Smoky Mountain News | September 22, 2021 by Smoky Mountain News

www.smokymountainnews.com

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

Sept. 22-28, 2021 Vol. 23 Iss. 17

Dueling Haywood rallies highlight division Page 14 Flood took two-thirds of state hatchery trout Page 30

Smoky Mountain News September 22-28, 2021

Serving

Bonnie's Mountain Farms

the

t Treats Purr fec u! for yo

TOM’S

Specializing in Regional Cuisine Temporary Hours

TUES. 11:30-9 • WED & THUR 4-9 FRI & SAT 11:30-9 • SUN & MON CLOSED Dine-In or Carryout Follow Us on Facebook

39 Miller St., Downtown Waynesville

828.456.5559

AT THE

STRAND

FRESH WAFFLE CONES

ICE CREAM • GELATO

NEW ORLEANS STYLE SNOWBALLS

828-476-5002 38 North Main Street

WAYNESVILLE

D Guaranteed Fresh

We Have APPLES!

LOCAL • NO GMOs

• Local Sourwood Honey • • Pumpkins • Mums • Squash

• Tomatoes • Cucumbers • Onions • Zucchini • Potatoes • Corn • Half-runner Beans

828.400.6579

320 Riverbend • Waynesville Just below Ingles in Hazelwood Open Mon. Sat. 10:30 a.m.

Catering is Our Passion! We Can Cater Everything from an Intimate Get-Together to a Large, Formal Gathering & Everything In-Between!

828-452-7837 294 N. Haywood Street

Waynesville

Carver's

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT since 1952

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, & more

Daily Specials: Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

142 MILLER STREET · WAYNESVILLE DINE IN, TAKE-OUT & CURBSIDE 11-6 · MON-SAT · 828-476-5020

MON-SAT 8-3, SUN 9-3

—————————————————

• Dine-In • Patio Dining • Take-Out with Online Ordering on Weekdays

FRESH SEAFOOD & MEATS AVAILABLE! Lobster Rolls New England Clam Chowder

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

WE OFFER TAKEOUT!

Open Saturday & Sunday 2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

—————————————————

CityLightsCafe.com 3 E. JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

September 22-28, 2021

We Accept Reservations & Offer Online Ordering

DINE-IN ~~~ TAKE OUT ~~~~~ ORDER ONLINE

Gluten Free Options Available

New Party Room Available ~ ~ ~ ~ Book Us for Your Next Event ~ ~

Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza.

9.95

+TAX

Large Cheese Pizza Every Monday & Tuesday

watamisushinoodles.com · 828.246.6888 33 S. Main St. #101 · Waynesville

Burgers • Wraps • Sandwiches 32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

TEMPORARY HOURS: WED.- MON. 4-9 P.M.

Smoky Mountain News

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

172 Sylva Plaza | Sylva

828-477-4931 MONDAY-SATURDAY 11 a.m.-9 p.m. SUNDAY Noon-8 p.m. 3

news

CONTENTS On the Cover: As the popularity of short-term rental companies like AirBnb and VRBO continue to grow, tourism towns like Highlands are trying to figure out how to balance progress with preservation. A small group of short-term rental owners in Highlands are considering litigation to keep the town from banning their rentals beginning in January. (Page 8)

News Maggie Valley to give food trucks a try ........................................................................6 Sen. Tillis returns to Canton to assess damage ........................................................7 Enrollment, retention dip at WCU ..............................................................................10 Town takes over Downtown Waynesville duties ....................................................11 Pathways new kitchen manager brings experience ..............................................12 Dueling Haywood rallies highlight divisiveness ......................................................14 Parking rule changes approved in Sylva ....................................................................14 Designs unveiled for Jackson pool ..............................................................................16 Business News ..................................................................................................................19

Opinion A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville ........................................................20 Learning from the young to protect our planet ........................................................21

A&E

September 22-28, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

EDITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN & WEBSITE: DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING SALES:

CLASSIFIEDS: NEWS EDITOR: WRITING:

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

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

MerleFest gives up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity ....................................22 A walking tour of Paris and the arts ............................................................................29

Copyright 2021 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ Advertising copyright 2021 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1, payable at the Smoky Mountain News office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of The Smoky Mountain News, take more than one copy of each issue.

Outdoors

SUBSCRIPTION:

Flood took two-thirds of state hatchery trout ..........................................................30

STAFF

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

news September 22-28, 2021

Smoky Mountain News

news

Maggie Valley to give food trucks a try BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER aggie Valley has decided on the details for its Food Truck Pilot Program, slated for approval Oct. 4. At the Sept. 14 board meeting, Town Planner Kaitland Finkle presented Food Truck Pilot Program options to the board so members could decide what would work best for Maggie Valley. A survey conducted by the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce, as well as a Facebook group for public input on the subject, demonstrated widespread support for food trucks in Maggie Valley. The strongest opposition, according to the survey, came from the restaurant industry. Similarly, the strongest opposition on the town board to the idea of food trucks in Maggie Valley comes from Mayor Mike Eveland, previous owner of Rendezvous Restaurant. The first decision made was where food trucks could be located. The board decided on the Sweet Briar Lot at 3399 Soco Road across from the festival grounds as the only location for potential food trucks. There will be three spots available for vendors to set up shop. Board members also had to decide how many hours per day and days per week food trucks would be permitted to serve food. Some board members wanted to restrict the days and hours food trucks could operate, but others questioned this logic during a program intended to determine what works best for Maggie Valley. “I think that if we’re doing a pilot period, we need to see what actually happens. If we restrict it, we won’t know,” said Alderwoman Twinkle Patel. “I think that every day makes sense, because we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Patel has been a strong supporter of allowing food trucks in the valley. “All I’ll say is, getting into October, September, November it’s the last months for restaurants. And we’re going to be competing against them Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays which are their biggest days. And taking away funds from them could hurt them during the course of the winter and that sort of thing,” said Eveland. “So just

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

remember that your decision is going to impact people directly.” Aldermen Tammy and Philip Wight seem to be on board for food trucks. “I think if we’re going to do a pilot program to see how it works, how are we going to know what works if we don’t try every day,” said Tammy Wight. Ultimately, the board decided to allow operation seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for days when there are events scheduled at the festival grounds. The new pilot program does not change regulations barring private businesses from allowing food trucks on their property. It is against town ordinance for private businesses to have food trucks operating on their property and changing the ordinance would require a text amendment. According to Finkle, this ordinance will likely be reassessed following the town’s pilot program. Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley, pushed hard for food trucks to be available in Maggie Valley. He is pleased that the town has decided to move forward with a pilot program. “I think food trucks bring a whole new dimension, a whole new customer base to Maggie Valley,” said Angel. “It’s going to open up Maggie Valley to a whole new market of people that just aren’t coming today and it’s not going to hurt our local businesses at all. It’s going to help.” During the Sept. 14 meeting, Alderwoman Tammy Wight said she thinks breweries and distilleries serving alcohol and no food should be allowed, perhaps

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC. • • • • •

Tires Brakes Alignment Road Service Tractor Tires

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance

M ONDAY-F RIDAY 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE P LAZA 828-456-5387 • WAYNESVILLETIRE . COM

Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley regularly hosts food trucks on the weekends during concert events. Donated photo even required, to have food trucks on their property. Angel is of a similar opinion. Without a kitchen at Elevated Mountain Distillery, food trucks are a good option for his customers. “As a place that serves alcohol, we don’t have to serve food, but I’d like to serve food,” said Angel. For the duration of the three month pilot program, a permitting fee of $100 per month will be required for any food trucks wanting to participate. The discussion over permit cost was contentious. Both Eveland and Phillip Wight were in favor of charging a higher fee for permits, concerned that food trucks might pay for the low-cost permit but not continue to set up shop in Maggie Valley if it isn’t worth their time or money. “It gets back to, are we as the town trying to book these to make sure they’re here as an

A stocked cattA ch o utt po o nd d witth Ra ainbo ow, Bro ook, B ro ow n & Go old den trout.

KID FRIENDLY! WE HAVE FISHING RODS & BAIT

option? Or are we making the option available for people to come?” asked Finkle. Food trucks that are permitted will be allowed to fill the three spots available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Vendors will also be required to submit a deposit to ensure proper grease and trash disposal. Each truck will be responsible for its own generator, as no electrical hookups are available. Finkle based her options and information for the board partly on the pilot programs of other cities in the region. Asheville conducted its own Food Truck Pilot Program in 2018. Similar to what Maggie Valley will conduct, Asheville had one location that accommodated up to four vendors, seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., on a first-come, first-serve basis. Approval of the Maggie Valley Food Truck Pilot Program will take place at the Oct. 4 agenda setting meeting.

NO LICENSE, NO LIMIT

OPEN WEEKENDS Only in October 10AM - 6PM

828.349.9034

4175 Tellico Rd., Franklin, NC

TELLICOTROUT.COM

Sen. Tillis returns to Canton news

FEMA assistance for flood victims

Book online at:

MassageWaynesville.com 828.456.3585 Haywood Square | 288 N. Haywood St. | Waynesville

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Can-tastiC: Enjoying CannEd Foods Recently I attended a webinar sponsored by a company that specializes in canned fruits and vegetables. I got a chance to hear from farmers, growers and producers about how quickly fruits and vegetables go from the farm or orchard to the can and all the safety and food waste measures that they have in place. I was reminded how much I like an appreciate canned foods. Especially during the Pandemic, there's been a resurgence of interest in canned foods—they're shelf stable, economical, convenient and help reduce food waste. I buy produce in a variety of forms, fresh, frozen, canned and even dried so that I can use them in different ways. Some of my favorites are: CannEd blaCk bEans drain and rinse beans put them on a tortilla, sprinkle grated cheese and some hot sauce and heat it in the toaster oven for a quick and nutritious lunch. Beans supply protein and fiber. CannEd ChiCk pEas/garbanzo bEans drain, rinse and pat dry and sprinkle with olive oil and herbs/spices and salt and pepper and roast until crispy in a hot oven for a protein rich crunchy snack. CannEd pEaChEs and apriCots make delicious fruit crisps or crumbles. CannEd tomatoEs are perfect for making soups, stews and sauces. For more recipe ideas try: Pacific Coast Producers

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Smoky Mountain News

Homeowners and renters in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties who had uninsured losses from Tropical Storm Fred may be eligible for federal disaster assistance from FEMA. FEMA has programs that may provide financial help with temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs. To date, FEMA has approved more than $1.38 million in grants for individuals and households. If you haven’t already done so, contact your insurance company and file a claim for the disaster-caused damage. Be sure to take photographs or video of the damage and keep all receipts for repair work. Register with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov, call 800.621.3362, or use the FEMA app for smartphones. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time, seven days a week. The

deadline to register is Nov. 8, 2021. After you apply for federal disaster assistance, it is important that FEMA be able to contact you. Be aware that phone calls from FEMA may appear to come from unidentified numbers and make sure that FEMA has your current contact information. FEMA may call to obtain more information for your application or to schedule an inspection of the damaged home. Applicants for FEMA assistance will receive a letter from FEMA by mail or email. It is important to read it carefully because it will include the amount of any assistance FEMA may provide to you and information on the appropriate use of disaster assistance funds. You may need to submit additional information for FEMA to continue to process your application. Examples of missing documentation may include proof of insurance coverage, settlement of insurance claims, proof of identity, proof of occupancy, proof of ownership, or proof that the damaged property was your primary residence at the time of the disaster. If you have questions about the letter, you can get answers by going online to www.disasterassistance.gov or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800.621.3362.

JustDoOils.com

September 22-28, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT local officials over the lengthy wait. Tillis POLITICS E DITOR didn’t seem willing to dwell on the delay. lmost exactly one month after extreme “I think you could argue that maybe we flooding on the Pigeon River killed six, could have done it a week sooner, but in displaced hundreds and dropped mud order to make sure that we were going to and debris throughout downtown Canton, get the disaster declaration, which is never U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis returned to check in guaranteed — we’ve had some more events on the progress being made as cleanup where we didn’t — it was important to do operations continue. the homework and then run it through the “We’re out here to let [people] know we process that requires FEMA,” said Tillis. haven’t forgot [them],” Tillis told The “But the key now is it’s here and we’ve got Smoky Mountain News on Sept. 16. “I was telling people when you’re in the west, about a week after a flood event in the east you think it’s done. And when you’re in the east, and you think about a flood event up here, you think within a matter of days it’s done, but this is a months-long process that we’ll be going through. We’ll be with them every step of the way.” Tillis’ first visit came on Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers (left) talks with Aug. 19, when he joined Sen. Thom Tillis in Canton on Sept. 16. Cory Vaillancourt photo Canton’s Mayor Zeb Smathers at a press conference on the sidewalk in front of town hall. Tillis later to get it moving to individuals and the pubtoured the destruction in Cruso, and said he lic entities that can benefit from it.” recognizes the difference between his first Smathers praised Tillis and his team, visit and his second. particularly their assistance through the dis“I see a lot of resilience. I was seeing aster declaration process, and said that he three to four inches of mud down at the expects to see Sen. Tillis back in Canton brewery and in the town hall,” Tillis said. “I several more times as rebuilding progresses. mean, people have restored a lot, but we’ve “What means the most to me is that he’s got a lot more work to do, which is why I’m back, and much like Gov. Cooper, it’s not glad we’ve got the disaster declaration and like, ‘Hey we showed up and now you’ll the public and individual assistance moving never see us again,’” said Canton Mayor Zeb into the pipeline now.” Smathers. “It’s easy to make those visits in The federal disaster declaration wasn’t the days following but remaining part of the issued by President Joe Biden until 22 days conversation is important, and Sen. Tillis after the flooding, drawing criticism from has remained part of this conversation.”

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

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

news September 22-28, 2021

Highlands looks for balance of progress, preservation

Town threatened with litigation over short-term rentals

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR iscussions going on right now in the town of Highlands are the same discussions happening across the nation as the short-term rental industry continues to grow, leaving little room for the local workforce and changing the housing landscape of the community. A quick search of available AirBnbs in Highlands shows more than 200 listings in the area ranging from cabins, apartments, luxury houses and everything in between. Many of them concentrated in the downtown residential areas. “The people who have moved here — the hometown folks — are concerned with losing the community fabric of Highlands because the short-term rentals are making our residential zones into clerkless hotels,” said Mayor Patrick Taylor. During an Aug. 24 meeting, Highlands Board of Commissioners voted to direct staff to enforce all of the town’s residential ordinances as written. While a broader discus8 sion about the UDO is being had, the big

Smoky Mountain News

takeaway from that meeting is that the town will start enforcing the part of the ordinance that bans short-term rentals from the R-1 residential district beginning Jan. 3, 2022. The UDO states that “any use not specifically set forth in the use category is expressly prohibited.” Since short-term rentals aren’t specified, they are not allowed under the current UDO. The town’s R-2 Districts, however, do specifically allow for “tourist homes” with a special-use permit. A tourist home includes bed and breakfasts and inns “Where sleeping accommodations of not more than four rooms are provided for occasional transient paying guests.” R-3 Districts in Highlands do not allow for any overnight accommodations because all hotels, motels, B&Bs and inns are classified as “commercial uses” and require a special permit. Beginning Jan. 3, those in violation of the ordinance will receive a violation notice. A group of Highlands residents was not happy with the board’s decision. The day after that meeting, a small committee led by Jennifer Huff started a GoFundMe page to raise legal fees for potential litigation against the mayor and commissioners. The committee is made up of Huff, Debi Bradshaw Martin, Caroline Ragsdale, Will Pichard, Becky Blakeney, Chris Rideout, David Bee, Julia Weller, Chris Weller and Kristy Jones-Favalli. Huff said the group began organizing after an Aug. 19 commissioners’ meeting where the board discussed its interpretation

of the UDO residential districts. Since shortterm rentals are not specifically listed as an R1 District use, the board and its attorney J.K. Coward Jr. determined short-term rentals are prohibited in R-1. Huff claims this is a “reinterpretation” of the existing ordinance. “The Town has never interpreted or applied the zoning ordinance in that manner and has allowed STRs in the R1 zone for decades. In fact, Town officials have represented to property owners that there were no restrictions on STRs in the Town of Highlands,” Huff stated in an email response to questions. “Town officials have made contrary representations to STR owners. In fact, up until a week before some people closed on their homes and made it expressly known it would be used as a short-term rental, the Mayor himself said there were no issues.” As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe account had raised over $115,000 toward its $200,000 goal with more than 170 donors. Some people have made $5,000 and $2,500 donations toward the effort, and Huff said more is coming. The funds will be used to pay the PR costs, retainer and legal fees. All funds will be managed and disbursed by Highlands Area Vacation Rental Owners/Manager, LLC, established to manage the litigation. Taylor said he is hopeful any potential litigation against the town can be avoided with further discussions. In a memo to Taylor, Coward agreed STRs are not defined in the UDO but that perhaps

they should be. With board interest in reviewing STRs and the special permit opportunity for R-2 and perhaps even R-3, commissioners asked Coward to employ an expert to guide future discussions. Following a Sept. 16 closed meeting of the town board, Taylor signed a fee agreement with Craig Justus with Van Winkle Law Firm in Asheville. Justus will be reviewing and advising the town board on the current residential ordinances related to STRs, lodging and will provide legal advice as the review of STRs in residential areas moves forward. “In this day and age, zoning laws and ordinances become very complicated and we needed someone with special knowledge of residential issues and Mr. Justus had the expertise to advise us,” Taylor said. “I hope we can avoid a lawsuit and I’m more and more confident we can after a careful review of the issue,” he said. Huff said the committee of short-term rental owners is not as hopeful given the commissioners have already made the decision regarding the ordinance’s interpretation without input from all sides. The group has retained the Asheville law firm of Allen Stahl + Kilbourne, with attorney Derek Allen acting as lead counsel. However, Huff said she was not willing to discuss the committee’s legal strategies at this time. “Compromise should have occurred before we were forced to raise money for possible litigation, and now taxpayer’s money will be spent in response,” she said. “Real leadership would have avoided this altogether. Our group does not advocate for an ‘us vs them’ position, but it astounds me how ‘our side’ didn’t matter until we started raising money for possible litigation.” On Sept. 3, the committee’s legal team submitted a public record request to the town. As of Sept. 20, Taylor said the town was still working on pulling together the requested minutes and other documents.

