Haywood Pathways Center has been the subject of immense scrutiny and praise in Haywood County. Check out what’s going on with the nonprofit and how it’s adapting to changing times with interviews from people who were there in the beginning and people who are there now. (page 6) Cory Vaillancourt photo
News
Former Maggie Valley Police Chief sues town............................................................4 Dangerous storm bears down on WNC......................................................................5 Man describes what led him to Pathways and what led him out..........................8 Vance, Walz trade barbs in dueling NC appearances..........................................10 Testing data is in, HCS reaches sixth in the state..................................................12
Opinion Election officials prepare for new rules......................................................................14 Letters to the Editor....................................................................................................14-15 A&E
Mountain Heritage Day celebrates 50 years............................................................16 Cherokee Indian Fair begins Oct. 1............................................................................20
Outdoors
New report details potential impacts of ordinance revisions................................22 HCC hosts conservation heritage event....................................................................25
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Suit alleges wrongful termination, coverup of criminal activity
BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR
Former Maggie Valley Police Chief Russ Gilliland is suing the town for wrongful termination following what he alleges was the unlawful “cover-up of criminal activity.”
Gilliland was originally hired by MVPD in 1985, left for several years and rejoined the department in 2006 after serving in other law enforcement roles in other jurisdictions. He became chief in 2017 and was fired on May 11, 2023.
However, prior to his firing, Gilliland stirred some controversy when he accepted a job as the Black Mountain Police Chief, only to back out and keep his position at MVPD. At the time, he told regional media that an overwhelming community response prompted the reversal.
“I have to say that I was humbled by the amount of support and just not wanting me to leave,” he told the Asheville Citizen-Times.
The suit, filed on Gilliland’s behalf by Charlotte attorney Michael Elliot, claims the former police chief’s firing last year was retaliatory and that it caused damage to his reputation, causing him to be “effectively stripped of his career in law-enforcement.” His termination letter from the town stated that the decision to fire him was made after a “thirdparty assessment.”
“The Town has determined that there are numerous issues arising out of and related to the police department including, without limitation, policy issues, fiscal management issues, leadership issues, personnel issues, and confidentiality issues,” that letter read. “As a result, the Town has lost confidence in your ability to lead the police department, to supervise subordinates, and to ensure that the investigative activities of the police department are fair and in accordance with the law.”
The suit, filed Sept. 13 in Haywood County Superior Court, claims that Gilliland had an exemplary performance record prior to his suspension and ultimate termination.
“He was trusted, reliable, and knowledgeable, and in more than twenty years in law enforcement — including nearly twenty years in Maggie Valley — he never had a disciplinary issue or reprimand, and consistently earned excellent performance evaluations, prior to the events described below,” the suit reads.
However, the suit alleges that when Vickie Best was promoted from Maggie Valley town clerk to town manager, Gilliland’s performance was “baselessly questioned for the first time.”
Rick
The suit claims this began when Gilliland investigated the criminal activity of Best’s son, Thomas Medford, who according to the suit was “well known in the area for being involved in criminal activity, specifically as a habitual user of narcotics, and as having a propensity for violence.”
A review of Medford’s record shows that he has been charged in the past with various robberies and larcenies, kidnapping and several assaults, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. He currently has pending drug charges, as well as assault on a female and assault with a deadly weapon. He was supposed to have those cases heard in court on Sept. 11 but failed to appear.
At the time when Gilliland began looking into the most recent criminal activity, Medford lived with his mother.
On Jan. 13, 2023, about two weeks after Best got the nod to go from interim town manager to gaining the job permanently, officers were called to her residence for a domestic disturbance, investigating an allegation that she had been assaulted by her son.
“When the officers arrived, they discovered handgun ammunition and blood on the living room floor and in the bedroom of the residence,” the suit reads. “The officers also noted drug paraphernalia in the residence. The son had left the scene, but the Town Manager was still present. She denied any assault had occurred, refused to cooperate with any investigation and eventually, the officers left the scene without taking any formal action.”
standby pay. The complaint was researched, investigated and ultimately dismissed following the recommendations of independent counsel,” the suit reads.
The suit alleges that not long after that complaint against Gilliland was filed, Best sent an email to MVPD officers inviting them to share any concerns or “problems in the department” with her.
“Over the following two months, Officer Gilliland noted a sharp turn in the Town Manager’s attitude towards him,” the suit reads. “Specifically, she was cold and hostile to him, largely ignored him when he spoke, and seemed angry with him. Additionally, she left him out of certain meetings and excluded him from a project in which he should have played a part.”
According to the suit, Gilliland became concerned that a full and proper search of the residence hadn’t been conducted, that the assault hadn’t been fully investigated and “the actions of officers on the scene could be perceived of as showing favoritism towards the Town Manager.”
Gilliland told Best he would need to visit her residence to discuss the matters with her son. A few days, later, he met with Medford to talk one-on-one. With Medford’s consent, Gilliland searched his bedroom and allegedly found a marijuana pipe and an empty bag containing “marijuana residue.” He seized the items and logged them into evidence at the police station. The suit claims that shortly thereafter, Gilliland had a conversation with his captain, Matthew Boger — who is now the chief — and expressed concerns a full investigation wasn’t pursued, especially considering Medford’s history of violent crimes, a pattern that could worsen over time if left unchecked.
“The Captain, despite Officer Gilliland’s admonitions, did not pursue the investigation or charges against the son. He did, however, within two weeks of the incident, lodge a baseless complaint against Officer Gilliland in regards to
On April 10, 2023, Best requested a meeting with Gilliland, during which she read a number of concerns related to his performance. The suit claims it was the first time anyone had questioned his performance or leadership.
“The concerns were either baseless, trivial or mischaracterized,” the suit reads, further alleging that the issues raised were retaliatory as she was angered by the investigation into her son.
“It was also clear to Officer Gilliland that his Captain had been providing confidential information to the Town Manger at her request,” the suit later reads.
On April 18, 2023, Gilliland received a letter informing him he was suspended pending an investigation. A month later, he received his letter of termination.
While the lawsuit claims the firing was unlawful and retaliatory, noting that the allegations in the termination letter were all false, a story at the time from The Mountaineer provided an example of what the town considered Gilliland’s poor judgment when, following an incident, he gave away one of the town’s two police K9s instead of either allowing the dog’s handler to purchase it or declaring it surplus, something the town board actually voted in favor of.
The suit calls for relief based on the fact that the town wrongfully fired Gilliland for refusing to engage in unlawful conduct to cover up criminal activity, which led to loss of income, benefits and professional reputation. It also alleges that Gilliland suffered mental anguish and emotional distress.
Gilliland is seeking to be reinstated with full backpay and benefits, as well as compensatory damages and legal fees.
Best, Boger and Maggie Valley Mayor Mike Eveland were all contacted by The Smoky Mountain News but declined to comment.
in conversation with Meagan Lucas
Dangerous storm bears down on WNC
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
Agrowing tropical storm that’s expected to become a major hurricane is tracking through the Gulf of Mexico and appears to be headed right for Western North Carolina. Local officials aren’t taking any chances.
“I could not be prouder of what we have been able to do so far, but at some point, preparation will give way to prayer. Prep and pray are the buzzwords of the day,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, who added that he’s been planning for the storm with town administrators and first responders since Sunday.
As of press time on Tuesday, Sept. 24, Tropical Storm Helene was forecast to make landfall along the Florida panhandle sometime Thursday afternoon. Its effects may be felt in upstate South Carolina and the western reaches of North Carolina around that time, into Friday morning.
Gusty winds and heavy rains are expected, with rainfall currently estimated at 4 to 6 inches across The Smoky Mountain News coverage area, and 6 to 8 inches in southern Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties. Parts of Transylvania and Henderson counties could see up to 10 inches.
Allison Richmond, Haywood County Emergency Services public information officer, told The Smoky Mountain News that there are a number of steps people can take to prepare for an emergency ahead of time.
The time to prepare for an emergency is now, say local officials. NOAA.gov photo
Smathers is more than familiar with what a storm of this magnitude can do; his town experienced deadly flooding in August 2021 that cut a half-billion dollar swath of destruction through Haywood County, killing six and gutting Canton municipal buildings.
Smathers said he’s talked to schools and local businesses, encouraging them to take action sooner, rather than later. He’s also spoken with the offices of Gov. Roy Cooper, Sen. Thom Tillis and Congressman Chuck Edwards, and with Haywood Rep. Mark Pless.
Smoky Mountain News brings home numerous NCPA awards
The staff of the Smoky Mountain News won 20 combined advertising and editorial awards, including a combined 13 first-place honors, at the 2024 North Carolina Press Association annual awards banquet. Awards were won in Division C, the largest division for nondaily publications. In addition, the staff won the Public Service award for coverage of Canton’s mill closure, as well as the overall General Excellence Award.
Former SMN reporter Holly Kays also won the Duke University Green-Rossiter Award for Excellence in Higher Education. News Editor Kyle Perrotti won the Media and the Law Award, which is judged by the North Carolina Bar Association.
Perrotti said it’s an honor for SMN and its staff to gain recognition for a full year of hard work.
The biggest thing, Richmond said, was for people to be ready to leave their homes if necessary.
Think about prescription medications, or things that seniors or children might need. Take photographs of relevant documents in case they become lost or inaccessible. Charge all devices and batteries and test weather radios. Make a plan to find lodging and transportation to those accommodations, if necessary.
Richmond also said that the county is currently marshalling staff and gathering resources. Shelters will be available if they’re needed.
“We’re hoping that won’t be the case,” she said.
In the meantime, monitor weather forecasts from credible sources or follow Haywood County Emergency Services on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and X, as well as readyhaywood.com, for updates. The county will also be utilizing the Nextdoor and Ring platforms to broadcast alerts.
The Smoky Mountain News won a host of awards across all categories. Donated photo
“I wouldn’t say we do this to win awards,” Perrotti said. “But when you have other journalists and professionals recognizing that what you do sticks out among your peers.”
Individual winners included Micah McClure, Jessica Murray, Sophia Burleigh, Jack Snyder, Cory Vaillancourt, Holly Kays, Chris Cox, Garret K. Woodward, Susanna Shetley and Kyle Perrotti.
On the right path
Pathways celebrates a decade of service to the community
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
What started off as a clever idea to address recidivism has grown into something more — a community-driven response to concerning and costly social ills like homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse disorder.
Today, exactly a decade after Haywood Pathways Center was established, thousands of lives have been changed for the better. Although the journey hasn’t always been a smooth one for the Waynesville-based nonprofit, time, transparency and telltale statistics show Pathways to be on the right path towards another decade of service.
Like most clever ideas, Haywood Pathways Center didn’t just materialize overnight. It took a lot of teamwork, a little bit of luck, some celebrity star power and one visionary leader to push the whole thing across the finish line.
A simple, oft-repeated story by that visionary, thenHaywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, establishes the motivation for the project.
One day back in 2014, as Christopher was leaving work, he noticed two men sitting outside the sheriff’s office after just regaining their freedom. He asked them what they were up to, and they told him that they had nowhere to go — a recipe for recidivism.
“They have no hope,” Christopher told The Smoky Mountain News in December 2017. “So many of these people that are in our facility [the Haywood County Detention Center] right now, they’re completely away from their family
for whatever reason, and have nobody else to reach out to. A lot of times … we’ll find that when they leave here, they will actually go out and commit a crime just to come back for another meal and another bed.”
Staring over his shoulder at a disused minimum-security state prison closed since 2011, Christopher, a man of deep religious faith, came up with the idea of what would later that year become Pathways.
Teaming up with Next Step Ministries, Open Door and the Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter, Christopher began a community-wide effort to raise funds to renovate the old prison, turning it into something more useful — a Christ-centered “halfway house” of sorts that provides shelter, sustenance and supportive services to Haywood County residents who need a hand up, not a handout.
Near the end of the fundraising process, organizers entered the project into a nationwide contest sponsored by home loan company Guaranteed Rate, along with 321 other projects.
According to reporting from SMN at the time, Pathways’ votes dwarfed the other projects, winning for Christopher’s vision a $50,000 check and an appearance by celebrity carpenter and television personality Ty Pennington, who would help Haywood County “flip this prison.”
