In the wake of Hurricane Helene and amid the ongoing recovery efforts, those with boots on the ground haven’t had much time for themselves. However, at last Saturday night’s Carolina Hurricanes hockey game in Raleigh, Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers accompanied several town staff members to enjoy a night they’ll always remember. (Page 6) Kyle Perrotti photo
News
Canton Fire Department moving to new temporary home......................................4
Helene damage coming into focus in Waynesville ..................................................8
Macon votes to retain environmental health fees....................................................10
Hellbent Hope: Generative writing workshops with Nickole Brown..................11 Haywood County takes stock, plots post-Helene recovery..................................12
Opinion
Beliefs about Biden/Harris just aren’t true................................................................14 Trump’s election tells us a lot........................................................................................14
A&E
A Cullowhee Christmas: The holidays are in full swing at WCU........................16 Haywood Arts to offer Helene support grants..........................................................20
Outdoors
Flood damage prevention ordinance, dam removal still on the table................24 The Joyful Botanist: Banking on it................................................................................27
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NALISM AND SEED OI f negativity about “seed oils”. Ac claims. amounts of sugar or salt in addition to oils are not something you’d want to eat on a regular basis. But using small amounts of oils to lead to more enjoyment of food and meals.
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Canton honors radio stations for service during Hurricane Helene
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
In recognition of the exceptional public service provided by a trio of radio stations during Hurricane Helene — when nearly all other communication infrastructure had failed — the Town of Canton has named them grand marshals for the annual downtown Christmas parade.
“When we lost cell communication across Western North Carolina, it was our local radio stations on FM and AM that carried us through. There’s no doubt that lives were saved and hope was provided by these stations,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s mayor. “One of the highest honors we can give in the town of Canton is grand marshal, especially for our Christmas parade. Honoring these local radio stations is a great way not only to celebrate the season, but also to say thank you.”
Shortly after the full brunt of Helene pounded the region early on Sept. 27, widespread power failures, internet outages and cellular service disruptions made even basic communication nearly impossible for most.
The outages not only stymied emergency responders’ attempts to communicate with citizens and with each other during lifethreatening conditions but also presented challenges for most news outlets, including The Smoky Mountain News, to update websites or social media with useful information
for people who wouldn’t be able to see it anyway.
Heroic efforts by Haywood County workers to clear fallen trees on the road leading to Chambers Mountain, where Cantonbased WPTL’s FM translator is located, allowed restoration of power and put Canton’s longtime favorite radio station, owned by Terryll Evans, back on the air to share critical information about Haywood County. The station was founded in 1963 and purchased by Evans’ father Bill Reck in 1978.
In Asheville, two iHeartMedia stations, 99.9 FM Kiss Country and 570 AM WWNC, were able to continue broadcasting throughout the storm, but the hosts did more than talk. They listened.
Taking calls live on-air long outside their established time slots, Eddie and Amanda Foxx, along with Tank Spencer and Mark Starling, collected contact information from callers who needed help and connected those callers with other callers who wanted to deliver supplies, clear debris or conduct wellness checks.
The Foxxes, along with Spencer and Starling, garnered national attention from network television programs and from personalities like Dr. Phil.
Spencer and Starling were initially trapped at the station for days.
Starling spent 14 days there, experiencing both triumph and tragedy. He eventually
reunited with his wife live on-air, but also took a call from a man who described substantial flooding in his home and later lost his life as he was swept away. The man’s wife and their seven year-old grandson met the same fate.
in Haywood County acknowledged that they’d used old battery-powered radios in their homes or even sat in their cars to catch news updates from the stations.
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
The Town of Canton’s temporary operations hub on Summer Street, home to town hall and the police department since shortly after deadly flooding in 2021, is about to get a little bigger.
On Nov. 14, Canton’s governing board approved a lease between the town and the owners of two parcels just east of the current complex where a pair of trailers have assumed the municipal operations that used to be housed in the Stamey Municipal Building on Park Street.
The 2021 flooding that gutted the Stamey Building also hit Canton’s fire department, located directly behind the Stamey Building, but Canton’s fire department continued to use the building as its headquarters until flooding associated with Hurricane Helene again flooded the department on Sept. 27.
Chief Kevin Wheeler told The Smoky Mountain News on Sept. 29 that his department had prepared for the flood by moving trucks and equipment to higher ground and stashing office materials and equipment above the watermark of the devastating 2004 flood. The trucks were saved, but water from Helene rose above 2004 levels and cast almost everything else out of the building into the swollen Pigeon River.
Canton has been searching for a parcel of land upon which to build a new fire department headquarters since 2021 and has a solid guarantee of $5.8 million in funding from Sen. Thom Tillis that’s expected to become official
“That was a hard one. It’s still a hard one,” Starling told CBS Evening News reporter Skyler Henry Oct. 10. “I can hear his phone call in my head.”
Many people who weathered the storm
“This was an appropriate honor for many reasons,” said Alderwoman Kristina Proctor, who said she’d been listening to the radio during Helene. “They provided a lot of hope and connection in moments where we had no idea how everybody was doing or what was happening in the world around us. I am so happy and so thankful to have traditional media accessible during that time. It just shows us over and over how valuable it is, especially in times of crisis.”
Despite ongoing debris removal, Canton’s Christmas parade, a cherished annual tradition, will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Canton Fire Department moving to new temporary home
soon, but has had trouble locating the perfect parcel.
The search for a new site is complicated; town contractors say it’ll need at least 2.8 acres, including a residential component for firefighters who are on duty, but location is everything. In February, Wheeler told The Smoky Mountain News that the wrong location could affect
response times, thereby putting lives at risk and increasing fire insurance rates for homes and businesses.
Currently, department functions are handled in temporary buildings on Maple Street, near the future town hall on Academy Street. Firefighters are sleeping in temporary bunkhouses there, and trucks are still being housed at the old fire department, which now has temporary power and heat. Trucks must be kept warm because water remaining in pumps could damage sensitive equipment if it freezes, according to Wheeler.
But the current setup means in the event of a call, firefighters must drive a block or two to the engines.
Kenneth and Kimberly Thomason, who own a small home behind the temporary town hall, agreed to lease the two parcels to the town for $500 per month for three years, at which time the lease will renew automatically unless it’s terminated by either party 180 days in advance. The parcels total 1.7 acres.
On the parcels, a modular structure similar to temporary town hall will house firefighters and a structure designed by the Army Corps of Engineers will provide a new home for the engines.
“It will have a garage-type setup where these trucks can stay warm,” said Town Manager Lisa Stinnett.
The new temporary fire department, for which the Army Corps of Engineers will bill FEMA, will remain in place until a permanent site can be located, Stinnett said. The town will assume some minor in-house costs for site prep, labor and grading.
As in 2021, the Town of Canton suffered extensive damage from deadly flooding on Sept. 27.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
The new temporary home for the Canton Fire Department, shown here in purple, is flanked by the temporary town hall and police department (lower left) and the town’s garage (lower right). Haywood GIS photo
Jackson, Macon, Swain reach FRL agreement
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
Macon County has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains changes made by all three counties in the system. This marks the end of almost two years of controversy over the library agreement, libraries themselves and the merits of a regional library system.
“As liaison to the library, at this time I’d like to make a recommendation for the board to enter into contract with FRL interlocal agreement,” said Commissioner Danny Antoine during the Nov. 12 commission meeting. “Jackson County passed it, Swain County passed it, so if there’s no discussion on it, I’d like to make a motion to enter into that agreement.”
Antoine was the first commissioner to raise issues with the library back in March 2023, when he floated the idea of withdrawing Macon County from the Fontana Regional Library system over concerns with books containing LGBTQ content or themes.
services for libraries in the three counties, it is cheaper for each county than if they were to provide for each of those departments individually. The regional agreement is renewed every 10 years and can be dissolved or withdrawn from at any time.
In November 2023, Macon County Commissioners released a set of recommended changes to the FRL agreement.
Almost a year later, in August 2024, the Jackson County Commission approved a new version of the FRL interlocal agreement that contained some significant changes to the revision previously put forth by Macon County. Swain County approved the same version as Jackson.
In the FRL’s purpose statement, Macon County had proposed that the statement end with, “To this end, the FRL shall operate the county libraries and branches of the participating local government units in a socially and politically neutral manner.”
This proved to be a sticking point for commissioners and attorneys.
public shall be permitted to ask questions for clarification directly through the chair, who shall attempt to answer to the best of his or her ability.”
This was an important point for multiple Jackson commissioners.
“In all my meetings and boards I’ve ever been on, that’s never happened,” said Jackson County Commissioner Mark Jones. “You can always go after a meeting and speak to a person one on one, the chair and any other member of any issue.”
from each county. The Macon proposal had called for commissioners and their attorneys to address any issues without FRL.
While the Macon proposal stipulated that if a county were to withdraw from the FRL system, it would keep all the assets in the county library, the new proposal stipulates that “furniture and fixtures purchased by the Friends of the Library within the withdrawing county will remain with their respective library, and books and audiovisual materials will also remain with each library.”
In the FRL’s purpose statement, Macon County had proposed that the statement end with, “To this end, the FRL shall operate the county libraries and branches of the participating local government units in a socially and politically neutral manner.”
“There are books that we have in our library system that are just absolutely unacceptable and beyond reprehensible to even speak of what’s inside these books,” Antoine said at the time. “This is pornographic material. A child cannot walk into an adult Xrated store and just go get whatever they want. However, the library seems to be one place in America where any child can check out these books without parental consent.”
Commissioner Antoine later said at a March 2023 meeting that he was working on pulling Macon County out of the system.
“For those of you who have stated about pulling out of the Fontana Regional System, believe me, I’m completely on board with that,” Antoine said. “It’s not a simple process. It is a hard process that we’re definitely working super hard on, trying to figure out how to do this the best way because you can’t just pull out of that system and leave the library hanging by itself. We have to have a system in place to be able to make sure that the library is functioning correctly.”
But that process turned out to be quite complicated and likely very expensive. So, Antoine, and members of the public with similar concerns, turned to the FRL interlocal agreement that governs the regional library system.
Fontana Regional Library formed in 1944 when the Tennessee Valley Authority sponsored a regional bookmobile to visit the most remote areas of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
Today, the system offers full library services to rural counties that might not otherwise be able to fund them. By combining cataloging, human resources, finance departments and information technology
“There’s been some discussion with the board and in public comment as to what this means,” Kubis told Jackson commissioners back in January. “Certainly, whatever it does mean, it means that commissioners are now going to be in a position to determine whether or not libraries are acting in accordance with the socially and politically neutral manner language.”
The document approved by Jackson and Swain ends the purpose statement with, “To this end, the FRL shall operate the county libraries and branches of the participating local government units in accordance with governing statutory authority, North Carolina law and this Agreement.”
The new document does keep intact the change Macon Commissioners made last year to put the authority to appoint members to the Fontana Regional library Board in the hands of county commissioners. The document does say that county commissioners “may” select from recommendations made by their respective County Library Board, though it is not required. This change was originally recommended by county managers in August 2023. However, the new document does not contain a rule proposed by Macon County that said, “any time that a majority of the commissioners determine that a library trustee from their county has failed to abide by the library’s by-laws and policies, they may be removed by the commissioners from that county.”
While the new document does stipulate that the library board will hold 30-minute public comment sessions during its meeting with three minutes allowed per speaker, and more time permitted by the board’s discretion, it does not include the statement Macon County had proposed that said “the
“I don’t think any of the commissioners that showed up wanted to have response from the chairman,” said Smith. “Any time the board, especially the chairman responds to public comment, you’re likely to inflame and cause more problems and we spoke about that when we were there.”
