Page 8 Fall adventure supports research into biodiversity Page 30
On the Cover:
It’s a day that was bound to come but few thought would arrive so quick. According to a recent filing request to allow for an environmental permit to change hands, Canton’s paper mill is set to be transferred from Pactiv Evergreen to a company owned by Eric Spirtas, who specializes in demolition and eventual repurposing of industrial sites. (page 7) Max Cooper photo
News
Macon gets ahead of illegal signs, voter intimidation, misinformation..................4 Pioneer Heritage Festival offers tour of historic Shook-Smathers House..........6 RFK ballot fight leaves voters in limbo ..........................................................................8 Changes to Sylva panhandling ordinance fail..........................................................12 Superior Court judge nearing EBCI Supreme Court confirmation....................14 General Assembly approve private school vouchers..............................................16 Community briefs..............................................................................................................19
Opinion
Teaching teens in a tumultuous world........................................................................20 There are many reasons to vote....................................................................................21
A&E
A blank canvas: The world of paint and sip..............................................................22 Old Crow Medicine Show to headline Mountain Heritage Day..........................26
Outdoors
Fall adventure supports research into park biodiversity ........................................30 The Joyful Botanist: Turtleheads....................................................................................34
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The Paraguariensis tree or Paraguayan Holly, with its holly-like leaves, grows to over 26 feet in height in subtropical regions of northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. When harvested, roasted, and dried, the leaves are used to make a beverage, yerba mate, that is popular and consumed not just in the countries where it is grown but increasingly, throughout the world. The top country for consumption of mate beverages is Uruguay. Like tea, the mate leaves is packaging organic yerba mate that is ready to be brewed. Their products can be found in the LOCAL food set at Ingle Markets. Mate
Source: Yerba Mate—A Long but Current History - PMC (nih.gov)
Macon gets ahead of illegal signs, voter intimidation, misinformation
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
acon County officials held a press conference last week to address illegal political signs and get ahead of some misinformation that has been circulating about absentee voting in the county.
“As we approach the upcoming election, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with local election officials, wants to assure all residents of the integrity and security of the voting process,” said Sheriff Brent Holbrooks. “We remain committed to protecting the election process and ensuring that every eligible citizen can cast their vote freely without interference.”
With campaign season in full swing and the start of early voting just weeks away, political signs have started popping up around the county. However, as laid out in North Carolina General Statutes, political signs are not permitted in the public right-ofway areas until the 30th day before the beginning of early voting.
With early voting set to start on Oct. 17, political signs were not permitted in public right-ofway until Sept. 17, which means all those signs near the roadways residents may have seen over the last week or so were out of compliance until Tuesday, Sept. 17.
“In accordance with the North Carolina General Statute 13632(e), it is important for citizens to be reminded of regulations surrounding political signage during the election period,” Holbrooks said. “It is a class three misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed under this section.”
That state ordinance also says that “no sign shall obscure or replace another sign.”
Gary St. Arnauld, chair of the Macon County Democratic party, alleges that this is exactly what’s taking place on Georgia Road.
for people driving by on Georgia Road. Republican Party Chair Jimmy Goodman was not present at the press conference to address the issue.
In addition to the early signs, and the possible sign obstruction, there have also been Republican party signs placed in the public right-of-way that are larger than the state statute allows for.
The statute says that signs in the right-of-way may not be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement of the road, and may not be larger than 864 square inches, or two feet by three feet. The law limits signs to a certain size so that they do not obstruct drivers’ ability to see.
At the press conference on Thursday, Sept. 12, St. Arnauld showed pictures of signs in the right-of-way that were larger than what state statute allows.
“We are encouraging all campaign representatives and supporters to comply with these regulations, as failure to do so could result in enforcement action,” Holsbrook said.
The Democratic Women’s Club has paid for several large billboards throughout the county. Now, someone has erected a large sign with the names of Republican candidates directly in front of one of those billboards of Georgia Road.
“The phone calls I received said there are people out there erecting signs over your sign,” St. Arnauld said. “In other words, they were obscuring our sign.”
While the newly constructed sign is on private property, it was built so close to, and in directly in front of the preexisting billboard that it does somewhat obstruct the view of the billboard, especially
In addition to the state ordinance governing political signage in the right-of-way, local municipalities may put in place stricter limits of their own. In Highlands, for example, political signs are allowed on private property, but not in any right-of-way or on town property.
Major Jonathan Phillips said that he is not aware of any complaints regarding political signage made to the Sheriff’s Office so far this election cycle.
“In the past, we’ve received complaints about this from both parties,” Phillips said. “About signs being vandalized or stolen, removed, things like that. So, it’s always something during the election cycle.”
Phillips recommended that St. Arnauld, and anyone concerned with illegal signs in the right-ofway contact the Department of Transportation.
“Generally, the DOT will handle the signs, because a lot of times I’ve seen where people contacted the DOT and they’ll be removed,” said Phillips. “So essentially, I would contact our local office here, the DOT, and inform them and they can investigate whether it’s in the right-of-way and then take the appropriate action.”
In addition to political signage, Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault said she met with Sheriff Holbrooks and chair of the Republican and Democratic parties in recent weeks to discuss voter intimidation during the upcoming election.
“To be honest, you may see [voter intimidation] in the bigger counties, but I really don’t see it here in Macon County,” Thibault said.
According to Thibault, the county has only seen one incident of what could be considered voter intimidation
Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks wanted to assure people that the voting process would be secure. Bob Scott photo
Macon County Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault and Macon County Democratic Party Chair Gary St. Arnauld attended the press conference, but GOP Chair Jimmy Goodman was absent. Bob Scott photo
in recent years. The incident took place during this year’s Republican primary and while Thibault takes the complaint seriously, she does not think that the person accused had any intention of intimidating voters.
“His problem is, he doesn’t know where to stay,” Thibault said in describing a person who had been wrongly approaching cars in polling place parking lots. “It was in Highlands, and I had a voter who contacted me by email and said that she felt threatened, she felt intimidated. She was approached by someone up there and she asked that I take care of it.”
Thibault, Arnauld, the Sheriff’s Office and Goodman are all aware of who the person is and what the regulations are for people campaigning around polling places.
“We always make our patrol deputies and supervisors aware during election time to keep an eye on those areas to be available to take it as a priority if we do get a call for assistance, to arrive and take the appropriate action,” Phillips said.
the precinct at least five days prior to the day they are designated to observe.
These poll observers are not allowed to interfere with voters casting ballots. They are not to engage with any electioneering in the voting place, communicate or observe any voter while the voter is casting a ballot.
The second important piece of information Thibault wants voters to know has to do with absentee ballots.
“There is some misinformation that’s being put out there, and I think it was meant for election day observers, but it’s being told everywhere, that if you go to vote early, or if you vote absentee by mail, if we write anything on your ballot, don’t take it, something’s wrong with it, that we’re doing something we’re not supposed to,” Thibault said. “That is absolutely false.”
Thibault explained that because absentee ballots are printed as the requests for them come in, they will have a designation on them that signifies whether the ballot is going to a civilian, military personnel or
Thibault has taken precautions, but she is not too worried about voter intimidation outside polling places. Still, there are two other important pieces of information she wants voters to be aware of before voting time.
First is designated poll observers.
“Some of the rules on the observers have changed, and that kind of scares me because if I go to vote, I wouldn’t want someone standing over my shoulder watching me vote,” Thibault said of the poll observers. “They’re now allowed to walk amongst themselves inside those polling places. They’re not to stand over us and see information that they’re not supposed to see, but they have the right, now, to walk around and get copies of ARV forms, that’s law.”
According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, official election observers must be designated in advance by a county party chair. County party chairs may designate two observers for each polling place and 10 additional county-wide observers to enter polling places. The designations must be made to the chief judge at
overseas. For example, if a civilian gets an absentee ballot, it will have CIV and the number that the computer assigned it when the absentee request form came in. At early voting, a voter will see EV, and the computer that they are at and the number it assigned.
If voters have absorbed the misinformation regarding writing on ballots and the fear of writing on a ballot persists, Thibault said to simply vote on Election Day.
“If voters don’t want to see anything on their ballot, I suggest they vote on Election Day,” Thibault said. “There will be nothing written on your ballot except your precinct, and it’s printed on it, it’s not written on it.”
Election officials expect this election season to be busy and hope to allay any confusion before voting begins. Thibault said she expects between 14,000 and 15,000 voters will come out for early voting alone between Franklin and Highlands. That is compared to a total of 20,827 votes cast in Macon County during the entire November election in 2020, the last presidential election.
“I think this is going to be the biggest election we’ve ever had,” said Thibault.
With campaign season in full swing and the start of early voting just weeks away, political signs have started popping up around the county. Bob Scott photo
Pioneer Heritage Festival offers tour of historic Shook-Smathers House
BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR
The historic Shook-Smathers House in Clyde has seen significant improvements in recent years, and this weekend folks will have a chance to see all the museum has to offer as part of the Pioneer Heritage festival.
The house, which was constructed in 1795 and is the oldest frame-built house in Western North Carolina, has a long and interesting history that saw the property change hands between various members of the Shook family and eventually the Smathers family. Sometimes, history came to the home, like in the early 19th century when Bishop Francis Asbury, one of the first two bishops in the Methodist Church, came to visit. Asbury stayed in the home and worshipped in the chapel that still occupies the top floor of the house.
Later on, the chapel served as a central place for worship in the community, and now, the chapel features an exhibit on the longstanding tradition of shape-note singing.
Over the last decade and a half or so, some serious efforts have gone into renovating the structure, shoring up longstanding deficiencies like the chimney and areas where the structural integrity had been compromised.
In addition, the building itself has been repurposed to serve as a museum that features not only exhibits highlighting the history of the house, but also the rich history of Haywood County.
Some exhibits include the history of military service in Haywood County, industrial history and how culture has evolved in the region.
The museum has a team of docents who are experts on not only the house, but also the history of Western North Carolina and especially Haywood County. A tour of the house with one of these docents typically takes about two hours and allows visitors the chance to see how the building itself has changed as it becomes clear what rooms were added onto the original 1795 structure and which rooms have been renovated.
The Pioneer Heritage Festival will be at Riverside Park on Penland Street in Canton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. This family friendly festival is free to the public.
The day’s events will include live heritage skill demonstrations such as blacksmithing, candle making, basket making, broom making and dyeing with natural dyes by regional crafters. Experts on the American long rifles will be on hand to display their collection and answer questions.
Activities for children will include churning butter, shelling dried corn and using a water pump. On site will be the America 250 AirStream bus, which will provide historical activities for children. A story walk and selfie stations will round out the offerings.
Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, Haywood County Public Library, Canton Area Historical Museum and The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will be on hand to offer assistance in genealogy research.
The Pioneer Heritage Festival is being held in coordination with the America 250 Campaign, which is a nonpartisan national initiative working to engage every American in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This multi-year campaign, from now through July 4, 2026, honors the contributions of all Americans, past, present and future, and looks toward the next generation and beyond.
Shuttles will be offered that will depart from the festival in Canton and take visitors to the Shook-Smathers House. The house will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the last shuttle will depart at 4 p.m.
More information about the festival can be found at nchchgs.org/pioneer-heritage-festival.
Walking into some of the rooms at the Shook-Smathers House feels like walking into the past. Sabrina L. Greene photo
The museum now houses the original sign from the Louisa Chapel, which is the oldest Methodist Church in Haywood County.
Sabrina L. Greene photo
Some exhibits offer a look at how life used to be in Haywood County, such as this one that features tools used in the fiber arts. Sabrina L. Greene photo
The chapel on the top floor of the Shook-Smathers House was used for years as a place where the community would come worship. Sabrina L. Greene photo
Documents indicate shuttered Canton paper mill will soon be sold
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
The old paper mill in the heart of Canton will have a new owner by the end of the month — if everything remains on track — according to a three-page letter filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 30.
“We have become aware that there is a potential Oct. 1 closing date for Spirtas to purchase the mill site from Pactiv,” Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers told The Smoky Mountain News on Sept. 14. “We have had great conversations with Eric Spirtas. Many questions have been answered, but many remain.”
The purpose of the letter, signed by attorney William Clarke of Asheville-based law firm Roberts & Stevens on behalf of wholly-owned Pactiv Evergreen subsidiary Blue Ridge Paper Products, is to notify the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality that the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit belonging to Blue Ridge Paper is being transferred to a Missouribased company called TBD Utilities LLC.
The permit authorizes the permittee to operate the wastewater treatment facility on the mill site. The facility treats the town of Canton’s municipal wastewater and discharges the treated waste into the Pigeon River.
Since the execution of a 1964 contract, the mill’s various owners have treated the town’s wastewater at almost no cost. When Pactiv announced it would close the 115-year-old mill in March 2023, the future of the town’s wastewater treatment became a grave concern.
North Carolina Secretary of State records show that TBD Utilities was incorporated on Sept. 9 and shares the same business address as Spirtas Worldwide, run by developer Eric Spirtas.
Spirtas, who signed a letter of intent to purchase the 185-acre mill site back in May, is listed as a company official of TBD Utilities.
At that time, Spirtas told SMN regarding the wastewater treatment issue that “we’re going to make sure it’s town and county first in those types of decisions.”