“What’s really great about what happened with the prison project is, the sheriff just realized there was such a need,” Pennington told SMN this past July. “He kept seeing the same characters coming back to the jail. That just shows you that it usually takes somebody that’s very familiar with what’s happening in the community and also has a heart and cares about making a difference. I just think it’s outstanding what took place there. You’re talking about taking an abandoned space that really was being underused in so many ways and converting it into something that can really change
to be
people’s lives.”
An Atlanta native, Pennington considers himself more of an artist than a tradesman, but his big breakthrough came in 2001 as a carpenter on The Learning Channel’s hit show “Trading Spaces.” In 2003, he was selected as head of an eight-person design team on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” A slew of endorsements and spinoffs ensued, making Pennington one of the most recognizable faces in the country. By the time he ended up in Haywood County, he’d helped ren-
Ty Pennington. HGTV photo
Haywood Pathways Center is located in what used
a minimum-security state prison. Cory Vaillancourt photo
ovate or rebuild more than 200 homes — but never a prison.
“The main thing about it was, it was so different,” Pennington said. “I don’t know if anything can compare to that, because it did make such a difference. I mean, people don’t realize how homelessness is really affecting so many people in this country unless they wake up and see it every day outside their door. They just sort of think of it as just numbers and stats.”
Over the course of three days, volunteers from the community put the finishing touches on the shelter, alongside Pennington, who was given the key to the town of Waynesville by then-Mayor Gavin Brown as former Hazelwood Mayor Mary Ann Enloe and then-Rep. Joe Sam Queen looked on with big smiles.
“I love being involved in projects like that, where you’re dealing with the heart of the community,” said Pennington.
Turning the former prison into a residential facility did present its challenges, but in the end, volunteers completed the renovations and Pathways welcomed its first guests on Nov. 15, 2014, just before the cold mountain winter began in earnest.
“Look, the walls might have seen some horrible things in their day,” Pennington said. “But I think everything can be cleansed. Everything can go through a change.”
For about a decade now, Pathways has been known for two things — compassion, and common-sense costeffectiveness.
Pathways can house up to 32 men and 28 women in segregated dorms, and since 2019, up to 10 small family units with children in another two-story, 5,700 square-foot modular building on campus, known as the family dorm. The expansion pushed Pathways’ capacity to 96 people.
Generally, those seeking admission must be residents of Haywood County or have a substantial connection to the community, like holding down a job in the county. They’ll be drug tested upon entry and cannot be under the influence of intoxicants at that time.
Throughout their stay, guests can expect random drug tests as well as meetings with caseworkers who try to get them the help they need to rejoin productive society. That could be by facilitating substance abuse counseling, mental health treatment, job placement services, transportation, housing, even health care coverage. Guests must follow rules, pitch in with chores and demonstrate a willingness to address the issues that led them to become guests in the first place.
Campus is always open, providing wi-fi, snacks and a place to get out of the weather, but dorms close at 8:30 a.m. and don’t reopen until 4:30 p.m., which encourages residents to remain productive in pursuing their goals. Curfew is at 5:30 p.m., meaning anyone out after that without permission stays out, for good.
Historically, Pathways has served upwards of 275 different individuals each year.
Upwards of 50% are employed — 79% of them full-time — and 72% have a stable income. About 75% of families end up moving into their own housing, while more than 60% of single individuals do the same (see MOYNIHAN, p. 8).
Aside from the Hurlburt Johnson Friendship House in Murphy — and a few small, scattered residential programs as well as several underfunded domestic violence shelters — Pathways is the only place west of Asheville servicing this particular population on such a scale.
“Over the last 10 years, we provided over 150,000 nights of shelter and over 400,000 meals,” said Mandy Haithcox, executive director of Pathways since 2017. “If you take just the shelter piece, it averages out to about $57 a night per person.”
The $57 figure is far lower than the cost of a night in jail, which is right around $90-100 and is funded solely by taxpayers.
That means that over the past decade, Pathways has provided nearly $8.5 million in shelter services at nearly no cost to taxpayers. Waynesville town government had in the past
made small grants to nonprofits like Pathways but has since scaled back the practice, so it’s been years since Pathways took a nickel from the public purse.
The meal service is more difficult to put a price on; through MANNA FoodBank in Asheville, Pathways picks up an astonishing 500 to 800 pounds of donated food each day at Publix, although about 5% of donated food does come from individuals like when a local farmer and his son recently dropped off hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of fresh, locally-grown potatoes.
Mandy Haithcox
Most of it gets stored in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer and refrigerator, as well as in the dry goods pantry. From there, it’s used for breakfasts, snacks and nightly dinners that are usually prepared by volunteer cook teams of 5-15 people. Separate, family-style portions are reserved for the family dorm and there’s always a small number of plates saved for those who won’t return from work until after dinnertime, but a certain number of to-go meals are also reserved, when available, for pickup by people who aren’t residents of Pathways.
There’s almost always a surplus of food at Pathways, giving rise to its aptly named pay-what-you-can “Holy Cow Food Truck,” which meets needy folks where they are, all across Haywood County, with hot meals and cold drinks.
Even more of the surplus ends up being redistributed to other local food pantries, like Waynesville’s Grace Church in the Mountains, making Pathways a vital part of the local ecosystem of nonprofits serving people who are experiencing food insecurity.
But that ecosystem has occasionally come under attack by those who spread misinformation because they don’t understand what Pathways is, or what it does.
In 2019, some claimed without evidence that Pathways drew unsheltered people to the county or that websites tout-
You can help
For more than a decade, Haywood Pathways Center has provided essential services for some of Haywood County’s most vulnerable citizens — all without using taxpayer money.
Although Pathways had received a few very small grants from municipalities in the past, that funding hasn’t been available for some time, meaning Pathways continues to subsist entirely on the goodwill of churches, corporate partners and individual donors. You can help Pathways continue its mission by volunteering, by making a tax-deductible contribution or by gifting some of the common items listed on their “needs list,” like backpacks, laundry detergent and razors. Visit haywoodpathwayscenter.org/how-can-i-help to learn more.
ed Waynesville as a great place to be homeless — if such a place can exist at all.
Others believed that every unsheltered person they saw was somehow affiliated with Pathways.
Still others alleged that law enforcement agencies from other jurisdictions were bussing people into Haywood County in convoys and dropping them off at Pathways.
None of those claims have been proven, and in most cases, stats have completely undercut the allegations. At the conclusion of a 2019 story debunking these claims, and more, SMN offered a $100 reward in the form of a nonprofit donation to the first person who could provide irrefutable evidence of a website directing homeless people to Haywood County or evidence of a Pathways “convoy.”
To date, no one has come forward to claim the reward.
“Over the last 10 years, we provided over 150,000 nights of shelter and over 400,000 meals. If you take just the shelter piece, it averages out to about $57 a night per person.”
— Mandy Haithcox, Pathways Executive Director
Pathways annual $1 million budget is supported exclusively by donors, particularly from Haywood County’s faith community. A recent downturn in collections, however, had Pathways eyeing its contingency plans last month. According to givingusa.org, charitable contributions in the United States grew 1.9% in 2023, but in reality declined 2.4% due to inflation. Donations were also down in 2022, all of which adds up to a budget crunch for nonprofits across the country.
The first step of the contingency plan was to suspend food truck operations.
The second step of the contingency plan affects some of the county’s most vulnerable residents — single parents (especially but not exclusively women) with children in the family dorm.
The family dorm is the only place like it around, and prevents children from having to be separated from the unhoused adults caring for them.
When Haithcox put out an urgent call for donations, the community responded in typical fashion, and Pathways didn’t have to enact its contingency plan or suspend any services.
“In the last three weeks since that [Aug. 21] press release went out, the community has given over $155,000,” Haithcox said. “It’s been extremely overwhelming and humbling to see that response.”
Of particular import in that fundraising drive was the 29 new monthly donors who set up recurring contributions in varying amounts totaling $11,180 each month — dependable revenue that gives some semblance of predictability to cash flow.
Haithcox said that the recent influx of donations has Pathways on solid footing through Thanksgiving, however the long-term viability of the institution, which subsists on a fickle funding stream, may soon prompt an exploration of other revenue sources.
By the end of its second decade, Pathways will have likely provided around $20 million in free services to county residents.
Pennington said Pathways’ impact on the community — specifically, on families — will likely be its legacy.
“With a project like that, you forget that it’s not just one family you’re helping. There are so many individuals with so many different stories that come in, and if they can get their life back on track, the relationship they’re going to have with their sons or daughters, the relationship they’re going to have with their family that had been shattered and lost before will be reconnected,” he said. “The joy, the happiness that spreads, it affects an entire family, and that can affect an entire community.”
Man describes what led him to Pathways and what led
BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR
It’s tough for a person to get back up on their feet, no matter how well they may have done in the past. Such was the case for Jeremiah Moynihan, a Florida man who after living in Western North Carolina for the last several years found himself sick and homeless with nowhere to turn.
That’s when Haywood Pathways Center provided a way out of an impossible situation.
Moynihan, 47, is originally from the Orlando area. He grew up in a pseudo-religious environment as his mother was Jehovah’s Witness and his father was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang.
“It made me a really weird person in that I thought that I could do these wild things, but then I could get up Saturday morning and go preach and try to save people,” he said.
While Moynihan turned away from that religion, he said that it did give him specific gifts he’s been able to carry through life, including the ability to talk to a variety of people about a variety of things.
He has lived all around the country as a traveling carpenter. He said the trade came naturally to him, although his entry into it may have been a bit unorthodox. He first began to consider it may be a natural fit when was already bigger than his father at 12 years old.
“I could pick him up, and he said, ‘you’re going to work, dude; I can’t afford to feed you,’” Moynihan recalled.
By the time he was in his late teens, Moynihan became a bona fide finish carpenter. Before long, in the late 1990s, he hired a crew and was working union jobs in New York City. Within a few years, Moynihan found himself in Southern California applying his trade. Things were good for a while and the jobs kept coming, but then around 2008, the bubble burst and work dried up.
“I ended up back on the road, which I promised my wife I wouldn’t do, but I had to pay the bills,” he said. “We got divorced in 2012.”
At that point, Moynihan returned to his home state of Florida, where he did a fair amount of work for Disney while running his own company. Although he was proud of his ability to ply his trade, he admitted that he didn’t have much of a mind for business. His crew was up to about 25 workers, but he realized he wasn’t making any money. Instead, he was just
making enough money to fund the next job. He downsized and found more success, although he still didn’t love living out of a suitcase as he traveled throughout the state to work.
Then the pandemic hit, and the world hit the emergency brake. While there’s a perception that Florida, under Gov. Ron DeSantis, didn’t shut down, Moynihan said that’s not true. Especially considering much of his work was with Disney and the park shut down, he couldn’t find the jobs he was used to, and he didn’t have much money saved up. Things got worse when he got COVID and couldn’t work at all for an extended period.
Then came the knockout punch. While he was getting treated for COVID, doctors noticed that Moynihan’s T-cell count had spiked, so they ran more tests and discovered he had mesothelioma, a form of cancer typically associated with exposure to asbestos, a fiber that used to be used in construction due to its flame-retardant properties.
Moynihan said his cancer is now at stage 2, meaning it hasn’t reached his lymph nodes, and he is undergoing immunotherapy.
With all Moynihan was enduring, he decided to make a radical change and move up to Asheville, a place he’d enjoyed since he used to visit as a child.
“I’ve always loved it up here,” Moynihan
said. “When I was a kid, around 94, I came up to Cashiers and lived up there for a bit. The only real town where I could find trouble was Asheville, and Asheville was so weird back then. It was awesome.”
As thrilled as Moynihan was to find his way to Western North Carolina, he was realizing he was a COVID long hauler and found himself bedridden at Haywood Regional Medical center for three months. Moynihan claimed that during that time his roommate failed to pay the rent on their apartment and instead pocketed the money he’d been given. Following eviction and subsequent civil litigation, Moynihan was left with nowhere to go. He called Pathways and was able to be admitted since he’d lived in the county while he was hospitalized.
“I’m freaked out because of this stigma,” he said. “It’s more humility than I’ve ever had to show. I’m not a humble man. I’ve never been a humble man. Never had a reason to be. I know that’s a terrible thing to say, but it’s true. I had been on my own so long and I’d been my own boss. I’ve been given a lot of blessings, and this was a mindf—- to be honest.”