The new agreement reinstates FRL as a party in resolving disagreements related to the document, alongside commissioners
However, “assets located in the local library facility that were purchased by Fontana Regional Library with Fontana Regional Library funds and intended for Fontana Regional Library regional support services will remain assets of Fontana Regional Library.”
The new agreement will stand for 10 years, at which time it will be up for review.
Smathers had the honor of sounding the siren before the first period, typically the most prestigious time to do so.
Sound the siren
hide if they tried. Even though most were not hockey fans, with each goal and each hit, they cheered louder and louder. By the end of the night, as Carolina wrapped up a 4-0 victory, it felt like there may have been a few newly minted “Caniacs” in the suite.
around people there as much as we can,” she said. “Y’all are not forgotten.”
Like the other professional sports teams in North Carolina, The Hurricanes have also launched a larger fundraising campaign, the most ambitious part of which is the “Raise Up” $1 million raffle, “Raise Up” being a reference to the Petey Pablo song that has been a sort of Tarheel State anthem since it came out in 2001. The benefactors of that campaign are the Children’s Council of Watauga County and Asheville’s MANNA FoodBank, which was just about wiped out by the flood.
Spotlight shines on Canton mayor, staff at Hurricanes game
BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR
Sounding the Carolina Hurricanes’ ceremonial storm siren is a sort of sacred duty, something to be enjoyed, but also something to take seriously.
The honor fell upon Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers last Saturday night at the Hurricanes home game against the Ottawa Senators as part of an effort not only to raise awareness to the needs of Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, but to also highlight the people who have worked tirelessly in the month and a half following the devastating flooding that swept across the region.
Past siren sounders have included musicians like Luke Combs and athletes like former Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, among countless other celebrities and dignitaries. While the siren is sounded before each of a game’s three periods, sounding it before the first period — as Smathers did — is considered the highest honor.
“To join the likes of Gov. [Roy] Cooper to [former Panthers’ linebacker] Luke Kuechly to [professional wrestling legend] Ric Flair, that’s rare air,” Smathers said, calling back to some of his favorite past siren sounders.
The process to get Smathers to sound the siren began on X when Andrew Schnittker, who lives in Raleigh and spent several years covering the team as a sportswriter, posted in the wake of Helene that it’d be cool to have the second-term mayor get the opportunity. After some thought, the next day, Schnittker reached out to one of his connections within the Hurricanes organization and the process began.
Schnittker has a unique connection to the community. Although he has lived in Raleigh most of his life, he spent time in
Haywood County at The Mountaineer as the paper’s sports editor and still has family in Waynesville. He said it was upsetting to see what was happening to the area that holds a special place in his heart.
“In my time there, I grew to love the community and the people in the community,” Schnittker said.
A few days after Schnittker reached out to the team, Smathers got a phone call inviting him and his wife, Ashley, to join the team for a game and sound the siren. Smathers said that would be great, but he also had a special request: he wanted to bring as many Town of Canton employees as he could. After all, they are the ones who were on the ground during the storm, and they’re the ones who’ve worked countless hours every day in the storm’s wake. Canton’s top administrators, Town Manager Lisa Stinnett and CFO Natalie Walker, who were both at the game, spent at least one night on air mattresses on the board room floor.
And uniquely for Canton, the adversity encountered as Helene moved through only added to the town’s woes as it had already experienced catastrophic flooding in August 2021 and a massive economic hit as the town’s largest employer, the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill, shut down abruptly in 2023, instantly eliminating hundreds of jobs. Like with Helene, town staff from top to bottom were working around the clock through those disasters.
At this point, pushing through the pain almost seems like a part of Canton’s DNA.
“The staff were the ones in the trenches, and they deserve a night out, and the team agreed,” Smathers said.
Once the Canton crew — 10 in total — arrived, they were brought through the VIP entrance at Lenovo Arena and straight up to their suite, which was stocked with food and drinks. While initially some of the Canton delegation seemed apprehensive, almost as though they might feel guilty to enjoy such a great opportunity, by the time the puck dropped, they sported smiles they couldn’t
At one point, Gov. Cooper, a serious Hurricanes fan who typically sits in the owners’ box, popped in, much to the surprise of the people who were mostly too rapt watching the game to even notice right away. Cooper worked his way through the suite shaking hands and getting photos with anyone who wanted one.
During the visit, Cooper took a few minutes to talk to The Smoky Mountain News. As he has done over the last week or so, he railed against the Republican-led General Assembly for not providing enough funding quickly enough to address this disaster, especially when it comes to small business grants, even saying that funding approved for school vouchers takes away from that aid. However, he also marveled at how sports can be the “great equalizer,” something that can bring people together for the
Part of that campaign offers an opportunity for anyone buying concessions to round up the total price of their purchases to the nearest whole dollar amount with the extra change going toward hurricane recovery. There were also QR codes all over the arena people can scan that directs them a site on the team’s webpage where they can donate. The same link is included in all emails the team sends out to fans.
The cornerstone of this effort has been a raffle the team has done at each home game. Fans can enter the raffle by purchasing tick-
good of all. He said that Saturday’s game also serves as a good example of how organizations across the state can prioritize storm recovery by reminding people of the ongoing need in the mountains.
“It’s pretty clear that all of NC wants to make sure that they can help Western NC, and to get the Carolina Hurricanes and the Panthers and the Hornets and other teams to pull together to help Western NC is really important,” he said.
From the time the storm hit, Cooper has played a role in helping the Hurricanes raise money, even as early as Oct. 2 when the team donated the ticket sales from an exhibition game against the Nashville Predators to storm relief efforts, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Amy Daniels has been on the job as the executive director of the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, the team’s nonprofit arm, for only a few weeks, but she said she’s already been excited to see how much good the organization is able to do. Since she took the job, hurricane relief has been a key focus.
“We’re really trying to put our arms
ets — one for $20, six for $100 or 14 for $200, and a winner is announced at the end of each game. That individual wins a crystal puck and an opportunity to go down to meet some of the players. In addition, winners are put into a larger drawing for a grand prize of up to $125,000. The final nightly drawing will be held at the Hurricanes’ last home game of 2024 on Dec. 28.
Daniels said she’s been heartened to see the level of participation in the raffle and the round-up campaign but noted that there’s work to be done. Right now, about $400,000 total has been raised.
“We’re just going to keep on pushing and trying to get that $1 million,” she said.
Smathers said he was thrilled to enjoy a night out with his people but added that a big takeaway for him was seeing how committed the rest of the state seems when it comes to helping those in Western North Carolina who lost so much. One thing Smathers made clear to the Hurricanes’ organization ahead of the game was that, as mentions of the devastation in Western North Carolina fade from national head-
Kyle Perrotti photo
Smathers was also welcomed for an interview on the Hurricanes pregame show with Hanna Yates and Shane Willis. Kyle Perrotti photo
lines, that they continue to bring in people from more storm-ravaged communities so that this area isn’t forgotten as it continues its years-long journey to recovery.
“I think The Canes will continue to highlight these towns, as they should, because we have to keep the attention of the region,” he said.
Hurricanes President Doug Warf told SMN that he appreciates how the team’s owner, Tom Dundon, has continued to emphasize the organization’s ability to be a “unifier” for both North Carolina and South Carolina following the disaster. While he said it’s great for the team to raise funds, he exuded pride when talking about the organization’s ability to give people like the Canton staffers who have experienced so much hardship and heartbreak a chance to enjoy a night they’ll never forget.
“That’s what’s exciting to me,” Warf said. “Pro sports, at its best, is a release, an outlet during a tough time, and they’re a way to bring people together.”
Warf said that as he’s heard the stories of the disaster response in the region and specifically in Canton, he’s been impressed by people’s resolve.
“Any time a crisis hits, you see communities come together,” he said. “Those of us who aren’t in it immediately, we want to help, but we’re also inspired by those that are going through it.”
In a sense, Smathers, who wanted to measure up well against past siren sounders, considered his go on the siren to serve as a reflection to anyone watching of the resolve Warf spoke of, an embodiment of the Papertown spirit. His siren sounding was impressive, and after about 13 seconds of furious spinning, a member of the Hurricanes’ production team had to pull Smathers away from the siren, like a ref putting an end to a one-sided boxing match.
Even Gov. Cooper admired Smathers’ effort.
“It’s important that Mayor Smathers excelled on sounding the siren … He did it with 100%, and I’m very proud of him,” Cooper said. “It means a lot to me.”
For Smathers, it’s an honor and a memory he’ll hold onto forever. Like Canton, he gave it his all.
“They said you just can’t warm up to it; you’ve gotta go full throttle,” Smathers recalled. “I said, ‘I’m going to square up and hammer down,’ and that’s what I did.”
Gov. Roy Cooper, seen here with Smathers, surprised everyone in the suite during the game. Kyle Perrotti photo
Smathers and his wife, along with Alderwoman Gail Mull, joined seven town employees in the suite. Kyle Perrotti photo
Helene damage coming into focus in Waynesville
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
Like much of Haywood County, Waynesville wasn’t affected by Hurricane Helene as badly as many other Western North Carolina communities, but businesses, residents and the town still incurred millions in costly damages that will take time to fix.
Town government was hit across nearly all departments and lost property, vehicles, infrastructure and park facilities.
“We’ve developed a priority matrix of our urgent/non-urgent needs and also developed pricing,” said Town Manager Rob Hites during a Nov. 12 meeting of the Waynesville Town Council. Staff and contractors are still working to clean up piles of debris left after Helene struck the region in the early morning hours of Sept. 27.
Southern Debris Removal is almost finished with its first pass through the town and will make two more passes with the understanding that some people are only just now able to reenter their homes and will begin gutting them where necessary, creating more debris in the process.
As of Nov. 8, SDR had already collected and removed around 168 cubic yards of debris per day, totaling 3,368 cubic yards of debris. That’s around 91,000 cubic feet, or enough to cover a football field to a height of nearly two feet.
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office reported removing 9,119 cubic yards of debris as of Nov. 12. Countywide, 8,625
FEMA registrations have resulted in more than $11.9 million in disbursements to those impacted by the storm.
Total town damages, according to Hites’ presentation, are $2.13 million — and growing. For scale, the town’s all-funds annual budget is around $35 million.
“And that’s to the public sector,” he said. “That’s not private sector damage, that’s damage to the city itself — to the city parks, buildings, bridges, sewer lines.”
The cost will largely be reimbursed by FEMA, Hites said, with a check coming for urgent needs in the next few months, and a check coming for non-urgent needs a few months later. Hites’ list of damages is long, and provides gripping insight into what, exactly, transpired as Helene inundated Hazelwood, Frog Level and outlying reaches of the town.
REAL PROPERTY
The town’s finance department and one of its fire stations, located at 280 Georgia Ave., were flooded. ServiceMaster has completed building restoration work, and the town is currently drafting bid specifications to complete the project, which will include bringing the bathrooms up to ADA compliance. The cost is estimated at $204,000, not including lost equipment and furnishings.
The old armory at 44 Boundary St. also flooded when Richland Creek rose dramatically late in the morning, roared
through Frog Level and destroyed several businesses there. The armory has been completely restored and reopened on Oct. 28. Total cost is estimated at $44,000.
Rain was also able to penetrate the roof of town hall at 9 South Main Street, leaving behind significant moisture and causing issues with humidity that have allowed mold and mildew to spread. An estimate, according to the report, is forthcoming.
VEHICLES
Four police department vehicles were lost in the flood, a 2022 Dodge Durango, a 2023 Ford Interceptor, a 2019 Chevy Tahoe and a 2017 Chevy Silverado, totaling $164,000. The town has already submitted claims to its insurer and ordered replacements using fund balance while awaiting FEMA reimbursement. A 2015 Ford F-250 belonging to the fire department was also lost but a replacement has been purchased. The cost, including upfit, is $77,000.
