from the cult all female reggae group Love Joys, where she recorded two albums under the legendary Wackies label run by Lloyd Barnes (Bullwackie). Both shows are free and open to the

The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva. The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s. Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of playing. The mountain dulcimer evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s. For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.

Ready for the Bluegrass Boogie? Ol’ Dirty Bathtub.

Folkmoot USA & Adamas Entertainment will present the inaugural “Bluegrass Boogie: A Haywood County Holiday Celebration” charity concert from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at the Sam Love Queen Auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center, located at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. There will be live onstage performances by The Darren Nicholson Band (country/bluegrass), Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) and Chris Minick (singer-songwriter). • Chris Minick (5 to 6 p.m.): A beloved Haywood County singer-songwriter, Minick specializes in original material, as well as several notable covers from a wide-range of popular acoustic influences. • Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (6:30 to 8 p.m.): With its debut album “Pack Mule” a few years ago, Jackson County Americana/bluegrass group Ol’ Dirty Bathtub has become a very popular live act around Western North Carolina and beyond in recent years. “We’ve always had energy when playing on someone’s porch, but on several occasions lately we have been able to replicate it live,” said ODB guitarist Jerad Davis. “And that’s what makes this fun — people dancing, rooms getting hot, creating an atmosphere that is as fun for those listening as it is for us onstage. That’s why we do it. And that fuels the passion, the creativity. It’s a double positive feedback loop.” For more information, click on facebook.com/oldirtybathtub. • The Darren Nicholson Band (8:30 to 10 p.m.): There’s a lot going on in Nicholson’s life these days. At 38, the Canton-based artist recently celebrated his 20th year as a professional touring musician, with the last 15 spent as the mandolinist in Balsam Range — arguably one of the most successful, award-winning bluegrass acts of the 21st century thus far. At a glance, Balsam Range has won the International Bluegrass Music Association award for “Entertainer of the Year” (2014,

2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), “Vocal Group of the Year” (2014, 2015) and “Song of the Year” (2011, 2015, 2021), among numerous other accolades. And yet, Nicholson has always been someone on the move. Aside from the whirlwind touring/recording schedule for Balsam Range, he recently released his fourth solo album, “Man On A Mission.” The Americana/country album is not only his debut for the storied Mountain Home Records (Arden), it’s also a life marker for Nicholson — a sincere, intricate soul in pursuit of the fruits of life, whether that be love or camaraderie, hard work or creative fulfillment. For more information, click on darrennicholson.net. Tickets will be $25 per person in advance online/$30 day-of-show. As well, tickets at the door day-of-show will be discounted from $30 to $25 if attendees/concertgoers bring in a nonperishable food item. The “Bluegrass Boogie” is not only a way to gather during the holiday season, but it will serve as a charitable event, too. Craft beer and wine will be sold onsite. All beverage proceeds and a portion of the ticket sales will go to Folkmoot USA in an effort to continue its vital year-round arts and culture programming onsite and throughout the community. For more information, click on folkmoot.org. Aside from the Women of Waynesville, who will be onsite to gather donations for its nonprofit organization, there will also be a collection of nonperishable food items for the local food pantry. For more information, click on womenofwaynesville.org. Support live music. Support the arts. Support local business. The more you do, the more we can do. Special thanks to The Smoky Mountain News for being a sponsor of this event. To purchase tickets, go to tinyurl.com/bluegrassboogie.

On the beat

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 16. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Sanctum Sully (rock/soul) Dec. 11. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) Dec. 11 and Russ Wilson & Hank Bones (swing/old-time) Dec. 18 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com. • Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host

semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com. • Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com. • First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host the Brasstown Ringers (Appalachian/holiday) at 7 p.m. Dec. 10. • Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) 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. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. innovation-brewing.com. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazzy Holiday Party” 5 p.m. Dec. 16. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 11 and

The Maggie Valley Band 7 p.m. Dec. 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 10 and Karaoke In The Smokies Dec. 17. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Steve Hefker Dec. 10, Granny’s Mason Jar Dec. 11, Wyatt Espalin Dec. 12, Mountain Gypsy Dec. 17, Twelfth Fret Dec. 18 and Aly Jordan 5 p.m. Dec. 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

satulahmountainbrewing.com. • Southern Porch (Canton) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

arts & entertainment

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Mountain Gypsy Dec. 9, Outlaw Whiskey Dec. 10, Mile High Band Dec. 11, Blackjack Country Dec. 16, Trish Ann Band Dec. 17 and Genepool Band Dec. 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

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

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.

December 8-14, 2021 Smoky Mountain News 25

On the season arts & entertainment

midnight with her beloved new Nutcracker doll. Swept up in a fantasy toy-soldier battle, she saves her Nutcracker from the Mouse King. She is then whisked away to enchanted lands of snow and sweets, dancing the night away with a colorful host of captivating characters. To learn more and/or purchase tickets, click on arts.wcu.edu/nutcracker.

‘Seasons of Light’ holiday celebration

December 8-14, 2021

HART’s ‘Every Christmas Story’ In an effort to bring together all of the classic holiday tales, there will be a special stage production of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10-11, 17-18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. The audience stills in preparation for another performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” when all of a sudden, the actor on stage proclaims, “I can’t do this!” That’s the beginning of the madcap holiday romp HART brings to its stage this holiday season and it just gets funnier and funnier from there. Three actors take over the production and decide to perform not just one story, but “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!” Hold on tight as you take a tinsel-covered roller coaster ride bursting with laughter, carols, and joy, and prepare to leave with more Holiday spirit than you can carry. Full of constant costume changes, impressions of Jimmy Stewart, just about every prop HART has in stock, and stories from around the world, actors David Spivey, Dakota Mann, and William Tyler Ezzell star in this hilarious comedy. Tickets are available by clicking on harttheatre.org or calling the box office at 828.456.6322.

Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries’

Smoky Mountain News

The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10-11 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Each night, shops will stay open way into the night providing free refreshments, musicians and singers performing in individual shops. The sound of hooves will echo through the night with old-fashioned horse and buggy rides (tips much appreciated). Children can share their wishes with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Workshop in Dillsboro’s Town Hall. With retail shops offering a variety of quality arts and crafts, unique gifts, clothing, gourmet foods and wine, and specialty Christmas items, the festival also provides a unique holiday shopping experience. Awardwinning dulcimer player Mathew Dickerson will perform Dec. 10-11. Free parking and shuttle transportation 26 for the event will be available at Monteith

Park each night of the festival. Sing along with carolers. Take the children to see Santa Claus at Dillsboro’s Town Hall. Have some hot chocolate or hot cider. All the restaurants will be open late. For more information, call the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 800.962.1911 or click on mountainlovers.com. To learn more about new happenings, go to facebook.com/dillsboronc.

WCU to present ‘Nutcracker’ The Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville, which will be returning with a stage production of the “Nutcracker” at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Showtime will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. This magically festive, full-length “Nutcracker” production features professional classical dancers and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated company. In this classic ballet, Clara’s holiday dream comes to life, sneaking downstairs at

Reservations are now being made for this year’s “Seasons of Light Multicultural Holiday Celebration” at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center (PCMDC) in Waynesville. The community will have four opportunities to experience this family-friendly celebration featuring food, music, and customs from holidays around the world. At this family-friendly event, guests visit areas dedicated to Advent, Diwali, Hanukkah, Fiesta de la Griteria, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa. Hosts for each holiday share traditional foods as hors d’oeuvres (for the Saturday viewings) and information about music, games, history and customs. • Weekday Drop In: noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Guests will be able to enjoy the distinctly decorated rooms and learn more about the traditional holiday celebrations, but food will not be served. Admission is a donation of $10 is suggested for attendance at the drop-in. Reservations are not required. • Weeknight Presentation: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Hot drinks, a dessert bar, music, customs from holidays around the world. Admission is $12 for ages 18 and older, $7 for students ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. Reservations are required. • Encore Presentation: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Heavy hors d-oeuvres (packaged to go), music, customs from holidays around the world. Admission is $20 for ages 18 and older, $7 for students ages 13 to 17, and $5 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free. Reservations are required. These events will be structured to include PCMDC COVID protocols, and masks will be required inside during the event to help ensure the health and safety of our community and families attending. Proceeds support the Pigeon Center, which offers affordable afterschool and summer enrichment programs for students, programs for seniors, emergency food boxes, historical preservation initiatives, community dinners and other programs and services. To attend Seasons of Light, make your reservation by calling 828.452.7232. The event will be held at PCMDC located at 450 Pigeon Street in Waynesville in the historic Pigeon Street School building, which served African-American elementary school students before desegregation.

For more information, visit pcmdc.org, email pigeoncommunityd@bellsouth.net or call 828.452.7232.

‘A Christmas Carol’ The Calliope Stage Company and Destination Theatre will present Tony Brown’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at 7 p.m. Dec. 9-11, 3 p.m. Dec. 11 and 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at 567 Mill Street in Sylva. “A Christmas Carol” is a co-production between Calliope Stage Company in Sylva and Destination Theatre out of Atlanta, Georgia. Calliope Stage Company is a professional nonprofit theatre company established in Jackson County in January 2021. This is their third public production since founding and second partnership with Destination Theatre, a nonprofit professional touring children’s theatre company, also established in 2021. The Sylva performances will feature festive treat bundles from White Moon and Jame that include a treat and hot beverage. Only 40 tickets per performance are scheduled, with limited VIP seating available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit calliopestage.com.

Sylva library Christmas concert The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra will present the 10th annual “Community Christmas Concert” on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The musical celebration will begin at 6:15 p.m. with caroling on the library steps, weather permitting. Phil and Gayle Woody will lead all comers in singing traditional carols. Members of the Civic Orchestra and members of the Sacred Sounds ensemble from Franklin, conducted by Dr. Damon Sink, will begin the concert at 7 p.m. with portions of the Christmas Concerto by Arcangelo Corelli. Younger players will join the orchestra for Pachelbel Canon, Carol of the Bells and more seasonal favorites. These violin students represent the teaching studios of Cathy Arps (Sylva), Kathy Hill (Franklin) and Sarah Smith (Waynesville). The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra is supported by the Jackson County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The concert is free, and the public is welcome. Masks are required in the library and social distancing is requested. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016.

On the season • The popular “Polar Express” train ride is now running from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. 800.872.4681 or gsmr.com.

arts & entertainment

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• “Christmas Hayrides Through the Lights” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturdays until Dec. 18 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Ride is 20 minutes. $12 per person, which includes a holiday beverage. Tickets available at darnellfarms.com.

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ALSO:

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• “Holiday Market” with local artisans will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Dec. 18 at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Outdoor event. Leashed pets are welcome. 828.488.7857 or greatsmokies.com. • A special holiday concert with the Glory String Players will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 828.488.3030.

FRANKLIN • Beloved singer-songwriter David Phelps will host a special Christmas performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets start at $25 each, and priority seating is available. smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.

• The “Holiday Fireworks” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, in downtown Sylva. Presented by the Jackson County Parks & Rec and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. mountainlovers.com.

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• “All Through the Town” holiday celebration will run through Dec. 31 in downtown Waynesville. Participating local businesses, restaurants, galleries and breweries will take extra care in decorating for the holidays, staying open later for shopping, and much more. downtownwaynesville.com.

• The inaugural drive-thru “Christmas Light Show” will be held through Jan. 2 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center (formerly the Haywood County Fairgrounds). Tickets for the nightly show are available online at 38main.com, with only 100 cars per onehour time slot. Admission is $20 per vehicle. • The 41st season of The Shelton House will continue with the “Tinsel Trail & Appalachian Christmas” celebration, which will be held through Jan. 1 at the historic home in Waynesville.

