On the Cover:
Fate can sometimes seem cruel, but what someone does with the hand they’re dealt means everything. Charlotte Joy was born with a rare genetic disease that has cut her life expectancy to just a few years. However, her family is making the most of her short time on this earth, while also raising funds and awareness to help families who will find themselves in the same unfathomable position in the future. (Page 10) Donated photo
Waynesville looks to maintain its architectural, cultural legacy..............................4 Canton’s flood projects gaining momentum................................................................5
Amid changing times, Haywood budget seeks solid ground ................................6
Sylva approves zoning request for workforce housing............................................7
Haywood commissioners support tax hike for school resource officers............8
Employees, debt at forefront of Waynesville budget................................................9
Sylva approves brief road closure for Pride..............................................................13
Six vie to be Cherokee’s next principal chief............................................................14 Yellowhill Tribal Council candidates share their vision............................................17
Election bill would encourage uninformed voting....................................................18
Dreams are now memories, and a line’s been crossed........................................19
A&E
BearWaters Brewing opens Waynesville location..................................................20
‘Do not open the window or sing’..............................................................................27
Outdoors
HCC opens new Dahlia Ridge Trail System............................................................28
Notes From a Plant Nerd: Mayapple of my eye........................................................34
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WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786
P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585
SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779
demonstrated the benefits of National Register inclusion.
Back in 2016, plans by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to accommodate the growing number of cars in the town would have decimated the residential character of the area.
After a prolonged and noisy debate spearheaded by then-Mayor Gavin Brown in conjunction with current council members Jon Feichter, Julia Freeman and nowMayor Gary Caldwell, NCDOT was wrestled into submission and made major concessions that spared the stately homes and stone walls of Walnut Street.
In contract to the National Register, locally designated landmarks enabled by legislation from the General Assembly and designated by the Town Council are not only honorific, but also are inherently regulatory in nature. Once so designated, anything that happens to the exterior of a locally designated landmark is subject to review.
Waynesville has never designated a local historic district. Downtown Hendersonville is one such district, and the King Street District in Boone is another. Wilkesboro has a large district as well.
It’s that small town feel — the Normal Rockwell-esque Main Street dimly lit by vintage streetlights, the brilliant fall colors painting Church Street in amber hues, the historic homes, the little off-the-beatenpath shops like Wall Street Books, the squeak of the floorboards at Mast General Store.
That’s what makes Waynesville special, members of the public told Annie McDonald during her presentation before Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission on May 11.
McDonald, a senior architectural historian with cultural resource management firm Richard Grubb & Associates, spoke to about 30 people interested in helping the town craft a historic preservation policy meant to enhance Waynesville’s existing architectural and cultural assets, and maybe save some from the wrecking ball.
“This is a planning process, like any other planning process the town does,” McDonald said.
The Historic Preservation Commission was created by the town in 1996. It acts in an advisory capacity to the Town Council and serves the general public in an educational capacity, while overseeing 16 locallydesignated landmark properties. The HPC
also makes recommendations on new landmark applications and reviews applications for alterations to existing landmarks.
In 2022, the town successfully applied for a planning grant from the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office to prioritize heritage preservation activities primarily in downtown Waynesville, Frog Level and Hazelwood.
The $9,000 grant, along with a $7,000 town match, funds this effort. The end result — after another listening session focused exclusively on Hazelwood — will be a “master plan” of sorts, to be considered for adoption by Waynesville’s Town Council Members.
Waynesville has had its fair share of success stories with preservation through designations from several accreditation authorities.
The first is the National Register of Historic Places. Administered by the National Park Service on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Register works with every state’s preservation office to review National Register
On Thursday, the Town of Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission will hold the second of two meetings — this one, designed to gather public input on the possibility of creating a preservation plan and/or locally designated historic district in Hazelwood. A meeting on May 11 discussed the same concepts for downtown Waynesville and Frog Level. The
applications. Properties must meet specific criteria to be listed, and extensive documentation is required.
A National Register designation is mostly honorific and is not regulatory in any way. It’s meant to celebrate and recognize both individual properties and historic districts and makes owners eligible for income tax credits for rehabilitation.
It does not, however, protect properties from alteration or demolition, although it does play into consideration in planning for federal projects that might endanger them.
Most recently, the old Haywood Hospital and the Pigeon Center were designated for inclusion on the National Register, joining other well-known National Register listings in Haywood County, like the Green Hill Cemetery and the Shelton House.
“Even the old post office is a preservation success for the town of Waynesville,” said McDonald.
In addition to individual properties or sites, Waynesville also has three National Register-listed Historic Districts — the Main Street Historic District, the Frog Level Historic District and the Spread Out Historic District along Walnut Street.
It’s this last, least-known district that
presentation will last about an hour, and offer multiple opportunities for public comment. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Town of Waynesville Land Use Administrator Byron Hickox, 828.452.0401 or bhickox@waynesvillenc.gov.
Time: 6 p.m.
Date: Thursday, May 18
Location: Folkmoot Center Auditorium, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville
“Downtown Hendersonville looks the way it does because they have a locally designated historic district,” McDonald said. Downtown Hendersonville might look much different without its historic preservation efforts, as would downtown Waynesville.
The Downtown Waynesville Association was instrumental in adding to the look and feel of Main Street, culminating in a successful effort to bury or reroute power lines, but the DWA came around too late to advocate for the preservation of some of Waynesville’s lost treasures.
“We lost a lot of stuff, like many communities did, in the early 1970s,” said Alex McKay, a prominent Hazelwood preservationist and chair of the HPC.
McKay mentioned the old Red Wing building on Main Street — now an empty lot where the large metallic figures known as “the troubadours” stand poised to pick and pluck their musical instruments — and the train depot in Frog Level as examples of Waynesville’s vanishing legacy.
After stressing the economic benefit to the preservation of historic buildings, McDonald asked if there might be support for a locally designated historic district in Waynesville and Frog Level.
Consensus seems to indicate that yes, there is, even with the regulatory stipulations that would come with such a designation. Of the 30 or so people in attendance, only three or four identified themselves as downtown property owners, while only another three or four said they owned or operated downtown businesses.
Historic buildings mean little without the people who live, work and play in them, creating and sustaining a cultural legacy that endures over centuries, according to McKay. In the end, any effort to preserve Waynesville’s historic character wouldn’t just be about the buildings.
“For a lot of us,” McKay said, “it’s the memories that go along with them.”
The Town of Canton has made another big move toward recovery from Tropical Storm Fred by accepting advanced planning documents from the architects who will help build, rehab or restore municipal buildings damaged almost two years ago.
“It’s the next step,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s mayor. “Right now, we need all the steps forward in Canton that we can get. As we deal with the imminent closing of Evergreen Packaging, we’re still dealing with flood recovery of major municipal buildings. We’re one step closer to getting these facilities back online.”
In February, Canton’s governing board selected Charlotte-based Creech and Associates to handle three of the five main projects that remain: a new fire department built from the ground up at an as-yet undetermined site, and renovations to two buildings purchased from Champion Credit Union that will serve as a town hall and police department.
Creech has designed town halls in Davidson and Pineville as well as the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
At the same time, the town tapped Greenville, South Carolina-based Craig Gaulden Davis Inc. to handle rehab at the historic Colonial Theatre and the Armory. The firm has worked on historic theatres in South Carolina and Georgia in the past.
Documents provided by Creech show a 14month project timeline for the planning and construction documents phase of the proposal, during which Creech will perform a needs assessment — taking into account projected growth of the town and town staff — as well as a facility conditions assessment and a facility documentation.
After that, Creech will perform schematic
A Swanannoa man forfeited his vehicle and received a stiff prison sentence after pleading guilty in Haywood County Superior Court to trafficking illegal drugs and other crimes, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.
Eric Joseph Gaines, 39, last week admitted to:
• Trafficking in opiates (fentanyl) by transporting 14-28 grams.
• Possession of firearm by felon.
• Felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts ordered Gaines to serve a minimum prison sentence of 120 months up to a maximum prison sentence of 175 months.
The origins of the plea begin Sept. 28, 2022, with a traffic stop along I-40 near Canton, Welch said.
design services including cost estimation. The initial price tag for the planning, assessment and documentation is $137,900. Prices for the design services are yet to be determined.
If all proceeds according to plan, the construction phase of the fire/police/town hall portion of the project would commence about a year from now, and end about a year later.
Unlike the Creech projects, the Craig Gaulden Davis projects are separated out by building.
For the Armory restoration, CGD proposes a lump sum fee of $47,925 for 3D modeling, conceptual plans and schematic designs. The price includes consulting by REI Engineers, SKA Consulting Engineers and Reese, Noland & McElrath Engineers. Estimates by CGD put the design phase of the project at 8-10 weeks.
For the Colonial restoration, CGD proposes the same timeline and will perform the same services for $55,425. That price also includes consulting by REI, SKA, Reese, Noland & McElrath and two other consultants charged with evaluating the theatre’s capabilities as a performance venue — Kyle Smith & Associates and Arpeggio Acoustics.
The cost of the plans submitted by Creech and CGD won’t be borne by taxpayers.
“That money contains zero dollars form our local funds,” said Town Manager Nick Scheuer.
Likewise, according to Scheuer, the money for the projects will come from multiple sources including the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina General Assembly.
As the projects move through the planning and design phase, completion could come as soon as two years from now.
“These little successes mean a lot more now,” Smathers said. “Every little success is a major success, with all things considered.”
Haywood County Deputy Hayden Green with the Criminal Suppression Unit was observing traffic along I-40.
In his report, Green noted that, as the main route taken to and from Asheville, the interstate is a “known source location” for illegal narcotics brought into and traveling through Haywood County.
Sgt. Jordan Reagan notified Green that an older-model black BMW was travelling west in his direction.
The car appeared to have no tag. Officers later learned that there was a temporary license plate on the car; however, an illegal tag cover’s plastic surface obscured the plate. The tag on the car had expired and, additionally, was registered to a different car, a Hyundai.
Green stopped the BMW near Exit 31 West.
In plain view officers could see a set of scales. A search uncovered a large amount of drugs, a gun in a fast-food bag and a substantial amount of cash.
Assistant district attorneys Jeff Jones and Kate Robinette prosecuted the case.
Strong growth across multiple revenue streams will help Haywood County government balance increasing costs for staffing, schools and vehicles in its proposed 2023-24 budget; however, commissioners will also weigh a 1.5-cent property tax increase that just might help prevent yet another national tragedy right here at home.
County Manager Bryant Morehead’s budget presentation, delivered to commissioners on May 15, projects almost 3% growth in property tax revenue while maintaining the current tax rate of 53.5 cents per $100 in assessed value — without the proposed 1.5 cent increase, which would fund 8 new school resource officers (see TAX HIKE, p. 8).
Morehead’s projection for sales tax revenue is also up from last year, from $21.9 million to $24 million, a 9.6% increase. If that holds true, the increase would mark the continuation of a regional trend that began during the Coronavirus Pandemic and shows little sign of slowing.
There’s also a whopping 288% projected increase in investment earnings, from $260,000 in fiscal year 2023 to $1 million for 2024, which is the result of rising interest rates across the board.
“Everyone knows that interest rates are up,” Morehead said. “That’s bad when you’re borrowing money but because we invested our idle cash, we have an increase of $750,000 next year.”
Not all revenue streams show such
growth. Beer and wine tax revenues remain flat, with small increases noted for permits and fees as well as sales and services.
The major expenditures driving the budget this year, other than the proposed SROs, aren’t much different than in years past.
A 2% merit pay increase and a 4% cost of living adjustment for county workers are both seen as essential components of employee compensation packages meant to induce the county’s workforce to stick around rather than jump to what are often more lucrative opportunities in the private sector.
The county will also include $175,000 in Christmas bonuses and will continue to fund longevity increases and a 3% match on employee 401(k) plans.
That, along with required increases to Local Government Employee Retirement System contributions for general employees and for law enforcement officers, could be helpful from a retention standpoint.
But employee health care costs continue to climb. For retired workers, a 5.7% increase is projected, from $1.17 million to $1.24 million, for a total of nearly $820,000. Last year, active employee coverage cost $10.4 million, but this year, a 7.2% increase to $11.2 million is anticipated.
Ten years ago, that cost was just over $4 million, marking explosive growth in premiums charged by insurers.
“Our health plan continues to perform better than the national average,” Morehead said, “but it’s still gone up $1,000 per
employee per year, to $19,500.”
Per Morehead’s presentation, 28 new positions were requested by department heads, including the eight SROs. The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office also asked for four new patrol deputies and another detention officer. Emergency management asked for 12 new positions, Health and Human Services five, the tax assessor three, facilities two and the library one.
The proposed budget recommends only the eight SROs be hired.
Morehead also projects a $1.5 million increase in operating costs, with a $591,000 increase for Haywood County Schools, $112,000 for Haywood Community College, $334,000 for foster care, $100,000 in medical supplies, $54,000 in utilities and $42,000 in juvenile detention fees.
Recovery court, championed by advocates as a positive step in fighting the scourge of drug abuse, will be funded at $230,000, although that’s completely offset by a state grant.
The cost of vehicles and equipment will go down next year, even though the county plans to buy more vehicles. Last year, the county spent $2.2 million on 23 vehicles, including $1.3 million on ambulances. This year, 28 new vehicles are expected at a cost of $1.8 million, including 13 patrol cars for the sheriff’s office, and another eight for the proposed SROs.
Currently, the county’s non-education debt runs about $1.7 million a year, but that’s expected to drop to well under $1 mil-
lion within the next five years — not taking into consideration borrowing for the proposed jail expansion.
Haywood County Schools has similar levels of debt, at $2 million this year, but that drops to zero by 2028, not including any potential borrowing for a proposed consolidation of auxiliary services at a new facility.
Haywood Community College’s debt is also on the same path, near $1.6 million this year, but less than $400,000 by 2027.
All told, if the budget is adopted as presented — including the SROs — the county will top $100 million in expenditures, a 3.3% increase over last year.
Looking forward, the county still has to consider whatever debt it may accrue for the jail project, which like all construction projects has seen astronomical increases in cost over the last year or two alone. Then, there’s the cost to staff it in perpetuity.
Employee pay increases will continue to cost about $400,000 for every 1% pay increase, not including anticipated health care cost increases.
There’s also a long-debated library renovation project, estimated at $8 to $10 million.
State law requires local government units to adopt an annual budget prior to July 1 each year. The mandatory public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30, at 5:30 p.m. If major changes to the proposed budget don’t occur, commissioners might vote to adopt the budget at their regular meeting on June 5.
ments that may have particular benefits or impacts on both the immediate area and the community as a whole. Applicants that wish to be approved for a conditional zoning district must provide an initial master plan for the site and a zoning proposal that includes all proposed uses and standards for the conditional zoning district being proposed.
After several Sylva residents spoke in the public hearing for the zoning map amendment, Catherine Connors provided some insight on the affordable housing project.
“Someone mentioned section 8, and this is really not a section 8 project,” said Conners. “It’s really a workforce housing, more for middle income folks, teachers, police officers, firefighters and that kind of thing — folks that live here and have jobs and will be responsible for their rent. The tax credits infuse equity into the overall financial scheme and that allows the rents to be lower because there is so much equity paid for the tax credits.”
Sylva has approved a zoning map amendment request in order to allow for the possible construction of an affordable housing development on Savannah Drive.
Connors and business partner Gary Ellis applied for a 7-acre property off of Savannah Drive to be changed from general business dis-
trict to a conditional district in order to build a 48-unit multifamily housing project with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Conditional zoning districts are a zoning tool which can be utilized to create unique, site-specific districts for uses or develop-
The federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits are awarded annually to state agencies. Companies like the one Connors runs can apply to receive those funds through the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of rental housing targeted toward lower-income households.
According to Connors, that appli-
“What’s important is that this is workforce housing,” said Catherine Conners of Solstice Partners, Inc.
Town Manager Paige Dowling officially presented the proposed 2023-24 budget to the Sylva Board of Commissioners during its May 11 meeting. Next, the public will have its opportunity for input during the 5:30 p.m. T, May 25 meeting of the town board.
“This budget was built to address current needs along with strategic planning, which will put Sylva in a position for future growth and improvements,” said Dowling in her budget message.
The town’s proposed general fund budget totals $5,967,489, including grants and other proceeds, an increase of almost $120,000 or about 2% from the original 2022-23 budget. The increase is attributed to funding the fulltime economic development director position, prefunding post-employment benefits, supply cost increases and general operating costs.
