Smoky Mountain News | January 12, 2022

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January 12-18, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 33

Big changes coming fast in Frog Level Page 4 Sylva Police pilots social work program Page 6

CONTENTS On the Cover: The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is considering allowing bear hunting in three Western North Carolina bear sanctuaries to get a handle on the growing bear population, but some bear hunters and wildlife advocates think the proposal will do more harm than good. (Page 22) Bill Lea photo

News Big changes coming fast in Frog Level ........................................................................4 Haywood EDC board evolves ........................................................................................5 A weeklong celebration of MLK at WCU ....................................................................5 Sylva Police pilots social work program ......................................................................6 Unclaimed property being held by the state ..............................................................8 Democrats continue campaigning in NC-14 ..............................................................9 Harriet Tubman statue moves on ................................................................................11 Plans for Jackson pool project over budget ............................................................11 Shining Rock expansion in the works ........................................................................12

Opinion Moms, remember … new year, same you ..............................................................14

A&E Taking the leap: 828 Market on Main ........................................................................16

Books More questions than answers in this book ................................................................21

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January 12-18, 2022

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing)

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Leaps and bounds: Changes coming fast in Frog Level

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR s one of Waynesville’s three “urban” cores, Frog Level holds an identity as distinct as any other. Of late, that identity has not been all that good.

Frog Level remains Haywood County’s most visible reminder of ongoing poverty, homelessness, drug addiction and mental health crises. The buildings look just like the people — empty, broken, falling apart in slow motion.

Revitalization is right around the corner, but replacing the faith-based charities that many rely on for basic needs may prove to be a much longer journey.

There’s also, says Crisp, the strong possibility a music venue could be incorporated into the expansion. Crisp and his wife Morgan co-own 7 Clans Brewing and purchased FLB from founder Clark Williams in March 2020.

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THE DOOR’S STILL OPEN

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

OPEN DOOR CLOSES After more than 25 years of ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of Haywood County’s most vulnerable citizens, a Frog Level institution will close its doors for the last time before Feb. 1.

“I’m really excited about the rebirth, and what the next 25 years will bring,” said Long’s Chapel Pastor Chris Westmoreland.

The Open Door and Second Blessing Thrift Store are both ministries of Long’s Chapel.

Established on Sept. 9, 1996, The Open Door served an average of 1,000 hot meals a week from its Commerce Street dining room and was the largest distributor for the MANNA food bank west of Asheville.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, along with its ensuing closures, Open Door prepared meals and distributed them by van to the unsheltered and food-insecure, using the Saint John’s Catholic Church parking lot as a base.

Now, the operation serves on average 1,200 hot meals a month and more than 1,000 overnight bags that serve as a supplement for breakfast and or dinner. The Open Door also distributes 5 to 7 tons of groceries per month but topped 16,000 pounds this past December.

Also closing up shop is the Second Blessing Thrift Store, the social enterprise located adjacent to the Open Door that provides some revenue toward the operations of the Open Door’s food distribution ministry.

FROG LEVEL BREWING HOPS As one door closes, another door opens for another Frog Level institution.

Frog Level Brewing co-owner Travis Crisp told The Smoky Mountain News on Jan. 10 that when the space currently occupied by the Second Blessing Thrift Store and the Open Door was offered to them by the building owners, they jumped at the chance to expand their popular brewery.

“We’re taking over that space,” Crisp said. “It just felt right.”

It just felt right — right next door. The expansion will give FLB almost an entire city block, but for Commerce Street mainstay Panacea Coffee Company, and will dramatically increase capacity.

Plans aren’t formalized so no opening date is yet projected, but there are a few things of which Crisp is certain.

One is related to the higher cost of aluminum, and supply chain shortages. Crisp said they’re forced to order larger quantities of cans, at higher prices, and don’t have enough room in their current building to

FREE

You can help The Open Door and Second Blessings Thrift Store seeks volunteers to help vacate their spaces prior to the expiration of their lease on Jan. 31. Workdays are planned for Jan. 22 and Jan. 27-29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Volunteers need simply to show up at 32 Commerce St. The Open Door is also looking for some temporary storage space for use during the transition, to house large equipment like refrigerators, freezers and clothing racks. If you can help with that, email laura.shepherd@longschapel.com.

store them all. He pays for warehouse space in Asheville. Soon, he won’t.

Another is that the empty lot behind Second Blessing will become a parking lot, alleviating a growing issue in Frog Level.

An entrance off of that parking lot into the existing outdoor creekside area behind FLB will keep pedestrians off of Commerce Street altogether and provide for more outdoor space.

The Open Door has been the subject of controversy at times, much of it undeserved.

Hundreds of people — most with jobs and homes of their own — utilize the dining room or grocery service each month because they can’t make ends meet consistently, but detractors zeroed in on a service-resistant population and blamed the ministry for attracting regional vagrants to Frog Level.

A 2019 Smoky Mountain News survey of people gathered for Sunday morning breakfast at the Open Door revealed that of the 21 diners present, 10 were born and raised in Haywood County, and the 11 who were not had been in the county for 19.4 years, on average.

Most of the neighborhood trouble attributed to the Open Door, according to Westmoreland, did not take place on the property. That reputation, however, will follow the Open Door to its new location, which is still undetermined.

Westmoreland cited other relocation challenges common to all of Western North Carolina, including limited available real estate and exorbitant rents, as major issues that will affect where the Open Door and Second Blessings ultimately locate.

“We’d like to keep the thrift store and kitchen together,” said Laura Shepherd, manager of the Open Door. “That helps us because our volunteers help serve both entities.”

Shepherd said the current operation takes up 15,000 square feet, but they’re looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 to 10,000 square feet for the new location.

Key to the ministry’s success was its central location, which allowed greater access for the unsheltered and for people without vehicles. Only about 2% of people utilizing the dining room or food

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Haywood EDC board evolves

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we go and set up,” said Shepherd. “Starting this Friday, we’ll be serving Fridays at Grace Episcopal from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.”

That’s the plan, for now and until the Open Door and/or Second Blessing finds a new home.

“It’s a bit scary, to have no firm or definite plans, but I’m excited about this nomadic journey,” Westmoreland said. “It’s weird for a pastor to say this, because it’s such a pastor line, but God is working on this, and we need to be open to what He’s going to do. We’ll do our part and trust that God will do his.”

January is National Mentoring Month, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is celebrating those who are already volunteering as mentors — “Bigs” — and also recruiting volunteers.

This year, BBBS is asking local residents to “Join The Village” to help increase opportunities for area young people by becoming a mentor. Bigs are supported by local program coordinators who receive training and guidance through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“Supporting a young person by being their Big is such a fun way to inspire them to be great people. Being a Big doesn’t take a lot of time, but it pays off in so many ways, both for the adult and their Little,” said Martha Barksdale, Big Brothers Big Sisters program coordinator for Haywood County.

More than six youth in Haywood County are waiting to be matched with a mentor. Being a Big means committing to spend a few hours a month with a young person doing things that you love to do, like playing basketball, visiting the library or learning how to cook.

Haywood County residents can get involved with National Mentoring Month by contacting Barksdale at 828.273.3601 or haywood@bbbswnc.org.

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January 12-18, 2022

bank are actually homeless, Shepherd said.

That’s one reason the Long’s Chapel campus on Old Clyde Road isn’t the most ideal permanent location for the Open Door, although Westmoreland said it is an option.

Second Blessing is expected to transition to internet sales in the interim, and will soon have a website up for shoppers. First United Methodist church in Waynesville will provide kitchen space so that Open Door can continue its mobile food delivery services at the coldest point in the year.

“We put all the food in hot boxes, and

have an impact on whether or not Haywood County can entice outside businesses to locate here or induce existing businesses to expand. Workforce concerns are great right now, and companies don’t want to operate in places their workers can’t afford to live.

Broadband is not only a quality-of-life issue, it’s also essential for some business operations.

Morehead said it was likely that the new board would include experts or representatives from a more diverse array of economic sectors, to help make some of these economic deals work.

Although the letter doesn’t specifically mention the traditional economic development work these boards usually focus on — much of which, in Haywood County, is contracted out to the Asheville Chamber — Morehead said that the redesigned board’s scope would underlie that mission.

“We have great partnerships with the state’s Economic Development Partnership but also internally in the county, we really helped some businesses expand last year with Sunoco and Giles. We were able to get Drake Software,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to have some homegrown expansion and those are creating jobs and so that’s always gonna be at the forefront.”

The final constitution of the new entity is subject to approval from Haywood County commissioners.

This is a developing story. Check back with The Smoky Mountain News for updates.

Hours news

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR etails are scarce, but a Jan. 4 letter from the Haywood Chamber of Commerce is clear: the Haywood Economic Development Council is about to undergo massive change.

“As we begin the post pandemic recovery, the Chamber and the County wish to create a new economic development board to reflect the current challenges of workforce, affordable housing and broadband,” reads the letter, signed by EDC Chair Jason Walls, Haywood Chamber President CeCe Hipps and Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead.

The letter goes on to thank EDC members for their service, and that they’re welcome to re-apply for seats on the new entity, whatever that may be.

Morehead told The Smoky Mountain News on Jan. 10 that Haywood County Program Administrator David Francis would make a presentation to commissioners on Jan. 18, proposing what the new board looks like, and who should be on it.

“We’re now seeing different challenges in economic development and we’re actually calling it more like, ‘community and economic development’ because job creation and education and affordable or workforce housing are so intertwined that you really just can’t label it as ‘economic development,’” said Morehead.

The priorities mentioned in the letter all

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“I got to see how everyone’s doing it differently,” said Martinez. “I saw people from all over the country — people from California, from Kentucky, Illinois. It’s definitely getting a lot of ground around the country.”

Martinez took what he learned home to Sylva, using it to handle the 12 referrals he received over the course of the semester and to build a program that will allow the next intern to hit the ground running.

Hatton is enthusiastic about the results.

“This arrangement is perfect, because the citizens are definitely winning, I’m winning because I’m providing better services, and Chris is winning because he’s about to graduate college, and he’s going to have this experience to take with him,” Hatton said.

THE LONG GAME Police Chief Chris Hatton (right) reviews files with social work intern Chris Martinez.

Holly Kays photo

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

Protect and serve Sylva Police Department pilots social work program

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n May 25, 2020, the world watched as 46-year-old George Floyd died slowly beneath the knee of a Minnesota police officer — and it continued to watch as an aftermath erupted spanning the gamut from full-on riots to thoughtful discussions about how to make policing kinder and more effective.

Western Carolina University professors Katy Allen and Cyndy Caravelis were two of the many people engaged in such discussions. Allen, an assistant professor of social work, wanted to investigate how social workers might help improve law enforcement.