Smoky Mountain News

• Night Before Christmas in Downtown Waynesville. Shops will stay open late and live music will fill the streets.

December 8-14, 2021

arts & entertainment

On the wall • A creative miniature art class with Renae Dotson will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Those attending the class will be making a quilt “book” that opens to reveal a quilt room. This is not a quilting class. The fabric will look like mini-quilts. You will make a hanging quilt rack with quilts, hanging thread spool rack, and other accessories — all in miniature. And all made by you. Supplies for this class are $25. Pre-register by calling Dotson at 828.342.8919. Class size is limited.

HCAC ‘Wine & Workshop’ The Haywood County Arts Council invites community members to join in the gift giving spirit through its first minifundraiser in the form of making art and delighting taste buds at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, at the HCAC in Waynesville. HCAC, two of their artist members, and Bosu’s wine shop are teaming up to provide the experience located in HCAC’s downtown Waynesville gallery. “Bosu’s is a long supporter of HCAC. We believe that keeping the arts as a focal point downtown supports our local economic vitality” said Bosu’s co-owner Stephanie Strickland, who is donating the supplies and her staff ’s time to HCAC for the event. Called “Wine & Workshop,” the event includes learning to paint wine glasses, making gift tags, and tasting a flight of three wines complimented with individual charcuterie boards. “During the event we’ll have our staff there to explain the unique attributes of three different wines and how the items on the individual charcuterie boards are complemented by them,” Strickland said. The wines highlighted will be Hayes Ranch Chardonnay, Breca Rosé and Harlow Ridge Cabernet. The artists sharing their skills and

ALSO:

• The “Contemporary Clay 2021” exhibit will be on view through Friday, Dec. 10, at the Western Carolina University (WCU) Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee. The showcase gathers artists from a variety of backgrounds who push boundaries on topics including race, culture, sexuality, gender, and class. wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center/fine-art-museum.

donating their time are well known and longtime community members Barbara Brook and Linda Blount. Both HCAC artist members are painters, HCAC volunteers and sell in the retail gallery. Cost is $100 per person. Space is limited to 10 people total and is filling up fast. Reserve your spot by registering online at haywoodarts.org/wine-workshop-series.

• Jesse Adair Dallas will be showing his artwork at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin through the month of December. Open to the public. There will also be a special meet-and-greet with Dallas at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the library. For more information, email jesse@enjoyarttoday.com. • “Jefferson Pinder: Selections from the Inertia Cycle” exhibit is currently on display

at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Pinder focuses on themes of labor and endurance in his video art practice with metaphoric references to African American identity, history, and experience. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and until 7 p.m. Thursday. arts.wcu.edu/jeffersonpinder. • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook. • Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting.

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On the shelf

Jeff Minick

ly evaluate. “Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and Its Cultural Continuance” (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019, 306 pages) is one such book. Here Susan Muse Isaacs, a professor who is of Cherokee descent, examines the place of story-telling in Cherokee culture. In this academic study,

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she includes many of these stories and uses this oral tradition to show how it has served “as a means to promote nationhood and tribal sovereignty, to revitalize culture and language, and to present the indigenous view of history and the land.” Students of Cherokee history and storytelling will probably find much here of interest. The book seems extremely well researched — there are 49 pages of endnotes and bibliographic references at the end — and includes a good deal of local history as well. Weighing in at around eight pounds, “The Dark Side: A Law Treatise on Judging — With Memoir” (2015, 770 pages) is a “wide-ranging sociological and legal study that looks at the history and politics behind

a new court monopoly where judges assumed the power to declare ultimate law.” Here Caroline George Douglas, J.D., launches a massive attack on what she regards as the corruption in our court system, where, she writes, “judges routinely evade the Bill of Rights and the Rule of Law, with impunity.” She describes her book as a “reader-guide for lay-people to learn how to recognize wrongs in the new system.” “The Dark Side” is roughly 9-inches wide, 12-inchew long, and almost 3-inches thick, and the daunting size of this volume was one factor in preventing me from reading what seems a thorough and well-researched about problems in American courts, especially with our judges. Both of these books should appeal to specialists or to people wishing to dig deeper into matters of the law or the storytelling tradition of the Cherokee. And now for something completely different. Every day the quiet neighborhood where I live is invaded by a fleet of delivery trucks: Fed Ex, Amazon, UPS, and a mysterious unmarked white van. The pandemic undoubtedly has brought about a transition from shopping locally to ordering goods online. At any rate, the holiday season is upon us, and I urge readers to shop locally when possible, especially in your community’s bookstore, for your gifts. Over the past 20 years, many local bookshops have closed their doors, which is unfortunate as those establishments bring so much to our community. The staff and owners who operate these shops are usually passionate about literature, and we need that passion for paperand-ink in our electronic age. Furthermore, browsing through the shelves of these places is completely different than shopping for books online. Here we have the opportunity to discover titles and authors we would otherwise not have encountered. Here, too, we generally find literature about Western North Carolina, histories, biographies, novels, nature guides, and more, that we might otherwise miss. Shop local this holiday season — and all other seasons as well. Keep the money in our community. Forge bonds with your town’s merchants. They need us to survive, it’s true, but we also need them and the services they offer. (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.)

