Smoky Mountain News | November 6, 2024

Page 6

Western North Carolina classified as abnormally dry Page 25

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

Three high-ranking state and federal agriculture officials visited Haywood County last week, bringing with them a warning that if farmers affected by Hurricane Helene don’t get help soon, next year could be a bleak one for both producers and consumers. Their concerns come amid long-held fears that North Carolina’s disappearing farmland is one of the biggest threats the state faces. (Page 24) Cory Vaillancourt photo

News

Macon Water Quality Advisory Committee releases new report..........................4 Haywood County postpones property reappraisal....................................................6 Grants for businesses impacted by Helene are on the way in Haywood..........7 Letts appointed to EBCI Supreme Court, vacates superior court seat..............8 Community almanac............................................................................................................9

Jackson’s school improvement plan under question from board member......10 ShopWNC connects local businesses with the outside world..........................11 Scholarship established to assist art students at WCU........................................13

Opinion

Here’s to rolling with the changes................................................................................14 An epic win for my beloved Dodgers..........................................................................14

A&E

Being kind: A conversation with Larry Keel..............................................................16 HART presents ‘The Mousetrap’..................................................................................21

Outdoors

Parts of WNC abnormally dry........................................................................................25 The Joyful Botanist: Fall Wildflower Color..................................................................26

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S UBSCRIPTIONS

SUBSCRIPTION: 1 YEAR

Ingles Nutrition Notes

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Question:

What are some soft foods with protein that won’t cause me too many issues?

Answer: You can make many foods softer and easier to chew and swallow by using your blender or food processor to change the

Higher protein foods that are soft:

• Greek Yogurt

• Cottage cheese

• Scrambled eggs (most any kind of eggs)

AREA’S BEST BURGER

You could also ADD sources of protein to foods that are already soft

• add grated cheese to eggs, mashed potatoes, or grits

• add protein powder, creamy peanut butter, or Greek yogurt to a mashed banana

oatmeal and add protein powder and a nut butter to it

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

@InglesDietitian

Leah McGrath - Dietitian

State of the waterways

Water Quality Advisory Committee releases new report

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

The Water Quality Advisory Committee has released its latest report detailing potential impacts of revising the Macon County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance — the last of three such floodplain ordinances the county has considered revising this year. The report comes just over a month after flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina.

“We firmly oppose this change, and instead advocate for a variance process to allow for exceptions to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, while keeping floodplain protections intact,” the Water Quality Advisory Committee wrote in its report.

The Water Quality Advisory Committee (WQAC) is charged by Commission Chairman Gary Shields with providing technical information and making recommendations related to proposed changes to Macon County’s Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance, Water Supply Watershed Protection Ordinance and the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

Earlier this year, at the behest of members of the public who came to commissioners with complaints about a few aspects of these three ordinances, commissioners directed the planning board to review them as they were. The planning board came up with some recommended changes and put the ordinances, as well as the decision to revise them or keep them as they are, back in the hands of the county commission.

From the beginning of the process there has been regular and robust public opposition to the proposed changes. For this reason, even after holding a public hearing on all three proposed changes, Shields decided to slow down the approval process to allow for more public input and board discussion.

The commission ultimately passed the first of the three proposed revisions at its August meeting, changing the required land disturbance from half an acre to an acre before any plans are required for soil erosion control on a project in the Soil Erosion Sedimentation Control Ordinance.

However, Shields decided to put the other two proposed ordinance revisions back before the planning board for further consideration prior to approval by the county commission and has said the board won’t act on either proposed change until January.

The WQAC presented findings from a similar report about potential impacts of revisions to the Water Supply

Watershed Protection Ordinance at the planning board’s Oct. 3 meeting. Ultimately, the planning board voted against the recommendations of the WQAC and recommend removing the clause from the ordinance that says RV parks are not eligible for special nonresidential intensity allocations (SNIA) from the ordinance.

Now, the WQAC — made up of nine volunteer members with careers in varying aspects of aquatic management — is back with another report, this time on potential impacts of revising the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and is set to make its presentation to the planning board on Thursday, Nov. 7.

Source: FEMA

that to allow any amount of fill whatsoever or other impediment that restricts, diminishes, or otherwise alters the natural flow of a stream under flood conditions causes damage to properties both upstream and downstream of the fill.”

The committee is primarily concerned that although the revision suggests 25% of a property can be filled in the flood fringe area, this does not account for the volume or height of the fill, nor does it account for property changing hands.

“What if 25% of a property is filled, and then the remainder is sold?” the WQAC asks. “Does the new owner have the right to fill 25% of that? This could easily lead to uncontemplated levels of cumulative damage.”

THE REPORT

The existing Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance explicitly prevents placement of fill in floodplains. The proposed change would permit fill on up to 25% of flood fringe area of any property.

At the June commissioners meeting, then Director of Planning and Code Enforcement Joe Allen explained how the 25% fill functions.

“So, if you have a 5-acre parcel and an acre of it was in the flood fringe, you would be allowed to fill .25 — a quarter of an acre,” Allen said.

The WQAC argues that the justification for the 25% standard is not clear.

“Is 25% any more a proper limit than 13% of 31%?” the WQAC wrote in its report. “What this committee can emphatically say, and give a sound scientific argument for, is

The stated objectives of the existing Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance are to protect human life, safety and health; minimize rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding; minimize business losses and interruptions; minimize damage to public facilities and utilities; maintain a stable tax base from floodplain land uses; and create transparency and public awareness of risk associated with floodprone areas.

“It is the WQAC’s understanding that the proposed ordinance change is not intended to modify the current Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance’s stated objectives,” the report reads. “Intentions notwithstanding, it is the position of the WQAC that the proposed ordinance change runs counter to all of these stated objectives of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. We feel that available information and data unequivocally indicate that downgrading the existing protections will F

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introduce unacceptable risks and undermine long-term goals espoused by the Macon County Board of Commissioners.”

The report contends that the county could encounter enforcement difficulties and potential regulatory conflicts if the ordinance is changed as proposed. The WQAC states that determining allowed fill under the ordinance would be difficult and costly with no plan to record permitted fill for future property division owners.

Additionally, to qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Macon County was required to make specific representations to FEMA regarding its floodplain ordinance. Included in this is the provision that no development occurs within the Regulatory Floodway, as defined by FEMA. This floodway is a subset of the 100-year flood zone, with the area outside the floodway but inside the 100-year flood zone referred to as the “flood fringe.”

According to the report, the 100-year flood zone has flooded multiple times in this century alone.

“The Macon County Floodplain Damage Prevention Ordinance (FDPO) was motivated by extensive losses associated with tropical storms Frances and Ivan in 2004,” the WQAC wrote in its report. “In western North Carolina, those storms caused 11 deaths and more than $200 million in total damages.9 Each of the two storms – which occurred ten days apart – met criteria for 500-year flood events at the time.”

The WQAC also found that the proposed change will encourage the loss of farmland, which runs counter to the county’s stated purpose in the Farmland Protection Plan it adopted earlier this year.

“The most productive farmland that we have is the bottomlands of this county; we don’t have a great deal of it, and in North Carolina, we are losing farmland faster than any state in the nation,” Kevin McCaskill of Macon County Farm Bureau told commissioners at their June meeting.

McCaskill has been a vehement opponent of the proposed ordinance revisions.

In its report the WQAC also outlines potential risks to water quality and ecosystem function, economic viability and costs to taxpayers.

In addition to its findings on potential risks of amending the ordinance, the WQAC outlines several recommendations in its report, the first of which is that the planning board and the commission do not accept the proposed revision to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

However, the WQAC does acknowledge that the existing ordinance has shortcomings, which “on occasion cause serious inconvenience to property owners.”

Therefore, the committee recommends the county create a variance policy in which people can apply for permission to put small amounts of fill on their property when necessary. The WQAC recommends the Board of Adjustments as the body to make decisions on variances.

Ultimately, the committee recommends that the county not accept current revisions to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, but continue to work toward a stronger, clearer ordinance and a more efficient and effective enforcement process for all the ordinance associated with the floodplain.

“We are thankful that Macon County was spared the worst during Helene. In the counties and watersheds to the east, just the quantifiable effects are staggering,” the WQAC noted in its report. “Any accounting necessarily fails to quantify the psychological damage, the time robbed from people’s personal lives, the loss of productive activity, damage to the natural environment… Even here in Macon County, many of us felt compelled to make sacrifices in order to assist our neighbors. One has to ask — if Helene veered 40-60 miles to the west, would we even be having the conversation of relaxing the Macon County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance?”

ECHOES ACROSS THE SMOKIES:

A NIGHT OF BLUEGRASS, BALLADS, AND TALL TALES

Thursday, Nov 7, at 7:30pm

Featuring Bluegrass performances by the Kruger Brothers with Kontras Quartet and Tall Tales, and Ballads performed by Sheila Kay Adams, Donna Ray Norton, and William Ritter.

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | Purchase tickets at: arts.wcu.edu/tickets

Haywood County postpones property reappraisal

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Astate-mandated countywide property reappraisal that was nearly complete and slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, has been shelved by Haywood County commissioners until Jan. 1, 2027, due in large part to property damage incurred during Hurricane Helene.

“Pushing this reappraisal back is going to allow our primary focus to be on reassessing the residential and business properties that were affected by the flood,” Judy Hickman, Haywood County’s tax assessor, told commissioners on Nov. 4. Hickman talked to state officials to secure permission for the postponement.

Throughout 2024, Hickman and her office had been conducting the revaluation, which uses a variety of factors including recent sales to determine how much a property has increased or decreased in value since the last reappraisal. That value is then multiplied by the tax rate, set by commissioners, to determine the final property tax bill for a parcel or property.

State law dictates that counties reappraise all real property at least once every eight years. Haywood County, like many others, operates on a four-year cycle, with the last reappraisal taking effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

In the red-hot Western North Carolina real estate market, where property values have soared over the past decade amid a lack of supply, there are pros and cons to the four-year and eight-year cycle. The four-year cycle is obviously more frequent and allows property owners to prepare for smaller adjustments in value, but the eight-year cycle

means much larger increases when they eventually do come.

The eight-year cycle also leaves lots of value on the table — something called sales ratio. For example, if a home is valued at $100,000 but increases 20% each year, during the first seven years the county’s tax rate is being applied to that $100,000 value, even though the house is legitimately worth much more.

But there’s also a stipulation in statute that any time a county’s sales ratio drops below 85%, a revaluation must take place.

During a June update on the county’s reappraisal process, Hickman told commissioners that the county’s sales ratio was 63%.

Post-Helene, as of Oct. 10, that ratio had slipped further, to 60%. What that really means is that on average, across all real property in the county, the tax rate is only being applied to 60% of the true value of all that property.

Of course, that means that the county would be in line to see a 40% increase in property tax revenue, but that’s not exactly what happens. Commissioners, in constructing their annual budget, would slash the tax rate to somewhere near what’s called revenue-neutral. Revenue-neutral means exactly what it sounds like — multiplying the higher values with a (much) lower tax rate to collect approximately the same amount of revenue as the previous year, keeping property tax burdens on owners roughly the same.

During the last revaluation, local government units fought to achieve true revenue neutrality, but some opted to keep a small amount of the surplus revenue because operating costs like labor and materials are

on the 2025 reappraisal, it’s now all moot. Hickman will have to start from scratch, probably early in 2026, and the county will have to commission another market study at a cost of around $45,000. Comparable property sales data utilized to value properties accurately will come from real estate market activity in 2025 and 2026, but if the longstanding trend of double-digit annual increases continues, values reported on Jan. 1, 2027, will be much higher than they would have been on Jan. 1, 2025.

A sampling of post-Helene property sales lines up with that projected 40% increase in average values, for now. That figure isn’t likely to be lower in 2027, barring massive increases in development or catastrophic economic events on a national or global scale.

“There’s going to be even more sticker shock in two years — because unless it levels off, probably it’s not going to level off, but it might slow down a little from what it was — just a warning,” Chairman Kevin Ensley said.

Commissioner Tommy Long asked Hickman to pre-empt the misinformation that accompanied her previous reappraisal update when concerned citizens, rightfully terrified that their property tax bills might double, were mistaken about how property taxation works.

“That doesn’t mean that every property will go up 40%,” Hickman said.

always rising. Effectively, and counterintuitively, that’s a small increase in a property owner’s tax burden despite a cut to the tax rate, because of the higher property value.