She reached out to Caravelis, a professor of criminal justice, to partner on the effort. The two got deep into the weeds, researching the relationship between social work, police and criminal justice agencies.

“We felt like we had a pretty good grasp of what larger agencies were doing, but nobody had really tried to get with a rural agency,” Caravelis said. “And so we approached Chief Hatton.”

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A NEW TOOL IN THE TOOLBELT Chris Hatton has been chief of the Sylva Police Department since August 2019, and 6 over the past two years he’s been blown away

time and again by how incredibly busy the small-town department is. Though it has a population of only about 2,700, Sylva is both a popular tourist destination and the gateway town for Western Carolina University, which enrolls more than 12,000 students.

Traffic counts on the busy N.C. 107 corridor, which Sylva’s force is responsible for policing, exceed 30,000 vehicles per day.

Police officers’ days are full, with actions and calls for service totaling 13,500 in 2020 and total arrests more than doubling between 2016 and 2019. But many of the calls that keep officers occupied aren’t for crimes, traffic accidents or other “typical” police matters. Officers get called out when there’s a “suspicious” person hanging around in a parking lot or somebody undergoing a mental health crisis on the street.

Some calls resemble a real-life version of Groundhog Day — officers respond repeatedly, and sometimes daily, to calls involving the same people experiencing the same domestic violence, substance abuse or homelessness situations.

When Hatton got the chance to try addressing these issues by embedding a social worker in his department — free of charge to the taxpayer — he jumped at it.

“Given the pretty charged climate around policing at the time we were trying to start this, I think it would have been easy for him to shut the door and say, ‘This is how we do things here,’” said Caravelis.

But Hatton saw the value.

“Police officers, we’re not given a whole lot of tools,” he said. “Jail is the main tool we have.”

Hatton hoped that the new program, called Community Care, would give the police department a tool that the department’s current work belt just didn’t have. He soon found out that his officers welcomed the change, handing the program’s inaugural intern Chris Martinez four referrals in his first week on the job.

“That’s a lot for one little bitty town,” said Hatton. “But those four things were situations that officers have been dealing with, and like, hey, what we’re doing is not working with these four situations. Here’s a new guy shows up, let’s give him a crack at it.”

Martinez, a senior undergraduate student in WCU’s social work program, had his work cut out for him when he arrived in August. Within the scope of a 30-hours-perweek internship he was charged not only with acting as the department’s first and only social worker, but also with building the program he’d be administering from the ground up, with advice from Allen and Caravelis. He spent the first part of the semester learning about the various resources and programs available in Sylva, and meeting with the people who administer them. He developed the referral sheets and other paperwork associated with the program, and in October he traveled to Bloomington, Indiana, for the inaugural National Conference of Police Social Work.

Learn more For more information about Sylva’s new Community Care Program, visit sylvapolice.org/community-care-liaison. The program’s social worker is available at communitycare@sylvapolice.org or 828.586.2916

Every interaction is different, because every person and situation is different. But Hatton and Martinez both say having a social work approach at their disposal has been helpful on multiple occasions when jail or arrest wouldn’t be.

“We had a situation where one of our officers got called to a person acting suspiciously around the back of a business,” Hatton recalled. “And when he got there, there was a guy basically moving around the dumpster. He was basically hiding and acting creepy.”

It turned out, the guy was homeless and not from Sylva. He’d been hiding behind the dumpster to avoid getting the cops called on him, but when Patrol Officer Bruce Moore approached him, he held his hands out for the cuffs, ready to go to jail. With no food, money or shelter, “he wasn’t opposed to jail,” said Hatton. When Moore suggested that instead he come to the police department for a meal and a talk with a social worker, he thought the officer was teasing him. But he came along, talked to Martinez and was able to get the resources he needed to reach his destination.

“The guy had committed no crimes,” said Hatton. “There’s no victim in Sylva of a crime he committed. He’s just at the bottom of the barrel, and a friend is what he needed.”

Other interactions involve people who live in Sylva but need help to thrive in their home community. For example, said Hatton, a man well known to both town and county law enforcement regularly “goes off the rails” in September of each year, around the anniversary of a traumatic life event. He stops taking his medication and acts out, sometimes getting the police called on him as often as three times a day.

“How it always ends for this guy is he ends up in jail,” said Hatton.

With Martinez on board, this time around the department was able to take a proactive approach. When the behavior started happening, Martinez worked with the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Office to put together an application for a mental health commitment and ensure the man got the help he needed, rather than a couple hours at the hospital and swift release back to the cycle. Previously, overworked officers in Sylva and Jackson County

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With the first semester down, Hatton is enthusiastic about the program, saying that “without any doubt in my mind,” it is helping people.

But quantifying that help is a challenge, and it’s something Sylva and WCU will have to figure out how to do. In the instance of the domestic violence victim, for example, both Hatton and Martinez felt like the conversation was productive, a big step in the right direction. But all Martinez wrote down afterward was that he offered services and was turned down.

“The tricky part now for us is trying to find a

Other MLK events include: n Monday, Jan. 17 — The annual MLK Jr. Unity March will begin with poster making at 10 a.m. in the University Center’s multipurpose room, followed the by the annual march, which will start at the fountain in the center of campus at 11 a.m.

The first of two service-learning opportunities will take place, hosted by the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. Time and location TBD. n Tuesday, Jan. 18 — The College of Business is hosting “David Tutt Talk: The Economics of Dr. King and the 1965 Voting Rights Act” at 5 p.m. in the UC multipurpose room.

This talk will explore the economic thoughts of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the economics of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It will explore the economic power of voting in a democracy and its relationship to capitalism. n Wednesday, Jan. 19 — Intercultural Affairs will host a keynote workshop titled “Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois Against U.S. Imperialism” at 10 a.m. in the UC multipurpose room.

The presentation of Student Leadership Awards, followed by the keynote address, will take place at 7 p.m. in Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall. n Thursday, Jan. 20 — David Walton, director of WCU’s Global Black Studies program, will lead a workshop on “Strategies for Classroom Diversity and Inclusion.” It will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the UC multipurpose room. n Friday, Jan. 21 — Intercultural Affairs will hold a meet and greet from 2:30 to 4 p.m. with artist Zeke Jennette, who won the Chancellor’s Award at the 53rd Annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibition for his painting, Oshun. Intercultural Affairs will show an exhibition of Jennette’s work in their gallery throughout January and host a meet and greet vernissage with him on Jan. 21. Light refreshments will be served.

Students will hold a pair of workshops. The first will be at 4 p.m. called “What I’ve Been Told,” followed by “Joy as Resistance” at 5:30 p.m. Both will be held in the UC multipurpose room. n Saturday, Jan. 22 — The second of two service-learning opportunities will take place, hosted by the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. Time and location TBD.

Smoky Mountain News

THE FUTURE OF POLICING

way to quantify all that,” said Hatton. “You can’t put a statistic on a piece of paper that tells that story.”

Now it’s a new year and a new semester with a new intern on board. But both Sylva and WCU are excited to continue their partnership as they explore what the future of policing might look like in one small mountain town. It’s not social workers in place of cops, but it’s not simply crime and punishment, either.

“I do think the future of policing is in problem solving, and I think the only way we can problem solve is to collaborate and become interdisciplinary,” said Caravelis.

Now, she and Allen are examining the metrics from that first semester and working with Hatton to refine Community Care into an effective program that will maximize the strengths of both social work and law enforcement. In the long term, Caravelis hopes the police department might hire a social worker as a town employee, bringing institutional knowledge and stable community relationships to the position. Hatton isn’t opposed, though he’s also well aware of the perennially strained budget of the town he works for — as it stands now, he said, the position is doing a lot of good while costing the taxpayers nothing.

The future of rural policing, like the future of an individual, isn’t a clear-cut answer to a clearcut question. It’s a journey. In that light, Martinez’ perspective on the role of social work in policing may also apply to evolving perspectives on policing itself.

“For me personally, I think a lot of these cases kind of take patience,” Martinez said. “It’s not going to be a home run the first try. It takes a little bit of time.”

Western Carolina University’s Martin Luther King Jr. weeklong celebration will be highlighted this year with speaker Charisse Burden-Stelly’s keynote address “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Tradition of Radical Blackness.”

Burden-Stelly is a 2021-22 visiting scholar in the Race and Capitalism Project at the University of Chicago and an assistant professor of Africana studies and political science at Carleton College. She is a scholar of critical Black studies, political theory and intellectual history, and the co-author of “W.E.B. Du Bois: A Life in American History.”

Her published work appears in journals including Small Axe, Souls, Du Bois Review, Socialism & Democracy, International Journal of Africana Studies, Journal of Intersectionality and the CLR James Journal. Burden-Stelly’s public scholarship can be found in publications including Monthly Review, Boston Review, Black Perspectives and Black Agenda Report. Additionally, she is the co-host, with Layla Brown, of “The Last Dope Intellectual” podcast.

January 12-18, 2022

hadn’t been able to invest the time to navigate that process.

“He’s out now and we’ve had a few calls on him, but it broke that spiral,” said Hatton.

Other times, the outcome is more of a long game. There’s a woman in Sylva who lives out of her car but won’t make the life changes she’d have to in order to qualify for housing help. Another woman lives in a “quite violent” domestic violence situation and declined the services Martinez offered. But in both situations — and especially the second — progress is being made, Hatton said. In the case of the domestic violence victim, Hatton and Martinez visited her at her job and had what Hatton termed a productive discussion, despite the fact that she ultimately decided not to seek services.

“That lady is so much closer now,” said Hatton.

“You can’t write it down, but I know this is gonna keep happening in her life, and we took a big step with her. I think that the next time this happens, we’ll see her take advantage of the service.”

A weeklong celebration of MLK at WCU

news

Lake Junaluska has opened its dam to draw down the lake, which will allow for the removal of silt from the lake’s floor as well as repairs, maintenance and litter cleanup. Plans call for the process to be completed and the lake refilled by Easter.

“This work is critical for protecting the environmental health of the lake and preserving this beautiful place in Western North Carolina for all to enjoy,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska.

Silt builds up over time from creeks flowing into the lake, and dredging, silt removal and related maintenance are necessary to maintain an appropriate amount of depth and sustain the lake’s ecosystem.

During a drawdown, the lake is lowered slowly, in accordance with wildlife regulations, so that the animals that live in and around the lake can adjust accordingly to the smaller amount of water that will remain. Fish, ducks and other wildlife manage well in the shallow waters until the lake refills.

Eventually during the process, there will not be any water going over the spillways of the dam; however, the gates under the dam will continue to allow water to flow below the dam. Richland Creek will continue to flow freely throughout the entire process.