Spirtas seems to be a man of his word; according to the letter, Blue Ridge Paper Products will assign the wastewater treatment contract to TBD Utilities, effective Sept. 30. At that time, TBD Utilities “will be solely responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Canton Mill including the obligation to treat wastewater collected by the Town of Canton.”
No mention of who will pay for the plant’s operation, or how much it might cost, was made in the letter, which goes on to state that TBD will assume all rights and
obligations under the permit on Sept. 30 and will be solely responsible for compliance with the terms and conditions listed in the permit.
“Spirtas is aware of its obligations and our expectations and that this project will be judged by the people of Haywood County,” Smathers said, expressing cautious optimism.
for optimism, but the letter doesn’t contain much in the way of specifics on other issues.
Outlying properties owned by Pactiv or Blue Ridge, including a landfill as well as Lake Logan and its aging dam, are not mentioned in the letter, nor are the terms of Spirtas’ deal with Pactiv.
of the agreement was that Pactiv maintain at least 800 jobs at the site through the end of 2024. Most workers were laid off in June 2023.
Pactiv subsequently rebutted the state’s claims in a motion to dismiss filed on July 29, arguing that the state’s quest to get that money back served “only to punish Pactiv” and that there is no factual basis for the claim.
However, a joint motion filed by attorneys for Pactiv and the state on Aug. 23 indicates that the state and Pactiv may be nearing a settlement and will seek mediation ahead of the property transfer.
“The parties seek a brief continuance of
TBD Utilities will also be responsible for any violations of the permit. Pactiv logged dozens of violations over the past few years, even after it had halted production, but hasn’t had any violations since March 14.
Most importantly, the letter concludes by saying that TBD “is acquiring the property formerly known as the Canton Mill including the Wastewater Treatment Plant from Blue Ridge.”
Canton is not a party to any potential transaction, which would be a deal between two private entities — Pactiv and Spirtas.
Over the past few months, the possibility of a sale of the mill parcel has given Canton, Haywood County and Western North Carolina plenty of reasons
it doesn’t want to pay — Canton and Haywood County officials soundly rejected the company’s request for a tax break last year — remains pending with the North Carolina Department of Revenue.
Additionally, a May 23 lawsuit filed by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Commerce alleging Pactiv violated the terms of a $12 million economic development grant awarded in 2014 looks to be on hold, for now.
Per the terms of the grant agreement, Pactiv was given $12 million in exchange for spending $51 million of its own money over 10 years to convert two of its coal-fired boilers to natural gas. One of the conditions
September 23-27, 2024 Weekly Civil Session so that they can focus on the upcoming September 17 mediation in the hopes of resolving this case without further court intervention,” the motion reads.
On Sept. 3, Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway issued an order granting that continuance.
“This in itself does not relieve Pactiv of their obligations, both environmental and economic, to the town and especially the state as it concerns JMAC,” Smathers said.
Spirtas, who wasn’t immediately available for comment, has been quiet on his plans for the parcel, which was recently rezoned.
SMN News Editor Kyle Perrotti contributed to this story.
Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill, which sits on a 185-acre parcel straddling the Pigeon River in Canton, has been closed for more than a year. File photo
RFK ballot fight leaves voters in limbo
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
He fought to get on the ballot, and then fought to get off the ballot.
Now, after a favorable ruling from North Carolina’s highly politicized Supreme Court, anti-vax conspiracy theorist and Trump endorser Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will have his name removed from North Carolina ballots, costing counties large and small, rural and urban, thousands upon thousands of dollars and delaying the start of absentee voting in a crucial swing state.
Kennedy’s campaign for president has long been an exercise in political opportunism. When Democrats rejected his candidacy in 2023, he forged an independent bid as an increasingly bizarre series of stories began to emerge, some from the candidate himself — bear cub roadkill dropped in New York’s Central Park as a joke; cutting a dead whale’s head off with a chainsaw and strapping it to the family car; a worm that died after eating some of his brain.
Nearly his entire family, the once-powerful Kennedy clan, rebuked his run, accusing him of trying to cash in on the family’s unimpeachable legacy of public service and sacrifice.
On Aug. 23, Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump, completing an unlikely jour-
ney from left to the right. Less than a week later, Kennedy’s new “We the People” party, hastily organized in North Carolina about than a month prior, formally requested that Kennedy’s name be removed from ballots in North Carolina — after nearly 3 million ballots had already been printed and just eight days before the start of absentee voting.
That same day, the Democrat-majority State Board of Elections rejected the request 3-2 along party lines saying it would “not be practical” to reprint ballots so close to the start of absentee voting because “the time it would take to prepare and print new ballots would leave most North Carolina counties without ballots until mid-September at the earliest and lead to significant additional costs.”
The next day, Kennedy sued the Board, citing irreparable harm to himself but more realistically to Trump’s North Carolina campaign; prevailing wisdom is that Kennedy would draw more votes away from Trump here than from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kennedy’s machinations show just how important, and how tight, the North Carolina race is for both Democrats and Republicans. Polls suggest a dead heat within the margin of error, and Trump only won North Carolina by a margin of 1.3% in 2020.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Gage Skidmore photo
A week after the North Carolina ballot fight began and just hours before ballots were set to be mailed out, Wake County Republican Judge Rebecca W. Holt agreed with Democrats on the State Board of Elections and rejected Kennedy’s suit with a scathing opinion, saying Kennedy would incur “no practical, personal or pecuniary harm” by remaining on the ballot he’d fought so hard to get on in the first place.
“… State law requires those ballots to be distributed, beginning 60 days prior to a statewide general election … this year, that date is Friday, September 6 … starting afresh with ballot preparation, moreover, would require the state to violate the statutory deadline for distributing ballots … removing plaintiff from the ballot and re-printing the ballots will necessarily mean that voters have at least two fewer weeks in which to vote,” the opinion read.
Phil Berger, concurred with the majority but acknowledged the ruling could create real problems with election administration.
“There are now hundreds of thousands of invalid ballots in existence, if not more,” Berger, Jr. wrote. “Thus, there is the potential, however slight, that North Carolina voters could acquire both versions of seemingly legitimate ballots during the 2024 election.”
Republican Associate Justice Richard Deitz joined the Court’s Democrats, Anita Earls and Allison Riggs, in dissent. Deitz opined that the majority’s “thoughtful analysis” was “entirely reasonable,” but suggested that the majority was legislating from the bench — a claim conservatives often use against liberals, not other conservatives.
“Still, I believe this Court’s role is to follow the law as written,” he penned.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
Holt did, however, pause the distribution of absentee ballots until noon on Sept. 6 to give Kennedy’s attorneys a chance to file an appeal, which they did. The appeals court sided with Kennedy, and the State Board of Elections appealed to the state Supreme Court.
On Sept. 9, North Carolina’s Supreme Court, led by a 5-2 Republican majority, ignored state law, put the state in jeopardy of violating federal law and sided with Kennedy largely along partisan lines, 4-3.
Writing for the majority, Associate Justice Trey Allen said that the trial court erred by focusing too much on the “minimal harm” to Kennedy and that the possibility of disenfranchising voters “who mistakenly believe that [Kennedy] remains a candidate for office” outweighed the harm to voters who would be disenfranchised by two fewer weeks of absentee voting — a critical period that could lead to some of their ballots arriving late and thus being rejected.
Associate Justice Phil Berger, Jr., son of North Carolina Senate President Pro Temp
DAVID V. GOLIATH V. GOLIATH
All this came after a protracted fight by Kennedy to get on North Carolina’s ballots. Earlier this year Kennedy said he had enough signatures to qualify for ballot access; however, independent candidates face a higher bar (more than 83,000 petition signatures) than candidates from established parties (around 14,000), so Kennedy and his allies created one.
According to State Board of Elections records, the We the People party wasn’t formally recognized until a 4-1 vote by the State Board of Elections on July 16. The party submitted 24,509 signatures, with 18,569 of them deemed valid.
The North Carolina Democratic Party suddenly focused intense scrutiny on its miniscule new adversary, alleging in court on July 25 that Kennedy used the party to
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Voting equipment stands at the ready at the Haywood County Board of Elections office. Cory Vaillancourt photo
skirt signature requirements because he’d announced his intent to run for president as an independent many times.
Backed by the Republican National Committee, the North Carolina Republican Party also took interest in the situation and filed an amicus brief on behalf of the former Democrat, who at the time was still a self-proclaimed independent and hadn’t yet endorsed Trump.
On Aug. 12, Wake County Judge Keith Gregory, a Democrat, rejected the emergency preliminary injunction requested by the Democrats to keep We the People off the ballot.
The political intrigues, shifting alliances and abrupt turnabouts — it was less than two weeks after Gregory’s ruling that Kennedy began clamoring to get off the ballot — leave behind a mess that will shortchange North Carolina’s voters more than it will Harris, Kennedy or Trump. The problems start with the shortened timeframe in which election administrators have to perform their duties.
“Right now, it’s lack of staffing,” said Robert Inman, director of the Haywood County Board of Elections. “We’re fully staffed, but there’s only four people here who are going to do the exact same amount of work in a very limited, condensed period of time. There’s only so much time, so many hours left on the calendar. That’s the primary challenge right now.”
Recent courtroom developments surrounding absentee voting may sound complex, but they’re not — in fact, the average ballot-by-mail voter shouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary except for absentee ballots arriving in their mailboxes weeks late. As always, your county board of elections office is there to answer your questions. Find yours at vt.ncsbe.gov/boeinfo.
gency funds to cover the cost, but he may have to shuffle his budget around and may have to approach county commissioners to replenish those funds later.
Then, there’s the Sept. 21 federal deadline that the printer is adding staff to meet so that Inman and 99 others like him can begin to distribute the new ballots, sans Kennedy.
“We’re hopeful that we receive the ballots and are able to repackage them and get them into the postal stream before Sept. 21,” Inman said. The State Board of Elections has requested an extension of the deadline, but even if it’s granted, that still means fewer days for voters to receive, complete and return their ballots.
Voters who have requested absentee ballots won’t have to submit an additional request to receive a ballot, but Inman has another concern.
“There are folks who requested it that are traveling. They move around constant-
“We all know that there are some people, because we hear it every day, who are always suggesting that there’s some inaccuracy, and of course, I don’t believe any of that to be true at all.”
— Robert Inman Director, Haywood County Board of Elections
Right off the bat, Inman and his staff have already been tasked with an unusual duty; he said that before the state’s Sept. 6 deadline, he and his staff had had processed and packaged the ballots to fulfill requests made by application, but after the court’s ruling removing Kennedy from the ballots, they had to sequester the faulty ballots — locked away, to prevent the kind of pilferage Berger warned about — until they can be destroyed on-site by a commercial shredding service.
None, Inman said, were mailed out, in accordance with State Board of Elections guidance and the Sept. 5 court ruling.
That batch of ballots, soon to become a large mass of small, indecipherable scraps of paper, cost Haywood County taxpayers roughly $20,000, according to Inman.
The next batch will cost far more, because the printer that supplies 94 North Carolina counties with ballots has been inundated with 94 new printing jobs that all need to be completed in short order. Inman said he thinks he has contin-
ly with their lives and their line of work, and they may not be in the same place, at the same physical address, that they had requested that ballot to be,” he said.
That could lead to someone, perhaps departing on a business trip out of state or overseas, or moving to a new town within North Carolina or to a new state, missing their ballot entirely.
Inman, however, remains confident that all election outcomes reported by Haywood County’s Board of Elections will be accurate, complete and fair.
“We all know that there are some people, because we hear it every day, who are always suggesting that there’s some inaccuracy, and of course, I don’t believe any of that to be true at all,” he said.
“Certainly, we have ways to determine if there are inaccuracies, and we have ways that most everything will reveal itself eventually. If there is something that requires further research, we have time to do that [before the canvass]. We have always had an accurate count, a tabulation at the end of our process.”
Changes to Sylva panhandling ordinance fail
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
After multiple rounds of public opposition to proposed changes to Sylva’s panhandling ordinance, the board decided to dismiss the changes and leave the ordinance as it is written.
“I personally don’t see the benefit to bring these changes to this ordinance,” said Sylva Commissioner Jonathan Brown. “I don’t think it looks good on our town.”
The panhandling ordinance, also known as a solicitation ordinance, is a set of regulations within Chapter 30 of the Town of Sylva Code of Ordinances that concerns streets and sidewalks.
The issue has been a topic of interest for the town for almost two years now. The board first considered a proposal to address panhandling in November 2022 but ultimately decided against it after a majority of the board and several members of the public spoke out in opposition to the measure.
However, after Mayor Johnny Phillips was elected in November 2023, he brought the topic of panhandling back before the board in January and directed staff to create a draft ordinance for review.
“For some reason Mayor Phillips has this vendetta against people on the street asking for money,” Ben Guiney said during the public hearing on the issue at the Sept. 12 meeting. “It was the first thing, the most
important thing when you got elected. Why?”
That ordinance passed by split vote in February with Waldrop and thenCommissioner Natalie Newman opposing the measure. A few months later, Newman resigned her position on the town board and told Blue Ridge Public Radio, “we recently had the vote on panhandling where to me it really felt like we were attacking our unhoused population in this town.”