Property owners will see no change to

Indeed, some property values won’t change at all. Some property values will increase, perhaps by more than the 40% blanket figure cited by Hickman. Some will property values will increase by less, or much less, than 40%. Some property values will decrease of their own accord, even those not affected by Helene.

For 2025, homeowners will see no change to property values unless they’ve completed additions or renovations to their properties, thereby increasing their value. Conversely, property owners affected substantially by Helene may see a decrease in value, and therefore a decrease in tax burden.

their 2024 property values, as those values are determined to be correct of Jan. 1 of every year — the only day that any given county’s sales ratio is at 100%. Bills are usually mailed out in the summertime, and come due in September.

For 2025, homeowners will see no change to property values unless they’ve completed additions or renovations to their properties, thereby increasing their value. Conversely, property owners affected substantially by Helene may see a decrease in value, and therefore a decrease in tax burden.

Hickman and her office are rushing to complete storm damage reappraisals ahead of Jan. 1, 2025, to ensure those already hit hard by Helene aren’t hit again by the tax office for property that, in some cases, has been completely washed away.

As for the work that’s already been done

And in the end, it will be commissioners that set the tax rate that is applied to those 2027 values to come up with the final property tax bill. Historically, the Republican majority on the Haywood County commission has pushed for a very low-tax environment, as low as possible, and as a result has left the county in excellent financial shape, with low debt and 70 of 100 North Carolina counties charging higher property tax rates.

Additionally, there’s always a case-bycase appeals process for property owners that can range from informal to formal and then proceed to higher levels of authority if a property owner feels their value is inaccurate. Property owners can begin that process by contacting the Haywood County tax assessor’s office, or by locating an appeals form on the county’s website, haywoodcountync.gov.

The county has delayed the property revaluations for a couple of years due in part to property damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Grants for businesses impacted by Helene are on the way in Haywood County

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Acoalition of Haywood County community organizations, quasi-governmental institutions, local businesses and private individuals have stepped in where the North Carolina General Assembly wouldn’t — by creating a fund that will make grants to small businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene.

On Oct. 24, the General Assembly passed its second Helene relief bill in as many weeks, adding $604 million in spending to the $273 million allocated in the first relief bill passed on Oct. 9.

Although the second bill did allocate substantial sums to critical economic sectors, including $50 million in loans for small businesses across disaster-impacted counties, a Smoky Mountain News investigation found that thousands of business owners in Western North Carolina took out millions in loans during the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020 — loans they’re still paying back.

In Haywood County alone, nearly 500 legal business entities borrowed almost $23 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which offered 30-year fixed rate loans at rates up to 3.75%.

As Haywood Chamber President and CEO David Francis made his way through the business community, offering small grants and loans to impacted businesses, he kept hearing the same thing, he told Haywood County Commissioners on Nov. 4.

“David, we cannot do a loan. I’m still paying loans from COVID. I have a loan from [2021 Tropical Storm] Fred. I have a loan from COVID and Fred,” Francis recalled.

Swag, matched the initial $100,000. The TDA will contribute and create a program of its own. The North Carolina Chamber of Commerce will also contribute. Three individuals, two from Florida and one from Georgia, have pledged unspecified amounts. Even the tiny Graham County town of Lake Santeetlah — population 41 — chipped in with $2,000 from its municipal budget.

“We’re small. We don’t have a huge budget, but we decided we wanted to do something,” said Diana Simon, Lake Santeetlah’s mayor. “I wanted to do something for small businesses.”

the grants, nor are companies with more than 25 employees, entities in bankruptcy, or with judgements, tax liens or tax debts to Haywood municipalities.

An independent committee will evaluate the applications. Francis said he hopes the grants can be disbursed beginning in December.

Informed by a survey of more than 600 business owners, HAF has determined that grant funds can be used for what survey respondents said were their greatest needs — inventory replacement, lease payments, mortgage assistance, business property, equipment and payroll.

Commissioner Jennifer Best recognized that Haywood County is a “community of small businesses,” especially in light of the closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill, one of the region’s largest employers, in June 2023.

“We’ve really got to lean in to protecting our small businesses and keeping legs under them,” Best said.

The General Assembly is expected to return to Raleigh Nov. 19, where it’s possible additional flood relief funding will be considered, but grants to businesses aren’t widely expected to be part of the plan. Indeed, on a state level, they rarely are.

Small businesses wiped out by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27 are looking for a lifeline after the North Carolina General Assembly’s latest relief bill left many of them underwater.

With Haywood TDA Executive Director Corrina Ruffieux, Francis envisioned a larger grant program, administered by the nonprofit Haywood Advancement Foundation, that could put more money out on the street.

Initial funding in the amount of $100,000 will come from HAF, but Francis said that other donors have already begun to augment that total. David Colquitt, co-owner of The

Starting on the afternoon of Nov. 6, for-profit Haywood County businesses that experienced significant physical damage to property or inventory can visit haywoodadvancement.org, haywoodchamber.com or visithaywood.com to apply for grants up to $25,000.

But there are some caveats. Nonprofits and multifamily long-term or short-term rental residences are not eligible for

Swain awarded $52 million for new middle school

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Swain County is on its way to building a new middle school after securing $52 million in grant funds from the state.

“Hurricane Helene has reiterated the necessity of our students having access to safe, modern and structurally sound learning environments,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a press release. “I’m so thrilled to see these grants get into the hands of some incredibly deserving districts as we seek to help every student in the state reach their full potential.”

The Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, awarded through NCDPI, draws on money from the North Carolina Education Lottery. School systems can apply for funds for construction of new school buildings, as well as additions, repairs and renovations. Counties with an adjusted market value of taxable property of less than $40 billion are eligible to apply for the grant, meaning only seven counties in the state are excluded.

The maximum amount awarded for a traditional middle school through the state program is $52 million. To receive the grant, the county has to commit to a 15% match.

The current Swain Middle School is around 70,000 square feet and was constructed in the 1950s. Plans for the new middle school include more than 100,000 square feet of space for a building that will be able to hold up to 500 students. Administration has also planned for new athletic fields that will be used by both the middle school and high school.

The new middle school will also have a focus on safety, with all buildings connected by single entry.

“Each year, this funding does so much to support districts in modernizing infrastructure to improve safety and to enhance access for students to specialized learning facilities where they gain hands-on experience in new facilities like STEM labs, media centers and in career and technical education fields,” Truitt said of project built through the needsbased grant funds.

Swain County has already purchased the property where

Congress may provide some, but it isn’t in session at the moment, and current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has shown little interest in calling representatives back any time soon. President Joe Biden expressed frustration — in concert with North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis — with the lack of urgency during an Oct. 29 call to Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers.

Tillis, during an Oct. 17 visit to Canton with Gov. Roy Cooper, said he favored some sort of restructuring of COVID-era loans that could open up new opportunities for business owners twice bitten by circumstances beyond their control. Cooper expressed a desire to see the General Assembly create a small business grant program.

Prior to the General Assembly passing its second relief package, Cooper offered one of his own — $3.9 billion instead of $604 million from the state’s $4.4 billion Rainy Day Fund. Cooper’s proposal included $475 million in grants for businesses, but that idea never made it anywhere near the Republican-penned final draft of the relief bill he ended up signing.

Last week, Jackson County Economic Development announced its own business grant program.

the new school will be built — a 17-acre parcel on Black Hill Road in Bryson City. The school district has contracted with LS3P for designs for the project, the same company that designed the new Franklin High School, a project that also received needs-based grant funds from the state.

Jack Snyder photo

File photo

Letts appointed to EBCI Supreme Court, vacates superior court seat

BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR

Last month, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians swore in Bradley B. Letts as the tribe’s new chief supreme court justice.

While the move installs an experienced jurist at the head of the tribe’s highest court, it created a vacancy in a judicial district that has seen a lot of change over the last couple of years.

During the brief swearing-in hearing, Principal Chief Michell Hicks voiced his support for Letts, whom Hicks moved to appoint out of a field of six “great” candidates.

“Me and him cut our teeth years ago when I was the CFO and he was the AG, so we had a chance to work together a few years under the Dugan administration,” Hicks reminisced. “We’ve got a few more grey hairs at this point.”

Hicks added that he was excited to get down to looking at serious policy issues at the highest level.

Letts, during brief remarks in front of Tribal Council, said he is looking forward to providing accountability when people do wrong while also working to provide the tribe with the most robust overall justice system possible.

“We want to improve tribal safety, and we also want to strengthen our community,” Letts said.

Prior to the appointment, Letts served as the chief resident superior court judge for judicial district 43B, made up of Jackson and Haywood counties.

Upon receiving his law degree from University of Mississippi law school, Letts took a job as an assistant district attorney in Waynesville from 1995-97. He served as

EBCI’s attorney general from 199799, then was a district court judge until 2009, when he gained an appointment as a superior court judge. In 2010, he ran unopposed and retained the seat. In 2018, he successfully defended his seat against fellow Democrat Mark Melrose,

However, in February 2019, Letts announced he was going to retire from the bench. That announcement came amid widespread speculation that Letts, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band, was planning to run for principal chief. Two days after announcing his retirement, he reversed his decision.

court, which comprises the highest court in the tribal judiciary — one of the tribe’s three branches of government. It is headed by a chief justice, who sits on the bench along with two associate judges.

“After recently announcing my retirement, and after much reflection and thought, my initial decision to retire has changed,” Letts wrote. “After the announcement I was overwhelmed with responses from supporters, court personnel and members of the legal community expressing to me that I should return to my position on the Superior Court bench. This outpouring of positive and encouraging communications asking me not to retire has been overwhelming.”

Because the Eastern Band doesn’t have a constitution, it was Cherokee code that established the tribe’s supreme

Letts’ replacement for his former superior court seat will likely be appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper before he leaves office at the end of the year. Any appointee will finish out Letts’ term, which expires in 2026. At that time, an election will be held to determine who will serve the next eight years on the bench. Letts vacating his seat is just another in a recent string of changes to the bench in Western North Carolina. Earlier this year, Letts’ counterpart in Western North Carolina, William Coward, vacated his seat as the Chief Resident Superior Court Judge for District 43A, made up of Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Macon and Swain counties. Cooper eventually appointed former District Court Judge Tessa Sellers to that seat. There have also been changes on the district court bench in the last year. Last summer, Kristina Earwood abruptly left the bench due to the sudden onset of a serious health condition. Her seat was filled by Justin Greene, who was sworn in late last year. In addition, because Sellers vacated her District Court seat to gain the superior court appointment, her seat was filled last month by Kristy Parton. Finally, a Republican Primary Election held earlier this year determined that Macon County’s Virginia Hornsby will join the bench to fill a new judicial position created in last year’s state budget.

Bradley B. Letts. File photo

Community Almanac

$6.9 million

distributed to nonprofits for regional hurricane relief

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) continues to raise funds and distribute grants to nonprofit organizations providing relief and recovery services in Western North Carolina. As of Oct. 31, $6.9 million has been awarded from the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund (EDRF).

Initial grants supported frontline nonprofits meeting immediate needs, and those grants continue to be awarded. Donated photo

Initial grants supported frontline nonprofits meeting immediate needs, and those grants continue to be awarded. Since recovery is uneven across the region, EDRF began supporting repair and remediation. Nonprofits interested in applying can learn more at cfwnc.org.

Anyone wishing to support aid to those affected by the storm can donate to the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund at www.cfwnc.org. Administrative fees are waived so that every dollar goes directly to assistance.

Learn why historic districts matter

At 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18, the speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture” will present the program “More Than Memories — Why Historic Districts Matter” by Stacy Guffey.

By taking an in-depth look at the CoweeWest’s Mill Historic District in northern Macon County, people can discover why historic structures and historic districts improve an area’s social and economic health.

The district, designated by the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, includes the archaeological site and mound of the Cherokee town of Cowee, a major settlement until the time of the Revolutionary War. In the first half of the 19th century, the area became a thriving agricultural community, during which time many of the historic structures were built , including Rickman’s General Store, the predominately African American Pleasant Hill Methodist Church, and Cowee School. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, it became the largest African American community west of the Balsam mountains.

The program will take place at Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin.

Haywood County hosts 33rd annual motorcycle toy run

The 33rd Annual Haywood County Motorcycle Toy Event will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, at Smoky Mountain Steel Horses in Waynesville.

Due to Hurricane Helene and the ongoing issues with recovery, there will not be an escorted parade this year. Registration will open at noon at Steel Horses with entertainment provided by Julie Messer, Walt Wood and Blended Hemp.