A one-cent tax increase, for a tax rate of $0.45 per $100 of property valuation, is proposed in the budget for the purpose of funding a full-time economic development director position. Transitioning the part-time Main Street director to a full-time economic development position was the board’s top budget priority this year during the budget planning work session.
The average increase in property taxes for residential property owners if the one-cent tax increase is implemented would be $19 for the year, and a one-cent tax increase would cost the average commercial property owner $75 for the year.
In addition to the Main Street Sylva Association, the new position would focus on business and economic development throughout Sylva beyond Main Street, which the board has deemed especially important in the face of the changing business landscape around the NC 107 project.
“The town should expect revenue losses over the next two to four years as the changes in tax values and revenue fluctuate as acquisition dates vary,” said Dowling. “The next property tax revaluation will be in 2025, which is during construction. The town will not realize the com-
cation process is highly competitive with only one in five applications being awarded each year. Usually, those successful applications tend to be awarded in metro areas. This site in Sylva has been up for funding for a development four times already without success.
“It’s harder for smaller rural places like Sylva to get an award,” said Connors. “This is the fifth time up for this site. Developers clearly know that there is a need here. The state knows there’s a need.”
Even though this site in Sylva has been applied for several times to receive funding for development, Conners believes it has a much better chance this time around. This year, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency ranked all 100 counties in North Carolina according to housing need. Jackson County came in ninth on that list. When project applications are being considered this time around,
plete loss in property value until after the 2025 revaluation. Sales tax revenue will also be negatively affected during the construction project, as a majority of the project area covers the primary commercial corridor. The degree of impact on sales tax is unknown, therefore the town will budget conservatively for future cycles.”
With the infusion of federal funds and state grants, many long-term needs and priorities of the board are possible in the coming fiscal year. The board is planning to use American Rescue plan funds, combined with other grant funding, to complete the Bridge Park stormwater project. The town received state and federal funds to help with the Allen Street slope failures, capital improvements, equipment for Bryson Park and construction of a public restroom downtown. Because these grant projects are underway, they are not included in the budget.
The town currently has over $2.3 million in the Allen Street Slide Capital Project Ordinance, $3 million for Bryson Park Improvements, $390,000 for downtown public restrooms and $418,000 for the Bridge Park Stormwater project.
In addition to the new full-time town employee, one of Sylva’s top financial needs is funding post-retirement benefits at the recommended level. Currently there are five retirees that receive OPEB benefits and three retirees that receive separation allowance. In the 202324 fiscal year, two additional employees will be eligible for retirement.
In capital needs, the Public Works Departments will purchase an F-150 pickup truck at a cost of $41,525 and a 52” mower for $10,759. The police department will replace one vehicle in the upcoming year to keep up with its replacement schedule. The patrol SUV, including equipment, will cost the town $55,993. The Police Department will also purchase two rifles for vehicles for $1,450, two tasers for $4,000 and four ballistic vests for $3,400. These purchases will come out of the Police Department budget, which is proposed to total $1,710,225.
During a March 23 budget work session,
the tie breaker will be the county’s ranking on that list.
Sites like this one on Savannah Drive are hard to find for affordable housing projects. Per the application to NCHFA, the sites must be within a certain distance of a grocery store, pharmacy, library and other amenities that residents can use. This site in Sylva scores a perfect score on the application, but so do several other sites around the state.
“If everybody has the same score the county ranking is the tiebreaker,” said Conners. “The ones that are further up will get another point in order to automatically float to the top. The ranking is based on the need for affordable housing.”
If the project is approved for funding through NCHFA, the tax credit will provide about 75% of the equity for the project. This allows the owner to offer relatively low rent, at about 40% of the area median income. For this
town staff recommended extending the Police Department’s vehicle replacement schedule to eight years. Historically, police vehicles have been cycled out after seven years, public works vehicles after about 10 years, large fire trucks every 20 years and small fire trucks every 10 years.
By extending the replacement schedule for patrol vehicles to an eight-year rotation, and putting in additional money for maintenance, the town can avoid having to replace three vehicles in one year.
“The best thing is, we’ve got several years where at a seven-year replacement schedule, we’d buy three patrol cars a year,” said Dowling. “Sylva can afford to buy one or two, but three would strain the budget, so if we stretch it out to eight years and add in a little more for maintenance, we can avoid the years we’re having to buy three cars. We need to make that change.”
Part of the reason that the town will be able to extend the lifetime of its patrol cars is because of the switch from Dodge Chargers to
project specifically, the company is proposing rent of $460 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, $555 for a two-bedroom apartment and $635 for a three-bedroom.
“The goal is for folks not to spend more than 30% of their income on housing,” said Conners. “I think you guys have a great chance; I’m giving it my all.”
Five Sylva residents spoke during the public hearing for the zoning map amendment and while some had concerns about the proposed development — erosion, lighting, fire safety — almost all of them tempered their comments with the understanding that Sylva and Jackson County are in dire need of more housing opportunities.
“The number one need we see is housing, besides transportation and food,” said Jennifer Harr of Cornbread and Roses. “This would be huge for Jackson County to have something
SUVs like Ford Explorers and Dodge Durangos.
“We’re seeing a lot better life expectancy out of the SUVs that we’ve been purchasing for the last several years,” said Public Works Director Jake Scott. “Cutting out the year where we have to make a three-car purchase, it’s basically two per year until 2040 is how far we’ve gone out with the schedule.”
The proposed budget does not appropriate from the capital reserve fund; money had not been added to the capital reserve fund the last three fiscal years, mostly due to the Allen Street project. Since the town has not added to capital reserves and has appropriated from that fund in recent years, there is currently $218,384 in capital reserves.
“This is low when looking at upcoming capital needs,” said Dowling. “The Public Works Department needs to replace large equipment in the near future, and we need to plan for this in the capital reserve fund. Considering upcoming equipment needs, the town needs to rebuild the capital reserve fund when possible.”
that’s in this location. We have the area around it, it’s a really good spot for it.”
The application for funding for the project went off to NCHFA shortly after the Sylva board approved the zoning map amendment approval on May 11. According to Conners, the results of that application process should be released in August. If the tax credits are awarded, Conners says she would like to start the construction process by March or April of next year.
Construction for a project like this generally takes about one year and Conners said that the market study they did shows the development would be fully rented out within 3 months of completion.
“I think it’ll be even faster than that,” said Conners.
Sylva Board of Commissioners passed the zoning map amendment request unanimously.
Absent any meaningful gun legislation by the North Carolina General Assembly or by Congress, the cost of protecting Haywood County’s children from being gunned down at their desks will now fall squarely upon county taxpayers, once a tax increase in next year’s proposed budget gets the final OK from commissioners.
“The things that are driving this are all related to expanding the school resource officer program,” County Manager Bryant Morehead told commissioners on May 15.
The request, made in Morehead’s preliminary 2023-24 budget, would provide for eight additional school resource officers at a cost of $1.48 million. Of that, $763,000 would be appropriated for salaries, $112,000 for operating expenses and another $600,000 for vehicles and equipment.
Last August, Haywood County Schools Superintendent Trevor Putnam told The Smoky Mountain News that for the 15 schools in Haywood County, including eight elementary schools, there are seven SROs who rotate and provide coverage.
That leaves a critical gap in protection — mostly at those elementary schools — and all but eliminates any deterrent effect that SROs may have on potential school shooters, because it’s not guaranteed than an armed officer would immediately be present to confront a shooter.
“We don’t have full-time coverage at every school, and we have a lot of schools that are very rural, out-of-the-way,” said Chairman Kevin Ensley. “It would take law enforcement several minutes to get there.”
During an Aug. 15, 2022, board meeting, Barry Peppers, a retired Air Force officer and pilot, expressed frustration during public comment at a commission meeting, saying that “the day and the time has come to stop this insanity of not having armed police in our schools.”
Ensley responded to Peppers, saying that commissioners had explored the issue in previous years.
“I think we looked at that about six or seven years ago,” Ensley said. “It was going to be about a penny on the tax rate … about $20 to $30 per taxpayer is what we figured at that time. And I remember that because Bill Hollingsed, who was the chief of police at Waynesville, said that he would be willing to pay an extra $20 or $30 to make sure a resource officer was in every school. I agree with him, but I didn’t have the support to pass that, but it would be about a penny on the tax rate.”
Since then, that penny has grown to 1.5 cents, which would enable the county to raise the money needed each year to fund the positions.
Commissioner Brandon Rogers asked Morehead during his presentation what the individual cost per household might be. Turns out, it’s about the price of a cup of coffee a month.
In context, the increase of 1.5 cents per $100 in assessed property valuation would cost someone with a $250,000 home an additional $37.50 each year, above and beyond their annual tax payment of $1,337.50.
“The easy math is about $3 a month,” Morehead said.
The Violence Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research outlet funded by the National Institute of Justice, says there have been 190 school shootings in the United States since 1966, resulting in 1,364 deaths.
One of those deaths, that of Haywood County native Riley Howell, occurred in 2019 when Howell rushed a classroom gunman at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, saving many lives in exchange for his own.
The shooter in that incident allegedly had a developmental disability, but purchased the gun used in the shooting legally. His grandfather told WBTV at the time that if his grandson wasn’t able to secure access to a gun, “this would never have happened.”
More than 46% of mass shooters in the United States purchased their weapons legally, according to The Violence Project.
In late February, Rep. Andrew Clyde (RGA) sponsored the AR-15 National Gun Act,
which would designate the rifle (chambered in either .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm NATO) as the “National Gun of the United States.” Clyde is joined as a sponsor on the bill by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep George Santos (RNY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Most recently, a shooter killed three nineyear-old children and three adults at an elementary school in Nashville on March 27. The shooter was under doctor’s care at the time for an “emotional disturbance” but used three legally purchased firearms, including an AR15, to murder their victims before being killed by police.
North Carolina’s response, on March 30, was to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill eliminating the need for a pistol purchase permit, which involved criminal history checks and character evaluations.
The proposed Haywood County tax increase is a big ask in tough economic times, as inflation continues to squeeze governments, businesses and taxpayers.
The county also expects to take a revenue hit next year, when the impact of the centuryold paper mill in Canton shutting down will become more certain, although the current budget presented by Morehead for 2023-24 is otherwise balanced — without the inclusion of the new SROs.
“I hate talking about an [ad valorem tax rate] increase more than anything, but I also hate not protecting our kids as well,” said Commissioner Brandon Rogers. “We’ve got to take care of our kids and watch after them and take the steps that we can take to be sure they’re protected. Knowing that’s roughly, on a $250,000 home, $37 for the year is not too bad, even though I don’t like it still. But like I said, I don’t like not taking care of our kids as well.”
Commissioner Jennifer Best said funding the SRO positions was vital to the community.
“To not make a political statement in any way, it is definitely challenging to be faced with making a decision on a tax increase, but I feel very strongly about how we protect the most innocent of our citizens. It has now
become the norm. We turn on the news or get notifications on our phone and it is an almost daily occurrence. From my seat, and likely from the gentlemen that I serve with, I think it would live with us forever if we did not make the right decision trying to fund that SRO program.”
Morehead thinks that hiring and training all eight SROs by the start of the school year would be tough.
Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke, who appeared at the meeting, said he’d utilize a phased approach, and that he had enough SROs on hand to staff maybe four of the eight schools. Wilke also said that he’d send six to eight deputies to school at Haywood Community College in July, resulting in their qualification as SROs. Specialized training for law enforcement officers wanting to serve in schools is critical, Wilke said.
“These are not easy things for me to share with you. I will just be as honest as I can. There’s a great challenge in this for me because typically school resource officers had some experience, were probably close to retirement, they had great communication skills, knew the families and were integrated into the community in a way that most deputies or police officers weren’t. We still need that,” Wilke said. “But what we also need is a combat soldier. We need someone that’s capable of responding to a shooting incident and being willing to look at another human being and, in defense of six- to 12year-old kids, shoot that person dead.”
Commissioner Tommy Long expressed optimism that legislative changes might one day make it more economical to protect schools, but until then, he supports the SRO proposal and Wilke’s approach.
“I appreciate his stand concerning our most vulnerable,” Long said. “We need to let people know that we’ve got their back and if you try to cause harm to our children, you’re going to pay.”
Terry Ramey, Haywood County’s newest commissioner, fell in line with other commissioners in support of the tax hike.
“Nobody likes a tax increase, and I sure don’t like a tax increase,” said Ramey, who has a history of property tax delinquencies, including more than $1,600 in write-offs, dating back 15 years. “But if I think there’s anything that we need it for, it would be for the kids. And I don’t think there’s too many people that would complain about a tax increase, knowing where it’s going.”
This weekend, The SHARE Project will host its third annual WNC drug awareness event — “Hope Not Stigma.”
Featuring over 40 organizations from across the region, the event will also host a number of speakers, including Nathan Cartwright, who will share his story of successful recovery from addiction. Keynote speaker will be Gracie Parker, a 10-year-old Macon County girl who lost her mother to an overdose when she was just 6 months old and has since championed several causes, including increased mental health resources in
schools.
Free training on using Narcan will be available.
Organizer Michele Rogers said the event will be a great opportunity for folks in the community to learn about addiction without any stigma or judgment.
“Change starts with awareness, and awareness starts with community,” Rogers said. “And we are all community.”
The event will take place from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 21 at the Nancy Weldon open air gym at Lake Junaluska.
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
There won’t be a tax increase, and there won’t be any borrowing from fund balance, but that doesn’t mean the Town of Waynesville’s proposed budget is flush with cash — with inflationary pressures outpacing revenue growth and substantial borrowing on the horizon, administrators are looking to keep the town’s financial house in good order.
“The 2023-24 proposed budget is influenced by significant increases in the cost of materials and supplies, a need to provide a cost-of-living increase to employees and a lack of significant revenue growth across all funds,” said Town Manager Rob Hites during his annual budget message, delivered to Council on May 9. “The proposal that is before you represents a ‘program of work’ that is experiencing both positive and negative impacts of a growing local economy, inflation and rapid changes in public employee compensation.”
Town estimates predict an increase of just over $100,000 in ad valorem tax revenue over last year, a $280,000 increase in sales tax revenue and almost $200,000 in investment income, all of which don’t quite offset nearly $1 million in appropriated fund balance.
Maintaining a strong fund balance — basically, the town’s savings account — will be critical as the town goes before the Local Government Commission to seek permission for a loan to fund a new multimillion-dollar fire station. That means no more dipping into the savings account to pay for unbudgeted projects, as is common in local government.
The Consumer Price Index shows an increase of 5% over the last 12 months, with the Employment Cost Index for state and local workers suggesting a 4.6% increase. After years of kicking the can down the road — Haywood County government has also struggled to remain competitive as well, until recently — Waynesville is about to complete a threeyear pay adjustment and re-classification program to ensure it retains a trained workforce.
The town streets department and water department have experienced 25% turnover
As first reported in The Smoky Mountain News, Haywood County Schools has proposed a multi-million dollar consolidation of several auxiliary services on a 28acre parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road. For that to happen, the parcel must first be rezoned. On April 26, Waynesville’s Planning Board gave the rezoning a favorable recommenda-
in the last year, due to superior private sector compensation. A proposed 2% cost of living increase for town employees, along with the continuance of the town’s strong benefits package, will help ameliorate that somewhat.
“This budget’s tight, but I think it’s about the best we could come up with,” said Mayor Gary Caldwell. “We’re trying to keep our employees, trying to do more for them, and do good for the citizens of Waynesville.”
A full 45% of this year’s budget focuses on employment and retention. According to Hites, it takes between six months and a year to properly train a new employee.
One new full-time position is proposed for the town’s maintenance garage, along with a full-time human resources director and a grant manager. The grant manager position was discussed during a February budget retreat, and is expected to bring the town more revenue than it costs to employ the manager.
A part-time position for the Waynesville Advisory Committee is also proposed. This position used to be funded by the old Downtown Waynesville Association, but as the town continues to redouble its efforts in the downtown core after the collapse of the DWA, the help is needed.
No changes are recommended to the downtown Municipal Service District’s tax of $.19 per $100 of assessed valuation that funds the WAC. As in years past, the tax is expected to raise about $106,000 for DAC operations.
Fortunately, health insurance costs that have skyrocketed in the past decade won’t get any higher, at least for now. The town’s medical loss ratio of 61.7% remains well under a threshold of 70% that could trigger further increases.