INFRASTRUCTURE
A pump house providing water service to 800 residents near Camp Branch Road was damaged; however, the town’s public works department repaired it in-house in order to restore service as quickly as possible. Material and equipment costs for the work are estimated at $80,000.
Timicua Trail Road, above the pump house, was also damaged by a landslide and by erosion, with an estimated cost of $95,000. WNC Paving has been contracted to repair the road by the end of the month.
The town’s old wastewater treatment plant took on mud, with an estimated $450,000 in damages. Hites’ report says the town was hoping to complete its new wastewater treatment plant ahead of schedule; however, Helene has set the project back by perhaps three months. The new plant is still on track to be ready by late spring 2025.
The electric substation at Smathers Street, swallowed up by Richland Creek, has $18,000 in damage to the fencing surrounding it. Estimates for battery and breaker cabinet damage aren’t yet available.
Probably the most visible — and irritating — storm damage in Waynesville is to the Depot Street bridge, which is considered structurally compromised by Mattern & Craig Engineers. With ongoing construction on Russ Avenue and few other ways in and out of Waynesville to and from the north, the bridge’s closure has resulted in heavy traffic, especially during rush hour.
An engineering study has been used to create a design for permanent repairs to the bridge, and the engineering firm will inspect final repairs, taking a huge burden off town staff. There is no firm timeline yet, per staff report.
Because the project is considered urgent, the town will not have to comply with bid requirements to get the work done. The current estimate for repairs is $330,000.
A sewer main at Richland Creek will cost $325,000, with Buckeye Construction emerging as the top bidder.
All told, infrastructure damage totals just under $1.3 million. F
PARKS AND RECREATION
As Richland Creek made its way through Frog Level and down the railroad tracks toward Haywood Builders Supply, topping a bridge on Russ Avenue and rising right up to Mountain Creek Apartments, it eventually spilled out onto the Waynesville Recreation Center’s ballfields, damaging several amenities there.
“We are continuing the debris removal with SDR, and they’re continuing to get debris up as the weeks go by,” said Luke Kinsland, Waynesville’s Parks and Recreation director. “Right now, our strategy is to assess costs, obtain bids as far down as fencing [and] electrical, and assess what can be restored and repaired or what needs a complete demo and rebuild.”
The greenway section along Richland Creek incurred damage not only to the natural surfaces but also to the asphalt. Some light grading will take care of the natural surfaces, but the asphalt areas will need to be repaved.
The dog park was destroyed, so Kinsland is proposing to move it out of the floodway to where the sand volleyball courts are, right off Howell Mill Road, at a cost of $80,000. The volleyball courts in turn should be moved to BI-LO Park off East Street, where damaged restrooms should not be rebuilt because they’d still be vulnerable to flood damage.
The Vance Street softball field and its restrooms were heavily damaged, necessitating a rebuild of the field, press box, scoreboard and fencing, although the restrooms weren’t structurally compromised.
Some of the most heavily impacted recreation facilities weren’t at the rec center — they were in Hazelwood.
Hazelwood Park and Dutch Fisher Field, badly in need of upgrades even before Helene, sustained substantial damage to bleachers, dugouts, fencing, electrical systems and the press box. Kinsland’s report says building foundations were heavily undercut by floodwaters.
Development services department staff assessed 446 structures that displayed visible damage. Of the total, 302 were residential and 144 were non-residential; 325 were at least partially within the regulatory 100-year floodplain with 17 outside that flood plain; 342 showed at least some damage and 62 sustained damages of between 30% and 50%.
Of particular concern are the 22 structures — 18 of them in the 100year floodplain or about 6.5% of the total assessed — that were designated “substantially damaged,” which means damaged to more than 50% of the building’s value. A majority of those structures presented watermarks between 3 and 5 feet above the ground.
Substantially damaged residential structures must be brought into full compliance with town regulations, including floodplain regulations, if they’re to be restored. That could mean elevating them or moving them if possible.
“There are a couple of places where people may not be able to build back where they originally had their home,” Teague said. “There’s just a handful of those, and again, we’re trying to be really sensitive and they’re working through their FEMA representative to see what their process is to do a potential buyout.”
Substantially damaged commercial structures have an additional option, floodproofing, which could be a welcome alternative in Waynesville’s hard-hit commercial districts.
“What we hope to do is go out to bid soon and do an RFQ for engineering and design services to kind of get us back into rebuild and see what FEMA will reimburse us for,” Kinsland said, adding that he hoped to see flood-mitigated facilities that are “not bulletproof but hold up better to future flooding” as the facilities are still in the floodplain.
Athletic fields at the Waynesville Recreation Center were transformed into a small lake by Hurricane Helene on the afternoon of Sept. 27. Cory Vaillancourt photo
“Our hope is to have the field ready by the spring of 2025,” Kinsland said.
Kinsland has requested the Army Corps of Engineers analyze Richland Creek for debris removal and possible restoration of its banks. Total cost estimates for everything else top $264,000.
PRIVATE PROPERTY
As a national flood insurance program community, Waynesville had to conduct damage assessments of private residences and private non-residential structures in the two weeks following Helene.
“They’re used not just to collect data but it also gets us on the street, on the ground, trying to connect people to resources,” said Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague.
In addition to maintaining NFIP compliance, the damage assessments also identify unsafe structures, inform long term planning and help expedite permitting.
The amount of data collected by the town, according to Teague, “astounded” North Carolina Emergency Management and FEMA officials, with the focus of that data on telltale areas — Depot and Commerce streets in Frog Level, Smathers and Killian streets near Sulphur Springs, Harris Street near the rec center and Camp Branch Road, on the town’s southeastern flank.
Rebe Street, just south of the Richland Creek Bridge over Russ Avenue, notched the highest watermark of the storm, at 6 feet. Killian Street was a close second.
Properties built to base flood elevation (BFE) standards plus 1 foot seem to have suffered less damage than other structures, according to a development services department presentation. Structures built prior to 1983, when floodplain regulations commenced, seem to have suffered more.
In Frog Level, four commercial structures were designated as substantially damaged, mostly near the intersection of Depot and Commerce streets but also including Mia Salon on Water Street. All other buildings in that cluster suffered moderate damage of varying degrees, with the force of the flood ripping doors off hinges, scouring mortar from between courses of brick and leaving watermarks of up to 4 feet above ground.
Miraculously, Richland Creek didn’t inflict as much damage on Panacea Coffee Company and Frog Level Brewing as one might have suspected while watching floodwaters roil down Commerce Street.
Those buildings, built in 1930 and 1918 respectively, are somewhat elevated and are slab-on-grade. Both businesses reopened quickly after the storm.
“Our theory is that because those buildings were built so close to the creek and were from so long ago, even though most people we talk to say we haven’t seen a lot of this type of flooding ever in Waynesville, we have a feeling the people who built those buildings had seen some level of flooding like that,” said Alex Mumby, a land use administrator for the town.
Waynesville Plaza fared somewhat better than Frog Level; however, two commercial structures there were substantially damaged as some areas saw 2 feet of water. Kobe Express has already moved from that location and the building will be demolished, Mumby said. The status of Lilly’s Nails was unclear; however, the business is also reported to have lost substantial amounts of inventory and equipment.
Suppositions that the Mountain Creek Apartments, opened in 2023 just across the creek from Waynesville Plaza, could have somehow contributed to flooding in the plaza aren’t supported by flood maps, per Mumby.
Hazelwood’s compact core, in turn, fared somewhat better than Waynesville Plaza. Despite the early presence of standing water on Hazelwood Avenue, most of it never made it into businesses. The water that did more often than not came in through the roof, damaging inventory — the biggest casualty in Hazelwood.
Blue Ridge Books took the worst of the water, warping wooden flooring.
Again, slab-on-grade buildings or slightly elevated structures fared significantly better.
Teague said that her department would be bringing recommendations for changing or amending floodplain regulations locally, based on what else they learn from the storm. Although the state is pushing for the adoption of BFE plus 4 feet standards, Teague said the town’s BFE plus 1 foot ordinance is working but that a BFE plus 2 feet would be beneficial.
Any recommended changes would first be heard at a meeting of the town’s planning board.
After years of fostering wellness and connection, the Yoga and Bodywork Collective will close its doors on December 15th. We are deeply grateful to the Waynesville community for your support and the shared journey of healing and growth.
Though this chapter is ending, the spirit of our work lives on in each of you. Thank you for being part of our story.
Macon County Commissioners decided last week to oppose Commissioner Paul Higdon’s push to eliminate environmental health fees, an initiative he put forth as a way to address the issue of affordable housing that plagues not only Western North Carolina but also much of the country.
“We hear about housing and housing shortages, that’s all you hear about, and nobody ever does anything about it,” said Higdon during the Nov. 12 commission meeting.
Higdon says he has never been happy with the fee schedule that Macon County has used to charge for environmental health services, and brought up the idea of waiving environmental health fees for people building new projects in Macon during the commissioner’s October meeting.
“We have an opportunity here to tip our hat to people who are willing to invest in Macon County,” he said at the time.
Higdon proposed that anyone building a house or commercial property in the county should have environmental health fees waived, while someone buying a piece of property that is already developed should still have to pay the fees. In order to have fees waived, someone would have to have a valid contract to build a house, mobile home, sin-
gle wide, industrial or commercial building.
According to Public Health Director Kathy McGaha, the health department brings in about $250,000 to $300,000 a year in environmental health fees. Higdon posits that losing that revenue stream wouldn’t be a major impact on the county’s budget, which for fiscal year 2024-2025 was about $63.7 million.
Higdon has also proposed waiving building inspection fees, which bring in around $700,000 to $750,000 in revenues a year. Higdon said that if Macon County were “an impoverished county,” this might be a different discussion, but because the county is
in such a healthy financial position, it can afford to consider his proposal.
“Each year, I think we take in $4-6 million into our fund balance, and that goes in and we use it throughout the year to do whatever and generally it’s to expand the growth of government and build a government building or a government project, seldom anything to assist a private investor or whatever,” Higdon said.
From FY 2020-21 to FY 2022-23, Macon County’s fund balance grew by $13.8 million, as compared to $2.8 million from FY 2017-18 to FY 2019-20. The county still maintains the lowest property tax rate in the state at $0.27 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
“I think it would be a statement that would resonate across North Carolina,” said Higdon. “What are we going to do as a government body to assist affordable housing or any type of housing?”
McGaha said this has not been done across the state.
“I can’t find anybody, any environmental health program that has ventured into this of waiving all the fees,” said McGaha. “I think when [the board of health] look at the fees, they’re trying to figure out a way not to burden the taxpayers.”
Commissioner John Shearl, who voted with Higdon to eliminate environmental
health fees, said that the county could always choose to reinstate the fee structure at a later date if it became a problem for the county.
“In my mind this is an incentive for developers to come in here and help us with this housing crisis,” Shearl said. “The government is always taxing us and spending our tax dollars to make the government bigger. The private sector needs to grow… you put a $2 million house on that piece of property, what is the tax revenue coming into the county for that? It’s huge.”
Speaking during public comment, Scott Baste said that waiving environmental health fees, or building fees, would be minimal incentive for builders and place the burden to replace those revenues on taxpayers.
“Really what we’re doing is we’re saying the taxpayers are going to now pay this fee,” Baste said.
Commissioner Josh Young had similar concerns about minimal impact for builders.