Pathways has a plethora of rules to protect its staff and residents and to ensure those residents can get the most out of their time there. Moynihan said some rules might seem burdensome, like one that stipulates residents must spend the day offcampus, but his take is a bit dif-
Jeremiah Moynihan. Donated photo
ferent. That kind of structure — wake up at a certain time, breakfast and meds at a certain time, dinner at a certain time — is essential. It might be easy to assume the rule exists because people were sponging off the nonprofit, but Moynihan said it’s worth considering that these people have been so oppressed by some combination of homelessness, addiction and incarceration that they enjoy a chance to just breathe in a safe place where they can shed the shackles of their previous fight-or-flight reality.
Moynihan said he was close to leaving Pathways several times, but illnesses and medical complications kept him bouncing back and forth between there and the hospital.
“That just got beyond frustrating for me,” he said.
All the same, Moynihan said he was happy to be at Pathways and is grateful for the efforts of staff and volunteers to ensure he had that place where he could work on getting back on his feet. Last month, he secured his own housing and left Pathways, and although he’d been working at Pathways for a while, he also recently left that job. He said he’s working on finding full-time steady employment while making some money as a bouncer at the Water’n Hole Bar in Waynesville.
Now that Moynihan has had a chance to reflect on his time at Pathways, he said he’s happy to be out of there but that he’s eternally grateful such a place exists
“One of the things that made pathways
Endowment for
Cherokee Hospital Foundation Established
The Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the well-being of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by strengthening the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority and the clinics that comprise it, has a new endowment at the North Carolina Community Foundation that will provide ongoing support for hospital employees.
The endowment for CIHF was established in honor of EBCI Beloved Woman Dr. Carmaleta Monteith (pictured), who has played a pivotal role in the Hospital Foundation since its establishment in 2006. Monteith, driven by her commitment to the community, has set an ambitious goal of raising $1 million for the new endowment.
Specifically created to provide essential financial aid to hospital employees aspiring to excel in the medical profession, the Carmaleta Monteith Endowment for Cherokee Hospital Foundation will offer scholarships and funding opportunities for continuing education and professional development.
“We are immensely grateful to Carmaleta Monteith for her exceptional dedication to the Cherokee Indian Hospital and her leadership in driving our fundraising efforts with the foundation,” said Brittney Lofthouse, Executive Director of Development & Community Relations for Cherokee Indian
so great to me is there was no judging,” he said.
Another thing Moynihan is grateful for is that he hasn’t had to struggle with addiction, as so many who go through Pathways do.
“I’m very lucky,” he said. “I don’t know that battle. I don’t know what it’s like to spend a night on the streets where I’m afraid to sleep because someone could come up and kick my brains in and take my stuff. It happens. I didn’t have to do whatever to try and get my ‘meds,’ just something to take that pain away for a little while.”
Although Moynihan said he’s working on securing employment in Haywood County, he noted that his main goal is to get back to Southern California, where his kids live. Even though he doesn’t like how crowded the cities there are, he feels like that’s where he belongs. If he’s able to take that leap, he’ll know it’s largely because of the fresh beginning afforded by Pathways.
“I feel like I’m a new man,” Moynihan said. “Pathways was a big part of my life, and now I’m withdrawing from it altogether.”
Moynihan’s ultimate message to people in the community who may be skeptical of Pathways is to consider the organization’s mission, who it serves and how close most working-class people may be to needing that service.
“Everyone here is living so close to scraping by that they’re all just a paycheck or two away from being there,” he said. “No one wants to admit that, but that’s the truth.”
Hospital Authority. Monteith, 89, was a founding member of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation Board and chairs the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority’s Governing Board, a role she has held since the board’s inception in 2002. When Monteith graduated from Western Carolina University in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in science education she was among the 5.8% of graduates identified as women, and was one of the only 2,000 Native Americans enrolled in college. She later graduated from Emory University with a master’s in education and secured a Ph.D. Her academic publications have advanced research and understanding of indigenous health care around the country.
Swain man convicted in drug trafficking case
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch today said a Haywood County jury recently convicted a Bryson City man on seven criminal charges in connection with trafficking in illegal drugs.
Chad Ray Lequire, 43, will spend the next 15 years in state prison. The jury convicted him of trafficking in fentanyl by transportation; trafficking in fentanyl by possession; trafficking in methamphetamine by transportation; trafficking in methamphetamine by possession; conspiracy to traffic fentanyl; conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and resisting arrest.
On Feb. 9, 2021, Deputy Hayden Green stopped a pickup truck on Champion Drive in Canton for various traffic violations. Lequire was a passenger in the vehicle. He was holding an energy-drink can with a screwed in lid instead of a popup tab.
Detective Micah Phillips ordered Lequire to hand him the can. Lequire refused, however, and a struggle ensued. Another officer tased Lequire, but he continued to resist arrest. Green then managed to pull Lequire out of the vehicle and subdue him.
In the can, officers found two plastic bags containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. In Lequire’s right pocket, deputies found two pipes and a syringe; additionally, they discovered scales with drug residue in the vehicle.
The driver, Crystal Bell, 34, of Canton, pleaded guilty Dec. 15, 2022, to trafficking in
illegal drugs and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.
Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts ordered Lequire to pay state-mandated fines totaling $150,0000.
Assistant district attorneys Jeff Jones and Kate Robinette prosecuted the case.
Man sentenced for sexual contact with minor
Rogelia Vega Evans, 26, of Lexington, North Carolina was sentenced to 180 months in prison for engaging in sexual contact with a minor by force in Cherokee, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Upon his release from prison, Evans will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on or about June 18, 2022, Evans sexually abused a child under the age of 12. The minor victim is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and the crime occurred within the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
On Dec. 18, 2023, Evans pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12 by force. Evans remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Carmaleta Monteith. Donated photo
Blame game
Vance, Walz trade barbs in dueling NC appearances
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
In a series of pointed comments,
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen.
JD Vance took aim at their respective opponents during separate visits to the Tarheel state last week, with Walz largely blaming former President Donald Trump for the country’s woes, while Vance continues to target unauthorized migrants.
real numbers among such an elusive demographic. A 2019 report by the Migration Policy Institute put the number at 11 million, but the largest recorded number was 12.2 million in 2007.
Whatever the number, Vance believes they have contributed to inflation and unaffordable housing costs.
“We let in 25 million illegal aliens to compete against Americans,” Vance said. “And here’s the thing, when you take the same number of houses and you bring 25 million people who shouldn’t even be here and you force Americans to compete against those 25 million, then that’s going to drive up the cost of housing for everybody.”
“Our message to illegal aliens who have come to this country, who have driven up the cost of housing, who have made it more expensive for Americans to afford a good life, to the drug cartels who have brought in pounds and pounds, tons and tons of fentanyl to this country, our message is simple — in six months, pack your bags because you’re going home,” Vance told a full house of supporters at Union Hall in Raleigh on Sept. 18.
Voters strongly support Republican positions on immigration and border security, so it wasn’t surprising for Vance to focus his remarks on the divisive issue. Trump has called for mass deportations on day one of his administration, should he win.
Vance postulated that there are 25 million unauthorized migrants in the country illegally. Data from the Pew Research Center from 2022, the most recent available, suggests the number of unauthorized migrants currently in the United States is around 11 million, although it can be hard to pin down
CNN report from March said that North Carolina’s car insurance rates have increased the least in the nation, about 5.5%.
Although Vance didn’t double down on his thoroughly discredited assertions that Haitian migrants were eating household pets in Springfield, Ohio — a claim Vance made and Trump repeated, leading to bomb threats and social tension there — he did spread more misinformation about Haitians in Springfield, calling them “illegal immigrants.”
Haitian migrants in the United States enjoy temporary protected status through Feb. 3, 2026, although they remain unauthorized. Springfield officials suggested that they were brought to the town by businesses, to work. At least one CEO in Springfield employs 30 and said he wishes he had 30 more.
About the only thing Vance didn’t blame on unauthorized migrants was energy costs, instead placing the onus on the Biden administration and therefore Harris. Trump did the same thing in Asheville on Aug. 17,
“... when you take the same number of houses and you bring 25 million people who shouldn’t even be here and you force Americans to compete against those 25 million, then that’s going to drive up the cost of housing for everybody.”
Economists disagree with Vance, who has repeated the claim since at least August, by citing a widely acknowledged lack of supply as the reason for skyrocketing housing costs — and they don’t seem eager to connect that lack of supply to increasing demand by unauthorized migrants.
Vance also believes migrants are responsible for an increase in car insurance rates and accuses them of disregarding traffic laws.
“You think it has something to do with the fact there are 25 million drivers on the road who shouldn’t be here? And if they didn’t follow our laws to get here the first place, you think they’re following the stop signs? Absolutely not,” Vance said.
Earlier this year, reports indicated a 21% average price jump in car insurance rates for the year ended February. Market analysts again disagree with Vance, pointing to the rising cost of car repairs, more frequent and more devastating accidents, and of course, lawyers, as the real reason for the bump. A
calling for energy independence by resurrecting Sarah Palin’s “drill, baby, drill!” mantra from 2008, but both Trump and Vance remain misleading at best — until 2019, the United States produced less energy than it consumed and imported more than it exported. That year, exports first topped imports in a meaningful way, and the trend has continued through all four years of the Biden administration.
One of Vance’s final points, and perhaps his most accurate, was Harris’ failure to engage in a meaningful way with the press, as Trump has certainly done on numerous occasions.
“I happen to believe that if you want to be the American people’s president, you ought not be afraid of friendly American media, and that’s exactly what they are of course for Kamala Harris,” he said. “Think about this — how is she going to sit in a room with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping?” Vance doesn’t trust Harris to deal with dictators, but Walz certainly doesn’t trust Trump, either.
Walz told a large crowd outside Asheville’s Salvage Station on Sept. 17 that Trump’s debate performance against Harris, in which Trump was reluctant to say he wanted
JD Vance, Ohio senator and Republican Vice Presidential nominee, addressed supporters in Raleigh on Sept. 18. Cory Vaillancourt photo
— Sen. JD Vance (R, Ohio)
Ukraine to win its war against Russia, suggested he may be more closely aligned with Russia than with his own European allies.
“This guy admires Putin, he admires Kim Jong Un, he admires Xi Jinping,” Walz said, also mentioning Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán. “Here’s the thing. He thinks those guys like him. Can you imagine if those four get together, when they talk about what a weak and what a sucker Trump is, to be played. You know they do it. Oh my God, he’s so easy. Just tell him his hair looks nice, and he’ll give you — just tell him he’s handsome and he’ll pull out of NATO.”
Walz continued to run down a long list of grievances with the former president’s tenure.
traditional Republican talking point.
“When [Republicans] talk about [freedom, they say] government should be free [to] invade your doctor’s office, make decisions for you. Invade your bedroom, tell you who should love. Invade your school library. And now Trump is trying to create this new government entity that will monitor all pregnancies to enforce their abortion ban,” Walz said, repeating a false claim he’s made before.
Walz mentioned not trusting Trump, Vance or North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson with monitoring the reproductive health of women, singling out scorn for past comments Robinson made and calling him the worst person in the United States.
The Affordable Care Act, which Trump promised and attempted to dismantle through multiple means, survives, but Trump is now falsely taking credit for saving it. Tax cuts, enacted in 2017 and skewed toward the wealthy, will expire in 2025 without action, but preserving them will cost $400 billion a year.
The national debt, now at $35.7 trillion, increased at roughly double the rate under Trump as it has under Biden.
Largely silent on the Republicans’ biggest issue, immigration, Walz did call out Vance for what he characterized as “vicious, hurtful lies about immigrants.”
“If you search those 330 million people, you would not find a worse candidate than Mark Robinson,” Walz said. Although he probably didn’t know it at the time, two days later, CNN would break the news that Robinson had allegedly made a slew of tawdry comments on a pornographic website, referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and pined for the return of slavery so he could purchase a few slaves of his own.
“When [Republicans] talk about [freedom, they say] government should be free [to] invade your doctor’s office, make decisions for you. Invade your bedroom, tell you who should love. Invade your
school library.“
Instead, Walz trained his focus on what many believe is one of the biggest issues for Democrats. Increasing Republican interference in personal healthcare decisions made possible by Trump’s judicial appointments pose a threat to individual freedoms, he said, co-opting a
— Gov. Tim Walz (D, Minnesota)
Robinson was noticeably absent from Vance’s rally the day after Walz’s — one day before the CNN story was published — in perhaps the first public sign that something scandalous was coming.