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

For a small, high-end town like Highlands, the economy runs on second homes and the hospitality industry, but the affordable housing crunch is being exacerbated by the STR market. “What’s happened to us over the last several years has been that we no longer have long-term rentals and that does impact folks. Even our upper-level management people that work at our businesses have a hard time finding housing,” he said. “Even at Town Hall, almost everyone in our town government commutes from Franklin or elsewhere to work in Highlands.” While there are myriad benefits for guests who choose Airbnbs over hotels or resorts, Taylor said it’s been a double-edged sword for Highlands. On one hand, Taylor knows visitors staying in STRs help provide income to local businesses and restaurants, but on the other hand, more visitors to STRs means those businesses and restaurants need to hire more staff during a time when there’s an extreme shortage of workers available. “Someone has to provide options for these workers. Real estate values are strong because of our short-term rentals. Someone

news

y l

RISE OF AIRBNB Short-term rental business AirBnb started out as an idea to rent an air mattress in someone else’s home in 2008 and is now a $130 billion company after going public in December 2020. Similarly, VRBO started as a vacation rental company in 1995 but has shifted its services to mirror Airbnb in recent years. With more than 7 million properties and 4 million hosts around the world, there’s no doubt tourism destinations everywhere are trying to figure out how to manage the growth while also dealing with a nationwide

Smoky Mountain News

property values as a whole. Next, we employ many people from handyman services, cleaning crews, lawn maintenance, plumbers, electricians, and many others,” Huff said. “Finally, not all STR owners are ‘out-of-towners.’ Many of these houses have been in people’s families for generations, and short-term rental income helps keep that family home where it belongs — with their family.” Huff said she found the argument that short-term rentals are to blame for lack of affordable housing to be totally unsupported and that short-term rental owners shouldn’t be held responsible for a problem that clearly falls in the purview of town leadership. “They are elected to run the Town and to solve problems, and not trample on property rights of owners. Where are the apartment buildings to house people in Highlands? Should shortterm rental owners really be told what they can do with their properties?” she said. “Furthermore, if the Town abolishes rental of property located in the R1 Zone, how does that create affordable housing for others?” At the end of the day, Huff said it comes down to the STR owners’ property rights, and that those rights can’t be taken away after one Zoom meeting. “We are real people who will be affected with real financial problems, and this was brought on by the town allowing the use of short-term rentals for many, many years. Additionally, we truly believe we are saving Highlands because of the deep financial toll

housing crisis and worker shortage. Asheville City Council voted in 2018 to ban most short-term rentals within city limits for the same reasons — affordable housing shortage and to keep its residential areas from becoming de facto hotel districts. Discussing the issue at an Aug. 24 council meeting, Asheville City Attorney Brad Branham said researchers have also found that short-term rentals like AirBnb are causing the price of long-term rentals to increase. Some short-term rentals were grandfathered in and short-term rentals are still allowed outside the city limits. The decision has been controversial and enforcement has been an issue while some property owners continue to operate their rentals illegally. Places like New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Honolulu also have short-term rental restrictions in place. Taylor said legislation being discussed in the N.C. General Assembly could provide more guidance for local governments trying to find answers. House Bill 829 and HB 911 would make it illegal for local governments to regulate short-term rentals in most ways. HB911 passed a third reading on Aug. 11 and was referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations in the Senate. There’s been no movement on HB 829 since May. Taylor said the N.C. League of Municipalities is watching the legislation and trying to keep local governments apprised of the situation. Taylor sat in on a Zoom committee meeting a couple of years ago along with then Rep. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, who is now in the Senate, when the topic was discussed. “They are reviewing that issue and whether the state should weigh in and there are a lot of different views from legislators so I don’t know what will happen,” he said. “The biggest problem with a ban is trying to enforce those prohibitions so it will be interesting to see what happens. My concern is that some of the legislation could be buried in the state budget bill along with other things.”

September 22-28, 2021

can buy a small moderate home close to town, renovate it and make it high end and rent it out short term for $1,000 a weekend,” Taylor said. He added that the resort community also benefits from STRs because the town as a whole only has about 340 hotel beds. When Old Edwards Inn, for example, hosts a large wedding, having available STRs around town helps them to be able to accommodate more people. Meanwhile, he can understand the desire to rent out a part-time residence when the price to build in Highlands right now is between $400 to $500 per square foot. “The temptation is to do short-term rental to get an immediate return on investment,” Taylor said. “AirBnb is taking 10,000 rental units every year and we can’t replace them at the same rate. It’s leading to a long-term housing crisis and my concern is it will keep getting worse.” Huff still thinks the benefits of STRs outweigh Taylor’s concerns about them, including an increase in room tax collections, hosting tourists from all over the world and Highlands’ huge wedding industry. She added that Old Edwards Inn, the largest employer in Highlands, sent out a compelling letter of support of STRs because there are simply not enough hotel rooms for guests. “Another benefit is many of us have bought these properties and put in extensive remodels or repair dollars. We’ve improved

that will affect businesses, jobs and tourism,” she said. She said STR owners have already experienced cancellations from guests unsure how their summer 2022 plans will be affected. Others, she said, have said they don’t want to visit a place that no longer welcomes them. “Consider why people rent our homes to begin with: they want a whole house to relax and enjoy, they want cooking facilities, and they want to bring their dogs. Many enjoy our fireplaces, fire pits and whatever other amenity the home offers,” she said. “We work very hard to ensure our guests feel very welcome and ‘at home.’ The vast majority of guests are very respectful of our home, and our neighbors.” Taylor said the discussion regarding where short-term rentals should be allowed is far from over and there will still be plenty of time for community feedback during the coming months as their legal team guides the board through a thorough review of its ordinances. “We’ve gotten criticism for dragging our feet on this, but we’ve had to deal with COVID just like everyone else,” he said. Commissioner Donnie Calloway was the only board member to oppose the decision to enforce the ordinance as is, but he did not return a phone call asking for comment on the issue.

news

Enrollment, retention dip at WCU University faces recruitment challenges BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER nrollment, retention and freshman interest at Western Carolina University are all down this fall compared to last year, and university leaders are preparing to combat what they believe will be a lingering issue through the pandemic and beyond. “The impact will be felt not only in our overall enrollment but in our retention metrics as well, since our continuing undergraduate students have also been affected,” Chancellor Kelli Brown said when discussing fall enrollment numbers with trustees at their Sept. 3 meeting. “Looking ahead to next year, numerous efforts are underway to positively impact fall 2022 enrollment.”

of people enrolled in those programs increasing by 6.3% compared to last fall. Students who are not taking any in-person courses now account for 23.33% of the total student body — though just 17.37% of full-time loads — and their numbers have increased by 38% since 2014. Graduate and transfer enrollment also rose slightly this year, with full-time equivalencies increasing by 13.2% for transfer students and 1.5% for grad students. The 2021 student body reflects a more diverse group of students, with almost 8% more African Americans, 7.4% more Native Americans and 3% more Hispanic students compared to fall 2019. However, there was a drop in the proportion of male students, who made up only 41.96% of the student body compared to 43.4% in 2019. Until 2020, that

vaccinated or else submit to regular testing. At the Sept. 3 meeting, Brown said that WCU is “committed” to continuing regular activities like in-person classes, sports and campus events but believes that COVID-19 will be a factor “well into the foreseeable future.” “We are strategically planning our efforts to live with our new normal,” she said. All that seems to have dampened the interest of prospective students, and the trials of the past year also took their toll on existing students, possibly contributing to decreased retention. During a Sept. 2 meeting of the Academic Affairs and Personnel Committee, Provost Richard Starnes said that pandemic measures such as virtual learning certainly had an impact on student performance. “Despite having a very good faculty, many of

includes boosting grant and scholarship opportunities and doing a better job of marketing both those opportunities and the cost savings available through the N.C. Promise Tuition Program, which allows in-state undergraduates to attend WCU for just $500 per semester in tuition. That program is “absolutely” still a competitive draw, Miller said Sept. 2, but WCU has also seen other institutions increase their scholarship funds and financial aid programs to better compete with WCU’s artificially low cost. Additionally, in light of the pandemic students are preferring colleges closer to home, which is a challenge for universities located far from urban centers. The university will waive all admission fees for spring, summer and fall 2022, and it’s partnering with the Common App platform to make it easier for prospective students to apply. Additionally, student ambassadors with the new Golden Ambassadors program

RETENTION, FRESHMEN INTEREST FALTER

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

This fall marks the first time since 2015 that WCU posted a fall enrollment figure lower than that of the previous year, with the 11,877 students enrolled as of the 10th day of this semester coming in 3% lower than the 12,243 counted in fall 2020. The decrease is due mainly to a “pretty significant decline” in continued enrollment for in-person students, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Sam Miller told the Administration, Governance and Trusteeship Committee Sept. 2. A drop in first-time, fulltime freshmen contributed as well. “WCU is best known for its strong academic experiences with small classes and with engaged learning, as well as a dynamic student life opportunity,” Miller said. “The realities of the pandemic impacted both of those experiences, and some students have decided not to continue their enrollment with WCU.” The number of first-time, full-time freshmen fell only slightly compared to fall 2020, at just under 3% — but the 1,780 such students who enrolled last fall represented a 14.55% drop from the previous year. Last year, WCU posted a record-high enrollment despite the decrease in new freshmen, but an all-time high retention rate and increases in graduate and distance learning buoyed those numbers. This year, retention cratered. While 81.4% of first-time, full-time freshmen in fall 2019 returned for the fall 2020 semester, this fall just 74.6% of last year’s freshmen continued their education at WCU. Prior to this semester, retention had been holding mostly steady after meeting the long-held goal of 80% in fall 2015, always remaining within 2% of that figure in the years since. The 74.6% freshman retention rate reported this year is the lowest since 2012, when just 73.7% of the previous year’s freshmen returned to campus. There are some “bright spots” in the 2021 enrollment metrics, said Brown. Distance 10 learning continues to surge, with the number

Retention for the fall 2020 cohort was significantly lower than it’s been for any cohort since the 2011 freshman class. WCU graph figure was between 43% and 44% every year since 2011, and higher in prior years. Despite a 3% drop in overall enrollment, the student body remains larger than it was for any academic year prior to 2019-2020.

DASHED HOPES FOR ‘NORMAL’ WCU’s struggles are emblematic of what rural public universities are seeing nationwide, Brown told trustees. “Public four-year college undergraduates in rural areas declined in significantly greater numbers than in our urban counterparts, a trend that is playing out here at Western and affecting our total enrollment — and by extension will have a negative budgetary effect,” she said. As summer bloomed, so did certainty that the pandemic was on its way out and that fall 2021 would offer a typical college experience. In March, the university announced plans for a “nearly normal” fall semester, and Brown doubled down on that assertion during the June 4 Board of Trustees meeting. The previous day, she had lifted the campus mask mandate for most situations. But as the Delta variant drove up case numbers throughout July and August, Brown and her staff reconsidered that plan. Masks are once more required in all indoor public spaces, and “strongly encouraged” at crowded outdoor spaces such as football games. Faculty, staff and students are required to get

our faculty members were inexperienced at using online or hybrid learning, so they were learning too, and many of them were facing some of the same personal challenges of a lot of people in the world,” Starnes said. “I think we did a good job of implementing the instructional plan we developed for last fall and last spring.” Regardless, students struggled. Especially in courses meant to be hands-on or gateway courses such as Calculus 1, the university saw a higher-than-normal rate of students who earned a D or F, or who withdrew or audited the course, Starnes said. With the pandemic now touching its third school year, the university is also battling the downstream impacts of challenges to K-12 education. “We are seeing already students seeking assistance in the math and tutoring center and in the writing work, which I think reflects a gap from the K-12 system,” said Starnes, during a meeting that occurred as the second week of classes came to an end. “That’s not an insult to the K-12 system. It’s a reality. So I think there will be a gap.”

ENROLLMENT STRUGGLES TO CONTINUE Looking ahead, university leaders are developing strategies to improve recruiting and retention in the coming years. The plan

will seek to help the university recruit diverse students. WCU also plans to use federal Higher Education Relief Fund dollars to positively impact enrollment and retention. The Board of Trustees expects to discuss future strategies further during its November retreat. While the current enrollment decline is a result of the pandemic, another cliff is on the horizon. When the recession hit in 2008, birthrates declined severely, and they never returned to pre-recession levels when the economy improved. That means that in about five years, the overall number of high school graduates nationwide will start to decline as those recession-era babies start looking at colleges. The predicted dearth of graduates will be less severe in the South than in the rest of the country, which means that Southern universities could face increased competition from outof-state schools looking to poach their students. The university undoubtedly faces challenges. But Brown said that, though lower than desired, this year’s enrollment figures are “laudable” given “this time in history” — a perspective with which Trustee Bryant Kinney agreed. “I don’t think this tarnishes our brand, and if we allow a drop in the middle of a pandemic to tarnish our brand, that’s our fault,” Kinney said. “Nothing’s changed here with who we are, and let’s not forget that. We’ll be back, we’ll be stronger, and the kids will be back. The world’s changing, and we’ll deal with that.”

If approved, the development would likely necessitate improvements to Sunnyside Road by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Sight lines out of the subdivision looking either direction on Sunnyside are also problematic due to the curvy, hilly nature of the road. The lone entrance/exit onto Sunnyside from the development directly opposes a private driveway; Bradshaw said that was intentional, because offset driveways are a safety hazard. The lone entrance also promises problems for emergency vehicles that need secondary

lengthy public comment session could begin. The room erupted. Many in the audience were out of order with their comments at that time, prompting board Vice Chair Ginger Hain to address them directly. “What we’d like to do is bring back a much better formed packet to you,” Hain said. “This is very rough and we’re very uncomfortable.” Attendees cajoled Smith into letting the meeting continue, something Bradshaw said he’d have no problem with, stating that since he’d already heard the concerns of the plan-

Voted #1 in Haywood County

A proposed subdivision would include 115 units just north of Sunnyside Road, if approved. Haywood GIS photo

ning board, he also wanted to hear the concerns of residents so as to better inform the plan he brings back to the board in the future. Seven members of the audience spoke during the public comment session, all opposed to the plan. Kimberly Turner Mathis, of Sunnyside Road, took issue with the meaning of “density,” saying the 115-lot development didn’t feel like low to medium density. Another Sunnyside Road property owner, Preston Jacobsen, echoed that sentiment. Others voiced concern over the traffic situation, or flood runoff, but former planning board member Jason Rogers, who lives on nearby Counsel Place, said that the development was the “very meaning of urban sprawl” and that it didn’t comply with the town’s development standards. Rogers’ wife, Charlotte, said she wanted to “protect Waynesville from becoming another overcrowded Asheville.” The Waynesville Planning Board will meet again on Oct. 18 and likely hear from the developer, as well as concerned residents. At that point, the board could approve the plan as-is, with changes, or not at all. Any form of planning board approval would have to go through the Waynesville board of aldermen after that, for final approval.

Dog Friendly!

Fine Resale Consignment

LADIE

Experience Ellie's Difference

We have something wonderful for you

Smoky Mountain News

access to the development. If an agreement can’t be worked out with adjoining property owners, the developer would again have to reduce the number of units in the subdivision to make way for another road. An NCDOT traffic study says that in 2019, average daily traffic count on Sunnyside was 350 cars a day, and that a new development of the type proposed by Queen would generate about 800 trips per day. Despite the deficiencies in the plan, Bradshaw, advocating for Queen, said he thought the addition of inventory to a redhot housing market would soften some of these price points on other properties. The required public hearing on the project drew a full house to the Sept. 20 meeting, which began at 5:30 p.m. Many of those in attendance were incensed that they’d been made to sit through several other unrelated planning board agenda items — none of which generated any public comment — to comment on the Sunnyside project, which was the last item on the agenda and didn’t start until almost two hours after the meeting began. When the presentations by Teague and Bradshaw culminated, it was nearly 8 p.m., and Chair Susan Teas Smith proposed a continuance before what promised to be a

September 22-28, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR he seemingly endless conflict between preservation and development in Waynesville — specifically, badly needed housing — entered a new chapter as a proposal for a major subdivision in Waynesville was met with outcry by neighbors who cite sprawl, density and greed as reasons to oppose it. “This is the largest [subdivision] I’ve seen during my time in Waynesville,” said Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague during a meeting of the Waynesville planning board Sept. 20. Located just north of Sunnyside Road between Racoon Road and East Street, the 32-acre parcel owned by John M. Queen is slated for 115 single family homes. Due to a change in state law, the proposed subdivision is the first in Waynesville to go through a process of administrative review, rather than a quasi-judicial proceeding. That means the planning board will no longer approve a master site plan through a process that may be subjective, but instead will objectively consider whether or not the preliminary plat is compliant with the town’s land development standards. The parcel lies within the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. When Queen Development LLC applies for connection to the town’s sewer system, it will also have to apply for formal annexation into the town. Currently, zoning places the parcel in the Racoon Creek Neighborhood Residential District, which calls for medium density residential development at 3.5 units per acre. Plans submitted by Patrick Bradshaw of Civil Design Concepts show lot sizes ranging from around 7,200 square feet on up to 13,000 square feet. The smallest lots have a width of 60 feet, exceeding the minimum 50-foot width called for in town ordinances. Setbacks will be verified through the building permit process. The civic space requirement calls for 5 percent of the total development to be dedicated to such areas, and that 25 percent of that should be for active recreation, like volleyball courts, pavilions and the like. The proposal appears to meet those criteria. The plans, however, left much to the imagination and many issues unresolved. Several of the streets exceed the 500-foot block length standard, although the planning board has the authority to approve them anyway. If the board chooses not to, the developer would have to remove several parcels to make way for a cross street or greenway. The developer will also need to submit a compliant landscaping plan, as well as demonstrate compliance with driveway spacing stipulations. Teague said street lighting would have to be “very sensitively done” to ensure light pollution doesn’t leak out into the surrounding area.

news

Proposed Waynesville subdivision meets stiff initial resistance

MENTION THIS AD FOR A

20% DISCOUNT ON YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE

162 N. Main St., Waynesville

828-476-5018

news

Now Accepting New Patients!