“We just built a small little building, estimated costs were around $200,000, our fee schedule is around $1,500,” Young said. “I think the fee schedule probably needs to be looked at; I don’t think I could support completely waiving fees.”
The board voted 2-3 on the motion to eliminate environmental health fees, with Higdon and Shearl in favor, and Shields, Young and Danny Antoine opposed.
Hellbent Hope: Generative writing workshops
Helene tore through many people’s lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Some lost homes, as well as the very soil on which their homes were built. Even for those whose homes were spared, the effect of being near such devastation reverberates.
Writer and teacher Nickole Brown is set to lead a series of writing workshops aimed at helping people process the hurricane’s traumatic impact.
During these generative gatherings, writers will strive together to find ways past this debilitating hurdle. How might writing allow people to move through the trauma wrought by these storms and fires and floods? How might people bear witness to the devastation of communities, much less depict the suffering of non-human beings? How might one avoid the pitfalls of producing work that is flat-lined with facts, or worse, rendered incapable of communicating from grief and rage?
In these workshops, writers will study poems that have their own solutions to these challenges and will try their hands at writing through this darkness with awareness, control and even hope.
Brown received her MFA from Vermont College, studied literature at Oxford University and was the editorial assistant for the late Hunter S. Thompson. Her second book, “Fanny Says,” released in 2015, won the Weatherford Award for Appalachian Poetry. Brown is part of the MFA faculty at the Sewanee School of Letters program and
President of the Hellbender Gathering of Poets.
All workshops are free and open to the public. No writing experience necessary; all are welcome.
• 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at The Wild Violet, 14 North Main St., in Mars Hill.
• 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Malaprop’s Bookstore, 55 Haywood St., in Asheville. Seating is limited; be sure to sign up in advance at tinyurl.com/mryj9cms. Coled with writer and psychotherapist CB Wilson.
• 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at City Lights Bookstore in the Appalachian Regional Room, located at 3 East Jackson St. in Sylva.
• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Watauga County Public Library in the Community Room, located at 140 Queen St. in Boone.
• 5-7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at Bagatelle Books, 428-C Haywood Road in West Asheville. Co-led with poet and founder of EcoHopeful, Liza Wolff-Francis.
• Brown will lead a workshop in January, date to be determined, at Plott Hound Books, 102 West Main St. in Burnsville.
Should you be in an area affected by the hurricane and want the Hellbender Gathering to host a free generative writing workshop in a public space near you, feel free to reach out to hellbenderpoetry@gmail.com.
Shop local, shop small for hurricane recovery
Holiday shoppers across the region, the state, the country and even the world can give the gift of Haywood by visiting gifthaywood.com — an innovative new program helping local small businesses recover from Hurricane Helene.
All proceeds from the sale of exclusive “Haywood Strong” Christmas ornaments and other merchandise, like ski caps, car magnets and sticker packs, will benefit the Haywood Advancement Foundation’s grant program to help small businesses struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which visited incredible devastation upon much of Western North Carolina in late September.
entry into a gift basket raffle, with winners announced in January.
More than a hundred ornaments have already been sold to shoppers in 22 states. In addition to online mer-
gifthaywood.com also offers an interactive map of local businesses and curated shopping lists so you can surprise the foodie, trendsetter or creative soul in your life with a gift that’s sure to make memories.
“Give the Gift of Haywood” is a partnership
Ornaments purchased at the Visit Haywood Welcome Center, located at 91 North Lakeshore Drive at Lake Junaluska, will earn the buyer an
Haywood County takes stock, plots post-Helene recovery
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
Solid numbers on damage from Hurricane Helene are finally coming into Haywood County, along with a state plan to repurpose federal funds that will help speed recovery.
Zack Koonce, Haywood County’s emergency management coordinator, told county commissioners Nov. 18 that more than 954 structures had been affected when Helene entered the region on Sept. 27, with 57 structures destroyed outright and another 152 suffering substantial damage that would necessitate full compliance with flood standards if rebuilt (see WAYNESVILLE, p. 8).
“If you were to try to visualize that, it would be about three Olympic swimming pools, or if we took it and dumped it all on a football field, it would cover the football field about 5 feet high,” Koonce said.
FEMA is still operating the disaster recovery center at the Regional High Tech Center, along with disaster survivor assistance teams. As of Nov. 18, more than 8,798 valid registrations had been received there, with an average of 40 new people visiting the site each day. More than $12.7 million in individual assistance has already been disbursed, with 16 people receiving the maximum $42,500 grant.
Ross McGregor, a pastor at the Orchard Church, told commissioners that more than 20,000 people had been
The numbers include not only county land proper, but also all municipalities except for Canton, where damage assessments are not yet final.
Currently, the county is working through 523 submissions for help with private bridges, culverts and roads, of which 343 have already been validated. Some of the submissions were made by multiple homeowners sharing the same bridge or road, so it’s not likely there will need to be 523 validations.
The documented damage information, Koonce said, has been shared with FEMA, North Carolina Emergency Management and disaster survivor assistance teams still operating in the county.
Koonce reported that 89 bridges, 75 culverts and 88 roads were inspected, and that FEMA has been approved to offer individual assistance for such private infrastructure at a maximum of $42,500. Each homeowner can apply for assistance and pool their awards together on rebuilding.
With the immediate needs of the region largely under control, the National Guard, which had been assisting with welfare checks and aid distribution, finally left town last Wednesday. Haywood County’s call center is still open and averaging 25 calls a day, after already receiving more than 1,500.
As of Nov. 19, more than 10,800 cubic yards of storm debris had been removed, not including figures from municipalities.
out in harder to reach areas were able to come and load up and be resourced so they could distribute out to their communities,” McGregor said.
With impact to housing stock a major concern, the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency presented commissioners with a proposal to designate some asyet unused federal monies from Tropical Storm Fred, which hit eastern parts of the county in 2021, for Helene recovery.
Previously, the feds awarded $13,186,000 to NCORR for Fred recovery. Of that, $11,626,700 was appropriated specifically for Haywood County, which in turn earmarked $10,526,700 for affordable housing development and $1.1 million for homeownership assistance.
To date, the county has awarded funds to two affordable projects — $3.5 million to an 84-unit multifamily apartment complex developed by Mountain Housing Opportunities called Balsam Edge, and a little under $2.5 million for a single-family home ownership development project by Mountain Projects at Harkins Avenue.
That means there’s about $4 million of the Fred money still available. After talks with the county about Helene’s impact, NCORR is proposing the money be used to fund housing recovery initiatives.
As of Nov. 19, more than 10,800 cubic yards of storm debris had been removed, not including figures from municipalities.
“We are calling this proposal the ‘rapid recovery fund,’ and it will allow us to instead of holding those dollars back for future affordable housing development fund projects, we can use those dollars for other potential projects at the county’s discretion,” said Tracey Colores, community development director for NCORR.
The funds can be used for single-family owner-occupied and small rental rehabilitation or reconstruction, manufactured home replacement, buyouts of damaged properties or the acquisition of new housing for permanent relocations.
served by at least 3,000 volunteers at the six aid distribution sites that sprang up in the aftermath of the storm. Orchard stepped into the role of coordinating the sites in conjunction with the towns of Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley.
To date, the county has awarded funds to two affordable projects
$3.5 million to an 84-unit multifamily apartment complex developed by Mountain Housing Opportunities called Balsam Edge, and a little under $2.5 million for a single-family home ownership development project by Mountain Projects at Harkins Avenue.
Additionally, the distribution sites were able to help more than 150 groups or agencies supply their own constituents or members.
“We recognized that these distribution centers were really just hubs where other community centers that were
In accordance with the law, NCORR has already published the plan and must submit it to the Department of Housing and Urban Development after a 30-day public comment period. After that, it could take up to 45 days for HUD to review the plan, but HUD has expressed interest in expediting that timeline.
“We are optimistic that it will not take 45 days after the public comment period ends for us to hear back from our partners in Washington,” Colores said.
Learn more
Haywood County will hold the last of two community information events to connect people directly with key agencies involved in recovery efforts. Representatives will be available from developmental services, the soil & water/agricultural extension office, the hazard mitigation program, Mountain Projects, Department of Health & Human Services, the Haywood Chamber of Commerce, FEMA, Baptists on Mission, Pisgah Legal and more. No registration is necessary.
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 20
Location: Main Auditorium, Haywood Community College 185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde,
Haywood County Emergency Management Coordinator Zack Koonce briefs commissioners on storm recovery on Nov. 18. Haywood County photo
Beliefs about Biden/Harris just aren’t true
BY CATHERINE CARTER
After reading David Lawson’s letter, “Maybe Trump’s Win Was about Policy,” I sympathize with Dr. Lawson’s desire to focus on policy. However, some of Dr. Lawson’s claims about the Biden/Harris administration’s policies are puzzling. For instance, Dr. Lawson decries a Biden/Harris “border policy which allowed 11 million illegals to enter our country, some of which were gang members and criminals…” However, according to Pew Research, 11 million is an estimate of total undocumented immigrants in the country — including those who have been here for decades and those who arrived under Mr. Trump. It’s not the number arriving in the past four years. Too, the New York Times reported on Nov. 3 that after an initial rise, the Biden administration has steadily reduced monthly numbers of immigrants. Factcheck.org agrees, citing the (libertarian) Cato Institute immigration scholar David Bier’s statement that the Biden administration “removed a higher percentage of arrested border crossers in its first two years than the Trump DHS … over its last two years. Moreover, migrants were more likely to be released after a border arrest under President Trump than under President Biden.”
Additionally, the National Institute of Justice reported on Sept. 12 that “undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crimes.” So Biden/Harris policies shouldn’t lose Harris an election based on either an unprecedented influx of
Helene disaster isn’t over
To the Editor:
I was finally able to get through the travel hazards back to Western North Carolina six days after Helene’s historic fury had torn through our region devastating roadways, major infrastructure, entire communities and thousands of lives. It was with great relief that I pulled in the driveway to find all safe and the lights on amid the many fallen trees and power lines. I could finally exhale. There was a sense of shock permeating every cove and holler as power was gradually restored and the vivid images began to spread across area screens showing the absolute destruction just east of where we stood.
The next day I received a request to move some relief supplies from the temporary staging area at a local brewery to the newly acquired warehouse space in Sylva and to begin supplying those affected by the storm with basic necessities from donations received from across the region. I have returned to the warehouse nearly every day for over a month to bear witness and help process an outpouring of effort and donations from across the country.
With assistance from relief organizations, the National Guard and dozens of volunteers,
people who are undocumented or a spike in violent immigrant crime — since neither one actually happened.
Mr. Lawson goes on to deride “inflation peaking at over 9%” in 2022 from “exorbitant government spending.” It’s true that inflation escalated during and after the pandemic. However, Forbes (not exactly a bastion of liberal media) reported on Nov. 1 that the 9% inflation rate of 2022 was reduced to about 3% by 2024, adding that “the federal government’s national debt of $35.8 trillion is 29% higher than the day Biden took office, after rising 39% during Trump’s presidency.” Also, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Mr. Trump’s 2017 tax act, geared primarily to the wealthy, increased the deficit by almost two trillion dollars. If “exorbitant government spending” were the problem, Ms. Harris should’ve defeated Mr. Trump on the grounds of his more exorbitant spending.