There’s no proposed increase in ad valorem tax rate of $.04392. Three years ago, a countywide reassessment of property values showed a spike in assessments, and that could happen again next year. But for now, flat revenue growth across the towns enterprise funds means rate and fee increases.
The end of the town’s commercial sanitation service, which had generated $275,000 in revenue each year, continues
to leave a hole in the budget, so a $1 per month increase for residential customers and $1.03 per month increase for commercial customers is recommended.
Waynesville’s fire taxes will likely go up from $.06 to $.08 per $100 in valuation, especially as the town replaces two fire engines and plans to replace the obsolete Hazelwood fire station with a new facility. However, a recent upgrade by the state fire marshal of the Waynesville fire service’s rating means homeowners can expect to save money on insurance costs, offsetting the first fire district tax increase since 1979.
The town’s water fund budget will actually decrease almost 4.5% from the previous year, due to less capital improvement requests. However, the costs of chemicals and energy have increased to necessitate a 7% jump in water rates, effective in August.
The sewer fund requires a 10% increase, beginning in August, largely due to the construction of the town’s new sewer plant.
As one of few “electric cities” — municipalities that engage in the business of purchasing bulk power and reselling it to customers — in North Carolina, Waynesville is looking at a 13.7% increase in the electric department’s $11.4 million budget.
That translates to a 5% increase in electric rates across all classes, due to an increase in rates from the town’s supplier,
Santee Cooper. The cost of wire and transformers, like almost everything else, has also increased.
Early in the coronavirus pandemic, the town also took a lenient stance on utility bills, pausing disconnections. But some folks moved away without paying their bills, and did not leave forwarding addresses, so the town will have to write off approximately $200,000 in electric charges.
If they move back, they won’t be able to establish service without paying the past due balance, however, thanks to Duke Energy’s near-monopoly in the state, those delinquents can’t be barred from establishing service elsewhere, which will hamper collections.
The town’s garage fund looks to increase by almost 28%, partially because of the entry-level employee proposed, and partly due to “large” increases in the price of gasoline and tires.
The elephant in the room — the impending shutdown of the century-old paper mill in Canton — won’t impact Waynesville as much as it will Canton, but a Pactiv Evergreen facility in Waynesville is expected to see substantial job cuts.
Caldwell said the town sells almost $100,000 in water to the facility each year, and that he’s trying to do everything he can to keep as many employees as possible working there.
tion — with stipulations — but ultimately, it’s up to the Waynesville Town Council to give the final OK. As part of that process, Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 6 p.m. or as closely thereafter as possible in the Town Hall Board Room located at 9 South Main St., in Waynesville. Public comment will be accepted during the public hearing. For more information contact the Development Services Department at: 828.356.1172, email: ogrooman@waynesvillenc.gov, mail: 9 South Main St., Suite 110, Waynesville, NC, 28786.
Charlotte Joy is a hero; she just doesn’t know it yet.
Her parents, Kyle Norris and Kelsea McColley, were thrilled when they found out Kelsea was pregnant. Both are Tuscola High School graduates. Kyle served in the Marine Corps from 2007 to 2015; Kelsea got her degree in psychology and is working on a masters. They are now engaged to be married.
While other young couples may be mapping out the future, passionately pursuing careers and growing a family, Kyle and Kelsea have become laser-focused on caring for their daughter. While there’s no cure for this terminal disease, the family is set on both making Charlotte as comfortable as they can while also furthering research.
This weekend, they’re going to further their efforts by hosting an event in Clyde to raise awareness and money for research.
Charlotte was born on Oct. 29, 2021. For the first few months, everything seemed normal, but one day, Kyle and Kelsea noticed her eyes started “bouncing.” They didn’t think too much of it, and when they went to their doctor, they were told everything else seemed normal and not to worry. About a week later, they went in for a scheduled four-month checkup. Their original doctor was out with COVID-19, and the new doctor noticed that Charlotte’s liver and spleen seemed enlarged.
Doctors ordered bloodwork and an ultrasound. Charlotte had a high white blood cell count, so they thought perhaps she had cancer. A couple of days later, further tests showed that wasn’t the case. The family was elated and even went out for dinner to celebrate. However, at that same time, doctors also ordered a mouth swab to perform genome testing. Doctors told Kelsea during a Zoom conference call that her daughter had ASMD. Charlotte would likely only have months — maybe a year — to live.
Kyle wasn’t in on the Zoom meeting because he had a meeting with faculty at his son’s school. When Kelsea called him and broke the news, he drove over to his parents’ house.
“I went in with my parents and just started scream-crying,” Kyle said.
There are enzymes known as lysosomes in cells that process lipids, including one called sphingomyelin. Those enzymes are called acid sphingomyelin (ASM). In rare cases, both parents carry a genetic abnormality that can be passed onto a child and cause any number of unique complications. For Charlotte, that has led to a complete deficiency of ASM in her cells, which is why the condition is also known as ASMD. The buildup of lipids in those cells can cause organs to become distended, including the liver, kidneys, spleen and lungs. Eventually, a vital organ fails.
Dr. Elizabeth Jalazo is a pediatric geneticist who treats Charlotte at UNC Children’s Hospital. Her specific focus is treating children with rare diseases, especially lysosomal storage disorders like ASMD. Much of her work involves treating children who take part in clinical trials. Jalazo said she knew even before medical school that she would work with genetic research but never imagined her specific field would hold personal importance.
“That wasn’t the game plan, but my daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic
syndrome in 2015,” she said.
Jalazo explained in plain terms how lysosomes work in cells. There are over 70 lysosomal enzymes, including ASM.
“Think of the lysosome as kind of the recycling bin for the cell,” she said.
“When we have a missing or deficient enzyme, we get an accumulation or a buildup of whatever product it was supposed to be breaking down,” she added.
Jalazo also discussed what makes Neimann-Pick disease type A the most severe. The symptoms show up much earlier and worsen more rapidly than with Types B, C1 or C2. After months of normal development, a child with type A plateaus and then eventually regresses.
“You can think about ASMD as a spectrum that’s loosely related to how much functional enzyme you have left,” she said. “If you have a little bit of enzyme left, it can go a long way and do a pretty decent job breaking down that sphingomyelin.”
As grim as Charlotte’s initial prognosis was, last fall, the FDA approved the use of Xenpozyme from
Genzyme for both adult and pediatric patients with ASMD. After first trying another experimental compound in September, Charlotte began receiving that therapy last December. A press release from the FDA noted that Xenpozyme received fasttrack, breakthrough therapy and priority review designations. It also received orphan drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.
Along with possibly extending Charlotte’s life (Jalazo said researchers haven’t yet gathered that data), this treatment improves its quality.
Jalazo explained how the therapy works.
“We’re delivering back a manmade version of the enzyme to replace and do the function of the missing enzyme,” she said.
However, the enzyme replacement therapy isn’t a complete solution. Even if it does work as hoped to restore normal functions to vital organs, the enzymes are too big to get through the blood-brain barrier. Eventually, neurological symptoms worsen to the point that organs shut down because the brain can’t communicate with the rest of the body.
Charlotte’s parents are treating their daughter’s brain with an experimental compound. Kelsea said she thinks it’s having a positive impact for now.
“Some of her neurological functions I think have come back,” Kelsea said.
Kyle, Kelsea and Charlotte go to Chapel Hill every two weeks.
They leave on Sunday afternoon, get a room and show up to the hospital by 7:30 a.m. Monday. After doctors access Charlotte’s report, blood is drawn. If the labs look OK, doctors order the medicine, which takes about an hour, and then they do the infusion through a port. Each infusion is a bit longer than the last until they build up to the expected regular dosage.
One of the most tiresome things for the family is making that trip so regularly. At first the trips were fun and somewhat adventurous. Having been a lifelong Tar Heels sports fan, Kyle was excited to spend time on campus, and the couple enjoyed exploring the area as they could. But at this point, the trips have become more tedious, a regular chore.
Along the way, Kyle and Kelsea have become experts on ASMD, a condition many doctors haven’t even heard of and don’t understand. If Charlotte gets sick, they skip the emergency room and just drive to Chapel Hill.
“It’s not their fault, but they just don’t know how to treat it,” Kyle said. “One time, our doctors in Chapel Hill were on the phone with the doctors at [Asheville’s Mission Hospital] trying to tell them what they should do, and that’s not the easiest way to do treatment.”
Charlotte also requires round-the-clock care. Even though there are nurses that can come to the house as needed, one parent pretty much always has to be home. While Kyle can work from their house, Kelsea doesn’t yet have the time to get a job in her chosen field of social work. Considering Charlotte has a compromised immune system, Kyle and Kelsea try to avoid situations where she may be around a
lot of people, including larger family functions they’d regularly attended in the past.
Although Kyle and Kelsea’s lives have revolved around Charlotte, they’ve had plenty of help from family and friends. Notably, Kelsea’s mother, Melanie Hollifield, her grandma, Joyce McColley, and her sister, Cam Hollifield, have given up a tremendous amount of their own time to shoulder some of the caregiving burden. In addition, Kelsea’s grandma has helped alleviate the financial burden by paying for their lodging on trips to Chapel Hill.
“Our families have been everything,” Kelsea said. “Literally, we couldn’t do this without them.”
Kyle said his 11-year-old son, Carson, has also shown tremendous maturity in taking care of Charlotte and pitching in wherever he can. Although they try to let Carson enjoy the things a kid his age normally would, there’s still added responsibility.
“There are some nights that we’re up all night with her, and he still sets his alarm for 6:30,” Kyle said. “He’s out the door by 7, catches the bus and goes to school on his own. What sixth-grader does that?”
The couple still tries go on dates and see concerts as they can, and recently, some family cared for Charlotte long enough that they could enjoy a cruise. This is all because of their strong support network.
“We have great family, and we have great friends that have become family that have made us get out and be social,” Kelsea said.
Steven Laffoon’s son, Wylder, was born in early 2009 and diagnosed with ASMD later that year. He passed away in July 2012. Laffoon, who lives with his family in Scottsdale, Arizona, said he noticed something seemed wrong when Wylder was about 7 months old.
“I was told, ‘enjoy the time you have,’” Laffoon said. “That’s not an easy pill to swallow as a parent.”
Laffoon began researching. Although his background is in business development, he’s become an expert in ASMD, from the nitty-gritty details of the disease itself to the newest potential treatments.
“Parents are kind of forced to dig deep into the weeds and really make sure that they understand the disease and really be the number-one advocate for their kids,” he said.
Shortly after their son passed away, Laffoon and his wife, Shannon, made a promise to continue working toward raising awareness and funds for research. They started a nonprofit called Wylder Nation.
“The ultimate goal is to really just improve the lives of these children primarily through advancing the science and the discovery, the development of treatment options to address the brain,” he said.
Laffoon said he also quickly learned how to run a nonprofit and fundraise. He said the administration alone is enough to dominate his time, but the mission is worth it.
“I was kind of just drinking out of the faucet as it was going full speed … there’s definitely growing pains on that side of things,” he said.
While another organization, the National Neimann-Pick Disease Foundation, has played a huge role in making care more accessible for families by alleviating the financial burden they face, Wylder Nation focuses on raising money for research, such as the use of the experimental molecule Kyle and Kelsea have their daughter on in hopes that it can treat the neurological effects of ASMD.
“We learned so much in trying to care for Wylder that, it just would have been almost a disservice to just walk away from it,” Laffoon said.
Laffoon said fundraising is tough, but he and other affected families have had success finding significant money to put toward research, especially in more populous areas. Laffoon began fundraising by first reaching out to friends and family to get things off the ground. More recently, Wylder Nation has hosted events like fundraising galas and golf tournaments.
“We’ve also had some very successful GoFundMe campaigns,” Laffoon said.
He said that along the way, through all the tribulations that came with caring for Wylder to navigating the uncharted waters of fundraising, it’s important to celebrate the “little wins.”
“It’s a marathon,” he said. “Where I get a little bit of joy, what keeps me going, is that I feel like the dialogue upon a diagnosis has changed … I think that alone, knowing that people are doing things focused on this disease can bring just a little bit of hope, and that in and of itself is pretty powerful medicine for mom and dad.”
There’s a robust debate in the medical community about the practicality of putting significant resources toward advancing research into the treatment of ultrarare diseases. Treating Charlotte for only a year has cost about $2.2 million.
While Jalazo said it’s challenging to generate interest in treatments for ultrarare diseases, considering there are more common ailments that can still benefit from extensive
research, she noted that more incentives can and should be created for pharmaceutical companies to pursue compounds that can treat those ailments.
In the meantime, patient donations are critical, as is a willingness to be treated with experimental compounds.
“There’s not thousands of patients to treat for these,” Jalazo said.
Laffoon said that with less funding going toward ASMD research, families taking charge of their kids’ treatment is crucial, regardless of what decisions they ultimately make. Because large-scale studies aren’t financially backed by pharmaceutical companies, single-patient studies like Charlotte’s are vital to keeping momentum.
He also noted that although ASMD and other lysosomal storage diseases affect a relatively small community, research may prove useful in the fights against other diseases, as well.
“There’s association with Alzheimer’s and certain mutations of this disease,” Laffoon said.
Compassionate care is an ethos shared by doctors and nurses that mandates empathy for patients and prioritizing treatment that can ease pain, suffering and mental distress, no matter the prognosis. Laffoon had high praise for Jalazo,
“We really have big hopes that maybe we can help other families down the road,” Kyle said.
It can take a while for the shock to wear off after receiving the devastating news, but decisions must be made. Although a child with ASMD has no say in their care, they are the ones who endure whatever plays out.
Charlotte has no choice but to be courageous no matter what happens.
“There are other kids out there fighting this fight,” Kyle said. “Charlotte’s opening doors, she’s changing everything for other kids, the work that she’s been doing.”
As much as Kyle and Kelsea feel like they’re doing the right thing, it’s still hard to recall the endless opportunities they once envisioned for their daughter.
“We had dreams for Charlotte before she ever took her first breath,” Kelsea said. “When those things don’t happen, it’s a totally different level of grief.”
“Parents feel like they are contributing to the greater understanding of this disorder, and hopefully, helping the field take one step further so that the next family that’s diagnosed has more opportunities than they did,” she said. “It’s a very altruistic attitude. To take that that leap of faith to try to help the community is very inspiring.”
Similarly, Jalazo has worked hard and sacrificed for the advancement of vital research. She said spending a career treating children with ultrarare diseases can be “incredibly challenging,” both personally and professionally. But it’s also rewarding.
“I think there is a lot of hope in these disorders. Even if that hope is just providing comfort to a child who’s in the later stages of disease, that’s incredibly valuable,” she said. “And I hope that on rare occasions a therapeutic might change the course of the disease.”
While Jalazo sees value in letting children take part in research studies, she also sees other routes as equally honorable. Some parents just want to give their kids the most comfort they can while they’re alive. Sometimes, their focus is providing that child with rich experiences such as traveling.
“I am happy to support families in whichever direction they want to go after this terrible diagnosis,” she said.
Kyle and Kelsea said they’ve already seen therapeutic benefits from the treatment Charlotte is receiving. She used to scream and cry in pain, but she now appears more comfortable. They believe she’s enjoying a better life than she would otherwise.
“Sometimes, she’s happy and laughing, and that was not the case before,” Kyle said. “Sometimes I’ll be laying there with her, and she’s so sweet; she’ll rub my face. She’s such a loving kid.”
While Kyle and Kelsea are cherishing their daughter’s precious moments in the face of a fatal condition, they also believe there is still time, still hope that a treatment might come along that can save her life. She’s now 18 months old, and the initial prognosis indicated she wouldn’t even make it that far. As long as Charlotte is alive and there’s a treatment worth trying, there’s hope.
saying that not all doctors have that level of compassion when it comes to ultrarare diseases.
“There are families that don’t have a champion on the clinical side like that,” he said. “She understands the urgency, that even though things might not be perfect, we know what happens if we do nothing. There are a lot of doctors that don’t do that.”
Kyle and Kelsea understand that time is not only precious, but it’s also vital to furthering the research. They want to follow Laffoon’s lead and start a nonprofit in honor of their daughter that would focus on raising money for research. They are currently in the process of launching.
“We think the treatment is doing some good already,” Kyle said. “The mission hasn’t changed, and that’s to try to save her life.”