A registration fee of $10 per person or a

new unwrapped toy per person is required.

Dicky King & His Kookin’ Krewe will begin serving up delicious BBQ and fixin’s at 1 p.m.

The prized event T-shirts will be on sale at Steel Horses beginning at noon.

Proceeds from this year’s event will be focused on Hurricane Helene recovery through area nonprofit organizations.

WCU baseball doubleheader to support WNC little leagues

Western Carolina University baseball will take on Appalachian State starting at 1 p.m. Nov. 9 at Hennon Stadium on WCU’s campus in Cullowhee to raise funds for little leagues affected by Hurricane Helene.

The double-header promises an exciting day of baseball, bringing fans together from across the region to cheer on these college teams while also giving back to the community.

Proceeds from donations, concessions and special fundraising activities during the games will support Mountaineer (Waynesville), North Asheville and Avery County Little Leagues as they work to repair damaged fields, replace lost equipment and prepare for the upcoming spring 2025 season.

Benefit to raise funds for Bryson City woman’s cancer treatment

There will be a benefit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Riverfront Park (101 Mitchell St.) in Bryson City for June Wiggins (Lowe) Cochran. She was diagnosed recently with non small cell non squamous cell lung cancer. Proceeds will go toward medical and travel expenses.

A variety of vendors will be there, including a food truck. There will be gospel singing all afternoon, so guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

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Jackson’s school improvement plan under question from board member

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

When district leadership presented school improvement plans to the Jackson County Board of Education during its October meeting, one school board member had serious questions about the efficacy of the academic products the school system is employing.

“I would like us as a school board to look a little deeper,” said Board Member Gayle Woody. “We need to ask ourselves, is this program working for us now?”

At the school board’s Oct. 22 meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Angie Dills presented the district’s school improvement plan, as well as plans for each individual school to the board for informational purposes. The school board is set to vote on approving the plans at its November board meeting.

School systems in North Carolina are required by state regulations to submit school improvement plans to the local board of education for review and approval. The plans function as a way of identifying needs and setting goals for school systems and individual schools.

“So my questions is, if it’s not the teachers, it must be the programs. Are we putting too much on them at once?”

— Gayle Woody, Jackson County Board of Education

School improvement plans for the county are available to the public via the JCPS website under the “academics” section.

“This year, the overall district plan strives to increase our EOG and EOC proficiency rates to 60% and our graduation rate to above 94%,” Dills told the board of education in October. “We will continue to focus on data at the district, school and classroom level to guide all of our instruction. We will continue our professional development around LETRS, Science of Reading, Wit & Wisdom, Foundations of Math, Reading Research to Classroom Practice, Fundations and more.”

Testing data from the 2023-24 school year showed six out of nine Jackson County schools met growth standards during the last school year, with 50% of schools in the district designated as low performing. The district’s four-year graduation rate was 84% while the state average was 86.4%. JCPS 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%.

Woody questioned whether the academic programs that JCPS uses are contributing to “declining test scores.”

“I know we have amazing teachers here in Jackson County, and we have amazing administrators,” said Woody. “So my questions is, if it’s not the teachers, it must be the programs. Are we putting too much on them at once? This is a question, I don’t have an answer, but I think as a school system we need to look into it and say how can we best support our teachers to teach and do the job that they started their careers to do?”

Dills explained that state standards are rigorous and that the research-based programs the school system uses helps to maintain pace with what is expected of students at each grade level.

“I see what you’re saying, but there is a lot of pressure on teachers to maintain that state standard of instruction,” said Dills.

Part of the push to use academic programs for reading and math in the district arose from the need to create consistency within the curriculum across the district, which in turn allows for more collaboration among teachers working on the same grade level challenges at different schools. Administration also noted that learning disruptions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic are still impacting students.

“Every district has had COVID,” said Woody. “We can use excuses Mrs. Dills, but I think we also have to be very hard on ourselves and ask the hard questions, is what we’re doing working? When we see test scores going down, I have to say something’s not working, and I’m totally convinced it’s not our teachers.”

Dills invited school board members to tour schools and observe lessons in action before making any moves to remove academic programs from the classroom. Chairman Wes Jamison said the board should dig a little bit deeper into the data to help understand where things may be lacking on a grade-by-grade basis. The board is set to vote on school improvement plans at its November meeting.

Connecting local businesses with the outside world

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Challenges still abound after Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina a little over a month ago. But one resource created by local leaders in economic development is aiming to put WNC businesses on the map and connect the local economy with the outside world.

“We know the different communities in our region, but people outside of the area do not,” said Leniece Lane, interim director of Rutherfordton’s Main Street Program and creator of ShopWNC. “By collectively covering all of Western North Carolina, we give them a one-stop shop for our entire region with links to each community and their businesses.”

After Hurricane Helene hit the region, communications were down for several days. But when internet and cellphone service began to return, there was an overload of information on ways to help the region coming from a vast array of sources.

Jackson County was open for business.

“Visit NC and the entire TDA network across the state did a great job with color coding things based on roadways being open, cell service, grocery availability, fuel availability, that sort of thing, to have that check and balance system so people could see what they were getting into if they were coming here,” said Peters.

The ShopWNC site aims to compile all this information into a sort of services directory that provides a way for people to search by community, town or type of business for those that have online shopping. Businesses that are open but do not have online shop-

ping are listed as well but have been separated out so that people who are just looking to shop online can easily navigate the businesses that provide that option. The site also lists service-based businesses.

“It seemed like every community was trying to get the word out to help their businesses,” said Lane. “Talking with others in the area that were struggling with the same issues, we collectively thought it would be great if all these were in one place, divided by community. That way people who wanted to help support our businesses or find out what was open and accessible could have one single source for finding that information.”

Lane built the ShopWNC site and has had integral help from Sylva’s Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters, Boone’s Downtown Development Coordinator Lane Moody and Joanna Brown of Mountain Bizworks.

“The challenge in my area was that, like most towns who avoided that extreme weather, we had to also work with the businesses who are used to having a lot of leaf lookers in this time of year in order to prepare for the winter where things are a little leaner,” Peters told the Sylva Town Board during its Oct. 22 meeting.

After the initial shock of getting merchants in Sylva back up and running, processing credits cards offline while communications were down and connecting businesses to functioning internet services, Peters turned her attention to dealing with the perception that all of Western North Carolina was closed to visitors. She worked alongside Jackson County’s Tourism Development Authority, Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce to create a communication strategy so visitors would know that

“Julie [Donaldson, of Jackson County Chamber of Commerce] and I worked together to put all of the Jackson County businesses, as many as we could, in there,” said Peters. “It is still in the process of being fully built out.”

ShopWNC is still collecting listings for every town in Western North Carolina and is receiving business and community submissions daily.

“We hope this continues to grow and be a resource not only for visitors to find out information about our region, but also a resource for our region to help identify business and community needs,” said Lane.

Right now, the site has over 46 communities and over 730 businesses listed on its site. Since the site launched it has had over 7,000 visitors and several businesses have told Lane they have received multiple online orders from outside the region.

While the site began as a way to organize information into one place and help support small communities that don’t have the resources to build a similar product on their own, Lane and her team have identified other opportunities for the resource moving forward — communicating opportunities for grants, loans and funding, and collaborating across the region between different Main Street organizations, Chambers of Commerce and Tourism Development Authorities.

“We hope to use it as a communication and collection tool to help tie together other efforts and opportunities and make them known to the larger region,” said Lane.

Memorial scholarship established to assist nontraditional art students at WCU

Nontraditional students working to earn a degree in an art-related major at Western Carolina University soon will have financial assistance to help them pursue their passion, thanks to a memorial scholarship fund established by the family of a recent WCU graduate who earned his degree after the age of 30.

Zachary J. Schneider, a resident of Asheville who graduated from WCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in art, died Aug. 17, 2024, from complications related to cancer treatment. Family and friends are making gifts and pledges totaling $25,000 to create the Zachary J. Schneider Endowed Scholarship in his honor.

When fully funded, the endowment will provide support to students in WCU’s School of Art and Design, with a preference to undergraduates aged 30 or older who are majoring in art, art education or art history.

“Zack was a nontraditional student. He was 32 years old when he applied to WCU,” said his father, David Schneider. “He was thrilled to apply for and be selected for a scholarship his last year at WCU. The scholarship was specifically for students over 30. It gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment as well as much-needed financial support. It’s important to us to provide this opportunity to more later-in-life nontraditional students.”

Raised on North Carolina’s coast in Jacksonville, Zack Schneider was known as a lifelong learner and creative individual. His passion for the arts and his love of learning led him to earn multiple degrees from Coastal Carolina Community College before continuing his education at WCU.

During his time in Cullowhee, he participated in many gallery shows and contributed as an exhibit assistant at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Family members described him as someone who deeply believed in the transformative power of artistic expression.

eclectic community, strong arts program – and the furthest point west in North Carolina from Jacksonville.”

After earning his degree from WCU in 2023, Zack Schneider moved to Asheville, where he was employed at a department store while pursuing his artistic endeavors.

Less than a year after he graduated, doctors discovered a cancerous mass in his chest in February 2024. He received chemotherapy for three months but became ill in June after completing his last treatment. He was admitted to the hospital in July with pneumonia and bleomycin toxicity, both complications from chemotherapy. He remained hospitalized until his death in August at the age of 37.

His family decided to establish a scholarship fund in his memory to continue his legacy by supporting similar nontraditional students in their creative pursuits.

“Zachary really blossomed at WCU. It’s where he hit his stride, feeling like he was part of a creative community that he loved. He made friends, supported other students and grew his artistic interests and technical skills. Zach loved working in his studio space at WCU, walking the campus and being part of the WCU art community. He was so proud to be a WCU student and alumnus,” Hannah Schneider said.

Zachary J. Schneider, a resident of Asheville who graduated from WCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in art, died Aug. 17, 2024, from complications related to cancer treatment. Donated photo

“Art was always Zack’s anchor, where he felt comfortable and where he could immerse himself with a deep dive when he needed a reset. Art gave Zack a welcoming community and a place where he could connect with and support others. Art and creativity brought out the best in Zack,” his mother, Patsy Schneider, said.

“The impact the scholarship will have on nontraditional art students like Zack is noteworthy. Nontraditional students often have families or are starting again in a new career.”

— Ron Laboray, Director, WCU School of Art & Design

“We hope this scholarship will provide someone with not only the opportunity to explore their creative talent and develop their technique, but also provide them an opportunity to be part of a community where they can contribute and grow,” she said.

Schneider initially discovered WCU through friends who attended the university.

“He fell in love with the area when he visited the mountains,” his sister, Hannah Schneider, said. “After a short break from school after attending CCCC, he felt compelled to return and earn his bachelor’s degree. WCU checked all his boxes – small campus, beautiful mountains,

Faculty and staff in WCU’s School of Art and Design expressed sadness at the news of Zach Schneider’s death and appreciation for the scholarship fund in his memory.

“Zach was one of my most enthusiastic painting and drawing students,” said Ron Laboray, director of the School of Art and Design. “He would visit my studio every week with enthusiasm and interest, excited about new processes and techniques. Zach stood out among the painting students as someone with a confidence in class critique, and he spoke about other students’ work with complexity and empathy. He was one of those students that would benefit the entire group with his commitment to his studio and dynamic but gentle personality.  I know he inspired many of his peers to make better work.”

Beth Moore, administrative support associate for the School of Art and Design, said that Schneider will be missed.

“Zachary was an enthusiastic student who went out of his way to help others. He stopped by my office frequently to discuss a variety of topics, and he always had a smile and a nice word,” Moore said.

Laboray called the Zachary J. Schneider Endowed Scholarship a valuable addition to the School of Art and Design’s student scholarship program.

“The impact the scholarship will have on nontraditional art students like Zack is noteworthy. Nontraditional students often have families or are starting again in a new career,” he said. “The value of scholarship support enables students to feel prepared for learning and provides the ability to be focused on mastering skills. Scholarship support can provide room to breathe and learn and the option to buy those supplies that were out of reach.”

The creation of the Zachary J. Schneider Endowed Scholarship Fund comes as WCU approaches the public launch of its “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $75 million for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

For more information about the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign or to make a contribution, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828.227.7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.

To make a contribution to the Schneider Scholarship Fund, visit give.wcu.edu/Zachary.

Here’s to rolling with the changes

I’m a ripened 64, and I still love real newspapers. However, my affinity for online browsing is also taking root.