Dr. Lawson goes on to complain of “policies” allowing transgender girls to compete in sports with and use bathrooms with cisgendered girls. I can’t find a single Biden/Harris policy legalizing either one. I did find proposed revisions to Title IX to “prohibit outright bans on transgender athletes, but … permit schools to restrict transgender students from participating if they could demonstrate that inclusion would harm ‘educational objectives’ like fair competition and the prevention of injury” — in other words, a compromise position, and also one never enacted. And a Gallup poll found that most voters ranked transgender issues as low priority compared to other concerns. So, again, it doesn’t seem like
LETTERS
the once empty space quickly filled with critical supplies of food, water, clothes, tents, diapers, generators, personal care and first aid items along with much more to be transported to those directly impacted by tragic losses. I have had the great opportunity to work alongside many wonderful volunteers from across the region as well as from Texas, Ohio, Florida and several other parts of our nation. It has been very restorative for me to see Americans from all walks and beliefs working side by side to help others in need during a very divisive period in our shared history.
Much has been accomplished in the past weeks, but much remains to do to help lift up our neighbors, communities and businesses that, in some cases, were completely wiped off the map. There has been a tremendous effort in all of the unloading, sorting, organizing, repacking, staging and distribution of all these donations from sources large and small, all being done by volunteers. I have personally unpacked crates and trucks with personal notes and hand-written prayers from strangers miles away from this state and the devastation.
We continue to run short of camping stoves, portable heaters, propane cylinders of all sizes, heavy-duty extension cords, household cleaning products and laundry detergent.
this non-policy should’ve led to a Harris loss … if it really was about policy.
The rest of Dr. Lawson’s letter alleges, without any specific instances or evidence, that Biden administration polices are against hard work, fair trade and Constitutional law. He also blames “cultural elites,” whatever those are, even though Mr. Trump’s strongest base is among the rich — that is, actual elites. These positions are such sweeping, unsupported generalizations that it’s hard to know where to start.
But each specific “policy” that Dr. Lawson cites as a good reason for a Trump victory turns out not to be a Biden/Harris policy at all. And those alleged waves of violent crime by undocumented immigrants? Unheard of inflation? Transgender girls trouncing cisgender girls at sports? They aren’t actually happening, either. I can’t say definitively why Ms. Harris lost. But the policies Dr. Lawson cites, and the results he claims for them, don’t actually exist.
However, Dr. Lawson clearly believes that these are Biden/Harris policies — maybe because some media outlets have declared so loudly, and for so long, that they are. Maybe a belief in bad policy can (pardon me) trump actual policy.
And if so, then Harris advocates would have some right to be upset. Who wouldn’t be shocked if their candidate lost because people like Dr. Lawson blamed her for high crime rates that didn’t occur, numbers of immigrants who never arrived, youth sports crises that didn’t happen, and policies she never enacted?
(Catherine Carter lives in Cullowhee.)
We no longer have need for food, clothing and water as our space is limited and we are at capacity, but will gladly accept the items in short supply listed above. Please feel free to drop off these items at the warehouse at 653 Scotts Creek Road in Sylva between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For updates on needed items visit the Facebook page “NC Response to Helene : Sylva NC” or check with your county’s Emergency Management Department for contact info.
We also continue to need help in the warehouse with sorting, packing and distribution of relief supplies during these times. The needs of our neighbors will continue for several months as we heal from the damage and rebuild our battered communities. Your help is needed to get us back on our feet and assist us to again stand WNC Strong.
John Beckman Cullowhee
Trump’s election tells us a lot
To the Editor:
The 2024 presidential election revealed one thing in crystal-clear, proof-positive, lightyears beyond any reasonable doubt comprehensibility, that the ability and capacity of the average American voter to simply (but so
importantly) distinguish between fact and fiction, the ability to grasp (and choose confidently) between truth and falsehood, the aptitude necessary to seek out and determine right from wrong, to diligently and with purpose contrast good and evil, and lastly, the ability and the practiced competence to differentiate and choose the honorable from the dishonorable — no longer exists. There is a reason why the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Retired General Mark Milley) called Trump “the most dangerous person in the country.” There is a reason why 741 former generals, admirals, senior NCOs and national security experts from all parts of the political spectrum signed a letter warning America and American allies of the risks to our own national security and the peril a second Trump presidency would likely unleash on other democracies worldwide. Never in our history (certainly not in my lifetime and I go back as far as FDR and WWII) have so many men and women crossed these lines to warn the world of fierce storm clouds on the horizon.
To turn a deaf ear that our allies (and democracies around the globe) are not presently severely endangered, and to not continue to shout from the rooftops this warning, would be a colossal transgression on our part. David L. Snell Franklin
A Cullowhee Christmas
Get in the holiday spirit
• “The Merry Buccaneers Holiday Heist” stage production will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 22-23 at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. All ages. Admission is $5. greatsmokies.com/events.
• “Enchanted Island of Lights” will be shown 5-10 p.m. each day through Jan. 3 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. visitcherokeenc.com/events.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As fall is slowly transitioning to winter, so, too, comes the holiday cheer. And although Thanksgiving Day, the official kickoff of the Christmas season, is still a week away, there are a handful of events already in motion to get the ball rolling.
The 15th annual “Handmade Holiday Sale” will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
This event is presented by the WCU Fine Art Museum and is located throughout the Bardo Arts Center lobby and Star Atrium. It features high-quality, handmade gifts created by students, staff and alumni. Items for sale include artwork, candles, ceramics, wearable accessories, woodwork and other handmade crafts.
The following vendors will be participating: AJM Wood Burning, Art Educations, Book Arts & Printmaking, Brooklyn Brown Creative Services, Diana Limbo, ECB Designs, Flori Studio, Flower Moon Designs, Grow by Earth Pottery, Jillian’s Canvas, localartbyjane, Mother Made Keepsakes, Mudcats Club, Pleasantly Twisted Pottery, Purses by Mal, Rez Dog Art Studio, She’s Crafty AVL, Smoky Mountain Creations, Starre Fired Pottery, USITT, WCU Wildlife & Forestry Club and Wild Pony Studio.
In addition, the WCU Fine Art Museum will host the reception for its newest exhibition, “At the Table,” from 5-7 pm Thursday, Nov. 21.
This reception was postponed due to Hurricane Helene. The exhibition explores ideas of community, power and representation through depictions or the use of a “table.” The reception will have free snacks, refreshments and comments from the WCU Fine Art Museum’s curator and team.
To learn more about the exhibition and reception, visit arts.wcu.edu/handmadeholiday.
The 37th annual “Hard Candy Christmas” arts/crafts show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 29-30 inside the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.
Franklin with eight local artists. It has grown to over 100 original artisans who sell their work at great prices. Expect an impressive display of fine hand-crafted creations such as Father Christmas dolls, fresh mountain greenery and folk dolls. And ornament collectors will always
Having crept downstairs at midnight on Christmas Eve to play with her new Nutcracker doll, a young girl is swept up in fantasies of toy soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic and mystery. After saving her beloved Nutcracker from the King of Rats, she is whisked away to
‘Handmade Holiday Sale’ will be at WCU Nov. 21. File photo
find new additions for the tree.
Admission to the “Hard Candy Christmas” is $5 for a two-day pass. Children under 12 are free. Parking is also free. For more information, click on mountainartisans.net.
Featuring professional classical dances and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated pre-professional company, a magically festive, full-length stage version of “The Nutcracker” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University.
Ballet Conservatory of Asheville (BCA) trains dancers to achieve their full potential by combining weekly technique classes, frequent master classes and multiple performance
an enchanted land and dances the night away, meeting a host of enchanting and exotic characters.
Tickets are $5 for WCU Students, $20 for WCU Faculty/Staff, $25 for adults, $15 for Students/Children (Non-WCU) and $20 for Senior Citizens.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets to “The Nutcracker,” click on arts.wcu.edu/tickets. The BAC Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and one-hour before performances.
To see BAC’s full calendar of events throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, please visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS.
• “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, 800.872.4681 or gsmr.com.
• “Merry Christmas Uncle Scrooge: The Musical” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Nov. 22-23 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $18 per person with seating upgrades available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com.
• “Christmas Wonderland” hayrides will be held through midDecember at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Limited seating available. For a full schedule and/or to purchase tickets, go to darnellfarms.com.
• “Mistletoe Makers Market” will be Saturday, Nov. 23, on Main Street. downtownwaynesville.com.
• “Christmas Light Show Drive-Thru” is running everyday through the holidays (except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park in Bryson City. greatsmokies.com/events.
• “Ice Skating at The Yard” will be 4-8 p.m. Fridays and 1-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at The Yard on Depot Street in Bryson City. For more information, go to facebook.com/theyardbc.
The holidays are in full swing at WCU
‘The Nutcracker’ returns to the stage at WCU Dec. 6-7. File photo
This must be the
place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘Light a fire, fight a liar, what’s the difference, in existence?’
It’s not much after 9:30 on Sunday morning. I awoke in bed just as my girlfriend, Sarah, was heading out the door to have coffee and eggs with one of her good friends. Living in downtown Waynesville, she’d have to make her way quickly to Sunny Point Café in West Asheville before the usual Sunday rush of brunch folks and out-of-towners.
The apartment became quiet, save for the incessant low rumbling of vehicles on nearby Walnut Street. No matter, the noise of daily life in our small mountain town has become a background hum to remind me of my surroundings while I get lost in thought, which is usually most of my day, either in bed, in my truck or while writing this piece.
It’s mid-November. The last of the fall foliage leaves are long gone from the branches of the large maple trees in the front lawn of the apartment building. The sun is still warm when you find yourself directly standing in it. But, the cold air of winter swirls once again, especially when I’m out for a jog, my jacket bundled a little tighter each outing of exercise and serenity.
I get out of bed in search of hot coffee. Wandering into the living room, my guitar is still on the couch from late-night playing, quietly by myself, Sarah sleeping in the other room. Most of the town is also asleep when the clock strikes midnight and the wild-n-out nature of Saturday knowns and unknowns are now in the rearview mirror.
The pillows on the couch are disheveled from when I finally entered slumber around 2 a.m. only to wake up with the sun ‘round 6 a.m., slowly moseying to the bedroom, Sarah mumbling, “It’s about time you came to bed.” An hour later, she had to get up and get ready for the day, for there was delicious breakfast and good conversation to be had on Haywood Road.
Pick up the Gretsch Electromatic semi-hollow body guitar and sit down in a nearby chair. Reach for the guitar pick and strum and few chords repeatedly to get the rhythm of the
Hamden and 1,002 miles from my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York, where my folks still reside in the 1840 brick farmhouse along that country road on the outskirts of town.
My father is 82 years old and still as strong as an ox. Between jogging and keeping himself busy each day, he’s as sharp as a tack and just as stubborn as an old ox, too. God bless’em though. Like clockwork, by this time in the day (noon), he’s already had breakfast and lunch and thinking about what he might want for dinner around the time the local news comes on the TV. Glass of wine. Meat and potatoes.
In the meantime, the old man remains in this continual motion of chopping wood to put into the two stoves on either end of the old farmhouse. And there’s a couple hours each day he dedicates to building the large stone wall that he hopes will go the distance along the front lawn of the farmhouse — his legacy to someday be set in stone.
day in motion. Pick up where I left off in the early morning hours of Sunday. Just messing around with chords, but always being aware of just how fun and rewarding, more so meditative, it is to learn to play an instrument.
The Gretsch is my go-to for late-night pickin’-n-grinnin’ seeing as my acoustic guitars are too loud to bang around on at midnight. But, the Electromatic is perfect. You can strum it as loud as you want because it isn’t plugged into an amplifier, but the semi-hollow nature of the guitar makes it sound like a muffled acoustic. Ideal for nighttime.
Fix the couch pillows. Put the guitar back to its usual spot in the corner. Make the bed. Then, head out into the world for hot coffee, seeing as we forgot to get more drip coffee when we went to the grocery store yesterday. A solo mission for caffeine refreshment. Large cup in-hand leaving the coffee shop. Sip. Sip. Sip. And do so with gusto.