The event to raise money for ASMD research will be held throughout the day Saturday, May 20, at Shear Glory Hair Design at 390 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Along with featuring a community yard sale, there will also be a bake sale, a hot dog lunch, a silent auction and multiple raffles.
Kyle and Kelsea are accepting direct donations at their Givebutter site.
Anyone interested in supporting Wylder Nation can visit wyldernation.org.
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER
An application to use Bridge Park and Main Street for the annual Pride event has led the Town of Sylva to a larger discussion about safety and the use of town resources for events held downtown.
“I just want to say how much I appreciate Pride and Travis [Rountree] and the Pride committee for working with the town,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney. “The festival has such a great feel, and I’m so excited to have this again. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a fantastic event and I hope to see it grow in the future.”
In September, town staff began working to update the application to rent Bridge Park due to an increasing number of requests for large events that involved renting out the park combined with road closures downtown. Additionally, the town had seen an increase in safety risks.
“During the first pride event, a car didn’t realize a parade was happening and followed closely behind the group that was walking,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling. “Then last year during Walk for Hope, a car wasn’t aware the walk was happening and started to back out of their space on main street. So after that staff realized we needed to work to make these events safer.”
The revised outdoor special application encourages bigger events to take place at Bridge Park due to safety constraints as well as manpower. Larger events increase the need for more resources. While town staff can still approve park rentals, the authority to close the street now rests with the town board.
Currently, the board approves road closure permits for the Christmas Parade, Greening Up the Mountains, Veterans Day and Western Carolina University’s Homecoming, which WCU police help staff, as well as a temporary road closure for July fourth fireworks if necessary.
Pride’s application includes the two-block parade route the organization has done up Main Street the last two years. The park rental for Pride was previously approved by town staff and during the May 11 Sylva town meeting, the town board considered the request for road closure for a march.
“The park rental is approved but the board will need to vote on approving the march only,” said Dowling. “Pride has a great staff, and they work wonderfully with the town on coordinating the other events throughout the weekend.”
According to Dowling, the board has always approved temporary road closure permits to be sent to the Department of Transportation for events that stop, block or detour traffic on state maintained roads. This is referred to as sponsoring. The town sponsors, or approves, road closure permits acknowledging that it will provide police,
equipment, signage and anything necessary to ensure safety throughout the closure.
“We’ve got to pay attention to the climate in our country right now, what happens at large events,” said Police Chief Chris Hatton. “You have to be very, very careful about every entry way where a vehicle can enter into a crowd. That would be any event, but this event in particular, there’s some controversy with some people there so you really got to be paying attention.”
Hatton noted that while in years past blocking a road could be done with caution tape, in order to ensure safety in today’s world, blocking a road has to include barricades filled with water or large vehicles blocking the road to ensure that no other vehicle could pass through the barrier and harm the crowd.
The two-block route that has been used for pride for two years now is much easier to make safe than closing Main Street throughout downtown. This type of road closure also takes considerably less time for town staff to set up and requires Main Street to be closed to traffic for a relatively short amount of time.
“It feels like what we’re experiencing a little bit here is some growing pains,” said Mayor David Nestler. “Acknowledging that this does put a burden on our staff, I think we do need to start being a little bit more selective on our road closures and push these events more towards Bridge Park. That being said, I still would like to see this be one of the street closures.”
Nestler suggested town staff look into the possibility of, in addition to paying people overtime for working town events on the weekend, providing comp time.
“I would just say for Pride itself. I think we have a responsibility to communities outside of Sylva through Pride and that is something that we should be proud of,” said Commissioner Brad Waldrop.
The board approved the two-block closure unanimously.
In the most heavily contested race on the ballot in this year’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians election, six people are seeking a four-year term as the tribe’s top executive. The diverse field in the race for principal chief includes experienced politicians, political newcomers and a range in between. During the Primary Election
Thursday, June 1, voters will whittle the field down to two, with the highest vote-getters facing off in the General Election
Thursday, Sept. 7.
Seeking re-election is Principal Chief Richard Sneed, who was appointed to the seat in 2017 following the impeachment of former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert. He was elected to a full term in 2019, taking 55.1% of the vote in the General Election against current Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy.
Among those hoping to unseat Sneed is former Principal Chief Michell Hicks, who held the seat from 2003 to 2015. This is his first bid for elected office since he decided not to seek re-election in 2015.
Hicks’ decision to run may be related to Tribal Council’s recent vote to reverse an ordinance change, enacted under Lambert’s administration in 2016, that limited the principal chief and vice chief to two terms. Election ordinance changes the body passed in September 2022 struck that language, on the basis that because the tribe’s Charter and Governing Document does not include term limits, the restriction outlined in tribal code could be overturned in court. A proposed constitution headed for referendum this year limits chiefs to two consecutive terms, allowing them to run again after sitting out one four-year term.
Also seeking the chief’s seat is Robert Osley Saunooke, an attorney who opened the first law office on the Qualla Boundary in 1997 and has advised tribes across the country on legal and economic issues. Locally, perhaps his most visible role over the past decade came during the 2017 impeachment hearing that resulted in Lambert’s removal. In that proceeding, Saunooke represented Tribal Council in arguing that the charges in the articles of impeachment warranted removal. This is the first time Saunooke has sought elected office within the tribe.
Police Commission Chairman Gene “Tunney” Crowe, Jr. will be the second name on the ballot in June. Crowe served three terms on Tribal Council prior to 2015, when he was Lambert’s General Election opponent in the race for principal
chief, drawing 26.5% of the vote to Lambert’s 71%. This is Crowe’s first time seeking elected office since that race.
Gary Ledford is the only one of the four candidates who ran against Sneed in 2019 to file for the race this year. Last time around, Ledford finished toward the tail end of the Primary Election field with 4.4% of the vote. He previously ran for Birdtown Tribal Council in 2011 and 2017. An Air Force veteran and former director of public safety for the EBCI, Ledford is seeking his first term in elected office.
The final candidate, Lori Taylor, is also looking for her first win at the ballot box after filing for election multiple times in the past. She ran to represent Big Cove on the Cherokee Central School Board in 2021 and sought to represent the community on Tribal Council in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.
The principal chief leads the EBCI’s executive branch, wielding significant influence over a tribe with a current annual budget nearing three-quarters of a billion dollars, multi-million-dollar business interests in several states and membership rolls containing more than 16,000 names. The chief has the power to veto acts of Tribal Council — provided the body can’t summon the two-thirds vote necessary to override it — and together with the vice chief is charged with executing and carrying out tribal laws as well as running the tribe’s day-to-day operations.
Unlike Tribal Council members, who serve only two years before facing re-election, the principal chief and vice chief both serve four-year terms. Because there are only two candidates for vice chief — incumbent Alan “B” Ensley and current Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy — that race will not have a primary.
Saunooke, Sneed and Ledford all replied to a Smoky Mountain News questionnaire asking about the experience and education they’d bring to the job, past political accomplishments, priorities if elected and their opinion on the direction of tribal government. Their answers are below. Information about remaining candidates has been compiled from various sources, including previous reporting from SMN and candidate posts on social media.
Early voting is underway through Monday, May 22, and Election Day is Thursday, June 1. For more information about voting hours and polling locations, contact the EBCI Board of Elections, located in the Ginger Lynn Welch Complex at 808 Acquoni Road and available at 828.359.6361 or 828.359.6362.
Currently president of the business consulting firm Chief Strategy Group, Hicks served three terms as principal chief from 2003 to 2015. Prior to that, he was the tribe’s executive director of budget and finance.
Hicks holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Carolina University and an associate’s degree in accounting from Southwestern Community College, and he has been a Certified Public Accountant for more than 20 years.
Posts to his campaign page on Facebook indicate that his top issues include increased transparency and communication within the executive office, financial sustainability and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women through policy changes, community engagement and increased awareness.
Crowe currently serves as chairman of the Cherokee Police Commission, which is charged with providing performance and regulatory oversight of tribal law enforcement agencies and acting as a liaison between these agencies, community members and tribal government.
Crowe served eight years in the U.S. Navy and was chief of the Cherokee Indian Police Department before being elected to three terms on Tribal Council. After that, he ran for principal chief in 2015. During that campaign, he said ensuring every tribal employee signs an ethics pledge, dealing with competition in the regional gaming scene, combating the drug epidemic and diversifying the economy were his top issues.
Saunooke, 58, is an attorney specializing in Native American legal and business matters who has been practicing for the past 31 years. He resides in the Yellowhill community on the Qualla Boundary.
He graduated from Cherokee High School, earned an art history degree from Brigham Young University and graduated from the law school at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. Over the last three decades, he has worked with Native American tribes as well as non-Native clients across the country in finance, law, business development and legislative issues on a state, federal and local level.
“I have the education, hands-on experience and have developed contacts over the past 30-plus years in unique areas of business and development that the tribe desperately needs right now,” he said.
Proudest accomplishments through involvement with tribal issues: Fighting for diversity and inclusion, protecting Native women and arguing in court on behalf of Native American tribes and their people. My
practice as an attorney has saved tribes billions of dollars and helped tribes prosper economically, educationally and culturally. Opinion on the direction of tribal government: The Eastern Cherokee have been blessed financially, but we have not properly used our finances. The tribal budget has increased each year since 1997, yet basic services continue to be lacking and our people continue to have less and less. Housing, medical care, employment and local development have not been a focus, and we need to regroup and take care of our people in Cherokee first before developing and spending elsewhere. Watching successful development and planning in our neighbor cities while Cherokee stays the same and does not improve can no longer be acceptable.
Top three priorities if elected: Control excessive spending by creating accountability; invest and develop a better economic and business presence in Cherokee and protect and promote our culture and people.
Community.
Prior to entering politics with a bid for vice chief in 2015, Sneed spent 11 years as an industrial arts teacher at Cherokee High School, 14 years as a pastor and owned Cornerstone Automotive for five years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served four years.
Each experience helped equip him for the role of principal chief, he said — teaching “prepared me well for the continuous study that is required,” having pastored “gives me a unique understanding of people and how to engage with them” and small business ownership “uniquely qualifies me to oversee the day-to-day operation of the tribe.”
Proudest accomplishments as principal chief: Over the course of the last six years, there are so many accomplishments that I am proud of. Given the enormity of the situation and the uncharted territory we were experiencing, I am very proud of our response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. I firmly believe that the action taken by me, and my leadership team, not only saved lives but also set a standard of caring for all communities.
Opinion on the direction of tribal government: I firmly believe that our Tribal Government is moving towards even greater self-determination as we administer services that are historically the trust responsibility of the federal government. The future of the Eastern Band is that of a true sovereign.
Top three priorities if elected: Revitalize the cultural district, including a new community-centric ceremonial grounds; construct the Cherokee Archives Facility; expand the scope of the Department of Education to improve the educational outcomes for all Cherokee students.
Taylor, 46, is lifelong resident of Big Cove. She holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College.
Through the years, Taylor has often voiced her opinions before Tribal Council. She positions herself as a candidate who will stand against “scams, abuse of tribal monies, corrupt land deals or play[ing] a part in the favoritism.”
Ensuring Indian preference in hiring is a top priority for Taylor.
Ledford, 60, works as a business intelligence analyst for a Fortune 500 banking company. He resides in the Birdtown com-
munity on the Qualla Boundary.
Ledford is retired from the U.S. Air Force following 21 years of service.
Afterward, he spent five years as EBCI Director of Public Safety; two years as vice chairman of the State, Local, Tribal, Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee under President Barack Obama; and two years as chairman of the U.S. Department of Justice Grant Approval Authority for Indian Country.
Proudest accomplishments through involvement with tribal issues: My time as director of public safety for the tribe stands out as a true highlight. In my five years in the position, I put together an incredible team of professionals who were dedicated to my core ideal of safeguarding the lives of our people — at any cost.
Opinion on the direction of tribal government: In all honesty, I would not be running for principal chief if I was satisfied with the current direction of the tribe. The people on the Qualla Boundary are deeply concerned about the massive spending, among other issues, as am I. Now, understandably, spending in and of itself is not a bad thing, but when you enter into random initiatives with a clear lack of strategic planning without prior input from the people, you endanger the position and future of the EBCI. I have stated very clearly that if I were fortunate enough to be elected to the office, I would never engage in a capital project without taking it to every township and gaining the approval of the people. After all, every single penny that is generated by the EBCI belongs to the people. They should have a say in its distribution.
Top three priorities if elected: The massive spending, housing and the negative growth of our town.
All six candidates are invited to debate the issues Wednesday, May 17, at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center on the campus of Cherokee Central Schools.
The event will start with a one-hour meet and greet session 5-6 p.m., followed by the debate session 6-8 p.m. It is presented by the Right Path Adult Leadership Alumni and the EBCI Communications Department and will be livestreamed at livestream.com/accounts/10717024.
Five candidates are running to earn a seat representing Yellowhill on Tribal Council 2023-2025, and the Primary Election Thursday, June 1, will send four of them on to compete in the Sept. 7 General Election. The two highest vote-getters there will win a two-year term on the tribe’s legislative body.
Incumbents David Wolfe and T.W. Saunooke are both seeking re-election to the seat. Wolfe is serving his eighth term on Council and was the body’s vice chairman from 2017 to 2021, while Saunooke is in his first term after edging out Tom Wahnetah in the 2021 election. Wahnetah lost by a narrow margin — just 19 votes — and he is looking to reclaim the seat he held 2017-2021.
Rounding out the ballot are two members of the Cherokee Community Club Council, Ernest Tiger vice and Stephanie Saunooke French. The Community Club Council is composed of representatives from each of the Qualla Boundary’s individual community clubs and has been leading efforts to draft a proposed constitution for voters to consider in a referendum vote.
These seats are just two of 12 Tribal Council seats on the ballot this year, with voters to select two representatives for each of six townships. Painttown, Wolfetown and Birdtown all have enough candidates to warrant a primary race. Each Yellowhill representative’s vote counts for seven in the weighted voting system used for legislative actions.
Tiger, Wolfe and Wahnetah responded to a Smoky Mountain News questionnaire asking for the experience, qualifications and political priorities they believe should persuade voters to mark their name on the ballot. Information about remaining candidates was compiled from various sources, including previous reporting from SMN, the tribal website and candidate statements on social media.
Saunooke is serving his first term on Tribal Council and previously spent six years as an elected member of the Cherokee Central School Board.
While on the School Board, Saunooke was elected by the N.C. General Assembly of School Board members to serve on the North Carolina School Board Association Board of Directors and the N.C. School Board Federal Relations Network. He has also served on the N.C. USA Wrestling Board of Directors. Prior to joining Tribal Council, he was a project manager for seven years with 25 years of experience in the construction industry.
Wolfe, 52, is serving his eighth term representing Yellowhill on Tribal Council.
He graduated from Western Carolina University in 1994
P OLITICS E DITOR
ess than two weeks after a story in The Smoky Mountain News first revealed the possibility that German grocer Aldi was eyeing a spot in the old Kmart plaza on Russ Avenue, the plaza has found a new owner.
According to documents from the Haywood County Register of Deeds, the 17-acre plaza parcel was sold by its owner, a Delaware LLC called PCF-Waynesville, to a North Carolina company
with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and worked with UPS for 15 years before serving his first term on Tribal Council. During that time, he has served on various committees, including Health Board, Business Committee, HIP Committee, Enrollment Committee and Roads Committee.
If elected, his top three priorities would be education, from preK through college; health care, including mental health and rehabilitation; and affordable housing.
French is listed as education supervisor on the Boys & Girls Club of Cherokee website, and she represents Yellowhill on the Cherokee Community Club Council.
On her Facebook campaign page, she encouraged supporters to “vote for change,” saying that there is “way too much spending going on” and that the community needs Council members “that are here for our people.”
Wahnetah, 61, works as senior project manager for Kituwah Builders, a tribally owned LLC.
He is seeking his third term on Council after representing Yellowhill from 2017-2021. While on Council, he met with federal legislative leaders about tribal issues and was appointed to several tribal committees, including Community Services, Qualla Parks and Recreation, Qualla Housing, Timber and Natural Resources, Enrollment Housing, Planning Board and Community Projects. Wahnetah is an N.C. Licensed General Contractor with 40 years of experience in commercial and residential construction projects with budgets ranging from $50,000 to $5 million.
If elected, he would seek to encourage downtown revitalization by supporting the tribe and searching for ways to strengthen and revitalize tribally owned businesses – it is imperative our tourism reflects and retains our cultural and traditional heritage, including all commercial developments,” he said. Additionally, he is committed to providing resources toward ongoing efforts to preserve and perpetuate the Cherokee language and to increasing recreational activities for children on the Qualla Boundary, including a community pool.
called Russ Avenue Plaza LLC on May 10.