December 8-14, 2021

opcorn has little nutritional value, but it’s great when you have the munchies (and no, I don’t puff dope or ganja or whatever name it goes by these days). Maybe you add salt and butter, or some other spice, but you just keep nibbling away giving little thought to how much you consume or whether it’s good for you. It’s a pleasure, pure and simple. There are popcorn books as well. You open them knowing full well they’re not going to enhance your mental or emotional health, because that’s not Writer what you’re after. You want the entertainment, the distraction from the hardships of life, a vacation from your problems and from yourself. Which is why I spent a recent weekend reading the large-print edition of Lee Childs’ “Killing Floor” (Gale Publishers, 1997, 701 pages). I’ve read a number of the Jack Reacher novels by Childs, and this one offered few surprises. Reacher is a big guy, a West Pointer and ex-military police officer familiar with weapons and trained in hand-tohand combat. He travels around America without I.D. or credit cards or even a change of clothing — when he needs clothes, he generally shops in thrift stores, busy some new duds, and throws his old clothing in the trash. In each story he enters a town unfamiliar to him, immediately finds himself in the middle of some crime scene, fights the bad guys, beds a beautiful local woman, drinks coffee by the pot, and leaves in the wake of his passage a dozen bodies or more. “Killing Floor” follows this formula. Reacher goes to Margrave, Georgia, where he and Roscoe, the female police officer who will be his love in this novel, become deeply involved in investigating a multi-million dollar counterfeiting scheme. Eventually, they team up with a detective named Finlay, a black former policeman in Boston, and slowly the three of them take on a murderous gang of swindlers who will stop at nothing to continue their lucrative racket. Why do I read such books? For fun. For escape. For the pleasure of chomping on some literary popcorn. It’s the same reason other people read romance literature or certain fantasy authors. The pleasure may be momentary, and in a week I’ll have forgotten the plot and most of the characters of Killing Floor, but for a few hours the story took me away from the mostly dark news of the day. Now for the caviar. Some books I’ve received in the mail for review I judged either too esoteric for readers, including myself, or they were simply too far beyond my expertise to read and fair-

arts & entertainment

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Northbrook knew about issues with the stoplogs for weeks before the release and discussed the potential for imminent danger with FERC on Sept. 30, three days before it started the drawdown Oct. 3. The lack of notification to natural resource agencies during that time is “troubling,” Mizzi wrote. “Especially concerning,” she said, “is the lack of coordination and notice during the three days between deeming the condition a dam emergency and the actual drawdown.” “Since Northbrook was aware of the issue 30 days prior to initiating the drawdown and sediment release and had notified FERC on at least two occasions, we do not understand why the resource agencies were not notified until after the release had occurred,” agreed Wildlife Commission Hydropower Licensing Coordinator Christopher Goudreau in a Nov. 17 letter to Bose. “If the situation was truly an emergency, Northbrook could have been directed to notify the resource agencies and others who could be affected by a significant release of water and sediment.”

DETRIMENTAL TO STREAM LIFE

Built in 1924, Ela Dam sits above an ecologically important stretch of river. Holly Kays photo

‘SNUFFED OUT’ Unannounced dam release covers Oconaluftee in sediment BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR t was around 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 4, when Ken Brown’s phone started lighting up with photo texts depicting a massive sediment load dropping into the Oconaluftee River below Ela Dam, also known as the Bryson Hydroelectric Project. Within half an hour, he was standing on the riverbank. Brown, who is the executive director of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River — the Tuckasegee’s confluence with the Oconaluftee occurs just half a mile downstream from the dam — was shocked by what he saw. On this stretch of the Oconaluftee, the river bottom is made of rocks and boulders with little to no sediment covering them, making it important habitat for sensitive aquatic species that require clean, oxygenated water. When Brown arrived, that sediment-free habitat had vanished. He called the N.C. Division of Water Resources, and a representative arrived on scene by 4:30 p.m. “You could literally walk across the river,” Brown said. “There was no rock exposed.”

While observing the river, Brown met a visitor from New Hanover County, who had been fishing before the release started. Once it began, he had to stop — within seconds, fishing became impossible. Then the release halted, the small impoundment filled up, and dam operators “started flushing as much water as they could” through the gates, said Brown. The whole episode took only about 2.5 hours but caused lingering damage to downstream aquatic communities, likely erasing some species from that river section completely. As a result, multiple government agencies have issued violation notices and are actively investigating what happened, and why.

NO PRIOR NOTIFICATION Dam operators are supposed to notify the government agencies charged with overseeing them before releasing large amounts of water downstream, but Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, which owns Ela Dam, didn’t do that prior to the Oct. 4 discharge. Instead, President Chuck Ahlrichs wrote a letter dated Oct. 5 — after the release was finished — notifying the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of a “required emergency maintenance drawdown of the Bryson reservoir beginning Oct. 3, 2021, and ending on Oct. 4, 2021.”

Northbrook has owned the 97-year-old dam since 2018, when it purchased it from Duke Energy. The release was necessary to evaluate a breach in one of the stoplogs used to control water flow, Ahlrichs wrote. In an Oct. 15 letter addressed to DWR Environmental Specialist Andrew Moore, he elaborated that a breach of the third bay’s gate structure was identified on Sept. 3, prompting Northbrook to notify FERC and put up warning signs and danger tape “to warn the public of a potential sudden water release in the event of total failure.” On Sept. 30, Ahlrichs wrote, Northbrook contacted FERC’s Atlanta Regional Office to “ascertain approvals” for a “short-term drawdown” but concluded the situation qualified as an “emergency unscheduled drawdown” — meaning that Northbrook did not have to notify the pertinent agencies beforehand. So, at 9 a.m. Oct. 3 Northbrook began drawing down the reservoir, inspecting the dam at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 and refilling the reservoir at 11 a.m., according to Ahlrichs’ Oct. 15 letter. The gates returned to automatic operation by 7:30 p.m. Neither federal nor state wildlife agencies buy that excuse, according to written comments from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. While delayed notification may be justified in case of an emergency that could cause “potentially imminent danger to life or property,” USFWS Field Supervisor Janet Mizzi wrote in a Nov. 24 letter to FERC Secretary Kimberly D. Bose, that does not seem to be what happened in October.