Moving forward by circling back

Specializing in Pediatric Dentistry for Infants, Kids, Special Needs & Teens

Asheville 828-274-9220 Waynesville 828-454-9156 Sylva 828-586-9333 Drs. Chambers, Baechtold, Haldeman, Pratt, Chambers, Hogue, Blackman, Wyble & Chadwick

Orthodontic Specialists for Kids, Teens & Adults

Asheville 828-274-8822 Waynesville 828-407-4034 Sylva 828-586-9333 Reynolds Mountain 828-785-5825

BeGreatDental.com September 22-28, 2021

Chef Neil Ravenna looks to transform Pathways’ dining services. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Pathways new kitchen manager brings education, experience WEST ASHVILLE’S LARGEST OPEN AIR MUSIC & FOOD VENUE

Smoky Mountain News

Outdoor Stage & Dining Live Music | Amazing Eats

743 HAYWOOD RD. WEST ASHEVILLE ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR aywood Pathways Center’s mission has always been to help people from all walks of life get back on their feet, but now for the first time in the organization’s six-year history, it’s taking a bold step into the world of workforce development that could also help alleviate staffing shortages in the region’s hospitality sector. The man they’ve chosen for the job seems to have the right skills, on both sides of the line. “I grew up with two brothers, and my parents owned a foster home for at-risk kids. So there were 18 other kids and then my two brothers and myself,” said Neil Ravenna. “At a very young age, we had instilled in us a sense of compassion.” Originally from Vermont, Ravenna has been involved in the gastronomic world since his first day in high school; he entered a vocational program helmed by a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, and spent the next four years perfecting his chops. Upon graduation at age 17, Ravenna entered the culinary program at Paul Smith’s College in Saranac Lake, New York. “It’s right adjacent to Lake Placid, New

York, and the Olympics were there in 1980. I graduated high school in 1981 so then the following spring there was still a buzz in the town,” he said. “We used a lot of the facilities that were built for the Olympics. It was pretty cool being up there.” By age 19 he was working in restaurants in Burlington and Rutland, Vermont and a decade later found himself employed by a Tampa resort. He ended up in Tuscaloosa in 1996, where he served as the executive chef at the University of Alabama. “I was at this antebellum home called the University Club, which sits right on the campus,” he said. “Two-story, fine dining, seven dining rooms, full kitchen. We did weddings — two weddings every Saturday. It’s where the dignitaries and everything would come, and it used to be the governor’s mansion when Tuscaloosa was the capital of Alabama.” While at Alabama, Ravenna began teaching at Shelton State Community College, where he was asked to write a full curriculum for a culinary arts degree program. Once it was approved by the state, Ravenna became the director of the program. “That was an associate of arts degree program, but they also had a certificate program that took folks who were on public assistance, who needed a lift up, who needed a hand, and taught them a trade so that they could get off of public assistance and out into the workforce,” he said. One of Ravenna’s tasks was to assess what skills area employers were looking for, so he

checked in with 250 restaurants in the fivecounty Tuscaloosa area. “It was basic culinary arts where you could go to an entry-level position in the kitchen. The real things are the simplest things that you would take for granted in the kitchen — your knife skills, what knives to use, what knives not to use on certain tasks, all of your food sanitation and safety issues,” he said. “Everybody that left both programs were ServSafe certified.” ServSafe is an educational program offered by the National Restaurant Association that teaches food safety to restaurant workers. “That was great,” he said, “because in that state you had to have ServSafe certification in the kitchen.” Ravenna said he saw real results, and lives changed, because the training at Shelton State gave participants skills that would make them more employable. “The best example is a young lady, she was actually in the certificate program,” he said. “She had two children. She came in, got her certificate and went to work at a Salvation Army running their soup kitchen and she did it for years and years and years. Both programs are still up and running and they’ve even built big teaching kitchens and everything. I was there at the beginning when we were working out of classrooms with hot plates.” Eventually Ravenna moved back to Tampa and accepted a position as a personal chef for

ounded in 2015, Pathways is a former state prison that now serves as home for up to 96 people at a time in three gender-segregated dorms for men, women and families. Pathways’ residents must be a Haywood resident, pass drug screenings, abide by the rules, pitch in with chores and demonstrate progress in dealing with whatever issues — drug abuse, homelessness, unemployment — brought them there if they want to stay for the maximum of six months. After

that, they’re expected to make a productive reentry into society. But while they’re there, they’ve all gotta eat. Usually, Pathways serves dinner seven nights a week to anyone who wants it, including nonresidents. That’s fluctuated with COVID-19 reductions in capacity and accessibility, but breakfast is also served to residents each morning, and sometimes lunches and dinners are packed for residents who leave for work each day. Even with the disruption in 2020, Pathways served more than 42,000 meals. That’s around 115 a day. Fortunately, Pathways has a small mess hall attached to a full commercial kitchen well stocked with utensils and thousands upon thousands of pounds of food donated each year by grocers, individuals and food bank networks. Those supplies are turned into meals most often by volunteer cook teams, usually staffed by churches, civic organizations or other groups of volunteers. The Coronavirus Pandemic disrupted that too, when campus was closed to outsiders last year, and many of the volunteers found other ways to serve their community and haven’t yet returned. That situation was exacerbated further with the recent resignation of the kitchen manager — the glue that brings the volunteer cook teams, the donated food and the diners together. “Neil had emailed me a couple months ago and it got stuck down in my email and then our kitchen coordinator resigned,” said

“I keep circling back around to this kind of environment where people don’t have the choice of going out to eat and fine dining. To think about somebody who has all kinds of problems that most people don’t think are problems, like where your next meal is coming from, I think I can take my abilities and help that.” — Neil Ravenna

Mandy Haithcox, executive director at Pathways. “And then I said, ‘I have this email I need to reply to,’ and here he is.” Haithcox said she’d actually interviewed Ravenna for the position three years ago, but didn’t have the money to pay him. “It just came together,” Ravenna said. “I reached out to her to say, ‘Hey, how’s it going? What’s happening over there?’ I hadn’t talked to her in two-and-a-half years, and it was the same week that the kitchen manager resigned.”

Now, Ravenna will take over the kitchen manager job and oversee the operations of the Holy Cow food truck while applying his teaching-based approach to residents who are looking to acquire valuable skills. Ravenna will also be responsible for recruiting and reinvigorating the volunteer cook teams. A few of Ravenna’s proposed changes might make that volunteer opportunity more appealing. “One of the things that Neil can do is put together a whole dish, so that whoever the cook team is — especially if they have people who don’t know how to cook or they have younger kids or whatever — can just come in and heat it up and serve it and be able to focus more attention on being able to provide community for people and build those relationships,” Haithcox said. Volunteers will still be able to fly solo on dinner prep if they wish, but either way they may just walk away with some new kitchen skills of their own — Ravenna said he’d be present during many of the cook team shifts. At this stage of his career Ravenna still has a passion for the job, but it’s also clear that the sense of compassion instilled in him while growing up in a home full of foster children hasn’t faded. “I get to do all the things that mom said, ‘don’t do,’” Ravenna said. “I get to play with my food. I get to play with fire. I get to play with sharp knives. And those are all things that you’re always told not to do but now I can do all of that and help a whole bunch of people.”

I INTEND TO BE A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF IN HAYWOOD COUNTY IN THE UPCOMING 2022 ELECTION. My career began in 1976 and I have worked for Sheriffs Jack Arrington, Tom Alexander and Bob Suttles.

Medicaid in NC has Cha anged

Call 877-201-3750 or visit ncmedicaidombudsman.org This message is brought to yyo ou by by Pisgah Legal Services

• Detention Officer • Deputy Sheriff • Detective • Drug Agent • Chief of Detectives • Chief Deputy • Acting Sheriff

Smoky Mountain News

The NC Medicaid Ombudsman can help h you: • Know your rights • Solve problems • Refer you to legal aid if you aren’t getting g the care that you need

During my 35 years of law enforcement experience in Haywood County, I have held the following positions:

September 22-28, 2021

Larry E. Bryson, former Chief Deputy Haywood County Sheriff's Office, announces that

news

a family until he decided to head north. “I started to miss Vermont and missed the mountains, and thought North Carolina would be a nice in-between,” he said. “I enjoy winter. I enjoy the cold, but not eight months of it.” He found what he called “a pretty little restaurant” in Bryson City that was looking for an executive chef and settled in at the Everett Hotel and Bistro, but after a few years felt a change was due. Ravenna said he’s since been working here and there, helping out friends at their own restaurants until starting at Pathways a few weeks ago. “I’ve worked in restaurants and resorts and schools and everything like that, but I keep circling back around to this kind of environment where people don’t have the choice of going out to eat and fine dining,” he said. “They have to eat for necessity and to live. To think about somebody who has all kinds of problems that most people don’t think are problems, like where your next meal is coming from, I think I can take my abilities and help that.”

I look forward to serving the people of Haywood County again.

Larry E. Bryson Paid for by Committee to Elect Bryson Sheriff 2022

news

Dueling rallies in Haywood highlight persistent divisiveness BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR f anyone thought that the political polarization of 2020 died with President Donald Trump’s election loss that year, they’d need only look to a noisy pair of competing actions in Haywood County last Sunday. It all started with an anti-Cawthorn rally hosted by the Asheville-based Sunrise Movement, a progressive climate-focused advocacy group that’s dogged Rep. Madison Cawthorn since before he was first elected. About 60 people took to the historic courthouse lawn, for which the group had a permit, to demand Cawthorn support a Civilian Climate Corps and make further investments in education, public housing, renewable energy and transportation. A group of about 60 Republicans, responding to a call by Haywood County GOP Chair Kay Miller, showed up an hour earlier to occupy the sidewalk setting up a confrontational scene eerily reminiscent of last summer’s Black Lives Matter/Back the Blue events. No permit is required to demonstrate on the sidewalk. “We wanted to show support for our Representative Madison Cawthorn,” Miller said. “He’s taken a lot of heat since he was elected. And you know, we’re just out here and we’ve got another group over here, kind

September 22-28, 2021

of an opposing group. And the nice thing about today is that we have liberty, and they have their First Amendment and we have our

First Amendment.” As members of the Sunrise Movement gave speeches on a PA from the courthouse steps,

Haywood activist shakes up NC11 Dem Primary

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR rogressive Haywood County organizer Chelsea White made it official during a Sept. 19 rally at the Haywood County Courthouse — she’s running for Congress. “I’m sick of for-profit politicians using the mountain folks of Western North Carolina to take their photo ops, to build their personal ego-driven agenda and to not actually fight for any changes that lift up the people here in the community,” said White, referring to incumbent freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn. White, who was raised in Jackson County, earned her bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University in 2016 and in 2018 her master’s in social work with a focus on rural community advocacy. Although she’s probably best known as a former Down Home North Carolina organizer, she said she’s spent much of her life working as a waitress and cashier. “This campaign is actually about build14 ing a movement of mountain folks who

Smoky Mountain News

A group of Cawthorn supporters from the Haywood County GOP (background) watches as anti-Cawthorn demonstrators hold a rally Sept. 19. Cory Vaillancourt photo

aren’t having their voices heard,” White said. “I have firsthand experience being in the service industry and retail industry since the age of 15. I know what it’s like to work for over a decade and to still struggle to afford the rent on a single-wide trailer. I know what it’s like to have a college degree and to not find a job that pays you a living wage or provides any healthcare benefits. It’s not just about the issues, but it’s about also building a movement where my people, our people, out here in Western North Carolina, feel their own power and their own stake in this and they feel strong enough to step up and confront the people who want to keep using us for their agenda.” The top issues for White include bringing better paying union jobs with benefits to the district, along with affordable healthcare access and sustainable infrastructure. Until just days ago, White had been registered as an unaffiliated voter, despite previously voting in Democratic Primary Elections and advocating for liberal causes. She’s since switched her registration back

Chelsea White becomes the eighth Democrat to run in NC11. Cory Vaillancourt photo to Democrat. That registration switch is notable — North Carolina General Statute 163-106.1 requires a candidate to be affiliated with a party “for at least 90 days as of the date of that person filing such notice of candidacy.” The last day to file for the March 2022 primary will be Dec. 17. Depending on the date White changed her registration, she could be cutting it close, but White said she

counterdemonstrators shouted, chanted, played music through bullhorns and revved their engines, attempting to drown out Sunrise Movement speakers. One man parked his car and leaned on his horn for several minutes until a Waynesville Police officer had words with him. Some patrons of area businesses like Sauced left the area due to the noise. Miller said her counterdemonstration came about when they learned of the Sunrise Movement’s permit. “We’re here for liberty and that covers a lot of things,” Miller said. “I think we’ll probably be doing more of this. It just depends on what’s going on and our folks that we can get out.” Rep. Mark Pless, R-Canton, was among the counterdemonstrators. “These folks came out and they decided that they wanted to set up a protest in Haywood County and the protest is against climate change, but it’s also against Madison Cawthorn,” Pless said. “I’m here as a Republican and as an elected official to counter their thoughts of what global warming is really all about.” But, Pless said he was aware of the divisiveness, and that he supported the right of both sides to exercise their First Amendment rights. “I think it’s kind of interesting if you sit and you look at the number of people on both sides of the aisle that are out here, you have a lot of people that are upset and you have a lot of people that are just here to have their wishes known,” he said. “And this is what America’s about. Whether I agree with them or whether I disagree with them, it’s about being able to express your opinions peacefully and everything has been peaceful so far.”

thought she was in the clear. Running as an unaffiliated candidate would require a petition drive and roughly 8,000 valid signatures — a substantial undertaking. Including Cawthorn himself, there are now 14 Primary Election candidates in NC11. White becomes the eighth Democrat to join the Primary Election field, which currently includes Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Jay Carey, Katie Dean, Eric Gash, Bo Hess, Josh Remillard and Brooker Smith. Republicans Eric Batchelor, Rod Honeycutt, Wendy Nevarez and Bruce O’Connell have likewise entered the Republican Primary Election contest. A Libertarian, David Coatney, has also announced his candidacy. Defeating all of them will be a challenge for White — a challenge she says she’s ready to meet. “I’ve been in the process of building a movement in Western North Carolina for almost a decade. Now my relationships span from Murphy on one side of the district all the way through McDowell County on the other side of the district,” she said. “I’ve got personal relationships, my expertise, and my passion is in deep canvassing in relational organizing. And that’s what it’s going to take to win in a district like this.” Filing for the 2022 General Election doesn’t begin until early December.

Town takes over Downtown Waynesville Association duties

Home & Business Feng Shui Consultations Intuitive Coaching · Spiritual Medium

Be Bold! Design Your Life! Book a Virtual Walk Thru or Intuitive Coaching Appointment

In Home Consultations Available!

SabrinaMathenyDesigns.com

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR fter months of debating the future of Waynesville’s downtown business district, the Waynesville Board of Aldermen voted unanimously during a Sept. 14 meeting to take over management of the special tax district instead of renewing the town’s contract with the Downtown Waynesville Association. Alderman Anthony Sutton made the motion to have Waynesville’s Downtown Municipal Service District administered as a division of the town government and that the town staff develop an organizational plan for the aldermen’s consideration at an upcoming board meeting. Sutton said his motion was due to the fact that several members of the DWA’s executive board had recently resigned. In the last several weeks, DWA chairwoman Carolyn Brunk (Oak Park Inn) and Vice Chairman Jonathan Key (The Mountaineer) resigned from the executive board. Members Morgan Beryl (Haywood County Arts Council) and Joey Fuseler (Mast

General Store) also resigned from the board. The renewal of the DWA’s contract has been a fairly automatic process in the past, but this year aldermen had more questions about the DWA’s processes and concerns about the organization’s progress when it came up for a vote in June. With longtime DWA Director Buffy Phillips giving notice of her impending retirement back in March, the board started making plans for her replacement. However, that process had to be put on the backburner when Sutton requested five years’ worth of DWA board minutes and other financial documents before he would agree to vote in favor of a new contract. To date, Sutton still hasn’t received the documents he requested. Without Phillips at the helm, the DWA moved forward with presenting its proposal to the town for managing the MSD for another five years, but aldermen weren’t pleased with the proposal, claiming it was incomplete and full or errors. The town gave the DWA 90 days to submit a new proposal, but frustrations mounted during that time and members started to resign. Now the town will be tasked with establishing a new Downtown Waynesville Committee and appointing new members to serve on the committee. Aldermen will discuss more details at a future meeting.

Intuitive Mentor & Coach

September 22-28, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS also a downtown resident, during an initial STAFF WRITER discussion Aug. 26. “It doesn’t make sense to wo new changes to Sylva’s rules for have Main Street restrictions and then tell downtown parking are now in effect fol- everybody to park somewhere else and not lowing a pair of unanimous votes at the give them somewhere else to park.” Sept. 9 town board meeting. The second change comes in response to After a first reading Aug. 26, commission- two complaints the town has received regarders voted unanimously Sept. 9 to clarify rules for electric vehicle drivers and for people who live or work downtown. A public hearing was held for each of the two changes at the beginning of the Sept. 9 meeting, but nobody gave comment at that time. Sylva’s code of ordinances currently forbids downtown tenants and f employees from parking A quarter-acre parking lot the Town of Sylva leases on the coralong Main Street and Mill ner of Main and Landis streets is one of three lots where Street, as well as East downtown residents and workers are encouraged to park in a Jackson Street between newly approved ordinance amendment. Lilly Knoepp photo Evalina and Spring streets. However, town regulations didn’t specify any areas where residents and ing people parking in the town’s electric vehiemployees were encouraged to park. cle charging stations but not using them to The newly amended ordinance fixes that charge a car. Commissioners voted unaniissue, designating the Bridge Park Parking mously to add a stipulation to its parking Lot, the Cogdill Parking Lot, and the lot at the ordinance stating that no vehicle may park in intersection of Main and Landis Streets as free a charging station space unless it is an electric parking areas for residents and employees. vehicle and is plugged into the charging sta“Both these things make sense to me,” tion. Violating this rule will result in a parksaid Commissioner Greg McPherson, who is ing ticket.

Sabrina Matheny Designs news

Parking rule changes approved in Sylva

news

Designs unveiled for Jackson pool Updated costs expected in spring BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER aves, water and mountain streams will be key design elements at Jackson County’s new indoor pool complex, commissioners heard during a Sept. 14 work session with the company carrying out the $20 million project. “I know this topic has kind of gone off the radar for a few months, but there has been a lot of work that’s being done and accomplished,” said County Manager Don Adams. Designs and renderings from Ashevillebased Clark Nexsen are now complete, and the next step is to prepare the construction documents that companies will use to bid on the project. If all goes according to schedule, those documents will be complete by April, with the bidding period running from May to June of next year. Construction will start in June or July, wrapping up by the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024. The 30-minute update Sept. 14 included extensive discussion of the design concepts and building layout, including a 3D tour of the planned 30,800-square-foot complex. The building will be co-located with the existing Cullowhee Recreation Center and

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

Sunlight and transparency between pool spaces are key to the pool’s design. Clark Nexsen rendering will include a new lobby area to serve the entire complex. Walking down the hall from the reception desk, locker rooms will be on the right with pools on the left — first a sixlane competition pool featuring an aquatic climbing wall and then a leisure pool complete with vortex, basketball nets and a splash pad. A pair of party rooms will sit next to the leisure pool. Clark Nexsen Principal Chad Roberson told commissioners that, after brainstorm-

e m o c l e W l l a ’ Y l to Fal

Come See Oural Seasonr! Deco

Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 16

120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

ing concepts with county staff, designers came away with the charge to create a space that would feel dynamic, natural and joyful. From that, they set out to plan the meeting of the two pool spaces to have the “dynamic quality of moving and cresting water,” and to wherever possible call up the idea of mountain streams flowing over rocks and through trees. Toward that end, the design incorporates transparent walls and elements of wood and stone.

Jackson County residents had been pushing for years to build an indoor pool, but the project’s immense anticipated cost perennially stymied the effort, as multiple boards of commissioners questioned whether voters would still want a pool if building one required a tax increase. In 2020, the board put that very question directly to the voters, who approved a $20 million bond for pool construction with a slim majority of 51.41%. At the time, the total project was estimated at $19.95 million, with $380,000 in annual operating costs. However, those figures could change due to inflation and ongoing supply chain issues. Typically, said Roberson, costs will escalate 5-8% in any given year, but escalation since last year is at about 25%. “There’s a lot of procurement issues right now. Roofing is very difficult to get a hold of. Single-ply membrane roofing is very difficult to get a hold of,” he told commissioners. “A lot of manufacturers are not guaranteeing delivery, and they’re not guaranteeing a price until they are able to deliver. Our hope is and the way things seem to be trending is in the springtime it would calm down a little bit.” The $19.95 million estimate was based on a 2020 study Clark Nexsen performed prior to the November vote. But the company will refine that estimate as it finishes the construction document process, providing the county with additional numbers in the spring.