A special warranty deed lists the excise taxes paid as $29,404. Although a sale price isn’t referenced in the documents, excise taxes currently run at $2 per $1,000, so by extrapolation that would translate to a sale price of about $14.7 million.
The new owner, Russ Avenue Plaza, is an LLC that was created on April 24, according to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s business records website. The LLC’s members aren’t listed, but the registered agent is — Daniel E. Hitchcock, of Asheville law firm Hildebran Hitchcock.
According to the firm’s website, Hitchcock’s
Tiger, 46, works as a low-income housing specialist. He holds an associates degree and has more than 30 years of experience working with Native American tribes specializing in housing, public relations, health care and tribal member business development.
If elected, Tiger would work to create more jobs for blue collar workers, such as technical school; invest back into the community through a beautification project in downtown Cherokee; and strengthen the community’s voice in Tribal Council decision-making through adoption of a tribal constitution.
This year, Cherokee voters will choose a principal chief, vice chief, 12 Tribal Council seats and three School Board seats, but not all these races attracted enough candidates to warrant a primary race. The following candidates will run in the Primary Election June 1 for principal chief, Painttown School Board and Tribal Council representing Painttown, Wolfetown, Birdtown and Yellowhill.
Principal Chief
• Michell Hicks
• Gene Crowe Jr.
• Robert Saunooke
• Richard Sneed
• Lori Taylor
• Gary Ledford
Birdtown
• Cyndi Lambert
• Albert Rose
• Joi Owle
• Boyd Owle
• Jim Owle
Painttown
• Sean “Michael” Stamper
• Andre Brown
• Dike Sneed
• Jeff Thompson
• Richard Delano Huskey
• Carolyn West
practice focuses on commercial real estate and business transactions, including land acquisitions.
Hitchcock is also listed as the registered agent for another North Carolina company, Hazelwood Corners Inc., which since 2020 has acquired most of the parcels across the street from the Ingles location on Brown Avenue.
Those parcels are located on a triangular piece of land bordered by Hemlock Street, South Main Street, Brown Avenue and Lea Plant Road.
Hitchcock’s name didn’t initially come up in a search for other companies he serves as a registered agent because it’s misspelled on the state’s website as “Hitchcook.”
Aldi still hasn’t made any formal announce-
Yellowhill
• T.W. Saunooke
• David Wolfe
• Stephanie Saunooke French
• Tom Wahnetah
• Ernest Tiger
Wolftown/Big Y
• Bo Crowe
• Andrew Oocumma
• Qiana Powell
• Chelsea Taylor
• Mike Parker
• Peanut Crowe
School Board Painttown
• Regina Rosario
• Micah Swimmer
• Keyonna Hornbuckle
ment on a possible Waynesville location, and it’s not known if or how the recent sale of the plaza could affect any potential plans for an Aldi location in the plaza.
Calabasas, California-based Harbor Freight
Tools recently opened a location at the north end of the plaza, and a flyer from a Charlotte commercial real estate firm says that the standalone Advance Auto Parts store located on the parcel will soon move out of that building and into the larger space adjacent to Harbor Freight.
When reached for comment, Hitchcock said he was simply the LLC’s registered agent, and that he’d forwarded SMN’s inquiry to the appropriate parties.
I read the recent article by Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, regarding partisan municipal elections. I am dismayed that this man will not give up on making these elections (as well as the School Board) partisan. Apparently he only answers to his GOP voters, not to all voters in Haywood County. He is not team player nor man enough to discuss his intentions with our local politicians this would affect. He prefers to blindside them and try to pass state laws to make them partisan.
I am sure the true reason is that his constituents (GOP voters contacting him) do not want to do any research on the candidates. They want to go to the polls uninformed and vote straight ticket. God forbid if they cannot be an informed voter and research candidates’ background, education and experience. As Pless says in his article “these voters are busy working jobs, active in church or local groups, raising children and just living life.”
They do not want to take the time to research the candidates and vote for the best one, but only want to vote party line. Maybe they should not vote period? Maybe when they vote if there is no “R” or “D” after the candidates name, they should simply not vote for that position (down voting)?
In Pless’ analogy about buying a car, he says, “I hope you don’t just show up on the lot, pick a color you like then drive home with it.” Well, sadly, when the voters see the “R” or “D” after the candidate’s nam,e they can vote without doing any
To the Editor:
As a subscriber to Smoky Mountain News, I wish to thank Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt for his accurate and informative articles. Thanks to the newspaper for having a reporter who really investigates and keeps the truth before the public.
VirginiaTo the Editor:
Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, does not seem to have a clue as to what cities and towns mean to North Carolina with his push to politicize them. Municipalities are the primary economic drivers for our state.
As the former Chair of the North Carolina Mayors Association, executive committee member of the North Carolina League of Municipalities and 18 years of service to the Town of Franklin, as mayor and council member, I can say unequivocally that what he is
research.
So, what is his point about the car buyer spending time to research the car, its repair record, resale value, MPG, etc.? Sounds like he is saying that voting does not require research but buying a car does?
Matthews (Haywood County tax collector), Terry Ramey (county commissioner). I seriously doubt those candidates would have been elected had the uninformed voter not known the candidates’ party affiliation.
I was a registered Republican all my voting life up until 2012 at which time I changed to unaffiliated. I take voting seriously I will spend several hours researching the candidate’s background. I am proud to be an informed voter. I will ALWAYS vote for the candidate, NOT the party.
I had read in the local paper, sometime back, that one of the poll workers said it was mostly GOP voters that would ask “how would they know how to vote for their part, with no ‘R’ after the name?” Why would they want to be an uninformed voter and not take the time to research the candidates, and the hell with the party.
Let’s take a look at unqualified candidates that were elected in Haywood County only because many of the voters did not take the time to check the candidate’s background. These candidates had an “R” after their name on the ballot.
Madison Cawthorn (U.S. House of Representatives), Mike
after is power and control. Nothing else.
I will argue with him that the reason cities and towns are non-partisan is it allows them to get things done without political infighting. Party rule in cities is not a factor as it is in the Legislature, where North Carolina’s one party rule is sending the state spiraling into authoritarianism, some kind of weird theocracy , and emphasis on ideology of things that do not amount to a hill of beans. All while playing to a base of mini MAGA types.
During my days serving the non-partisan Town of Franklin, I never knew what party our council members were. It was not an issue. I had suspicions. Partisan politics was not a part of how we operated. Pless’ cronies have already politicized the state’s judiciary, want to turn boards of education into partisan offices as he does for all other non-partisan offices. The General Assembly is trying to take control of cities, largely due to jealousy of the effectiveness of non-partisan city governments.
For the record, in my connection with cities across the state, I can tell Pless that municipalities do not want to be partisan nor ruled by the Legislature. That is why cities get things done while you guys in Raleigh seem to be adept only at squabbling and playing a
Richard Florida (wickipedia.org/wikirichard_florida) is a prominent professor at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto. One of his studies showed both Democrats and Republicans see very little difference on local issues. That being said, if a voter does not want to take the time to do a little research on a non-partisan candidate, then they have several choices; do not vote on that position, research the candidate, or call Pless and ask him which candidate is the Republican so they know how to vote.
This is the problem with partisan voting. Many times the most highly qualified candidate does not win.
(Ron Rokstool lives in Maggie Valley.)
power game. Look at your gerrymandering and voter suppression. It is all about your party’s power, not the people.
The people in cities want their water to be clean, streets repaired, good public safety, sewage treated, quality of life. Partisan politics is not one of the things city residents want. City residents do know who they are
voting for in municipal elections despite your opinion.
Pless needs to worry about statewide issues. Towns and cities can take care of themselves. It is called self-government, not partisan hackiness.
Bob Scott Franklin
or years, Tuscola High School’s location high on the hill overlooking the Lakeside Plaza, a fragment of Lake Junaluska, and the Paragon Parkway, seemed like a metaphor to me. When our kids were still in elementary school and later in middle school, we would frequently drive by the entrance on our way to the fitness center, peer upward, and dream about the days that would surely come when they would take their turns as high school students “way up there.”
The kids are conveniently spaced four years apart, so we knew that we would be spending eight consecutive years as “high school parents,” and all that might entail, including countless hours of dropping them off and picking them up from all kinds of practices and school events, or attending performances and ceremonies and meetings and who knew what all?
Eight years! That’s two entire presidential terms. Remember when you were 12? Remember when you were 20? Weren’t there several lifetimes between those two ages? Could you comprehend being 20 when you were 12, when it was too much even to comprehend turning 16 and being entrusted for the first time to drive your mother’s Toyota RAV 4 to the grocery store ON YOUR OWN. Remember that heady rush of empowerment suffused with responsibility and tension?
In other words, we couldn’t fathom our kids — in their youth baseball uniforms and recital dresses — as teenagers learning how to shave and solving for X in algebra class, much less getting their driver’s license and taking themselves to and from things.
But of course the day came just as days always do, and we were suddenly transporting our nervous daughter up that steep hill to Tuscola High School one fine morning, a morning that was as strange and surreal as a Dali painting to both of us. We were startled by the view, which was even more magnificent than we had envisioned.
“Can you imagine having a house up here?”
I couldn’t imagine having a child up there, much less a house. Even so, our adventure had begun.
“You remember when we used to talk about this, all those years?” my wife said, as we looked out over the valley from the high
school parking lot.
Now it was here at last, our eight-year hitch at Tuscola High. We stood there a moment, taking it all in. The abstraction had become real. Eight years was an ocean of time. It filled the valley before us. We wondered what it would be like to float in it for so long.
Last Thursday, we attended our final band concert at the high school. Our son is a senior now. Like his sister, who finished up four years ago, he was part of the marching band, beginning as bass drummer before realizing his dream to play tenor.
On the way there it hit us. Our eight years were up. We would no longer have any particular reason for driving up that hill, nothing specific we needed to do there, no event we especially needed to see or document.
Once again, Tuscola High School will become an abstraction, now a repository for memories instead of dreams. Now we will drive by and remember when. When our daughter made her first friend, an older girl at band practice petting a kitten and inviting her over to do the same, or when our son got a chance to be part of the drum line, drumming all the way back to the band room from the parking lot after practice every night.
We will remember the little things. Dropping off a forgotten form or textbook, or bringing them a clean shirt, or, of course, money for a hundred different reasons. Or waiting in our car for them to finish practice, and then trying to be patient when they lingered among a cluster of friends, mugging and cutting up. This would all be over one day, and we would miss it.
We said that a lot. We said it on long days when we were tired, and they came home grouchy and complaining. We said it on hard days, when one of us had a lot of work to do and might be coming down with something on top of that, but we still drove five hours to see them do a 15-minute show in a band competition.
We said it when they didn’t do as well as they hoped on a test, or in a class, and wanted to argue about setting aside enough time for homework and a decent night’s rest.
We said it when there was drama with teachers, or within their shape-shifting friend groups. We said it whenever they were sad, or angry, or utterly exhausted.
We said, “This will be over one day, and we will miss it.”
And now it is, and we already do.
(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com)
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
Last Thursday morning, Kevin Sandefur spent five hours spreading gravel in the parking lot of the brand new BearWaters Brewing location on South Main Street in Waynesville.
“The truck driver dropping off the gravel asked if I was one of the owners and I said yes. He goes, ‘And you’re out here doing the parking lot?’ Yep,” Sandefur chuckled.
Founder/co-owner of BearWaters, it’s been a long, arduous road for Sandefur — blood, sweat, tears and craft beer. Known as “The Warehouse,” this latest endeavor in West Waynesville will not only be the brewery’s third brick-n-mortar spot — with Riverside in Canton and Creekside in Maggie Valley — but also a truly full circle moment for Sandefur & Co.
“[The Warehouse] is a testament to never giving up, just persevering and working hard,” Sandefur said. “If you keep grinding and grinding, you’re eventually going to get to where you want to be as long as you don’t give up. Obviously, there’s been a lot of challenges, but we’ve never stopped trying to move forward.”
The last remaining structure from the former Dayco factory — once a powerful economic driver within Haywood County for decades — BearWaters purchased the enormous 20,000-square-foot building in June 2021. Dubbed “The Warehouse,” BearWaters aims to pay homage to the proud blue-collar roots of the property and its surrounding
West Waynesville/Hazelwood community.
“This is another piece of history in Haywood County that we were able to kind of revitalize and making into something functional again,” Sandefur said. “And we though the timing was right with everything happening on this side of town — rebranding of the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club, new [Hampton by Hilton hotel] being built, Plott Creek apartment complex.”
On its 10,000-square-foot main floor taproom, there’s a full arcade/game room, pickleball/cornhole courts and several axe-throwing cages. The space will host community gatherings, sports leagues and art classes hosted by WNC Paint Events. Plans are already in the works for a basement whiskey/bourbon tasting room and rooftop lounge component. Food trucks will also be onsite.
“This project is a long plan that we’ve just
been taking one step at a time,” Sandefur said. “We wanted to create a place that families could come and have an opportunity to do some fun activities — it’s set up for everything for all ages.”
And with the rapidly changing cultural, social and economic landscape of Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina, many folks might not remember or be aware of the origin story of BearWaters Brewing.
A 30-year resident of Haywood County, Sandefur was awarded a $7,500 startup seed grant from the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce in 2010. Those funds were at the heart of what became the first BearWaters taproom — two modest side-by-side storage units just off Russ Avenue in Waynesville, which were eventually torn down when the Publix grocery store was built.
“We were fortunate in the little storage unit and we had some really cool moments in there in the beginning,” Sandefur reminisced. “And to look at where we are now, and to see what we have become? There’s a lot to be proud of — it’s exciting, and it feels good.”
By 2016, Sandefur teamed up with food/beverage professional Art O’Neil, and the duo soon launched the popular BearWaters Riverside brewery/restaurant along the Pigeon River in downtown Canton. Not long after came the BearWaters Creekside on Soco Road in the west side of Maggie Valley.
In August 2021, BearWaters faced its biggest hardship to date when a massive flood due to Tropical Storm Fred bulldozed through Haywood County. A wall of water overtook the banks of the Pigeon and burst into BearWaters Riverside. But, the brewery was steadfast and resurrected itself, reopening mere weeks later.
“We’re been through a lot and we’re still
here. And now being back in Waynesville, it feels like it was the missing piece that we were lacking,” Sandefur said. “Waynesville is the completion of a two-year project of day-inand-day-out things that need to get done. But, then you stop and actually see people coming in and interacting with the space, their eyes lighting up — it makes all that hard work worthwhile.”
Standing outside of The Warehouse, Sandefur gazed through the big bay doors on the main floor. Numerous family, friends and esteemed members of the community are milling about inside, each taking in every detail of the building. Their faces light up just as Sandefur had hoped. In the coming days, the general public will be able to enter this next chapter of BearWaters.
“When we first started, we didn’t want to be just ‘Waynesville’s brewery,’ ‘Canton’s brewery’ or ‘Maggie Valley’s brewery’ — we wanted to be ‘Haywood County’s brewery,’” Sandefur said. “And now that we have a presence in all three major townships? After all these years, we feel like we’ve finally completed that mission.”
Known as “The Warehouse,” the newest BearWaters Brewing location will officially open to the public on Tuesday, May 23, at 1940 South Main Street in Waynesville. Featuring a full arcade/game room, pickleball/cornhole courts and axe-throwing cages, the vast space also houses a taproom with several handcrafted ales ready to pour. For more information, go to bearwatersbrewing.com.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Recently, I came across a real estate listing for a house while scrolling Facebook. It was located on the east side of Jackson, Wyoming. In the shadow of the Grand Teton Mountains, any and all homes and undeveloped land are a mad scramble to bid on and purchase.
The house listed wasn’t anything special. Basic looking ranch. Nothing aesthetically unique about the structure or the property. Four bedrooms, two baths. A little over 2,800 square feet on 0.15 acres. Price tag? A cool $2.5 million.
Yep. You read right. Two and a half million dollars. But, it’s Jackson, one of the most affluent communities on the entire planet, with a limited inventory of property due to the town being landlocked by the national park and other protected entities. And that ranch house will sell after a bidding war.
Flashbacks immediately flooded my fieldof-vision of living out in the Tetons. I was 22 years old. Fresh out of college with my first paid writing gig. Reporter for the Teton Valley News, just over the Teton Pass in Driggs, Idaho.