The revisions to the ordinance that were under consideration would have made it
The Waynesville Board of Adjustment is established as a “quasi-judicial” administrative board that operates on a level and the Courts. The purpose of the Zoning Board of Adjustment is to hear and decide appeals from and review any order, handle variance requests, requirement, decision or determination made by adopted pursuant to the Land Development Standards.
• IS PASSIONATE ABOUT LAND USE PLANNING
• CAN ATTEND MEETINGS HELD ON THE 1ST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 5:30PM
• LIVES WITHIN THE INCORPORATED TOWN LIMITS OF WAYNESVILLE OR IN THE EXTRA-TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION
unlawful — in addition to what is already prohibited — for any person to solicit or beg within 20 feet of the edge of the pavement or top of the curb of U.S. Highway Business 23, which would have included Main and Mill streets, Highway 107 and Grindstaff Cove Road. The proposal referred to these three areas as “high traffic zones.”
The proposed revisions also would have prohibited “standing, sitting or lying upon highways or streets prohibited,” and said that no person shall “willfully stand, sit, or
lie upon the highway or street in such a manner as to impede the regular flow of traffic.” Violation of this section was listed as a class two misdemeanor.
The proposed changes to the penalty portion of the ordinance would have allowed the chief of police to dismiss the violation and fine if the person “provides proof of a good faith effort to obtain assistance to address any underlying factors related to unemployment, homelessness, mental health, or substance abuse that might relate to
Downtown Sylva. File photo
the person’s ability to comply with the local ordinance.”
But ultimately, the Sylva Town Board chose not to approve the changes it had proposed to the ordinance.
The board held a public hearing on the proposed changes during its Sept. 12 meeting. Although a public hearing was not required in this instance to make changes to the ordinance, the board agreed to hold a hearing after Commissioner Brad Waldrop requested one during the Aug. 8 meeting.
“At the last meeting, we discovered that we may not be required to have a public hearing about this, but I think we should have a public hearing since we’re talking about a substantive change to the ordinance,” Waldrop said at the time.
“Typically, we do have public hearings for ordinances, and I believe this is a rather substantive change and we should have a public hearing.”
Four people came to speak in opposition to the changes during the public hearing on Sept. 12, with several others having voiced their opposition during the board’s Aug. 14 meeting.
Luther Jones said that while he supported the passage of the original ordinance to address panhandling in Sylva, he could not support these proposed changes.
“It doesn’t solve the problem, it pushes the people to the outside of the town so that we don’t see them,” Jones said. “Hiding the problem doesn’t make it go away. We need to be helping people.”
Jones and other speakers also had concerns about giving the power to enforce or dismiss a violation to the ordinance to the chief of police and town manager.
“The police and town manager do not have judicial powers,” said Jones. “I don’t think it’s legal.”
Guiney said that the town should aim to address the roots of the problem that lead people to beg for money, rather than focusing on the act itself, which he doesn’t see as a major issue for the town.
“It’s one thing to try and address issues and solve problems for the town, it’s a whole other thing to start to go after people, after citizens after folks and make folks that have a hard life, make their life even harder,” Guiney said. “This is not that big of a problem and there are much bigger problems this town could address.”
With Waldrop absent at the Sept. 12 meeting, it was Brown that led the board in its decision not to pass the proposed changes.
“I think the heart behind the board is to serve this town, to make the town as welcoming as possible, and have laws that protect and serve. And this ordinance, the ordinance we have in place, is sufficient,” Brown told the board. “That’s the conclusion I’ve come to after talking to a lot of people, stakeholders, constituents and I would encourage our board to either put this off or consider leaving the ordinance as is.”
Following Brown’s assertion, Phillips asked for a motion. Commissioner Mark Jones made a motion to deny revision to the solicitation ordinance, which passed unanimously.
Superior Court judge nearing EBCI Supreme Court confirmation
BY KYLE PERROTTI
NEWS EDITOR
Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts has confirmed he has the intention of vacating his seat on the bench to become the Chief Supreme Court Justice for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The news initially broke via a Facebook post from the page of the Cherokee One Feather, the official newspaper for the tribe, announcing a Sept. 26 public hearing ahead of Letts’ anticipated confirmation. In a brief conversation with The Smoky Mountain News, Letts said that while he is still in conversations with the tribe, he did indeed apply for the job once he saw the opening.
The fact that the public hearing has been announced is a sign that Letts has likely already received a nomination from Principal Chief Michell Hicks and stands a good chance of securing the role.
Upon receiving his law degree from University of Mississippi law school, Letts took a job as an assistant district attorney in Waynesville from 1995-97. He served as EBCI’s attorney general from 1997-99, then was a district court judge until 2009, when he gained an appointment as a superior court judge. In 2010, he ran unopposed and retained the seat. In 2018, he successfully defended his seat against fellow Democrat Mark Melrose,
However, in February 2019, Letts announced he was going to retire from the
bench. That announcement came amid widespread speculation that Letts, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band, was planning to run for principal chief. Two days after announcing his retirement, he reversed his decision.
“After recently announcing my retirement, and after much reflection and thought, my initial decision to retire has changed,” Letts wrote. “After the announcement I was overwhelmed with responses from supporters, court personnel and members of the legal community expressing to me that I should return to my position on the Superior Court bench. This outpouring of positive and encouraging communications asking me not to retire has been overwhelming.”
Letts has remained on the bench as a superior court judge since then.
Because the Eastern Band doesn’t have a constitution, it was Cherokee code that established the tribe’s supreme court, which comprises the highest court in the tribal judiciary — one of the tribe’s three branches of government. It is headed by a chief justice, who sits on the bench along with two associate judges.
If Letts leaves the bench to become the Eastern Band’s Chief Supreme Court Justice, his replacement will likely be appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper. Any appointee will finish out Letts’ term, which expires in 2026. At that time, an election will be held to determine who will serve the next eight years on the bench.
Letts vacating his seat — on which he’s been the chief resident superior court judge for district 43B, which includes Haywood and Jackson counties — would be just another in a recent string of changes to the bench in Western North Carolina. Earlier this year, Letts’ counterpart in Western North Carolina, William Coward, vacated his seat as the Chief Resident Superior Court Judge for District 43A, made up of Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Macon and Swain counties. Gov. Cooper eventually appointed former District Court Judge Tessa Sellers to that seat.
There have also been changes on the district court bench in the last year. Last summer, Kristina Earwood abruptly left the bench due to the sudden onset of a serious health condition. Her seat was filled by Justin Greene, who was sworn in late last year. In addition, because Sellers vacated her District Court seat to gain the superior court appointment, her seat was filled last month by Kristy Parton. Finally, a Republican Primary Election held earlier this year determined that Macon County’s Virginia Hornsby will join the bench to fill a new judicial position created in last year’s state budget.
Wreaths Across America returns to Waynesville
Started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester with the donation and placement of 5,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery during the Christmas season, Wreaths Across America has grown to state and national cemeteries holding ceremonies of their own across the country to “remember, honor and teach” about our veterans — remembering not their deaths, but their lives in service to our country.
This year, Waynesville’s Green Hill cemetery will again become the local focus of this national event, and you can help ensure that every veteran’s resting place is adorned with a wreath by sponsoring one for $17. Sponsor two and a third will be donated.
Visit wreathsacrossamerica.org or call Wreaths Across America at 877.385.9504 and mention the Warrior Clan Fund Raising Group, Code NC0081, by Sunday, Nov. 15. The ceremony at Green Hill will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. All are welcome to help in remembering and honoring our veterans. For more information, email p31s8@aol.com.
Brad Letts. File photo
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General Assembly approve private school vouchers
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
Last week the North Carolina General Assembly passed a conference report, also referred to as a mini budget that includes $463 million to clear the waitlist of families that have applied for the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program and provide voucher money for those attending private schools.
In addition to the millions for private school vouchers, the bill also includes $64 million for enrollment growth across the North Carolina Community College System and $95 million recurring funds for K-12 enrollment increases.
Last year, the General Assembly removed the income eligibility requirements, as well as the requirement that recipients must have previously attended public schools, for the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program — a system that reimburses families with children attending private schools to help pay the cost of tuition and fees. (The vouchers cannot be used for homeschooling.) This led to some 70,000 new applications for private school vouchers for the current 2024-25 school year, a more than 100% increase over the 2023-24 school year.
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority was able to offer vouchers to 15,805 new students but still had about 55,000 on the waitlist. The bill passed last week provides enough funding to clear that waitlist at the cost of $463 million. It also increases the amount of funding the
program will have in the future.
The amount will increase each year from $625 million for the upcoming 2025-26 school year to $825 million for the 2032-33 school year. It will continue to be funded at that $825 million annual level thereafter.
The max scholarship award from the grant program is $7,468 for Tier 1 families, which occupy the lowest income bracket. This is 100% of the average per pupil allocation for state funds to public schools. However, not all private schools accept Opportunity Scholarship funds.
In a press release before the bill’s passage, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said that the voucher system “dispro-
portionately impacts rural North Carolina counties where access to private education is limited and public schools serve as the backbone of communities.”
According to data from the North Carolina Department of Administration, as of the 2024-25 school year, there are 881 private schools in the state that enroll a total of about 130,000 students. Of those, 308 are independent schools and 573 are religious schools.
Mecklenburg county alone is home to 96 private schools and the triangle — Wake, Durham and Orange counties — are home to another 139. Of those, 66 private schools in Mecklenburg County and 108 schools F
in the triangle counties accept opportunity scholarships.
In Western North Carolina, Haywood County is home to five private schools that enroll 240 students, Jackson County has two private schools that enroll 186 students, Macon has two private schools that enroll 85 students and Swain County has two private schools that enroll 69 students.
So, while in Mecklenburg County private school students make up about 13% of the combined public/private K-12 population, in Haywood County that percentage is 3.5%, in Jackson it is 5%, in Swain it is 3.4% and in Macon it is just 1.87%.
These numbers do not account for students enrolled in Cherokee Central Schools on the Qualla Boundary.
This summer the Jackson County Board of Education signed a resolution in opposition to expanding funding for the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program.
“We don’t believe that public school money should go to private sectors,” Jackson County Schools Superintendent Dana Ayers said at the time.
The resolution asked the General Assembly to prioritize public education by “substantially increasing teacher salaries to pay teachers as the professionals they are and to attract and retain qualified educators,” as well as “allocating significant funding for early childhood education, quality childcare and pre-K programs to ensure all children have access to a strong education foundation.”
“I 100% disagree with the General Assembly’s vote to provide that funding to the private school voucher program,” School Board Chairman Wes Jamison told The Smoky Mountain News. “If someone is financially capable of sending their child to a private school then the taxpayers of North Carolina shouldn’t have to help fund it. North Carolina ranks 48th in the Nation in per-student funding in public schools. This seems less about providing more options for school choice and more about starving public schools to the point where they are unable to perform.”
The bill passed the House on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with WNC Reps. Mike Clampitt (RSwain) and Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) voting in favor. Pless was absent for the vote. Senator Kevin Corbin also voted in favor of the bill when it passed in the Senate.
Passage of the bill came just a week after the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management released an analysis that predicts expanding the Opportunity Scholarship and clearing the waitlist could decrease state funding for public schools.
The analysis estimates that under the new legislation, annual K-12 state spending would increase by a total of about $185 million. This represents a decrease of approximately $75 million to public schools and an increase to private schools of approximately $260 million.
According to the OSMB, Haywood, Macon and Jackson counties can each expect a decrease of about 0.2% to 0.3% in state public school funding annually.
Macon County manager announces resignation
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
After more than a decade of leadership in Macon County, Derek Roland announced last week that he intends to resign his position as county manager.
“After much reflection, and with a heavy heart I will announce my intent tonight to step down as Macon County manager,” Roland told the county commission during its Sept. 10 meeting. “The decision has not been easy.”
Roland has been working for Macon County for the last 15 years, first as the county planner, before assuming the role of county manager at the end of 2013.
“I’ve given the past 15 years of my life to this organization,” Roland said. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to work alongside some of the most talented, driven and compassionate individuals I have ever known in the Macon County employees. Together we’ve faced challenges, celebrated victories, we’ve mourned losses and through all of that I feel like we’ve become more than colleagues, we’ve become more than friends, we’ve become family. And that is what makes this decision so bittersweet.”
Roland assured the public that the decision to leave was one he made on his own and said that he was leaving his position with the county to pursue another career opportunity. He will stay on for the time
being in order to assist the board and staff with the replacement process, working through the next commissioners meeting scheduled for Oct. 8.
“I appreciate you accepting this, my official notice of resignation,” said Roland. “I can’t thank you all and the Macon County employees and this organization enough for the opportunities, the friendship, the love. It’s forever home to me and I appreciate each and every one of you.”
While Roland said that after 15 years with the county there are several people he would like to thank, he will do so at the Oct. 8 commissioners meeting. The board was set to reconvene its Sept. 10 meeting at 9 a.m. Sept. 17 in order to discuss the recruitment of a new county manager.
Community Almanac
Lake Junaluska names leadership award winners
Judy and Ed LaFountaine, wife and husband, are the 2024 recipients of the Junaluska Leadership Award, an honor bestowed annually during Associates Celebration Weekend at Lake Junaluska, which was held recently at the new Warren Center. Associates Celebration Weekend is a gathering of charitable supporters of Lake Junaluska. The award recognizes strong leaders who support the mission and ministry of Lake Junaluska Assembly through their labors of love, service and charitable gifts.