SMN to host candidate forums

Haywood man pleads guilty to possessing child porn A sex offender will spend at least sevenand-a-half years in prison after a probation officer discovered child pornography on the Haywood County man’s phone.

2021

Sat. Oct. 2 10 - 4PM

DILLSBORO, NC A SHOW OF

FINE ARTS & FINE CRAFTS

OVER 40 VENDORS!!

Food & Entertainment SPONSORED BY THE DILLSBORO MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION AND THE TOWN OF DILLSBORO

September Special

OFF

THAI MASSAGE Expires Sept. 30, 2021.

Smoky Mountain News

A forum with the candidates for Maggie Valley Town Board of Aldermen will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, at the Maggie Valley Town Hall. There are four candidates competing four two available seats, Alderwoman Twinkle Patel, John Hinton, Jeff Lee and Jim Owens. Candidates will be asked a series of questions and each will be given equal time to respond. Early voting begins Oct. 14, Election Day is Nov. 2.

Ronald Lee Smith, 50, this month in Haywood County Superior Court pleaded guilty to nine counts third-degree exploitation of a minor, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said. “This office has zero tolerance for people who possess child porn,” she said. “We prosecute these cases vigorously to both protect future victims and protect the community.” Maggie Valley police arrested Smith in March of this year. Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts sentenced Smith to a minimum active term of 10 months in prison for each count of possessing sexually explicit photos of children. He ordered the sentences be served consecutively, or one after the other. Smith could serve as much as 15 years and nine months in prison. In North Carolina, felons must serve entire minimum sentences; conduct while serving determines whether maximum sentences are imposed. In May 2017, Smith pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and, in 2018, to failure to register sex offender.

13TH ANNUAL

September 22-28, 2021

aywood County Public Health has received notice of 321 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week. According to the CDC, all of North Carolina is listed as an area of high community transmission. All surrounding states are also high-transmission areas. Mask-wearing indoors is now highly recommended in such areas. Masks are now required in Haywood County facilities, including the libraries, for employees and the public. This week 84.1 percent of COVID cases were among those unvaccinated. Nearly all of those who require hospitalization are unvaccinated. “Positive cases continue to rise and the loss in our community has been tremendous as we recorded 12 COVID-related deaths last week. The vast majority of positive cases are among our unvaccinated population. If you are unvaccinated, I urge you to reconsider. If you are on the fence, please reach out to our staff or your primary care provider for information about the vaccine so that we can address any concerns that you may have,” said Haywood County Public Health Director Sarah Henderson. “I want to remind the community that at this time we are awaiting further guidance from the FDA and CDC regarding the administration of boosters. Currently, we are not administering boosters but will make the community aware when information becomes available to us.” Walk-in first and second-dose vaccinations are available at the health department and at grocery stores and pharmacies throughout the county. The health department sent out a heartfelt press release on Sept. 16 announcing 12 more COVID-19 related deaths. “This is the kind of information no one wants to have to share with our community. We’ve written and shared so many of these reports that it’s easy to become numb to what

they represent. So perhaps some perspective is in order. One month ago we were all shocked and saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of six members of our community to the floods that swept away so much from us. This week we have the sad news to share that twice that number, 12 from among us, have been lost due to COVID-19.” To date, Haywood County has now lost 127 people to COVID-19. This week, the youngest person was between the ages of 4550, one was between the ages of 50-55, four were between the ages of 55-60, one between the ages of 60-65, one between the ages of 7075, one between the ages of 75-80, two between the ages of 80-85, and the oldest was between the ages of 85-90. All the deaths listed COVID-19 as the immediate or underlying cause of death on the death certificate. Most died at either Haywood Regional Medical Center or Mission Hospital. One died at Autumn Care, and one died at home. “Privacy laws prevent telling these people’s stories and sharing the details of their lives that make them real to people who might not have known them, but surely each was loved and cherished in their lifetime. The dry details of these releases fail to share the magnitude of the loss of these 127 lives to our community. Each life is valuable,” Henderson said. Kathy McGaha, Macon County health director, also presented a grim picture for county commissioners during a Sept. 14 meeting. With more than 400 active cases and a 25% positive case rate, she said Macon was still in the midst of the fourth wave of COVID-19. The department isn’t performing as many vaccinations as it would like while continuing to test and also trying to get started on flu vaccines with a limited staff. “We have issues dealing with fatigue. The staff has been going at this for 79 weeks. We have 15 vacancies out of 63 positions and it’s hard,” she said. “We can handle being bashed by the community but for long period of time it gets really hard. And we’re not able to easily replace those vacancies because of high demand.”

news

COVID cases still climbing

Visit our website for more info on how we are being proactive to prevent the spread of Covid-19

828.944.0288 | MaggieValleyWellness.com 461 MOODY FARM ROAD, MAGGIE VALLEY

news

FACES

HAYWOOD

grateful for “W eourarepartnership

with the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has been instrumental in the holistic approach to our business. We believe in leaving a positive social impact on our community and small businesses in Haywood County. We thrive on empowering small business owners to take a step in the Digital World to advance online. The Chamber of Commerce is an integral part of marketing for any local businesses.”

Lorelei Garnes WNC Social Media Buzz

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

828.456.3021 HaywoodChamber.com

Triple-Win Climate Solutions: What have we done? Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. —William Wordsworth, 1798

he ﬁrst Triple-win Climate Solutions article by the WNC Climate Action Coalition appeared in The Mountaineer online edition in February 2020. Later last year our column was picked up for the Smoky Mountain News print edition. In 2021, we are grateful to report, both newspapers began publishing the column print and online. Our articles are also posted on http://WNCclimateaction.com The sole goal of Triple-win Climate Solutions is to give people in our region the knowledge and resources needed to take action to help mitigate the effects of climate change, starting here in the western-most region of our state. We’re an all-volunteer group, most of us retirees, a number of us scientists, an increasing number high school students and university science majors. We have no treasury and collect no money except what we spend individually for projects such as printing ﬂyers or renting a venue. As we look forward to autumn in the Smokies, this seems a good time to take stock of what has been accomplished so far toward preventing the catastrophes that nearly 100 percent of cli-

mate scientists say we must avoid by keeping global warming to 1.5 Celsius or below. Earth is already at 1.1 and climbing. So for the next article in this series, we ask you to write to us, the communications committee. If you have made any changes in your home, business, travel, or other area of your life as a result of reading a Triple-win article or articles, please tell us about it. We’ve written about everything from ending plastic bag use to pollinator-saving home recipes to replace toxic herbicides and pesticides to green investing. You can refresh your memory by reviewing the articles at http://wncclimateaction.com or searching for “Triple-win” on the Smoky Mountain News and Mountaineer websites. • Have you planted an organic raised-bed garden? Started using more LED light bulbs? Shifted investments out of fossil-supporting stocks and into a sustainability portfolio? Refused most or all plastic bags in favor of your own reusable, washable bags for all shopping? • Why did you decide to make that change? How did you go about it? • Was it a family, school, or work place project? If you volunteered with an organization such as Haywood Waterways Association or Moun-

CJP/Getty Images

tain True, what was the project? • How well is it working so far? • What plans, if any, do you have for new climate-mitigating projects? Please email your story. To avoid getting sent

to spam, type in the Subject line “My climate project. ” Type/paste your story into the body of the email —no attachments, please. Send your email to MJCinWNC@gmail.com — By WNC CAC volunteer, co-founder and Triple-win Editor Mary Jane Curry

Business

Smoky Mountain News

Winners of Chamber Challenge golf tournament The 30th annual Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament was held on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Held for the fourth year in a row at Sequoyah National Golf Club in Cherokee, the chamber hosted a field of 23 four-person teams of 92 golfers. The results are as follows: First place — Yonah First Flight winners John Ellis, (from left) Noah Heatherly, Jerry McKinney and Steve Heatherly. Second place — SELU Second Flight Josh Estes, (from left) Tim Jones, Scott Manshack, and Jeff Goss. Proceeds help support chamber operations, two scholarships at SCC and WCU, events like Concerts on the Creek, July 4 Fireworks, the Hook, Line and Drinker Festival, and more. Kelly Donaldson/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

First place

WCU to offer online grant writing certificate Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering an online grant writing certificate program entitled, “Grant Writing in Action: Skills and Abilities,” from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, Thursday-Friday, Oct. 14-15 and Thursday-Friday, Oct. 21-22 via Zoom. The workshop will cover topics such as designing logic models, evaluations, and Gantt charts as well as providing useful tools, such as group exercises to facilitate idea generation, for participant use in their organizations. The registration fee for the program is $559. For more information and to register, visit pdp.wcu.edu and look under “One-Day Workshops” or call 828.227.7397.

Chamber partners for flood relief fund Haywood Strong Disaster Relief Fund is one of the initiatives created by the Haywood Business Support Task Force, a group formed soon after the impact of Tropical Storm Fred began as a local effort to provide support to the business community, which drives the local economy. In addition to the Relief Fund program, the task force will provide comprehensive information, printed resources, and town hall meetings. The relief fund is made possible through a partnership with Mountain Bizworks. The program is set up to award qualified businesses with a small grant. There is a task force set up to review applications and initiate awards every two weeks within a 90-day period, or until funds run out.

Second place “Haywood County is a great place to live and work even during times of crisis. One of the things that makes Haywood County special is that we’re a community that has strong representation in all aspects of business development.” shares Haywood Chamber of Commerce President CeCe Hipps. The task force is currently making a promotional push to add funds to an already $60,000 donation by requesting donations earmarked for business recovery. Donations are currently being accepted. For information on how to support the program, call 828.456.3021 or email chipps@haywoodchamber.com.

New boutique in Franklin The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed 828 Magnolias to the Franklin business community. Owned by Tiffany Brown and located at 199 Sloan Road, the boutique is open Tuesday through Friday. 828 Magnolias carries men’s clothing, women’s sizes small to 3X, shoes, accessories, children’s clothes in a wide variety of sizes from infants to 10/12 boys and girls. Brands offered include Flying Monkey jeans, ZIMEGO for men, Urban Daizy, Pol and many more. “We opened our store with the hopes of giving our town more options for clothing and are beyond blessed at the support we’ve received so far,” said Brown.

UCB welcomes new branch manager United Community Bank recently announced that Mel Wilson has joined the team as the branch manager for the Waynesville office.

“We’re thrilled that Mel is leading our team in Waynesville,” said John Goins, United Community Bank’s North Carolina Regional President. “He is an outstanding addition to our organization, and I look forward to seeing the difference he will make for the bank and the Haywood County community.” Wilson began his career as a teller, where he focused on customer service, operational excellence and sales. He’s also served as a universal banker, a financial center manager, and a branch manager. He has a bachelor’s degree from Wofford College, a Masters of Divinity from Duke University, and an MBA from Winthrop University. “I’m excited to work with the Waynesville team to provide the high level of service United is known for,” said Wilson. “Haywood County is my favorite place in the world, and it will be a pleasure to serve the community with the bank’s expansive resources, capabilities and expertise.”

Beverly-Hanks listing wins HGTV contest A listing represented by Brent Russell of Beverly-Hanks, Realtors has been selected as a winner in the HGTV Ultimate House Hunt 2021. The month-long online promotion was held on HGTV.com to showcase incredible real estate listings. More than 1.5 million votes were cast to determine the winners among 66 finalists in eight categories: Amazing Kitchens, Beachfront Homes, Countryside Retreats, Curb Appeal, Downtown Dwellings, Homes with a History, Outdoor Escapes, and Waterside Homes. The Beverly-Hanks listing received the most votes in the Downtown Dwellings category, reflecting the home’s exceptional appeal to HGTV.com’s dedicated audience of home enthusiasts. The extraordinary luxury condo is located at 75 Broadway Street #301 in Asheville. The winning

home will receive editorial exposure on HGTV.com, as well as the prestige of being selected as a fan favorite. To view the listing and all winning properties, visit www.hgtv.com/ultimatehousehuntwinners. To learn more about this available luxury home for sale, visit beverly-hanks.com/3718595.

Canopy donates $400,000 to flood recovery The Board of Directors of Canopy Realtor Association and Canopy MLS, unanimously voted Aug. 26 to donate $200,000 each, for a total of $400,000 in funds to support Haywood County flood relief efforts. Seventy-five percent, amounting to $300,000 in funding, will be allocated to the United Way of Haywood County, and the remaining 25 percent, amounting to $100,000, will be donated to Mountain Projects, for a grand total of $400,000. Canopy Realtor Association is headquartered in Charlotte and is the professional trade association that provides Realtors in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Haywood counties with resources and services to conduct ethical, professional and profitable businesses. Haywood Board of Realtors became part of Canopy Realtor Association on Jan. 1, 2020, establishing the Western Region.

Jersey Mike’s now in Sylva Jersey Mike’s Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, recently open at 374 Walmart Plaza, in Sylva. Franchise owners Dan Mustian and Rodger Blake-Ward are excited to welcome the community to the new location in Sylva. Guests can place takeout orders in-store or for pickup through the website or through the Jersey Mike’s app. Additionally, delivery is available in most areas through the Jersey Mike’s app or through thirdparty delivery partners. Curbside pickup is available for orders placed in Jersey Mike’s app. The restaurant’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Contact this location directly at 828.477.4499.

4L Farms & Market opens in Franklin The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed 4L Farm and Market to the business community at 61 S. Patton Avenue (previously Frogtown Market). Owners Ben and Kimberly Ledford and Philip Lowe are excited to offer both a lunch menu and a retail meat market. 4L Farm and Market serves lunch Monday-Friday offering a variety of menu items, fresh local burgers, smoked meat plates, sandwiches and salads. Orders can be called in for faster pick up at 828.369.0001. Dine in seating and delivery in town are available. The retail meat market is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday carrying local meat selection including beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs and milk.

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville I

Truth matters, but some don’t see it To the Editor: I fear for my country. The cause of my anxiety is the judgment that our nation has regressed beyond the point of no return. A number of events has led to that conclusion, and chief among them is America’s acceptance of Donald Trump’s neutralizing our collective ability to determine right from wrong. Presently available (thru American Mint), for just $99, is the MAGA Movement Commemorative Coin Set. To quote from the ad I saw in the August 2021 issue of the VFW Magazine (I’ll get back to that): “From visionary economic initiatives, to his strong stance and decisive actions to protect our nation against harm, President Trump has proven that his commitment to putting America first was just what the nation needed. As President, he showed little patience for the status quo that has crippled Washington politics for decades and has taken the bold steps necessary to put America back on top as the most respected nation in the world.” That’s simply untrue. The 45th President betrayed the nation and the people he took an oath to protect. He tweeted, he watched FOX News, and he golfed. He used his power to spread lies and disinformation and poison our politics. He pandered to dictators, alienated our allies, and encouraged and emboldened white supremacists. On top of all that,

brick sidewalks, buried utility lines, decorative lampposts, shade trees and more all came to Main Street. Through the years this public-private partnership — with the DWA leading the way in raising funds and corralling business and property owners to the cause — created the downtown Waynesville we have today, one often cited as the best-looking business district in the state. When I interviewed those who were involved in the DWA’s creation, one of the things that most impressed Editor me was the early emphasis on the arts. Haywood Community College already had a successful crafts curriculum and Haywood Arts Repertory Theater was producing plays on Main Street at the time, so focusing on art to lure businesses and people to downtown made sense. Think Church Street Arts and Crafts Festival, think Folkmoot, think Haywood County Arts Council and of the artists who have called Main Street home through the years. Waynesville was practicing heritage tourism before it became a catchphrase. Now, 36 years later, Waynesville’s arts community is vibrant and a big part of its culture, something that gives the business district a distinctive flair. So how did the DWA lose its way? I sat through meetings where clear differences on how to promote the district and what events to hold were argued. There were factions on the board who wanted to move in new directions while other

Scott McLeod

t was tough to witness the demise of the Downtown Waynesville Association. The DWA has a long, proud history, one of dedicated volunteers who through hard work and smarts filled empty storefronts and changed Waynesville forever. As a business owner, as someone who has served on the DWA board, and as a journalist who has been covering this group’s many successes for nearly 30 years, though, I’m convinced that — right now — this is the best move for property owners, merchants and the town. Waynesville aldermen made the unanimous decision last week to take the downtown property tax money away from the Downtown Waynesville Association. That tax money is raised through an extra levy on what’s formally known as the Municipal Service District, a stretch of Main Street running for about a mile and including some properties on side streets such as Depot and Church streets. How dedicated were those property owners and merchants who formed the DWA in 1985? At that time Waynesville’s Main Street had a 23 percent vacancy rate and shoppers were skipping downtown in favor of retail centers on the town’s outskirts. That led to something I don’t think would even come close to happening today — those who worked and owned buildings downtown agreed to a tax increase on themselves in order to come up with money to hire an executive director and fund improvements. After the business owners agreed to the tax, the town committed to helping out. Through the MSD tax, fund-raising and with town labor, amenities like benches, landscaping,

LETTERS throughout his last year in office, he downplayed and actually worsened the global pandemic costing tens of thousands of Americans their lives. He was twice impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. The

Republican Party (in the face of overwhelming evidence) twice revealed its cowardice and complicity by acquitting him. We have always defined the United States as a nation of laws and the incontrovertible premise that no one is above those laws. Donald Trump and the GOP have, over and over and over again, proven that doctrine an

long-timers argued for the status quo. During this time there were abrupt board resignations and split votes until a general dysfunction settled in just a few years ago. Unfortunately, these differences lasted until an almost Machiavellian drama played out, one side dumping those they disagreed with and taking over the executive board. Then, when it came time to hire a new executive director, that executive board did not have the time or the expertise to make it happen. Remember, these board members are all volunteers who have jobs, businesses to run, families to spend time with. In the last couple of months there were mass resignations from the executive board. In effect, the town has swept in to rescue the Municipal Service District. The vote was unanimous and all aldermen were on board. Merchants will witness a professional hiring process for an executive director and the promise to form a volunteer committee to advise the new executive director and do much of what the DWA was doing. Who knows what will come of the nonprofit DWA with no funding mechanism and very few executive board members left. This, however, can be said of the DWA: from the late 1980s into the early 2000s, it saved and over time transformed downtown Waynesville. That group is largely responsible for what one sees today as you walk Main Street. Now, it’s up to the current elected and business leaders to step up and lead downtown Waynesville into the future, whatever that may hold. It’s time for the leaders we’ll be writing about 20 years from now to step up. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

illusion. Donald Trump obstructed Congress, violated his oath of office, betrayed the public trust, undermined the Constitution, disregarded the rules of law and abused the power of the presidency on occasions too numerous to list (including asking the president of a foreign power to investigate a political opponent). As if that isn’t enough, to ensure history records and reviles the presidency of this consummate liar and conman (and I truly believe history will confirm this exactly), days before leaving office he incited a deadly attack on our Capitol in a lastditch effort to overturn a free and fair election he lost. That the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization (of which I am a life member and have been for decades) would agree to carry an ad glorifying such a man (in my opinion as a career veteran who served in a war zone — Vietnam) is inappropriate and discredits VFW members and all veterans who have served honorably. I fear for our country. I fear that our people no longer hold inviolate the principle that

truth matters and that our nation cannot long survive a divided, disconnected and disengaged society. David L. Snell Franklin