Statistics show that many my age are making the same transition.

I’ve spent the better part of my life with newspapers. From the time I was 10 years old, the morning paper ritual was well established in our home. Both my mother and father were avid wake up to coffee and the newspaper types, and I got hooked early. Perusing sports, my favorite columnists as I got older, never missing a day by the time I was in high school. That addiction followed me to college at Appalachian State University, where I would rise way before classes to consume the paper and coffee, either in cafeteria or at a local drugstore/diner on King Street that served the best damn fried doughnuts I’ve ever eaten.

And so perhaps it’s not surprising that I built a career in this business. I wave off accusations that reporters and editors are flawed and not to be trusted, that we are part of the problem. To the contrary, trusted newspapers and news sites are what keeps us from the sewer that social media and unethical and fake news websites would drag us into if we were OK with ignoring facts.

Here’s something I’ve found to be true as more people move toward more online news consumption: those who get their online news from “newspaper” sites like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and local newspaper sites can generally differentiate between fact and fiction. Those who get their news from television talking heads —

who don’t hide the fact that they are spouting opinions — or online ideologues or social media often reveal in polls that they have a hard time differentiating what’s true and what isn’t.

All these thoughts about digital news consumption came to mind after I read that the New York Times, the granddaddy of U.S. journalism, surpassed 11 million paid digital subscribers in September. That’s the most subscribers among what started out as a newspaper and now is — sort of like many of the newspapers in WNC and across the country — transitioning to a digital plus print business model. Executives with the company say the goal is 15 million online subscribers.

Hurricanes, regional politics, local city and county news, art and music, what’s happening in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and our national forests, our waterways, it’s all information important to people who call this place home. It’s the kind of news you’ll find in our paper and on our site. Most of us want to know about the place we call home and this country we live in.

Since we started this newspaper in 1999, I’ve kept a close eye on newspapers around this region, have watched as paid subscriptions have declined, as efforts to attract digital audiences and advertising have intensified. While many areas of

An epic win for my beloved Dodgers

When my time comes, if there is some gathering for people to pick over my days and ways, I expect someone will inevitably say, “That old boy loved baseball and would bore you silly talking about the damned Dodgers. How many times did he tell you that a baseball season was like an epic novel? Or whine about losing that 1978 World Series against the Yankees? And the funniest part is that he couldn’t play the game, not a lick.”

They’re right, these grievers griping over my dead body. I love baseball — and those Dodgers especially — as much as I love “The Andy Griffith Show,” another lifelong obsession that will be kicked around by mourners, several of whom had to endure my reenactment of certain scenes from the show (“Did he ever make you sit through his Ernest T. Bass medley?”).

It is true that I could not play baseball at all, not even a little bit, not a lick. I played baseball like Barney Fife sang. For all I know,

the team may have scheduled secret practices without telling me.

It seemed that the worse I got at the game, the more I loved it. As a kid, I used every cent of my allowance to buy baseball cards, eventually accumulating hundreds and hundreds of them. I kept the Dodgers cards separate, in one of my grandpa’s cigar boxes.

During the season, I followed the box scores every day in the paper, memorizing statistics and monitoring the standings, trying to will the Dodgers to the top of the National League West.

I could name every player on the team, even the bench guys. I wore my Dodgers baseball cap everywhere, even school, until my teachers made me take it off. At night, I’d listen to the Atlanta Braves

this country are in what is known as news deserts — no local newspaper, no local online news source — that’s not the case for us in Western North Carolina.

For us at The Smoky Mountain News, these are exciting times to be in this fray. We are among the few free online news sites in this region, and with your support we hope to keep it that way. In October, we had about 180,000 unique visitors to our website. I haven’t gone back and checked all our data, but that’s probably a record. Hurricane Helene struck and people wanted news. Our reporters were out in the storm and providing all the information they could.

Our daily e-newsletters are seeing much higher than the industry average open rates. These daily dispatches are an important part of our digital strategy, and we have nearly 8,000 subscribers. If you aren’t getting these, I’d encourage you to sign up.

I haven’t mentioned the election or the latest regarding clean-up and repair from Hurricane Helene. So, here’s my mention: we’re still providing plenty of coverage on these important issues. But we’re also looking ahead as we continue with our strategy of providing a real newspaper each week (to which you can subscribe and have delivered weekly to your real mailbox) and continuing to offer more online offerings for those so inclined.

This business, like many, is changing right before our eyes. You’ve got to roll with those changes or throw in the towel. Here’s to keeping on rolling.

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

radio broadcasts, especially if they were playing the Dodgers.

During the offseason, I could hardly stand the wait until the winter meetings, when the general managers for all the teams in the Major League would meet and make trades, all trying to improve their teams. There was nothing I loved more than a blockbuster trade, when the Dodgers added exciting new players to the roster.

Yes, baseball IS like an epic novel! There are so many plot twists, heroes and villains, ridiculous contrivances, bitter disappointments, unresolved conflicts, and crisis points. The good guy doesn’t always win. Sometimes the bad guy does. Sometimes, even the Yankees do. It’s not fair, but that’s why it is epic. There is so much to endure, to relish, to overcome.

I have a dogged little group of fellow Dodger fans — think of us as a book club — and every year, we “read” the season together, commiserating over slumps and injuries and decisions made by the manager or the front

office, texting every night the team is playing, even in the preseason but especially in the postseason, when every pitch, every at bat, is analyzed, debated, and marveled over.

In this season’s novel, well before the season actually began, the Dodgers added a thrilling new protagonist, Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, to the narrative. Critics wondered whether he would be worth the unimaginable contract he had signed, while others dreamed of him hitting a grand slam to win the World Series.

I bought tickets to see the Dodgers play two games during Memorial Day weekend against the Reds in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, that chapter in the novel was pretty lousy. The Dodgers lost both games, even the one pitched by Walker Buehler, their former ace trying — and apparently failing — to recover from his second Tommy John surgery.

“He’s done,” I told Tammy after he had surrendered about seven earned runs in three innings. “He’s toast. He’s just not

Air the laundry. The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome.

Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786

Editor Scott McLeod

Columnist

Chris Cox F

Hats off to Mountain Research Station

To the Editor:

The Haywood Gleaners wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Mountain Research Station for their recent invitation to glean two of their beautiful fields, one of tomatoes and the other bell peppers. Not that this was unusual for them to invite us since we’ve been on their generous list of gleaning invites for years, but the timing of this glean just post disaster of Hurricane Helene was most appreciated. The fresh produce was well received by various food distribution centers as it complemented the other donated food stuffs they were sharing with folks.

Thanks also go out to the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville for sharing

our need for volunteers which included WCU and Tuscola students, families, and single individuals from as far away as Bryson City. This was critical to the effort since internet interruptions interfered with our gleaning call for the most part of our membership.

LETTERS

The three days of gleaning netted nearly 6,000 pounds of beautiful produce which was shared with Haywood Christian Ministries, The First United Methodist Church of both Waynesville and Maggie Valley, the Pigeon Center, and Grace Episcopal Church in the Mountains.

James Geenen, The Haywood Gleaning CORE Group Waynesville

the same guy anymore.”

The Dodgers eventually came out of the slump and ended up with the best record in baseball, despite limping into the playoffs with their injury-riddled pitching rotation in shambles. Down two games to one against San Diego in the first round of the playoffs, they were one game from elimination and had to survive a bullpen game during which the team used seven different pitchers to shut out the Padres. And then they shut them out again in game five to advance.

After vanquishing the New York Mets in six games to win the pennant, the Dodgers faced those damned Yankees once again in the World Series. I had read this book before, several times.

Forty-six years ago, when I was a skinny sophomore in high school, the Dodgers played the Yankees in the World Series. After they won the first two games, I presented my Yankee-loving algebra teacher — who also happened to be the varsity baseball coach — some crying towels prior to class.

Have I mentioned the danger of hubris? How some characters, whether they are in the novel or merely reading it, are in need of a serious comeuppance?

The Yankees won the next four games and the Dodgers lost the World Series, shattering my heart and making the rest of that year in

algebra class a pure delight.

So when the Dodgers won the first two games of this year’s World Series against the Yankees and there were some whispers in our little club of a possible sweep, I said, “Stop it right now before I give you some algebra problems to solve.”

Indeed, the Dodgers did stumble, and when the Yankees went up 5-0 in game five, that old feeling of dread began to set in, the gloominess of an Edgar Allan Poe story. But then the Yankees inexplicably imploded, committing three little league errors in the fifth inning, allowing the Dodgers to tie the game and eventually take the lead.

Then, in the ninth inning, with the Dodgers ahead by a single, slender run, they turned to Walker Buehler to clinch it.

Observant readers will remember my declaration that Buehler’s career was over many chapters earlier, but here he was, the protagonist trying to slay the dragon.

At my wake, I hope somebody says, “When Buehler got that third out, that old boy and his wife jumped around for 15 minutes, whooping and hollering like a bunch of kids. He never did grow up, but he sure did love those Dodgers.”

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. His columns can be found on Substack at substack.com/@chriscox2.)

Being kind

A conversation with Larry Keel

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD A&E EDITOR

When it comes to bluegrass guitar pickin’-n-grinnin’ — hell, acoustic guitar playing, in general — one name high atop the mountain of whirlwind notes and pure musical talent is Larry Keel.

A Virginia native, Keel has called the southwestern corner of the state home for decades. Residing in the depths of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, Keel meanders up and down the spine of Interstate 81 to innumerable gigs across the country — from backwoods front porches to the bright lights of big city stages.

From a very young age, Keel was exposed to the intricate layers and sonic prowess of bluegrass and mountain music. Between the lyrical honesty and the sheer power and grace one can harness on an instrument made up of just wood and wire, Keel found deep solidarity and passion for string music through his guitar.

That thirst for musicianship is something that’s brought the singer-songwriter great acclaim and respect in the industry throughout the years. Most notably, taking home first place at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival guitar competition twice (1993, 1996). Since the late 1990s, his group, the Larry Keel Experience, has been a mainstay within the bluegrass and jam-band festival circuits.

Now 55, Keel remains steadfast and hungry on this eternal quest for melodic knowledge, curious adventure, purposeful connectivity and genuine fellowship through the universal language of music.

Smoky Mountain News: When was the first time you were aware of what bluegrass was?

Larry Keel: My father was a banjo and a guitar player. My brother played guitar and sang some. So, they were always going to festivals in the region — Old Fiddler’s Convention [in Galax, Virginia], playing dance halls and firehouses. And they had a lot

of friends that played music. I just sort of grew up around it.

SMN: Having that influence early on, what is it about that genre of music that keeps you in it?

LK: Well, it’s the story of our people. The people in the mountains, hardships and good times, the lives they lived. And it will always be in me. I can try to run away from it or whatever and cover a Bob Marley tune or Jimi Hendrix tune, but it’s still there. You can’t hide it. You can run, but you can’t hide. [Laughs].

SMN: And you can’t hide behind anything onstage. It’s just you, that string instrument and your voice. There’s a lot of vulnerability, but also transparency to the whole thing.

LK: Absolutely. And a lot of times now when we play, we also use different effects on the instruments because we’re a three-piece [band] most of the time, so it takes everything to sort of make a big, rocking show. It takes our musicianship. It takes our singing and our stage presence. The volume and the effects can send it in another direction, you know?

SMN: You straddle so many different genre lines, where you’re accepted in the bluegrass, Americana and rock-n-roll communities. Was that always something in your head of all those different influences or is that just how the cards fell?

LK: For me, I’m a big mix of all of it. Rock-n-roll. Bluegrass. Jazz. I love classical music. I just try to absorb every bit of it. And it’s influenced my songwriting to a point where I write a lot of different types of music. I might write a techno-style song or a blues song or rock-n-roll song or whatnot. I’ve always tried to walk to the beat of my own drum that way.

SMN: Which is interesting, because bluegrass can be so purist, where “if you’re in our camp, you can’t be in other camps.”

LK: Exactly. And for me, I don’t know, maybe they’ve given me a day pass. I’m not in the club yet. [Laughs]. And I love good bluegrass. I love playing with the great ones like Del McCoury and Peter Rowan — both of those guys stretch the boundaries quite a bit and I just love it.

I look at it as, “if something doesn’t grow, it’s probably going to die off.” It’s like plants and everything. I’m a gardener, so I think that way. And it’s really good to see these young bands like Greensky Bluegrass that go out and they’re playing to a thousand people or more just about everywhere they go.