Barring rain in the forecast, an area of the lake near Highway U.S. 19 will become dry. At that point, equipment will be brought in to scrape the lake bottom and collect the accumulated silt. Silt

deposits come from runoff into the Richland Creek and Factory Branch stream watersheds, which feed into Lake Junaluska. The work conducted will follow U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit requirements.

In addition to silt removal, the lake drawdown offers a window of time in which other repairs and maintenance can occur. This year, slated work includes the inspection of all utility lines and infrastructure adjacent to the lake. The drawdown also offers the chance to remove litter that has collected on the shores and bottom of the lake.

The Lake Junaluska walking path will remain open to the public. There will be no boating on the lake until the lake is restored to full pool. The time frame for the lake drawdown and project completion by Easter is weather-dependent and may be adjusted if it rains or snows.

Drawing down the lake typically takes place every few years. Because of weather and safety conditions during lake drawdowns in 2020 and 2021, the full scope of work could not be completed, necessitating the drawdown of the lake again in 2022.

Funding for this biennial project comes from a combination of sources ranging from charitable gifts to public support. As a nonprofit, Lake Junaluska relies on the generosity of charitable supporters to help preserve and maintain the lake, dam and its surrounding pathways for all to enjoy. Additionally, this year public funding through the state has been allocated to assist in dredging the lake in order to preserve this Haywood County asset that serves as a recreational hub for many in the community and region.

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January 12-18, 2022

news

You may have unclaimed property being held by the state

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR f you’re looking for some quick, easy money — and who isn’t? — you could buy a lottery ticket or visit a casino, but the odds are much greater that by checking the state’s unclaimed property database, you’ll come away a real winner.

“Generally speaking, it’s where somebody tried to mail you a check that you either did not receive or did not cash,” said Dale Folwell, a CPA who is currently serving in his second term as North Carolina’s state treasurer.

The treasurer’s office manages around $250 billion, most of which is related to state employee retirement funds or healthcare benefits, but it also manages around a billion dollars’ worth of waylaid property, and it’s not just about checks or cash.

“We've got some amazing stories of people who have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from life insurance policies that they didn't know they were the beneficiary of,” said Folwell. “The Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Motor Speedway — all kinds of folks have money there. There's actually as many entries as there are citizens.”

That’s right, millions of unclaimed items for individuals and businesses, including safe

deposit boxes of deceased family members and loved ones. One such box produced irreplaceable WWII medals once thought lost forever.

“We had one watch I think that was recently returned that had Woodrow Wilson's name inscribed in it,” Folwell said.

In Haywood County alone, there are more than 74,000 unclaimed items totaling $5.3 million. Folwell wants to see all that stuff returned to its rightful owners, and can point to the success of the program statewide over

Since the database is public record, you can also search for the names of friends, loved ones, businesses or public bodies. A quick scan of the database listed unclaimed property belonging to the Haywood County

Chamber of Commerce, the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office, Haywood County Schools, EMS, the library, tax collector, clerk of court and register of deeds. Many wellknown local businesses, like Haywood Builders Supply, are also on the list.

Amounts under $50 are listed but amounts above that aren’t, however, the database also lists who the money’s from, which may be an indicator of why it was sent.

To conduct a search of the state’s unclaimed property database, visit nccash.com.

Every state in the Union has an unclaimed property program, so if you’ve lived in multiple states it might be worthwhile to check those databases as well.

If you’re not on the list, you still might be able to get in on the action — ultimately, unclaimed property is auctioned off at yellowtagauctions.com.

Did you find your name in North Carolina’s unclaimed property database?

Share your experience with us! After filing your claim, send an email to cory@smokymountainnews.com including details of the unclaimed property, the amount and the reason you never got the money in the first place.

Submissions may be published in an upcoming follow-up story.

Democrats continue campaigning in NC-14

“Regardless of what our health care industry looks like, we have to untangle the Wall Street greed from our health care industry,” said Dean, who endured collarbone surgery without anesthesia to save $15,000. “Especially as that relates to increasing costs and decreasing care, because right now that’s what we’re facing.”

The integrity of the state’s public education NC-11/14 Democratic Party Chair Matt Ballance (center) speaks system is also a nearbefore a Jan. 8 forum. Facebook photo constant concern for Democratic voters, and business owner, Bo Hess as a service-minded strengthening it is a continuing struggle. social worker, and Beach Ferrara an elected Carey offered a comprehensive set of initiaofficial and experienced organizer who’d tives focused on teachers, including increased already won two tough races. pay, debt forgiveness, free two- or four-year Health care remains perhaps the most college or vocational school and cancellation important issue to voters, just as it has for of up to $50,000 in student loan debt — an more than a decade in a state where Medicaid as-yet unfulfilled campaign promise made by expansion did not take place.

President Joe Biden. Hess suggested adding Gash and Hess cited infrastructure issues social workers into the mix, and Dean in the system — especially broadband — as attacked predatory student lending. Beachcritical to the industry’s future, while Beach- Ferarra recommended tuition support for Ferrara talked about negotiating prescription teachers agreeing to work in underserved drug prices and beefing up Medicare to areas. Gash, principal of the elementary school he attended as a child, said he sees a include vision and dental coverage.

Carey suggested working around state “stark difference” between kids who went to governments that have denied Medicare pre-school and kids who didn’t.

“We have to look at universal pre-K and expansion, but it was Dean who harshly criticized the unfettered capitalism inherent in early childhood education,” he said.

Affordable housing seems to underlie the system.

many of the region’s most pressing issues.

Beach-Ferrara said she’d focus on job creation and workforce housing, as Carey blasted commissioners (and thereby, Beach-Ferrara) for approving the new Pratt & Whitney facility without requiring a $20 hourly wage. It’s $18.30, according to Carey. Gash and Dean seemed to agree on incentivizing developers, while Hess advocated for public-private partnerships.

“This all comes back to national security,” he said. “We cannot have a population that is hungry, that is cold, that is unsheltered on the streets. We must be educated, we must be healthy and we must rise to the 21st century issues and problems that we have facing us.”

The final question posed was maybe the Democrats’ most controversial issue, both within and without the party — the Green New Deal. Each of the candidates mentioned the deadly flooding in Cruso this past August, but didn’t agree on much else, including what, exactly, the Green New Deal actually is.

Dean called it a concept that could underlie all future legislation. Beach-Ferrara supports renewables and talked about working on the largest publicly funded solar program in the state, which will put solar panels on 40 publicly-owned buildings in Buncombe County. Gash is focused on green tech — batteries, solar, hydro and wind — and Hess on sustainable farming practices. Carey, who said he suspended his campaign to volunteer in Cruso for almost a month, set aggressive goals of zero-net carbon by 2030.

“We need to make these initiatives law,” he said, “and we need to enact them now.”

Watch the Jan. 8 forum in its entirety at facebook.com/nc11dems/videos.

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ongressional maps are still hung up in court and candidate filing still hasn’t resumed, but that didn’t stop the five Democrats running for the open NC-14 seat from holding a forum on Jan. 8. And although the crop of candidates is largely the same as it has been for almost a year, it was their first forum without the specter of Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Henderson, hanging over it.

In fact, Cawthorn was mentioned only once — by Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara — along with former representative and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, as examples of extremism.

Five questions were created by the NC-14 executive committee and delivered by moderator Aisha Adams, a program developer for the Lenoir-Rhyne Equity and Diversity Institute.

The first left candidates jockeying for position as the best candidate to connect with unaffiliated voters — Jay Carey as a military man with a bronze star, Eric Gash as an 8 educator, Katie Dean as a blue-collar small

Smoky Mountain News

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mately double, with 125,000 claims approved for more than $70 million. The average claim was $514, but most, according to treasurer’s office staff, are less than $200. Folwell expects 2022 to be another banner year.

“Last year, we broke all records and we're on course to break all records this year,” he said.

Searching the online database is free, and easy. Simply enter a last name, and then a first name, city or zip code if you have it. The search will produce a list, and if your name is on it, click the button to file your claim.

Unclaimed property in Western North Carolina County Haywood Jackson Macon Swain

Number of items 74,438 42,843 41,119 20,917

Amount $5,370,715 $3,064,040 $3,283,539 $1,382,427 Source: NC Treasurer's office

the past two years as a very good reason for you to check and see if you’re on the list.

In 2020, the division paid 56,787 claims statewide, for a total value of almost $40 million. In 2021, those numbers were approxi-

news January 12-18, 2022

Smoky Mountain News

9

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The Team

last visit in the summer of 2018. What’s New York without being crammed elbow to elbow into a hot subway car or sitting down in a fancy restaurant to eat delicious food or pushing your way through a crowded bar to sing karaoke with a drag queen? Ah, New York!

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

Lessons from New York City

As the Omicron variant continues to spread, tents are set up on sidewalks throughout the city for COVID testing and they all have lines a mile long. Of all the restaurants open inside the Rockefeller Plaza, there’s no tables for people to sit and eat. Lines to the museums were wrapped around the buildings during the holidays due to limited capacity requirements. We didn’t sit down in one bar or restaurant. We ate at places with outdoor seating, not even caring if it was 45 degrees.

JESSI STONE·

WHAT A WILD TIME TO BE ALIVE, RIGHT?

etween Dec. 26 and Dec. 30, my younger sibling and brother-inlaw played tour guides to me and my mom in New York City. NYC is always busy, but it is a whole other kind of crazy during the holiday season and even more so during a global pandemic. What were we thinking?

Coming from Waynesville where masking is lax to say the least, I have to say it was frustrating to feel like I needed to wear it all the time due to crowds, closeness on the subway and requirements on the airplane.

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Well, we were thinking we missed Leilah and Ryan and we’ve always wanted to go to the city at Christmas. We had to cancel the trip we had planned for April 2020 during the first months of the COVID-19 Pandemic and damn it, this Omicron variant wasn’t going to stop us this time. We came armed with the vaccine, the booster, N-95 masks and lots of hand sanitizer.

In the few times I’ve been in the city — 2006, 2013, 2018 and 2021 — I always bring home a fresh perspective, a new respect for how others live and an appreciation for the life I live here in Appalachia.

For me, that’s what traveling is all about. I love every minute of it and then I equally love the feeling of returning home.

This visit was starkly different from my

I’m not saying that to complain, just to recognize my gratitude for living where I live and knowing I can walk outside and be socially distanced from others without having to cover my face. I can get in my car to get where I’m going without having to worry about being exposed on the train.

Living in New York City is not for the faint of heart. I have a deep respect and appreciation for the people who live and work in the Big Apple. They have grit and perseverance to keep going amid the chaos. Spending hours of their day commuting by ferry from Staten Island, by train from the boroughs or through the Holland Tunnel from New Jersey.

Or they work from home in apartments with no outdoor space, little sunlight, old radiator heaters and buildings more than

100 years old. It’s not bad — it’s just different — and yet there is such a beauty to it. The rhythms and flow of the city. It’s just a whole other way of life than here in the South.