Time to end the filibuster To the Editor: In November 2020, millions of voters like me went to the polls and cast a ballot for Joe Biden. Now, with a relentless GOP attack on our voting rights underway, I’m asking President Biden to return the favor. It’s time for Biden to go further than talking about supporting voting rights legislation. We need him to come out and fully support ending the filibuster so the Senate can finally pass voting rights legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. With the filibuster intact, these bills stand little chance of passing. We need the president to use his power of office to pressure the Senate to end the filibuster and clear a path for voting rights reform. We can’t out-organize voter suppression. History will remember how President Biden handles these attacks on our right to vote. I’m urging him to do the right thing. Jana Williams Candler

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING BANQUET

Learning from the young to protect our planet

Susanna Shetley

L ifeis Our Storr y A 20 Yr. Celee brr ation o f t hee Smoo ky Moo unn t aii n Prr e gnn e n cyy C a r e C enn t err

October 2, 2021 • 6:00PM

Smoky Moo untain Cenn t er for the Pee r foo r m i n g Arr t s 1028 Georgia Rd, Franklin

Ft o aRt t eEn d Eb u t

R E G I S T R AT I O Na t D I S R E Q U IRR E om

s.c m o k y Pa r t n e r

Guest Spee akee r Melissa Ohden

Founder & Director of the Abortion Survivors Network

facebook.com/smnews

Smoky Mountain News

around. Floods, wildfires, heat waves, ocean temperature and sea levels are at an all-time high. Meanwhile ice sheets and glaciers are melting and retreating. Someone doesn’t need scientific evidence to see that our earth is struggling on a massive scale. But if you’re one who appreciates scientific data, a report released this week by the United Nations indicates that the global average temperature will rise 2.7 degrees Celsius by century’s end even if all countries meet their promised emissions cuts, meaning more drastic changes need to happen. Recently, I read that it takes 1,000 years for one plastic bag to degrade in a landfill and even then, the bags don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment. Speaking of plastic bags, I also learned that Americans use on average 365 plastic bags per person per year while people in Denmark use on average four plastic bags. The thought of shifting something as massive as the earth’s temperature can sound overwhelming, but doing nothing certainly isn’t going to help. Our younger generations are worried about our planet, much more so than older generations. They are the future stewards of our environment, and I have more faith in them than most of my contemporaries. But first we must ensure our planet lasts long enough for our young people to care for her. Nine actions that truly have an impact on climate change include: • Contacting legislators. • Consuming less meat and dairy products. • Flying on planes less. • Carpooling, walking, biking. • Reducing home energy use. • Respecting and protecting green spaces. • Reusing and recycling. • Decreasing consumption and waste. • Educating others and sharing what you’re doing. Be sure to educate the children, adolescents and young adults in your lives and allow them to teach you. Maybe I’ve taught my sons a thing or two about climate change and environmental protection, but they’ve taught me a lot as well. As children grow older and become critical thinkers, they begin to learn things on their own. Not only do they offer knowledge I don’t already have, their passion on the topic is inspiring and contagious. There are a multitude of hot topics right now but for me, climate change is one of the most important. Before we can calm global pandemics, heal war-torn nations or halt political unrest, we must first have a healthy earth to inhabit. (Susanna Shetley is an editor, writer and social media specialist at The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

September 22-28, 2021

y 12-year-old son is extraordinarily inquisitive. Since he was a little boy, he’s inquired about everything from politics and finances to sports and geography to space and the environment to all topics in between. He loves to learn and fully absorbs all the knowledge he acquires, to the point where he’s often concerned about the outcome or implications of what’s going on in this big, confusing world of ours. It’s tempting to shield our children from the bad and ugly, but in this age of social media and 24-7 news, it’s both impossible and unfair to do that. As a cerebral kid, my son doesn’t chitchat all that often, so when he engages in a conversation, I know Columnist it’s something he’s been pondering for a while. In fact, his curiosity about the Paris Climate Agreement spawned a conversation that led to the 2019 children’s book I published called The Jolt Felt Around the World. I am a big NPR fan, but I typically try and change the radio station during the morning car ride to school, primarily because I want to talk to my boys and not get sucked into a news brief. But one spring day in 2017, I’d left the radio tuned to NPR and a piece aired about the Paris Climate Agreement. My older son was 8 at the time and he asked numerous questions about the agreement, what it was and why the U.S. was potentially pulling out. He could not comprehend why America, a country he loved and believed in, wouldn’t want to help our environment. During that same conversation, my younger son asked, “So, if we keep putting trash on the earth, will she fall from the sky?” That day I went home and wrote the first draft of the book, a story where Mother Earth becomes so heavy with trash, she begins falling from the sky. All the Earthlings must flee to the other planets to save their lives and Mother Earth. But to their shock, the other planets do not want them. Over time, hearts soften and misunderstandings are sorted out. Ultimately, the solar system works together to save Mother Earth and her inhabitants. Over the past four years, my son’s questions have evolved from the Paris Agreement to electric cars, frustration over the invention of plastics and how eating a plant-based diet can decrease one’s carbon footprint. His discerning, progressive mind is dumfounded by the actions and decision of stakeholders and lawmakers when it comes to climate change. People who still think global warming is a hoax or a myth should simply look

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Raleigh-based Into the Fog (above) performs at MerleFest in Wilkesboro Sept. 18. The Maggie Valley Band (inset) notched its first MerleFest performance as part of the band competition. Cory Vaillancourt photos

MerleFest returns, giving up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER erleFest has been the premier “traditional plus” music festival in the country for decades, launching the careers of many well-known American roots musicians. Last year, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the Wilkesboro, North Carolina, event, disappointing first-time performers — especially smaller regional acts. This year, many of those performers were glad to be invited back, appearing in a band competition on Sept. 18. Although they were overshadowed by headliners like Sturgill Simpson and Melissa Etheridge, the winner of the competition earns not only bragging rights, but a performance slot for the next day — solidifying MerleFest’s role as a proving ground for up-and-coming acts.

t all started in 1988 when Wilkes Community College horticulture professor was looking to build and, most importantly fund, a sensory garden on the campus. “On the board was a man that happened to know Doc Watson and he said, ‘You know I think we could go up and see Doc and see if he’d come down and maybe do a benefit concert to raise money to build these gardens,’” said Festival Director Ted Hagaman.

Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Doc Watson is a legendary figure in American music. Watson agreed to perform, on two conditions. The first was that the festival honor Watson’s son Merle, who’d recently been killed in an accident, and the second was that Doc could bring his friends. “The very first festival they brought two tractor trailer flatbed trucks, put them out in the field, and created a stage,” Hagaman said. “All the artists that had promised Doc that they would come came, and these are people from the Grand Old Opry like Earl Scruggs and Grandpa Jones and Chet Atkins and just a whole plethora of great musicians, they all came for free.” Now 33 years later, the festival has grown from around 2,000 attendees to as many as 80,000 over four days. But not all of them are there to see headliners like Balsam Range, Mavis Staples and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. “There are so many wonderful musicians in Western North Carolina, it’s a shame they don’t get a platform a lot of times to show their talent,” Hagaman said. “So we did come up with this about 6 or 8 years ago and said, you know, ‘Why don’t we do a competition?’” Since 2015, the competition has showcased regional talent and boosted the careers of winners like Ashley Heath and Her Heathens, and

national touring act Fireside Collective. The competition is invite-only, with festival bookers scouring the scene for bands they think could fit in future MerleFest lineups. This year’s roster included eight bands — Radford, Virginia, string band Gate 10; New

River Valley-based Blistered Hearts; Statesville guitarist Eli Yacinthe; Nashville’s Hannah Juanita; Boone act Handlebar Betty; Raleigh jamgrass group Into the Fog; Asheville darlings Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats; and Haywood County’s own The Maggie Valley Band. “We got the invite in our email I think in November of 2019 and we just ignored it. OK, I’ll say I ignored it since I deal with the emails,”

said Caroline Miller, who with sister Whitney fronts the Maggie Valley Band. “I ignored it because I thought it was spam.” It wasn’t, and two weeks later a follow-up email convinced the sisters, who were ecstatic. But on Friday, March 13, 2020, just 45 days out, MerleFest 2020 became yet another casualty of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Hagaman said the decision to cancel was heartbreaking, but correct. “Honestly, when it happened and I found out it was canceled, I cried,” Whitney said. “It was like, I know there’s bigger things happening right now with the pandemic but I was just like, ‘Yeah, wow, we lost this too.’” Hagaman said MerleFest invited every performer back for 2021. Some weren’t able to make it, but most, like TMVB, were. “Honestly, seeing the talent and seeing the people that we know are here, I’m just overwhelmed and honored to be here, thankful to be here,” Caroline said Sept. 17. “Not feeling out of place, but just extremely honored for sure.” Each group of performers was given 15 minutes to perform on the Plaza Stage, under the watchful eyes of three judges — all members of a group called The Local Boys. “You get such a broad spectrum of types of bands, types of music, you don’t know what to expect,” said John Aaron, one of the judges. “I hadn’t seen any of these bands. I wasn’t familiar with any of these bands before and I hadn’t researched any of them. Sometimes I do research. This year, I chose not to. I thought, I’m going to come in cold and let them surprise me and I’ll find out when I see them.” The competition was hosted by beloved Western North Carolina singer/songwriter Mark Bumgarner. “I see every year it getting stronger across the board. We’ve always had strong acts, but this year it seems like they all just really brought their own element,” Bumgarner said. “We had a great variety of music, a lot of incredible musicianship, a lot of really good, tight bands, band interaction and band identity.” At the conclusion of the competition judges deliberated for several minutes, pouring over scorecards that rated the groups on stage presence, material selection, musicianship, flow of the show and time management. In the end, it was Into the Fog that took home top honors — and the coveted performance slot. “We just love playing music,” said Winston Mitchell, mandolinist. “Hopefully playing bigger stages, getting our music out to more people and, just doing what we love. But I just want to say real quick we as a band really hate to think of music as a competition, so it’s really hard to feel like we won a trophy or something like that. There’s some amazing bands that played and and we’re super fortunate to have won.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Jorma Kaukonen.

Ode to Jorma Kaukonen, ode to the spirit of rock

Mountain Heritage Day makes a triumphant return to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 25.

2 3 4 5

The “Mountain Murders” podcast will host a live show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Lazy Hiker Brewing & Taproom in downtown Sylva. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Chris Staples will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Orchard Coffee in Waynesville. There will be a special luncheon with beloved southern author Wiley Cash at noon Monday, Sept. 27, in Harmon’s Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

And, you know, the environment of the room, that’s always part of everybody’s gig. However, I usually do a set list before each. I don’t necessarily stick to it, but at least I have a departure point. Once you jump into the pool, then I’ll start to read the audience and see where I need to go with this. SMN: In all the times we’ve crossed paths, you’ve always been in good health. You’ve turned 80, and I’m curious about your perspective at this age, personally and professionally.

SMN: What’s it like when you’re onstage and look over and Jack’s still there? JK: I mean, he’s my oldest friend. Think about it, I’ve known him since 1955 and we started playing together in 1958 — that’s a long time ago. SMN: Your music has always been so steeped in the blues. And it’s one of those things you appreciate when you’re younger, the intricate nature and simplicity of the blues. But, what’s so interesting is that it’s a genre you grow older with, you discover more about the blues as you get older. JK: I totally agree. People that don’t dig the blues or don’t get it or think it’s boring. Well, you’re not listening to the right blues. Blues is a constantly evolving art form. Even some of the early guys, it’s always been multi-dimensional. There’s a complexity in a sort of deceptive simple-ness that can take a lifetime to really get on top of. The blues talks about real stuff. It could happiness. It could misery. I could be relationships, good and bad. They talked about the world. And the pop music that I grew up with before rock-n-roll, the blues was just so much more inviting than the pop music. Plus, the sounds. As a guy that’s always loved the guitar, the sonic textures [of the blues] were always so exciting compared to heavy instrumentation. Editor’s Note: Jorma Kaukonen will hit the stage for an intimate solo concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville. Renowned instrumental duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley will open the performance. Tickets start at $35.50 per person. To purchase tickets, go to www.worthamarts.org and click on the “Events & Tickets” tab.

BLUE RIDGE BOOKS INVITES YOU TO JOIN

WILEY CASH for a luncheon, reading & discussion of his new book,

When Ghosts Come Home

SEPT. 27 • 12 P.M.

Harmon’s Den @ H.A.R.T. Tickets: $30

LAST E! Purchase tickets CHANC at Blue Ridge Books

your

Hometown Bookstore since2007

Smoky Mountain News

Smoky Mountain News: With these upcoming shows, it’s just you, solo onstage. What’s the intent behind that setup, of being up there by yourself and the vulnerability aspect of it? Jorma Kaukonen: Right? [Laughs]. Of course, there is that. I started out playing solo and then I wound up playing with buddies in the Airplane. And I get to dance between a lot of different worlds in that. I enjoy playing with other people, but when I’m playing solo, I really see myself as a storyteller.

Featuring Balsam Range and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, “Grit & Grace: A Flood Relief Benefit for Haywood County” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Sorrells Street Park in downtown Canton.

SMN: Since the shutdown, Hot Tuna crossed over the 50-year mark. And it’s still going strong. You and [bassist] Jack Casady. It’s outlasted most rock institutions that started at that time, if not all of them. JK: Yeah. That’s definitely a “who knew?” for me and Jack. When you’re younger, when you start out, you don’t even think of being 50, much less 50 years having a laugh and still being buddies and playing music together. I was just talking to Jack earlier today because we’re getting ready to do a tour in a month or so. And we’re like kids again. We’re both really excited to get back to work. One of the things that’s happened to me with the music, and I’m so grateful for this, is that I still love the music and the guitar as much as I ever did.

September 22-28, 2021

t the core of iconic rock guitarists, Jorma Kaukonen resides in the same company of his 1960s peers, which includes Jimi Hendrix, Terry Kath and Jerry Garcia. And though that trio of his contemporaries are long gone from this earth, Kaukonen remains — this cosmic soul of sonic power and melodic passion. A founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, two pillars of American rock and blues music, Kaukonen, now 80, is regarded as one of the finest to ever pick up the six-string, whether electric or acoustic. In conversation, Kaukonen is affable and introspective, the kind of person who will sit down with any and all kindred spirits for an in-depth look and laugh at the absurdity of the grand scheme of things amid one’s place in the universe. For Kaukonen and those he continually crosses paths with, it’s about seeing humor in everyday life. It’s about chasing long-held dreams and always pushing forward towards the unknown horizon. And never losing sight of the beauty and sacred act of live music, of human interaction from both sides of the microphone.

HOT PICKS

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

JK: I’m really lucky because I’m still in good health. And I take good care of myself, but you never know what’s going to happen. One of things I find now is that I have to pace myself better. In the old days, you’d never have to warm up. You’d just pick up your instrument, you’re screwing around backstage playing, you go onstage. Now, I need to carefully warm up. I don’t want my hands to cramp. I want to make sure everything’s working right. These are things that I’m aware of today I might not have been aware of 10 years ago.

MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS

428 HAZELWOOD Ave. Waynesville • 456-6000 MON-FRI 9-5:30 | SAT 9-3

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Balsam Range flood relief benefit concert resented by Balsam Range, United Way of Haywood County, Town of Canton, Clyde Lions Club, Canton Lions Club and The Smoky Mountain News, “Grit & Grace: A Flood Relief Benefit for Haywood County” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Sorrells Street Park in downtown Canton. Hitting the stage will be acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range, with Americana sensation Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters opening the show. The event is to not only raise funds for those in need following the devastating flood waters in August in the communities of Canton, Cruso, Bethel and Clyde, but also to provide a moment to gather together as neighbors and friends and enjoy some live music. Balsam Range is a fiery quintet hailing from Haywood County. The highly-popular act has become the stuff of legend in recent

years, as seen by the band’s numerous number one radio hits, chart-topping albums and International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, including “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018) and “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), amid several other honors. The show is free and open to the public, with a $20 suggested donation at the entrance. All proceeds from the evening will go to the United Way of Haywood County, which will provide disaster relief for flood victims. Food trucks and craft beer will also be sold onsite. Bring your lawn chairs and your good attitudes for an unforgettable night of Appalachian music under the stars. Monetary donations from local businesses, organizations and private citizens are currently being accepted. For more information, contact Garret K. Woodward, arts/music editor for The Smoky Mountain News at garret@smokymountainnews.com.

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters.

Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

Summer Brooke & Brayden.

When Mountain Heritage Day makes a triumphant return to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 25, it will come with a full day of live music. The annual festival of Southern Appalachian traditions and culture is renowned as a showcase of bluegrass, oldtime and traditional music, as well as family activities, food vendors, artisan demonstrations, and the region’s finest arts and crafts booths. The schedule for the Blue Ridge Stage:

• Summer Brooke & Brayden kick off the music at 10 a.m. Known for leading the IBMA award-winning Mountain Faith Band, the popular brother/sister bluegrass virtuosos graciously provided the concert for 2020’s Mountain Heritage Day virtual performance. • When Whitewater Bluegrass Company performs at 11 a.m., it will mark a major milestone, as it will be their 25th time playing at Mountain Heritage Day. More or less founded at WCU in 1982, the band blends its own brand of bluegrass, country ballads and

mountain swing with down-home humor. • At noon, the Apple Blossom Cloggers, a dance troupe of 7 to 9 years old girls, join Whitewater Bluegrass Company for lively clogging demonstration, followed by presentation of the Mountain Heritage Awards at 12:15 p.m. to an individual and organization in recognition of work within Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. • The Queen Family starts picking at 12:45 p.m. Known as master musicians and experts in regional lore, the Queen Family were honored with the 1999 “Mountain Heritage Award” and the 2001 “BrownHudson Award” by the North Carolina Folklore Society. • Phil and Gaye Johnson at 1:30 p.m. play guitar and sing an acoustic blend of bluegrass, folk and favorites. The prolific songwriters and storytellers from Polk County travel across the country to perform and are among the longest running repeat performers at Mountain Heritage Day. • The Grascals, three-time Grammy nominees and two-time IBMA “Entertainer of the Year,” perform at 2:15 p.m. The Bailey Mountain Cloggers will join the Grascals at 3:30 p.m. for foot-stamping and high stepping mastery that is a perennial of Mountain Heritage Day. • At 3:45 p.m. the Merle Monroe Band will bring their mix of Bill Monroe-style bluegrass with Merle Haggard’s style of songs of the common man (hence the name) to the stage for their own brand of bluegrass, gospel and traditional country. For more information, updates and a full schedule of events, go to www.mountainheritageday.com.