In his Oct. 15 letter, Ahlrichs dismissed concern over the sediment’s impact to aquatic life, writing that river flows had “largely removed” downstream sediment as of Oct. 8. But that’s simply not true, resource agencies say. On Oct. 18 — 10 days after the sediment had all but disappeared, according to Ahlrichs — Wildlife Resources Commission staff conducted a sediment survey below the dam and had to stop shortly after the confluence with the Tuckasegee because the sediment was so deep that it threatened their safety. Out of 71 data points in the survey, only one produced a sediment depth of 0 inches, while 18 data points had sediment deposits a foot or more deep. Most of these exceptionally deep deposits were located in pool areas of the river, and the heaviest ones were downstream of the confluence with the Tuckasegee. The deposits are significant enough to impart a drastic, long-term effect on the number and diversity of aquatic species living in there, said Mizzi. “The sediment depths in this reach (downstream of the U.S. 19A bridge) have dramatically changed the bottom elevation of the river and destroyed the high-quality aquatic habitat that occurred here,” she wrote in her Nov. 24 letter. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality classifies the Oconaluftee River below the dam as High Quality Waters, and at the confluence, the Tuckasegee River is federally designated as crucial habitat for the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel. While the mussels are not currently recorded as living there, the river is home to multiple state-listed and rare species, including the eastern hellbender, olive darter, wounded darter, smoky dace, Little Tennessee crayfish, Tuckasegee stream crayfish, smallmouth redhorse and Highland shiner. It’s also

from the Oconaluftee River below the Bryson Dam,” Mizzi wrote.

VIOLATIONS ISSUED Both DWR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have slapped Northbrook with notices of violation as a result of the October drawdown and subsequent release, with FERC also contacting Northbrook with a request for additional information concerning the drawdown.

In a photo taken during a May compliance inspection by the N.C. Division of Water Resources, the riverbed is clearly visible beneath Ela Dam. NCDWR photo

The DWR notice came first, issued less than a week afterward on Oct. 8. DWR agents visiting the site Oct. 5 found sediment deposits 18-24 inches deep across the river’s entire width, with about 700 feet of the river’s reach below the dam visibly impacted and more than 2,000 feet of the river affected overall, the document says. As a result, the agency found Northbrook in violation of two state water quality laws, each of which carries a maximum penalty of $25,000 per day, per violation. The DWR said that Northbrook vio-

TO BE CONTINUED

The bureaucratic wranglings, made all the more complex because both federal and state agencies are involved, will likely go on for some time and the outcome — including any fines levied or lawsuits filed — is not yet known. The DWR is “continuing to investigate” and waiting for further response from Northbrook, said the agency’s spokesperson Anna Gurney. Meanwhile, Northbrook maintains that residual sediment is “limited” and that it is cooperating with natural resources agencies. “Northbrook is working with resource agencies to evaluate limited sediments in the river as the result of a dam evaluation performed to ensure the safety of the structure and protection of downstream residents,” said Northbrook Vice President Chris Sinclair via email. Regardless of the regulatory outcome, Brown said, the fate of the creatures moving about the stream when the dam gates opened has already been sealed. “The macroinvertebrate population is a great indicator of stream health, and before this sediment flush there was a really healthy macroinvertabrate population in the river below the dam,” he said. “But I will say at least most of that life was snuffed out when the sediment came up behind the impoundment.” 31

Smoky Mountain News

reaching them. Sediment also impacts fish, either by lowering the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water, making it harder to find food or simply eliminating existing food sources that themselves rely on sediment-free water. While detailed surveys have yet to be completed, the impact to the river’s aquatic inhabitants was likely devastating. “Because the sediment deposit is so widespread and deep, we believe it is safe to assume that future species surveys will find that some species have been extirpated

ble. “While we cannot assure the situation will remain stable, based on our inspection we believe that it will and, in the absence of a change in conditions that again requires immediate action under the plan, we intend to consult with the NCDEQ and other appropriate agencies prior to a drawdown for repairs,” Ahlrichs wrote Oct. 15. Northbrook wrote the DWR once more, on Nov. 4, to state that it had retained consulting firm Inter-Fluve to help evaluate the situation downstream, but that communication did not include the requested sediment removal plan, or any statement as to when one would be provided. On Nov. 19, DWR Environmental Specialist Andrew Moore emailed Ahlrichs to state unequivocally that the response was insufficient, that none of the agencies involved had heard from the consulting firm regarding their assessment of the river, and to contradict Ahlrichs’ statement that sediment deposits had largely disappeared as of Oct. 8. “Based on recent observations of the Oconaluftee River, significant sediment accumulation remains in the river below the Bryson dam and extending downstream to the Oconaluftee River’s confluence with the Tuckaseegee River, and now extending into the Tuckaseegee River,” Moore wrote. “In order to properly abate the stream standard violation and resolve the NOV, a Sediment Removal Plan is required.” It wasn’t until five days after Moore’s letter, on Nov. 24, that FERC issued a fivepage letter listing detailed questions it was requiring Northbrook to answer by Dec. 24.