Vance and Walz will meet in person for a debate hosted by CBS in New York City at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1. As of press time, it is believed to be the only debate scheduled by the two vice presidential candidates.
Minnesota governor and Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz speaks to a rain-soaked Asheville crowd on Sept. 17. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Testing data is in, HCS reaches sixth in the state
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
This month the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released performance and growth data for the 2023-24 school year, and for another year in a row, Haywood County dominated regional rankings with the top two high schools in the western region.
“Our teachers are our heroes,” said Associate Superintendent Jill Barker. “In a world where public schools and teachers come under so much scrutiny, they showed up, they’ve educated our kids, they have endured, and been very, very successful. So, I can’t thank them enough.”
Haywood County was the only public school district in The Smoky Mountain News coverage area that had no low-performing schools, with Macon, Jackson and Swain each having at least one.
The accountability report from the DPI for the 2023-24 school year saw a state-level increase in the percentage of students who are college-and-career ready and grade-level proficient.
The data give every individual school a letter grade, A through F, based on each school’s achievement score from assessments such as end-of-grade and end-of-course tests, English language assessments and students’ academic growth. The assessments account for 80% of the letter grade and growth accounts for 20%.
High schools also incorporate four-year graduation cohort rates, math course rigor and the percentage of students reaching the minimum ACT score for admission to University of North Carolina campuses or the percentage of students achieving a silver certificate or higher on the ACT WorkKeys assessment into their school performance grade.
ACT WorkKeys is an assessment that tests students’ job skills in applied reading, writing, mathematics and Essential Skills. Scores are based on job profiles that help employers select, hire, train, develop and retain a highperformance workforce.
Under the current school performance grade model, schools that receive a D or F performance grade and do not exceed growth are identified as low-performing.
Haywood
Haywood County Schools jumped to sixth place in the state among 115 school systems in academic performance. At this time last year, the school system was ranked seventh.
For the second year in a row, among 14 counties in the western region of North Carolina, Pisgah is the highest performing high school, with Tuscola now ranked number two. Haywood Early College is the highest performing early college and Riverbend Elementary had the highest overall composite score among pre-K through fifth grade title one schools. According to Barker, the school system ranked number one in the state in EOC testing.
“All of our stakeholders have had a part in this,” Barker said. “I can’t stress that enough… it’s everybody. It has been our cafeteria workers that feed these children, it’s been our bus drivers that wonder where that kid is that morning and check on them, it’s our teacher assistants that develop that strong bond and help those kids learn, so it’s just been the whole community.”
Haywood County had no low-performing schools and only two schools — Bethel Elementary and Waynesville Middle — did not meet overall growth standards, down from four schools the previous year.
Riverbend and Haywood Early College received A grades; Bethel Middle, Hazelwood, Jonathan Valley, Junaluska, North Canton, Pisgah and Tuscola received B grades; and Bethel Elementary, Canton Middle, Clyde Elementary, Meadowbrook and Waynesville Middle received C grades.
The system itself saw 65.4% of students scoring at or above grade level on end of grade and end of course tests, well above the state average of 54.2%, and up slightly from 64.6% composite score during the 2022-23 school year.
The school system also had a four-year graduation rate of 91.5%, above the state average of 86.9%. While the state percentage of students achieving a composite score of 19 or higher on the ACT was 40.2%, Haywood County Schools saw 55.5% of students achieving that baseline score. On the ACT WorkKeys exam, 77.8% of HCS students scored silver or higher, compared to the state average of 60%.
Jackson
In Jackson County, six out of nine schools met growth standards, down from eight out of nine in the previous year. Blue Ridge Early College, Cullowhee Valley and Fairview did not meet growth standards.
With 50% of schools designated as low-performing, the district itself was on the cusp of
“It has been our cafeteria workers that feed these children, it’s been our bus drivers that wonder where that kid is that morning and check on them, it’s our teacher assistants that develop that strong bond and help those kids learn, so it’s just been the whole community.”
— Jill Barker
being designated a low-performing district. Blue Ridge Early College, Cullowhee Valley, Scotts Creek and Smoky Mountain Elementary all received D grades. Smoky Mountain High School, Blue Ridge School, and Fairview received C grades and Jackson County Early College received a B. Unlike the previous year, no schools in Jackson received an F.
The school district’s four-year graduation rate dropped just slightly to 84%, down from 86.4% the previous year, putting the district below the state average of 86.9%. However, JCPS had 42.7% of students score 19 or higher on the ACT, above the 40.2% of students state-wide.
The school system had 47.6% of students score at or above grade level on end of grade and end of course tests, below the state average of 54.2%.
MACON
In Macon, eight out of eleven schools met growth standards. Franklin High School, Mountain View Intermediate and Bartram Academy did not meet growth standards. Two schools received a D grade — Mountain View Intermediate and Nantahala School — both of which had the same letter grade the previous year. South Macon Elementary, Macon Middle, Iotla Valley, Highlands School, Franklin High School, East Franklin and Cartoogechaye all received C grades. Macon County Early College received the lone B grade.
The school system had 52.6% of students score at or above grade level on end of course
and end of grade exams, a few points below the state average of 54.2%. MCS had a fouryear graduation rate of 90.6%, down from 92.7% the year prior, but still above the state average of 86.9%.
MCS saw 46.9% of students score 19 or above on the ACT, and 61.4% of students score silver or higher on the ACT WorkKeys exam, higher than the state averages of 40.2% and 60% respectively.
Swain
In Swain County, only Swain West Elementary School met growth standards, with Swain East Elementary, Swain Middle and Swain High falling below growth standards. This is down from the previous year when Swain County High School was the only institution that did not meet growth standards.
Swain East Elementary received the lone D grade in the county, with Swain Middle, Swain West Elementary and Swain High all receiving C grades. During the 2023-23 school year, all four schools in the county received Cs.
The four-year graduation rate in the county dropped to 84.5%, down from 87.7% the year prior, and below the state average of 86.9%. About 42.5% of students scored a 19 or higher on the ACT, above the state average of 40.2%. And on the ACT WorkKeys, 69.4% of students scored silver or higher, as opposed to the state average of 60%.
Swain County Schools had 47.3% of students score at or above grade level on end of grade and end of course tests, below the state average of 54.2%
HRMC announces walk-in mammography
Haywood Regional Medical Center announced the launch of a convenient walk-in mammography clinic at the HRMC Breast Center, located on the second floor of the Outpatient Care Center at 581 Leroy George Drive in Clyde.
This new service is available to women who have not had a mammography exam in the past year and is for screening mammograms only. Women with a new lump, discharge or other breast issues are advised to schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider and inquire about a referral for a diagnostic mammogram.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
THURSDAY Opening Ceremony, BINGO
FRIDAY Special Person’s Show, Bailey Mountain Cloggers, Any/All Species Costume Contest, Rodeo, and more!
The HRMC Breast Center is equipped with advanced services such as contrast-enhanced mammography, nurse navigation, collaborative local cancer care and surgical breast services. These offerings ensure that local women can access a complete range of breast health services in their home community. For more information about breast services, visit myhaywoodregional.com or call 828.452.8963.
The walk-in mammography clinic takes place every Friday from 9-11 a.m. No appointment is necessary. To be seen at the walk-in clinic, patients with insurance should bring their current insurance information for billing purposes. For those without insurance, resources and information will be provided during walk-in hours.
Election officials prepare for new rules
Voting is going to look a bit different in North Carolina this year thanks to new partisan observers who will be eyeing voters as they cast ballots when in-person early voting kicks off in October. The new observers are touted as a way to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Others, however — me among them — see it as totally unnecessary and potentially disruptive.
Between now and Election Day on Nov. 5, we’ll be doing a lot of news reporting about political candidates and their views. That’s what newspapers do, and I hope you’ll find that information useful. On our opinion pages, you’ll get the opportunity to read what your neighbors in this region have to say about the various candidates (although it seems most of the letters we are receiving are laser-focused on the presidential race at the expense of all the other races on the ballot).
I’m also laser focused, but my thoughts are more on this whole election integrity issue (or non-issue, if you will). I have this nightmare that after Nov. 5 there will be outrageous accusations regarding election results and that a system that is integral to the survival of this country will be maligned by politicians with nefarious purposes in mind. A few weeks ago I wrote in this space about polling that reveals that many citizens do not have confidence that election results will be accurate. This is still the case after more than 60 cases following the 2020 election were investigated and not a single case of widespread voter fraud was found.
So what can be done? It will take lots of level-headed partisans to make sure this election goes smoothly, so it was grati-
Inaction makes us all accomplices
To the Editor:
Present-day political unrest reminds me of the Spanish cellist, conductor and composer, Pav Casals, known in English by his Spanish name, Pablo Casals. Casals was born in El Vendrell, Spain, Dec. 29, 1876. He lived in France after 1936 and Puerto Rico after 1956, where he died, Oct. 22, 1973.
In addition to his "virtuosic" techniques and skilled interpretation of music, he was a deep thinker and valued sage in his time. A sampling of his profound beliefs included: “I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” “The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one purposes to do.” “We all must work to make the world worthy of its children.” He's exactly right, America has benefited greatly because a lot was once expected of her children.
Casals captured the attention of Albert Einstein (a scholar in his own right) who had this to offer (circa 1938 during Hitler’s advance across Europe): “It's certainly unnecessary to await my voice in acclaiming Pablo Casals is a very great artist, since all who are qualified to speak are unanimous on the subject. What I particularly admire in him is the firm stand he has taken, not only against the oppressions of his countrymen, but also against those opportunists who are always
fying to see Macon County election officials and law enforcement hold a press conference two weeks ago in an effort to ensure voters that officials there are taking specific steps in hopes that citizens will have full confidence in the outcome of the upcoming vote.
Sheriff Brent Holbrooks, Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault and other officials addressed political sign laws, voter intimidation and absentee ballot misinformation during the press conference.
Thibault said new laws concerning election observers may surprise some voters, but the law is very clear on what these political party designees are and aren’t allowed to do. New state laws allow each political party to have up to two poll observers at each precinct.
“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 AVR forms, that’s the law.”
Automatic Voter Registration occurs when citizens interact with other state agencies, particularly when getting driver’s
LETTERS
ready to compromise with the Devil. He perceives very clearly that the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than those who actually commit it."
Martin Luther King also recognized the importance and true value of citizen involvement when, 30 years later, he proclaimed, “Our lives begin to end when we remain silent about the things that matter.”
And, corroborated as well by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, quoted in The Cable (Nigeria), “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”
So here we are in 2024. A recent and former president became the first U.S. president to refuse to concede an election. He’s also the first to incite an armed attack (a coup) on his own Capitol and he is the first to be convicted of a crime (actually 34 crimes) which, in most Western democracies, would be disqualifying in the eyes of voters.
In the United States however, Republicans rally around their twice-impeached convicted felon and unite with their unprincipled role model in attacking judges, prosecutors, virtually anyone attempting to hold him accountable. This speaks to the magnitude of the moral and ethical degeneration of the once proud Grand Old Party.
The core, the heart and soul of the matter is, although the former president is unquestionably guilty of crimes and corruption (some things for which he has been tried and
licenses renewed. That ability of political parties to question voter registration status could cause some disruptions during the voting process, but again, hopefully those problems will be minimized because officials like those in Macon County and preparing long before Election Day.
Voter ID requirements are also in place in North Carolina. To see what forms of ID are allowable, visit the State Board of Elections website to make sure you are ready for Election Day. Voter ID requirements have become a partisan issue, but the best way to keep this issue out of the news is for voters to be prepared as best they can before Election Day.
Although there are those who just want to win at all costs, most people just want to have confidence in the political process.
Haywood County Board of Elections Director Robert Inman told The Smoky Mountain News he’s confident that outcomes will be accurate.
“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 ... We have always had an accurate count, a tabulation at the end of our process.”
Voters need to know things will look different this year, but kudos to those local election officials throughout this region who are working now, before Nov. 5, to make sure Election Day goes smoothly and that we can have confidence in the reported outcomes.
(Smoky Mountain News Publisher Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
convicted, others for which he hasn't and may never be), consider what Albert Einstein observed and so eloquently phrased: “The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm, it is dangerous because of those who watch and do nothing.”