Kevin Fuller.

Frog Level taps into Americana Acclaimed singer-songwriter/indie guitarist Kevin Fuller will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. The Upstate New Yorker has traveled the highways and bi-ways of America, from Maine to California, putting his transformative experiences to paper and chords. “I’ve always been influenced by bluegrass and Appalachian music,” Fuller told The Smoky Mountain News. “I’d always heard the twang in my songs. I heard banjo, fiddle and upright bass. So, when I ended up here, and met the greatest musicians in the world, who played those instruments and asked to play music with me, I was kind of blown away. I feel like there’s a reason why I am here, and I feel like this is it.” Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

On the beat

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Life Like Water Oct. 1. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Jacob Johnson (guitar/vocals) Sept. 25 for a special dinner performance (call for per person price) and Jay Brown (guitar/vocals) Oct. 2 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Yard Karaoke 7 p.m. Oct. 8. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host PMA (reggae/soul) Oct. 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or www.coweeschool.org.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or www.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 www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) Sept. 24, Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 25 and an Open Drum Circle Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host an Oktoberfest Celebration Sept. 26. All events

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) 3 p.m. Sept. 24 and Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 24. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com. • Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host Chris Staples (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. Sept. 26 ($25 at the door) and Corey Kilganon & Lazuli Vane (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. Sept. 29 ($15 at the door). Advance tickets are available at the shop. 828.246.9264 or www.orchardcoffeeroasters.com. • “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/surf) Sept. 25. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

Chris Staples.

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with The Knotty G’s Sept. 25 and The Bill Mattocks Blues Quartet Oct. 2. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Crowder (Christian/indie) at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Tickets start at $25, with priority seating available. For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.smokymountainarts.com. • Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Sept. 23, Tricia Ann Band Sept. 24 and Outlaw Whiskey Sept. 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488. • Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke on Thursday nights and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar. • Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

Rising songwriter rolls into Orchard Acclaimed singer-songwriter Chris Staples will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Orchard Coffee in Waynesville. Staples is an American musician from Seattle, Washington. He released several albums independently before catching the attention of Seattle-based Barsuk Records, who re-released “American Soft” in 2014. Staples’ second album on Barsuk, “Golden Age,” was released in 2016, with “Holy Moly” in 2019. Admission is $25. Seated is limited for this performance. Tickets available at the door with advance tickets available at the shop. www.orchardcoffeeroaster.com.

Valley Tavern flood benefit There will be a flood benefit for Haywood County residents from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Valley Tavern in Maggie Valley. Sponsored by WPTL 101.7 and the Valley Tavern, there will be live music from Keil Nathan Smith, Neighbors Band, Wayne Buckner & Shooting Creek, Olde Tyme Pickers, Scoundrel’s Lounge, American Maid, and Outlaw Whiskey. A silent auction will also take place. All proceeds will go to local pastors to provide direct aid to those impacted by Tropical Storm Fred in Cruso, Canton, Bethel and Clyde.

HaywoodBuilders.com 100 Charles St. WAYNESVILLE

Smoky Mountain News

FREE

ESTIMATES

September 22-28, 2021

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Foxfire Boys Sept. 24 and Curtis Blackwell Oct. 1. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Heart of Pine (Americana) 7 p.m. Oct. 2. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

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

arts & entertainment

On the wall Want to paint, sip craft beer? The “WNC Paint Night” will return to local breweries in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties. With step-by-step instructions, you will paint yourself a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This is pure fun to do while you sip on something tasty at the brewery. Events will be held at the following locations: Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9; and Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 22; BearWaters Brewing (Canton) from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Nov. 12 and Dec. 23. Space is limited. Reserve your seat by texting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. To learn more, visit the Facebook page @paintwnc or Instagram @wnc_paint_events. • The Haywood County Arts Council’s annual Haywood County Studio Tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 25-26. The tour is a two-day, self-guided, free event in which Haywood County artists open their studios to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

• An art contest (ages 5 years and up) will be held through Oct. 14 at the Marianna Black library in Bryson City. A fun night complete

On the street with face painting for children and other activities will also take place during the “Gallery Night” event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. The theme of the contest is “It’s a Beautiful World.” To register for the contest, pick up an application on Monday, Sept. 13, at the library. • The “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. www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

ALSO:

• The 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, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV.

ColorFest returns to Dillsboro The annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in downtown Dillsboro. Come spend the day in a walk-about mountain town filled with color and history. Enjoy a day of fun, food, live music, artisan demonstrations, entertainment and shopping.

Over 40 artisans will be displaying authentic Cherokee art, pottery, jewelry, photography, loom beading, handmade soaps, many kinds of needle work, Christmas ornaments, pinecone wreaths, candles, rustic furniture, chair caning, baskets and much more. www.dillsboronc.info.

• 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. www.mountainmakersmarket.com.

• Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Current Covid-19 safety protocols will be enforced. 828.488.7857.

ALSO:

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters

arts & entertainment

Balsam··· Range

When

Sat · Oct. 2 · 6-9 pm Where

Sorrells Street Park, Canton September 22-28, 2021

Cost

Free, with suggested donation of $20 Food & Beer trucks onsite Come support your community

for Haywood County!

OUR Sponsors CANTON LIONS CLUB

CLYDE LIONS CLUB

• Masks recommended • Please social distance when in lines and during the concert • Chairs and blankets welcome

Smoky Mountain News

A Flood Relief Beneﬁt

arts & entertainment

On the stage ‘Mountain Murders’ podcast live show Launched in December 2018 and covering Appalachian true crime cases from Georgia to Maine, the popular “Mountain Murders” podcast will host a live show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Lazy Hiker Brewing & Taproom in downtown Sylva. The show’s hosts Heather and Dylan Packer are natives of Haywood County with an interest in true crime. “Mountain Murders” and Lazy Hiker are presenting a night of true crime, comedy and improvisation. “What makes Mountain Murders unique is our focus on our underrepresented region,” Heather said. “We try to defy stereotypes about Appalachia while showcasing often lesser-known cases. Mountain Murders focuses on research and storytelling.” The live show will offer dinner options and will be preceded with a Q&A session as well as an audience participation game. The show will offer fans a chance to meet the hosts as well. Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the door on the evening of the show for $15. You can also check “Mountain Murders”

Facebook page for an event, as well as click the link in our Instagram bio for ticket information. The full event will be recorded and distributed by the podcast after the show. Follow Mountain Murders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. The podcast is available across all platforms, including Apple, Google, Spreaker, Spotify, Castbox, and more.

Want to learn theatre? This fall, there will be a slew of theatre classes offered by the HART Arts Academy through Nov. 3 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Adult classes include directing, beginner tap, and musical theatre vocals. Kids classes include a wide-range of dancing, acting, singing, directing, and improvisational courses. You can learn more about these opportunities and sign up for classes by visiting www.harttheatre.org, clicking on the “Kids at Hart” tab and scrolling to “Classes & Camps” page. Masks and social distancing will be required for all courses.

September 22-28, 2021

www.smokymountainnews.com

Luncheon with Wiley Cash Hosted by Blue Ridge Books, there will be a special luncheon with beloved southern author Wiley Cash at noon Monday, Sept. 27, in Harmon’s Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Cash will be reading from, discussing, answering questions about, and signing his new book, When Ghosts Come Home — a story of a father and daughter, crime, forgiveness, race and memory. Catered by Kanini’s, admission is $30, which includes your meal. Admission also includes a $10 coupon towards purchase of the book. Tickets can be purchased at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Reservations can be made by calling Blue Ridge Books at 828.456.6000. Space is limited. Any person age 5 or older must wear a face covering at all times at the event except when actively eating or drinking.

Smoky Mountain News

(photo: Mallory Cash)

Lecture on existentialism Led by Clemson Professor Todd May, a discussion on existentialism will continue from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. May is Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of the Humanities at Clemson University in South Carolina. He is the author of 16 books of philosophy and was an advisor to the philosophical sitcom “The Good Place.” He is currently advising “The Good Place” showrunner, Mike Schur, on a book of ethics that is due out next spring with Simon and Schuster. May has the following to say regarding the series’ themes: “Existentialism is one of the most enduring philosophies to emerge out of the past two centuries. It asks deep questions about what it means to be alive and how to cope in a universe that seems indifferent to our existence. We will discuss thinkers like Dostoyevsky, Sartre, Beauvoir, and recent post-existentialist developments. Rather than simply a lecture, we are hoping for lively discussion of important life issues.” The lecture will be in the Community Room. It is free to attend and requires no registration. Although, per Jackson County regulations, attendees will be required to wear a mask. For more information, call 828.586.2016. This seminar is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

Wiley Cash.

Bringing her immortal words to the big stage, a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2425, 30, Oct. 1-2, 7-9 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and 10 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” These simple words written by a 13-year-old girl in the height of World War II have become an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest times in human history. “The Diary of Anne Frank” illuminates the coming-of-age of a passionate, funny, and complex girl in the face of religious persecution. “Anne’s story leaves the audience with a lot of hope in a time when people are maybe feeling very hopeless,” said director Julie Kinter. “Anne is unbeaten by what’s going on

in the world outside of the annex. She has nightmares, she knows her friends have been taken and died, but she finds in herself a resilience and a purpose in spite of it all.” Frank’s true personality is fleshed out in this adaptation written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, which took unedited diary entries to show the true hope and spirit of Anne Frank. “The Diary of Anne Frank” has a little bit of everything with really funny moments, beautiful and sweet moments, and some dark times as well. “If I could have the audience take away one thing from this play, it would be that finding that empathy and compassion for another person, despite our differences, is the key to mankind surviving,” Kinter said. HART requires all patrons to wear a mask while at the theatre. Tickets are available by visiting www.harttheatre.org or by calling the HART box office at 828.456.6322 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. This show is suitable for all ages.

On the shelf

Thomas Crowe

acres of walls to cover, to decorate the railway stations, the market-halls, the townhalls, whatever they put up when architects have at last learnt some common sense!” This kind of bantering, bally-hoo and

MOUNTAINEER FESTIVAL 10.2.2021

Join us for a day of arts, crafts, music, and more, all in celebration of Appalachian culture!

10 am to 5 pm Admission: $5 • Kids 5 & Under: Free Rabun County Civic Center Clayton, Georgia

www.foxfire.org/events

Do You Know if Your Website is Mobile Friendly?

70% Of People Use Their Phones To Search Can They Find Your Site? Ask How MSM Can Help!

NC State Fiction Contest The annual NC State Fiction Contest is a free literary competition open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities. It remains one of the largest free-to-enter fiction contests in the South. This year’s guest judge is Gabriel Bump, author of the award-winning novel Everywhere You Don’t Belong. Contestants may enter one story in each of the two contest categories: The James Hurst Prize for Fiction ($500): An unpublished short story of no more than 5,000 words. In addition to the winner, several honorable mention awards will be presented. The Shorter Fiction Prize ($250): An unpublished short story of no more than 1,200 words. One honorable mention award will be presented. For more information, visit go.ncsu.edu/fictioncontest.

Smoky Mountain News

wine-fed carousing goes on for a few chapters and a couple of months amongst the friends until Christine appears again, unannounced at Claude’s door. From there, we get another whole chapter on the development of their relationship as Claude escorts Christine and takes us on a grande tour of Paris. Claude’s relationship with Christine continues throughout the book until they are eventually married. But the bulk of the second half of the novel is devoted to Claude and his Open-Air group of young painters’ obsessions with becoming a well-known avant garde group if not famous artists themselves. “ What he wanted was the Prix de Rome. Banding together with his mates to conquer the earth, each making his own contribution, each supporting the other, the whole band in a firm and serried rank to the very end.” Or as one of Claude’s friends explains and describes their contributions: “... a new century, a freshly sown field, the breeding

ground of a new people.” Spring finally arrives and with it the famed Salon des Refuses show of anti-establishment painters in opposition to those at the well-known and established Salon show in Paris, and we get a guided tour of the paintings in the show as well as the large boistrous crowds that are in attendance and personally judging the activist painters’ works. The Masterpiece is more than the story of the creation of a single painting. What follows reads something like a playscript complete with sets and scenes and conversations amongst Claude’s inner circle with his self-effacing obsession becoming a character itself. Amidst lots of dalliance, gossip and good cheer there is also a good deal of angst and frustration as the years quickly clip by and things begin to change for all of the players in our story. Claude has gone off with Christine to live in a secluded setting outside of Paris for four years and then comes back to try and reconnect with his old mates. The original Open-Air Group’s vision has changed to one of individually-focused ambition and success including hostilities and jealousies between some members of the group. “The battle was on, with each man fighting greedily for himself, cracking apart the old sworn friendships and which would shatter them in a thousand pieces.” Or as the elder, established artist Bongrand warns his younger proteges: “The greatest satisfaction was not in being at the top, but in getting there. The heights are scaled, the summits reached, and you’ve got to stay there. That’s when the torture begins.” But I’m not going to leave you on a bad note. As someone who has lived in Paris and France in my youth as a wannabe French poet and been back again a couple of times for short but extended visits, this gallavanting and carousing through Zola’s lens was a lot of fun — this trip down memory lane — as I am reminded of the streets and cafes and museums, etc., the author cites and describes. I’m going to have to read more of the classics! (Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor to The Smoky Mountain News and author of an historical novel The Watcher (Like Sweet Bells Jangled.)

September 22-28, 2021

very once in a while I like to go back and read the classics, especially those that have managed to bypass my attention and my gaze. And so during a busy summer reading mostly new and contemporary fiction and non-fiction, I’ve taken notice again of some of my favorite French writers. One of these is Emile Zola and his novel The Masterpiece (Oxford University Press, 1993/2008). Zola was born in Paris in 1840 and spent most of his life there amidst a surging artistic community. The Masterpiece is the most autobiographical of all of Zola’s novels and describes Writer in vivid detail the wild Bohemian world of the Impressionist painters, poets, novelists and others. This is the story of an ambitious and talented young artist from the provinces, Claude Lantier, who has come to conquer Paris only to be conquered by the flaws in his own genius and personality. Anyone with any interest in France, the French language and the Parisian arts scene in both the 19th and 20th centuries will enjoy how Zola has immersed his readers in the personalities and the day-to-day activities of the many characters in young Claude Lantier’s artistic circle. Immediately, in a great beginning, we’re introduced to a woman named Christine, who is huddled and drenched in rain on the front steps to Claude’s apartment as he is returning home from a walk along the River Seine on a summer evening. Christine will play an important role related to Claude throughout the book, including being the subject of one or more of his most important paintings. Zola quickly takes us out into the streets of Paris in Chapter 2 — to the cafes and favorite gathering places of Claude’s artist and writer friends. We meet Sandoz, a novelist, Fagerolles, a young painter, Mahoudeau, a sculptor, and the elder painters Bongrand and Gagniere and are with them as they wander the streets of Paris like a drunken wave railing against academia, L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Establishment. “The ideal would be,” said Claude, “to see everything and paint everything. To have

arts & entertainment

A walking tour of Paris and the arts

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Delayed Harvest regs to start soon Delayed Harvest Trout Waters restrictions will begin on 36 trout waters Oct. 1. Under these rules, anglers can’t harvest or possess trout from these waters until the regulations end a half hour after sunset June 3, 2022. Anglers may not possess any natural bait and may fish only with artificial lures with a single hook. Lures may not contain or be treated with a substance that attracts fish using taste or smell. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks Delayed Harvest Trout Waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching fish. These waters are posted with diamondshaped, black-and-white signs. Despite a significant loss of hatchery fish during the Aug. 17 flood, most stockings will continue as planned this October. Any changes will be posted at www.ncwildlife.org/troutupdate.

Floodwaters cover the N.C. Wildlife Commission campus near Brevard Aug. 17. Donated photo

Fishing after the flood Flood took two-thirds of state hatchery’s trout BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen the Davidson River first hit flood stage on at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17, it was a normal — albeit rainy — workday for employees at the Bobby N. Setzer Fish Hatchery and the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. But by 5:45 p.m. a river that had mere days ago flowed less than a foot deep peaked at 14.19 feet, plunging the fish hatchery raceways under feet of water and leaving employees — as well as a volunteer and member of the public who had been at the education center — to scramble for higher ground. When the water receded, two-thirds of the 1 million fish that had been swimming in the hatchery hours before were gone — and there were just six weeks to go until the Oct. 1 kickoff of stocking season for North Carolina’s Delayed Harvest Trout Waters. The flood took 67% of the fish by numbers and 80% by weight, meaning a disproportionate impact to larger trout.

“That’s a pretty massive loss,” said Powell Wheeler, district fishery biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. In the days following the flood, Wheeler worried what that loss could mean for fall fishing, which in Western North Carolina is more than just an entertaining hobby. “Trout fishing’s a big deal around here,” he said. “It’s even a small industry. There’s a lot of guides that make a living on trout fishing.” A 2015 report from the Wildlife Commission estimated the economic impact of trout fishing in the mountain region at $334.4 million, supporting 3,200 jobs. Luckily, though, it appears that the flood’s impact on fall fishing will be far less than feared. Despite damage, the hatchery is still

operational, and the Wildlife Commission is having enough success obtaining replacement trout and eggs — from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hatcheries, neighboring state hatcheries and some private hatcheries in North Carolina — that it expects fall stocking to mostly continue as planned. Spring stocking will proceed normally. However, the mix of trout stocked this year will look somewhat different than usual. The Wildlife Commission typically stocks a ratio of 40% brook trout, 40% rainbow trout and 20% brown trout, but this year those ratios will vary “substantially” by location, according to information posted on the Commission website. Because the flooding disproportionately impacted the biggest trout, fewer large trout will be stocked this year. Additionally, Hatchery Supported Reservoirs will not be stocked this fall as previously scheduled. This includes Bear Lake,

‘MASSIVE LOSS’ Many of the fish likely survived the flood, escaping with the water that overtook their enclosure, but of those that remained in the raceway, a large number died. They suffocated due to low oxygen levels once the water receded and debris-clogged intake valves prevented new water from flowing through.