December 8-14, 2021

In an Oct. 4 photo, mud covers the bottom of the river as seen from a viewpoint just below the dam. WATR photo

lated a statute prohibiting the release of wastes in amounts that impact human, aquatic and wildlife health; and a statute requiring that state waters “shall be suitable for aquatic propagation and maintenance of biological integrity, wildlife, secondary recreation and agriculture.” It required an extensive response from Northbrook, including a detailed account and timeline of the events leading up to the drawdown and refill, the decision-making process to determine that the drawdown and evaluation constituted an emergency situation and a sediment removal plan. Five days later, the ACE issued its own violation, stating that undertaking the drawdown and release without a Department of Army permit constituted a violation of the Clean Water Act. That document also required a detailed response from Northbrook along similar lines to the one requested by the DWR. So far, the agencies don’t appear to find Northbrook’s responses satisfactory. In an Oct. 15 letter that was his first response to the DWR, Ahlrichs denied the agency’s authority to penalize Northbrook and omitted much of the information requested in the Oct. 8 notice. “While we very much appreciate NCDEQ’s (N.C. Department of Environmental Quality) concern for the health and proper protection of the Oconaluftee River and the larger Nantahala Watershed,” Ahlrich wrote, the company understands itself to be “exclusively subject” to FERC regulations. “As such, we would have to contest any attempt by the NCDEQ to declare violations, mandate responses or impose penalties directly on the Bryson Project with respect to any aspect of its operations,” the letter reads. The letter does provide a timeline for the drawdown but leaves out requested information such as reservoir level and precipitation data, evaluation of sediment conditions prior to the release and reasons why the company could not consult with DWR prior to the drawdown, among others. “The drawdown was performed in good faith, consistent with the licensee’s responsibilities for dam and public safety and its obligations under the terms of the plan,” Ahlrichs wrote. Regarding the “emergency situation” that spurred the drawdown, Ahlrichs said that Northbrook believes but does not promise that the situation will remain sta-

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important habitat for sicklefin redhorse, a fish that occurs only in a few rivers in Western North Carolina and Georgia. Wildlife experts estimate that half of the known population in the Tuckasegee River basin spawns in the Oconaluftee River below the dam. All these species require cold, clear water to survive. Layers of sediment smother aquatic creatures that live around or under rocks on the bottom of the stream, preventing oxygen-rich stream water from

outdoors

Santa to visit Chimney Rock Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturday, Dec.

Santa Claus prepares to rappel down Chimney Rock. Donated photo 11, practicing his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities

abound. Santa will rappel down the Chimney at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., taking a break after each trip to meet visiting children with Mrs. Claus. The day will also include breakfast with the elves from 8 to 11 a.m., Santa photos and one-of-a-kind wish lists typed up on the vintage typewriter of local poet Eddie Cabbage. At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., elves will host guided hikes to Hickory Nut Falls, and guests can join naturalists on the Outcroppings Deck at 12:30 p.m. to meet the park’s animal ambassadors. The day will also feature live music, festive craft stations, s’more making at the bonfire and live music. The event is free with park admission.

Lane closures in effect on Gatlinburg Spur

Smoky Mountain News

December 8-14, 2021

Single-lane closures along the southbound Spur between the Gatlinburg Bypass intersection and the city limits of Gatlinburg will be in effect through Friday, Dec. 17. The closure will be in place weekdays between 7 a.m. on Mondays and 3 p.m. on Fridays. It will allow utility work along the road shoulder by the City of Gatlinburg. Stay updated on road closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.

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Red wolf arrives in Asheville A 1982 Piper Saratoga airplane flew into the Asheville Regional Airport Nov. 20 to deliver an endangered red wolf and take on a load of shelter dogs for adoption up north. The red wolf, called Ben, was born at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, in 2018 and has spent the past

Ben the red wolf prowls his former home at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. Friends of the WNC Nature Center/Wolf Conservation Center photo

three years living off exhibit with his mother, father and siblings. Now, he’ll reside at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville, where he will soon meet his new mate and hopefully have some puppies of his own. Red wolves are extremely endangered in the wild, with only about 10 left in the small area in Eastern North Carolina where they were reintroduced. However, there are 241 red wolves living under human care in places like the WNC Nature Center, making these facilities an important part of the species’ survival. The WNC Nature Center first exhibited wolves in 1990, and between 1996 and 2014, 13 pups were born there. Red wolves Karma and Garnet had

N.C. mussel added to threatened species list A freshwater mussel known as the Atlantic pigtoe has been added as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act following a process that began when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the listing in October 2018. The listing will become effective Dec. 17. The species’ listing also includes protections for habitat designated as critical to its survival. Primary threats to the mussel include pollution, sedimentation and dams. The mussel is native to rivers of the Atlantic seaboard, and it currently occupies areas of the James, Chowan, Roanoke. Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear and Yadkin-Pee Dee river basins of North Carolina and Virginia. These areas are designated critical habitat — all areas designated as critical habitat are navigable waters held in public trust, and ownership of the riparian land adjacent to it

resided at the Nature Center since fall 2018 but failed to successfully reproduce, leading the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan to recommend that a new breeding pair be transferred to the Nature Center. In September, Garnet went to the Endangered Wolf Center in Missouri, and Karma will be leaving in the spring. After Ben finishes a quarantine period, he and Karma will be placed together for companionship until a new female is transferred to Asheville. While there is a long road ahead for the species’ ultimate recovery, WNC Nature Center Animal Curator Erin Oldread is cautiously optimistic about the Nature Center’s role. “We’re proud to be part of the Species Survival Plan program for red wolves,” she said, “and we’re hopeful that our new red wolves will be able to reproduce successfully in the future to have offspring that could potentially be released in the wild and help grow the population.” The airplane, piloted by Michael Schneider, founder and executive director of Pilots To The Rescue, did not leave empty-handed. Schneider returned to New Jersey with dogs from Aiken, South Carolina, that were at risk of euthanization.

Atlantic pigtoe mussel. Lilibeth Serrano photo

is a mix of private lands and conservation parcels, including easements as well as state-owned lands and parks. Learn more at fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mussels/atlanti c-pigtoe.

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Hikers up for a challenge can trek 7 miles roundtrip on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Wednesday, Dec. 15, with Haywood County Recreation. Phyllis Woollen and Vickie Watson will lead this difficult trek that takes the MST to the Green Knob Trail. The group will meet at 10 a.m. Cost is $10. Register by calling 828.452.6798.