The LaFountaines said they were surprised, honored and humbled to receive the award and are grateful for the opportunity to serve a place that means so much to them.
“For us, living at the Lake means being part of a wonderful community and fellowship,” the couple said in a joint statement.
The LaFountaines, who grew up in Waynesville and graduated from Tuscola High School, have been active supporters of Lake Junaluska since they returned to the area in 2005 following Ed’s retirement from the military. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Ed piloted helicopters, C-130 and C-135 transport aircraft and other planes before retiring as a two star major general. Judy graduated from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and worked as a preschool and primary school teacher. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Their connection to Lake Junaluska runs deep, especially Ed’s. Growing up in Waynesville, Judy frequented the “old” swimming pool and playground as a child. While Ed grew up in Waynesville, his family eventually built and moved into a house on Harrell Drive at Lake Junaluska in 1964 when he was in the ninth grade. His grandmother ran a gift shop at the old boat house where the Harrell Center now stands, and his grandfather was a Methodist minister.
Ed also worked at the lake every summer during high school as a “gate boy” at the Lake’s East Gate entrance.
Judy and Ed LaFountaine have a deep connection to Lake Junaluska. Donated photo
For 10 years, the couple has served as cochairs of the annual Lake Junaluska Flea Market held each June at the Nanci Weldon Open-Air Gym, raising nearly $250,000 during their tenure. They collect donations, repair broken items and store them until the sale. The event, which raised over $30,000 this year, is the largest fundraiser for The Junaluskans, a volunteer service organization that supports Lake Junaluska, and draws thousands of shoppers each year. Additionally, Ed has served on the board and as chairman of the Lake Junaluska Assembly Property Owners Organization and the Community Council, and on the Lake Junaluska Board of Trustees.
Southwestern Commission announces new round of grants
The Southwestern Commission announced a new Revitalization Microgrant Program, funded through the Duke Foundation, that will provide $1,000 to $5,000 grants to small businesses that need assistance with expansions, upgrades to technology or storefront improvements.
These funds will focus on small businesses in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Clay counties.
Please note that businesses in communities that have been previously awarded these funds through the Duke Foundation will not be eligible for funding through this grant cycle.
Learn more by visiting regiona.org/microgrants.
Enjoy ‘Games & Things’ at the Bryson Library
The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will host Games & Things at 1 p.m. on the third and fourth Thursdays of the month. Board games, puzzles and other things like arts and crafts.
The library will have BINGO Sept. 19 and 26. In addition, the library will collect new and gently used blankes and clothing throughout the fall and winter months to donate to local places of interest.
There is a drop box in front of the circulation desk.
For more information call the Marianna Black
and Appalachian ministry.
The Festival Worship service will begin at 11 a.m. and is open to all. Following the service, attendees are invited to join in a celebratory lunch, providing an opportunity for fellowship and shared memories.
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church is located at 749 Highway 107 in Sylva.
For more information about the celebration and other church activities, visit shepherdofthehillssylva.org.
FUR hosts 9th annual Barnyard BBQ Blast
Feline Urgent Rescue will be hosting its 9th annual Barnyard BBQ Blast fundraiser from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. The lunch this year features barbeque from local business Ben’s Backdraft BBQ, which has been generously donated to the event.
The event will start off with FUR’s annual meeting, which everyone is welcome to attend. During that time, FUR will discuss what has been accomplished in 2024, the current status of the cat sanctuary and future projects and goals.
Lunch will be served at 1:30 pm. There will be music, “purr-tastic” raffles and “a-meow-zing” silent auction items!
Tickets are available online at furofwnc.org/events or in person at either of The Dog House locations in Waynesville or Canton and at the Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery in Waynesville. Tickets are $35 and include one plate of food and unlimited non-alcoholic beverages (sweet and unsweet tea, water and coffee). A cash bar is also available with beer and wine.
Sponsorships are available for $150. Sponsorships include two plates of food, four drink tickets for beer or wine and published acknowledgement.
“We look forward to this event every year” said Lisa Sanborn, event co-coordinator and FUR Board President. “This event really brings our supporters together as a community. Everyone bonds over great food while supporting FUR and the work that we do to help cats in our community.”
Library at 828.488.3030.
The Marianna Black Library, a member of the Fontana Regional Library, is located in downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector.
Sylva Lutheran church celebrates anniversary
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Sylva will mark its 50th anniversary with a Festival Worship service on Sunday, Sept. 29. This special service commemorates exactly 50 years since the church's official Organizing Worship in 1974.
The celebration will feature Rev. Phil Tonneson as guest preacher. Rev. Tonneson, an assistant to the bishop for the North Carolina Synod, has longstanding ties to Shepherd of the Hills, particularly through his involvement with Campus Ministry
Featured in FUR’s Silent Auction will be cross stitch artwork “Charisma”, handmade by FUR volunteer coordinator Cindy Horton. This cross stitch piece, with nearly 28,000 stitches and 43 different colors, took five months to complete.
“Cross stitching is like my meditation,” Horton said. “I love seeing the piece coming together stitch by stitch, and knowing that my art supports a good cause makes it all worthwhile. Just like all of the wonderful cats at FUR, cross-stitched Charisma deserves a good home where she will be loved.”
All proceeds benefit Feline Urgent Rescue (FUR) of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of abused, abandoned and neglected cats in Western North Carolina.
The event will take place at Barn Star Events, located at 2430 Jonathan Creek Road, Waynesville.
For more information or directions, visit the website or call 844.888.CATS (2287).
Teaching teens in a tumultuous world
Recently I had the privilege of sitting and talking with a group of adolescents who weren’t my own children or my friends’ children. These were teens who I knew well enough to where they felt comfortable with me, but not so well that I was privy to their ongoing emotional patterns or personal stressors. In other words, I had no preconceived notions of where the conversation would lead or indicators of what would be said.
The conversation started with an open-ended question that led to some vulnerable, authentic answers. As I sat there and really listened to the words that came from their mouths and observed the expressions on their faces, it quickly became apparent that kids are really struggling in today’s confusing, overstimulating, divisive world. They talked about anxiety and depression permeating their generation.
They were so intuitive and honest that I could have talked to them all night. Unlike many adults I know, kids and teens are beautifully philosophical, curious and open to hearing opinions. Folks who do not routinely hang out with younger generations may assume they are detached from reality and live in an online world controlled by algorithms and influencers. And while, yes, these are components of the modern zeitgeist all kids must navigate, they have the same wonder about the world and hopes for their futures as we all did when we were their ages.
As I drove home from this encounter, I thought about the conversation I had with that group and conversations I’ve had with my own children who are middle and high school ages. These kids don’t remember a world without smartphones and 24-hour news cycles. They survived a pandemic during their
Voting MAGA is voting hate
To the Editor:
As my grandmother used to say, the MAGA party “doesn’t have the sense it was born with.”
The MAGA presidential candidate — a multiple-times-bankrupted felon convicted of sexual assault against one woman and of covering up his illicit liaison with another to protect his reputation — has nothing to offer against his opponent, the current vice president and former California attorney general and senator from the state with the fifth largest economy in the world (see Japan, California, India).
However, because his opponent is also a woman, he sees fit to denigrate her using the insult insignificant men always throw at women — that she got where she is by doing sexual favors for men.
Meanwhile, the MAGA vice presidential candidate has an opposite, but equally skewed, opinion of a woman’s value. He has implied on multiple occasions that if a woman is not married or married but not raising children, she is worthless. He prefers June Cleaver to Sally Ride, Harriet Nelson to Hillary Clinton. To readers younger than 60, sorry, I had to go back to 1950s to find role models the vice presidential candidate approves of.
And finally, the MAGA candidate for North Carolina governor may be the most reprehensible of all. He has said that “once a woman is pregnant it is not her body anymore.” He
formative years, observed racial and civil unrest and they’ve grown up with “leaders” who are not good role models of leaders and many who are not even decent human beings.
None of the kids I spoke to that particular evening are of voting age yet, but they are close, and it made me realize young people are the ones who have the most to lose or gain from the political issues currently being debated. They are a generation fearful of school shootings. They are the generation who may have to repair Mother Earth, even though it was those who came before them who weakened her. They are the generation who will be impacted by policies related to reproductive rights, civil rights, the economy and immigration.
Being young and full of dreams but watching adults everywhere complain or debate issues that will ultimately influence their very existence creates a heavy world for them to live in. I, for one, am an adult who is willing to learn from this and do what I can to ensure these incredible young people feel worthy and hopeful for the future. Listening and really hearing them is step number one. Step two is modeling behavior that comes from a place of love, community and intelligence, insead of fear and personal gain.
A couple of years ago, I read something that said, “Whatever you appreciate, you create more of.” It resonated so much with me that I wrote it out and posted it on the wall space above my desk. Every day I look at it and think, “What
LETTERS
believes all non-heteronormative people are “filth.” He is antisemitic and anti-science. I’ll stop there.
As you contemplate who to vote for this fall, think about how these candidates could change your life or the lives of people you love. True, they would need the support of Congress, the state legislature and the courts, so it’s unlikely their misogynist, hate-filled opinions will come to fruition. However, their character will inform every part of their governing agendas. Would you invite any of these men into your home for any reason? Clearly not leadership, or even friendship, material.
Like Oprah Winfrey, I am an independent voter who believes the first hurdles a candidate has to clear is are they decent humans and are they principled. My opinion: without even considering policy positions, voting the MAGA ticket is voting for hate and against decency and human rights.
Karen Patterson Highlands
Beware speeding in Tallulah Falls
To the Editor:
I am sending this in hopes that it might save some of my neighbors in Franklin and other WNC communities some aggravation and some money. My wife and I travel south on U.S. 23/441 through Clayton and then Tallulah Falls
am I going to appreciate today?” “Where am I going to allow my attention to flow?” “For what and whom do I owe gratitude?”
As we continue through election season, think about the young people you care about and vote in a way that will protect them and help them be brave. Find the courage to have honest conversations with kids where you are not telling them what to think but you are teaching them how to think. Help them learn to listen to that inner knowing that comes from a source of integrity and dignity. Encourage them to get outside and relish the gifts nature has to offer. People who honor and enjoy earth’s bounty are much more likely to care for her. Help these young people understand the benefit of making choices that benefit human rights versus choices that benefit individual rights.
I talk with my children about following their True North, the internal compass that helps steer our journey through life. It offers a blueprint of who we are at the core and how to lean into the highest version of ourselves. It helps us stay grounded when it feels like everything is spinning out of control. Can you just imagine how different the world could be if we all just stopped forcing and controlling and truly followed our True North?
We have to offer our younger generations love and hope. A great way to do this is teaching them to question the loud voices on TV and on their phones, and instead, listen to that very wise voice that has always and will always be inside of them.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)
on our way to the Atlanta airport fairly often. Recently we received a speeding citation issued by the Tallulah Falls police on behalf of Tallulah Falls School just south of the gorge.
The ticket (fine of $100) said we had been driving 57 mph in a 45 mph school zone at 10:57 a.m. on Monday, August 19, and it was sent from a processing center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It included a photo of the back of our car and of our license plate. It did not indicate anything about a radar reading, police presence, etc., just the camera photos. We were informed that we could file for an administrative hearing and as informed by the internet website of the processing center, if we did not pay or respond to the citation within the stated time limit we could be prevented from renewing our vehicle registration and eventually might have our driver’s license revoked.
Further online research revealed that the community of Tallulah Falls (population around 200 residents) had collected in excess of $3 million in the two or three years since the cameras had been installed (13th highest in the 54 municipalities listed). Those 54 municipalities with school zone cameras generated $112 million since the law enabling municipalities to install and process these types of “violations” was passed by the Georgia legislature in 2019. Neither my wife nor I saw any flashing school zone lights and we did not believe that we were in fact speeding. Again, there was no statement of radar enforcement or police observation of the supposed violation on the ticket we received.
Since we did not believe we were guilty of any
violation (certainly not at the stated speed), we spent further time on Google searching for information. In doing that we came across a most interesting and well researched recent news piece in a publication called Atlanta News First, authored by a reporter named Andy Pierrotti. His article reported that one victim of the Tallulah Falls speed cameras had appealed all the way through the U.S. District Court, 9th District of Georgia to no avail. His appeal was based primarily on having understood from the Tallulah Falls signage that the warning lights and enforcement were not in effect except during the 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. busy student traffic periods. The ticket in his case was issued more than an hour and a half after the warning lights were turned off.
Again, his appeal was to no avail, and we assume he had to pay up. At one point in Mr. Pierrotti’s story, he reports that state Rep. Clay Pirkle (R-Ashburn) filed a bill in a legislative session to ban the cameras. His bill did not pass but may be refiled. He reportedly said that these machines are “not really about safety, but about money,” and that their operation is “like having your own ATM.”
My wife and I had hoped that the Georgia camera operations could not enforce the penalty of blocking your vehicle registration or going after your driver’s license in North Carolina, but sadly learned that we were wrong. Legislation on the books in North Carolina and we assume in other nearby states is titled the “Non Resident Violators Compact,” or NVC, and would indeed allow Tallulah Falls or
Columnist
Susanna Shetley
their representative at the Chattanooga processing center to cause you considerable difficulty. It appears we have no realistic choice and so we sent in our check yesterday.