When I rolled into town from Upstate New York in January 2008, I was lucky enough to find an apartment in the tiny outpost town of Victor, Idaho. A one bedroom for $500 a month attached to the back of an abandoned doublewide trailer. It included a small bathroom, an all-in-one kitchen area and a bookshelf in the corner. Barebones, to say the least. But, for me, it was home.
Part of my reporting beat was covering town meetings and planning/zoning committees within the three towns in Teton County. Mainly, I found myself at the Victor meetings, seeing as the town hall was just around the corner from my humble abode.
Now, keep in mind this was 2008. And I vividly remember countless P&Z meetings where local folks were up in arms when developer after developer (after developer) swooped in and asked for permits, rezoning and so on, all to build more and more (and more) expensive homes.
The sprawl was seemingly out-of-control, and with no end in sight. There were nights when the town hall air was thick with arguing and tears shed, to which one time a P&Z board member broke down in an uncontrollable sob, moaning through the crying while saying, “What are we even doing? We’re destroying our town.”
And she was right. I agreed with her 15 years ago, and more so nowadays. Not long after all those expensive homes were built the economy tanked in the fall of 2008. The once white-hot housing market bubble burst, leaving many penniless and without a home from
coast-to-coast. All those expensive homes in Teton County, Idaho? Projects were abandoned. Promises and contracts were broken. And homes already constructed remained dormant for years.
Today? The market out there in the Tetons is again white-hot, and with no real solution to any of the same ole societal problems — rural sprawl, sky-high real estate prices, lack of affordable housing, infrastructure barely able to keep up. In truth, what seems different now is that folks are gobbling up anything they can find — to renovate and flip for profit or merely to snatch whatever comes their way in fear of being squeezed out of the market before it’s too late.
So, here we are, 2023. Those Teton memories are always brimming near the surface of my thoughts and feelings, especially when I think about where we currently stand as a people and a culture — nothing is the same, everything is the same. Ain’t that the truth, eh?
Not much further down the Facebook newsfeed beyond the real estate listing, there
Country megastar Martine McBride will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. 2
A special stage production of “Big Fish” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 19-20, 26-27, June 23, 8-10 and 2 p.m. May 21, 28, June 4 and 11 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 3
The 21st annual Strawberry Jam festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 20-21 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.
was a link to a local newspaper article about a high-end Florida real estate developer, Frank McKinney, looking to come into Haywood County and build extravagant mansions for the ultra-rich. Go to Google and type in “Escape to the Pigeon River.”
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find another YouTube clip of McKinney in downtown Canton last month. Standing within earshot of the soon-to-be-shutdown paper mill, McKinney spoke of the real estate potential of the small town, saying “this is like Southern California before the gold rush” and “the most exciting time in Western North Carolina history because of what’s happening with the mill.”
That feeling of cringe coursed through my body. My mind drifted to the folks I’ve interviewed in Canton during the catastrophic flood of 2021 who lost everything and were homeless, and all those articles in this publication about the mill closure and what may lie ahead for Papertown.
Is Haywood County on the same trajectory as the Tetons? Perhaps. Who knows? Some days it does feel like it, especially when a quarter-million doesn’t go as far as it used to in the real estate market. But, with a mill closure and countless local folks out of work, it seems a little out-of-touch or tone deaf to be licking one’s chops in anticipation for the feast of land and opportunity, whereas many are facing famine.
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Singer-songwriter Andrew Wakefield will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 19, at The Speakeasy in the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.
5
Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party (Americana/indie) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 19.
Figures like McKinney will do what they do, and most likely do it well. They’re opportunists in search of the next big thing to pillage and conquer, the thought being if they don’t do it, somebody else will come along eventually and do the same. So, why not? And I think about all those multi-generation families I’ve befriended in these mountains, incredible blue-collar folks who worked hard to provide for their families — to ink out a living, and be damn proud to do so in the face of adversity.
I’ve called these mountains home for 11 years, all of which working for The Smoky Mountain News. I’ve lived in the same apartment since 2012. The first five years or so I thought, “I can’t wait to move up and buy my first home.” In the last five years or so I think, “I’m so lucky to be able to afford this apartment.”
Regardless, I live and work here. And I choose to be here. Everything changes, which is the only constant in life. That, and the almighty dollar reigns supreme. But, what will we do about affordable housing beyond just lip service to the ongoing issue? Is anyone even thinking about smart growth? Are we beyond the point of no return?
Searching for an affordable starter home in this area — within this economy of inflation and ridiculous housing prices — I’ve been officially squeezed out of the market, even with a lower middle-class paycheck. And I wonder what happens next, for me and innumerable others also in the same predicament.
And if I had to find another apartment? I’d be absolutely screwed. I couldn’t afford these new apartments popping up around the region. And neither can many of my peers. In essence, we’d either have to leave the area or find a few roommates. I digress. And I hold out hope for the future. Somebody does, I suppose.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
The Foreign Landers will make its Sylva debut May 26.
File photo
Directed by Don Kirkindoll, the Haywood Choral Society will perform its spring concert at 5 p.m. Sunday June 4, at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
This season’s concert, “What Dreams May Come,” will explore dreams of the unknown future, of peace and freedom, of love, and hope of new life through the music of classical and modern composers including Ralph Vaughn Williams, Johannes Brahms, Eric Whitacre, Eriks Esenvalds, Elaine Hagenberg, Dan Forrest and more.
This is the first time the 60-member choral group will perform with Kirkindoll, who accepted the position of director in late February. Kirkindoll has directed music programs/ministries and choirs of all ages in churches, schools, and community organizations for the last 25 years.
Singer-songwriter Andrew Wakefield will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 19, at The Speakeasy in the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 14th annual season of the “Concerts on the Creek” music series.
The 2023 kickoff will be with bluegrass/folk act The Foreign Landers at 7 p.m. Friday, May 26, at the gazebo in Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
Mandolinist David Benedict grew up in South Carolina, while Tabitha Agnew Benedict started playing five-string banjo at a young age in her homeland of Northern Ireland. They spent their early years playing the same music, gazing at the same stars, yet still so far away from each other.
But today, the Benedicts are carving their own path in the acoustic music world together, drawing on their unique international her-
itage to create something new. With the 2022 release of their album, “Travelers Rest,” they share their own story in a way that is beautifully honest and moving.
That will be 15 Fridays of “Concerts on the Creek,” with the “Fireworks Festivities” and concert on Tuesday, July 4, sprinkled in for good measure.
These events are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome. Dogs must be on a leash. No smoking, vaping, coolers or tents allowed. Bring a chair or blanket. There will be food trucks available on most nights.
For more information, please contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.586.2155 or visit the Concerts on the Creek Facebook page. A full schedule of dates and performers can be found at mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.
An experienced vocalist, Kirkindoll has performed in concerts from the White House to Europe and South Africa, as well as extensively throughout the southeastern United States. In August 2022, Kirkindoll became the Director of Music and Worship Arts for the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville.
Founded in 1997, with a goal to help preserve an appreciation for the great classical music of the past, as well as the present, the Haywood Choral Society is sponsored in part by The Junaluskans, the Haywood Arts Council and its Chorus Angels.
Admission is free. Donations are welcomed. For more information, visit haywoodchoralsociety.org.
Wakefield is an Asheville artist with an extensive and eclectic catalog of compositions ranging from guitar-driven bluegrass to folk, old-time, newgrass, rock, Americana, and more. Boasting an exceptional knack for songcraft and a boundless passion for the guitar, Wakefield has fast become a local fixture, while word of his talent continues to spread throughout the Southeast and beyond.
Wakefield is also a contributing member of The Well Drinkers and a former member of Supper Break and Cynefin.
Career highlights include appearing at Merlefest, performing with Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, members of Billy Strings, Town Mountain, Fireside Collective, Songs From the Road Band, Jon Stickley Trio, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, George Clinton and Jeff Sipe, among others. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.
This spring, the Blue Ridge Music Trails’ trailblazing musical project, “Fine Tuned,” supports the next generation as they take to the stage at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
These performances are a chance to witness the creative process at play as seasoned musicians collaborate with a select group of emerging artists in Western North Carolina to create fresh sounds and new compositions.
The special performance includes Josh Jones with Sav Sankaran and Bayla Davis with Cary Fridley. The musical performance is possible thanks to the support of the North Carolina Arts Council’s “Spark the Arts” grant.
Josh Jones and Sav Sankaran have two major musical commonalities. Both are classically trained vocalists, and both are high caliber bluegrass musicians. Together, they meld their classical chops with some high lonesome flavor to offer a fresh bluegrass sound.
Bayla Davis is still in her teens, but she’s already making waves with her banjo prowess and emotive vocals. Cary Fridley has had a lengthy career as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist across an impres-
sive range of styles. Fridley has shared her experience and knowledge of country music harmony singing, and Davis has brought her own banjo spark to some fresh reimagining of well-loved standards.
The “Fine Tuned” initiative connects seasoned musicians with a select group of emerging artists in Western North Carolina. The aim is to nurture this generation of talent, while paving the way for future musicians who will keep the musical traditions of Western North Carolina alive.
The groundbreaking project is possible thanks to generous support from Come Hear NC, Spark the Arts N.C. Arts Council, ArtsAVL, and the WNC Bridge Foundation.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates and promotes the natural and cultural heritage in 25 Western North Carolina counties to benefit current and future generations.
Western North Carolina’s resources of agricultural, Cherokee, craft, traditional music and natural heritage were deemed nationally significant when the region was designated a National Heritage Area in 2003. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children. For more information about the concert and/or to purchase tickets, go to blueridgemusicnc.com/concerts.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, go to blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Human Nip May 20 and “Flashback Friday” May 26. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.
• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host The Foreign Landers (bluegrass/folk) May 26 and Darren Nicholson Band (country/bluegrass) June 2 at Bridge Park in Sylva. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 or mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host the Blue Ridge Music Trails “Fine Tuned” performance group at 2 p.m. May 28. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children. blueridgemusicnc.com/concerts.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” w/Martin & Kelly May 25. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $25 per person. For tickets, go to oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (Americana/bluegrass) 2 p.m. June 4. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of show. Ages 12 and under free. For tickets, go to folkmoot.org.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Jay Drummonds (singer-songwriter) May 19 and Silly Ridge May 26 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” at 5:30 p.m., Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party (Americana/indie) 6:30 p.m. May 19, Muddy Guthrie (Americana) May 20 and Shane Meade (indie/folk) 3 p.m. May 21. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host Barry Roma (country/jazz) May 20. All shows are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Rock Holler May 19, Macon County Line May 20 and The Blake Ellege Band (rock/soul) May 26. All
shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host One Vision Of Queen w/Marc Martel (rock/tribute) 7:30 p.m. May 20. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
tainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Brewing Outpost (Sylva) will host Shane Meade (indie/folk) May 19 and Heidi Holton (blues/folk) May 20. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.
Arts (Franklin) will host Martina McBride (country) 7:30 p.m. May 19 ($45) Jay Allen (country) 7:30 p.m. May 20 ($18). Priority seating is also available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host a Sunday Bluegrass Residency noon to 2:30 p.m. and semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night with Kirk” from 7-9 p.m. every Monday, Open Mic Night every Wednesday and 81 Drifters Band May 19. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Tuesdays, trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Open Mic 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Alma Russ & Bryson Evans (Americana/indie) May 20 and The V8s May 27. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Andrew Wakefield (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. May 19, Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party (Americana/indie) May 20, Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. May 26 and a “Songwriters Night” with Rene Russell, Heidi Holton & Bridget Gossett May 27. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) May 19, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) May 20, Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. May 21, Frank Lee
(Americana/folk) May 26, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana) May 27, Heidi Holton (blues/folk) May 28 and Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) May 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or moun-
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows behind at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. noc.com.
• Old Presbyterian Church (Franklin) will host David Lloyd (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. May 21. Sponsored by the Macon County Arts Council.
• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 or orchardcoffeeroasters.com.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Intermission (variety) May 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.
• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host David Cody (singer-songwriter) May 19, Tyler Kemmerling (singer-songwriter) May 20, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) May 26 and Wayne McAllister (singer-songwriter) May 27. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host The Boomers May 20 and The Swingin’ Richards May 27 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a “Celtic Jam” 2-5 p.m. Sundays, Alma Russ & Bryson Evans (Americana/folk) May 18, Ben & The Borrowed Band (country/rock) 8:30 p.m. May 19, Arnold Hill 9 p.m. May 26 and We Three Swing May 27. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.
• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host Jenn & Owen (Americana) May 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week and Darren Nicholson (Americana/bluegrass) 8 p.m. May 26. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack County May 18, Zak Saltz Band May 19, Keil Nathan Smith & Sudden Change May 20, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) May 25, Rock Holler May 26 and Carolina Freighshakters May 27. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Amos Jackson (singer-songwriter) May 26. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host David Childers (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. May 28. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to eatrealfoodinc.com.
Country megastar Martina McBride will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
A multiple Grammy nominee, McBride has sold over 23 million albums to date, which includes 20 Top-10 singles and six No. 1 hits. McBride has earned more than 15 major music awards, including four wins for “Female Vocalist of the Year” from the Country Music Association and three recognitions by the Academy of Country Music for “Top Female Vocalist.”
Throughout her stellar, continually evolving career, McBride has been awarded 14 gold records, nine platinum honors, three double platinum records and two triple platinum awards.
Tickets are $45 per person, with priority seating available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.
The 21st annual Strawberry Jam festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 20-21 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.
The Darnell family celebrates their locally grown strawberry crop. Enjoy local music, local food, fresh fruits and vegetables, craft vendors, plow demonstrations, children’s play area, hayrides, fishing, camping and much more.
Admission is free, with a $10 donation encouraged. Donations are for the upkeep and maintenance of the farm. For more information, click on darnellfarms.com or call 828.488.2376.
The 27th annual Swain County Heritage Festival will be held May 26-27 at Riverfront Park in Bryson City.
The festival starts at 5:30 p.m. Friday with Southern Gospel music, featuring The Barnes Family, Tribe Called Praise, Turning Home, Dyer Family, Southern Bound and The Howell Family.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, there will be art/craft booths, food vendors, cross-cut log sawing contest with prizes, and live music on the outdoor stage.
Bands will include Appalachian Smoke, The Steve Jordan Band, Somebody’s Child, Granny’s Mason Jar and Bean Sidhe (Celtic). Free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the festivities. There will also be sack races and kids’ activities.
For more information, click on facebook.com/swaincountyheritagefestival or email swaincountyheritagefest@gmail.com.
For 39 years, Folkmoot USA was a cultural beacon in Haywood County. File photo
A beloved cultural gathering for almost 40 years, Folkmoot USA will go on hiatus as of this year, with its future uncertain as to when or if the festival will return.
North Carolina’s official international folk dance festival, Folkmoot USA has transformed over the last several years after pandemic shutdowns and the cost of international travel led to mounting financial shortfalls.
No longer able to support and host international groups at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Waynesville, for the last several years the organization held scaled down festivals featuring musical performers and ethnic dance groups based in the United States who preserve the culture and traditions of their heritage.
Folkmoot has also held well-attended performances and events throughout the year in its auditorium. Mostly, however, those efforts haven’t provided the financial support required to keep the organization afloat.
The Board of Directors accepted the resignation of its executive director, Evan Hatch, hired in April 2022, and has already executed a plan to stabilize the organization’s finances and increase revenue at the Friendship Center.
“The Board is dedicated and determined to make tough choices in order to protect the legacy of Folkmoot,” said Alan Fletcher, the current president of the Folkmoot Board of Directors.
Folkmoot owns the old Hazelwood School on Virginia Avenue which serves as its headquarters and provides leased studio spaces. Among those leasing is SOAR, a non-traditional micro-school for neurodivergent stu-
dents. The Friendship Center also has many local artist studios, offices and rents out classroom space as well as the auditorium.
“We’ve made our rental spaces affordable for nonprofits and local artists, and are doing all we can to keep the doors open,” said Fletcher. “The mission of Folkmoot USA is to celebrate many cultures and champion arts, education, creative entrepreneurship and tradition.”
Folkmoot held its first festival in 1984 and at its peak would host up to 10 international groups of dancers and musicians for two weeks in late July. Originally, up to 300 performers were housed at the Waynesville Middle School. Once Folkmoot obtained the old Hazelwood School, performers were housed there during the festival.