We, as American citizens, must recognize that by choosing to remain silent on the sidelines and watch, our indifference makes us accomplices to the crimes and corruption occurring around us.
David L. Snell Franklin
Trump quote taken out of context
To the Editor:
On the anniversary of 9/11 you posted an opinion piece titled "GOP becoming a fascist party." Do you ever check the context of quotes used in the opinion pieces you publish or are you so eager to publish anti GOP and Trump comments that facts don't matter? Or is it just a simple matter of laziness?
I spent very little time researching the outof-context quote that I hadn't previously read or heard. Here's the full context. Mr. Trump said last Friday to a gathering of Christian conservatives: “I love you. You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote.”
Followed by: “I said, vote for me, you’re
not going to have to do it ever again. It’s true,” he said. “Because we have to get the vote out. Christians are not known as a big voting group. They don’t vote. And I’m explaining that to them. You never vote. This time, vote. I’ll straighten out the country, you won’t have to vote anymore. I won’t need your vote.”
He then followed up with: “Don’t worry about the future. You have to vote on Nov. 5. After that, you don’t have to worry about voting anymore. I don’t care, because we’re going to fix it. The country will be fixed and we won’t even need your vote anymore, because frankly we will have such love, if you don’t want to vote anymore, that’s OK.”
Read in full it has a very different meaning to the sensational one in the opinion piece. Paul Hall-Smith Maggie Valley
Be careful who we vote for
To the Editor:
Savings and Loan Collapse. The year 1982 marked the beginning of supply side economics in which deregulation and tax cuts were viewed as the solution to stimulating corporate growth. The savings and loan industry was the first to experience this experiment. The Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act deregulated loan-to-value ratios along with interest rate caps leading to an industry collapse
Editor Scott McLeod
A drought for all seasons
To the Editor:
After the proliferation of so-called THCa weed — weed harvested according to Trump’s farm bill to have less than 0.3% delta 9 THC at time of harvest, which experienced smokers will know is weed harvested early and therefore not fit to smoke — finding herb in Western North Carolina has been more than a challenge. As a disabled person fighting off social isolation on top of anxiety and depression, the herb is a lifesaver, but my drought had extended from the pandemic on, and as I fought off alcoholism as most of us did, the cruel irony of being surrounded by fake weed persisted.
Enter the EBCI who overwhelmingly legalized recreational cannabis. Being their neighbor, I was beyond relieved — finally a safe place to access the medicine I need. But as anticipation built to 420 and the lack of official word left the area assuming we’d be toking on the high holy day, everything fell apart a week before as the dispensary went medical only until a date that wouldn’t be revealed for a good chunk of the year to come.
Not having health insurance — the
between 1986 and 1995. The aftermath of the S&L crisis saw several executives imprisoned while more than 1,000 S&Ls failed, causing the recession of 1990–91.
The Dot-com Recession. March through December 2001. In 2000 the Fed and Taxpayer Relief Act reduced tax and interest rates making debt financing easier. Equity traders rushed to invest in a new industry. The infusion of cash was prompted by the creation of the world wide web and growing acceptance of the internet for online shopping and communication. Compounding the risk were start-up companies without business plans and models for running a business coupled with young entrepreneurs’ vision of unimagined wealth and no management experience. The Fed increased interest rates and the music stopped in March 2000.
The Great Recession. December 2007 to June 2009, more than 8 million jobs were lost and 1.8 million small businesses failed.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 overturned legislation preventing banks from combining commercial and investment functions. The Federal Reserve lacked authority to prevent banks from giving mortgages to people who were bad credit risks. Additionally, lax mortgage requirements by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) targeted home mortgages to low-income borrowers leading to dishonest lending practices. Unregulated investment banks packaged these risky mortgages into mortgage-backed securities and marketed them to their clients. A down-
North Carolinian way — it would take me a while to get my hands on the sweet Mary Jane, and according to the harvesting data on the dry grams of Tinto De Verano, it was that week before 420 that the weed I was smoking was pulled from the grow room and sent to dry and cure. Notwithstanding the three-to-four weeks fresh cannabis needs to be ready to smoke, the time beyond is generally a loss of potency and a product which burns at a three to four times the rate.
I’m happy to report the potency of the Verano doesn’t suffer much — it’s not bad, what one expects from 19% THC flower — but it’s gone so quickly. The Skoden is even better at a higher THC, but again, was harvested back when Biden was still a presidential candidate.
If this is what Cherokee has to offer the larger public, the operation will be over before it starts, much to the chagrin of people in an area where — considering I can’t walk down the street without passing someone on meth or fent — it’s desperately needed.
turn in the housing market caused mortgage-backed securities to lose value causing investment banks to lose value and the music stopped.
The Pandemic Recession. February to April 2020 was considered the shortest but deepest recession of this century. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 reduced the number of banks subject to stronger federal oversight, removed limitations on hedge fund and private equity fund naming conventions, exempted most small banks from the Volcker Rule, reduced regulation and increased advantages for small- and medium-sized bank holding companies and custodial banks. According to abi.org the U.S. experienced 21,655 business bankruptcies and GDP shrank to -2.8%.
These economic collapses were caused by deregulation. When WNC Congressman Chuck Edwards tells us the economy needs stimulating with reduced regulation and taxes, look out! He will drive us into another recession with lost jobs and broken families. Beware of state Sen. Kevin Corbin when he talks about cutting regulation. He just increased regulation on women’s rights. Replace Corbin with Adam Tebrugge to grow our economy in North Carolina. Vote for Caleb Rudrow, not Chuck Edwards, who is all over creating another recession. Neither of these Republicans have a clue about economic growth. Elect Democrats for a change! Ron Robinson Sylva
J.D. Bost Asheville
Mountain Heritage Day celebrates 50 years
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Abeloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, Mountain Heritage Day will spotlight its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, 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.
“Mountain Heritage Day is a gift from Western Carolina University to the community and everyone from everywhere is welcome to attend,” said WCU Chancellor Dr. Kelli R. Brown. “This family-oriented festival shows how much we value this incredible, beautiful region we call home and its diverse culture and history.”
On the Ingles Blue Ridge Stage & Front Porch will be a wide-range of local, regional and national acts, including acclaimed bluegrass groups Sister Sadie (1 p.m.) and Balsam Range (2:45 p.m.). Between the live performances, there will also be traditional dance and clogging showcases.
The three-time winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for “Vocal Group of the Year” (2019, 2020, 2021), Sister Sadie has also taken home “Entertainer of the Year” (2020) and “Fiddle Player of the Year” (2020). With its 2018 record “Sister Sadie II,” the ensemble received a Grammy nomination for “Best Bluegrass Album”
For this week’s IBMA award show, which will be held on Thursday evening in Raleigh, Sister Sadie has been nominated again for “Entertainer of the Year,” “Vocal Group of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Album of the Year.”
“It’s an eclectic group of ladies and of musical tastes,” Sister Sadie fiddler Deanie Richardson told The Bluegrass Situation earlier this year. “Our home, our hearts and our souls are in bluegrass music. That’s what we love, that’s our passion, but
there’s a lot of room for growth there.”
Since its inception in 2007, Haywood County’s own Balsam Range has become one of the most decorated and award-winning acts in the wide world of bluegrass music.
“The early days were full of excitement, hope, long hours and much effort — setting out-of-reach goals, building teams and strategies to achieve them,” said Balsam Range fiddler Buddy Melton. “We are told our whole lives to follow our dreams [and] dreams only die if we start looking at all the difficulties it takes to achieve them — focusing on the dream, those difficulties are merely steps that help us climb to the top.”
The outfit has taken home the following International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors: “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017),
Want to go?
The 50th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
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.
“Song of the Year” (2011, 2015) and “Vocal Group of the Year” (2014, 2015), with Melton named “Male Vocalist of the Year” (2014, 2018) and Tim Surrett “Bass Player of the Year” (2018).
“I remember how wonderful it made me feel when I first heard Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, then Bill Monroe, then the Stanley Brothers,” said Balsam Range banjoist Marc Pruett. “Earl’s banjo playing went straight to my 10-year-old heart and each time I get to step onstage with my banjo, I try to play with a feeling that will make others get that same spine-tingle that I got then. There is perfection in the music ‘of the old guys’ that still moves me — I still study it and I still learn.”
Following the festival itself, Mountain Heritage Day will also host a free performance by storied Americana/folk act Old Crow Medicine Show with special guest Lindsay Lou, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the Ramsey Center in the heart of the campus.
Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Old Crow Medicine Show has become one of the most successful and popular Americana acts of this century and beyond.
With a sound that encompasses everything we know and love in country, folk, blues and gospel music, Old Crow, who formed in Boone in 1998, remains a beacon of melodic light. With one foot firmly rooted in tradition and the other in the evolution of tones and textures in acoustic music, the ensemble is a sonic juggernaut, especially when taking the stage in the live realm.
Kicking thing off in the Ramsey Center will be rising Nashville singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou. Originally from Michigan, Lou has become one of the most sought-after performers as of late in Americana, bluegrass and jam-grass circles. With her songbird vocal styling and intricate compositions, Lou is a soothing presence.
“Like Bob Dylan says, ‘I contain multitudes,’” Lou told Rolling Stone last year, with the publication saying “Lou is poised to be the next bluegrass queen.”
Mountain Heritage Day will be held in Cullowhee Sept. 28. File photo
Lindsay Lou will play Mountain Heritage Day. Dana Kalachnik photo
Old Crow Medicine Show. File photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, he sounds too blue to fly’
Hello from Room 510 at the Delta Hotel.
The nonstop hustle and bustle of Interstate 81 just outside the window in Bristol, Virginia. For the last few days, I’ve been up here covering the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, one of the largest and most beloved festivals within Americana, bluegrass and country music circles.
The gathering itself straddles State Street right on the state line of Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee. It’s also known as the “Birthplace of Country Music,” where a museum of the same name in town celebrates the August 1927 recording sessions that launched the careers of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.
Wandering State Street and ducking down side alleys, I found myself in the presence, either on purpose or merely happenstance, of genuine sound and passion. Honky-tonk ensembles. Alt-country trios. Western swing outfits. Three chords and the truth, as they say. And I will say, there is no instrumental sound more soothing to my heart and soul than a pedal steel.
Soon, an endless stream of memories floated across my field-of-vision. Images, sentiments and emotions simply conjured by the likes country music. And those exact pictures in my mind have become more vivid and consistent since the festival ended, where I’ve found myself diving back into Ken Burns’ epic documentary “Country Music” as of late. The eight-episode film hovers around 16 hours in total. It’s quite a haul to consume, so I take the same approach — to life itself and to Ken Burns films — to “eat the elephant one bite at a time.” Thus, I’ve been sitting down each night and tackling an episode. One week in and I’m still chugging along. When the documentary first aired on PBS in 2019, I was able to catch a couple episodes at friends’ homes (I don’t have cable or own a TV). But, this go-round, it’s a slow burn to the conclusion on my laptop.
Beyond the awe-inspiring nature of a Ken Burns film, the subject of country music
being probed at such intricate and in-depth levels is something that tugs heavily on my old soul heart. The life and times of Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Hank Snow, Kitty Wells and so forth. Stories as raw and real as the songs they sung, which is why country music resides at the core of so many of us.
Growing up on the Canadian Border in Upstate New York, my native North Country is a haven for country music. The rural farmland of the Champlain Valley and surrounded by the ancient peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. Backwoods shenanigans and lazy days on the shoreline of Lake Champlain. Bonfires and hunting camps. Not to mention large swaths of poverty, but also optimism that tomorrow will be better than today.
To preface, I was raised with older parents, where my father was 43 years old when I was born in 1985. I’m 39 now. He’s 82 and well-versed in real deal country music. Hailing from the frozen mountaintop town of Lyon Mountain, New York, he come about in a row house in a mining community (my grandfather was an iron ore miner). Frigid winters and sweltering summers.
A kid of the 1940s/1950s, my father was raised with the “Three Hanks” (Williams, Thompson, Snow) when the timeless melodies were brand new. He also loves Lefty Frizzell and Webb Pierce. At one point, my grandparents owned a roadhouse bar in tiny Clintonville, New York, my father fondly remembering being a youngster listening to the jukebox blasting country gold.