So, a warning to drivers passing through Tallulah Falls — proceed with caution!
Richard (Jake) Jacobson Franklin
There are many reasons to vote
To the Editor: Why Vote?
First, before you vote you need to register to vote and if you think you’re already registered to vote, you should confirm this, by rechecking your voter registration status.
I’ve registered a lot of people to vote with our group Indivisible Common Ground WNC, especially students. Most are excited to register and make their voices heard as first-time voters, but some just walk by and say they’re not going to vote. I always ask them what issues are important to them to see if there’s something that might move them to register.
Why vote? As a naturalized U.S. citizen, voting gives me the power to participate in this democracy and have a say in it. It’s a good idea to look at the candidates and the issues that you care about and see where they stand on them. As a woman and mother of a 20-something daughter, I’m thinking about women’s reproductive rights. Which candidate supports a woman’s right to choose and respects the choices women make about their own bodies?
Which candidate would expand the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) instead of dismantling it? Healthcare is important to me because my mom depends on Obamacare. And not just my mom, but a friend of mine who has diabetes has lived for years without access to proper healthcare and insulin because he was not eligible for Obamacare until our state finally expanded Medicaid, thanks to Governor Roy Cooper.
Climate is another important issue. Which candidate supports climate legislation and doesn’t call climate change a hoax? Our children must live with the consequences of climate change and our inaction.
Then there’s gun violence. Our kids must now practice active shooter drills in school and learn to duck and hide. A school shooting happened just a week ago in Georgia and it’s just a matter of time before it happens in our community. Which candidate supports gun control and will prevent gun violence, which is now a public health problem. It’s for these and many more reasons that I vote, and I hope you will too. The world is watching and wishing they could participate in our election, because who we elect will impact them as well.
I urge you to register and vote for local, state and federal positions for candidates that will create policies that will positively affect your lives. Early voting in North Carolina is October 17 to November 2. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
Encourage a friend who hasn’t participated in the elections to register to vote. Your encouragement might be the thing that changes their mind. Voting is a privilege. As Susan B. Anthony aptly said, “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.”
Nilofer Couture Cullowhee
Policy positions are now clear
To the Editor:
Harris is focused on financial policies to benefit the middle classes. She proposes to reinstate child tax credits that Congress refused to extend and to add a new tax credit to the parents of newborns; provide tax credits to builders of starter homes, to first-time home buyers and to small business start-ups. She will continue to negotiate lower drug costs and protect the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care, which has provided low-cost medical insurance to millions of formerly uninsured Americans) and Social Security benefits. She would impose a 25% income tax on income and unrealized capital gains on the 0.01% of the taxpayers whose net worth is $100 million or greater (i.e., the billionaires whose current average tax rate is 8% on income only). She will sign an abortion rights law should Congress pass such a bill.
Trump is focused not on improving lives, but on punishing almost everyone except the extremely wealthy. His signature campaign promise is a “bloody” (his word) deportation of millions of immigrants and the only reason he can make that promise is because, as a private citizen, he got the Republican Congress to kill a bipartisan immigration bill that had enough support from both parties to pass. He claims, as he has since 2016, that he will introduce a new medical insurance plan that will be “much better than Obama Care.” Despite six years of promises, no such plan has materialized. He will impose more tariffs (most administrations impose tariffs, which are taxes on imported products) he says to pay for childcare. The only flaw in the plan is that tariffs help the national economy by ensuring cheap imports do not undercut the costs of domestic products, thereby protecting American jobs. Tariffs do not directly benefit households, nor do any funnel into decreasing childcare costs. At least some, and sometimes all, of these tariffs are added to the cost of these imported products and passed on to consumers. He will make permanent the tax credits Congress gave to the wealthiest Americans during his first term. Trump will not commit to protecting women’s rights to abortions.
There are a zillion studies on the economy and economic statistics are tricky to understand and easy to manipulate for specific outcomes. However, almost all conclude that people fare better under Democratic administrations. In general, Republicans favor tax cuts on businesses, investments and high-income earners. Democrats believe in higher taxes on investments, big businesses and high-net worth families. Since the end of the Depression (which skews the data in favor of Democratic administrations if it is included), GDP grew an average of 3.6% under Democrats and 2.8% under Republicans.
Harris can only implement her forward looking policies that would benefit all Americans, not just the extremely wealthy, with a Democratic Congress. That requires voters to elect not only a Democrat as president, but also Democratic legislators. No one but you knows who you vote for. Make sure you vote your best interests.
Karen Patterson Highlands
A blank canvas
The world of paint and sip
BY SUSANNA SHETLEY
SMN CONTRIBUTOR
On a sunny morning, I met Robin Arramae at Panacea Coffee House in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. We sat on the back deck amid other coffee-goers and the relaxing sounds of a nearby creek. The goal was to conduct an interview about her popular business, WNC Paint Events.
But, as always seems to happen when I encounter Arramae, our chat evolved into a deeper conversation about art, life and how the two intertwine. For anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting or knowing Arramae, you can’t help but absorb some of her beautiful energy and light. And, in my opinion, it’s this quality that makes her events so unique and memorable.
“My business fully aligns with who I am,” Arramae said. “I don’t have a certification or degree in visual arts. My work comes from a deep place and it’s extremely meaningful for me.”
WNC Paint Events is part of a growing list of “paint and sip” companies, not only in the Great Smoky Mountains region, but around the country. This fun and artsy industry initiated sometime in the early 2000s and continues to grow in popularity.
The model centers around artists offering step-by-step instructions where attendees create a pre-selected work of art while enjoying the company of friends and their preferred beverage, whether that be wine, beer, kombucha,
County, an idea for a paint and sip experience in Waynesville began formulating in her mind.
Not only was Arramae excited about creating an artistic experience for her guests, but she was also pregnant at the time and envisioned a life that offered more flexibility and more time with her young child.
“After returning from the event in Orlando, I said to myself, ‘Waynesville needs something like this,’” Arramae said. “And so, I printed a little flier and hosted my first event with six guests right here at Panacea.”
Wendy Lavoy is said to have been one of the first people to host a classic paint and sip event in Birmingham, Alabama. Lavoy was an art teacher, who noticed that her students were too quick to over analyze their work and feel defeated.
After observing this, Lavoy tried out a new approach where adult students painted swiftly, finishing their pieces in as little as 15 minutes, so they didn’t have time to perseverate on their perceived mistakes. She then expanded this method to amateur artists and folks outside her studio then added the fun component of sipping an adult beverage. Word about her success grew, leading other artists, teachers and entrepreneurs to do the same.
“When I think of why I started my business nine years ago, the intention wasn’t the same back then as it is today,” Arramae said. “At the time, I needed a livelihood so there was a different energy and influence surrounding it. But, I also wanted to bring Waynesville an activity to do while people were out and about in town. I wanted to create an experience for others to enjoy.”
leave with a complete work of art.
Arramae’s journey as an artist began in the world of pottery. She was a potter throughout her teens and continued her work with clay when she moved to Waynesville. Then, in early 2015, she attended a paint and sip event with her sister in Orlando, Florida. And while she loved the experience, she noticed a few things she would do differently.
Most specifically, Arramae would be more hands-off in allowing her participants to create from their own hearts and minds without any criticism. When she returned to Haywood
Along with watching her students feel a sense of pride in themselves, one of Arramae’s favorite components of running WNC Paint Events is partnering with small businesses. She often schedules her events at breweries, coffee shops, markets and cafes. And usually on slower nights to ensure they have a fun and creative activity on a night where seats may otherwise be empty.
“Collaborating with small businesses not only brings something fun to do in the area, but it offers revenue to many small and locally owned businesses,” Arramae said. “Working alongside other businesses has just been really fun and rewarding. I’ve met the most amazing people, and they all have their own amazing stories.”
For Arramae, the human component is something that makes paint and sip events special for everyone. The art serves as a conduit for connection and inner reflection.
In addition to her more formal events, Arramae has partnered with local yogis to create a spiritual experience and help attendees tap into their chakras. She also hosts bachelorette parties and corporate functions, as well as kid events at summer camps and recreation centers.
Want to go?
Robin Arramae hosts public and private events all throughout Western North Carolina including Haywood, Jackson, and Buncombe counties. To learn more, visit WNC Paint Events online at wncpaint.events.
“The one rule for my attendees is no judgment. They are not allowed to judge their art, although I like to joke and say, ‘But, you can judge your neighbor’s art,’” Arramae grinned. “Sometimes people come to an event and have a hard time turning off their thoughts and letting go. So, I see myself as less of an art teacher and more as an instructor to help people learn how to let go and lean into the art as a way to relax and maybe learn more about themselves. My mantra is, ‘let it go and let it flow.’”
herbal tea or something else. When the event concludes, guests
Robin Arramae is the owner of WNC Paint Events.
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining’
Wandering the hallways of NCCS, countless faces in a daze. Kids lining up at the payphone in the lobby, calling their parents to come pick them up, with both sides of the conversation left in a paralyzing state of fear and confusion.
Military vehicles passing by the big bay windows of the school en route to the nearby Canadian Border crossings, just a mile or so down the road. My father, a U.S. Immigration officer, at work and entering this now unknown phase of his career. I didn’t see him much at home for months after Sept. 11, with him being assigned to nonstop overtime shifts.
All of those violent images, intense emotions and lingering sentiments about that day some 23 years ago came flooding back to me as I sat in the Main Street Diner with Sarah. Sipping coffee and dipping my wheat toast into the over-medium eggs, I spoke at-length about how much Sept. 11, 2001, still reverberated in my conscious and subconscious mindset, all while I wander and ponder this great mystery of ours, of life and of the vast universe.
Stepping out of my apartment building in downtown Waynesville on Wednesday morning, I noticed several American flags lining Walnut Street, put there by the town’s public works department. Cruising along Main Street, the flag was at half-mast at the bank and also in front of the Haywood County Courthouse.
By the time I pulled up in front of the Main Street Diner, in a slight rush to get a table and a breakfast plate before the 11 a.m. menu cutoff, I had passed by several more flags. Putting the truck in park, I turned to my girlfriend, Sarah, and made a comment about seeing all the flags.
“Why are they at half-mast? What day is today?” I muttered before it immediately dawned on me. “Oh, damn. It’s September 11.”
At 39 years old, I’ve been inundated relentlessly for the last 23 years with the “Never Forget” slogan promoted by our United States government in the wake of that fateful Tuesday morning — a sunny day in lower Manhattan when two airliners took down the Twin Towers. Not to mention two more aircraft crashing into the Pentagon and a rural Pennsylvania farm field.
And yet, there I stood, exiting the truck, realizing that I had forgotten what day it was. Now, don’t get me wrong. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, are forever chiseled in the hallways of my memory. But, as the years (and now decades) have passed, the distance of what the calendar on my kitchen wall says has kind of blurred the date into the rest of numbers on the September page.
Looking back, my late grandparents remember exactly where they were when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, ultimately pushing the U.S. into World War II. Truth-be-told, my grandfather was actually at Pearl Harbor on that day, as an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army, who first saw the rising sun emblem of the Japanese fighter planes overhead while leaving breakfast. Eventually, he found himself all over the Pacific Theatre, bouncing between islands and
conflicts, before being honorably discharged and returning back home to the rural landscape and farmland of his youth along the Canadian Border in Alexandria Bay, New York, eventually crossing paths with my grandmother and relocating along Route 11 to Rouses Point, where I was born and raised. Like many of the “Greatest Generation,” my grandfather was humble, stoic and wise. He never spoke much about the war, but he did do an extensive interview with the local public access channel, “Home Town Cable,” back in December 1994. You can still find the interview on YouTube: “Frank Kavanaugh & Pearl Harbor.”
And my parents remember exactly where they were the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Specifically, my mother was a young teenager walking home from school where her friend ran up to her and told her the news. She broke down and cried, soon making her way back to my grandparents’ house on Pine Street in Rouses Point, the entire family glued to the TV and radio broadcasts. Sept. 11, 2001, started out as a normal day. For those in the northeast, it was a bluebird sky of a sunny Tuesday. One of the last reminders of summer before the cool breeze and foliage of fall would usher in a season of change.
I was 16 years old. A junior at Northeastern Clinton Central School. Champlain, New York. And it was Mrs. Trudeau’s second period social studies class when we got word of something happening in New York City.
Time stood still, at it always does in moments like that. The look of terror in the eyes of my teachers and peers. The crying and seeing the second plane hitting the South Tower live on air. The sounds of the classroom bells ringing, signaling the end of each period, but nobody leaving their seats. All focus was on the TV and this new era for our country, the world and our young lives currently unfolding.
In essence, I’ve never forgotten Sept. 11. But, nowadays, it’s not simply a date emblazoned in the media whenever it rolls around on the calendar. It’s memories that haunt my thoughts seemingly every single day. I’m not pulled down by the doom and gloom of that day. I am, however, keenly aware of the remembrance of those lost. And of how I carry myself moving forward, from that Tuesday morning over two decades to the here and now — kindness and gratitude.