Finally, I sit at my writing desk just before noon. Deadlines and daydreaming. Sentences and emotions. Paragraphs and parachuting into the thought of oneself in this very moment. The sounds of John Coltrane’s seminal 1965 album “A Love Supreme” on the stereo. The soothing melodic tone that has inspired my mind and my fingertips across the keyboard since I first heard it freshman year of college.
That was 21 years ago. Where does the time go, eh? I was 18 and attending Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Some 300 miles and six hours away from all things familiar and loved back home in the North Country of Upstate New York. Blast some Coltrane in my headphones while completing some homework, my writing desk in front of the third-floor dorm room window overlooking the campus surrounded by Sleeping Giant State Park.
Now, the writing desk faces the living room window with a view of the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. My current position is 808 miles from
My mother is likely somewhere in town, usually wherever her three grandkids may be on Sunday afternoon. Stop by the grocery store later for that bottle of wine and the meat and potatoes for the impending evening meal. Head home and get cozy next to the fireplace. Pour some wine. Admire the progress my father made on the stone wall today. Maybe call her son in Waynesville.
I look forward to seeing them for Christmas this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve been home for the holidays. Sarah’s also excited to roll into the North Country, to get cozy with a glass of wine by the fireplace in the living room next to my mom, while I’ll be in the back den, sitting with the old man, watching college football over a cold Labatt Blue beer. It’s the simple things in life that mean the most. True that, my brothers and sisters. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
HOT PICKS
1
Americana/bluegrass act the Darren Nicholson Band will hit the stage for a special intimate performance at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley.
2
“The Merry Buccaneers Holiday Heist” stage production will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 22-23 at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City.
3
The 15th annual “Handmade Holiday Sale” will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
4
Rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.
5
“Enchanted Island Of Lights” will be shown 5-10 p.m. every day through Jan. 3 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee.
The Blue Ridge Parkway. Garret K. Woodward photo
Blow the tannery whistle
BY GARY CARDEN · SPECIAL TO SMN
A tale of two Abrahams
Iremember a day in March when I was in the seventh grade. We were on the second floor of the old Sylva Elementary building, and we had a kind of ritual that involved the pencil sharpener.
We made a habit of sharpening our pencils often because it meant that we stared out the window which was raised and sometimes remained at the pencil sharpener until our pencils were reduced to a little stub. The boys always spit out the window and watched the dollop of spit sail down to the old water fountain. Well, on this windy day in March, my dollop didn’t go anywhere because it blew back into the room and landed on this big kid’s nose who sat near the window.
I didn’t know him, but we all called him “Honest Abe.” I remember asking Billy Crawford why we called him Honest Abe and he said it was because he is an Enloe, and his granddaddy is thought to be the father of Abraham Lincoln. Well, that impressed me because I knew who Abraham Lincoln was!
Now about the dollop of spit on Honest Abe’s nose. It turned out that “Honest Abe” was mad. He got up and wiped his nose and came up to me at the pencil sharpener and plucked me up and smacked me down. I got up and he smacked me again. I figured out that if I got up, he would smack me down again, so I stayed on the floor until Honest Abe went back to his seat.
Now, I told you about this bit of drama so I could tell you a story about the man named Abraham Enloe who just might be Abraham Lincoln’s daddy! There is a famous book about this story. Now, bear with me and let us jump into the future a few years to a hot July day in Cherokee with traffic backed up to Gateway and I am working the cash register in my Uncle Allen’s Reservation Grill. We are unpacking boxes and stashing cans of pintos, cream, okra and tomatoes and stocking the kitchen
Spencer Sunshine
will be visiting to talk about his new book, Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason’s Siege
shelves with vegetables, and each can has a picture of the contents. That is so Lightening, the cook who cannot read, will know what is in each can.
I noticed that there are several boxes of a book entitled “The Genesis of Lincoln,” by a man named Cathey who lives in Sylva.
I asked Uncle Allen, “Are you selling books now?”
“Yes,” he said. “That one sells like hot cakes.”
“No kidding,” I said. “What is it about?
“Well,” Uncle Allen said, “Mr. Cathey claims that he can prove that Abraham Lincoln’s father was a farmer who lived near Cherokee.”
I picked up a copy of the book and opened it to a bunch of photographs of Lincoln and Abraham Enloe and it looked like the two men share the same features. They are all tall and skinny with large ears! I wouldn’t say that they share “ugly” features, but they simply looked like men who live close to the earth.
Uncle Allen said, “Take one and read it,” so I did ... several times. Let me tell you about the book. It has 372 pages and James Cathey has included over 20 endorsements from notable people who have reviewed the book’s evidence and have concluded that the author is correct in his assumption that Abraham Enloe is indeed the father of Abraham Lincoln.
As I have mentioned, the book contains several photographs that suggest that the resemblance between the features of Enloe and Lincoln is striking. For me, the author’s narrative has a singular flaw which suggests that Cathey’s description of African Americans reveals that he considers them “child-like” and possibly inferior to their white owners. Of course, this has no bearing on his claims regarding Lincoln’s birth.
Permit me one more change of scenery.
I guess it is 1954 and I am now a college student at Western Carolina Teacher’s College. The college has just hired a somewhat famous lady who teaches drama and I
am registered to take a course that is called “speech” but it is also “theatre.” The semifamous lady is Josefina Niggli, who is a graduate of the University Of North Carolina and has published two novels that became Book of the Month selections, and one has been filmed (“Sombrero”) and she is currently writing for television (“Have Gun, Will Travel”) and she resembles a Persian cat and she tends to start sentences with “Darling.”
I quickly learned that she did not care for my mountain dialect, for she said
heard the story. “Yes! I will!” I chirruped … and I did.
I wore a pair of overalls and no shirt and one “gallus” which is what mountain folks call suspenders. I still remember my best line, which was spoken to Nancy Hanks on the day Nancy leaves the Enloe farm with a fellow named Tom Lincoln who takes her to Kentucky. The production was only done in the class, but I treasure the memory. In the final scene of “Leavings,” Abraham Enloe stands in the doorway watching Nancy Hanks depart and he becomes a kind of prophet. He quotes an Old Testament story in which a woman named Hagar is forced to leave since she has a child that was born out of wedlock.
“Darling, when you speak, I shudder.”
During our first class, I was delighted to learn that she is a Carolina Playmaker, and she intends to use some of the student oneacts written by Fred Koch’s class … a class that included Thomas Wolfe, Paul Green and someone from Sylva who had written a one-act pay about Abraham Enloe!
When Niggli asked for volunteers to direct a one-act, the student next to me asked for “Leavings.”
After she read the script, she asked me to portray … Abraham Enloe! Of course, everyone in Western North Carolina had
Enloe addresses Nancy Hanks, who can’t hear him since she is gone, telling her what God said to Hagar. God said, “I will make him a great nation.”
Shortly after the publication of “The Genesis of Lincoln,” a number of stories were published which were based on the belief that Nancy Hanks was already pregnant when she arrived at the Enloe farm, and this belief led to the publication of a series of fanciful tales that suggested that Lincoln’s father was one of several possibilities which were notable individuals who spent time in the dwelling where Nancy Hanks was employed prior to her arriving at Abraham Enloe’s farm. Possible candidates were Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. The last time I counted, there were six sites that claimed to give historic facts about Lincoln’s birth. Among the most devoted believers of the Abraham Enloe version was Robert Lee Madison, the founder of Western Carolina University. (Gary Carden is one of Southern Appalachia’s most revered literary figures and has won a number of significant awards for his books and plays over the years, including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012. His most recent book, “Stories I lived to tell,” is available at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, or online through uncpress.org.)
Cataloochee Ranch welcomes bluegrass legend
Americana/bluegrass act the Darren Nicholson Band will hit the stage for a special intimate performance at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley. A Grammy-nominee and winner of 13 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, Nicholson has taken his own brand of mountain music around the world.
A regular for years on the Grand Ole Opry and a founding member of acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range, Nicholson now spends his time recording, writing new songs and performing as a solo act.
Tickets are $35 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/live-music.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host an “Open Jam” 6 p.m. every Tuesday and the “Balsam Christmas Concert” featuring Darren Nicholson & Shawn Lane (Americana/bluegrass) 7 p.m. Nov. 30. Tickets are $30 per person. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• 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 The Rhinestone Ramblers (Americana/alt-country) Nov. 23 and Ben & The Borrowed Band (Americana/country) Nov. 30. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Jazz On The Level 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Old Sapp (Americana/folk) Nov. 22, Mountain Mama Band Nov. 23, Desi & Cody 3 p.m. Nov. 24, Alma Russ (Americana/ folk) Nov. 27, Lydia Hamby & Company Nov. 29 and Simple Folk Quartet Nov. 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music
($75 per person). 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Sweet & Sourwood Honey (Americana/folk) Nov. 23 and The V8s (rock/oldies) Nov. 30. 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, Val Merza (indie/ pop) Nov. 22 and Flashback Fringe (rock/psychedelic) Nov. 29. 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 donation $20. Located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/Frank Lee every Wednesday, Aces Down Nov. 22, Frank Lee (Americana/old-time) Nov. 23, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Nov. 24, Bird In (Americana/folk) Nov. 29 and Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Nov. 30. 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. Dec. 6. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. 770.335.0967 / go2ottonc.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “A Little Piece Of The Holidays” w/Karla Harris & The Tyrone Jackson Quintet 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Karaoke 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) Nov. 21, “Open Mic w/Dirty Dave” Nov. 22, R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) Nov. 23, Dave Dexter (singer-songwriter) Nov. 29 and Michael Kitchens Nov. 30. 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 Bobby G. Nov. 21, Fancy & The Gentleman (Americana/ soul) Nov. 23 and Celtic Road Jam (Celtic/world) 4 p.m. Nov. 30. 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 Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Nov. 22, Generations 5 p.m. Nov. 24,
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays w/Al Scortino & Greg Thomas (Americana/folk) Nov. 23. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Charles Walker Nov. 22, The Remnants Nov. 23, Dillion & Co. Nov. 29 and Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Nov. 30. 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 Babyface (R&B/soul) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 and “Vietnamese Celebration: Night Three” 7 p.m. Nov. 24. caesars.com/harrahscherokee.
• 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 ($50 per person) and Mark O’Connor’s “An Appalachian Christmas” w/Maggie O’Connor (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29
Darren Nicholson will play Maggie Valley Nov. 24. File photo
On the beat
On the wall
Americana, folk at Frog Level
Rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.
Based out of Western North Carolina and with her unique brand of “patchwork music” (country, folk and Appalachian styles pieced together), Russ enjoys playing guitar, banjo and fiddle.
Russ was also a contestant on “American Idol” Season 16. Her most recent album, “Fool’s Gold,” was recorded in an abandoned church in the West Texas desert while Russ was on a national tour.
“Thanksgiving Eve Party” w/Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) 5 p.m. Nov. 27 and Ray Ferrara (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Nov. 29. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host the “Three Times A Lady” Christmas concert 7 p.m. Dec. 6. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the
Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit froglevelbrewing.com or almarussofficial.com.
month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Karaoke Night w/Lori Nov. 21, Blackwater Station Nov. 22, Jon Cox Band (country/ rock) Nov. 23, TNT Nov. 28 (free), Rock Holler Nov. 29 and Topper Nov. 30. 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
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.
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 interdisciplinary 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/grantsfunding or contact the HCAC at director@haywoodarts.org.
Alma Russ will play Waynesville Nov. 27. File photo
Stecoah Drive-About Tour
The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 29-30 at featured studios in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville. With their studios open to the public, the self-guided driving tour highlights artisans who have built a livelihood with their creative talents. Media include pottery, beeswax lanterns and pillar candles, original paintings/drawings, fiber, quilts, photography, honey, mead and more.