Post-9/11, visa issues and travel restrictions began to present challenges for Folkmoot’s organizers. Once COVID came, the festival had to be shut down completely and its financial problems began to mount. Through a number of difficult economic periods, community donations and support waned.
Going forward, Folkmoot will continue to rent space in the building and hold performances and special events in the auditorium as it gets back on stable financial footing. A one-day festival is currently being planned as well as a Summer Fundraising Soirée, which will be held from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center.
For a full schedule of upcoming shows and events, visit folkmoot.org. For information on monthly space, classroom and auditorium rentals, contact Operations Manager Brett Pinkston at 828.452.2997 or email operations@folkmoot.org.
• Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday of each month throughout its 2023 season. The collection features over 375 of the world’s rarest and most sought-after American motorcycles from over 30 manufacturers. The museum is located at 62 Vintage Lane in Maggie Valley and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday until Nov. 20. For more information about the museum and its collections, visit wheelsthroughtime.com.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville is currently showcasing works from the Graduating Class of 2023 of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program.
Located on the second floor until Sept. 6, the show continues the historical relationship between the SHCG and HCC. This new generation of artisan craft is led by HCC instructors Amy Putansu in fiber, Brian Wurst in wood, Emily Reason in clay and Robert Blanton in metals/jewelry.
Students of the HCC program come from all over, with or without prior experience of craft, and sometimes pursue it as a second or third career. The course of study is challenging, combining craft concentrations with supplemental classes in design, drawing, craft history, business, marketing and photography.
HCC and the SHCG share a history that documents the role of craft education in preserving traditional culture, creating economic opportunity and fostering professional practice. All the artists represent the vitality and creativity of craft practice today, which is the ultimate purpose of both institutions.
Located in Clyde, HCC’s Professional Crafts Program began in recognition of the region’s strong craft heritage. It was envi-
• “Mother’s Day Gemboree” will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 19-21 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, supplies, beads, door prizes, dealers, exhibits, demonstrations and more. Sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Macon County Gem & Mineral Society. For more information, call 828.369.7831 or click on franklin-chamber.com.
sioned that students would learn the basics of craft media and how to transform that craft into a business.
The clay studio was the first to open in 1974. With the addition of jewelry, wood
and fiber studios, a comprehensive curriculum was in place by 1977.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit craftguild.org or call 828.298.7928. To learn about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828.627.4674 or click on creativearts.haywood.edu.
Waynesville. Curated by Lori Reed, this specially curated exhibit features work of Cherokee High School students and their teachers in celebration of the unveiling of the Cherokee inspired and designed mural on the HCAC’s building back wall facing Wall Street. For more information, click on haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, click on jcgep.org.
• “G&LW Wholesale Gem Show” will be held May 19-21 at the Watauga Festival Center on 6295 Sylva Road in Franklin. The trade shows are produced in many major trade centers across the United States for the convenience of wholesale buyers. For the past 45 years, G&LW’s multiple show venues have been a top gem and mineral buyer destination. For more information, call 601.879.8832 or click on glwshows.com.
• “Renewing the Fire Through Education” will be showcased through May 29 at the Haywood County Arts Council in
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, click on southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, click on dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.html or call 828.586.2248.
A special stage production of “Big Fish” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 19-20, 26-27, June 2-3, 8-10 and 2 p.m. May 21, 28, June 4 and 11 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Will grew up hearing his father, Edward Bloom, tell him tall tales in which he was always the hero of his own story. As Will ventures into fatherhood himself, he is on a quest to find the man behind the stories before it is too late.
And so the audience goes on a wild ride through fantasy flashbacks filled with spectacular dance numbers, beautiful music by Andrew Lippa and piles of costume changes.
It’s a timeless tale of a child finally seeing his parent as a complete person and of the journey we all make from child to adult to parent ourselves. Was Edward Bloom trying to impress his son with his tall tales? Or was he trying to inspire him to live the life he always hoped he would?
‘Big Fish’ will have a four-weekend run at HART. Donated photo
Tickets start at $17.50 per person. For more information, click on harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.
Famed actor, author and standup comedian Nick Offerman will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center.
Offerman is best known for playing the role of “Ron Swanson” in the popular television series “Parks and Recreation.” For that role, Offerman was awarded the TCA Award for “Individual Achievement in Comedy.” A beloved actor and humorist, he’s appeared in dozens of films throughout his career.
Tickets start at $36 per person. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
Presented by the Sylva Art + Design Committee (SADC), the third annual “Sylva Sandwich Competition” is currently underway throughout the month of May at participating restaurants around the community.
Establishments include Cosmic Carryout, The Cut, Lulu’s, Mad Batter, Meatballs, Nantahala Brewing and White Moon.
Scan the QR code at participating restaurants and vote for your favorite “SADC” sandwich. All entry fees and donations from the competition will help fund a new mural at a downtown Sylva business.
Proceeds gathered from this event will help fund the Sylva Skate Park.
The ‘Sylva Sandwich Competition’ trophy is a coveted award in WNC.
When I read certain online commentaries about the possibility of war with China, I smile. Not happily, but grimly. It’s a smile that shakes its head, baffled and in disbelief by the innocence and naivete of the commentators. They’re generally referring to a hot war with China, most likely to occur over the sovereignty of the independent nation of Taiwan, yet they seem oblivious to the fact that China — more specifically, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — has been at war with the United States for over 20 years.
In 1999, two CCP colonels wrote a book, “Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America.” The key idea behind this manifesto, which the CCP adopted, is that a hot war is always the last resort, that war by other means can often accomplish the same goal as bombs, missiles, and guns. The weapons in unrestricted warfare are many: media warfare, psychological and ideological warfare, drugs, trade and financial warfare, and more.
Since then, and even earlier, the CCP has used these weapons against the United States. That fentanyl pouring across our southern border that’s annually killing tens of thousands of Americans? Sure, violent and lawless drug cartels manufacture and distribute this poison, but the Chinese provide them with the ingredients. Disney, the NBA, and hundreds of other corporations? The Chinese have a finger in each of them. The cheap goods supplied by our box stores and online companies like Amazon? Most come from China, which means every time you buy that pair of jeans or that frying pan, a small portion of what you pay goes to support the military of an oppressive and murderous regime. The list goes on and on — intellectual theft, TikTok (banned by India in 2020 in the interests of national security), spies in our universities and in the halls of Washington, D.C. These and more are the tactics behind the strategy of unrestricted warfare.
In “When China Attacks: A Warning to America” (Regnery Publishing, 2023, 256 pages), retired Marine colonel Grant Newsham begins by depicting a hot war between China and the United States. The Chinese invade and take Taiwan, abetted by agents implanted on the island. Once Taiwan falls, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has outflanked the southern defenses of Japan, moves into the Southwest and South Pacific, where they already have bases in the area like the Solomon Islands, and threaten both Australia and eventually the west coast of the United States. Newsham, who is long acquainted through his work
and interests in the Pacific theater, then writes, “Once China takes Taiwan, every nation in Asia besides Japan — even Australia — will cut the best deal it can with Beijing. Pacific Asia turns Red.”
For a good part of his book, Newsham then focuses on China’s unrestricted warfare, especially against the United States. In chapters like “Economic Warfare: Putting
gy with the long-term goal of bringing America to her knees. Once we fully grasp this concept, we can counterpunch with all manner of tactics of our own. We can demand that corporations do business with the United States government rather than with China. We can insist that so many of our leaders in government and the talking heads in our corporation media cease the excuses they make for the behavior of the CCP. We can take a firm stand on human rights, condemning what is China’s slavery of certain groups and their organ harvesting, which involves murdering prisoners, extracting their organs, and selling them to “medical tourists.” We can strengthen our ties with Taiwan in numerous ways.
One observer gave Newsham this succinct formula for dealing with the PRC from a military viewpoint: “Deter militarism by developing a robust combined capability to dominate them in war. Collectively protect what is ours. Never do anything to help them.”
America out of Business,” “Cyber Warfare: Hacking through American Defenses,” and “The Chinese Military: No One Is Laughing Anymore,” he lays out an abundance of evidence of the “gray war” the CCP has long waged against Americans.
In the chapter “China Attacks: The Political and the Kinetic Combine,” Newsham describes what circumstances within the United States might encourage a military assault on Taiwan, writing, “Beijing will like its chances even more if the United States is tearing itself apart politically, with half the nation seeing the other half as enemies to be destroyed. Social and racial unrest will be another plus from Beijing’s perspective — and it will continue to stroke it via media warfare and use of proxies.” Sound familiar?
Unlike some doom-and-gloom books, in “How to Win” Newsham points to ways we can turn around this war on our institutions and our lives. First, he tells us, we must truly recognize that the CCP is practicing a strate-
From Shanghai in 2022 we have some footage taken during the extreme COVID lockdowns that shows residents in apartment buildings, protesting their confinement and their lack of food and goods, standing on their balconies and singing in protest. As Newsham tells us, “A drone appears and broadcasts: ‘Please comply with COVID restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.’”
Those italicized words, written by Newsham illustrate the heart of the Chinese Communist Party. What stands behind those words is a threat: if you can’t control that desire, we’ll control it for you.
In “When China Attacks,” Newsham, like other experts and observers before him, warns us of the dangers we face. What happens next is up to us.
(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)
BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR
When A.L. Freedlander issued the 1966 fundraising challenge that birthed the Haywood Community College campus in Clyde, he envisioned a space dedicated not
only to learning, but also to natural beauty. Freedlander gave $250,000 in seed money to the project, but with conditions attached: that the campus become “the most beautifully landscaped area in Haywood County” and that its grounds should contain “a good collection of dahlias,” Freedlander’s favorite flower.
Nearly 60 years later, a new trail system on HCC’s campus pays homage to
Freedlander’s vision. The Dahlia Ridge Trail System is named for the carefully tended flower garden along its route and shows off the natural beauty of the forest surrounding the landscaped central campus.
The Dahlia Ridge Trail System is free to use, with maps posted at trailheads around campus and available for download using the Avenza Maps app or website at avenza.com. Hikers should follow posted rules while exploring.
• Dogs on leash are allowed, but hikers must clean up after them using disposal bags and trash cans located at trailheads.
• Trails are for hiking only, not mountain biking.
• Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk and closed overnight. Limit use when the trail surface is wet and stay away during high winds.
• No camping, fires or littering is allowed on the Dahlia Ridge Trail System.
• Use trails at your own risk and be aware of danger from falling limbs or trees.
• In case of emergency, call 911. Numbered emergency signs are located throughout the trail system — tell emergency personnel the closest number to assist their response.
• Do not approach or attempt to feed wildlife.
• Abide by all college policies and procedures while using the trails. To report trail obstructions or other concerns, contact HCC Security at 828.734.5410.
“Mr. Freedlander wanted people to come on campus and enjoy the beauty of nature and the outdoors,” said HCC Foundation Executive Director Hylah Birenbaum. “We are an anchor for Haywood County, and we just want to bring people on campus, to add another avenue to enjoy.”
Of the trail system’s 3.5 miles, 2.5 miles are new or redesigned. Todd Branham of Transylvania Countybased Long Cane Trails designed the system and built much of it, with HCC’s maintenance staff also doing construction work.
The 1-mile Bobcat Trail circling the main campus has been around for a while, using a combination of walking paths and sidewalks to loop around Mill Pond, Sawmill Drive,
College Drive and behind the Hemlock and Silverbell buildings near the campus entrance. Now, the new 1.4-mile Kingfisher Trail meets Bobcat at College Drive and ducks behind the Balsam building to enter the forest. A smooth dirt trail carries hikers under a green woodland canopy before eventually depositing them back on the sidewalk along Vocational Drive.
Those who aren’t yet ready to return to civilization can wander down one of the trails connecting to Kingfisher at the southern edge of HCC’s property line. The new 0.6-mile Copperhead Trail takes a series of switchbacks to descend toward its terminus behind the Public Service Training Facility, while the 0.2-mile Wildflower Way — previously just an unnamed fire road — merges into the 0.14-mile Millpond Connector to meet the
Bobcat Trail just east of the Mill Pond.
Additionally, the 0.12-mile Moon Tree Way has been extended and rerouted. It cuts off a corner of Bobcat Way for walkers looking to avoid sidewalks and take in a pair of campus landmarks — the dahlia garden and the trail’s namesake moon tree, a sycamore grown from seeds sent up to the moon in 1971.
The trails are all relatively easy compared to other hikes available in Western North Carolina, with a net elevation gain between the system’s highest and lowest points of about 100 feet.
There had been “rumblings” about building such a trail system before she joined HCC in October 2021, Birenbaum said, but things got rolling in 2022 when the Town of Clyde applied for and received a $66,000 grant from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority to go toward the project. The HCC Foundation matched that grant with another $66,000 and raised an additional $11,000 in donations, for a total project cost of $143,000.
The new trail system is meant not only to honor Freedlander’s vision for the community college he helped found but also to invite more Haywood County residents to campus, showing off the array of opportunities HCC offers.
“It’s just another reason to bring people on campus,” Bierenbaum said. “And then maybe if they're on campus, they'll see our new nursing building. Or they'll ask about something or be like, ‘Hey, maybe my grandson wants to take a class or maybe I want to take a quilting class.’ Because so many new people don't know that we're here. And it's just like that branding of, we're such a big part of the county. Let's
just bring people here.”
The college’s disc golf course, which held a grand reopening in September 2021, also supports that goal. A TDA grant and partnership with the Kids in Parks program allowed for the course to be redesigned to offer enjoyable challenge to both novice and advanced players. The course has remained enormously popular, Birenbaum said.
The Dahlia Ridge Trail System opens just in time for summer, and just in time to fit into a statewide celebration of trails — the North Carolina Year of the Trail. In 2021, the N.C. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation setting 2023 aside as a year encouraging residents to explore local trails, build new ones and pay tribute to those responsible for maintaining and constructing them.
A grand opening celebration scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Friday, June 2, will further point to the Dahlia Ridge Trail System’s place within this larger context, taking place just before National Trails Day Saturday, June 3. The message, said Birenbaum, is simple.
“Use it,” she said. “Spread the word. Come out and visit.”
The Dahlia Ridge Trail System is complete, but the Haywood Community College Foundation is still accepting donations for the project. Money may be used for maintenance, dog stations, benches and other trail improvements. Learn more at haywood.edu/foundation/index.php.
Students from The Christ School in Asheville have won one of five annual awards given by Blue Ridge Parkway managers to recognize volunteer contributions to preservation, protection and enjoyment of the Parkway.
For several years, Christ School students have worked to beautify the Parkway’s southern sections through improving campsites, removing vegetation and painting. Established volunteers who
The Ocoee Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest has a new district ranger, with Philip Earhart starting his official duties in the role Jan. 15.
Earhart most recently worked as the forest wildlife biologist at the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Cleveland, Tennessee. He started his career on the Cherokee National Forest in 2011 after working for Tennessee Wildlife Resources
work alongside the students note the importance of equipping the next generation of stewards to care and protect places like the Blue Ridge Parkway. For this, they received the Blue Ridge Parkway Youth Group Award.
In 2022, over 1,200 volunteers contributed more than 45,000 hours in service to the Blue Ridge Parkway, assisting in numerous ways to support operations, preserve and protect park resources, and make a positive impact on visitor experience. For more information about the Parkway’s volunteer program, visit nps.gov/blri/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.
Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served as the South Zone Wildlife Biologist on the Cherokee National Forest beginning in 2015 and as the Deputy District Ranger on the Nantahala National Forest Cheoah Ranger District in 2019.
The 660,000 Cherokee National Forest is divided into northern and southern sections by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 95,000-acre Ocoee Ranger District is the forest’s southernmost ranger district and sits in the extreme southeastern corner of Tennessee.
Ramsey Cascades Trail and Ramsey Prong Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are now open on weekends following a full closure for trail work. The trails will be open Friday through Sunday each week, and on federal holidays, but closed Monday through Thursday to allow trail crews to finish ongoing trail rehabilitation.
Located in the Greenbrier area, the 4mile Ramsey Cascades Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park and is the only way to access 100-foot Ramsey Cascades, the park’s tallest waterfall.
Ramsey Cascades Trail has been closed since part of the trail was washed out during a flood event last summer. Trail crews rerouted 200 feet of trail, built and installed a new footlog bridge and built four new trail structures damaged by the flood. The remaining trail work is part of ongoing Trails Forever reconstruction efforts. Trail crews will finish repairs to the tread surface, drainage improvements, construction of trail structures and removal of tri pping hazards such as roots and rocks.