When I emerged in the 1980s/1990s, my dad’s admiration for country music rubbed off on me. We’d be cruising in our old Plymouth Voyager minivan around the North Country — either heading to a local football game or track-and-field meet — and he’d grab cassette tapes from the glovebox to toss into the stereo. Mostly greatest hits collections. George Jones (his all-time favorite). Merle Haggard. Willie Nelson. Freddy Fender. Waylon Jennings.
Those memories of my father and I bopping around the backroads of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties blasting country music (“the good stuff”) remain sacred in the closet of my memory. More so as I’ve gone off and wandered around the great big ole world of ours. On my own adventures. On the open road. And in my own time. The sonic grandeur of Willie and Waylon, George and Freddy.
At its foundation, country music is about reflection and redemption. Yearning for home when you’re so far away, either physically or emotionally. Thoughts of what could’ve been and what turned out to be. As country star Ashley McBryde recently told me during an interview, “It’s regular songs about regular people sung by regular people.” Ain’t that the truth, eh?
It all reminds me of a poem I wrote back
HOT PICKS
1
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.
2
The 112th annual Cherokee Indian Fair will be held Oct. 1-5 at the Acquoni Expo Center site, located at 1501 Acquoni Road in Cherokee.
3
Folkmoot USA will present worldrenowned American cellist and composer Michael Fitzpatrick at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
4
Rick Childers will share his debut novel, “Turkeyfoot,” in conversation with Meagan Lucas at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
5
A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27-28, Oct. 45, 11-12, 17-19 and 2 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13 and 20 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
in the winter of 2008. I was 23 and a rookie reporter living by myself in a studio apartment on the frozen high desert prairie of Teton County, Idaho. Thousands of miles from home. Alone. In search of truth and my own path.
“Virgin snow lies silent on steep mountainsides/Gazing down into the small window/The lamp in the corner shines brightly/Presenting itself an embracing welcome/To whoever enters announced or as a mystery/Yet, its owner seems to be the sole occupier/Of the driveway, stairway and doorway/A lone body wandering around the tiny room/Sweeping, drinking, reading, bathing, sleeping/Eyes often aimed out the small window/At virgin snow on high peaks beloved/Such beauty is hard to share with someone/Who isn’t there or doesn’t notice on a trek/From Idaho Falls to Cheyenne/Empty beer bottles piled in the corner/Next to dusty soup cans and packs of raisins/And the feeling of truly being alone/Wondering what you could’ve said/To your grandfather if you had been there/When he died and your view got a tad dimmer/The beer held is now lukewarm/The bar two blocks away/The bar two hours till close/Lace the torn and frayed boots/Pull the jean legs over them slowly/You’re only waiting on yourself/To emerge into the frigid night air/You inhale deeply and shiver/Knowing damn well there are warm bedrooms/Along every street back home in New York/But chance is found in the depths of survival/Where the notion of destiny appears/Like a twinkling star above the frozen prairie of Idaho/Like a smile from you grandfather on your 10th birthday/You inhale deeply.”
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
On the beat
Sept.
Rock rolls into Scotsman
Regional rock/jam group Arnold Hill will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at The Scotsman Public House in Waynesville.
Formed in 2011, the Jackson County band is named after a road in Sylva where the musicians lived and practiced. In method, Arnold Hill adheres to the playful nature and creative possibilities that reside in the rock quartet.
The show is free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.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.
Wednesday, 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.
• 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.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Karaoke 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “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.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Paul Koptak (singer-songwriter) Oct. 5. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Pleasantly Wild (rock) Oct. 5. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.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/ranchevents/live-music.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” w/Erick Baker (singer-songwriter) Oct. 10. All shows begin at 6 p.m. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, 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.
ALSO:
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Tuesdays Jazz Series w/We Three Swing at 5:30 p.m. each week, Lori & The Freighshakers (classic rock/country gold) Sept. 27, Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Sept. 28 and Francis The Third 3 p.m. Sept. 29. 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/ Steve Greenberg & Charlie Simmons (Americana/ folk) Sept. 28. Free and open to the public. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Charlie Wilson (R&B/soul) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Tickets start at $74.50 per person. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host
Darren Nicholson Band w/Kristin Scott Benson (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28. Tickets are $50 per person. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 27, Oktoberfest w/ Karaoke Oct. 4 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/ soul) Oct. 5. 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, Blase (rock/jam) Sept. 27, Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 28 and Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) Oct. 4. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/Frank Lee every
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Tim Akins (rock/R&B) Sept. 26, Arnold Hill (rock/jam) Sept. 27, Andrew Victor (Americana/folk) Oct. 3, Scott Low & The Blue Bouillon (Americana/ indie) Oct. 4 and Celtic Road Jam (Celtic/ world) 4 p.m. Oct. 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will Zorki (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. Sept. 28 and Seth & Sara (Americana) 5 p.m. Sept. 29. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.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.
• Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host Mariachi International (world) 6 p.m. Sept. 26 and Brother (rock/indie) 2 p.m. Oct. 5. Admission to each show is $10 for adults, $5 for students. 828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Larry Joe Lambert Sept. 26, Jon Cox (country/rock) Sept. 27, Topper Sept. 28, Karaoke w/Lori Oct. 3 (free), Kayla McKinney (Americana) Oct. 4 and Deep Rootz Oct. 5. 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 Amos Jackson (soul/R&B) 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Rene Russell (Americana/folk) 2 p.m. Oct. 5. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host 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.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
Michael Fitzpatrick will play Waynesville
27. File photo
Arnold Hill will play Waynesville Sept. 27. Garret K. Woodward photo
On the beat
On the stage
HART presents ‘The Mousetrap’
Americana, folk at Mountain Layers
Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.
The road less traveled has always been the way for husband-and-wife duo Bird in Hand. Bryan and Megan Thurman call the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina home, and the region is directly reflected in their music. Bird in Hand is upbeat and new while still rooted in the traditions of American folk.
The two have played all over the Appalachian region, as well as across the country, and share an onstage chemistry that demands attention. They need to be seen live to understand the meaning of “Appalachian Thunder Folk.”
You can find their debut EP, “Due North,” online at birdinhandmusic.com. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, go to mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
On the wall
ALSO:
• “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.
A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2728, Oct. 4-5, 11-12, 17-19 and 2 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13 and 20 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
For over seven decades, this suspenseful masterpiece has captivated audiences with its gripping mystery, unexpected twists and memorable characters.
Set in a remote English manor during a snowstorm, “The Mousetrap” follows a group of strangers stranded together, whose anxieties rise when they learn a murderer is on the loose nearby. As it becomes clear the killer is among them, suspicions grow and when a second murder occurs, tensions soar. Prices range from $18-$38, with special discounts for students, seniors, and groups. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.
• 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.
HCAC’s ‘Fashion for the Arts’
Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the “Fashion for the Arts” fundraiser will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club. A unique event blending fashion, local culture and community support, the gathering is organized by Ann Walsh, the visionary owner of Ava & Arden Boutique on Main Street in Waynesville.
Attendees will enjoy a “show and tell” fashion experience, where models donning Ava & Arden’s new fall collection will walk among the tables, all while sharing exclusive details about the outfits.
This engaging approach offers more than just a visual spectacle. It provides an intimate look into the world of fashion, complete with practical demonstrations on scarf tying and styling tips for every body type.
The afternoon will be complemented by live music from Haywood County’s own Blue Light Fusion, setting the perfect ambiance for this chic gathering. Guests will also savor a soup and salad lunch at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club. A cash bar will also be available.
In addition to the fashion and fun, a silent auction featuring a variety of local treasures will be held.
• 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.
Attendees can preview items online, with more exclusive pieces up for grabs at the event. All proceeds from the auction and event will benefit the HCAC, ultimately supporting its mission to foster creativity and the arts in our community. This event is sponsored by the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club and Publix, whose generous support helps make this fashionable fundraiser possible. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to haywoodarts.org.
‘Fashion for the Arts’ will be in Waynesville Sept. 29. Donated photo
• 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..
Waynesville art walk, live music
A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2024 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in downtown Waynesville.
Each first Friday of the month (May-December), 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. For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com.
Bird in Hand will play Bryson City Sept. 27. File photo
‘The Mousetrap’ will be at HART on select dates this fall. Donated photo
Richard Baker is a featured artisan at ‘Art After Dark.’ File photo
On the street
ColorFest returns to Dillsboro
The 16th annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Dillsboro.
Come spend the day in a walk-about mountain town filled with color and history. Enjoy a day of fun, food, live music, artisan demonstrations, entertainment and shopping.
Dozens of artisans will be displaying authentic Cherokee art, pottery, jewelry, photography, loom beading, handmade soaps, many kinds of needle work, Christmas ornaments, pinecone wreaths, candles, rustic furniture, chair caning, baskets and much more.
ColorFest is free and open to the public. For more information and a full schedule of events, go to visitdillsboro.org.
• 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.
Want to learn contra dancing?
There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Contra dance is considered the most accessible and sociable of all dances, with participants moving in two long facing lines or in groups, and with frequent partner changes. With its roots in the British Isles and France, contra dance has become a traditional American dance form.
No experience is needed to contra dance. All dances are taught. Beginners’ lessons start at 6:30 p.m., with dancing from 7-9 p.m. No need to bring a partner, but you’re welcome to do so.
You may also bring a closed water container and snack. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Please don’t wear perfumes or strong scents.
Admission is by donation, which helps pay for the musicians and callers for the evening. First-time attendees and children are admitted free.
For more information, email contra@franklindance.org.
Fall into Darnell Farms
The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. 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.
Cherokee Indian Fair
The 112th annual Cherokee Indian Fair will be held Oct. 1-5 at the Acquoni Expo Center site, located at 1501 Acquoni Road in Cherokee.
The Indian Fair Parade kicks off the festivities on Tuesday. Like the typical county fair, Cherokee invites a top-of-the-line carnival to provide amusements all week for the young and old alike. There will also be food vendors onsite.
As well, there will be community arts/crafts exhibits, stickball competitions, children’s activities and much more. Nationally known entertainers will hit the stage, with country juggernaut Midland to perform Saturday night.
For more information and a full schedule of events, go to visitcherokeenc.com.
On the table
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• “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.
Stickball is a traditional Cherokee game. File photo
Darnell Farms is a popular destination in WNC. File photo
Artist demonstrations are a big part of ColorFest. File photo
Contra dancing returns to Franklin Oct. 5. File photo
A thoughtful farewell to summer
The change of season, especially to autumn, is always a welcome and refreshing time for me. Traveling diminishes, darkness encroaches sunlight and you hunker down into the coziness of cool mornings and hot drinks. The prepping of hibernation drives me inside my home physically, but also mentally as fall always causes me to reflect. The beautiful cycle of life and death is brought to its last stages as the leaves change colors and the final harvest of pumpkins and chestnuts drop from vine and tree. So, too, our lives move and change despite our reluctancy or willingness to embrace it. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “Gift from the Sea” (Pantheon, 1991, 144 pages), although beachy and summery in its themes, is a short, lovely book of reflections that should be taken to heart all year round.
life is not just decluttering homes and downsizing closets. Lindbergh points out that simplicity is inside as well as outside and that in order to simplify our interior lives, we must strive for opportunities of solitude. Just as a snail leaves its moon shell behind,
Lindbergh, a wife and mother, takes a solo trip to the beach where she contemplates the busyness of her life and the sudden stop an ocean vacation prompts. Her collection of seashells provides the inspiration to various meditations, rich in wisdom and simplicity, on the ways of life and relationships. While her thoughts often return to her state as a woman, wife and mother, they are by no means limited to just that audience. Instead, this book provides a beautifully and creatively written work that encourages all readers to find tranquility and contentment in their lives: not by changing their lives, but their perspectives.
Originally published in 1955, Lindbergh reflects often on the effect technological innovations have had on the home and the individual. While grateful for time-saving devices and gadgets, their accessibility is a double-edged sword. As she heads to the shore of the beach with nothing but the bare necessities, she begins to notice how distracting all those things and activities back home can be. This message of simplicity and warning against the unnecessary over-complication of our lives is even further expounded upon as she reflects on a channeled whelk.
However, simplicity is not only a matter of our surroundings. Striving for a simple
so must we leave the shell of our lives, briefly but regularly, into a space of solitude. If a writer in the 1950s was urging for quiet contemplation and solitude, I can’t imagine how passionate she would be now in the 2020s when it seems that peace and silence is not only a rarity, but one that must be fought for if found.