On the last day of our trip as we made our way back to Leilah’s apartment in Brooklyn, they said, “It’s exhausting being a tourist in New York City. I probably won’t go into Manhattan for three months after y’all leave.”

I was convinced they were joking, but really they don’t need to go into Manhattan to enjoy their NYC life. Their Little Carribean neighborhood has everything they need — a bodega and food market down the street, Prospect Park right across the street and some of the best ethnic food just a block or two away. Why would they need to go to the city?

IT REMINDED ME OF A QUOTE FROM F. SCOTT FITZGERALD: “The world only exists in your eyes — your conception of it. You can make it as big or as small as you want to.”

It’s a big world out there, but it’s so easy for many of us to get lost in our little personal worlds, especially during this pandemic. Getting out of our comfort zones to explore how others live is refreshing. It forces us to re-examine our own way of living and whether it aligns with how we want to live.

I challenge you to make your worlds a bit larger this year, do something that makes you uncomfortable, see places you’ve never been!

I’m so proud of Leilah and Ryan for succeeding in the city with great jobs and a sense of adventure. I’m also sure I’m exactly where I belong. I will continue to travel to learn about myself and others, but I’m grateful to be able to return to these peaceful mountains where others only dream of escaping.

Graphic Designer Jessica Murray (from left), SMN News Editor Jessi Stone, Staff Writer Hannah McLeod, Digital Media Specialist Susanna Shetley and Amanda Singletary (not pictured)

Rumble is a weekly e-newsletter created by women, for women and about women. It is published by The Smoky Mountain News and delivered to your inbox each Thursday. The goal is to offer readers a beautifully curated email that will inspire and motivate women to live their best lives. By hearing the challenges and successes of other women, we hope you will find an opportunity to live, love, learn and grow in your own unique way.

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Want to know more about newsletter advertising, sponsored content or advertising on this page email Susanna Shetley at susanna.b@smokymountainnews or call 828.452.4251

Harriet Tubman statue moves on T

spoke too of the concerns they had with bringing a statue of Harriet Tubman to Sylva. They weren’t sure how it would be received, whether it would be vandalized or damaged in some way. They budgeted for both surveillance and cleaning in order to be

safe.

“People don’t know how nervous we were to bring this here, but you know, my faith is renewed. So thank you,” said Crawford.

One man spoke of everything he learned about Tubman after his interest was piqued when the statue arrived in town.

Another woman told the crowd how thankful she was to have learned so much about other people’s experiences over the last few years and to live in a community that invested in public art and fostered this learning.

As the crowd dispersed at the end of the hour it was with a sense of purpose rather than one of goodbye.

There was much talk about how the journey to freedom represented in the statue helped remind people that the quest for equality and understanding is an ongoing journey. One that is never quite finished. One that the residents of Jackson County and members of its NAACP are continuing to walk after the statue has left Bridge Park.

Jackson looks at cost-saving options for pool project

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are estimated at more than $16 million. Additional fees and contingency costs raise the total project cost estimate to over $21.5 million, more than $2 million over budget.

“There’s been a huge jump in the volatility of the construction market between December of 2020 and December of 2021,” Roberson said. “It’s been substantial, and largely due to the COVID pandemic, labor shortages and even some tariffs that are lingering from other administrations.”

After seeing the increase in costs, county staff asked Roberson to look at possible cost-saving measures that don’t impact aesthetics or functionality of the project. Robertson came back to the county with several options that could save the county almost $500,000.

In total, there were six cost-saving measures presented to the board. Roberson recommended reducing the number of door card readers from 25 to 15 to save $65,000; changing the translucent wall manufacturer to save $85,950; switching PVC piping from schedule 80 to schedule 40 to save $30,000; reducing light fixture costs to save $70,000; switching to aluminum feeders from transformer to panel box to save $57,000; and eliminating underground duct work to save $50,000. When factoring a 20% multiplier, this would save a total of $429,540.

In addition to cost-saving measures, Roberson had a list of alternatives that the county could choose not to fund to

save money on the project. These include solar panels, paving the parking lot, scoreboard upgrades, pool deck floor tile and more.

If the county were to enact all cost-saving measures presented, and not fund any of the alternatives presented, it would save more than $1 million, which would put the county less than $1 million over budget.

In addition to cost-saving measures and alternatives that the county can choose not to fund, there is another $336,000 in costs that could be removed from the bidding process to be installed by the owner. These include saunas, exterior signage, landscaping, timing system and climbing wall. Roberson recommended removing exterior signage and landscaping from the bidding process.

“Is there anything else out there that would not drastically impact aesthetics or functionality that would be similar to what we’re talking about here? Have we looked at everything?” asked Adams.

“Yes, I think we’ve made a deep dive into the minutia of the project trying to identify those areas,” said Robertson.

“We’ll continue to do that as we’re refining the construction documents. If there’s something that the availability or market condition makes us change direction, we’re always looking to save money but keep the same amount of quality that is necessary for the project to have longevity.”

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Smoky Mountain News

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ue to rising construction costs, estimates for the total cost of the new Jackson County Pool currently exceed the original $20 million borrowed for the project by $1.5 million. During a Jan. 4 board meeting, commissioners reviewed cost-saving measures with principal architect Chad Roberson to help keep project costs as close to original estimates as possible.

“As everybody is aware, we are in a volatile bidding environment at this time,” said Jackson County Manager Don Adams. “We [town staff] worked with the architects to try and see if there were any commonsense areas where we could go into and look at the project itself and see if there were any cost savings that would not impact aesthetics of the building and functionality of the building itself.”

According to Roberson, construction documents will be completed by the end of March. At that time the project will go to the N.C. Department of Insurance for its plan review, and bids should be accepted around the end of May. Originally, construction of the pool was estimated at $13.7 million (in 2020 dollars), with a $1.85 million cost escalation built in to account for increased construction costs. Including all additional costs, the project was estimated at a total of $19.95 million. Now, total construction costs

January 12-18, 2022

more people could see the artwork.

As members of the community gathered to bid farewell to the statue, moving on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next, people spoke about what it meant to them to have this statue hosted in Sylva. They expressed these sentiments not only in words, but also in poetry and song. Jackson County Commissioner Gayle Woody led the crowd in singing “Amazing Grace.”

“Every time I’m here and I’m close to this beautiful sculpture, my heart just gets really full,” said Dr. Dana Patterson, Jackson County NAACP Branch President. “I know that a lot of people here did a lot of work to make that happen.”

Patterson went on to recite presidential inauguration poet Amanda Gorman’s new poem “New Day’s Lyric,” which ends on the uplifting note “we will forever overcome.”

Another man told the crowd about growing up in Jackson County and attending its public schools when they were integrated.

“We got integrated in ‘64, and we were actually finally able to come together a little bit. But us white boys were never able to understand the difficulty that our friends had growing up,” said the man.

He went on to describe a scene from his military service in Vietnam after one of many gruesome exchanges.

“The blood from the white guy was flowing, and the blood from the black guy was flowing and it was the same color. I realized at 19 years old, we all bleed the same color.

We are the same,” he said through a voice tight with tears. “I’ve tried hard to keep that thought in my mind, and in the efforts we put forth to make people understand that we are one people.”

Members of the community and NAACP

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he statue of Harriet Tubman that has been standing at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva depicts a woman in motion.

Tubman is actively pressing forward, leading a child behind her. She looks ahead, and slightly up, her face contorted in determination and concentration.

Last Tuesday night, 40 people gathered in the park to bid farewell to the statue of Harriet Tubman, despite the biting cold. A frigid breeze repeatedly blew out the candles intended for the sunset candlelight ceremony. Instead, the small crowd stood in the shadow of a deepening dusk as the pale yellows and blues of an Appalachian sunset spread across the horizon.

“As night falls tonight, we bring light to dark as a way to pay tribute to journeys of freedom,” said Marsha Lee Baker of the Jackson County NAACP. “To Harriet Tubman’s many journeys from slavery to freedom. To those who traveled with her and those who led their own journeys from slavery. To those who are traveling even now from injustice to justice, from inequity to equity. As night falls tonight, we stand together for every human being, freedom and justice. Every life, now and forever.”

The statue has been standing in Bridge Park since it arrived in Sylva on Sept. 19.

Created by Emmy- and Academy Awardwinning artist, Wesley Wofford, the bronze statue weighs in at 2,400 pounds and is making its rounds across the United States.

Titled “Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom,” the piece was originally commissioned for a private building in Dallas, Texas. However, after photos of the sculpture went viral, Wofford made a copy so that

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Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD than expected open enrollment and intent STAFF WRITER to return numbers, it was projected that hining Rock Classical Academy may capacity for the building could be reached have just opened the doors to its new during the 2021-22 school year. In part building at the start of this school because of these high enrollment numbers, year, but plans for phase II of the construcShining Rock Classical Academy was tion process were in the works long before already requesting cost projections for students ever stepped foot in the new buildPhase II of the building process last suming. mer.

The SRCA board has decided that it Shining Rock currently serves grades Kwould like to pursue phase II as a three9. According to Morgan, the school plans to story wing addition. This guidance has been add one grade per year over the next three given to architect and contractor BC school years until it serves grades K-12. The Construction Group, the same entity that completed the first Shining Rock Classical Academy. phase of Shining Rock’s new building, and it is being put together as a formal bid. The new wing will include new classrooms as well as administrative offices.

Total cost for the addition is estimated at more than $8 million. The cost of the project will be added to the total purchase price of construction for phase I of the building, approximately $19.5 million. Both construction phases will be paid for with bond fundformer Dellwood location is being used for ing. Shining Rock Classical Academy creatthe Shining Rock Classical Academy Pre-K ed the Shining Rock Foundation to assist in program for 3- and 4-year-olds. the financing for the bond process.

In July, the board unanimously voted to “It appears that the financing estimate is move forward with phase II of the building going to land closer to around $28 million, process and to continue partnering with but we really won’t know until we get a firm BCCG. At a November meeting, the board quote from BCCG,” said Head of School expressed interest in making phase II of the Joshua Morgan. building a net-zero carbon facility by incorThe estimated cost for phase II construcporating geothermal and solar technology. tion does not include additional expenses However, the team at BCCG informed the such as furnishings, technology, awnings, board that geothermal technology would security cameras and solar integration. raise the price of construction outside the Further, the school plans to eventually outbounds of Shining Rock’s budget. fit the Dellwood campus for instructional Solar panels are still in the plans for learning once again. Many of these costs are phase II construction and Moxie Solar preunknown, but the school estimates a budget sented a quote to the board at a Jan. 5 meetof more than half a million dollars in anciling. Estimated cost for the solar panels is lary expenses. more than $300,000. According to Moxie, Total capacity at the new Shining Rock the school will have recouped what they pay school building is more than 600 students. for the solar system in electricity savings However, in May of 2021, due to stronger within 12 years.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Some homeowners who received limited insurance or FEMA assistance to help repair damage associated with Tropical Storm Fred may now be eligible for state funds.