Whatever side of the political aisle you may reside on or what kind of religion you subscribe to (or none at all), the foundation of our ongoing relationships between one another is the mere fact we’re humans, with beating hearts and vibrant souls. For me, at least, Sept. 11, 2001, and every day thereafter is a constant reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of compassion.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
HOT PICKS
1
Haywood County Studio Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.
2
“Youth Arts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
3
A special production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19-21 and 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
4
The Main Street Sylva Association will host its “Social District of Sylva Celebration” from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bridge Park and throughout downtown Sylva.
5 Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Borrowed Band (country/rock) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21.
The Blue Ridge Parkway in Haywood County. Garret K. Woodward photo
On the street
‘Social District of Sylva Celebration’
Darnell Farms is a popular destination in WNC. File photo
Fall into Darnell Farms
The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.
The Main Street Sylva Association will host its “Social District of Sylva Celebration” from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bridge Park and throughout downtown Sylva.
All are welcome to attend with yard games, snacks and beer vendors at Bridge Park, along with a live remote broadcast from Western Carolina University’s radio station, 95.3 FM. A chalk art competition will be held on Railroad Avenue.
Attendees who spend $100 or more that day in downtown Sylva can get a free “Friends of Main Street” thermal Social District cup valued at $25. When the Brew Hop was started in 2017, it was a ticketed event with the goal of giving locals and visitors a taste of Sylva’s breweries and providing them
with great visibility. As the local breweries made a name for themselves, crowd sizes increased making the event difficult to manage.
With the addition of the Social District of Sylva and the variety of craft cocktails, wine and ciders in downtown, the association thought a new twist on the event was worth exploring to give all merchants exposure and make the event more inclusive. Hence, the “Social District of Sylva Celebration.”
The event is family-friendly with something for everyone to enjoy both at Bridge Park and throughout downtown.
For more information, contact Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters at mainstreet@townofsylva.org or 828.586.2719.
Visit the farm for some old-fashioned fun. Walk through the corn maze ($14 admission), enjoy a hayride ($22 admission, which includes pumpkin), partake in an array of Halloween activities and/or visit the huge pumpkin patch, where you and your family choose your perfect Jack O’ Lantern. Prices vary by size.
There will also be food trucks, farm stands, apples and fall decor onsite. For more information, go to darnellfarms.com.
ALSO:
• Grumpy Bear Campground & RV Park (Bryson City) will host a “Native American Show” 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.788.2095 or grumpybearcampground.com.
(803) 528-5039
HART presents ‘Great American Trailer Park’
A special production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19-21 and 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Set in Armadillo Acres, Florida’s most exclusive trailer park, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” dives into the quirky lives of its residents. When Pippi, a stripper on the run, stirs up trouble in the neighborhood, it leads to a love triangle, a kidnapping, and plenty of drama — all served with a side of laughter and a whole lot of Southern charm.
The musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso, has been a hit since it first premiered, captivating audiences with its unique blend of humor, heart and toe-tapping tunes. Tickets start at $18 and up. To purchase tickets, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or go to harttheatre.org. HART Box Office hours are Tuesday-Friday from noon to 5 p.m. HART is located at 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.
ALSO:
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host the “Who Wants To Be A Star” talent competition at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays unless otherwise noted. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. highlandsperformingarts.com.
On the beat
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer or anything unplugged is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.
The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall.
This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. For more information, call 828.488.3030.
‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ will be at HART on select dates. Donated photo
Old Crow Medicine Show to headline Mountain Heritage Day
Americana, folk at Stecoah
Rising Americana/old-time ensemble The New Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
Podcaster Nicholas Edward Williams headlined last year’s Harvest Festival to positive accolades for how he traced the roots of American music from its cultured past to artists playing it forward.
The “American Songcatcher” returns to Stecoah The New Quintet, a band guided by the passion to honor the songs and styles that have shaped our country — from traditional folk to ragtime, old-time and early country. The ensemble’s big harmonies, intricate melodies and lush textures feature original and reimagined traditional material.
The New Quintet formed in 2020 while making Williams’ critically acclaimed release “Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake.” It was heralded by well-regarded figures of the roots community such as David Holt, Oliver Wood, Dom Flemons and J.P. Harris. Since then, The New Quintet has been on stages throughout the Southeast.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students. Dinner will also be available for purchase in the Schoolhouse Cafe starting at 6 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or go to stecoahvalleycenter.com.
A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, the 50th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
The annual festival of Southern Appalachian traditions and culture is renowned as a showcase of bluegrass, old-time and traditional music, as well as family activities, artisan demonstrations and the region’s finest arts and crafts booths with dozens of vendors. Food will also be available onsite.
Following the festival itself, Mountain Heritage Day will also host a free performance by renowned Americana/folk act Old Crow Medicine Show with special guest Lindsay Lou, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the Ramsey Center.
The festival is free and open to the public. For more information, updates, a full schedule of events/live music and to acquire your free tickets to Old Crow Medicine Show & Lindsay Lou, go to mountainheritageday.com.
Folkmoot welcomes renowned cellist
Folkmoot USA will present world-renowned American cellist and composer Michael Fitzpatrick at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
The performance will feature Fitzpatrick’s own “Invocation of the Earth,” classical favorites, folk songs and selections from the popular songbook. Fitzpatrick has been called an innovator, a synergist and a musical diplomat. He has planted himself in the forefront of a movement that encourages world peace through music, something he sees as the musical wave of the future.
Hailed by the New York Times as possessing “virtuosity and an ear for musical dialogue” and by NPR as “an interpreter of the Muse,” Fitzpatrick has performed the musical keynotes for the Dalai Lama’s public talks and for Pope Francis’ Blessing Ceremony at The Vatican.
Admission is “pay what you can,” with suggested donations ranging from $0 to $22 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Sabora food truck will also be onsite. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to folkmoot.org.
• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. every Tuesday. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host an “Open Jam” 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Wood Newton & Mike Loudermilk (Americana/country) 7 p.m. Sept. 20. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host We Three Swing at 8 p.m. every first Saturday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Doug & Lisa Sept. 21. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host “Open Mic Night” 5 p.m. every Friday and “Andrews Idol: Season 3” 5 p.m. Sept. 21 and 28. 828.361.2534 / thebluestage.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Mike Rhodes Fellowship Sept. 21. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every first Thursday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Marc & Anita Pruett (Americana/bluegrass) 4 p.m. Sept. 29. For tickets and reservations, go to cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/livemusic.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host Whitewater Bluegrass Co. (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. Sept. 21 ($20 adults, $10 ages six to 16, free under age six.). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Bands & Brews” 5 p.m. Sept. 21. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” w/Erick Baker (singersongwriter) Oct. 10. All shows begin at 6 p.m. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host Michael Fitzpatrick (cello) Sept. 27. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Curtis Blackwell Band Sept. 20 and Nitrograss
The New Quintet will play Stecoah Sept. 21. Donated photo
Michael Fitzpatrick will play Waynesville Sept. 27. File photo
Old Crow Medicine Show will play Cullowhee Sept. 28. File photo
(Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 27 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 Tuesdays Jazz Series w/We Three Swing at 5:30 p.m. each week and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays w/Songwriters Circle (Americana/folk) Sept. 21 and Steve Greenberg & Charlie Simmons (Americana/folk) Sept. 28. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Charles Walker (singer-songwriter) Sept. 20, Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Sept. 21, 23, 30, Corey Stevenson Band Sept. 27 and The Remnants Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Jamey Johnson (Americana/country) Sept. 20-21. Tickets start at $31 per person. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” on Thursday evenings, “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Kendall Marvel (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Sept. 26 ($35 per person). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28. Tickets are $50 per person. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic w/Phil” Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678/ innovationbrewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Bryan & Al (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 20, Roscoe’s Road Show (Americana) Sept. 21 and Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 27. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) Sept. 20, Blase (rock/jam)
Jamey Johnson returns to Harrah’s Cherokee
Country megastar Jamey Johnson will hit the stage for a two-night stand Sept. 20-21 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
Born in Alabama, Johnson set his sights on music after seeing his idol Alan Jackson perform live in concert. After eight years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, he moved to Nashville and began writing songs and performing in small clubs.
As a songwriter, Johnson has penned No. 1 hits for artists like Trace Adkins and George Strait, but it’s his award-winning solo material that has earned him his latest batch of honors. His fourth studio album, 2012’s “Living For A Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, garnering praise from critics and a Grammy nomination for “Best Country Album.”
Tickets start at $31 per person. For more information and/or to buy tickets, go to caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
Sept. 27 and Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host an “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host a “Community Music Jam” 6 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month. Free and open to the public. All musicians and music lovers are welcome. 828.488.3030 / fontanalib.org.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/Frank Lee every Wednesday, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) Sept. 20, Aces Down Sept. 21, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Sept. 22, Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) Sept. 27, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Sept. 28 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) 5 p.m. Sept. 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host James Thompson (Americana) 6 p.m. Sept. 20. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. 770.335.0967 / go2ottonc.com.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke w/Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host The Boomers Sept. 21 and Kayla McKinney (Americana) Sept. 28 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) Sept. 19, The Borrowed Band (country/rock) Sept. 21, Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 26 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) Sept. 27. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host John Schneider w/Cody McCarver 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28. Tickets start at $29 per person. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month and The New Quintet (Americana/roots) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 ($15 adults, $10 students). 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Songwriter’s Showcase 51” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host live music Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-thesquare.html.
• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host Ann Coombs & Lisa P. Sept. 19, Darren Nicholson (Americana/ bluegrass) Sept. 20, Blended Hemp Sept. 23, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) Sept. 26 and Chris Williams (singersongwriter) Sept. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.456.3040 / pub319socialhouse.com.
• 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 / facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Karaoke 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Joe Munoz (singersongwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 20, Jacob Donham (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 21, “Open Mic w/Dirty Dave” 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and Michael Kitchens (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 28. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music Mondays” w/Katie & Ezra Sept. 23. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. the-stubborn-bull.com.
• Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke w/Lori Sept. 19 (free), Blackwater Station Sept. 20, Macon County Line Sept. 21, Larry Joe Lambert Sept. 26, Jon Cox (country/rock) Sept. 27 and Topper Sept. 28. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Dick Dickerson (indie/acoustic) 2 p.m. Sept. 22, Amos Jackson (soul/R&B) 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Sept. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Blake Ellege (rock/soul) 7 p.m. Sept. 20, Macon County Line 4 p.m. Sept. 22, Blended Hemp 6 p.m. Sept. 26, Steel Creek 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Second Chance Music 7 p.m. Sept. 28 and Graywind 4 p.m. Sept. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host Stevie Tombstone (Americana/folk) 4 p.m. Sept. 29. Family friendly, dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
Jamey Johnson will play Cherokee Sept. 20-21. File photo
On the wall
Haywood County Studio Tour
Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the annual Haywood County Studio Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.
A free, self-guided event showcasing the region’s talented artists, this unique event offers art lovers the chance to visit artists’ studios. Watch live demonstrations and purchase original works directly from the creators.
To help visitors explore the diverse art across our mountainous region, some artists have been grouped into “pods” at locations like Twigs and Leaves Gallery, Folkmoot, Burlwood Gallery, Cold Mountain Arts Collective and the new Church Street Studios.
In addition to studio visits, HCAC is hosting a silent auction featuring artwork by HCAC artist members, with proceeds benefiting the HCAC. Auction items can be viewed in the gallery window at 86 North Main St. in Waynesville or online at givebutter.com/c/UBQcTO.
“The Haywood County Studio Tour has been a beloved tradition, celebrating our community’s creativity and the artists who bring beauty and inspiration to our lives,” said HCAC Executive Director Tonya Harwood. “Join us for this special weekend of art, music and community.”
Maps and artist information will be available at participating galleries and online at haywoodarts.org/studio-tour.
• “Kaleidoscope: An Exploration of Color & Shapes,” the latest exhibition from the Haywood County Arts Council, will be on display through Oct. 27 at the HCAC on Main Street in Waynesville. Free and open to the public. haywoodarts.org.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• “Art & Artisan Walk” will be held from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (MayDecember) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yellow and blue balloons identifying participating businesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host an adult arts and crafts program at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed
media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, go to cre828.com. dawn@cre828.com / 828.283.0523.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. galleryzella.com / 517.881.0959.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings.
waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide-range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. haywoodarts.org.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. dogwoodcrafters.com/classes / 828.586.2248.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. coweeschool.org/events.
‘Youth Arts Festival’
The annual “Youth Arts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
Children’s activities, live artisan demonstrations and much more. Food will be available for purchase. Only satellite parking will be available at Monteith Park and the Jackson County Justice Center with a free shuttle to and from the park.
The event is free and open to the public. For information, call 828.631.0271 or go to jcgep.org.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
Barbara Brook will be part of the studio tour. File photo
GSMR photo
Artisan demonstrations will be held in Dillsboro Sept. 21. File photo
On the shelf
Teaching manners and other life skills
Recently I had the opportunity to speak by phone with writer and podcaster
Jennifer L. Scott. The author of the Madame Chic books — “Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris” was the first — Scott is as delightful a conversationalist as we might expect, witty, thoughtful and easily given to laughter. She’s also the mother of four children ranging in age from 14 to six, a circumstance that adds weight to her book “Connoisseur Kids: Etiquette, Manners, and Living
Well for Parents and Their Little Ones” (Chronicle Books, 2019, 224 pages).