I mean, it’s not traditional bluegrass, but it’s still bluegrass and the kids like it. And so, to me, I see the younger generation preserving bluegrass music. Traditionalist bluegrass people probably wouldn’t think that, they want to play it exactly the way it should go and that’s understandable.

But, I enjoy the music more than I ever have at this point, which is a true blessing. It really is. I’m still writing music and getting ideas, which is wonderful. And I’m surrounded by young musicians that have all kinds of ideas. It keeps me feeling great.

SMN: And yet, bluegrass purists tend to forget that Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass,” was a rebel. The music was created in rebellion.

LK: Absolutely. He was the original alternative music man. I mean, he was playing blues on his mandolin, playing with piano players and horn players and everything. He created a brand-new [style of] music.

SMN: What has the culmination of your experiences thus far — onstage, on the road and simply daily life itself — taught you about what it means to be a human being?

LK: It teaches me to have compassion and to be kind. You never really know what anybody’s going through at any given second. I think you should try hard to help somebody out along the way or bring a smile or like I say at a show, just “come out and see us and forget about your troubles” — let’s all get on a good brain wave and have fun for a minute.

Want to go?

Featuring world-class culinary treats and marquee musical acts, the annual Highlands Food & Wine Festival will be held Nov. 7-10 at various venues within the community.

• Thursday, Nov. 7: “Grand Tasting” w/Love Canon at The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts.

• Friday, Nov. 8: “Truckin’” w/Wilder Woods & Alex Lambert at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park.

• Saturday, Nov. 9: “Main Event” w/Greensky Bluegrass and Larry Keel & Jon Stickley.

• Sunday, Nov. 10: “A Shot at Redemption” w/Futurebirds and Lee Fields & Abraham Alexander.

For more information, a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandsfoodandwine.com.

Larry Keel will play Highlands Nov. 9. File photos Highlands Food & Wine Festival.

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘You can capture every instant, live your life like it’s a stage’

It was nearing midnight last Saturday when I found myself in a circle of friends in the small, cozy sitting nook between the front door and the bar counter of The Scotsman in Waynesville.

Most were dear friends of mine that have been happily acquired throughout the 12 years of my existence living and working in Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina. The rest were new faces, now greatly enjoyed in conversation and friendship, through our combined efforts in putting together and seamlessly executing the recent “Rock for Relief: A WNC Flood Benefit Festival.”

It was just about a month ago when we first came together with an idea to put on a free daylong music festival around Waynesville and surrounding communities. Offer up this opportunity for folks to gather and immerse themselves in the soothing sounds of live music after so much sorrow and despair with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene occuring in our backyard.

Each of us involved in piecing the puzzle together and launching “Rock for Relief” was specialized in particular areas needed in pulling this huge event off. For myself, it was using my background in event production, media marketing and calling up an array of marquee artists up and inquiring about auction donations.

The others were incredibly talented in the nonprofit sector, audio engineering, stage management, graphic design, etc. A true murderer’s row of genuine human beings looking to help out where help is needed. And to also plan out this massive musical bash aimed at providing funds for local nonprofit Mountain Projects, as well as funds garnered for the “Rock for Relief Musicians Fund.”

Thus, beyond the countless hours and innumerable emails/texts between one another in tying up all the loose ends, we’d all meet up each Tuesday evening throughout the entire month of October, checking in on what’s been done and what’s left to do. Logistics planned out. Band lineups and venue schedules figured out.

On my end of things, it was an onslaught of phone calls around the music industry to seek out and obtain particular items of interest for the silent and live auctions.

Autographed posters from Widespread Panic, Red Clay Strays, Duane Betts, Trampled By Turtles, The Avett Brothers, The Nude Party, etc. Signed guitars from Goose, Red Clay Strays (again), Edwin McCain and Cody Jinks. And the brand new six-string acoustic from Teton Guitars.

It was overwhelming to be in the midst of such generosity, to once again feel justified in the reasons I’ve called the music industry home for the last 20 years of my life. Music not only brings us together, it’s also a powerful tool and unlimited resource for positive, tangible change in a modern world seemingly gone mad.

And so, Saturday, Nov. 2, finally arrived after being circled on the calendar like some holiday for us music freaks eagerly awaiting an entire day of live music — the jovial knowns of cherished acts, the intrinsic beauty of encountering an unknown band just when you needed their songs most — like some overzealous kid on running down the stairs to the tree on Christmas.

Bursting out of the gate at high noon, the final total of entities involved included over 60 artists at 16 venues. All onstage time and spaces allotted were donated in an effort to boost the cause. And much gratitude to the handful of volunteers who donated time to us. The whirlwind of sound took off like rocket early Saturday afternoon at Frog Level Brewing Company and didn’t stop charging ahead until early Sunday morning at the Water’n Hole Bar & Grille.

During the auction portion of the evening, I found myself standing in front of a large crowd, microphone in-hand at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club and, one-byone, going through the list of prized items to be bid on. As the auctioneer and stage emcee, it’s always a blast to hype folks up and get everyone within earshot in the spirit of the moment — the here and now of being present with each other in a fast-moving universe all too precious and fleeting.

To preface, as a lifelong minimalist, I don’t collect many things. All I care about for creature comforts is a big shelf full of my favorite books and a few stacks of the finest vinyl records on the planet. That’s about it, with the main thing I’ve actually collected being concert posters. I cultivated hundreds of posters from performances big and small in my travels across America and beyond.

Up until the flood last month, the collection was housed safely in a storage unit in Canton, not far up the hill from the Pigeon River. The hope was that maybe someday if my girlfriend, Sarah, and I ever bought a

HOT PICKS

1

Haywood Community Band will present “Songs of America” honoring our veterans at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at Haywood Community College’s Hemlock Auditorium in Clyde.

2

Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center will present “Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Bluegrass, Ballads, and Tall Tales” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at WCU’s Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee.

3

Renowned blues act Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville.

4

U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion Jamie Laval will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Balsam Mountain Inn in Balsam.

5

A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8-9, 15-16 and 2 p.m. Nov. 10 and 17 on the Fangmeyer Stage at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

home, I could finally have a room of my own to display these beloved memories of pure melodic magic.

Sadly, when we went to check out our storage unit a few days after the floodwaters receded, our pile of possessions was reduced to a sludgy mess of sewage water and mud. Whatever was “salvageable” became a few posters ripped and covered in mud, but you could still make out the words and artwork of the events. It was better than nothing, I suppose, as I tossed the rest of’em in the dumpster.

So, when the “Rock for Relief” auction came up, I had my eye on one particular item, this incredibly mesmerizing poster from a Widespread Panic gig last year in Charleston, South Carolina (pictured). It was signed by the band, too, which just upped the cool factor. I placed my bid and crossed my fingers.

But, when the auction ended, I lost the bid to a nice gentleman from Asheville, one who I had the pleasure of chatting with by chance earlier that day. No matter, I was just happy the poster raised a nice chunk of money to help folks in need in our area. When he went to pay for the poster, I walked him over to the auction table for processing and so forth.

Standing at the table, his payment went through and I wished him well, but not before he turned to me and said, “Here, I want you to have this to start your collection again.” I was stunned by the gesture and immediately gave that kind soul a big bear hug of appreciation. “Your generosity and your kindness and your enthusiasm are inspiring,” he went on to say before departing.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

The Widespread Panic auction poster.

Garret K. Woodward photo

On the beat

Fiddle virtuoso returns to WNC

U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion Jamie Laval will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Balsam Mountain Inn in Balsam.

Laval takes his audience on a musical journey through Scotland, Ireland and Brittany, evocatively reimagining Gaelic love songs, rustic peasant dances and recounting mythic tales from the ancient Celtic world.

Throughout his extensive career, Laval has given a private performance for Her Majesty the Queen, appeared on Dave Matthews’ platinum “Some Devil” album and presented a TEDx Talk on the value of arts and music in our communities.

Laval’s 2012 release, “Murmurs and Drones,” won the popular vote for “Best World Traditional Album” at the Independent Music Awards.

Admission is $30 per person. A dinner and a show option is also available for $55 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to thebalsammountaininn.com.

‘Songs of America’ at HCC

The Haywood Community Band will present “Songs of America” honoring our veterans at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at Haywood Community College’s Hemlock Auditorium in Clyde.

The final concerts of the 2024 season for the HCB will be the “Sounds of the Season” at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Calvary Road Baptist Church in Maggie Valley.

All shows are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit haywoodcommunityband.com.

Mountain Layers gets the blues

Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City

Dubbed “music to grow your hair out to,” the Murphy musician, whose real name is Gavin Graves, is well-regarded in this region for his mix of blues and roots music into a unique Southern Appalachian tone.

The show is free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Doug & Lisa Nov. 16. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Roots & Dore (Americana) Nov. 9 and Human Nip (rock) Nov. 16. 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 Laney & Bishop (Americana) 5 p.m. Nov. 10. For tickets and reservations, go to cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/livemusic.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Jazz On The Level 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Laura Thurston (singer-songwriter) Nov. 6, Astro Record Store Day 5 p.m. Nov. 8, Rudy’s Rhythm & Review Nov. 8, Jim Cook (singersongwriter) Nov. 9, Patty M. (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Nov. 10, Abbey Winters (singersongwriter) Nov. 13, Different Light Nov. 15, Jesse Velvet (singer-songwriter) Nov. 16 and Phil Thomas (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Nov. 17. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Rock Holler Nov. 9 and Blue Jazz Nov. 15. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Scotty McCreery (country) 9 p.m. Nov. 15. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” on Thursday evenings, “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and B.J. Barham (of American Aquarium) 8:30 p.m. Nov. 21 (admission is $50 per person). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.

donation $20. Located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/Frank Lee every Wednesday, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Nov. 8, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) Nov. 9, Woolybooger (folk/blues) 5 p.m. Nov. 10, Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) Nov. 15 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) 5 p.m. Nov. 17. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host James Thompson (Americana) 6 p.m. Nov. 15. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. 770.335.0967 / go2ottonc.com.

• 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 Nov. 8, Gavin Byrd (singersongwriter) Nov. 9, Lisa Boone (singer-songwriter) Nov. 14, Steve Vaclavik (singer-songwriter) Nov. 15 and Bo Bullman (singersongwriter) Nov. 16. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Alma Russ (Americana/folk) Nov. 7, Spiro Nicolopoulos Blues Apocalypse (blues/rock) Nov. 8, Rich Manz Trio (rock/folk) Nov. 14 and Random Acts Of Music Nov. 15. 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 host Steve Vaclavik (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Nov. 8, Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) 5 p.m. Nov. 9 and David Potter (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Nov. 10. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Marty Haggard (country/folk) 7 p.m. Nov. 15. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) Nov. 9 and Madison Owenby (soul/country) Nov. 16. 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, Ray Ferrara (rock/ folk) Nov. 8 and Madison Owenby (soul/country) Nov. 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Listening Room (Franklin) will host Lara Herscovitch 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8. Suggested

• Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host Brother (rock/indie) 2 p.m. Nov. 9. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students. 828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke Night w/Lori Nov. 7 (free), Tricia Ann Band (country/rock) Nov. 8, Outlaw Whiskey (classic rock/country gold) Nov. 9, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Nov. 14 (free), Macon County Line Nov. 15 and Lori & The Freighshakers (classic rock/country gold) Nov. 16. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com.

• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts

Jamie Laval will play Balsam Nov. 10. Donated photo

The HCB will play Clyde Nov. 10. File photo

Woolybooger. File photo

On the wall

‘Small Works’ exhibit

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.

The annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curated exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee.

With dozens of artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays — ways of celebrating and ways of experiencing holidays.

For more information, go to haywoodarts.org.

A FREE FUNDRAISER

• “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition” will be displayed through Dec. 6 at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee. The reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. Featuring the works of WCU’s graduating seniors from the School of Art & Design, this exhibition highlights their comprehensive course of study at WCU’s School of Art & Design and serves as a preface to their forthcoming careers as professional artists. wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Free Community Art Day” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 16. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.

• “Art & Artisan Walk” will be held from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (May-December) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yellow and blue balloons identifying participating busi-

to support HCC students impacted by Hurricane Helene

nesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.

• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host an adult arts and crafts program at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.

• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, go to cre828.com. dawn@cre828.com / 828.283.0523.

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. 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.

ALSO:

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. haywoodarts.org.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. jcgep.org.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. dogwoodcrafters.com/classes / 828.586.2248.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. coweeschool.org/events.