The grants are available to households making less than $94,100 a year in Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga or Yancey counties and can be used to elevate, reconstruct, repair or replace homes damaged or destroyed.

They can also be used to reimburse homeowners for completed repairs, assist landlords in the repair of rental units or to repair or replace private bridges and roads. Those who have already received assistance from FEMA, the SBA or private banks may still be eligible.

To help navigate the process, the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management will open a public intake center at the Haywood County Historic Courthouse beginning Jan. 10. Applications may also be submitted online. For more information, visit tsfred.nc.gov, call 844.935.1744 or email tsfred@nc.gov.

Home acquisitions are not part of the Residential Recovery Program; homeowners exploring the possibility of buyouts should visit recoverhaywood.com, call 828.356.2022 or email cody.grasty@haywoodcountync.gov.

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WE RECYCLE WASTE WOOD STUMPS • LIMBS • BRUSH

January 12-18, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 13

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Moms, remember … new year, same you

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Enough is enough with developers To the Editor: Over the last few years I have read with incredulity article after article about how our town alderman and county commissioners have been handing millions of dollars to large corporations in the form of property tax breaks while raising those same taxes on average homeowners. There is no doubt we need affordable housing, but providing incentives to big developers by overtaxing us homeowners is not needed.

The Sunnyside/Raccoon Road development in Waynesville will make plenty of profits by selling small houses on one-sixth acre lots for up to $400,000. Who thinks $400,000 is affordable? The old Bi-Lo property development will be just fine without taking the money in my pocket. The same goes for the hotel on Hyatt Creek. Haywood County’s tax rate is .535 per $100. Compare that to Charlotte’s Mecklenburg County, which is .3481 per $100.

With the approval of each of these projects there have been some sound bites from our leaders about how we need more affordable housing. Our leaders then decided to increase the burden on your average home-

things?

Somewhere amidst all that darkness, I found a silver lining, or maybe it found me. I no longer had my mother to consult and no longer had my own façade of motherhood to maintain. I was stripped of everything, exposed.

With the external world a lopsided landscape, I was forced to look inside myself. I remembered the woman I was prior to motherhood when I lived by myself in an apartment in downtown Asheville, dined at exotic restaurants and sat at coffee shops for hours taking notes for books I would one day publish. I experimented with dishes like ceviche and gazpacho. I traveled to Columnist new places simply to wander and explore. I dabbled in all types of music, religions, meditation and yoga styles. I took long, relaxing baths and learned how to knit and make jewelry. I was strong and independent with massive dreams and goals.

This phase of my life was adventurous, but it wasn’t easy. I sometimes drank too much wine, spent more money than I had, did not routinely exercise and occasionally hung out with people who steered me in wrong directions. I wondered who my future husband would be, what career I would finally settle into and whether or not I would become a mother. Back then, it seemed like a confusing yet invigorating time in my life, but now as I reflect, it was an incredible period of growth, learning, evolving.

Your struggles are assuredly different from mine.

Nonetheless, all moms harbor feelings of guilt, regret, shame and melancholy. I’m not an expert, but over the years I’ve learned some helpful tactics.

First and foremost, be gentle with yourself. Getting up

Susanna Shetley

listened to a podcast recently that blasted January’s public relations company for making everyone feel bad about themselves. Instead of promoting “New Year, New You,” the podcasters honor “New Year, Same You.” Although we’ve entered into 2022, we have the same mind, same body, same soul.

Yet, each January we’re forced to conjure all the reasons we can be better.

And if any realm is self-deprecating it’s that of being a mom. Motherhood is more unique than ever before, and it’s not that previous generations of mothers loved their children less, it’s that our generation puts too much pressure on modern moms to be perfect.

Further, this quest for perfection is fostering several negative trends, such as a significant increase in female alcoholism, a robust number of moms with mental health issues and addictions, and an unrelenting influencer marketing community on social media who, through superficial advertising, makes today’s moms feel less than worthy.

Two consecutive life events forced me to reevaluate the definition of motherhood and my ability to live up to society’s idealism. My mother passed away in 2016. It rocked my world to the point where every day felt disorienting and the most minute task exhausting. During that time, the only impetus to rise from bed was being Mommy to my own two little boys.

Then, I got a divorce. I became less than perfect. I went from being a mom blogger and someone respected in the community as a go-getter, PTA member, involved-in-everything type of person to someone who was judged. How could a perfect mother allow a divorce? How could a perfect mother move out of the family home and purchase her own house?

How could a perfect mother start working full-time when before she was working part time so she could volunteer and focus on her children? How could a perfect mother do these

every single day and caring for children is hard in every sense of the word. Merely doing that is enough.

Limit your time on social media. You may think scrolling through photos of picturesque families, fit moms, luxurious vacations and expensive products is fun, but is it? There’s an old adage that says, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” If you must get on social media, cull down the pages and people you follow so your feed is relaxing, motivating and uplifting.

Today’s families come in all shapes, varieties and sizes.

Gone are the days where a traditional nuclear family is the norm. Whatever your tribe looks like, take care of yourselves physically and emotionally, take care of each other and take care of the unit. A family is only as strong as the mental health of the adults leading the charge.

Most importantly, remember that our kids love us more than we can imagine, even though we often feel like we’re not doing enough or that what we are doing isn’t up to par.

I was a child of the 1980s. During the old days, moms pushed us outside to play until dark, washed our Keds sneakers 100 times before buying new shoes, gave us our older siblings’ hand-me-downs and told us to be appreciative. A birthday party was a brief get together at McDonalds with the Hamburglar in the background. My mom wasn’t a smoker, but my friends’ moms often smoked in the car or in the house and we kids didn’t think a thing of it. If my mom didn’t have time for me because she was talking on the phone, coloring her hair or working a second job, I moved on and not one time resented her.

As we go into another 12-month cycle, remember to put your metaphorical oxygen mask on first so you can breathe life into those beautiful children of yours. Take time to do something that would make your pre-motherhood self proud. It may be a new year, but you are the same you and remember, that is perfectly okay.

A version of this column was originally published in SMN’s weekly women’s e-newsletter, Rumble. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, email susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.

LETTERS owner by increasing tax revenue. My taxes are escrowed and with the increase voted in my monthly mortgage payment has gone up by $178.03 (Merry Christmas). Is that what Mayor Gary Caldwell considers affordable?

The landlords are looking at the same situation and will have no choice but to increase the rents.

Bottom line is it is fun to spend other people’s money and our alderman and commissioners are not going to stop spending unless we vote them out.

Jon Nowakowski Waynesville

Much to be thankful about To the Editor: Rolling into the end of this year we have experienced trials and tribulations. From one virus to another coupled with higher gas prices and groceries. Lower inventory due to supply chain disruptions and labor shortages have created stress for many of us. Judy and I are now traveling from Sylva to Kansas City and are finding things to be thankful about.

Gas prices are now $2.64 in Missouri. On

the news this morning I heard that health insurance premiums are becoming more affordable. We experienced two traffic delays because of road improvements. I met someone recently studying the terrain in Jackson County for broadband installation. Yesterday we heard President Biden throw a compliment to former President Trump for being fully vaccinated. Yes, he can also be given

credit for the rapid research and delivery of effective vaccines along with researchers at UNC. I also feel optimistic that we will have less blaming and more efforts to listen and cooperate with one another in 2022.

I learned recently that research has identified three groups of people less represented in our labor force. They include those in fear of Covid, absence of affordable childcare and retiring Baby Boomers. More good news, the Build Back Better legislation would help to address the first two groups and bring them back into our labor force with higher pay.

Ron Robinson Cullowhee

January 12-18, 2022

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Smoky Mountain News

Taking the leap: 828 Market on Main

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR hat started out as a simple idea to open a bottle shop has morphed into a hub of culinary delights and handmade goods in downtown Waynesville.

“We wanted to have this little spot where people could get a beer or cider, maybe hear some local music,” said Carrie Griffin. “But, the whole thing has changed so much from where we were when we opened. People come in and constantly request things for us to carry, to bring things to the market that maybe nobody else is providing in the community.”

Co-owner of the 828 Market on Main, Carrie and her husband, Richie, launched the business in July 2019. The couple and their

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two sons moved to Western North Carolina from Charlotte four and half years ago.

Initially, the relocation was for the family to finally immerse themselves in the mountain life and culture.

“Richie went to Appalachian State University and always wanted to get me in the mountains, so here we are,” Carrie noted.

“And it’s been amazing to be part of this community. There’s obviously so much to do in the outdoors here. But, the whole town has been extremely welcoming of us and our market.”

Although the couple both still hold down full-time jobs elsewhere (Carrie as an event planner, Richie in medical sales), the idea for a small store initially came to fruition as a “hobby” of sorts — this platform to not only

Thus, the wheels began to turn as to just what this new venture could and would be.

“I’ll admit that I was the nervous one about doing this. Richie’s better at taking a leap,” Carrie reminisced. “But I think if we’d never had done it, we would constantly be wondering ‘what if.’ What is we never had taken this leap? It was a huge move for us, and it’s been a great learning experience ever since.”

And when opening day rolled around, the Griffins were bowled over by the love and support by friends, family and strangers alike.

“We did a soft opening, inviting all our Charlotte friends and family, people we’d met in the community here,” Carrie said. “And we didn’t really think about anybody buying anything that first night, but we sold so many things — it was really exciting to see.”

Since then, the market “We came together with our community and itself has added created a space for all of us to enjoy — new several features to the space, ideas and things are always happening here.” from offering a lunch menu to — Carrie Griffin shaved ice, atop the sitting areas and sidewalk tables for locals and visitors to grab a meal, take a seat and watch the world swirl by the storefront.

“A woman came by the other day and noticed we had mimosas and a kid’s area. She said, ‘I feel like I just went to heaven,’” Carrie chuckled.

It’s one thing to be a new business. And it’s another thing to survive your first year in operation, let alone navigate the last couple of years amid a global pandemic that has drastically affected small businesses, more so those with a culinary focus.

“We’ve been able to move and shift direction when we need to with everything going on. With the pandemic, the to-go food items Carrie Griffin. Hannah McLeod photos and drink selection has made it easy for customers to call in an order or just come in quickly for what they need,” Carrie said. “And we keep everything simple, where it’s all about making sure our customers want to keep coming in the door — a simple menu that rotates items and always adding new products on the shelves.”

With its third anniversary appearing on the horizon this summer, the Griffins can’t help but shake their heads in gratitude for the market and what it’s brought to the daily lives of those on both sides of the register.