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NOC’s founders developed their recipe for Sherpa rice based on their travels to Nepal. Donated photo

River’s End Restaurant at Nantahala Outdoor Center is once more serving its legendary Sherpa rice dish after locals and visitors alike begged them to bring it back. Sherpa rice has been a stable on the menu since NOC’s beginning, and it’s hard to find anything like it in the South. Inspired by their travels in Nepal, NOC cofounders Aurelia and Payson Kennedy created the original recipe, featuring a medley of rice, beans, lentils and stir-fried vegetables with soy-ginger sauce. With dropping temperatures calling for comfort food, now is the time to stop by and try it.

FOOD & BEVERAGE & BONUSES. ALL AT ONE HOLIDAY HIRING EVENT.

Join us for a December Food & Beverage Hiring Event. It’s happening December 15 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Convention Center. We’re hiring for all F&B positions, with bonuses up to $3,000. Apply at HarrahsCherokeeJobs.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Sherpa rice returns to NOC

December 8-14, 2021

Volunteers will help repair damage from Tropical Storm Fred at Big East Fork during a workday beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Haywood Waterways Association is looking for 10 people to help install live stake plantings to finish a restoration project in the Pisgah National Forest. Live staking uses rubber hammers to tap branches from native trees and shrubs into the riverbank. In the spring, those plants will take root and help hold the soil in place. The group will meet at the Big East Fork Trailhead, and volunteers should bring waders, work gloves and a rubber hammer if they have one. Refreshments provided. The project is a partnership between Haywood Waterways, Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service. Sign up with Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Select positions eligible for hiring bonus. Restrictions apply. Please see Talent Acquisition department for details. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid photo ID. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos value diversity and inclusion, and are equal opportunity employers. ©2021, Caesars License Company, LLC.

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December 8-14, 2021

SNOW REPORT 6 Trails Open 3 Aerial Lifts 1 Surface Lift 18 - 26 Inch Base 9am - 4:30pm FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED

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Snow conditions can change quickly visit: cataloochee.com for the most up to date conditions

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

Statewide burn ban enacted amid drought, wildfires Open burning is banned in North Carolina until further notice as a wildfire rages at Pilot Mountain State Park near Winston-Salem. The N.C. Forest Service issued the burn ban Monday, Nov. 29, a day after N.C. State Parks and Recreation announced that Pilot Mountain was closed due to a wildfire that at that time had consumed 180 acres, resulting from an escaped campfire in an undesignated area. As of Dec. 4, the fire was contained at 1,050 acres, the N.C. Forest Service said. An additional wildfire in McDowell County covered 436 acres by the time it was contained Dec. 4. Dry conditions now prevail statewide, with 86 out of 100 counties reporting abnormally dry or drought conditions according to the N.C. Drought Monitor map released Dec. 2. The map listed Haywood, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Transylvania counties among the 17 counties rated abnormally dry, and 22 counties in further east areas of the state are suffering extreme drought. An additional 47 counties are in moderate drought. “It is fall wildfire season in North Carolina, and we are seeing wildfire activity increase due to dry conditions,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “With these ongoing conditions, a statewide burn ban is necessary to reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading

quickly. Our top priority is always to protect lives, property and forestland across the state.” Despite the burn ban in North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn in Tennessee last week near the Graham County line, with Western North Carolina residents seeing smoke as a result. In North Carolina, the statewide ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. No new permits will be issued until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire. Unless a separate ban is issued by a local government agency, the N.C. Forest Service ban does not apply to fires within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. If a fire within a 100-foot area of a dwelling escapes containment, a North Carolina forest ranger may take reasonable steps to extinguish or control it. The person responsible for setting the fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire. The N.C. Forest Service will continue to monitor conditions. Residents with questions regarding a specific county can contact their N.C. Forest Service county ranger or their county fire marshal’s office. Call 911 to report wildfires. — By Holly Kays, outdoors editor

Celebrate year’s end with Haywood Waterways Haywood Waterways Association will hold its annual membership meeting via Zoom again this year, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16. The evening will feature a year-end review of the organization’s work, annual awards and other business. Log on at bit.ly/3g3upwy.

Wildlife photo contest open The Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition is now open, accepting entries until 5 p.m. Jan. 31, 2022. Sponsored by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the contest is open to amateur and professional photographers of all ages, except employees of the Wildlife Commission, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and their immediate families. Entrants must subscribe to the Wildlife in N.C. Magazine or be younger than 18. Photographs taken since Sept. 15, 2017, are eligible. Categories are birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles and amphibians,

animal behavior, outdoor recreation, wild landscapes, wild plants and fungi, and youth categories in age divisions 13 to 17 and 12 and under. Photos of captive native animals are allowed but not photos of captive, nonnative animals. Photos of domestic animals participating in an outdoor activity with people are acceptable. A panel of professional photographers and staff from the Wildlife Commission and Museum of Natural Sciences will judge the entries. In each category, first prize is $100, second is $75 and third is $50. The grand prize-winner receives $200 and his or her photo on the cover of the July/August 2022 issue of the magazine. Submit entries online at ncwildlife.org/contest.

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WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • A group hoping to save the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre will hold an informational meeting on ways to move forward with saving this Bryson City historical landmark at 7:30 pm. Tuesday, Dec. 14, in the basement of the Grove Church, 1127 Franklin Grove Church Rd. • The annual wreath laying on graves of veterans buried at Greenhill Cemetery in Waynesville will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18. This is part of the nationwide Wreaths Across America event.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Seasons of Light Multicultural Holiday Celebration will take place noon to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9; and 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. For more information about the family-friendly event, visit lcmdc.org, email pigeoncommunityd@bellsouth.net or call 828.452.7232. • Students in the Professional Craft Programs at Haywood Community College will host a holiday sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. The sale will feature student work in four mediums, including fiber, metals, ceramics, and wood. The sale is open to the public.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • Haywood Waterways Association is seeking ten volunteers to install live stake plantings to finish a restoration project in the National Forest. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Dec. 9, at the Big East Fork trailhead. Sign up by contacting Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or call 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Vaya Health will host a free community class about dealing with depression at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the Macon County Public Library. Register ahead by calling or emailing Kristina Moe at 828.524.3600 or kmoe@fontanalib.org