Haywood Arts to offer Helene support grants

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) in Waynesville has announced the launch of the HCAC Helene Support Grant.

Designed to provide financial assistance to HCAC artist members who have been significantly impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the application process is currently underway. Funding will range from $300 to $1,500.

“We are deeply appreciative of the generosity shown by our community,” said Tonya Harwood, executive director of HCAC. “After the cancellation of our Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Festival, we asked ticket holders if they wanted a refund or if they would prefer to donate to our Helene Relief Fund. We were overwhelmed when more than half of them chose to donate. Additionally, we have received private donations to support our artist members, and we couldn’t be more grateful for this outpouring of support.”

The Helene Support Grant is intended for individual artists, providing critical relief as they recover from the storm’s impact on their lives and livelihoods. Eligible artists must be active members of the HCAC as of September 2024 and must be working in one of the following artistic fields: craft, literary, media, performing, visual or interdis-

ciplinary arts.

Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must be an HCAC artist member as of September 2024 and be 18 years of age.

Available to artists and creatives who have experienced loss due to Hurricane Helene, including loss of a studio, home, supplies or income.

Applicants must have been affected by Hurricane Helene.

This grant is intended for individual artists; nonprofits are not eligible for this opportunity.

The HCAC is committed to supporting local artists who contribute so much to the cultural fabric of our mountain community. With these funds, artists can begin to recover and rebuild after the storm’s devastation.

For more details about the Helene Support Grant and to submit an application, please visit haywoodarts.org/grants-funding or contact the HCAC at director@haywoodarts.org.

Those interested in helping HCAC provide relief to local artists affected by Hurricane Helene can donate directly to the Helene Relief Fund at givebutter.com/jV0xzR.

File photo

On the beat

‘Echoes Across the Smokies’

The Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center will present “Echoes

Across the Smokies: A Night of Bluegrass, Ballads, and Tall Tales” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at WCU’s Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee.

This will be an unforgettable event celebrating the rich tapestry of mountain culture. The evening begins with storytelling trio Sheila Kay Adams, Donna Ray Norton and William Ritter as they share ballads that will transport audience members through the generations.

Headlining the event is acclaimed Americana act The Kruger Brothers accompanied by a string quartet, which will offer up a unique blend of bluegrass, folk and classical influences. Admission is $5 for WCU students, $15 for non-WCU students, $20 for WCU faculty/staff, $20 for adults 65+ and $25 for adults.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to wcuarts.universitytickets.com.

Blues legend comes to Hayesville

Renowned blues act Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville.

A world-renowned blues musician and South Carolina native, Arnold began playing music in the 1950s when he and his brother built a guitar from a steel gas can, broomsticks, wood, nails and screen wire.

His first band, J Floyd & the Shamrocks, included a young James Brown on piano. As a member of the Muddy Waters’ band, he helped shape the electric blues sound that inspired rock and roll of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Regular guests of the band included Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop.

They’ve shared the stage with Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams and Big Mama Thornton. Arnold’s band Soul Invaders backed up iconic musicians such as B.B. King, The Temptations, Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker and Little Milton.

In Los Angeles, Arnold worked for ABC Television’s “Soul Train” band and provided his distinctive bass lines for the theme song of the hit television show “Sanford and Son.”

On the street

• Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, on Main Street in Franklin. The parade will leave from the Franklin Town Hall. The Veterans Ceremony will follow in the Gazebo on the Town Square. Lineup begins at 10 a.m. For more information, call the Franklin

Among his numerous awards are the Folk Heritage Award (2006), “Best Historical Album of the Year” (2010), an honorary doctorate of music from the University of South Carolina and induction into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame (2017).

Though retiring in the 1990s to become an organic farmer, Arnold returned to the music scene when he formed the Plate Full O’Blues band in 2006.

Tickets are $36.50 for adults and $32.50 for students/military/ages 65 and over. Children ages eight and under are $12.50. Doors at 7 p.m.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.389.ARTS or visit on thepeacocknc.org.

Town Hall at 828.524.2516 or email events@franklinnc.com.

• “Polar Express” train ride will resume rides on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.

The Kruger Brothers. File photo

Mac Arnold. File photo

HART presents ‘The Mousetrap’

‘The Mousetrap’ will be at HART on select dates this fall. Donated photo

A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8-9, 15-16 and 2 p.m. Nov. 10 and 17 on the Fangmeyer Stage 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 anxi-

eties 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.

To note, 50% of profits from ticket sales for “The Mousetrap” will go to local flood victims as a result of Hurricane Helene.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.

• Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) will host a special stage production of “Finding Nemo Jr.” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 and 2 p.m. Nov. 9-10 on the Lloyd Main Stage at HART in Waynesville. Tickets are $22 for adults, $12 for students/children. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage

On the table

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.

ALSO:

• “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.

productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. highlandsperformingarts.com.

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.

HART photo

Of war and peace: novels for Veterans Day

According to surveys and government data cited in the online article “The Changing Face of America’s Veteran Population,” 40 years ago about 18% of Americans were veterans. Today that number stands at 6%.

In 1975, 81% of our U.S. senators had once worn the uniform. Today only 17% can make that claim. As for the House of Representatives, in 1967 75% of the members of our House of Representatives had served in the military, while in 2024 that number has dropped to 18%.

For years now, news reports and commentaries have commented on the growing gap between those in American who have military experience versus those who have never served. Some Americans may no longer even know someone in military. Whereas from my boyhood and youth I can dredge up from memory several dozen names and faces of men who had fought fascism in World War II or who had gone off to the war in Vietnam, today I know of only two young men currently in our armed forces, one in the Army and one in the Marines.

range.

Anton Myrer’s 1968 “Once an Eagle” often tops the reading lists of our military officers and service academies. Myrer, a Marine Corps veteran who saw action in the Pacific during World War II, centers his novel on Sam Damon, an Army enlisted man who rises through the ranks of command from World War I right up to the fighting in Southeast Asia. Myrer’s book is an excellent study of leadership and command both in war and peace. Despite the half-century that has passed since its appearance, “Once an Eagle” remains perhaps the best fictional depiction of the sacrifice, honor and sense of duty that define a good soldier.

Jim Webb’s “Fields of Fire” takes readers to the rice paddies and jungles of Vietnam,

of the “Athena” in New Orleans, Rensselaer falls in love with attorney Katy Farrar. When war breaks out in the Middle East, Rensselaer, his crew and the “Athena” find themselves in continual action.

Like Myrer’s “Once an Eagle,” Helprin’s novel acts as a manual on honor, duty, principled leadership and the sacrifices these virtues require. Readers can only hope that among all the branches of our armed forces there are men and women who yet possess these ideals and have the strength to act on them.

This list is only a blip on the spectrum of military fiction, poetry, histories and biographies. To possess an understanding of how our country is defended, from foreign policy to the latest weapons to the social and cultural background of our military personnel,

And now it’s Veterans Day.

As we celebrate our veterans this November 11, thanking them and taking a day off from work courtesy of their service, we might make some effort to learn more about the lives of all of those Americans, past and present, who have defended our republic and our way of life. We could read more about the history of our country, particularly about its soldiers, sailors and airmen. We could open books based on oral histories like “Band of Brothers” by Stephen Ambrose. We could turn to memoirs, like Eugene Sledge’s “With the Old Breed,” Michael Herr’s “Dispatches” or Marcus Luttrell’s “Lone Survivor.”

Our literature is also rich in novels about war, excellent books that feature not only training and combat scenes, but also cultural commentary and insights into a soldier’s life away from the parade ground and gunnery

where a platoon of American Marines fights in a hellish war opposed by many of their contemporaries. To this novel Webb, a graduate of the Naval Academy, brings his own experiences from his time in the Corps and in Vietnam, where he won the Silver Star and the Navy Cross for heroism in battle. In addition to its fine writing and well-drawn characters, “Fields of Fire” gives readers a real feel for the cultural tensions between the young men fighting in this war and the war protestors back home.

Mark Helprin’s “The Ocean and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story” is set squarely in our own time. Navy Captain Stephen Rensselaer has a run-in with the president about the cancellation of a certain type of ship, and is then assigned as an act of spite and vengeance the command of the “Athena,” the only one of the ships already built. While overseeing the outfitting

is important, especially with the wars around the world in which the United States, in one or another, is engaged.

While Veterans Day gives us the opportunity to thank our vets and those who are currently in service, now is also a good time to learn more about them, about warfare, and about our foreign involvements and what they entail.

Si vis pacem, para bellum” is the old Roman adage for “If you wish peace, prepare for war.” Like many other observations from the Ancients, that pithy saying is packed with wisdom, and it doesn’t just refer to our military.

It applies to the rest of us as well.

(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)

Writer Jeff Minick

E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment

“Easy Company” at Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

U.S. Department of Defense photo

Down on the farm

Following Helene, officials working to avert agricultural disaster

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Atrio of high-ranking state and federal agriculture officials is warning that if farmers affected by Hurricane Helene don’t get help soon, next year could be a bleak one for both producers and consumers.

Their visit comes days after U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack visited Asheville for the same reason.

“We’ve got a lot of farmers that’s seen tremendous damage on their farm operations that’s going to really limit their ability to be able to produce next year if we don’t get some support to be able to help them get back on their feet, so that’s what we’re all working on together,” said Kaleb Rathbone, assistant commissioner of agriculture for Western North Carolina and a Haywood County native. Rathbone was joined at the WNC Regional Livestock Center outside Canton on Oct. 31 by Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, North Carolina Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency Bob Etheridge and Robert Bonnie, undersecretary for farm production and conservation at the USDA.

“We want to assess what our programs can do in the short term to help folks,” Bonnie said. “We want to make sure we’re reducing barriers, making it easier for folks to get into our programs. Second thing is that Congress is looking at a larger package of relief. We want to be talking to farmers, talking to folks on the ground, to make sure that that the right things are in there, and that we do everything we can to help folks.”

Bonnie explained that the FSA’s emergency conservation program and natural resources conservation service can help produc-

ers with clean up and debris removal, and that there’s also help available for feed and costs as well as water-hauling. Some $250 million in crop insurance payments have already been made to farmers, and longer-term programs aim to help producers regain stability.

North Carolina is one of the nation’s top agricultural producers, leading the way in production of eggs, poultry, sweet potatoes and tobacco, and ranks second in Christmas trees, trout and turkey. In 2023, the state notched a record-setting $111 billion impact from its agricultural sector.

“We recognize we’re going to need to be here for the long term and that a lot of these farmers have taken a serious hit,” said Bonnie. “We want to provide the technical assistance, the assistance through our programs, financing and other things, to help them get back on their feet.”

sign up, because if you don’t sign up and we don’t know about you, you don’t have an opportunity to participate.”

Local storm damage was “tremendous” said Etheridge, who added that he’d seen a lot of storms in his day and that the harm to farms is a major concern, especially with spring planting season right around the corner. The ongoing ripple effect could be just as tremendous as the initial damage itself.

“A small farmer helps a small businessperson. A small businessperson helps big businesses. This helps communities grow and prosper,” he said.

There’s also major concern over a longstanding problem that’s affected the nation, the state and Western North Carolina — the loss of agricultural land.

In a study released last year, the American Farmland Trust called North Carolina the second most at-risk state for loss of farmland between now and 2040, behind only Texas. In April, President of the Haywood County Farm Bureau Don Smart said that 40 years ago, Haywood County had nearly 80,000 acres of farmland. Now, it’s down to less than 50,000.

Last year, there were more than 110 applications by farmers for permanent farmland preservation easements that would have cost the state $55 million, however, that program was only funded by the General Assembly with $18 million.

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Rathbone’s boss, recently called the loss of farmland the number one issue — not the number one issue in agriculture, but the number one issue overall — facing the state in the coming decades. While Troxler’s General Election opponent, Sarah Taber, opined that the losses were coming as farming becomes less profitable, others point to residential development in a fast-growing state. Now, farmers have to contend not only with a lack of profitability and a surge in development gobbling up prime agricultural land, but also natural disasters like Helene.

“It’s accelerating the issue in a couple different ways. One, obviously, is the physical loss of land that we have seen. You look at the Pigeon River here in Haywood County, there are fields that are a third the size that they were before the storm. It’s simply gone. It’s been washed away,” Rathbone said. “The other piece is production value. A lot of top soil has been washed away, and it’s going to take years to be able to rebuild the fertility of that ground.”