While these two were my personal favorites of her meditations, the subsequent lessons are just as enjoyable and insightful. Her musings on love, relationships and marriage take a chronological journey as she ponders a rare double-sunrise, an oyster bed and the collector’s argonauta. I appreciate her honest assessment of the balancing act every human must make in relationships,
trying to walk the line between personal needs and obligations to the people in our lives. She manages to acknowledge the needs each individual has, especially for solitude, without endorsing a selfish lifestyle where the ego always comes first. Family, friends, lovers, work: each of these come with responsibility but not one that monopolizes everything.
When packing up to leave the beach, she points out the significance of selectivity. It is the singularity of each shell that makes them stand out and so with the ideas they each represent. There are many good ideas and valuable lessons in the world, but we can’t do it all and we can’t make each noble aim our own. If we take all of the shells, they lose their shine; all the admirable pursuits will lead us to none. Just as Lindbergh takes her small seashell collection home, let us take our small introspections home. They will grow in their beauty and uniqueness if we keep just a few in our lives rather than overloading it with quantity.
As eager as everyone can be to embrace their sweaters, boots and chai tea lattes, I highly recommend taking one last dip into Lindbergh’s book. Her reflections on the beauty of nature’s seashells can be for us this fall, a reminder to pause and consider the autumnal simplicity around us, and to allow the wonder it inspires to take root in our heart this winter and hopefully, blossom into little buds of new growth in our lives.
(Anna Barren teaches fifth grade and is a lifelong lover of books. annab4376@gmail.com.)
Debut novel deals with opioid crisis
Rick Childers will share his debut novel, “Turkeyfoot,” in conversation with Meagan Lucas at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Turkeyfoot follows Lucy Perley, a nine-year-old living in an Eastern Kentucky town devastated by the opioid epidemic. As Lucy’s parents, John and Anne, sink deeper into addiction, their lives spiral, exposing Lucy to unimaginable dangers. Central to the story is Sweetie Goodins, a longtime drug dealer, who struggles to accept his role in the community’s downfall. When his partner begins selling fentanyl, Sweetie is forced to confront the devastating impact of his actions.
Childers, a writer from Estill County, Kentucky, holds degrees from Berea College and Spalding University. His work has appeared in various literary magazines, including Limestone Journal and Heartwood Literary Magazine. Meagan Lucas is the author of the award-winning novel Songbirds and Stray Dogs and teaches Creative Writing at Robert Morris University. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Writer Anna Barren
State of the waterways
New report details potential impacts of ordinance revisions
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
The Macon County Commission decided this month to delay consideration of changes to its watershed and floodplain ordinances until at least the new year, in part due to the organization of a Water Quality Advisory Committee and its new report on the state of Macon County waterways.
“The Water Quality Advisory Committee recommends that RV parks remain ineligible for a Special Nonresidential Intensity Allocation,” the report reads. “We therefore recommend the county commission not adopt changes to the Water Supply Watershed Protection Ordinance as proposed.”
Changes to the Water Supply Watershed Protection Ordinance were up for discussion at the Macon County Commission’s September meeting. Just one month prior, the board had approved changes to the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Ordinance. As per a plan approved in July, the board had intended to take up one of three ordinance revisions at each meeting throughout August, September and October with the last change, regarding the floodplain ordinance, scheduled for October.
However, when the Water Supply Watershed Protection Ordinance came up at the September meeting, Chairman Gary Shields announced the board would wait until January to consider changes to both the Water Supply Watershed Protection and Flood Damage Prevention ordinances.
This delay came in part due to a legal concern that the planning board had not reviewed changes to the Water Supply Watershed Protection Ordinance as written, and in part due to a report from the newly formed Watershed Advisory Committee.
Early in the process of considering changes to the floodplain ordinances, Lewis Penland — previous member of the Macon County Planning Board and a contractor with experience in stream restoration and natural channel design — recommended forming a committee to further investigate the recom-
mended changes and garner input from people on both sides of the issue.
Although there was overwhelming public opposition to the changes to the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control ordinance, the committee itself did not get organized until after commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the recommended changes.
“We were organized too late to weigh in as a committee on the Soil Erosion Ordinance, but we did present Commissioners with a 20page report with technical recommendations on the Watershed Ordinance, and will do the same for the Floodplain Ordinance,” said Bill McLarney, chair of the Watershed Advisory Committee and aquatic biologist.
With the decision to revise the Watershed Watersupply Protection and Flood Damage Prevention ordinances pushed at least until January, the Watershed Advisory Committee, commissioners and planning board members have several months to investigate potential ramifications of changes to these ordinances, as well as any benefits to those who would like to see the changes happen.
The proposed changes involve removing the clause that says RV parks are not eligible for Special NonResidential Intensity Allocations (SNIA) in Macon County’s watershed ordinance, and removing restrictions on fill material in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
THE REPORT
Conservation Trust Board Member Ed Haight, Vice Mayor of Franklin Stacy Guffey, Business Programs Chair at Southwestern Community College Carolyn Porter, Executive Director of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River Katie Price, and Engineer/ Author/ White-Water Expert Doug Woodward.
“The committee’s purpose is to offer expertise from scientists and professionals on the proposed changes to existing ordinances,” the report reads in its charge to the committee. “To meet that charge, this committee is composed of experts with relevant knowledge, training, education and experience in the fields of biology, hydrology, engineering, agronomy, stream remediation, and water recreation. The educational information we have presented in this report is strictly based on scientific evidence and conclusions
watersheds that do not.
The report demonstrates that forested landscape provide the cleanest and most consistent flow of water, and is cheaper to process into drinking water than that which comes from developed land. Both Asheville and Waynesville have opted to obtain drinking water from completely forested watersheds where the public is not even allowed to visit or recreate.
The watersheds that provide drinking water to Franklin and Highlands are mostly forested but do contain residential areas. Some tributaries in these watersheds are already negatively impacted. Mill Creek and the associated headwaters of the Cullasaja are listed as impaired based on the condition of the aquatic insect community.
“This impairment can be linked to the residential developments and the urban landscape in and around Highlands,” the report reads. “That said, the Town of Highlands has enacted strict sediment control plans in its Water Supply Watershed Protection ordinance and has opted for low density development to keep the watershed as forested as possible.”
While portions of the Little Tennessee River are listed as Excellent Quality Waters, its tributaries of Watauga Creek, Rocky Branch, Iotla Creek and Bradley Creek are all listed as impaired due to presence of fecal coliform. Conversely, no tributaries in the Cartoogechaye watershed are listed as impaired.
Several aspects of the current state of streams in Macon’s watershed were cause for concern among researchers when considering the potential impacts of revisions to the county’s watershed ordinances.
Since 1990, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been monitoring the Little Tennessee River mainstem, in collaboration with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Mainspring Conservation Trust. Since that monitoring began, the river downstream of Porters Bend Dam at Lake Emory has been evaluated as excellent.
Source: Trust for Public Land
sourced from our own work and the works of others in these fields.”
The Watershed Advisory Committee is made up of nine members. In addition to McLarney and Penland, the group includes Associate Director of the Highlands Biological Station Jason Love, Agronomist and Macon County Farm Bureau representative Kenneth McCaskill, Forensic Engineer and Mainspring
Simply put, streams are a product of the landscapes they drain. This understanding lays the groundwork for much of the research that went into the 22-page report. Watersheds that supply drinking water to the public — as is the case in Macon County — or that have exceptional aquatic biodiversity or recreational resources — also the case in Macon County — have a different set of regulations than
According to the report, this claim cannot be made for any other river in the Southern Blue Ridge ecoregion, and for few in the entire southeast.
Additionally, the Little Tennessee and several of its tributaries are home to threatened and endangered or regionally endemic aquatic species. These include the Spotfin Chub, colloquially known as a turquoise shiner, Appalachian Elktoe Mussel, Little Tennessee River Crayfish, Wounded Darter, Olive Darter, Sicklefin Redhorse, Smoky Dace and the infamous Hellbender.
Additionally, this area is home to sensitive terrestrial species like the Virginia Spiraea and the Bald Eagle.
“In addition to these species F
the ‘Needmore Tract’ has long been recognized as one of the last intact areas of Montane Alluvial Forest in the southern Appalachians,” the report says.
Several factors have led to the Little Tennessee’s excellent water quality rating and maintained biodiversity below Lake Emory, including dilution by the Cullasaja River and Cartogoechaye Creek; lower density population and infrastructure downstream of the dam; higher gradient of the river below the dam; Lake Emory itself acting as a natural tertiary sewage treatment system in addition to those of Franklin, Highlands and Dillard, Georgia; and recent efforts to reduce erosion and sedimentation in the watershed above Lake Emory. Until recently, Lake Emory was also acting as a settling basin for sediments coming from upstream, however, the lake is now filled to capacity.
Above Lake Emory, where the county has seen greater stream disturbance, more development, more erosion and loss of riparian buffering and shade, the report details a different story.
Swim Drink Fish, a national organization that collaborates with local communities to facilitate awareness of health-related conditions of bodies of water used for recreation, monitored three recreational sites in Macon County between April 2023 and 2024.
Data from the Tassee Greenway Shelter shows that over the course of the year, the river was never safe for contact recreation. Data from the access point on Sanderstown Road above Iotla Bridge, commonly known as “Redneck Beach,” showed the water was unsafe about a third of the time. Data from the upper limit of the Needmore Game Lands showed the water was usually safe but was still deemed unsafe about a quarter of the time, likely due to low water levels, which impacts the river’s natural self-cleansing capacity.
ported with stormwater into nearby streams.
The report cites the destruction and multiple deaths that occurred at Laurel Bank Campground in Cruso after the catastrophic floods caused by Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and notes that RVs situated near waterways increase risks for county employees during rescue operations, as well as “unacceptable costs” to the county related to prevention, rescue and damage control.
“The committee is concerned that the Board cannot guarantee that adequate stormwater, sediment and erosion control, and other protective measures will be implemented and monitored to avoid untenable stress on the operational capacity of the Town of Franklin Water Plant and the Highlands Water Treatment Plant,” the report reads.
RV parks in flood-prone areas, the report says, could lead to “increased public health risks in a watershed where E. coli counts are already above levels recommended for human contact with water bodies.”
The data outlined in the report led researchers to conclude that the county commission should reject changes to the Watershed Water Supply Protection ordinance, in order to maintain positive water quality below Lake Emory and try to improve water quality above the lake.
“There is scientific evidence that RV parks place added stress on stream water quality as a result of park design and construction,” the report says. “Soils are compacted, and substantial impervious surface cover is created, which increases stormwater volumes and velocities.”
Not only do exposed soils and higher stormwater volumes lead to increased erosion and thereby sediment in nearby streams, but the report also posits that impervious surfaces in RV parks accumulate harmful contaminants that can be trans-
Even if water treatment remains feasible in the face of increased residential density and impervious surfaces associated with RV parks, the report contends, water treatment expenses could substantially increase.
“It is a possibility worth considering that added contamination and alterations to the flow regimes of these supply watersheds could ultimately require major infrastructural overhauls at great expense and operational burden to the government and residents of Macon County,” the report concludes.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The committee recommends that instead of revising the ordinance to remove the clause that says RV parks are not eligible for Special Non-Residential Intensity Allocations (SNIA) in Macon County’s watershed ordinance, language should be added to the ordinance to prevent the establishment of RV parks within flood-prone areas.
In addition, RV park design and construction should adhere to guidance already
WATERWAYS, PAGE 24
A Bald Eagle perched on the Needmore section of the Little Tennessee River.
Braulio Fonseca photo
provided in the ordinance for “cluster developments,” which offset areas of high-density development with establishment of conservation areas or green spaces.
And lastly, limits should be developed for impervious surface coverage within RV parks, and incentives should be offered for alternative “green infrastructure” stormwater management methods that promote infiltration of stormwater, as opposed to runoff into waterways.
The Little Tennessee River is home to the Appalachian Elktoe, a type of freshwater mussel. FWS photo
“The committee’s opposition to the ordinance changes involving RV parks should not be misconstrued as opposition to RV parks in general,” the report notes.
Rather, the report says that the parks should be prohibited in the drinking water supply watersheds for Franklin and Highlands; in portions of the Little Tennessee River downstream of Lake Emory, which have been designated as excellent quality waters; and in flood prone areas, with or without fill.