HOLIDAYS • The first ever drive-thru Christmas Light Show in Haywood County will be held at the Smoky Mountain Event Center, formerly Haywood County Fairgrounds, through the holidays. Tickets for the nightly show are available online-only at 38main.com with only 100 cars per one-hour time slot. • Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Dec. 11. Santa will rappel down the Chimney at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Breakfast with the elves will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., elves will host guided hikes to Hickory Nut Falls, and guests can join naturalists on the Outcroppings Deck at 12:30 p.m. to meet the park’s animal ambassadors. The event is free with park admission. • First Baptist Church will hold its annual Bethlehem Marketplace from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11. The event is free and will take place in the church parking lot. 828.456.9465, www.fbcwaynesville.org • The Sylva First Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir will present a variety of Christmas music during the 10:30 worship hour Sunday, Dec. 12. The public is cordially invited to attend this special observation of Christmas in Song.

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com • The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra will present the 10th annual Community Christmas Concert at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Jackson County Public Library. The concert is free and the public is welcome. Masks are required in the library and social distancing is requested. • The New Generations Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will host its annual Santa Event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Harris Medical Park, 98 Doctors Drive, Sylva, North Carolina. Join Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital at the Drive-Thru Christmas celebration with seasonal goodies, food, gifts, and photos with Santa. • Winter Lights will be open through Saturday, Jan. 1, at the N.C. Arboretum. For a personal vehicle up to 20 feet long, advance tickets range from $30 to $60. Arboretum Society members receive a $5 discount on advance tickets. Learn more or buy tickets at ncarboretum.org/winter-lights. • Lake Junaluska will host a free showing of “Miracle on 34th Street” from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, in the Lambuth International Room at the Lambuth Inn.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Dementia Caregivers Support Group, for those providing care for folks who are dealing with dementia, meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). For additional information call 828.476.7985. • Al-Anon, for families and friends of alcoholics, meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St., Sylva. Enter at front of church through the door to the left of the sanctuary; meeting is first door on the right. The Church requests that you wear a mask if you are not vaccinated. • Narcotics Anonymous meetings are back "live" in-person after a year of being on Zoom only. Local meetings are 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at Sylva First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva. Entrance at the back of building.

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2 and 16. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Sanctum Sully (rock/soul) Dec. 11. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) Dec. 11 and Russ Wilson & Hank

Bones (swing/old-time) Dec. 18 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com. • First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host the Brasstown Ringers (Appalachian/holiday) at 7 p.m. Dec. 10. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazzy Holiday Party” 5 p.m. Dec. 16. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 11 and The Maggie Valley Band 7 p.m. Dec. 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

sexuality, gender, and class. For information, call 828.227.ARTS. wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center/fine-artmuseum.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 10 and Karaoke In The Smokies Dec. 17. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Steve Hefker Dec. 10, Granny’s Mason Jar Dec. 11, Wyatt Espalin Dec. 12, Mountain Gypsy Dec. 17, Twelfth Fret Dec. 18 and Aly Jordan 5 p.m. Dec. 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Mountain Gypsy Dec. 9, Outlaw Whiskey Dec. 10, Mile High Band Dec. 11, Blackjack Country Dec. 16, Trish Ann Band Dec. 17 and Genepool Band Dec. 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

FOOD AND DRINK • Blue Ridge Beer Hub will host a craft beer tasting with Wicked Weed Brewing of Asheville from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the BRBH, located at 21 East Street in downtown Waynesville. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com. • “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com. • “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. .mountainlovers.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • A creative miniature art class with Renae Dotson will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Those attending the class will be making a quilt “book” that opens to reveal a quilt room. You will make a hanging quilt rack with quilts, hanging thread spool rack, and other accessories — all in miniature. Supplies for this class are $25. Pre-register by calling Dotson at 828.342.8919. Class size is limited. • The “Contemporary Clay 2021” exhibit will be on view through Friday, Dec. 10, at the Western Carolina University (WCU) Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee. The showcase gathers artists from a variety of backgrounds who push boundaries on topics including race, culture,

• “Jefferson Pinder: Selections from the Inertia Cycle” exhibit is currently on display at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Pinder focuses on themes of labor and endurance in his video art practice with metaphoric references to African American identity, history, and experience. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and until 7 p.m. Thursday. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit arts.wcu.edu/jeffersonpinder. • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. • Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work.

Outdoors

• Haywood Waterways Association is seeking 10 volunteers to install live stake plantings to finish a restoration project in the National Forest. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Dec. 9, at the Big East Fork trailhead. Sign up by contacting Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or call 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

• Hikers up for a challenge can trek 7 miles roundtrip on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Wednesday, Dec. 15, with Haywood County Recreation. Phyllis Woollen and Vickie Watson will lead this difficult trek that takes the MST to the Green Knob Trail. The group will meet at 10 a.m. Cost is $10. Register by calling 828.452.6798. • Haywood Waterways Association will hold its annual membership meeting via Zoom again this year, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16. The evening will feature a year-end review of the organization’s work, annual awards and other business. Log on at bit.ly/3G3upWy.

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December 8-14, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

SUPER

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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December 8-14, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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Smoky Mountain News

December 8-14, 2021

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

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 40

Smoky Mountain News | December 8, 2021

Articles inside

Here it comes; we better be ready

Census tract limits Swain’s options for ARP spending

Jackson uses ARP money to assist nonprofits

Macon uses rescue funds to increase employee pay

Cherokee rolls out ARP spending plan

Haywood undecided on rescue fund spending

Maggie alderman wants to limit campgrounds

Education News

Domestic violence shelter planned for Jackson