Scott begins her guide by defining connoisseur “as an expert judge in matters of taste.” Her intention in “Connoisseur Kids” is to help children become “experts in the art of living.” Here is a compendium of ideas and suggestions designed to help young ones start their journey toward that destination, with chapters not only on manners, but on such topics as keeping a tidy room, practicing good hygiene and physical fitness and above all else, thinking of others rather than focusing on the self.
Her many suggested activities and crafts, all designed to support these principles, makes Scott’s book a gift basket filled with fun and entertainment. In her advice on giving and receiving gifts, for instance, Scott explains to budding connoisseurs how to make elegant giftwrap from brown shipping paper, ribbons and a potato stamp. In her efforts to encourage children to write thoughtful letters, a fading art in our world of phones, texts and emails, she leads her readers through the entire process, from suggestions as to what to write to an elderly relative to the nuts-and-bolts of addressing an envelope.
Among these projects are simple healthy recipes for children to make for themselves and their families. These run from slow cooker oatmeal and avocado toast to desserts like blueberry frozen yogurt pops and banana ice cream, a treat made entirely from bananas. Kids generally enjoy helping in the kitchen, and Scott provides a vehicle for making that happen.
Adding to the fun of Scott’s book are the sweet, charming illustrations by Clare Owen.
As mentioned earlier, the chief philosophy behind all civility and good taste is consideration for others, the quintessence of good manners. Scott weaves this philosophy throughout “Connoisseur Kids.” Table manners, communication skills, behavior among family and friends, and so much more: all have to do with etiquette, which boils down to the thoughtfulness we show to those
around us.
Scott also addresses certain virtues and their links to etiquette. In the middle of her book, for instance, she adds an addendum to this idea of treating others with respect:
“True integrity is often defined as doing the right thing when no one is looking. We should never do something only because we want to impress other people or get a reward from our parents. We should always act
When we do as Scott suggests, when we “mind our manners,” as people used to say, we are rehabbing civilization. Practicing etiquette, caring for our belongings, and maintaining our health benefits us, yes, but it also improves our family life, our community, and therefore the world.
“Manners maketh man,” that centuriesold adage, means that our manners, the way we behave, the way we treat people, defines who we are, at least in our interactions with others.
from the kindness of our own heart because it’s the right thing to do. Never ask ‘What can I get out of this situation?’ but rather ‘How can I be of service here?’ A true test is how you act in situations when no one is looking. Do you do the right thing?”
In her conclusion, “The Future of Connoisseur Kids,” Scott also includes two pieces of advice that all of us, kids and adults alike, would do well to keep in mind, that “the most important thing is to have a happy heart” and that “your small actions can change the world for the better.”
If we return to the subtitle of Scott’s book, “Etiquette, Manners, and Living Well for Parents and Their Little Ones,” we note that “Connoisseur Kids” is a shared adventure between children and their parents or other caregivers, to be explored and discussed by young and old alike. It also reminds us that our small actions can add up and help make the world a better place.
Though a parallel expression lacks this “m-m-m” alliteration, we might also say “Manners maketh culture.” After all, a culture is founded on an accumulation of individuals, and how those people treat one another will delineate the standards and practices of the culture as a whole. At present, most people would likely agree that American culture could use some lessons in manners. Our social media, some of our music and other entertainments, and even our recent presidential debate reveal a culture in need of some major repairs.
In “Connoisseur Kids” and her other books, Jennifer Scott offers us the tools to begin that rehabilitation job. Teach children the philosophy and practice of manners, and perhaps one day we’ll see a restoration of good manners as well as goodwill in our public square.
A final note: I’ve just ordered four copies of “Connoisseur Kids,” Christmas gifts for each of my children, all of whom have young ones of their own. That’s about as high a recommendation I can make for any book.
(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.)
Writer Jeff Minick
Fall adventure supports research into park biodiversity
Word from the Smokies
BY HAYLEY BENTON SPECIAL TO SMN
As days grow shorter in the Great Smoky Mountains, the colorful landscape hums with life. Creatures large and small scurry through the blanket of fallen leaves gathering nuts and berries, crafting intricate homes to wait out the winter, and preparing for the stillness of the season ahead.
“It’s a great time to be out in the park,” said Jaimie Matzko, biodiversity program specialist for Discover Life in America, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “In spring, things are winding up, but fall is a winding down. All sorts of species are out and about, getting ready for the colder months. You end up seeing a lot of wildlife activity around this time.”
At night, Eco-Adventurers are invited to share stories around the campfire and participate in short walks in the moonlight.
These transitional seasons, she continued, are the perfect time to engage visitors in DLiA’s work. Through its flagship project, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, the Gatlinburgbased nonprofit aims to identify, catalog and observe the park’s estimated 60,000-plus species. Currently, less than half of that approximate number has been officially identified by park scientists — and DLiA’s first fall Great Smokies EcoAdventure, held Oct. 27–29, presents a unique opportunity to join the search, combing the underbrush with park scientists to record sightings of even the tiniest, most often overlooked creatures.
“If you’re out hiking on your own, you might pass by things
on the trail that are really unique or interesting and not really know the importance of what you’re seeing,” Matzko said. “It’s one of the great benefits of hiking with local naturalists. I think a lot of times people just view hiking as: ‘I’m going to hike to a waterfall and then back to my car.’ But I truly believe that, when you have a deeper understanding of the ecology — about all the different relationships between species out there — it also gives you a deeper appreciation for enjoying the natural world. It gives every hike more meaning.”
And that’s the precise purpose of DLiA’s three-day, twonight Eco-Adventures: fostering deeper connections with nature by encouraging participants to F
Will Kuhn, director of science and research for Discover Life in America (DLiA), examines an insect specimen collected during a 2023 Great Smokies Eco-Adventure. DLiA photo
DLiA photo Autumn leaves blanket a bridge along Alum Cave Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This October’s Great Smokies Eco-Adventure, held Oct. 27–29, will be the first fall event of its kind hosted by DLiA. Smokies Life photo
find, identify and learn about species in their natural habitats. The new fall adventure is an expansion of the “glamping” (glamorous camping) program that DLiA has organized each spring for the last four years. Each Eco-Adventure experience includes off-the-grid lodging, gourmet food, drinks and guided hikes. It also doubles as a fundraiser for DLiA, supporting vital research on biodiversity in the national park.
wilds of the Smokies on expert-led nature hikes and their evenings and nights “glamping” at Camp Atagahi, a premiere off-the-grid luxury camping facility owned and operated by partner organization A Walk in the Woods.
Evening activities include a night walk to learn about nocturnal life in the mountains and time around the campfire with new friends. All hikes and programs are led by DLiA staff Will Kuhn, science and research director and entomologist, and Matzko, a
“As E.O. Wilson said, ‘It’s the little things that run the world.’ And that is very much DLiA’s realm,” said DLiA Executive Director Todd Witcher. A nodule on the underside of a leaf may not look all that interesting at first glance. “But once you learn what it is and what value it has to the environment, it suddenly also has value to you, too. We are always looking at things that most other people are not — and also trying to bring attention to those things — because every part of an ecosystem is important. People love bears and elk, but those animals wouldn’t be around if we didn’t have the small things that pollinate plants and create food for the larger species.”
This fall’s adventure will invite participants to observe life from a variety of habitats found throughout the park, from the lush lower elevations of Greenbrier to the balsam-covered peaks along the Appalachian Trail. Adventurers spend their days exploring the
recipient of REI Adventures’ “Top Guide of North America” award.
Eco-Adventures have proven to be popular with those who love the outdoors: avid naturalists, solo travelers, camping couples and families with teens. Limited to just 15 participants per season, the small group setting provides ample time for individuals to ask questions and learn from and chat with the expert guides.
While participants in the spring adventures get to see the Smokies “waking up,” fall adventurers will have the chance to observe “the fruits of the spring,” Witcher said. “Things that we’ve seen blooming or starting to flower earlier this year are now propagating themselves for the next generation.”
As a small nonprofit, fundraising efforts like these are immensely important to DLiA’s continued work.
“We realized that, if we were going to organize events to raise funds, we wanted them to be educational — to bring attention to the understudied and underappreciated things we see along the trail,” Matzko explained. “Eco-Adventures are a great way for people who love the Smokies to get to know the park in a totally different way.”
Tickets for the fall 2024 Great Smokies Eco-Adventure are $950 per person, which includes all food (including vegan and gluten-free options) and libations — including a special harvest apple ginger cocktail (or mocktail) from this year’s sponsor, Ole Smoky Distillery — as well as
glamping accommodations, entertainment and transportation during the event. Tickets are limited, so those interested are encouraged to reserve their spots soon, as trips often sell out. Registration closes on Oct. 1 or when all tickets are sold. For more information, visit dlia.org/event/falladventure-2024.
(Hayley Benton is the content manager for Elly Wells Marketing and Project Management, an Asheville firm working with two of the nonprofit partners to Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Discover Life in America and Smokies Life, which provides this column. Reach her at hayley@ellywells.com.)
A group taking part in last year’s spring Great Smokies Eco-Adventure takes a moment to observe the canopy above before setting off on a hike with guide Jaimie Matzko (third from right). DLiA photo
Will Kuhn, director of science and research for DLiA, leads the way for a group of spring 2023 Eco-Adventure participants. DLiA photo
Cradle of Forestry announces fall events
The following are the Cradle of Forestry’s fall events:
Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. NPLD is also a “Fee-Free Day” — one of only five days a year when entrance fees are waived at national parks and other public lands.
Additionally, the Cradle will host a special book signing with the author of “MOON TREE: The Story of One Extraordinary Tree,” Carolyn Bennett Fraiser, from 1-2 p.m., with a book reading to immediately follow.
Oct. 5: Forest Festival Day & Woodsman’s Meet Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets available for purchase on site only at the Cradle of Forestry or Pink Beds Picnic area.
This event brings the whole Cradle of Forestry campus to life, showcasing forestry and traditional craft. Collegiate competitors will descend upon the Pink Beds Picnic area and test their skills at a number of events including archery, axe throwing, crosscut sawing and pole felling.
Attendees have the opportunity to make their own tree cookie and Smash NC will be
on site serving burgers and more.
Oct. 12: Camping in the Old Style
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Included with site admission
The Cradle of Forestry in America invites the public to explore a re-created campsite of the early 1900s during its “Camping in the Old Style” event. A classic camping interpretive team known as the Acorn Patrol demonstrates the low-tech/high-skill approach as practiced in the outdoors during what some historians consider the Golden Age of Camping.
Oct. 25-26: The Legend of Tommy Hodges
Outdoor Drama Times: 7:30 p.m.
Admission: General Admission $30; Youth $15 (Ages 4-12);
Ticket Info: Tickets on sale now at gofindoutdoors.org.
During this unique and exciting outdoor performance, audiences will travel back in time to the early 1900s and hear Appalachian yarns about the mysterious and unknown once told by the legendary Tommy Hodges, a fictional student of the Biltmore Forest School.
Guests will be led around the Biltmore Campus Trail by different characters and watch as the story unfolds around them from all sides.
The Legend of Tommy Hodges is a homegrown amateur production presented by FIND Outdoors Team Members and our Cradle hosts. The play is not based on historical facts and the script changes from year to year.
Drought expands in WNC
Over the last couple of weeks, the drought has expanded in Western North Carolina, and it now covers all of Haywood, Swain, Jackson and Macon counties. There was widespread rain over the last week, but it remains to be seen whether that precipitation cut into the drought.
All of the Smoky Mountain News coverage area is now in a moderate drought. Ncdrought.org photo
Groundwater and surface water reservoirs typically see higher demand for water during the summer, and the ongoing drought conditions could result in water restrictions. Some counties have updated their water conservation status on ncdrought.org.
For areas in moderate drought, or D1, DMAC recommends water users should adhere to local water use restrictions, project water needs and available water supply for 90 days, among other recommendations.
Ski Lake Junaluska Winter Youth Retreat
Experience the wonder of winter this season during a Ski Lake Junaluska Winter Youth Retreat in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Youth groups and scout troops are invited for a meaningful weekend of fun, faith, friendship and adventure, and enjoy the beauty of this scenic wonderland while creating lifelong memories.
Ski Lake Junaluska Winter Youth Retreat base packages are offered, including lodging and meals, starting at $105 per person for two-night retreats (based on four people to a room) and $180 per person for three-night retreats (based on four people to a room).
Groups can add to a package skiing/snowboarding at Cataloochee Ski Area or tubing at Tube World, mission work projects or meeting space to host programs and activities.
Learn more at https://bit.ly/LJwinterski.
NC Wildlife Resources Commission director to retire
After 34 years of service to the state of North Carolina, Cameron Ingram, executive director of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), has announced his retirement effective Dec. 31, 2024. Ingram has served as NCWRC executive director since August 2020.
Executive Director for the greatest conservation agency in the nation.”
“The collective work of 700 NCWRC employees, 21 commissioners, and conservation partner supporters, have forged stable, strong, and well-positioned resources for future conservation efforts,” Ingram said. “It has been an honor to serve as
Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation.
An event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Haywood Community College 185 Freedlander Drive, in Clyde.