“You know, just the other day, we were out to dinner and someone tapped me on the shoulder, asking if the market was still open that evening — it’s still very surreal to feel part of this incredible community,” Carrie said. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself and realize that we made this place a reality. We came together with our community and created a space for all of us to enjoy — new ideas and things are always happening here.”

showcase local and regional items, but also promote a deep love for craft beverages, farmto-table products and artisan wares.

“There’s been such a push for shopping local in recent years. I mean, you used to hear it said a lot. But, I feel like you’re actually seeing it more and more now,” Carrie said. “And these days, that the idea of ‘local products’ is really ingrained in people, where they go to Main Street, seek out local things and support local businesses — it’s a great feeling to be part of that.”

When the Griffins arrived in Haywood County, they initially started a brand of headwear called “828 Hats.” In an effort to get the merchandise in area stores, they soon began to realize there was a niche in the business sector for a localized market in Waynesville.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

There were oh so many roads, I was livin’ to run and runnin’ to live

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HOT PICKS Internationally known storyteller Elizabeth Ellis will present a program of humorous and poignant tales at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

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A “Foreign Film Series” will kick off at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Singer-songwriter/multiinstrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom in Sylva, and also at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

The “unWIND: Mommy’s Night Out” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 21, at the Cold Mountain Art Collective in Canton, where you can join other local mommas for a night out painting your own ceramic wine cup.

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Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15.

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Smoky Mountain News

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stereo, and you have a curious, vibrant soul eager to see just what those surprises around the next corner might be. It’s a New Year, eh? Count me in.

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

January 12-18, 2022

t’s Saturday evening here at my parents’ 1840 farmhouse in Upstate New York.

The temperature is hovering around 15 degrees with a wind chill ducking below zero. It’s Jan. 8 and I was supposed to be back at my humble abode in Western North Carolina on Dec. 30.

It wasn’t my plan to still be in the North Country for New Year’s Eve, let alone more than a week thereafter. But, that’s how the cards fell. And here I am. Why? Well, on Christmas night, following dinner with my family and such, I headed into downtown Plattsburgh to meet up with my best friend from high school.

Rolling up to some random dude’s house, my old teenage crony was standing in the driveway, walking through the snow and ice pack that coated the landscape. He needed a ride to the local bar where he works (he doesn’t own a car), seeing as it was too cold for him to walk that far to the establishment.

I said OK in a simple act of kindness towards a kindred spirit.

Pulling into the bar parking lot, I slowed down to about 5 mph or so. As I tapped the brakes to pull into a parking spot, the truck

kept going. I let go of the brake and it kept going. Just as I yanked the wheel to avoid the inevitable, my truck slid into a parked car.

Getting out of my truck, I assessed the damage. A small, somewhat insignificant dent on the parked car. My truck? Shattered bumper and front fender pushed up into the headlight. Cracked front grill. Broken brackets. Broken this, that, and the other. Shit.

Dammit.

Thankfully, no injuries or totaled vehicles. I exchanged information with the owner of the parked car. We shook hands and parted ways. I said goodbye to my old buddy and immediately headed home with my tail between my legs. A once-promising night of holidays encounters and adventures had just begun, but I just couldn’t seem to enjoy it under these circumstances.

The day after Christmas, I found myself caravanning to the local body repair shop with my father. The shop was a place my family had gone to get work done for years, perhaps decades at this point. Walking into the office, the overwhelming smell of paint from the nearby spray garage wafted through the room.

The shop owner/repairman wandered outside with me to look at the truck. He took his pen and started pointing at broken pieces and mumbling to himself, then scribbling onto his notepad each and every single thing that needed to replaced.

“The whole bumper is just flimsy plastic.

There’s really nothing behind the plastic shell, which is why it all shattered so easily,” he noted. I shrug in brutal acknowledgment, constantly figuring out and readjusting how much this repair bill will be with each movement by the pen at the truck, every mumble of the repairman directed towards me.

Order the parts (numerous parts) from across the country. Wait several days due to shipping inconsistences. Drop the truck off at the body shop. Wait a couple days to get it repaired and get it back. Return to the shop.

Hand over most of my rainy-day fund, of which the funds were originally saved for a bucket list road trip along the Trans-Canada Highway that was to happen this summer (fingers crossed it might still).

With the truck back in my possession, all that stood in my way from finally hitting the road back to Carolina was a simple oil change. Scheduled for last Friday, I decided to go for a trail run on Thursday afternoon.

Wandering down the backcountry roads of the desolate Adirondack Mountains, I parked the truck at the trailhead and jogged down the snowy path.

On the way back to the farmhouse, I put the truck into four-wheel drive due to hazardous road conditions. It was then the driver’s side front wheel started making noises.

Creaking. Squeaking. Steering wheel vibration. Taking the truck out of four-wheel drive, the noises and vibration slowly dissipated.

with the pennies in the cup holder.

And now, the truck has a new bumper, grill, random brackets, stabilizing bar and CV axle. Add in a full tank of gas and Bob Seger’s greatest hits cranked high on the

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

The next day, with the truck up on the rack at the mechanic shop for the oil change, the cause of the noises and vibration was discovered — a broken stabilizing bar and cracked CV axle. The pieces had been damaged for a while, pretty much going unnoticed until the noises and vibration, and until I felt something just didn’t feel right while in motion.

“Good lord, I’m surprised you were even able to drive this truck into the shop today,” the mechanic shook his head in awe. His somber tone indicated another hefty repair bill in my future before all is said and done and Carolina is once again in my fieldof-vision.

Thus, by the time you read this column, I’ll hopefully be heading down the interstate, the nose of the truck aimed for Southern Appalachia, trekking to my current home as I say goodbye to my hometown — the starting line of nothing and everything.

It’s a New Year, and another amid uncertain times of the here and now. Another fresh canvas of unknown interactions and moments ready to happily surprise you around the next corner. Though I’m starting 2022 with a pretty empty bank account, I remain optimistic in still making that lifelong dream of traveling down the Trans-Canada Highway a reality — let’s start

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arts & entertainment

On the beat Alma Russ.

January 12-18, 2022

Folk, soul at Lazy Hiker Beloved singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom in Sylva, and also at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

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. She was also a contestant on “American Idol” Season 16.

Both shows are free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. For more information on Russ, click on almarussofficial.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Interested in learning the dulcimer?

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The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players meet for in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva.

The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of tuning, strumming, and playing.

The mountain dulcimer, also known as a fretted dulcimer or a lap dulcimer, is a uniquely American instrument. It evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s.

For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.

On the beat

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required.

828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Lilah Price (singer-songwriter) Jan. 20, WNC Artist Spotlight Open Mic Jan. 26 and Rossdafareye (roots/soul) Jan. 28. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovationbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Alma Russ (indie/folk) Jan. 15 and Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) Jan. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade (soul/roots) Jan. 21. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Jan. 13, Rock Holler Band Jan. 14, Outlaw Whiskey Jan. 15, Live Karaoke in the Smokies Jan. 20 and Carolina Freightshakers Jan. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public.

828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Jan. 27.

828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends and an “Emo Night Dance Party” at 9 p.m. Feb. 12. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.

On the street • Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

Haywood Arts Regional Theatre.

HARTS kicks off winter shows The “Winter Studio Season” will open with Wendy MacLeod’s comedy “Slow Food” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21-22 and 2 p.m.

Jan. 23 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Lyn Donley, Stephen A. Gonya and Ariel Killillay are featured in the production, under the direction of HART Executive Director Steve Lloyd.

This production had one prior performance, on March 13, 2020. At the time the cast expected to be able to return after a few weeks. That didn’t happen, with the cast waiting two years to bring the show back.

In recognition of the continuing increase in COVID positives, seating will be socially distanced in the same manner as created for last spring’s production of “Say Goodnight Gracie,” with parties at

tables six feet apart.

The setting, a Greek restaurant in Palm Springs, on a Sunday night. A couple celebrating their anniversary have found the only place still serving, and they are starving after flying from the east coast. What they don’t realize is that they have entered a kind of twilight zone — where an overly accommodating waiter never seems to be willing to actually take their order.

Hold over performances will be the following weekend. To make a reservation, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 anytime and simply leave your name, phone number, the number of tickets you need and the performance you wish to attend.

Seating is general admission, but reservations are recommended. To reserve tickets online, click on harttheatre.org.

Master storyteller in Franklin

Internationally known storyteller Elizabeth Ellis will present a program of humorous and poignant tales at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

From the Hans Christian Anderson statue in New York’s Central Park to the Glistening Waters Festival in New Zealand, this master storyteller and award-winning author captivates listeners of all ages with her humor, honesty and Southernstyle wisdom.

Recipient of both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network, Ellis is a frequent favorite at the National Storytelling Festival and at the Teller-InResidence Program of the International Storytelling Center.

More than half a million children have been mesmerized by her stories during her 35-year career as a teller. Ellis will spend Friday, Jan. 14, telling stories to public school students through the Arts Council of Macon County’s Artists-in-the-Schools Program.

Elizabeth Ellis.

Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

Attendees should wear masks and practice social distancing. If the event must be canceled due to weather or COVID concerns, notice will be posted on both the Arts Council of Macon County and library Facebook pages. The library is located at 149 Siler Farm Road, with ample parking and handicap access.

To learn more about her, click on elizabethellis.com. This event is produced by the Arts Council of Macon County. 828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Innovation-brewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Twelfth Fret Jan. 14, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Jan. 15, Aly Jordan (singer-songwriter) Jan. 21 and Shane Meade (roots/soul) Jan. 22. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

January 12-18, 2022

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Alma Russ (indie/folk) Jan. 14 and Prophets of Time Jan. 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

arts & entertainment

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.

Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

On the stage

arts & entertainment

On the wall Want to paint, sip craft beer?

Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events will be continuing her fun paint nights to bring you not only a “night out” but an experience that lifts your spirits.

Join others as Arramae shows you step-by-step how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer.

This two-hour event should have you feeling better than you felt before you came. And you leave with a painting you created.

Events will be held at the following locations: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton) and Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City).

Please visit WNC Paint Events (@paintwnc) Facebook page, under “Events” for date and time of upcoming events. For pictures of previous events visit Arramae’s Instagram: @wnc_paint_events.

For pricing and to sign up, text Arramae at 828.400.9560. Space is limited. Drinks sold separately.

Artist support grants awarded The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) and regional partners, including the Asheville Area Arts Council, Transylvania Community Arts Council, the Tryon Fine Arts Center, the Arts Council of Henderson County, and the Rutherford County Arts Council, have announced the 2021-2022 Artist Support Grant awardees.

Sylva ‘Foreign Film Series’

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

A “Foreign Film Series” will kick off at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings.