Another component is the temporary disruption of market activity, which puts land at risk for small farmers who were barely making a living before the storm hit. Even the incredible losses in Asheville’s River Arts District — usually thought of as a beery stronghold for artists and musicians but in reality also an important regional retail market for agricultural products — complicates the situation for farmers.

“We recognize we’re going to need to be here for the long term and that a lot of these farmers have taken a serious hit. We want to provide the technical assistance, the assistance through our programs, financing and other things, to help them get back on their feet.”

— Robert Bonnie, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation

“Some may be forced into a situation where they have to sell their land to build cash flow. We don’t want to see that happen,” he said. “We don’t want farmers to be forced into a decision based on circumstances that were completely outside of their control. That’s where these programs to provide relief for farms are really going to play an important role in what the future of agriculture in Western North Carolina looks like.”

Etheridge is something of a living legend in North Carolina politics — farmer, Army veteran, representative in the General Assembly, state superintendent of public instruction for eight years and Congressman for 14, where he served on the House Agriculture Committee and as the chair of the General Farm Commodity and Risk Management Subcommittee.

“Many farmers, certainly in Western North Carolina, are small farmers,” Etheridge said. “There may be some extra money, state and federal. We don’t know yet, but we’re hoping there is. Let me just encourage every farmer to come in and get a farm number and

Rathbone was optimistic that the General Assembly would step in to augment USDA recovery efforts, but forthcoming assistance from Congress may just be the shot in the arm that producers in Western North Carolina need to avert disaster. Former congressman Etheridge, who said his appearance in Haywood County “is not just a visit, but a commitment,” knows what that will take.

“Every member of Congress, in one way or another, has got a constituent that’s hurting,” he said. “If all of them push together, it’s still going to take a lot of money and a long time.”

North Carolina executive director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency Bob Etheridge (left) chats with Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers at the WNC Regional Livestock Center on Oct. 31. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Officials provide update on MST

It’s been just over a month since Hurricane Helene brought widespread devastation to Western North Carolina and the neighboring states.

A clearer path toward recovery for the region and the Mountains to Sea Trail is forming.

A majority of the MST from Cherokee to Stone Mountain is on land adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The National Park Service (NPS) has opened three stretches of the roadway.

“Opening these additional miles of the Parkway in North Carolina is an important step forward, but much work remains,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “We ask that visitors stay out of the Devil’s Courthouse area and all other closed sections, even on foot, for their own safety. Any public use behind closed gates, including hiking and biking, puts workers and visitors at risk.”

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including EB Miles 0.0-28.0; WB Miles 18.846.8

• The BRP from Milepost 423.2 to 469 (NC 215 to US 441), including EB Miles 28.0-46.8; WB Miles 0.0-18.8

• Segment 2 (Waterrock Knob to Pisgah Inn)

• Nantahala National Forest, Nantahala Ranger District, including EB Miles 20.8-35.1; WB Miles 28.5-42.8

• Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District, including portions of the trail in EB Miles 36.0-63.2; WB Miles 0.5-27.6 (the trail meanders between the National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway properties)

Due to the severity of the storm, conditions on park roads and trails are still evolving, and are expected to continue to change over the next weeks and months. Visitors should anticipate changing conditions and share their travel plans with others in advance. The NPS has not yet completed trail assessments and caution is encouraged for trail users who may experience hazards resulting from landslides, downed or leaning trees, wash-outs, and other damage. Exercise caution while visiting open areas, including trails.

While MST volunteers are ready and willing to assess and clear the MST on the NPS land, work along the Blue Ridge Parkway continues to be on hold. Officials expect to have guidance from the NPS very soon about when volunteers will be allowed back on the trail.

The following areas are officially open, subject to the hazards described above:

• Segment 1 (Kuwohi to Waterrock Knob)

• The BRP from Milepost 411.8 to 421 (US 276 to Black Balsam), including MST Segment 2, EB Miles 46.6-57.0; WB Miles 6.7-17.0.

• The BRP from Milepost 423.2 to 469 (NC 215 to US 441), including EB Miles 0.0-42.3; WB Miles 21.4-63.6

• Note that the BRP between Mileposts 421 and 423.2 remains closed due to a significant landslide, and all entry, including on foot, on the Parkway and trails within the parkway corridor in this section is illegal. Although some of the MST in this stretch is on National Forest land, some is on BRP land.

• Segment 3 (Pisgah Inn to Black Mountain Campground)

• Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District, including portions of the trail in EB Miles 3.4-18.1; WB Miles 53.4-68.1 (the trail meanders between the National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway properties, and much of the trail on the National Forest is accessible only from the parkway)

• Segment 5 (Beacon Heights to Devil’s Garden Overlook)

• Blue Ridge Parkway from MP 285.5 (Bamboo Gap) to 305 (Beacon Heights), including EB Miles 0.0-31.0; WB Miles 53.9-84.9 However, the Boone Fork Trail, collocated with the MST at Segment 5 EB Miles 11.7-14.2, WB Miles 70.7-73.2, remains closed.

Parts of WNC abnormally dry

Following the deluge brought on by Hurricane Helene, parts of Western North Carolina are now considered abnormally dry, while some of the state’s easternmost

The westernmost part of the state has been classified as abnormally dry. From ncdrought.org

counties are now in a moderate drought. This comes on the heels of one of the dryest Octobers in the state since recording rainfall totals began.

In the Smoky Mountain News coverage area, parts of Haywood, Jackson, Swain and Macon counties are considered abnormally dry.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

The Joyful Botanist

BY ADAM BIGELOW

Fall Wildflower Color

When it comes to fall leaf color, trees are what comes to mind for most. Sure, trees are big and there are lots of them. In Autumn when the leaves change they attract a lot of attention and draw tens of thousands of visitors. Most articles and reports about fall color are referencing trees, and possibly some shrubs. I’d like to show some love for the beautiful changing colors of herbaceous plants on the forest floor.

Walking in the fall woods, it is easy to be stunned by the bold reds, oranges, yellows and browns of the woody trees and shrubs showing off in their dazzling display. As per normal for me, though, I find my gaze drawn downward to the subtle color shifts in the leaves of wildflowers. The process is very similar for perennial flowers as it is for shrubs and trees who are pulling in the green chlorophyll to store in their roots to be reused in next spring’s growth, thus leaving the other chemical colors the opportunity to express themselves before dormancy sets in.

late spring on a single thin stalk. Growing only around 20 inches in height, the first set of leaves are arranged in a whorled pattern with seven to nine leaves emerging from the same point or node along the stem. Once the plant has reached reproductive age another whorl of leaves, this time with only three leaves, emerges above the lower whorl.

Small, yellowish green flowers emerge in mid to late spring and are displayed nodding under the upper whorl. To get a good view of these flowers you need to flip the upper whorl over or lay on your back on the forest floor to peer upward at them. The flowers are nodding downward in hopes of attracting low-flying and ground-crawling insects for pollination.

Once the flowers have been pollinated, and as the berry begins to ripen, the plant lifts the fruit up and into an erect position above the upper whorl. This is a brilliant adaptation, for if the berry hung under the whorl, fewer birds (if any) would be able to see the fruit and its seed dispersal would be highly reduced. The berries ripen to a dark purple and are held aloft.

I love the maroon and purple leaves of a late blooming goldenrod (Solidago spp.), especially set against the vivid gold of their flowers. Other favorites include heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), asters (Symphyotrichum and Eurybia spp.) and the golden leaves of Balsam Mountain gentian (Gentiana latidens) set against their dark purple flowers.

Among my favorite wildflowers in general, and especially for their color in the closing of the year, is cucumber root, a.k.a. indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana). Commonly found in the mixed hardwood forest of Southern Appalachia, this plant actually ranges from southern Alabama and north Florida, all the way up to northern Maine and can be found in 71 of the 100 counties in North Carolina.

Easily identifiable by its interesting growth habit, cucumber root emerges in the

To help attract birds, the upper whorl of leaves begins to change from green to a vivid red, starting at the base of the leaf and slowly spreading outward to the tip. Again, a brilliant adaptation as the almost black fruits stand out distinctly over the red backdrop of the leaves.

The contrast of the dark fruits over the red leaves makes this beautiful plant shine. Cucumber root is so named because of the small, sweet and delicious root that tastes like a freshly picked cucumber. I do not advise harvesting this beautiful plant as it would take sacrificing entire populations to get enough for one salad. This plant is best left growing of its own accord.

(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)

Medeola virginiana. Adam Bigelow photo

USDA Forest Service releases update on Helene’s impacts on ecosystem, infrastructure

The USDA Forest Service released its preliminary data on the ecological impacts and infrastructure damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina.

Using information sourced from satellite data, aerial surveying and on-the-ground assessments, analyses found that Tropical Storm Helene caused moderate to catastrophic damage to more than 187,000 acres of both forests (roughly 20 percent of the total acreage), including 117,000 acres of vegetation loss. The bulk of the damage occurred on the Pisgah National Forest, particularly in areas within Yancey, Mitchell, McDowell, and Avery counties, where several communities neighboring the forest were devastated by the storm. Two of the three districts on the Pisgah, the Grandfather and Appalachian Ranger Districts, remain closed while the response to the storm continues.

The loss of such a large portion of the ecosystem can have several negative effects, such as the threat of wildfire due to increased fuel levels, loss of vital wildlife habitat, impacts on watershed health and the higher potential for invasive species to thrive.

Mountain Campground on the Pisgah National Forest, Appalachian Ranger District. The bridge leading to the campground over the South Toe River was significantly damaged by Hurricane Helene.

In addition to the ecological damage to the two National Forests, nearly 900 miles of Forest Service-managed roads and an estimated 800 miles worth of trails have been damaged, with several completely washed away or remained blocked by debris. It’s anticipated that those numbers will increase as roadways are cleared and further assessments can be completed. Forest Service crews continue to work to remove debris and downed trees covering impacted roads and improve access throughout the National Forests.

For the latest information on Helene-related closures and updates, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc or follow @nfsnc on Facebook.

FIND Outdoors announces

‘Pickin’ for Pisgah’

FIND Outdoors is presenting “Pickin’ for Pisgah,” a benefit concert featuring the Pisgah Pickers, on Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Cradle of Forestry. The concert will start at 5 p.m., bringing together music lovers for a night of bluegrass and community support, with all proceeds benefiting the FIND Outdoors Hurricane Helene Relief Fund.

The Pisgah Pickers, featuring Woody Platt, Mike Guggino and Mike Ashworth of The Steep Canyon Rangers, along with Bennett Sullivan, will take the stage to entertain and inspire. The evening will

Master gardener volunteers available to answer questions

The growing season is winding down, but N C State Extension Master Gardener volunteers are still available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees, and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed, or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test

Armstrong fish hatchery severely Impacted by Helene

Commission responds to continue Public Mountain Trout program

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County north of Marion sustained significant damage as a result of flooding and landslides during Hurricane Helene. Some of the hatchery’s trout escaped during the flooding; however, most of the 600,000 fish of various sizes died when the storm compromised the water supply to the raceways and hatchery building. Currently, Armstrong State Fish Hatchery is closed indefinitely. Fisheries staff along with agency engineers continue to assess the damage and are developing plans to return the hatchery to normal operations. While the damage to Armstrong is signifi-

cant and will require extensive repairs to restore operations, the Bobby N. Setzer, Table Rock and Marion State Fish hatcheries received limited damage and are fully operational. Therefore, the Commission has decided to temporarily delay the already planned renovation to the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery until the Armstrong is back fully operational to ensure stocking in Public Mountain Trout Waters, and staff at Setzer have begun to ramp trout production back up to full speed. Delayed Harvest Trout Water locations that will be stocked can be found at ncwildlife.org/trout.

As information becomes available regarding Armstrong State Fish Hatchery’s restoration and future Public Mountain Trout Waters stockings it will be posted on the agency’s website at ncwildlife.org/trout.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

include a special performance featuring “Ruby” a banjo created by Pisgah Banjos utilizing wood from the same spruce tree that served as the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

Admission:

• Pisgah Plus: $150 (includes a $100 donation)

• General Admission (ages 13 & up): $50

• Children (ages 5-12): $25

• Children 4 and under: Free

• First Responders: Free with ID (advance ticket “purchase” required)

Tickets are available for purchase online at gofindoutdoors.org/events/hurricanehelene-benefit-concert.

For more information about the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund, please visit gofindoutdoors.org/helene-recovery.