As District Fisheries Biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Powell Wheeler managers fisheries for the 12 western counties. Holly Kays photo

Wolf Creek Lake, Tanassee Lake and Cedar Cliff Lake. Dale Collins, co-owner of the tri-location Tuckaseegee Fly Shop, said the decision not to stock the lakes is a “pretty wise play,” as those areas don’t see the same traffic as typical Delayed Harvest sections. Overall, he said, he doesn’t anticipate the flood’s fallout will much impact angler interest in mountain fishing this fall. “A part of our guides’ jobs is to manage expectations, so when those conversations are had ahead of time, it will still be OK,” he said. “North Carolina has probably one of the better delayed harvest programs out of all the states bordering us. It still seems like they’re doing a better job even in a reduced capacity this fall than some of the neighboring states are. I don’t think that’s going to deter, because it’s still a great program.” That said, people familiar with local waters — especially the flood-impacted ones in Haywood County — have probably noticed some changes to their favorite holes, he said. The storm moved fish around, sweeping them downstream or driving them into hideouts to wait out the flood. In some places, it even changed the shape of the river itself. “There’s folks catching trout where they don’t normally catch trout, and I said, ‘Well, enjoy that while it lasts,’ because those fish will quickly move and find cooler water,” said Collins. The balance of bug life this fall may prove to be a more important part of the equation than the state’s stocking schedule, said Collins. “I think that’s where we’re going to see an immediate impact,” he said. “A lot of those were washed away. It’s going to take a few seasons and cycles for those to come back. This fall there’s going to be a lot of hungry trout out there.”

WHAT ABOUT WATER QUALITY?

THE RESET BUTTON When it comes to trout, the water quality issue turns into a question about meat quality — mainly, is the water clean enough to house dinner-worthy trout? Wheeler said he’s been fielding questions to that effect, and while there hasn’t been any post-flood fish testing to find the answer, he doesn’t believe flood-related contamination should be a cause for worry. “I have never heard of a case where anyone has said you shouldn’t eat fish after a flood because it might be poisonous or detrimental,” he said. When it comes to fish, parasites and bioaccumulated contaminants like mercury are the main worries, and he doesn’t have reason to believe the flood has caused those types of issues. “People eat fish all the time from water that they wouldn’t drink,” he said. “That’s perfectly normal.” The flood could even turn out to be good for trout in the long run, he said. Much like fire in a forest, floods serve as a reset button for aquatic environments, flushing away the silt and fine sediment that impedes trout spawning and insect habitat. In their newly cleaned home, said Powell, the fish will reproduce better than ever. “Fish are sort of like oak trees,” he said. “They can produce a whole lot more offspring than they actually need to keep the population going, so you’ve got all these fish ready to take off in this depopulated habitat.” In the end, said Collins, the flood of 2021 will be just another chapter in the long story of an ancient river. “The fact that that creek exists was a pretty substantial geological happening, so it has seen water like this before, and it comes back,” he said. “I think that’s always the story of a river, is that hope that it’s always going to right itself.”

Come out, bring a chair and enjoy mountain music & dance! with

Whitewater Bluegrass

DowntownWaynesville.com

We need your recipes! 2020

We're looking for entrees, appetizers, desserts, cocktails, soups and salads for our 2021 Holiday Cookbook. Visit our site to submit your favorite dishes and drinks!

Smoky Mountain News

levels sometimes even not after a giant flood.” Given that the Aug. 17 flood overtook Canton’s wastewater treatment plant and likely disturbed private septic systems too, Carson had been expecting different results. The data is encouraging, but it’s not the final word on the flood’s overall impact to water quality. “The way water quality testing’s done is, you really have to know what you’re looking for to do a test,” said Carson. “There aren’t many tests you can do to just say, ‘Is there any problem here?’ The problem with floods is you don’t really know what you’re looking for.” The flood unarguably caused some measure of contamination, with the waterways now filled with all manner of waste carried away by the rushing water. Kerosene tanks, propane tanks and junk cars flowed downriver, as did RVs, mobile homes and a thousand other objects, each of which contains a different set of chemicals or fluids capable of causing different types of issues. “Short-term, swimming in the river looks pretty good from water quality. Our

Friday, September 24 • 6-8:30PM

September 22-28, 2021

Tropical Storm Fred left dead fish and a swirl of debris behind at the Bobby N. Setzer Fish Hatchery near Brevard. Donated photo

MOUNTAIN STREET DANCE Downtown Waynesville

outdoors

French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson said he was pleasantly surprised when initial post-flood water quality testing returned positive results. Carson works for the regional nonprofit MountainTrue, which routinely tests area waters for E. coli levels so as to inform the public about swimming safety. In tests conducted the week after the flood — in the Pigeon River at Canton, Clyde and Jukebox Junction as well as Hartford and Newport, Tennessee — levels came back in normal range. “I was actually pretty surprised that they were so low,” said Carson. “We’ll find high

Pigeon River sites are actually cleaner than our French Broad sites. So that’s good news for folks on the Pigeon,” said Carson. “Now, long-term there’s a legacy of pollutants in the Pigeon, and I honestly don’t know that anybody really knows the answer to what’s buried in the sediments of, say, Waterville Lake, and does a storm that size stir those up and release those downstream?” Those are important questions, he said, and could be a subject of future research.

www.tastethemountains.com You can also email your recipe to susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com While we thank you for submitting your recipes, due to space all recipes may not be printed in this year’s edition.

outdoors

Improved disc golf course opening at HCC Help celebrate the grand re-opening of the Haywood Community College disc golf course with a two-round tournament starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, in Clyde. Check-in for the inaugural HCC Bobcat Open will be held 7:30-8:30 a.m., with round one starting after the 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting. Round two will commence after lunch, and an award ceremony will close out the day. The tournament is sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association. A tourism grant from Visit N.C. Smokies and a partnership with the Kids in Parks program allowed for a redesign of HCC’s course, creating a disc golf experience that allows both novice and advanced players to test their skills. The newly renovated course features concrete tee pads, pin positions, signage and wayfinding materials. New educational signage and scorecards, created by

Kids in Parks, connect players with the natural and cultural resources found around the campus. “HCC’s beautiful campus was designed to be enjoyed by the public as well as our students and employees,” said HCC President Dr. Shelley White. “Our enhanced disc golf course will provide an educational opportunity for new and experienced disc golfers to engage with HCC in a whole new way.” Disc golf has exploded in popularity over the last year, emerging as a safe outdoor activity that allows for social distancing. HCC’s course offers people of all ages a free outdoor activity that promotes mental and physical health — it’s available for play anytime the campus is open. Its new designation as a Kids in Parks Nature Trail Disc Golf Course means it joins a network of more than 200 TRACK Trail locations across the country. Register for the tournament at www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments. Cost is $45-$50 depending on category, plus $10 for a PDGA membership.

Get in Gear Fest rescheduled

September 22-28, 2021

Due to a rise in COVID cases, the Get in Gear Fest scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25, in Black Mountain, has been postponed until spring. The festival will return April 23-24, 2022, for a full weekend of fun over Earth Day featuring exceptional gear, brands and outdoor interactive experiences. Get in Gear Fest is the flagship event for Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, a collaborative network of manufacturers, outfitters, retailers, nonprofits and partners that represent the largest concentration of outdoor businesses east of the Rockies. www.outdoorgearbuilders.com.

Shoot the day away Escape the indoors at the Cub Scouts Shooting A Cub Scout takes aim during a Sports Day, 10 a.m. to 2 previous Shooting Sports Day. p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Donated photo the American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville. Open to Cub Scouts, their leaders, their parents and anybody interested in joining Cub Scouts, the day will include a fitness/obstacle course and an afternoon on the range to learn how to safely fire BB guns, bows and arrows and sling shots. Participating scouts will have the chance to qualify for the Shooting Sports patch and pin. Lunch will be provided for all attendees. Organized by the Falling Waters District of the Daniel Boone Council, the event was originally scheduled for Camp Daniel Boone near Lake Logan but had to be rescheduled due to flood damage. Boys and girls 5-10 can information about joining, contact Brian join Cub Scouts, and youth 11-17 can join Sullivan at 828.254.6189 or brian.sulliScouts BSA. Visit www.danielboonecounvan@scouting.org. cil.org/join for more information. For more

Waynesville pool shortens hours Staffing issues have forced the Waynesville Recreation Center to constrain pool access even further. Effective Oct. 4, the lap pool will be open 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday only. The pool had previously been open 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closing at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Prior to the pandemic, it was open seven days per week. The water park, meanwhile, has been closed completely since August, also due to staffing issues. There is a nationwide lifeguard shortage, and Waynesville is not immune. The Parks and Recreation Department hopes to return to regular operating hours in the future. 828.456.2030.

Smoky Mountain News

Rally ‘round the campground

Become A Member Today! Contact Membership Director Caitlin Bledsoe for more info — 828-926-4831

1819 Country Club Drive Maggie Valley, NC

M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M 32

Five dozen vintage trailers will be on display this weekend when the Vintage Trailer Open House event returns 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Creekwood Farm Campground in Haywood County. Owners will be on hand to answer questions and share their trailer’s history, and participants will be able to go inside many trailers to check them out. About 60 vintage trailers will participate in the Vintage Trailer The event is hosted by Open House. Donated photo Vintage Trailer Rallies of the Southeast, and proceeds will benefit Haywood Waterways Association. Masks will be required when inside trailers. Tickets will be available onsite for $5, with kids 12 and under free.

Agribusiness series offered outdoors

A webinar series aimed at current and prospective agribusinesses is offering free sessions from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 14. Planned topics are: farm business laws and regulations, Sept. 23; forest farming for income, Sept. 30; farm taxes explained — property, equipment and sales, Oct. 7; and creating a farm newsletter — how to use Constant Contact and other platforms to engage your customers, Oct. 14. The series, presented by Western Regional Small Business Center Network and emPOWERing Mountain Food Systems and offered through the Haywood Community College Small Business Center, is designed with farmers, value-added processors, beverage manufacturers, food service businesses and more in mind. Each session will be presented by an agribusiness or subject matter expert. To register, visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512.

your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news

WE RECYCLE WASTE WOOD STUMPS • LIMBS • BRUSH

Join a climate-themed book club

WNC water treatment plants honored

Smoky Mountain News

Two Haywood County water treatment plants were among the 13 North Carolina facilities recognized with the Gold Star honor for systems that have surpassed federal and state drinking water standards for 10 consecutive years. Waynesville’s Allens Creek facility and the Maggie Valley Sanitary District both received this prestigious award. Meanwhile, six water treatment plants in the seven western counties were among the 64 water treatment plants receiving the N.C. Division of Water Resources’ N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2020. Those plants are located in Fontana Dam, Franklin, Maggie Valley, Robbinsville, Waynesville and Western Carolina University. While all drinking water systems must meet strict state and federal standards, these systems met performance goals that are significantly more stringent than those standards. Awards are given each year to water systems that demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a key test of drinking water quality. In 2020, nearly 2.5 million North Carolina residents were served by these award-winning plants.

September 22-28, 2021

Join the second season of the Highlands Biological Foundation’s virtual book club delving into All We Can Save, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson, with meetings 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, through Nov. 18. Each week, the club will cover a selection of essays and poems by female leaders at the forefront of the climate movement. Then, members will put these leaders’ messages into action by discussing how they can tackle climate change themselves. Sign up by contacting paige@highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2623. www.highlandsbiological.org.

newsdesk crafts

outdoors

1. 2. 3. 4.

# 314 - free hat

Charlies Bunion is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. File photo

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Take in the view from Charlies Bunion Explore Charlies Bunion with the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department on Wednesday, Sept. 29. The trip will leave from the Waynesville Recreation Center at 8 a.m. and return by 5 p.m. The strenuous hike is 8.1 miles out and back. Cost is $8, with registration available by contacting 828.456.2030 or cmiller@waynsvillenc.gov.

Hike Long Ridge September 22-28, 2021

We are open to continue providing essential services to our patients in a safe environment. Our staff is following protocol recommended by the CDC and local and state health departments.

Call Us to Make an Appointment Today. 289 Access Road, Waynesville ∙ 4524343 32 Asheville Hwy, Sylva ∙ 5868950 188 Georgia Road, Franklin ∙ 3494534 49 McDowell Street, Asheville ∙ 2547716 35 NC Hwy 141, Murphy ∙ 8358389

Dr. William Banks

Dr. Brian Carbonell

Dr. Robert DelBene

Dr. Dennis Dawson

Dr. Robert Przynosch

Dr. Ma Davis

smokymountainfootclinic.com Smoky Mountain News

MEDICARE PROVIDERS & MOST OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED

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

Take a tough 4-mile hike with the Nantahala Hiking Club on Saturday, Sept. 25, and reap the reward of sheer cliffs and rock formations at Long Ridge. The group will meet up at 9 a.m. in Dillard, Georgia, to carpool to the trailhead. The hike is 2 miles up and 2 miles back up Long Ridge to the Rock House, with an 800-foot elevation change and three steep climbing patches. Free. Visitors and well-behaved dogs welcome. Bring food and fluids as needed. Contact hike leader David Stearns, 828.349.7361.

Opportunity coming up for young hunters Youth Deer Hunting Day on Saturday, Sept. 25, gives youth 17 and younger the chance to hunt deer of any sex using any legal hunting implement during that day only. Hunters 18 and older may also hunt on that day, but only using the hunting implement legal for the season types open in their county. All deer hunters must wear blaze orange on the 25th, even if using archery equipment. Hunters 17 and younger who have com-

pleted a hunter education course do not have to be accompanied by an adult. During the remainder of the season, they must use only the legal hunting implement for the open season at their location. Hunters 16 and older must purchase a license with a Big Game Harvest report card. Younger hunters can obtain a Big Game Harvest Report Card at no cost from a wildlife service agent or by calling 1.888.248.6834. Youth Deer Hunting day was established in 2015 by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to increase interest in deer hunting among youth, potentially increase their success at hunting and highlight the need to engage youth in hunting.

Give Hiwassee Lake some love Help clean up Hiwassee Lake in Cherokee County on Saturday, Sept. 25, as part of the statewide litter cleanup N.C. Big Sweep. In order to accommodate social distancing requirements, volunteers will pick up equipment — including goodie bags with snacks, water, a T-shirt and a lake map — at Mainspring Conservation Trust’s Murphy office on 46 Valley River Avenue on Thursday or Friday, Sept. 23-24. Then, choose a cleanup zone and work at your own pace on the day of the cleanup. Litter should be dropped of at the Hanging Dog Board Ramp before Sunday morning so that the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department can transport it to the landfill that day. Participants are encouraged to take photos of their trash haul and cleanup crews. Post pics using the hashtag #HiwasseeLakeCleanup.

WNC Calendar BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering an online grant writing certificate program entitled, “Grant Writing in Action: Skills and Abilities,” from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, Thursday-Friday, Oct. 14-15 and Thursday-Friday, Oct. 21-22 via Zoom. For more information and to register, visit pdp.wcu.edu and look under “One-Day Workshops” or call 828.227.7397. • From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sept. 25, NCDOT staff will host a virtual event for NCDOT’S Highway Division 14. Division 14 includes the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain, Transylvania. For more information, visit www.ncdot.gov/highwaysdbe or check out our video at this link.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • The Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center will hold its 20-year Celebration at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. There is no cost to attend, but guests are asked to register at smokypartners.com or by calling 828.349.3200. • Waynesville Yoga Center will host a Meditation Weekend Workshop Sept. 24-26. The workshop will be hosted by Lynda Saffell and will present the historical, philosophical, and fundamental components of meditation. For more information, or to register, visit www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com/event/300-hour-module-meditation/. • The Macon County Public Library and Beyond Bending Yoga are teaming up to offer free yoga during the pandemic. All classes at the library are free to the public and will be held outdoors as weather permits. Please register to help ensure safe social distancing. This class is accessible to new and seasoned yogis.

A&E

• Mountain Murders live show will be performed at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, ay Lazy Hiker Brewing and Taproom in Sylva. The live show will offer dinner options and will be preceded with a Q&A session as well as an audience participation game. The show’s hosts Heather and Dylan Packer are natives of Haywood County with an interest in true crime. • 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. www.mountainmakersmarket.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Life Like Water Oct. 1. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Jacob Johnson (guitar/vocals) Sept. 25 for a special dinner performance (call for per person price) and Jay Brown (guitar/vocals) Oct. 2 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com. • Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Foxfire Boys Sept. 24 and Curtis Blackwell Oct. 1. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kevin Fuller

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com (singer-songwriter) Sept. 24, Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 25 and an Open Drum Circle Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host an Oktoberfest Celebration Sept. 26. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovationbrewing.com.

Smoky Mountain News

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. www.mountainlovers.com. • There will be a free wine tasting 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. • The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Yard Karaoke 7 p.m. Oct. 8. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Waynesville Art School offers “Make Art & Play” for 45 year olds from 3:45 to 4:45 on Tuesdays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host PMA (reggae/soul) Oct. 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Waynesville Art School offers “Kinder Artists” for 6-7 year olds from 3:45 to 4:45 on Mondays.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host George Ausman Sept. 24, Granny’s Mason Jar Sept. 25, Wyatt Espalin Sept. 26 and Jacob’s Well Oct. 2. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Heart of Pine (Americana) 7 p.m. Oct. 2. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com. • Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) 3 p.m. Sept. 24 and Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 24. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com. • Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host Chris Staples (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. Sept. 26 ($25 at the door) and Corey Kilganon & Lazuli Vane (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. Sept. 29 ($15 at the door). Advance tickets are available at the shop. 828.246.9264 or www.orchardcoffeeroasters.com. • “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/surf) Sept. 25. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com. • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with The Knotty G’s Sept. 25 and The Bill Mattocks Blues Quartet Oct. 2. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Crowder (Christian/indie) at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Tickets start at $25, with priority seating available. For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.smokymountainarts.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Sept. 23, Tricia Ann Band Sept. 24 and Outlaw Whiskey Sept. 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

FOOD AND DRINK • The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train'' will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com. • “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start

• Waynesville Art School offers “Shining Minds” for 1012 year olds from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. • Waynesville Art School offers “Art Sparklers” for 8-9 year olds from 3:34 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays. • Waynesville Art School offers “Art Shuffle” for children 12 and older from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays. • Waynesville Art School offers “The Hatter’s Tea Party” for 8-`16 year olds from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. • Waynesville Art School offers “Puppet Theater” for 816 year olds from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays. • Waynesville Art School offers drawing for adults class from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, and 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays. Painting class for adults from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-for-classes.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • The Haywood County Arts Council’s annual Haywood County Studio Tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 25-26. For more information about HCAC programs and events, click on www.haywoodarts.org. • An art contest (ages five years and up) will be held through Oct. 14 at the Marianna Black library in Bryson City. A fun night complete with face painting for children and other activities will also take place during the “Gallery Night” event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. The theme of the contest is “It’s a Beautiful World.” To register for the contest, pick up an application on Monday, Sept. 13, at the library.

Outdoors

• Learn to be safe on the water with a free certification course in boat safety, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 22-23, at Haywood Community College. No age limit, but students must be able to take a written exam. Class size is limited to allow social distancing and face coverings are required. Pre-registration required at www.ncwildlife.org.