The tour includes: Wehrloom Honey & Meadery, Hunting Boy Wood Carving, Marie’s Lavender Farm, The Shed Gallery, Junk N’ Style, Stecoah Artisans Gallery, Local Handmade Pottery, The Village Merchant, Sharla Kauffman Pottery and Gallery Zella. For more information, 828.479.3364 or stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.
ALSO:
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. highlandsperformingarts.com.
On the table
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There will also be a special “Spritzer Tasting” from 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 ($10 per person). 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
Marie’s Lavender Farm is part of the Drive-About tour. File photo
WCU student art showcase
The “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition” will be displayed through Dec. 6 at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee.
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.
The art portfolios — which include paintings, photography, ceramics, installation art and other mediums — explore a wide range of topics including isolation, community, the intersection of faith/life and the destruction of Hurricane Helene and Maria.
For more information, go to wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.
‘Young Mountain Women’ by Nikayla Glover. File photo
• 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 businesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m.
each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host an adult arts and crafts program at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For
HCAC ‘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 or smaller in any dimension, 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.
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.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visi-
For more information, go to haywoodarts.org.
tors. 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.
Julie Bagamary is an HCAC member. File photo
The Parton sisters’ cookbook
About 10 years ago, Dolly Parton became one of my heroines.
It wasn’t her music, or her movies, or her theme park that brought my salute. No — it was the day I was browsing the West Asheville Library and discovered information about Parton’s contribution to literature and books: the Imagination Library.
Founded in 1995 in her home county of Sevier, Tennessee, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library set out to provide a free book every month to every child from birth to five years whose parents signed onto the program. The foundation’s first book order came to 1,700. Today Imagination Library mails out more than a million books a month, all free of charge, to toddlers and preschoolers both here in the United States and overseas, with more than 200 million total books distributed so far. Her father’s illiteracy was the inspiration for this venture.
Parton has supported Eastern Tennessee and the Smokies, where she was raised, with other gifts of generosity, especially with Dollywood, the theme park that brings more than a $1 billion in revenue to the area and provides thousands of direct and ancillary jobs.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Parton donated $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, along with a matching gift from her businesses, to help Tennessee residents rebuild houses destroyed by flooding.
Which brings us to this week’s book: “Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals” (Ten Speed Press, 2024, 272 pages) by Dolly Parton and her sister, Rachel Parton George.
Whenever Parton walks into her sister’s kitchen, she supposedly sings out a bit of the Hank Williams’ hit, “Say hey, good lookin’, what ya got cookin’?” That line not only gives the title of the book, but tells us both Dolly and Rachel enjoy rustling up a meal.
“Good Lookin’ Cookin’” takes special aim at holiday meals, big feasts for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and more. Here, for example, is the menu for a New Year’s celebration: champagne cocktails, “chicken feed” for hors d’oeuvres, which is a mashup of English muffins, butter and canned chicken breast, country ham and biscuits, the traditional black-eyed peas, turnip greens, skillet cornbread and chocolate pie
with meringue.
Many of the other recipes reflect the Parton sisters’ upbringing: fried green tomatoes, chicken, cornbread sticks and corn frit-
ented and beautiful people we’ve ever met, in front of or behind the camera.” Maurice Miner, a country music media and marketing consultant, receives credit for helping write the book.
ters, ribs. Other more universal dishes include such delights as Mac and Cheese, prime rib with Yorkshire pudding, “Family Favorite Meatloaf” and wings. The desserts follow this same eclectic approach, ranging from “Mama’s Banana Pudding” to coconut cake to strawberry short cake.
Accompanying the recipes for these dishes are short introductions, in which Rachel or Dolly share their affection for a particular food, and lots of helpful sidebar tips. In terms of difficulty in preparation, I’d give the recipes of “Good Lookin’ Cookin’” a medium rating. This is not one of those guides for preparing a meal in under 10 minutes, but at the same time the menus are less complicated than found in some classic cookbooks.
The photographs add much to the book’s pleasure. Naturally, there are lots of pictures of the dishes just before they’re to be served, but fans of Parton will be delighted as well by the shots of the sisters, who truly seem happy in each other’s company. Concluding the book is a photo of the sisters with the photographer and these words: “In memory of Aubrie Pick, who was one of the most tal-
City Lights welcomes Woloch, Sunshine
The following readings will occur at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Of the two sisters, Rachel is the chief chef. In “A Message from Dolly” at the beginning of “Good Lookin’ Cookin’,” Parton describes herself as “a very good cook,” but then adds of Rachel, “she has a true knack for making food look and taste beautiful, and that is truly an art.” Rachel herself says of her culinary artistry, “It’s my hobby and my passion. There is only one thing I enjoy more than reading a good cookbook, and that’s cooking a great meal for people to enjoy.”
Reminiscing about her mother’s talent for cooking, Rachel, the youngest of the 12 Parton children, writes, “She knew how to make anything, even with modest ingredients. We would ask, ‘Mama, how did you make this taste so good?’ She would always smile and say, “I made it with love.’”
And that’s how “Good Lookin’ Cookin’” feels and reads, as if it was made from love. •••
The holiday season — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s — is coming up fast. This year, it’s more important than ever to support our local stores and restaurants. If you’re buying gifts for others, please do your best to keep the money in your community.
A gift certificate from a restaurant, books bought from a local shop, presents for the holidays and other special occasions: all these purchases will help keep local businesses alive.
Do that, and you’re supporting and helping out your neighbors, your friends, your family and yourself.
(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.)
• Poets Cecilia Woloch and Louise Morgan Runyon will give readings of their poetry highlighting labor and social justice issues at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22.
This reading celebrates the release of Woloch’s new chapbook, “Labor: The Testimony of Ted Gall.” For more information, email sylvawriters@gmail.com.
• Spencer Sunshine will talk about his new book “Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason’s Siege” at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.
Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit citylightsnc.com.
Writer Jeff Minick
Flood damage prevention ordinance, dam removal still on the table
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
Despite a lack of quorum at the November planning board meeting, both the flood damage prevention ordinance and now the removal of Lake Emory Dam remain on the table for Macon County, during a time when much of Western North Carolina is still recovering from damage caused by flooding and winds due to Hurricane Helene.
The Water Quality Advisory Committee was set to present its latest report, detailing potential impacts of revising the Macon County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, at the Nov. 7 planning board meeting, the same meeting the planning board would consider its recommendation to the county commission regarding the ordinance.
The Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance is the third of three that have been up for revision over the course of the year.
The planning board and the commission have been considering revising the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, which currently prevents placement of fill in floodplains, to allow for fill on up to 25% of the flood fringe area of any property.
The Water Quality Advisory Committee (WQAC) opposes changing the ordinance to allow for 25% fill, saying in its report that it instead advocates “for a variance process to allow for exceptions to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, while keeping floodplain protections intact.”
The Water Quality Advisory Committee is made up of nine volunteer members with careers in varying aspects of aquatic management.
While one of the three ordinance revisions has already been passed by the board of commissioners — in August the board voted to change 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 — commissioners are not set to make final decisions on the Water Supply Watershed Protection or Flood Damage Prevention ordinances until January.
Despite the WQAC presenting 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, the planning board voted against the recommendations of the WQAC and made an official recommendation to the county commission to remove a clause from the ordinance that says RV parks are not eligible for special nonresidential intensity allocations (SNIA) from the ordinance.
“I see that growing public opinion in Macon County is against weakening flood protection at a time when our neighbors are still struggling to recover. The overwhelming majority of people in this room have respectfully but repeatedly and intelligently, as very concerned citizens, spoken out against this change.”
— Christopher Baxter
Due to a lack of quorum, there was no official planning board meeting on Nov. 7.
“I apologized to everyone in attendance and let them know that there would not be an ‘official’ meeting, but we welcomed
anything they wanted to present,” said Planning Board Chairman Jean Owen. “As there was no official meeting, there was no recommendation to the county commissioners.”
According to Owen, the planning board will take up the proposed revision to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance at the Dec. 5 planning board meeting.
Despite the lack of quorum, there was public turnout at the Nov. 7 planning board meeting with several people voicing their opposition to the proposed change, in addition to presentations by the WQAC, as well as Lewis Penland, who presented about how to manage floodplains and restore damaged floodplains, and from Kenneth McCaskill of Farm Bureau about the loss of agricultural land and the importance of the floodplain for agriculture.
Throughout the entire process of considering revisions to the ordinances that affect the floodplain, there has been regular and vehement opposition to the changes from members of the public. While some commissioners and planning board members claim the changes to the ordinances were proposed after hearing complaints from members of the public, only two proponents of the changes have voiced their opinion in public comment, compared to dozens against the changes.
“These are not things that I pulled out of thin air, these are real issues that people in the public, people in the community have come to me about over the years,” Young said at the May commissioners meeting.
Other commissioners also said they had heard questions from the community about the ordinance.
While members of the public have been vocal in opposition to the changes throughout the year, that opposition became somewhat more pronounced after flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
“All of this is very, very important stuff and I really just have one question. Why are we doing F
Lake Emory Dam. File photo
DEQ provides funding for projects to reduce flood risks in North Carolina communities
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) to implement flood reduction and floodplain protection projects. DEQ is allocating over $9 million to 15 NCLWF projects that will provide an estimated 465 acre-feet of flood water retention, or 152 million gallons, during flood events.
This partnership allows the Flood Resiliency Blueprint to quickly fund effective projects through an existing grant program with a proven track record of project implementation and long-term sustainability. In addition, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint is in the process of developing similar partnerships with other state agencies, focused on a wide range of flood resiliency projects.
The following flood reduction and floodplain protection projects in Western North Carolina are supported by this funding:
Haywood Waterways Association will repair a portion of the Upper Pigeon River, restoring wetland function and storing 300 acre-feet of flood water upstream of downtown Canton.
The City of Hendersonville will restore portions of Mud Creek and its floodplains, protecting downstream areas from flooding and expanding city park areas.
this right now?” said one speaker at the Oct. 3 planning board meeting. “Our region has suffered one of the worst catastrophes that I can think of … This can wait. Our people are suffering.”
During the Nov. 12 commissioners meeting, Christopher Baxter took to public comment to point out the lack of support for changes to the ordinances impacting the floodplain.
“I see that growing public opinion in Macon County is against weakening flood protection at a time when our neighbors are still struggling to recover,” said Baxter. “The overwhelming majority of people in this room have respectfully but repeatedly and intelligently, as very concerned citizens, spoken out against this change.”
“All I’m asking for is if this board agrees, let’s just task the planning board at doing some homework and see if this is even feasible to even consider the Lake Emory Dam,” said Shearl. “I’m not saying let’s go remove the dam next month, but in January we are going to be talking about this floodplain and you want to have an impact on the floodplain, it’s the removal of this dam.”
Higdon seconded Shearl’s motion to task the board with investigating the possibility of removing Lake Emory Dam, saying the planning board should conduct a comprehensive feasibility study.
Today, Northbrook Power Management owns the dam at Lake Emory, the same company that owns the Ela Dam and inadvertently released a massive amount of sedi-
‘Pickin’ for Pisgah’ Benefit Raises $15,000 for FIND Outdoors
and Helene Recovery
FIND Outdoors announced the success of the “Pickin’ for Pisgah” benefit concert, an inspiring evening of music, community, and love for our local public lands. Held Nov. 10 at the Cradle of Forestry, the event brought together local musicians, nature enthusiasts and generous supporters, raising over $15,000 in donations to support FIND Outdoors’ initiatives in Pisgah National Forest.