SUNDAY – THURSDAY 11am-5pm • Lunch Menu

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11am-8pm • Dinner 5pm-8pm

MONDAYS & TUESDAYS IN NOVEMBER

results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to pest problems. Email haywoodemgv@gmail.com with a detailed description of the problem, plant or insect. Send clear digital photos if possible. Or call 828.456.3575 and describe your home gardening issue to the receptionist. Either way an Extension Master Gardener volunteer from Haywood County will get back to you within a few days with research-based information.

Black

File 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

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

Legals

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF HAYWOOD IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 24SP000082-430

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST FROM NANCY REBECCA HANNAH UNMARRIED TO JANE GRAHL, TRUSTEE, DATED APRIL 12, 2002, RECORDED IN BOOK 519, PAGE 100, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY

Pursuant to an order entered September 10, 2024, in the Superior Court for Haywood County, and the power of sale contained in the captioned Deed of Trust (the “Deed of Trust”), the Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at auction (the “Sale”), to the highest bidder for cash on: NOVEMBER 15, 2024, AT 10:00 A.M. HAYWOOD COUNTY COURTHOUSE 285 N MAIN STREET, WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA the real estate and the improvements thereon secured by the Deed of Trust, less and except any of such property released from the lien of the Deed of Trust prior to the date of said sale, lying and being in Haywood County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows

(the “Property”): ALL THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND LYING AND BEING SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF HAYWOOD, STATE OF NC, TO-WIT: BEGINNING AT A STAKE IN THE WESTERLY MARGIN OF A STREET AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF S.W. JAMISON LOT, AND RUNS WITH SAID MARGIN OF SAID STREET S. 31° 30’ W. 60 FEET TO A STAKE; THENCE S. 89° 15’ W. 189-8/10 FEET TO A STAKE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF A LOT BEING CONVEYED TO W. M. BELL AND WIFE; THENCE WITH THE LINE OF THAT N. 0° 30’ W. 50 FEET TO A STAKE AT THE CORNER OF THE CHAMBERS LOT AND THE CHAPMAN LOT; THENCE WITH THE CHAPMAN, THE KAMES GIBSON AND THE JAMERSON LOT, N. 89° E. 220 FEET TO THE BEGINNING, AS PER

SURVEY AND PLAT OF WATT JUSTICE, REGISTERED SURVEYOR. BEING THAT PARCEL OF LAND CONVEYED TO NANCY REBECCA HANNAH FROM MARY BELL JENKINS AND HUSBAND HOWARD JENKINS BY THAT DEED DATED 09/16/1994 AND RECORDED 09/19/1994 IN DEED BOOK 443, AT PAGE 1714 OF THE HAYWOOD COUNTY, NC PUBLIC REGISTRY. The record owner(s) of the Property not more than ten (10) days prior to the date hereof are the Heirs of Nancy Rebecca Hannah. Parcel ID: 8657225647

In the Trustee’s sole discretion, the sale may be delayed for up to one (1) hour as provided in Section 45-21.23 of the North Carolina General Statutes.

deposit, or a cash deposit of $750.00, whichever is greater, will be required

of the last and highest bidder. The balance of the bid purchase price shall be due in full in cash or to take place within thirty (30) days of the date of sale. The Substitute Trustee shall convey title to the property by non warranty deed. This sale will be made subject to all prior liens of record, if any, and to all unpaid (ad valorem) taxes and special assessments, if any, which became a lien subsequent to the recordation of the Deed of Trust. This sale will be further subject to the right, if any, of the United States of America to redeem the above-described property for a period of 120 days following the date when has run.

The purchaser of the property described above shall pay the Clerk’s Commissions in the amount of $.45 per $100.00 of the purchase price (up

to a maximum amount of $500.00), required by Section 7A-308(a)(1) of the North Carolina General Statutes. If the purchaser of the above-described property is someone other the Deed of Trust, the purchaser shall also pay, to the extent applicable, the land transfer tax in the amount of one percent (1%) of the purchase price.

To the extent this sale involves residential prop-

(15) rental units, you are following:

(a) An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to Section 45-21.29 of the North Carolina General Statutes in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold; and (b) Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days’ written notice to the landlord. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The 10th day of September 2024.

John W. Fletcher III, Substitute Trustee (NCSB No. 15503) Fletcher, Tydings, Williams-Tracy & Gott, PLLC 100 Queens Road, Suite 250, Charlotte, North Carolina 28204

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE OF

THIS ACTION BROUGHT PURSUANT TO THE POWER AND AUTHORITY contained within that certain Deed of Trust executed and delivered by Steve B. Solesbee and Shari T. Solesbee dated March 3, 2017, and recorded on March 16, 2017, in Book 924 at of Register of Deeds of Haywood County, North Carolina. As a result of a default in the obligations contained within the Promissory Note and Deed of Trust and the failure to carry out and perform the stipulation and agreements contained therein, the holder of the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust made demand to have the default cured, which was not met. Therefore, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will place for sale that parcel of land, including improvements thereon, situated, lying and being in the City of Waynesville, County of Haywood, State of North Carolina, and being more particularly described in the heretofore referenced Deed of trust. Said sale will be a public auction to the highest bidder for cash, at the usual place of sale at the Haywood County Courthouse, Waynesville, North Carolina, on November 12, 2024, at 2:00 PM.

Address of Property: 88ville, NC 28785 Tax Parcel ID: 8607-037570

Present Record Owners: Steve B. Solesbee

The terms of the sale

are that the real property hereinbefore described will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. A deposit amount of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the the time of the sale. The successful bidder will be required to pay revenue stamps on the Trustee’s Deed, any Land Transfer Tax, and costs for recording the Trustee’s Deed.

The real property hereinabove described is being offered for sale “AS IS, WHERE IS” and will be sold subject to all superior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments and other encumbrances. Other conditions will be announced at the sale. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids, as by law required.

until there have been ten (10) consecutive days with no upset bids having

If for any reason the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property, or if the sale is set aside, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the bid deposit. Furthermore, if the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the bid deposit. In either event, the purchaser will have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Trustee.

Additional notice required for Residential Real Property with Less Than

Fifteen (15) Rental Units:

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least ten (10 days, but no more than 90 day, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Posted: Witness: Assistant/Deputy clerk of Superior Court Albertelli Law Partners North Carolina, P.A., Substitute Trustee

By: Calleesha A. Teel, Esq Albertelli Law Partners North Carolina, P.A. 205 Regency Executive Park Drive Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28217

T: 704-970-0391 24-SP-86 / 24-004946

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24E001489-430

Bessemer Trust Compa-

as the Ancillary Administrator of the Estate of J. Suzanne Arroyo

AKA Jessica Suzanne Arroyo 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 Jan 23 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Ancillary Administrator Johnston, Allison & Hord, P.A. c/o Holly B. Norvell 1065 East Morehead St. Charlotte, NC 28204

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24E001589430

Susan Ferguson Mess-

the Administrator of the Estate of Jessica Elaine Edwards 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 Jan 30 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator 94 Railroad St Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24e001321-490

Leslie Wickliffe Muir and J.K. Coward, Jr, having -

utor of the Estate of Mary Somerville Triplette 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 Jan 23 2025, or this

notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Co-Executor c/o J.K. Coward, Jr. co-executor

705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

Notice to Creditors

Ancillary Executor of the Estate of Terry C. Luckenbach, in Macon County File No. 24E001372-550, the undersigned does hereby notify all person, having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 461 East Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 on or before being published, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Terry Stephen Luckenbach, Representative c/o Timothy Lewis, Attorney at Law

Earwood

461 East Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

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EARLY HEAD START TEACHER-FULL TIME

Are you looking for a new career? Head Start/Early

WHY A JAY? ACROSS

1 Conga cousin

6 "Ho-hum" feeling

13 Old Toyota coupes

20 "Tosca" tunes, e.g.

21 Dodgy

22 Hat with the brim turned up on three sides

23 The choosing of cosmonaut Gagarin?

25 Its capital is Tallinn

26 Border of Utah and Idaho, e.g.

27 Primo pitcher

29 Of higher rank

30 Cooks in fat

31 Sign that an egg may have gone bad?

35 Listed from memory

38 Felt sorry for 39 King-size tub

40 Santa -- (hot desert winds)

41 Distributed, with "out"

42 Pamper

46 That guy over there with the famous signature?

50 Indian dress

51 Round figure

52 High trains

53 Real stunner

54 Writer known for twist endings

57 Chimney duct

58 Possible result of a computer crash

60 Key with no sharps or flats

61 Side street

62 Given "four years at a New Haven university" as punishment for a crime?

65 Painter Max

Frigid epoch 69 University near Fort Worth 73 Water, in Cuba

"Ars -- artis" (MGM motto)

75 "I'll do it," in radiospeak 76 '16 Olympics city

Major conflict

Dirt in a 57-Across

Lemon-hued growth on old bread?

81 Suspend, as a meeting

83 Certain British noble's domain

Kind of sword

"Notorious" Supreme Court inits. 88 Vintage Ford

People using swearwords 92 A typical casual greeting? 96 Bagel centers

Lena of song

Angry feeling

Food-packing plants

"Tail cone," for "Lance Ito" 105 Shaggy ox that's a baseball mascot? 109 Floral decoration

Satan, with "the"

Philosopher Kierkegaard

Printing machines

Loathes

Telling signs

Articulates

In -- (mired)

60 Certain palm berry

64 Former BP gas brand

H2O, to a tot

"Yipes!"

67 -- Khalifa (Dubai skyscraper) 70 Overused theme

OPEC ship

Center points 74 Big ravine

75 Traveled

78 Undermines the power of 79 "Seize the day"

80 Ship dining place 82 "Navel" fruits 83 Just missed parring

Suffix with fruit

85 California's Marina del --

88 Do injury to

Rabbits

-- Gay (WWII plane)

Have the capacity to,

90 Elbow-to-wrist bone

91 Appear to be the case

92 Twyla of choreography

93 With 43-Down, list of superb students

94 Expunge

95 Singer LeAnn

96 "In case you -noticed ..."

99 Corp. money honchos

100 As to

101 Idyllic garden

102 IRS form IDs

104 Enjoyed food

106 St. crosser

107 First-aid --

108 Bullring cry

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

Head Start program is looking for an individual who cares about their community and wants to make a difference and improve the lives of children and families.

are a Child Development -

tions are an Early Childhood Education degree from an accredited community college. Supervisory experience working with diverse populations. Has lead responsibility for the primary care of children enrolled in the classroom. Develops and utilizes daily lesson plans, across all domains that are developmentally appropriate for all children. Our staff support the facilitation of developmental screenings, on-going assessments, and recording of outcome data to determine future instruction as well as participate in home visits and parent-teacher conferences as requested by the teacher. Valid driver license and insurance are required. Some travel required and home visits may be necessary.

Criminal background checks along with drug testing are required. We offer competitive wages based on experience and

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 the link above.

AA/EOE

NC PRE-K

TEACH-

ER-FULL TIME Are you looking for a new career?

Head Start/Early Head Start program is looking for an individual who cares about their community and wants to make a difference and improve the lives of children and families. Minimum qual-

degree in child development from an accredited university. The preferred to Kindergarten teaching

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with diverse populations. Has lead responsibility for the primary care of children enrolled in the classroom. Develops and utilizes daily lesson plans, across all domains that are developmentally appropriate for all children. Our staff support the facilitation of developmentally screenings, on-going assessments, and recording of outcome data to determine future instruction as well as participate in home visits and parent-teacher conferences as requested by the teacher. Valid driver license and insurance are required. Some travel required and home visits may be necessary. Criminal background checks along with drug testing are required. We offer competitive wages based on experience and

We will give $1,000 to applicants who meet the

posting and $500 for applicants who do notin this position: 37 Hour work week. Health Insurance with Mountain Projects paying 85% of the

Answers on 26

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

SOCIAL WORKER (FAMILY SERVICE

ADVOCATE)-FULL Are Social Worker (Family Service Advocate)-full time you looking for a new career? Head Start/ Early Head Start program is looking for an individual who cares about their community and wants to make a difference and improve the lives of children and families.

are a high school diploma. The preferred Work or Human Services degree. Experience working with diverse populations. Family Service Advocates build positive relationships with children and families to

assist in securing and maintaining services to help achieve self-

management style. Serves as a liaison between families, staff, the community, and other family-related services. Valid driver license and insurance are required. Some travel required and home visits may be necessary. Criminal background checks along with drug testing are required. We offer competitive wages based on experience and

We will give $1,000 to applicants who meet job posting and $500 for applicants who do not meet the required 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

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