Camp out with Misfit Mountain animal rescue
Join Haywood County’s Misfit Mountain Animal Rescue for the second-annual Pigs & a Blanket Festival & Campout this weekend.
The event will be held from 1-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the animal rescue at 922 Incinerator Road in Clyde. It will feature over 30 vendors, pig feedings, pig yoga, live music and art demonstrations, a chapter book bus, community fire pit, “The Whale” beer truck and food trucks.
Visitors will also have the chance to camp overnight. To reserve a spot, email misfitmountainnc@gmail.com.
WNC Mountain State Fair winners bring home hardware
The following are winners in the N.C. Mountain State Fair’s opening weekend poultry, rabbit, sheep, goat and beef cattle categories from the Smoky Mountain News coverage area: ARBA Youth Rabbit Show
• Show B – Shown by Kaylee Martin, Haywood County Junior Beef Cattle Shows
• Junior Beef Cattle Showmanship Champions
• Grand Champion shown by Karissa Collins, Macon County
Ingram began his career with NCWRC on May 12, 1997, at the Institute of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill on the first day of the Basic Academy for Wildlife Law Enforcement where he went on to serve as a law enforcement officer for nearly 25 years. Prior to being unanimously confirmed as director, Ingram served as the agency’s major of field operations for the Law Enforcement Division from 2018 to 2020.
A graduate of East Carolina University, Ingram holds a Bachelor of Science in parks and recreation with a concentration in natural resource management.
The NCWRC Board will conduct a thorough process to determine Ingram’s successor.
Activities include archery, falconry, kids’ activities, food trucks, interactive demonstrations and more. Pre-registration (by calling 828593-9866) is required for Warrior Clan Youth Fishing Tournament participation.
More information is available on the Wildlife Commission’s website.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate conservation successes of hunters and anglers.
• Reserve Grand Champion shown by Ben Holland, Macon County
• Got to Be NC Grand Champion, Karissa Collins, Macon County Open Market Steer
• Got to Be NC Grand Champion shown by Hannah Smith, Macon County
• Got to Be NC Reserve Grand Champion shown by Macie Ledford, Macon County
• Got to Be NC Reserve Grand Champion shown by Barrett Freeman, Haywood County Grand Champion shown by Karissa Collins, Macon County
• Premier Junior Beef Exhibitor, Hannah Smith, Macon County Reserve Grand Champion shown by Barrett Freema, Haywood County
• Reserve Grand Champion shown by Montana Boatwright, Macon County
File photo
File photo
Turtleheads
TThe Joyful Botanist
BY ADAM BIGELOW
here are many different wildflowers that signal the seasonal transition from summer into fall.
I used to be overcome with the melancholy of fall when I would see the goldenrods (Solidago spp.) start to bloom, thinking “No, it’s too early for the end of the blooming season and the start of winter!” That’s how I used to think of fall. Goldenrods no longer usher in the sadness for me as I have successfully reframed them as a summer wildflower that blooms into fall.
as its flowers are usually solid white. They can sometimes have a pink throat (inside the tube of the flower), but they look quite different than the other species that range from light to dark pink. The flowers of all the Chelone species are fused into a tube with a wide opening that looks like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. Among my favorite late-summer activities is to sit and watch bumble bees (Bombus spp.) foraging for nectar on the turtleheads.
These days, the beauty of melancholy doesn’t begin to overtake me until I see gentians in bloom (Gentiana, Gentianella, and Gentianopsis spp.) as these flowers are among the last of the to bloom in the year. They even have a place in my logo where Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions is bookended by a trout-lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) to signify the first of the flowers to bloom, and a Balsam mountain gentian (Gentiana latidens) representing the last of the flowers to bloom.
If you are a regular worker of crossword puzzles, you know that when the clue is a fall flower, the answer will always be aster. And while asters and their many different and difficult-to-distinguish species are emblematic of fall, they are not the only blooms that start their show at the end of the year. Two species of Lobelia, the strikingly red cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and its very blue relative the great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphiliticum) don’t really get going until the air is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter.
Among my favorite end-of-season wildflowers to find growing in gardens and the woods are those of turtleheads in the genus Chelone. There are four or five species of Chelone that live in the mountains of North Carolina. I say four or five because one turtlehead currently classified as a variety will most likely be elevated to species level relatively soon. The mountain species are pink turtlehead (Chelone lyonia), Cuthbert’s turtlehead (C. cuthbertii), white turtlehead (C. glabra), red turtlehead (C. obliqua var. obliqua) and the soon to be renamed Erwin’s turtlehead (C. obliqua var. erwiniae).
White turtlehead just started blooming along the driveway to my home in a wet area, and that seems to be the preferred growing habitat of turtleheads, as they like bogs and seeps and growing near small creeks. They can also do really well in a flower garden whose soil has a lot of organic matter and can retain good soil moisture.
It is easy to identify the white turtlehead,
These big, goofy native bees move from flower to flower, landing on the lower lip. They then climb completely inside the corolla tube of the flower to reach the nectar at the base of the tube. While foraging this nectar, the fuzzy hairs of the bumbles inadvertently pick up a lot of readily available pollen. They then back their fuzzy bumble butts, now coated in pollen grains, out of the flower tube and move onto the next turtlehead flower to repeat the process. When climbing into the flower, the first structure that they encounter is the receptacle that accepts the pollen and begins the reproductive process of ripening the ovary and developing seeds.
It is fascinating to watch, and I admit to spending an odd amount of time observing native flowers and pollinator interactions. As summer wanes, I encourage you to soak up every bit of the beauty of flowers like turtleheads and watch for the incredible interactions they share with insects. You could say that I’m asking you to come out of your shell and poke around a bit. Look deeply into flower tubes, imagining you are a pollinating insect. But do so carefully, for there might already be a bee inside. And both of y’all would be surprised by the other. (The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
Gentians are among the last flowers to bloom. Adam Bigelow photo
WNC events and happenings
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Cruso Farmer’s Market takes place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday at the Cruso Community Center.
• The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m. to noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram.
• Cowee School Farmer’s Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.
• Mill Town Farmers Market takes place from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays at Sorrell’s Street Park in downtown Canton.
H EALTH AND WELLNESS
• The Pollinators Foundation offers weekly Mindful Movement Qigong classes for all ages to reduce stress and improve health and well-being. Classes take place 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398.
• The Pollinators Foundation and The Share Project host weekly Happy Hour Nature Walks 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at Lake Junaluska. The group meets at the Labyrinth. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398.
• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, call 828.558.4550.
CLUBS AND M EETINGS
• Mountain Word Writers Group meets at 10:45 a.m. every Wednesday at City Lights Books in Sylva. Writers of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction are all welcome. Space is limited. Please contact sylvawriters@gmail.com before coming.
• The Western Carolina Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 6 p.m. An eclectic group of young and old, male and female. The group supplies boards, cards, pegs and are always willing to help those still learning the finer points of the game. For more information
contact kei3ph@bellsouth.net.
• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.
• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• A Novel Escape Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Every other month one book is selected for discussion. On alternate months the meeting is round-table discussion in which participants share what they’ve read lately. For more information call the bookstore at 828.369.9059 or visit anovelescapefranklin.wordpress.com.
• Silent Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Bring your own book and whatever makes you feel cozy and enjoy a quiet, uninterrupted hour of reading amongst friends.
CLASSES & PROGRAMS
• “Return of the Elk: Ranger Talk” takes place 1-2 p.m. every Sunday at the Caldwell House in Cataloochee Valley. Walk the valley and learn about how elk — which were nearly extinct due to overhunting and loss of habitat across the continent — managed to return to the Smokies.
A&E
• Waynesville Art After Dark takes place 6-9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month through December.
• Groovin on the Green takes place 6-8:30 p.m. every Friday in The Village Green all summer. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, picnics and coolers welcome. For more information visit discoverjackson.com.
• “Time of War” at Oconaluftee Indian Village takes place at noon and 3 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A short battle reenactment performed by actors from “Unto These Hill” and reenactors from Oconaluftee Indian Village come together to depict what happens when a British militia invades a Cherokee town. Tickets can be purchased at cherokeehistorical.org or by calling 828.497.2111.
• Pickin’ in the Park takes place takes place 6-9 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Recreation Park. The events are free and open to the public. For more information visit cantonnc.com/pickin-in-the-park.
• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
• Smoky Mountain Event Center presents Bingo Night with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and games starting at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday and fourth Monday of the month. For more information visit smokymountaineventcenter.com.
K IDS AND FAMILIES
• ASD Teen/ Adult Art Group takes place 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. every other Friday at the Full Spectrum Farms pavilion. Each group event has a different theme. For more information fullspectrumfarms.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 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.
• 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 information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• Next Chapter Book Club Haywood is a fun, energetic and highly interactive book club, ideal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
Market
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.
• Free — Lost or found pet ads.
• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*
• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE
• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)
• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4
• Boost in Print
• Add Photo $6
• Bold ad $2
• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4
• Border $4
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
Smoky Mountains Railroad, LLC is seeking bids for upcoming 2025 FRRCSI grant projects. Materials to be delivered February 2025. Materials: 1.65 track miles of 136 RE grade rail. All materials must include delivery to 973 Haywood Road, Dillsboro NC 28725. Partial bids for materials are accepted and may be awarded. This is a formal sealed bidding process. bids must comply with Domestic steel and Buy America be supplied to GSMR by vendor). WBE/MBE participation is highly encouraged. Projects will be awarded at GSMR’s sold discretion to the supplier or suppliers whose proposal offers the best value. GSMR
reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Proposal is due no later than 2PM deadline on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. formal Public Bid Opening Date: Tuesday, 9-24.24 at 3PM. GSMR PO Box 1490, 225 Everett Street Bryson City, NC 28713 kimalbritton@gsmr.com 828-488-7008.
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24E000311-430
Shandy Mathews, having
of the Estate of Alice Mathews of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 11 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor 23 Whistle Rock Dr Clyde, NC 28721
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24E001469-430
Angela Henley, having -
istrator of the Estate of Leila Rhodarmer Harkins of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Nov 28 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Administrator 66 Plateau Place Waynesville, NC 28786
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24 E 001535430
Susan Elingburg, having of the Estate of Pamela A. Frederes of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 11 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executrix
62 Southview Meadow Whittier NC 28789
Announcements
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Auction
AUTO SHOP AUCTION
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Building Materials
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Employment
HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR Mountain Projects is accepting applications for a fulltime Human Resources Coordinator: Coordinates human resource activities and staff in the organization including but not limited to on boarding, assisting managers,agement, compliance with laws, etc. A job description is available upon request. Minimum
2 years HR experience. BS with 2 years HR expein this position: 37 Hour work week. Health Insurance with Mountain Projects paying 85% of the monthly premium. Dental and Vision coverage. Short/Long term disability and life insurance paid
by Mountain Projects.
Matching Retirement Plan
13 paid holidays a year
Annual and sick leave
To be considered please apply at www.mountainprojects.org AA/EOE
PART-TIME TRANSIT
DRIVER Are you looking to help our neighbors maintain independence providing them with transportation. Mountain Projects, Inc. is seeking a Part-time Transit Driver. Responsible for regular routes, medical and general transportation for non-emergency appointments. Will be requiredule, Monday to Friday. Knowledge of the county and local landmarks is required. Organizing daily activities and being able to multi-task is a must. Valid driver license and insurance are required. Have no incidents of speeding, reckless driving or impaired driving record. Criminal background checks along with drug testing are required.
this position: Matching Retirement Plan 13 paid holidays a year Annual and sick leave To be considered please apply at www.mountainprojects.org AA/EOE
Home Goods
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Homes For Sale
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Land For Sale
TINY HOME LOTS FOR SALE Tiny Home Lots for
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Medical
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Pets
KITTENS!! Asheville Humane Society has kittens available for adoption; all 2-6 months old and cute as can be! Fee includes vaccination and spay/neuter. (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org
SHEPHERD MIX DOG, TAN &BLACK—HONEYBUN 10-yr-old gal; calm, affectionate, well mannered. Loves being petted and going for slow walks. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org
Real Estate Announcements
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any
book of the Bible 101 "Don't admit to that"
-- Rican
Comic Laurel
Raison d'--
Close by
Air gun pellets
Busy bug
116 Suffix with arm or mouth
117 Org. with U.S. secrets
ANSWERS ON PAGE 34
preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.
Rentals
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Automotive
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Classes/ Instruction
ONLINE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN TRAINING New Students Only. Call & Press 1. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. 100% Online Courses. Call 844-9634157
Entertainment
DIRECTV SATELLITE
TV Service Starting at $64.99/mo For 24 mos, Free Installation! 165+ Channels Available. Call Now For The Most Sports & Entertainment On TV! 855-401-8842.
Home Improvement
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SUDOKU
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
technology. Call 855-6215855 to learn how you can get a professionally installed security system with $0 activation.
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Answers on 34
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Legal, Financial and Tax
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Yard Sales
LARGE YARD SALE Sat Sept 21, 2024 from 07:00 AM - 01:00 PM at Maggie Valley UMC, 4192 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC. Items include furniture, tools, clothing, home decor, and much more! Donuts and hotdogs for sale too. We look forward to seeing you there! Ben-