To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. To learn more, click on fontanalib.org.

On the table ‘Uncomplicated Kitchen’ workshop A special workshop hosted by “Uncomplicated Kitchen” will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The workshop will teach patrons how to build a nutritious, delicious and hearty salad that one can easily make at home.

This program is in the Atrium and is free of charge, however sign-up is required as space is limited. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings.

Uncomplicated Kitchen is a nonprofit organization based in Western North Carolina.

“We work to improve food security through educational outreach. Our mis-

sion is to teach community members how to plan meals, shop for ingredients, and cook healthy, simple and affordable recipes. We bridge the gap between the food people have access to and the tools and knowledge they have to prepare nutritious meals for themselves and their families. Whether people shop at the farmers market, grocery store, or receive food through charitable organizations, Uncomplicated Kitchen teaches our community that healthy food is affordable and simple.”

To register and for more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. For more information, click on fontanalib.org.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

ALSO:

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

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@SMOKYMOUNTAINNEWS

Bluegrass legend Raymond Fairchild.

Grants were provided to 25 artists in counties served by the regional consortium of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania, also called Region 17. Haywood County artists Elaine E. Dohms, Thomas Szewc, and Garret K. Woodward were awarded grants in their respective disciplines.

The arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News and Smoky Mountain Living magazine, Woodward has been covering the music of Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia for the better part of the last decade.

A longtime friend of the late Raymond Fairchild (who passed away in 2019), an iconic world-renowned Haywood County banjoist, Woodward will use the grant funding to write a book on the life, legend and lore of one of the all-time bluegrass greats — to keep his music and memory alive for generations.

The Artist Support Grant was created in 2020 to support individual artists during the pandemic and is quickly becoming a staple for local artists. According to the • Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) is currently seeking one or more gallery interns with a passion for the arts and interest in learning about the administration of a small nonprofit. Send cover letters and resumes to HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl at director@haywoodarts.org.

• Cold Mountain Art Collective (Canton) will host “Kids Ceramic Magnet Painting” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 15, which will welcome kids ages 3-12 for a creative afternoon painting their choice of three ceramic magnets from over a dozen different designs. The “unWIND: Mommy’s Night Out” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday,

ALSO:

North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC) website, “these grants will fund the professional and artistic development of emerging, midcareer, and established artists so they can enhance their skills and abilities to create work or improve their business operations and capacity to bring their work to new audiences.”

HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl led the process working with the other regional arts councils and the NCAC. The process began in May with a communications program to get the word out to the art community.

Applications were due by Sept. 30.

This year, for the first time, participating artists used NCAC’s GoSmart! system which is an online application portal. This created consistency in application submittals, making review, award, and reporting much easier.

Beryl expressed appreciation for the juror panelists who received a small stipend by saying, “Each panelist donated considerable time to ensure a professional and equitable evaluation.”

In addition to Dohms, Szewc and Woodward, the other artist awardees representing the disciplines of craft, literature, media, music and theatre, and visual arts are from Buncombe County: Bonnie Antosh, Matilda H. B. Bliss, Georgia Deal, Daniel Despins, Mark Flowers, Beth R. Johnson, Deb Karash, Adam Lion, Mary Amelia Pate, Irene Pickens, Chad Rendel, Pearson Ripley, Frank M. Southecorvo, Peter Speer, Michael J. Stevens, Kristen Stolle, Ani Volkan, and Jessica C. White; from Henderson County: Gayle Havens; from Polk County: Linda T. Powell; from Rutherford County: Fred Mead; and from Transylvania County: Stephen Hernandez.

The Haywood County Arts Council and its regional partners congratulate the 202122 artist awardees. More information can be found at haywoodarts.org/grants-funding.

Jan. 21, where you can join other local mommas for a night out painting your own ceramic wine cup. To learn more or to sign up, click on coldmountainartcollective.com/events.

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook.

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

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women in the area? Who is the man with no eyes who mysteriously appears throughout the story and what does he want with Aaron?

Are the Lowrys good people or rotten to the core with wickedness? And is even Jo Anne really the good-hearted woman she seems?

Throw into this mix the ghosts of Comanche warriors and the murdered coalminers and their family members at the

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Ludlow Massacre, and you have a hallucinogenic tale in which reality itself is a shapechanger.

As Hawthorne did to New England’s Puritans, James Lee Burke takes a wrecking ball to the facade of the 1960s counter-culture. Even today, some of us idealize that decade of flower children and “Make love, not war,” the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, but there’s more to the story. The young people on the bus believe themselves free, but are prisoners of conmen who control their every move through drugs and threats. Daryl Vickers is just as much a psychopath as Charles Manson. Detective Wade Benbow, who eventually befriends Aaron, is a man who seeks truth and righteousness, but significantly he is dying of cancer.

And like Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” “Another Kind of Eden” sends a message to our own Age of the Mask. For months Americans walked around with ban-

danas or surgical masks wrapped around their faces, and some today continue to wear them, whether by choice or by government mandate. But the reality is that most of us wear masks, invisible ones, slipping them on to hide our fear and sorrow, our pain and anger, even our love. Several of Burke’s characters put on such disguises.

Depending on our intentions, these masks strike me as natural. We exhibit one personality to our spouse and quite another during a job interview. As Burke shows us, it’s when we use such masks to do wrong that they become odious.

At the end of “Another Kind of Eden,” Aaron shares a couple of the lessons he’s acquired during this ordeal: “I also learned that madness is madness, and we should not question its presence in the majority of the human race.

And I learned, as George Orwell once said, that people are always better than we think they are.”

In spite of some characters like the insane and vicious Daryl Vickers, I agree to an extent with Aaron and by extension, with James Lee Burke. I’m not sure the majority of the human race is mad, but certainly the world right now seems populated with a good number of crazies of all kinds.

And yes, I think, as Burke puts it, people are better than we think.

Like his other 39 novels and two short story collections, Burke brings us a tale beautifully told. He is famous for the shape, lucidity, and local color of his prose, and he has certainly brought those talents to “Another Kind of Eden.”

One final note: I’ve read many of Burke’s novels, and have reviewed some of them in this space over the last twenty years. But this one … this one will stick with me much longer than the others. It raises more questions than answers, which is not a bad thing, and I will be pondering its meaning down the road.

(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)

January 12-18, 2022

o get the most out of out of James Lee Burke’s latest novel, “Another Kind of Eden” (Simon & Schuster, 2021, 243 pages), readers might want to first read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown.” Here’s a short synopsis that may help.

It’s 17th century New England, and Puritan Goodman Brown leaves his wife Faith at dusk to go on some undeclared errand in a dark forest. While there, he stumbles onto an assembly of the townspeople, including Faith, who are gathered around a blazing fire and seem Writer to have formed a coven of evil with devils and fiends. Goodman Brown and Faith are called forth as the last converts to join these ranks of sinners. When Brown urges Faith to “look up to Heaven, and resist the wicked one,” he finds himself alone in the clearing, the fire and his wife, friends, and neighbors vanished. Though he cannot decide whether he has put his foot on the threshold of hell or was merely dreaming, ever afterwards he sees everyone he knows, including Faith, as evil.

Flash forward to the early 1960s, and Aaron Holland Broussard tells us in his “Prologue” to “Another Kind Of Eden” that “Young Goodman Brown wanders these pages.” And that is the case, for Aaron himself assumes that role.

Aaron is an unreliable narrator, meaning the reader can’t always trust Aaron’s impressions of events taking place around him because Aaron himself is uncertain of reality. After a brief stint of teaching and trying his hand at writing a novel, Aaron has become a wanderer, drifting from job to job.

He suffers nightmares from fighting in the Korean War, where his best friend, Saber Bledsoe, died or was taken prisoner. A psychiatrist once diagnosed him with dissociative personality disorder, meaning “there were three different people sheltering inside my skin.” Normally a calm and peaceful man, when pushed beyond his limits Aaron can explode in violence.

In the spring of 1962, Aaron finds work at a large ranch and farm in Trinidad, south of Denver, Colorado. The owner, Mr. Lowry, treats Aaron like the son he has lost. Here Aaron makes friends with two colorful coworkers, Spud and Cotton, and falls in love with a waitress, Jo Anne McDuffy, who is also a skilled painter.

This may sound idyllic, but evil is lurking everywhere. Why is Jo Anne’s art teacher, whom Aaron dislikes on first sight, hanging out with a bunch of drug-addled kids driving around the countryside in a school bus? Why do Reuben and Daryl Vickers so dislike Aaron, and is one of them murdering young

arts & entertainment

More questions than answers in this book

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

agement objectives for the Mountain Bear Management Unit.”

That’s different from the information contained in the fiscal note accompanying the proposed regulation, which estimates 521 permits for Panthertown-Bonas Defeat alone but does not state how many would be issued for

A black bear stands on its hind legs for a better view. Bill Lea photo

A shift for sanctuaries Wildlife Commission considers opening new areas to bear hunting

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR ith already record-high bear populations continuing robust growth in Western North Carolina, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing a controversial measure to control them: allowing bear hunting in three bear sanctuaries where it’s currently off-limits.

According to the Wildlife Commission, such a proposal is nothing new. Two North Carolina bear sanctuaries already allow bear hunting — Mt. Mitchell Bear Sanctuary since 2006, and Daniel Boone Bear Sanctuary since 2009. Allowing hunting in additional sanctuaries will help control the growing population as increased human development reduces hunter access outside the sanctuaries, the Wildlife Commission says, and it will also cut down on human-bear conflicts in those areas.

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But wildlife advocates, conservation organizations, and even bear hunters say the proposal will do more harm than good, and will not address the problem it seeks to solve.

The proposal, which is included in the Wildlife Commission’s list of desired changes for the 2022-2023 season, seeks to allow permit hunting opportunities in the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah and Standing Indian Bear Sanctuaries.

Hunters would have to obtain a special permit to hunt these areas, separate from the general hunting license needed to take bears elsewhere in the state, but all rules and laws regarding hunting black bears — minimum weight limits, bear e-stamps, mandatory tooth submission — would apply to sanctuary permit hunts.

According to Wildlife Commission spokesperson Mindy Wharton, the agency estimates that a total of 521 permits will be issued for the three sanctuaries proposed for hunting, but that number is not set in stone.

If the rule is approved, agency biologists will determine the actual number “based on a variety of factors to assist in meeting the man-

That, he said, is why he opposes the Wildlife Commission’s proposal.

“I like the sanctuary, because if it wasn’t for the sanctuary we wouldn’t have the bears we have today. I think it would hurt us,” he said of the proposal.

It’s been a few years since Messer, 86, has been out on a hunt, but as a member of the N.C. Bear Wildlife Commission data lumps Hunters Association Board bear sightings and complaints of Directors he stays together. Such reports have informed on the issues risen in recent years. NCWRC graph and connected to the bear hunting community.