Newly constructed stairs lead to Ramsey Cascades. NPS photo
The Trails Forever program is a partnership between Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park to fund a permanent, highly skilled trail crew that rehabilitates high-use trails. Abrams Falls, Trillium Gap, Rainbow Falls, Alum Cave, Chimney Tops and Forney Ridge trails have all been rehabilitated through the program
Spend the weekend getting to know Panthertown trails better with events in Dillsboro and Lake Toxaway.
From 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 19, anyone interested in trails is invited to stop by Innovation Station in Dillsboro after work for a casual gathering. The next day, volunteers will meet at Cold Mountain Trailhead in Panthertown Valley near Lake Toxaway for a trail workday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, contact friends@panthertown.org or 828.269.4453.
A section of Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed on weekdays through Thursday, May 25, to allow crews to repair an area damaged by a fallen tree last year.
Hikers will be able to follow the trail as far as Alum Cave Bluffs. LeConte
Learn how to stay found with a land navigation course offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville.
Course instructor Steve Kuni, who is a trainer for the Haywood County Search and
Go stand up paddleboarding at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, May 30, on Wolf Lake in Jackson County
Lodge employees and hikers with reservations at the lodge or backcountry shelter will be exempt from the closure.
Alum Cave Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park, leading hikers to iconic areas like Arch Rock, Inspiration Point, Alum Cave Bluffs and Mt. LeConte. Hikers who do not have reservations at the lodge or shelter and who wish to hike to Mt. LeConte may use one of the other trails to the summit.
Rescue Volunteers and a former U.S. Army Officer, will cover the fundamentals of traditional map and compass land navigation, and apply those fundamentals to navigation with modern cell phones. Sign up at secure.rec1.com/catalog. For more information, contact recreationandparks@haywoodcountync.gov or 828.452.6789.
The group will meet at the Cullowhee Recreation Center before traveling to the lake, The event is open to ages 10 and up, and will repeat June 6, June 13 and July 11. Cost is $30. Register at jcprd.recdesk.com.
The Highlands Plateau Greenway started the program in 2018 to encourage families to explore the greenway’s network of community trails and the Plateau’s natural beauty. This included a town-wide scavenger hunt to find purple mailboxes equipped with kid-oriented nature riddles. The Highlands Biological Foundation is continuing the program and has updated the riddles for the 2023 season.
The passport map provides an itinerary of routes throughout the greenway’s trails. The four routes include Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s Sunset Rock Trail, the Highlands Biological Station’s Highlands Botanical Garden Trail, the Mill Creek Woods Trail and The Bascom’s Trail. Each trail, labeled in purple on the map, contains a riddle station — a purple mailbox with a riddle to solve inside. Kids write the answer in the corresponding box on the map, and after solving all four they can pick up a prize provided by Kilwins Highlands at either the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, Highlands Recreation Center, Hudson Library or The Bascom.
Find the passport map at one of the four prize locations or download a copy at highlandsbiological.org.
When Western Carolina University registrar Larry Hammer began working a garden plot with his family in the Cullowhee Community Garden, he realized that the garden’s water delivery system was not working like it needed to and had not been for years. He also knew exactly who to contact for help.
Hammer enlisted the help of Bora Karayaka, professor in WCU’s College of Engineering and Technology, along with electrical engineering student Stefan LeClair, a senior from Fuquay Varina, to see if they could fix the issue with the garden’s solar power system, which was designed to pump
water from Cullowhee Creek. Flooding had ruined the solar panel’s converter, but LeClair, with help from Karayaka, gathered measurements to build a waterproof box for the new converter and encase the batteries.
“Now it only takes 15 minutes to fill a tank and then get the water to the other storage tanks,” Karayaka said.
The garden, which is under the direction of the Jackson County Health Department, charges no fee for community members to adopt a plot. Adoptees agree to grow only organic produce and donate half of their harvest back to the garden to combat food insecurity in Jackson County.
Volunteers are welcome to come help at the garden, located at 65 S. Painter Road in Cullowhee, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Contact David Claxton at gardenmanager@jacksonnc.org for more information.
Agricultural producers and private landowners have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a federal program that lets producers and landowners continue grazing and haying while conserving grasslands and promoting diversity and healthy soil.
“Through annual rental payments, the program helps producers and landowners produce and maintain diverse wildlife habitat, sequester carbon in the soil, and support sound, sustainable grazing,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. “These benefits help keep agricultural lands in production while delivering lasting climate outcomes.”
For more information, contact the county Farm Service Agency service center.
Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to Plant and Sip, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Winding Stair Farm in Macon County.
Participants will enjoy non-alcoholic local beverages while making their own potted native plant arrangements to take home. With help from the gardeners and native plant lovers hosting this event, participants will select up to five plants. Native species are low
maintenance, support local wildlife and enhance the beauty of outdoor spaces.
Tickets include two drinks, a brief lesson about the role native plants play in gardens and in the landscape, a compostable container, soil and locally grown plants. Hosted by Mainspring Conservation Trust, Wild Ones N.C. and Winding Stair Farm. Cost is on a sliding scale of $20$60 for Wild Ones N.C. members, with nonmembers paying an extra $10. Proceeds will support Mainspring and Wild Ones.
Stock up on plants and garden items during the “Pass-Along Plant Sale” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Haywood County Extension Office in Waynesville.
Wares will include hand-crafted garden art, gently used garden items and live plants prepared by Haywood County Master Gardeners — divided perennials, rooted cuttings and plants started from seed. Hundreds of native plants will be for sale at reasonable prices, including house plants, herbs, natives, perennials and shrubs. This is also pickup day for anybody who preordered perennials in March.
For more information contact hcmgplantsale@gmail.com.
catherine.proben@allentate.com
A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.
The litter includes three female pups and two males. Together with a cross-fostered male pup born at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, they will bring the pack of wild wolves at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge up to 13 wolves.
Last year, the pack saw the birth of the first red wolf litter born in the wild since 2018.
“This is extraordinary news for red wolves in the wild. This family group is now a large, fullyfunctioning pack with these new pups and the yearlings,” said Ben Prater, director of Defenders of Wildlife’s Southeast Program. “We are so grateful for the [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] biolo-
Experience the “Appalachian magic” of lightning bug season with a series of walks planned throughout the spring and early summer to experience the show from a variety of different species. Naturalist Sarah Johnson will lead these walks on her farm in Macon County.
gists that made this happen. We’re hopeful this is a sign of things to come in the species recovery.”
Once common throughout the Southeast, red wolves faced extinction in the late 1970s after intensive predator-control programs and loss of habitat, prompting USFWS biologists to capture the very last wild individuals for a never-beforetried effort at captive breeding. In 1987, biologists reintroduced four wild pairs into Alligator National Wildlife Refuge.
In addition to the Milltail family group, two litters of four red wolf puppies each reside in acclimation pens with their parents and will be released in the coming weeks. With these litters and additional releases of captive-bred wolves, the wild population could total 35-37 by the end of May.
Walks focusing on blue ghost fireflies will be 8:30-10:30 p.m. May 20-26, synchronous fireflies June 4-17 and phantom ghosts June 17-July 3. Each night will include conversation about lightning bugs and glowing foxfire worms, followed by walks around the farm. Cost is $50 for adults and $25 for youth 18 and under. Firefly-friendly red lights are provided. Bring ankle-supporting boots and bring a walking stick. Learn more or register at alarkaexpeditions.com.
A team from Bethel Middle School in Haywood County took top honors at the 2023 Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament.
The Bethel Middle team won the overall junior division with a total score of 3,499. Students competed in rifle, shotgun and archery marksmanship, orienteering and a hunter responsibility exam. The team rose to the top of 28 teams competing at the state
level.
Championship competitors advanced from district events held in March to showcase shooting and outdoor skills, as well as knowledge learned through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Hunter Education Program. The teams were made up of participants from public and private schools, as well as homeschool associations and 4-H clubs.
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These are only the answers.
BY ADAM B IGELOW
Ilove coming across a large patch of mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) while walking in the woods in the spring. They are beautiful in all stages of growth. Early on, when they first emerge from the soil, they look like turtles poking their heads up. Fully open they look tiny umbrellas at a fancy beach. And as they start to fade, they turn a beautiful shade of yellow.
Mayapples have large round leaves — one or two, depending on the plant’s age — that grow on a single stem. The immature plants have a single leaf that lays flat atop the stem, with 5 to 9 lobes radiating out from a central point. The leaf is a shiny green with a white circle in the center. Once the plant is old enough and has enough stored energy to make a flower and fruit, it’s as if that single leaf splits in half, and two leaves emerge, forking off the central stem, each with single lobed leaf and half a white circle on the inward side where the leaf splits.
And in between these two leaves, in the fork or axil of the stem, is where you will find the flower and later the fruit. Although the flowers are relatively large and bright, they are easy to miss because the flowers hang downward under the broad lobed leaves. If you know to look or just happen to notice them, you’re rewarded with beautiful flowers that have creamy white petals and yellow pistils and stamens in the center.
I recommend crouching down, or even carefully laying down next to some and looking up at the flowers. You’ll have a turtle’s-eye view of them. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a bumblebee or another pollinating insect looking for a meal. If you can’t crouch down that far, try getting your camera down low to get a picture. The flowers are definitely worth it.
Eating the roots, stem, leaves and flowers will make you very sick, as all parts of the mayapple are toxic. All parts, that is, except
for the ripe fruit, which is delicious. The unripe fruit? It’s toxic. The ripe fruit, however, are good and safe to eat if you know when to harvest them. The fruits start out glossy and green and ripen to a golden yellow. To get some, you’ll have to beat the turtles in a footrace.
Turtles are the main carriers that mayapples use to spread their seeds away from the mother plant. Turtles love eating the fruits, then slowly walk away with a belly full of them. After digesting the fruits, the turtles then plant the seeds surrounded in a rich fresh fertilizer to aid their growth. Animal dispersal is a common method plants use to help spread their seeds and increase populations.
There is a wave of mayapples that grows up the hill by my house. The patch follows the hill’s contours like a stream flowing down the mountain. Their leaves shine of silver in the morning dew and light. I celebrate their return each year, excited to see the leaves emerge, andI love showing their flowers to people who may have never seen one before. They are spectacular.
• Signing at Shady Grove United Methodist Church with the Dyer Family, Sunday, May 28 at 11 a.m. Located at 3570 Jonathan Creek Road in Waynesville.
• Memorial Day market, hosted by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, will take place 4-6 p.m. May 26 at the Chamber Visitor’s Center. There will be local woodworking, pottery and glass demonstrations and Dogs on Wheels food vendor.
• The Franklin Chamber of Commerce Pop Up Market will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center located at 98 Hyatt Road.
• The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will sponsor a Fish Fry from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, May 19, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. Plates will be available for $12, sandwiches for $5. For more information, call 452.7232.
• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.
• Indivisible Swain County will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, May 22, via zoom. Agenda items will focus on continued planning for a Fall Community Forum on a shared vision for the health of the community. All are welcome to join and participate. For more information or a link to attend, email indivisibleswain@gmail.com.
• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.
• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. - noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Sylva Writers Group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at City Lights Bookstore. For more information contact sylvawriters@gmail.com.
• Tremont Writers Conference, an intensive five-day retreat for writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry will take place Wednesday, Oct. 25-29. Applications to participate in the event may be submitted online now through April 30 at writers.gsmit.org.
• Creative Writing Club will take place at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. The writing club is intended for ages 8-12. For more information visit fontanalib.org or
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com
call 828.524.3600.
• Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567.
• Mother Goose Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Wednesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years old. For more information, contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420
• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.
• A course on making custom Viking Round Shields with Master Blacksmith Brock Martin, runner-up in Forged in Fire season 4, will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County. Cost is $450, materials included, registration required. Space is limited. For more information or to register contact GEP at 828.631.0271.
• “Meander in May,” the free, self-guided arts festival organized by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC will return at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20. For more information and a schedule of events visit highlandschamber.org.
• The 27th Annual Swain County Heritage Festival will be held on Memorial Day Weekend. For more information visit the Facebook page “Swain County Heritage Festival,” or email swaincountyheritagefest@gmail.com.
• Concerts on the Creek takes place 7-9 p.m. every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Bridge Park. There are food trucks and beer vendors at ever concert. First concert is May 26 by The Foreign Landers. For more information or a complete schedule visit mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek/.
• The annual Steve Sutton Fest, a benefit concert to raise funds honoring Haywood County’s late great banjo player Steve Sutton, will be held 4-11 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Silverado’s Outdoor Music Park in Black Mountain. The festival benefits the Steve Sutton Memorial Charitable Trust to help aspiring musicians and carry on his legacy.
• Haywood Choral Society 2023 Spring Concert will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 4, at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Admission is free.
• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
• Smoky Mountain Event Center presents Bingo Night with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and games starting at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information visit smokymountaineventcenter.com.
• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.
• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.
• Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.
• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.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. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.
• The Strawberry Jam Half Marathon/5K will return for its second year Saturday, May 20, in Bryson City. The half marathon will start at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 7:15 a.m. Registration is $70 for the half marathon and $35 for the 5K. Sign up at gloryhoundevents.com.
• Learn to identify trees during a moderate 6-mile hike Saturday, May 20, in the Sunburst area of Haywood County. The group will meet at 10 a.m. at the picnic tables behind Jukebox Junction Soda Shoppe in Bethel, and the hike will conclude by 4 p.m. Organized by Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College. Free for HWA members, with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers. Memberships
n
n Art gallery events and openings
n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers
n Civic and social club gatherings
start at $25. Space limited. Sign up with Christine O’Brien at christine@haywoodwaterways.org or 828.476.4667, ext. 1.
• Free Bike tune-up or repair will be offered 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Community Bike Repair Day is organized by Haywood County Recreation and Parks.
• Go camping with the family during an event Friday, May 19, through Saturday, May 20, at Ralph J. Andrews Campground on Lake Glenville in Jackson County. Equipment rentals are available. Tents are $10, sleeping bags $5 and sleeping mats $2. Register at jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program.
• Take a three-hour forest therapy walk 5-8 p.m. Saturday, May 20, or 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 21, at the Highlands Botanical Garden in Highlands. Register at highlandsbiological.org.
• The “Pass-Along Plant Sale” will take place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Haywood County Extension Office in Waynesville. For more information contact hcmgplantsale@gmail.com.
• Hike to Blackrock via Black Rock Trail Wednesday, May 24, with the Haywood County Recreation and Parks. Hike registration is $10, sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.
• Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to Plant and Sip, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Winding Stair Farm in Macon County. Tickets include two drinks, a brief lesson about the important role native plants play in gardens and in the landscape, a compostable container, soil and locally grown native plants. Cost is on a sliding scale of $20-$60 for Wild Ones N.C. members, with non-members paying an extra $10. Proceeds will support Mainspring and Wild Ones.
• Go stand up paddle boarding at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, on Wolf Lake in Jackson County. The group will meet at the Cullowhee Recreation Center before traveling to the lake, The event is open to ages 10 and up, and will repeat June 6, June 13 and July 11. Cost is $30. Register at jcprd.recdesk.com.
• The Cashiers Historical Society will host the Jan Wyatt Symposium, “Talking Trout,” on Thursday, June 15, at Canyon Kitchen in Lonesome Valley, Sapphire. For more information visit cahsiershistoricalsociety.org.
• The 2023 Jan Wyatt Symposium will explore unanswered questions about local trout species and their health and wellbeing Thursday, June 15, at Canyon Kitchen in Sapphire. Cost is $100, and proceeds will benefit the Cashiers Historical Society. Sign up under “Events” at cashiershistoricalsociety.org.
• Haywood County Master Gardener volunteers offer a virtual plant clinic to answer any questions. Leave a message at the Cooperative Extension Office at 828.456.3575 or email haywoodemgv@gmail.com with a description of any homeowner gardening issue, including lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to plant problems. Within a few days, a Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer will get back to you with research-based information.
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State of North Carolina, County of Haywood Superior Court File # 22SP166 Carolyn Davis vs. Nathan Hughes and Angela Hughes et al Notice Of Service By Publication
TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking Petition For Payment Of Surplus Funds against above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Petition For Payment Of Surplus Funds
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John R. Sutton, Jr. Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 145 Candler, NC 28715
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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Heritage
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Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Realtors - beverly-hanks.com
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Answers on 34
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