• Join a Blue Ridge Parkway ranger to learn about odd illnesses and even odder remedies developed in the Southern Appalachians during this week’s Fridays at the Folk Art Center session, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the Folk Art Center in Asheville. No restrooms will be

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 available during this outdoor program. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. 828.298.5330, ext. 302. • A series of guided expeditions to the best trout waters in Haywood County is underway, with the next trip leaving at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, for the West Fork Pigeon River. Space limited. Cost is $10 paid at registration. Contact Ian Smith at 828.452.6789 or ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov to sign up. •Due to a rise in COVID cases, the Get in Gear Fest scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25, in Black Mountain, has been postponed until spring. The festival will return April 23-24, 2022, for a full weekend of fun over Earth Day featuring exceptional gear, brands and outdoor interactive experiences. www.outdoorgearbuilders.com • The 14th annual Power of Pink 5K Run/Walk/Dog Walk will raise money for early breast cancer detection on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Frog Level in Waynesville. Registration fee is $30 and $10 for dogs. Groups of five or more from a single organization can register for $20 each. www.gloryhoundevents.com/event/power-of-pink. • Take a tough 4-mile hike with the Nantahala Hiking Club on Saturday, Sept. 25, and reap the reward of sheer cliffs and rock formations at Long Ridge. The group will meet up at 9 a.m. in Dillard, Georgia, to carpool to the trailhead. The hike is 2 miles up and 2 miles back up Long Ridge to the Rock House, with an 800foot elevation change and three steep climbing patches. Free. Visitors and well-behaved dogs welcome. Bring food and fluids as needed. Contact hike leader David Stearns, 828.349.7361. • Help clean up Hiwassee Lake in Cherokee County on Saturday, Sept. 25, as part of the statewide litter cleanup N.C. Big Sweep. Volunteers will pick up equipment at Mainspring Conservation Trust’s Murphy office on 46 Valley River Avenue on Thursday or Friday, Sept. 23-24. Then, choose a cleanup zone and work at your own pace on the day of the cleanup. • Five dozen vintage trailers will be on display this weekend when the Vintage Trailer Open House event returns 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Creekwood Farm Campground in Haywood County. The event is hosted by Vintage Trailer Rallies of the Southeast, and proceeds will benefit Haywood Waterways Association. Masks will be required when inside trailers. Tickets will be available onsite for $5, with kids 12 and under free. • Help celebrate the grand re-opening of the Haywood Community College disc golf course with a two-round tournament starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, in Clyde. Register for the tournament at www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments. Cost is $45-$50 depending on category, plus $10 for a PDGA membership. • Youth Deer Hunting Day on Saturday, Sept. 25, gives youth 17 and younger the chance to hunt deer of any sex using any legal hunting implement during that day only. • Proposed safety improvements to the Gatlinburg Spur are open for public comment through Sunday, Sept. 26. The park is now soliciting input on the proposed action, preliminary range of alternatives and issues to be considered in the environmental assessment. Project documents and a comment portal are available at parkplanning.nps.gov/SpurImprovements.

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates: • • • •

• •

• • • • • •

$15 — Classiﬁed ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after. Free — Lost or found pet ads. $6 — Residential yard sale ads.* $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE Legal Notices — 25¢ per word $375 — Statewide classiﬁeds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less) Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4 Boost in Print Add Photo $6 Bold ad $2 Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4 Border $4

Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen. Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

Auction

ONLINE ONLY AUCTION, SWVA Arms, LLC Guns and Ammo, 201 S. Central Ave, Locust, NC. See Website for inspection days & times, classicauction.com, 800-997-2248

Employment WORK FROM ANYWHERE You have an internet connection? 13 positions available. Start as soon as today. As simple as checking your email. Complete online training. https://bit.ly/2yewvor MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call

& Press courses. Available qualify. 0354

1. 100% online Financial Aid for those who Call 833-990-

ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY/MILITARY Veterans Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI. Online computer & medical training available for veterans & families! To learn more call 833-9703466 BUILDING & ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIAN HOUSEKEEPER 2nd Shift. Primary duties are physically demanding housekeeping duties in large academic buildings. Areas cleaned/disinfected may include athletic venues, auditoriums,

Old Edwards Hospitality Group Highlands NC NOW RECRUITING FOR: Retail Sales Associate, Catering & Conference Services Mgr, Sales Mgr, Asst F&B Mgr, Banquet Server, Host, Server, Busser, Bartender, Sous Chef, Cook, Asst Pastry Chef, Kitchen Asst./Utilities, Reservations, Front Desk Supervisor, Front Desk, Bellman, Night Audit, Housekeeping, Laundry, Cosmetologist, Spa Attendant, Massage Therapist, Spin Instructor, Graphic Designer, P/T Marketing Asst, Estate Concierge

www.smokymountainnews.com

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Building trades. Knowledge of standard procedures and practices of carpentry, masonry, cabinet making trades. Skilled in use of hand tools, ability to read and work from blue prints and sketches. Provide needed trade capability for the maintenance, repair, alteration, or construction of structural building components. Additional responsibilities include maintenance, repair, and installation of facilities hardware components. Anticipated hiring rate: $36,522 plus full bene to apply on-line up to 9/29/21, go to the following website: https://jobs. wcu.edu/postings/17388 WCU is an Equal Oppor

tive Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer. EARLY HEAD START TEACHER - Haywood County- An Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education is required for this position. Candidates must have the ability to work well with families and

now hiring Servers · Bussers · Cooks · Dishwashers

Apply online at oldedwardsinn.com/careers DILLSBORO, NC

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com 36

classrooms, laborato restrooms and stairways. Duties performed include but are not limited to: operating heavy cleaning equipment, moving furniture, carrying trash and recyclables, dusting, changing light bulbs, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning/disinfecting bathrooms, locker rooms, classrooms,

2nd shift working hours are 4:00pm to 12:30am, Monday through Friday including weekend work. This schedule will be to include working on Saturdays and Sundays depending on workloads and Department needs. Schedule adjustments, weekend and holiday work, responding to after-hours, weekend and holiday emergencies as needed. Anticipated hiring rate: $31,200 plus full and to apply on-line up to 11/01/21, go to the following website: https://jobs. wcu.edu/postings/17362 WCU is an Equal Oppor

tive Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer.

Our employees earn top wages and we are ranked the #1 Steakhouse by Trip Advisor in the Carolina Mountains.

Apply at bootssteakhouse@gmail.com to schedule an in person interview or call 828-631-9713 www.bootssteakhouse.com September 22-28, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

co-workers, 2 years’ birth – 3 years and have good judgment/problem solving skills. Prefer someone with Infant/ Toddler CDA credentials and basic computer 11months position. Applications will be taken at www.mountainprojects. org EOE/AA. HEAD START TEACHER – Jackson County: Kneedler Child Development Must have an AA degree in Early Childhood Education, computer skills; 2 yrs. classrooms. Direct and implement education and development aspects of the Head Start Program. Must be able to delegate duties to other staff, have good judgment/problem-solving skills and have the ability to work well with a diverse popu 10 months position. To apply please visit www. mountainprojects.org EOE/AA SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR: ( Full-time) - Haywood & Jackson County: Must Spanish (written and verbal) must have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and a clean driving record and mileage will be reimbursed. Applications will be taken at www. mountainprojects.org. AA/EOE. NC PRE-K/HEAD START TEACHER ASSISTANT (Jackson County) Kneedler Child Development Ability to work effectively with coworkers, parents, and

children; ability to work effectively with diverse populations; uses good judgment in making decisions, basic com working with children is required. AA in Early Childhood Education Required. 10 months full apply at www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA ADVERTISING DIRECTOR- TWO REGIONAL MAGAZINES Smoky Mountain Living and Blue Ridge Motorcycle Magazine are looking for a FullTime Advertising Director. Person will sell for both magazines over a 5 state area. Sales experience necessary. Must be self-motivated, independent & persistent. Knowledge in both print and digital/ social components. Position is based in ed in Waynesville. Salary + Commission, 401k. Send inquiries/ resume to: info@ smokymountainnews. com ROTATING SUBSTITUTE TEACHER: Haywood County - Candidates must have a high school diploma/GED, Child Care Credentials I & II, be able to assume the responsibilities of teacher when absent, work well with all staff members, have good judgment/problem solving to work with diverse families. Computer skills in child care preferred. 10 months position with apply at www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA

Real Experience. Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727 www.TheRealTeamNC.com

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

71 N. Main Street Waynesville

www.wncmarketplace.com

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

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

R E A DY T O B U Y O R S E L L?

C A L L T O DAY !

Jeanne Forrest

BROKER

828-571-0515 jeannesellswnc@gmail.com

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - esither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • • • •

Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436

EXP Realty • Jeanne Forrest - ashevillerealeat8@gmail.com

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

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com • Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

A Top Listing Agent & A Top Producer

Ready to Serve You

Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com

Call for FREE HOME VALUE EVALUATION

Pamela P Williams

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE

CELL: (803) 528-5039 OFFICE: (828) 452-5809 EMAIL: PAMELAWILLIAMS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

September 22-28, 2021

• • • • • • • • •

remax-maggievalleync.com The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com Sara Sherman - sarashermanncrealtor@gmail.com David Rogers- davidr@remax-waynesville.com Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

Smoky Mountain Retreat Realty • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - Sherellwj@aol.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

SUPER

CROSSWORD

ON A FIRST-NAME BASIS ACROSS 1 Father 6 Gather 11 No. on a car lot sticker 15 Quaint letter salutation 19 Pool table fabrics 20 Large town, in Italian 21 Burn slightly 22 Purple fruit from a palm 23 Candid bow wielder? [Anne] 25 Green Hornet's valet 26 Lisa formerly of "The View" 27 Bread eaten at Passover 28 Gallic senior citizens? [Victor] 31 Subside 33 Earnest and solemn 35 D.C. VIPs 36 Four doubled 37 Ebony-colored card given on February 14? [Karen] 41 Stable scrap 42 Writer Ayn 43 Houston site 44 Little bit 46 A Great Lake 50 Cry of worry 53 Precious gem that formed just recently? [Neil] 57 Port in Italy 61 Boot leathers 62 Chi preceder 63 Hueless Focus or Fiesta? [Betty] 67 Self-help writer LeShan 68 Butts in 70 Long-eared hopper 71 Undersized carriage with a fold-down top? [Martin] 76 Prefix with plane

77 University of Maine's town 79 Reply to "Are you?" 80 Annoyed small songbird? [Christopher] 82 PD alert 83 Mutiny 87 Pioneer in graph theory 88 Sweetheart prone to sulk? [Ron] 92 Sailor who flew on a roc 97 Absorbed by 98 Follower of "Co.," often 99 Little bit 103 The last Mrs. Chaplin 104 Showery 106 Robust artisan working in precious metal? [Oliver] 111 Venue 114 Byte lead-in 115 Brand of fake fat 116 Wee, in brief 117 British noble who feels no affection? [Patty] 121 Quartets doubled 123 Oratorio solo 124 "Der --" (nickname for Konrad Adenauer) 125 Clear quartz fashioned to look like a suitor's flower? [Billy] 129 Mets' clubs 130 In tatters 131 Tickle pink 132 Long-term con 133 Louver strip 134 ERA or HRs 135 Quick 136 Up to now DOWN 1 Very close bud 2 Eternally, in poetry 3 "Glitter rock" group

4 Sicilian spewer 5 "For shame!" 6 Circus tumbler 7 "Glee" actress Lea -8 Pt. of NCAA 9 Pear waste 10 Actress Gilbert 11 Poet Rod 12 Razor feature 13 Hotel listing 14 U. lecturer 15 Slashed-price product 16 Pastry bag fill 17 Cowboy's workplace 18 Vision 24 127-Down between Russia and Ukraine 29 Prefix with plane 30 Stephen of the screen 31 Spanish river 32 Boring 34 T. -38 B-F linkup 39 "No" vote 40 General on Chinese menus 41 Stage prize 45 Total up 47 More stringy 48 Possible follower of "Psst!" 49 Menlo Park "wizard" 51 Grow mellow 52 Ring arbiters 54 Meat stamp inits. 55 Subtlety 56 Horned viper 58 Osaka drama 59 "-- y plata" 60 "This is not --!" ("Red alert!") 63 Self-reflective question 64 Talk about ad nauseam

65 1950 Asimov classic 66 Five doubled 67 Elegant tree 69 With 109-Down, unprocessed facts 72 "Mon Oncle" star Jacques 73 Actress Joanne 74 MSN rival 75 Employs 78 Suffix with audit or arm 81 -- Lanka 84 Revise copy 85 Ryder vehicle 86 A maestro conducts it 89 In Maine 90 Doze off 91 Dude 93 -- de plume 94 Removes via very hot water, as impurities 95 "No" voter 96 Writer Roald 100 Oxfam or Amnesty Intl. 101 Huge statues 102 Voted in 105 Twisty fish 107 Gung-ho 108 Writer Santha Rama -109 See 69-Down 110 Fishhook lines 111 Hefty slices 112 Deep pink 113 Madonna musical 114 Groove for a lettershaped bolt 118 Ingests 119 Old Chrysler 120 Bombeck of humor 122 Sextet halved 126 "I reckon so" 127 Body of water 128 Drop the ball<!--

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

BOOTS STEAKHOUSE IN DILLSBORO Boots Steakhouse in Dillsboro is now hiring Servers, Bussers, Cooks and Dishwashers. Our employees earn top wages and we are ranked the #1 Steakhouse by Trip Advisor in the Carolina Mountains. Please apply to: bootssteakhouse@ gmail.com to schedule an in person interview. You can also call 828631-9713 and view our website: www. bootssteakhouse.com MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. 833-990-0354 CWS- OWNER OPERATORS/SMALL FLEETS %$#"! $ rience. Dedicated round trips paid per mile, regular home time. 800-832-7036 ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY/MILITARY Veterans Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI. Online computer &

medical training available for veterans & families! To learn more call 833970-3466 MANUFACTURING DAY October 1st is Manufacturing Day. Stop by the NCWorks Career Center in Waynesville between 2:00pm - 4:00pm on Friday, October 1st to learn more about our local manufacturers, what they do, their company, and their recruiting process. Participating employers include: ConMet, Giles Chemical, Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Aramark, Evergreen Packaging and Sonoco. Note: this event will be held outside and socially distanced. Will be held indoors with masks in case of rain. WORK FROM ANYWHERE You have an internet connection? 13 positions available. Start as soon as today. As simple as checking your email. Complete online training. https://bit.ly/2yewvor

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN B. H. Graning Landscapes, Inc. is looking to hire a two Landscape Construction Foremen, one in Sylva, NC and the other in Canton, % offered after 90 days. Pay is based on knowledge pay is negotiable. ($15 - $18 hour) Interested men and women should apply online or in person. www.bhglandscapes.com 828.586.8303

Furniture

DINING ROOM TABLE $825.00 American Heritage solid wood table with 6 chairs. Made in America. Pick up only in (828) 273-2208

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

www.smokymountainnews.com

September 22-28, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

Home Goods GENERAC STANDBY GENERATORS Don’t Wait! The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be. prepared for power 6543210/. -,++. *)('. 1&4/. warranty ($695 value!) Schedule your Free InHome assessment today. 1-833-953-0224, special %$3$#"$2. !6'. 53 "%1 . customers.

Medical GUARANTEED LIFE INSURANCE! (Ages 50 to /. 6. 1 "#3 .1&3 /. !fordable premiums never "$#'1301/. 1$1%40. $1 1'. decrease. Policy will only be cancelled for non-payment. 833-380-1218 DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Ap 13 . !. (65 '1. . % 1 . SSD and denied, our attorneys can help! Win or Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed. 877-553-0252 [Steppach1'. 3 . !%#10. . '"$#" 3 . !%#1 . . 3 0. Ave Scranton PA 18503] ATTENTION SENIORS AGES 40-85 Great Deal! Low Cost Life Insurance to help pay for funeral cost and more! Everyone 53 "%10/. (. 6 3(. 34. 407-960-4782

Pets USE HAPPY JACK Skin Balm on Cats & Dogs to promote healing & hair

growth due to Hot Spots & Allergies, without steroids! At Tractor Supply / 13 13#6$/#6 SHEPHERD/RETRIEVER MIX DOG (TAN), MAX 6 year old, 60-lb, active boy who loves hiking and is always happy. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org BROWN/GRAY TABBY CAT, NATASIA 9 year old girl, loves to play with toys, “talk”, and people-watch. Beautiful green eyes! Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org HAPPY JACK® FLEA BEACON®: patented de "#1.#6$4'6 0. 130."$.4 1. 6 1. "4 654.46&"#.# 1 "#3 0.6'.#604 (.1&41' "$3tors. Results overnight! Junaluska Feed Center. / 13 13#6$/#6

Real Estate Announcements WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE QUOTES! 855-821-2782 PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any

gold city storage call 800 713 7767 goldcitystorage.com 5 Acres of Outside Storage 10 Units of Inside Storage Electronic Access 9410 Sylva RD HWY 441 franklin, NC www.wncmarketplace.com

preference, limitation or discrimination based on '3#1 . #6 6' . '1 "2"6$ . 01& . handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

Rentals TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS. Wesley Financial Group, LLC. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844-213-6711

Entertainment CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN? Switch to DIRECTV & Save + get $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply! 1-888-520-2338

Home Improvement BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call: 833-987-0207 UPDATE YOUR HOME With Beautiful New Blinds & Shades. FREE in-home estimates make it convenient to shop from home. Professional installation. Top quality - Made in the USA. Call for free consultation: 844-250-7899. Ask about our specials! ENERGY SAVING NEW WINDOWS! Beautify your home! Save on monthly energy bills with NEW WINDOWS from 1800Remodel! Up to 18 months no interest. Restrictions apply. 1-877-287-8229

September 22-28, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

1970-2020

Annual Charitable Golf Classic

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary of serving Haywood County residents in crisis!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 Laurel Ridge Country Club & Springdale 12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start · Lunch 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Modified Step Aside Scramble · Teams: Foursomes: 4 Women, 4 Men, Mixed Foursomes Sponsorship or $150 per golfer. Register now while space is available! Entry Deadline: Friday October 8 Entry forms available at www.haywoodministry.org or the Ministry

Smoky Mountain News

September 22-28, 2021

WE ASK EVERYONE TO CONSIDERED A SPONSORSHIP

$5000 + UNDERWRITER $500 + GOLD

$2500 + PLATINUM $350 + SILVER

$1000 + DIAMOND $250 + BRONZE

Sponsorships: Bronze = 1 golf entry · $350-$2500 = 2 golf entries · Underwriter = 4 golf entries

Why Haywood Christian Ministry needs your support: God has richly blessed HCM for 50 years. The Ministry has a proven record of caring for Haywood residents in crisis and/or poverty. Thrift Store sales of donated items provide 100% of the funds required for administrative costs. 100% of your donations go to client services. HCM IS DEBT FREE!

The 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner has been

CANCELLED

OUT OF CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL HCM SUPPORTERS Information: 828-456-4838 · Registration: www.HaywoodMinistry.org

Smoky Mountain News | September 22, 2021

Articles inside

MerleFest gives up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity

Learning from the young to protect our planet

A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville

Pathways new kitchen manager brings experience

Business News

Sen. Tillis returns to Canton to assess damage

Enrollment, retention dip at WCU