The evening’s lineup featured Pisgah Pickers, a collective of musicians including Woody Platt, Michael Ashworth, Mike Guggino and Bennett Sullivan. Opening for these award-winning musicians were talented young artists from the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program. Highlights from the evening included North Carolina Forest Supervisor James Melonas joining the band on vocals and guitar to perform the John Prine classic “Paradise.” Another special moment was when Owen Grooms, director of the JAM program, played “Ruby,” a banjo that was made from the 2022 Capitol Christmas tree originally harvested from the Pisgah.
All proceeds from the event will support FIND Outdoors’ efforts to repair and restore recreation sites in the Pisgah damaged by Hurricane Helene. On Nov. 23, FIND will host a volunteer cleanup event at Coon Tree Recreation Area from 1-5 p.m. Volunteers can sign up for this event at gofindoutdoors.org/events/pickin-up-pisgah.
For more information on upcoming events and ways to get involved with FIND Outdoors, please visit findoutdoors.org or follow us on social media.
“In this democratic process the voice and will of the people are to be listened to, respected and responded to,” Baxter continued. “The voice of the people has been heard here but I don’t believe that it has been responded to in a way that’s commensurate with how they have been expressing their concerns.”
After the commission’s Nov. 12 meeting, the planning board has a new task on its plate in addition to discussion and recommendation on proposed changes to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
At the beginning of the meeting, Commissioner John Shearl asked that discussion about the removal of Lake Emory Dam be added to new business.
Commissioner Paul Higdon had brought the issue up earlier this year, but there has been no movement on the topic.
ment there in October 2021, blanketing the downstream reach and severely damaging its aquatic communities. Northbrook also owns the Mission Dam on the Hiawassee River.
In an effort to generate electricity for the local community, as well as income from tourism, in 1925 the Town of Franklin created Lake Emory by funding a $300,000 bond to pay for a 35.5-foot tall, 463-foot long dam on the Little Tennessee river.
After one failed attempt to offload the dam to Northwest Carolina Utilities, the town eventually transferred title of the dam to Nantahala Power and Light Company in 1932, which later morphed into Duke Energy. Over the last several decades the lake has been plagued by the buildup of silt from storm damage and development activities upstream of the dam.
Kayaker paddles on the Little Tennessee River. File photo
The Joyful Botanist
BY ADAM BIGELOW
Banking on it
There are many places and things that you can bank on in our world. You can call bank on a basketball court or pool table. You can carve a bank on a skateboard. You can donate food to a food bank or blood to a blood bank. You can upload data to a data bank that runs on multiple levels of memory banks. You can climb down the riverbank to take a dip. Of course, you can put your money into a checking or savings account, and you can add your coins to a piggy bank. While my piggy bank is named Ira, I’m certainly not banking on it having enough for my retirement.
When it comes to return on investment, however, almost nothing beats the soil seed bank. While you may not have seen this among the many investment houses and financial institutions, the soil seed bank is loaded and usually secure.
This kind of bank is found in topsoil all around the world and is a large part of the resilience of an ecosystem. Just under the ground, below the growing plants and fallen leaves and under the duff that connects the above and below ground parts of the soil lies the seed bank. When a disturbance happens, major or minor, like a single tree falling or a whole line of trees taken out by tornado or hurricane, it is from the seed bank that recovery begins.
Puzzles can be found on page 30
These are only the answers.
produce a whole lot of seeds every year. Even if you do the good work of removing bittersweet weed from your property, seeds of the invasive bittersweet can remain viable in the soil for upwards of 95 years.
This means that one day long after your successful mitigation of this plant, a single seed of bittersweet weed can be exposed to the conditions it requires to germinate and begin to grow and reinfest a previously cleared area. Research shows that when you clear an area of herbaceous plants, what often comes in first are exotic and invasive plants. Luckily, after clearing invasive shrubs and trees, it is more likely that native plants will fill in where the invasive shrubs were removed.
Seeds can lie dormant just under the ground for many years. There are short-lived seeds referred to as transient seeds, that will only be able to germinate for a couple of years. And then there are seeds of plants that can live dormant in the soil for many decades or in the right conditions, for hundreds of years. This is great when it comes to disturbance recovery, as often what grows after a storm are native plants well adapted to the environmental conditions of an area.
Problematic non-native seeds, those we call invasive that cause harm in the ecosystem by outcompeting and replacing native plants, are often found in the soil seed bank. The bittersweet weed (Celastrus orbiculatus) might be one of the most prolific and long-lived seeds in the soil. And that is a problem because they
The seed bank is responsible for many a gardener’s experience of pulling up weeds in your veggie garden, only to find more weeds germinating and growing right afterward. In organic gardening, trying to reduce soil disturbance by minimizing tilling and cutting weeds instead of pulling them can help keep the seed bank from flushing out too much. And, as the Western North Carolina region begins the ecological restoration and recovery work that lies ahead, I am rooting for the soil seed bank to burst into regenerative action and help hold the soil and regrow the forests and meadows in all but the most deeply scoured areas. In fact, I’m banking on it.
(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
The bittersweet weed (Celastrus orbiculatus) might be one of the most prolific and long-lived seeds in the soil. Adam Bigelow photo
CMC seeks volunteers for trail restoration workday
Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) is gearing up for another significant trail restoration event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, in Hot Springs.
Volunteers will gather to help restore the area’s trails and community spaces, both of which were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene. Youth aged 14 and up are also encouraged to participate with a parent or guardian.
With the effects of Hurricane Helene still being felt, CMC has been leading the charge in post-storm trail recovery efforts across Western North Carolina. Recently, the Friday work crew broke its attendance record with 36 participants, including 16 new faces, coming together to clear sections of
the Appalachian Trail between Sugarloaf Mountain and Flint Gap.
“The support we’ve seen in the post-Hurricane Helene response has been nothing short of amazing,” said Paul Curtin, CMC’s Appalachian trail supervisor. “This community spirit is what keeps our trails open and safe for everyone to enjoy, and we’re excited to bring that energy to Hot Springs for our next big workday on Nov. 30.”
Volunteers for the upcoming Hot Springs workday should meet at 8 a.m. at the US Forest Service parking lot (160 Zillicoa St., Asheville) to carpool.
Participants are asked to bring their own lunch, water, work gloves and appropriate attire for the weather. CMC will provide tools and personal protective equipment (PPE). For more information and to register for the Hot Springs workday, visit cmc100th.org.
The drought has spread in Eastern North Carolina, while the whole state remains at least abnormally dry. ncdrought.org photo
North Carolina gets dryer
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified the whole state as at least abnormally dry and a moderate drought has spread in the eastern part of the state, according to the latest advisory released Thursday. Many areas, including parts of the state hit by Hurricane Helene, have seen less than one inch of rain in October.
Military, veterans discounts on tree seedlings
Beginning Nov. 11, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20% discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel throughout November. The discount applies to the first $500 of all new orders, up to a $100 discount.
“North Carolina is home to many wood-
land owners who are veterans or current military members serving to preserve our freedoms,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This discount is a token of our appreciation which aims to assist with their efforts toward keeping North Carolina’s forests healthy and thriving.”
To qualify for the discount, proof of service is required. A valid military ID, DD 214/215 or National Guard Bureau Form 22/22A is acceptable. Standard shipping rates still apply. Tree seedlings may be ordered by calling 1.888.NCTREES or visiting buynctrees.com.
Winter Lights display at The NC Arboretum
The 11th annual Winter Lights returned to The North Carolina Arboretum on Friday Nov. 15, with the show running nightly through Dec. 31.
This year, Winter Lights is unveiling “Seasons of Light,” a celebration of the four seasons inter-
preted in more than one million lights. From the towering flowers of “Spring Sprouts” and the magical mushrooms of “Fall Fungi,” to behemoth butterflies and the beloved giant caterpillar, guests can immerse themselves in the enchanting displays and acres of lights.
Since October, the Arboretum team has been working diligently to restore the show to be as big and as magical an experience as it has been before. Winter Lights is The North Carolina Arboretum Society’s largest fundraiser of the
year, and proceeds generated from the display directly support the Arboretum’s employees, programming, improvements to the grounds and is a major economic driver for local vendors, musicians and seasonal staff that participate each year.
New in 2024 is the Enchanted Oasis, an interactive light installation that changes and responds to touch and motion, and the Ice Castle, where silvery winter spires rise toward the sky. Familiar favorites like the to the 50-foot animated Tree of Light, the illuminated musical quilt garden, and the Polar Express railroad will also return. The Connections Gift Shop in the Baker Visitor Center and the expanded Winter Lights shop in the Education Center are full of one-of-a-kind holiday treasures. The animatronic animals of Storytime at Woodland Cove will be singing carols and telling tales, and guests can relax and enjoy live music nightly, hot cocoa and treats from the Bent Creek Bistro.
Tickets are on sale now at ncwinterlights.com and are purchased per-vehicle. Tickets are sold by date in a three-tiered system to offer a range of admission prices, with off-peak dates costing less than those nights with the most demand. The Arboretum strongly recommends purchasing tickets in advance and online. Members of The North Carolina Arboretum Society get $5 off tickets when purchased in advance.
This year, the Arboretum has established the “Share the Wonder” campaign that allows Winter Lights ticket purchasers to donate additional tickets for those in need around the region. “Share the Wonder” tickets will be distributed to area nonprofit organizations to be gifted to individuals and families.
Volunteers will assist with trail and community restoration efforts. Donated photo
Each year, installation of the Winter Lights show typically begins in late summer, but two months of that work was lost due to Hurricane Helene. Donated 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
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
(November 12, 2024)
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (Commission or FERC) regulations, 18 C.F.R. Part 380, Commission staff reviewed Northbrook Carolina II, LLC (licensee) application for surrender of the license for the Bryson Hydroelectric Project No. 2601 and have prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed surrender. [1] The licensee proposes to surrender the license via severing its interconnection with the grid and leaving the dam in place and operational under the regulation of the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality State Dam Safety Engineer with the reservoir elevation and discharge remaining the same as previous operations. The Bryson Project consists of a multiple arch dam with multiple spillway and 38-acre reservoir, and two vertical Francis-type generating units located
on the Oconaluftee River in Swain County, North Carolina. The project does not occupy any federal lands.
Commission staff’s analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed surrender, alternatives to the proposed action, and concludes that the proposed surrender, with appropriate environmental protective measures, would not constitute a major federal action that the quality of the human environment.
viewed on the Commission’s website at http:// www.ferc.gov using the “elibrary” link. Enter the docket number (P-2601) to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
You may also register online at http://www.ferc. -
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly
available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov .
For further information, contact Michael Calloway at 202-502-8041 or Michael.calloway@ferc.gov.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary.
[1] In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations, the unique documents relating to this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-0001726749058 . 40 C.F.R. § 1501.5(c)(4) (2024).
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24e001361-490
J.K. Coward, Jr,
Administrator of the Estate of Marilyn Anita Gold 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 Feb 20 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Administrator c/o Estate of Marilyn Gold 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24E001589430 Susan Ferguson Messer, 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.24E001631-430
Anna Lee Hall, having
for the Estate of Freddy Ralph Hall 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 Feb 13 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Fiduciary 158 Substation Rd. Canton, NC 28716
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.24E001358-490
Gerald L. Paine, having
Executor of the Estate of Vivian Annette Paine 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 Feb 20 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Ancillary Executor
C/O Brian P. Schaefer, Esq. 721 N Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786
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SUDOKU
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
DOG, TAN &BLACK—
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Rentals
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Construction/ Remodeling
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Answers on 26
Entertainment
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Home Improvement
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