Fall comes to the Smokies
Fall is a beautiful but busy time in the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors should plan their trips and expect crowds, traffic congestion and limited parking throughout the park.
The park usually experiences an autumn leaf season of several weeks as fall colors travel down the mountain sides from high elevation to low. At higher elevations, fall colors begin with trees like yellow birch, American beech and mountain maple. As the season progresses, vibrant colors spread to lower elevations, culminating in a spectacular display featuring sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple and hickories.
The park is consistently the most visited national park in the country, and October is one of the most popular months of the year. If you’re flexible on your dates, check out our 2024 forecasting calendar to help you choose when to visit the park and know what to expect during your visit.
tions.
Planning a hike? Note that Laurel Falls Trail is expected to close for construction in November for 18 months. Consider alternative hikes including Little River Trail, Little Greenbrier School, Lynn Camp Prong Cascades or Chasteen Creek Cascade.
Parking in the Smokies for more than 15 minutes requires a valid parking tag. Tags can be purchased online anytime at Recreation.gov or in person at multiple locations.
This time of year can be busy in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Consider arriving before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to avoid the busiest times in the park. If you’re driving, please park responsibly — parking in areas not specifically designed for parking damages resources, adds to congestion and is unsafe along busy roads. If you’re planning to hike a popular trail in the Smokies, consider taking a shuttle from local communities to the trailhead.
Looking to take a scenic drive? Avoid the crowds by taking in the views from Look Rock Tower or the Foothills Parkway. Cades Cove Loop Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail are consistently the busiest places in October. Please allow more time than you think you’ll need and consider alternate destina-
Donated photo
Plan like a park ranger and visit our trip planning webpage before you head to the park. Consider visiting an area of the park you haven’t explored before — you’ll find changing leaves no matter where you go! Please prepare a back-up plan (and even a back-up for your back-up).
Pack clothes for all weather and layer up for your adventures. Weather can change quickly during fall, particularly in the mountains. Temperatures at Clingmans Dome, also known as Kuwohi, are at least 10 degrees cooler than in lower elevation areas like Oconaluftee, Sugarlands and Cades Cove.
Fall is a prime time to spot bears and elk in the park. To ensure your safety and the well-being of these magnificent creatures, maintain a safe distance of at least 50 yards. Use binoculars, spotting scopes or cameras to appreciate wildlife from afar.
When hiking, camping or picnicking, be mindful of food and garbage. All waste should be properly disposed of in bear-proof dumpsters located throughout the park. Bears that learn to associate humans with food can become aggressive and pose a danger to visitors. By following these guidelines, you can help protect both yourself and the park’s wildlife.
Changes in effect for WNC deer season
New rules adopted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have shifted the timing of the western zone black-powder and gun seasons and increased antlerless hunting opportunities in many western zone counties.
The new black-powder season will begin Nov. 16, and end Friday, Nov. 29. Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving are designated as Youth Days in the western zone. Youth under 18 may use a gun to harvest antlered or antlerless deer during those two days of the black-powder season. Gun season will begin on Saturday, Nov. 30, and end on Jan. 1, 2025.
These changes were adopted by NCWRC to better align the western zone deer seasons with important deer management objectives, including protecting yearling buck dispersal, deer harvest relative to timing of the rut, balancing the buck-to-doe sex ratio and improving synchrony between breeding and fawning periods, which is an important deer life-history trait that ensures fawns are born at the optimal time of year relative to food and cover resources. Additionally, due to the growth of deer herds across most of the western zone, particularly on private lands, these changes provide hunters with additional opportunity to harvest antlerless deer.
Delayed harvest fishing regulations begin
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 34 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.
Under Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations, no trout may be harvested or possessed from identified waters between Oct. 1 and one half-hour after sunset on June 6, 2025. No natural bait may be possessed, and anglers can fish only with artificial lures with one single hook. An artificial lure is defined as a fishing lure that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell.
NCWRC staff stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching fish. Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs, are popular fishing destinations for anglers who enjoy catch-and-release trout fishing.
For more information on trout fishing and stocking, visit NCWRC’s website.
HCC hosts conservation heritage event
Haywood Community College, in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are hosting an event on the campus of Haywood Community College to celebrate our national conservation heritage. Now in its 51st year, this nationally recognized day is the largest and most effective grassroots movement ever undertaken to promote outdoor sports and conservation.
This year, HCC and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission are coordinating a large, free, event which also includes the annual youth fishing tournament hosted by the Warrior Clan local group at the HCC millpond.
Family activities include interactive demonstrations, archery, falconry presentation, food trucks, giveaways, a wide variety of vendors and live demonstrations from the HCC Lumberjack team. Many partners and vendors will be on-site providing information and interactive activities. These groups include, but are not limited to: Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Great Smoky Mountains Chapter), US Forest Service, Crabtree Retrievers, Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail, Bearwise, Balsam Mountain Trust, and more.
This event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, on HCC campus in Clyde on Saturday. Demonstrations will occur multiple times during the day, and vendors will be available throughout the event. Food trucks will be onsite. This event is free to the public. For more information, visit: haywood.edu/events/huntfish.php.
can be found on page 30
are only the answers.
Junior Golf Program set for Lake Junaluska Golf Course
The Lake Junaluska Golf Course is hosting a Junior Golf Program for boys and girls under
Clingmans Dome receives a name change
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted to change the name of Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi.
Kuwohi is the Cherokee name for the mountain and translates to “mulberry place.” In Cherokee syllabary, the name is
The National Park Service strongly supported the name restoration and applauds today's decision, which also received support from local communities and governments.
Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and is the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. Kuwohi is visible from the Qualla Boundary, the home of the EBCI.
Sierra Club hosts talk about environmental election stakes
WNC Sierra Club Political Co-Chair Ken Brame will discuss what is at stake for the environment in this fall’s election. He will advise voters on how to make an environmental difference at the WNC Sierra Club meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 2.
The group meets monthly at the UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center and on Zoom.
Brame will discuss the differences in voting patterns, political pledges and promises,
age 17 from 4-5:30 p.m. each Wednesday Sept. 25 - Oct. 31. The cost is $25 per session paid to the instructor Ashley Kress, a former member of the Western Carolina University women’s golf team and a 2014 inductee into WCU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Clubs can be provided by the Lake Junaluska Golf Course if needed. No registration required.
Efforts are already underway to update signage, website and other materials with the Kuwohi name.
The proposal was submitted in January of this year by EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks following an effort started in 2022 by Lavita Hill and Mary Crowe, both enrolled EBCI members, to restore the traditional name of the summit.
Kuwohi is one of the most popular sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with more than 650,000 visitors per year. It is the tallest point in Tennessee and the third-highest summit east of the Mississippi River.
The park closes Kuwohi for three half days annually to provide access to predominantly Cherokee schools to visit the mountain and learn the history of Kuwohi and the Cherokee people from elders, Cherokee language speakers, culture bearers and community members.
Clingmans Dome has always been known as Kuwohi to the Cherokee People. The mountain became known as Clingmans Dome following an 1859 survey by geographer Arnold Guyot, named for Thomas Lanier Clingman who was a lawyer, U.S. Representative and Senator from North Carolina, and Confederate Brigadier General.
and other indicators found by WNC Sierra Club’s political analysts. The state team handled state-level nominees, but a local team took on local representatives down to the town council. The WNC team, led by Brame, sent questionnaires to candidates. Candidates were interviewed. Incumbents’ and candidates’ (where applicable) voting records on key environmental issues were confirmed. Then, the team made their recommendations.
For the Zoom link, visit wncsierraclub.org. For more information about the meeting or WNC Sierra Club, contact Judy Mattox at judymattox15@gmail or 828.683.2176.
The golf program is for boys and girls under 17 years of age. Donated photo
Kristina Plaas photo
Market PLACE WNC
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
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE
COUNTY OF JACKSON
DISTRICT COURT DIVISION
FILE NO. 24CV001460490
HOMERO GARCIA
Plaintiff,
v. NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION
JULIE RENEE GARCIA Defendant,
Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against above entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows:
Complaint for Absolute Divorce
You are required to make
defense to such pleading no later than November 9th, 2024 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This 18th day of September, 2024
NIELSEN LAW, PLLC Joshua D. Nielsen Attorney for Plaintiff 413 Walnut St Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 246-9360 (828) 229-7255 facsimile
Publication Dates: September 25th, October 2nd and October 9th, 2024
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24E000482-430 Cleo Pace Rogers,
Executor of the Estate of Tommy Lee Rogers 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 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor
382 Chambers Cove Rd Canton, NC 28716
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.24E001312-490
Brenda Dillard, having
of the Estate of Elizabeth Ann Chester of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.23E171
James Andrew Heatley,
Executor of the Estate of Thomas Andrew Taulbee of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor c/o Coward, Hicks and Siler, PA 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779
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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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, assist compliance with laws, etc. A job description is available upon request.
AA with 2 years HR expe-cations: BS with 2 years
included in 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 required -
ule, 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
HELP WANTED Perfect
salon front desk receptionist. Duties include cleaning hair and tanning salon; answering phone; making appointments; operating tanning beds. Apply in person, 377 Jackson Plaza, Sylva, NC.
Home Goods
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY With a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Money Down + Low Monthly Payment Options. Request a FREE Quote – Call now before the next power outage: 1-844-938-0700
Homes For Sale
CABIN 2BD/1 BTH CULLOWHEE, NC Older cabin on rushing creek, beautiful private property
$275K Owner Financing. Details: Craigslist Asheville, Cabin on creek, Cullowhee, NC. (828) 331-8285
Land For Sale
TINY HOME LOTS FOR SALE Tiny Home Lots for sale. $55k-$85k/ea. Each lot comes with water and power run to each lot, and septic. Located in Franklin, NC. 828-200-
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"... three men in --"
She starred in "Room"
-- Actress (award for
"Hi," in Hilo
Bonnie's pal
-- torch
Linear, briefly
Sahara's land
Agent's cut
"Say what?"
Group of PC gurus
Covert org.
Actress Long
Actress Jillian
Fajita meat
Was keen on
Singer O'Day 73 "Don't tell -- can't!"
75 Singer Coolidge
76 Chi-Town daily paper 77 Singer Janis 78 Novelist Tan 79 Future atty.'s exam 80 Other, in Oaxaca 81 Pertaining to
"Return to reality!"
87 SeaWorld whale, once
Leaves
Vent vocally
Sty animals
Greenish citrus drink
All wound up
"Regency" hotels
Pie charts, e.g.
Easily duped
Presnell of "Fargo"
Petite pies
Kindle buy
New attempt 108 Sailor's quaff 109 700-mile-long Congolese river 110 "The check -- the mail" 111 Ninth Greek letter
Game draw
Trio before R
Free (of)
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
0161 or go to our web site for directions and more info. www.TinyMountainEstates.com (828) 200-0161 TinyMountainEstates@gmail.com
Medical
HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 833-601-0491
ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. FREE information kit. Call 866579-0885
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 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.
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!
CANCELLATION EXPERTS. Wesley Financial Group, LLC Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Call 844-213-6711
Automotive
24/7 LOCKSMITH: We are there when you need us for car & home lockouts. We’ll get you back up and running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs and repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial and auto locksmith needs! 1-833-237-1233
Classes/ Instruction ONLINE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN TRAINING New Students Only. Call & Press 1. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. 100% Online Courses. 844-963-4157
Answers on 26
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
SECURE YOUR HOME
With Vivint Smart Home technology. Call 855-6215855 to learn how you can get a professionally installed security system with $0 activation.
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES
In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-510-9918
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION: A small amount
of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! Call 24/7: 1-888-290-2264 Have zip code of service location ready when you call!
NEED NEW WINDOWS?
Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction?dows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-877248-9944.
ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER!
LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. Call 1-877-649-1190
REPLACE YOUR ROOF
With the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available.
Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - $500 Discount + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-5851815
ATTENTION: Metal Roofs from $5,995.00. LIMITED TIME. Will provide a FREE no contact estimate on your roof within 24 hours plus 40% off Siding/ Windows. Payments from $89/Mo* 800-350-0591 *oac
Legal, Financial and Tax
$10K+ IN DEBT? Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay a fraction of your debt. Call National Debt Relief 844-977-3935.
SAVE BIG ON HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurance companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 855391-2786! (M-F 8am-8pm Central