“Most bear hunters I know of is more or less against it,” he said.

But Brad Stanback, who was also active in the conservation world as the sanctuary system took off, holds a different perspective. He represents the westernmost district on the Wildlife Commission.

Pisgah or Standing Indian. The discrepancy is “It is becoming clear that the mountain due to an “oversight” in preparing the docubear population is healthy enough to support ments, Wharton said. The number 521 is a somewhat higher hunting mortality,” he based on the average number of permits said. issued on the two bear sanctuaries that curIn the 1980s, he said, there were estimated rently allow bear hunting — in the 2020-2021 to be only 2,000 bears in all of WNC, with season, the Wildlife Commission issued 1,043 500-600 in the Great Smoky Mountains sanctuary permits for the Daniel Boone and National Park — and poaching was a serious Mount Mitchell Bear Sanctuaries combined. problem. Some estimates held that poachers Those sanctuaries cover a total of 53,920 were killing more than 500 bears annually, acres. Panthertown-Bonas Defeat includes with criminal networks extending all the way 9,180 acres while the Pisgah and Standing to buyers in China who paid large sums for Indian sanctuaries measure 158,400 and bear parts.

22,910 acres, respectively.

Then, the bear sanctuaries were estabThe Wildlife Commission does not have a lished, an undercover operation dubbed hard estimate as to how many bears it expects Operation Smoky busted up the poaching netto be harvested if the proposal is approved, works, and the bear population began to but Wharton said the proposed rules are grow. Today WNC is estimated to hold about expected to keep management objectives for 7,000 bears, and human-bear conflicts are a the mountain area “on target.” perennial issue. Such conflicts are what led “This specific area is being proposed the U.S. Forest Service to ask the Wildlife because it’s been identified as an area that can Commission to increase hunting pressure on aid in meeting our population objective and Panthertown Valley, and Stanback believes it’s offset the loss of hunter access occurring outa tool worth testing. side of sanctuary lands,” she said.

“The conservative way to start is to open The rule change is only a proposal at this up some of the bear sanctuaries to more conpoint, with a public comment period open trolled, permit-only hunts, and this is what is through Jan. 31 and a virtual public hearing being proposed in the current regulation hearslated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20. The ings,” he said. “This incremental step is easy Wildlife Commission board will vote on the to reverse in the near future if it doesn’t seem final regulations during its February meeting, to be working out. And of course, the Great and the new rules will go into effect on Aug. 1. Smoky Mountains National Park will always Last year, the Commission approved 40 of 42 be a gigantic de-facto bear sanctuary with no proposed changes. hunting ever allowed.”

FROM 1960 TO 2022 Waynesville resident Wallace Messer has been hunting bear since the 1960s, when the bear population was in shambles and hunter success elusive. The sanctuary system changed all that when it came online in 1971, and now, decades later, Messer is still grateful for what that system has meant for bears and for their hunters.

OPPOSITION FROM FRIENDS OF PANTHERTOWN The Forest Service sees bear hunting as a viable management tool for Panthertown, but Friends of Panthertown — the nonprofit charged with conserving and improving recreational experience in the popular backcountry area — does not.

“It is a bear sanctuary, it has been

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Today, more than 7,000 black bears are estimated to live in Western North Carolina. Bill Lea photo

able, which could lead to more bears being born — so the math of bears hunted versus bears surviving is not as simple as it might sound.

“When they kill a lot of bears, it creates a void, and then the bears reproduce at higher rates to fill that void,” he said.

outdoors

‘COMPLICATED CHALLENGES’

Be heard Due to rising COVID-19 case counts, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will for the second year running hold a virtual-only public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, on its proposed regulation changes for 202223.

Typically, the Wildlife Commission holds an in-person public hearing in each of its nine districts. Those were cancelled last year due to the pandemic, and this year the Commission had scheduled only three in-person hearings, with the furthest west to be held in Marion. On Jan. 5 the Wildlife Commission announced cancellation of those scheduled hearings.

The online hearing will be held via Zoom, with a voice-only call-in option also available by calling 888.788.0099 and using webinar ID 160 983 2165. Written comments can be submitted through Jan. 31 online, by emailing regulations@ncwildlife.org, or through the mail to Rule-making Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 276991701.

To read the proposed regulations, register for the Zoom hearing or submit a comment online, visit ncwildlife.org/proposedregulations.

Bill Lea, a retired U.S. Forest Service assistant ranger and prolific photographer — and observer — of wild bears, is also speaking out against the proposal, saying it’s a betrayal of the sanctuary system’s integrity and a misguided solution to the problems the Wildlife Commission is seeking to solve.

“To me there’s something that feels inherently wrong about establishing bear sanctuaries and then turning around and saying, OK, this year’s we’re going to go ahead and let there be hunting in that sanctuary,” he said. “You either have a sanctuary or you don’t.”

While the bear sanctuaries were origi-

Smoky Mountain News

‘INHERENTLY WRONG’

nally created as no-hunting zones for bear hunters, that definition changed when the Wildlife Commission adopted the 20122022 N.C. Black Bear Management Plan.

Increased human development has created “new defacto bear sanctuaries,” the plan said — likely referring to how bears have adapted to living in human environments like cities and neighborhoods — while hunting opportunities have declined.

So, the plan redefined bear sanctuaries as “delineated areas where hunting mortality can be adjusted independently from that of the surrounding area to address local bear densities and to meet population goals for Bear Management Units. Adjustment of mortality is achieved by regulating harvest pressure, which can range from no hunting to a hunting season consistent with that of the local bear season.”

Lea believes this new definition is “misleading.”

“Maybe they should be called something like ‘Special Bear Hunting Units’ versus ‘Bear Sanctuaries,’” he said. “Then the public would have a much better idea of what is taking place on these lands. It must confuse the hell out of the bears trying to exist there.”

Lea is also skeptical that allowing hunting in bear sanctuaries will do much to reduce the population or cut down on human-bear conflicts.

Unless a bear has actually been shot, he said, hunting doesn’t do much to change its behavior. With more people living and recreating in the mountains than ever before, bears have been forced to acclimate to sounds like screeching tires, slamming doors and barking dogs — there are no longer any “hidden getaways” for bears.

“I have even been photographing bears when nearby guns have been fired, and the bears do not even look up,” he said. “They can’t tell the difference between a gunshot and a car backfiring.”

Lea also pointed out that many animals, including black bears, adjust their reproductive rate in synch with the availability of resources around them. As more bears are hunted, more food resources become avail-

Though perspectives differ on how to address it, the fact remains that bear populations in the mountains are the highest they’ve been since population estimates began and that safety issues — for bears and people alike — are cropping up as a result.

This year, the University of Tennessee Knoxville completed a first-of-its-kind census of bear populations across the four-state mountain region, and the bear sanctuary proposal is the first management action to be proposed based on the outcome.

“Using the results of this research, the Commission was able to verify current population trends and identify areas of high bear densities, which aided in identifying designated bear sanctuaries that could be opened to bear permit hunt opportunities,” reads a Wildlife Commission factsheet on the issue.

In the years to come, humans will continue to vacation, explore and reside in the mountains, and bears will continue to roam them. Finding the path to peaceful coexistence is paramount, but Kimenker and Lea both believe that more education, not more hunting, mark that trail.

“Campers need to know how to make sure their food isn’t available to bears when they’re camping,” said Lea. “Homeowners need to know that their birdseed, their barbeque grills, their garbage, will attract bears. It’s a matter of education and dealing with the problem and not just going out and haphazardly killing more bears.”

“It’s very important to practice Leave No Trace when visiting,” Kimenker added.

“We’re very hopeful that the community will continue to do their best to protect the bears and not harm the bears when they visit.”

The Wildlife Commission values the role of education initiatives in bear management, as shown through its enthusiastic partnership in the BearWise program. But it sees education as one of multiple tools — not, as Lea said, “the only real answer” to bear-human friction.

“The recovery of the black bear has created complicated challenges related to a variety of topics including bear hunting, bear/human interactions, management of bear habitat, law enforcement, and many others,” reads the 2012 Bear Management Plan. “Meeting this goal will require the successful management of conflicts between bears and people, public acceptance of management tools (e.g. hunting), and maintaining bear habitats.”

This month, North Carolinians have the chance to voice their opinion on how those management tools should be used, and in February, the Wildlife Commission will vote on the way forward.

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January 12-18, 2022

a bear sanctuary, and people associate their visit with visiting a wildlife sanctuary,” said Executive Director Jason Kimenker. “So we would hope that the state will continue to maintain that bear sanctuary as a sanctuary where bears be free from concerns of human predators.”

In 2018, the year that the Forest Service made its request to the Wildlife Commission, Panthertown Valley experienced an increase in serious bear encounters. As a result, the Forest Service recommended that backcountry campers carry bear-proof containers and bear spray.

Though it wasn’t adopted, a rule proposed later that year sought to make such containers a requirement for overnight visitors.

But, the situation has improved since then, Kimenker said — without allowing hunting.

Despite a spate of human-bear incidents in other parts of the region, 2021 was a “very quiet” year for problem bear activity in Panthertown, Kimenker said, with Friends of Panthertown receiving no reports of close bear encounters. Kimenker attributes this to ongoing education efforts and bear safety infrastructure. In 2019, Panthertown was chosen for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Hot Spot program, which aims to educate communities around heavily used recreation areas in sustainable Leave No Trace principles. In 2020, Friends of Panthertown installed bear boxes at two popular backcountry campsites and plans to place more in the future.

“Based on the quiet year that we had last year, we are hopeful that the success of those storage lockers will continue to decrease and remove further risk of bear encounters,” said Kimenker.

While the Forest Service agreed that visitors are using Panthertown’s bear boxes correctly, those boxes can have “limited value” given that Panthertown is surrounded by private property where bears are often successful finding food, said Forest Service spokesperson Adrianne Rubiaco.

“The U.S. Forest Service supports this proposal as part of a multifaceted approach to decreasing bear-human interactions and increasing visitor safety,” said Rubiaco. “In addition to this proposal the Forest Service will continue to focus on visitor education, recreation site improvements (such as bear lockers), and food storage orders.”

Kimenker pointed out that Friends of Panthertown isn’t opposed to hunting in general. The sanctuary designation prohibits only bear hunting; Panthertown is open to other types of hunting, as well as fishing, and hunters are represented on the nonprofit’s board. It’s bear hunting in particular — specifically, bear hunting with dogs — that the board opposes.

“That’s a lot of dogs and hunters coming through a highly used recreational corridor, which is also surrounded by residential communities where the dogs aren't going to pay attention to boundaries,” Kimenker said. “Whether they're hunting or they're training the dogs, there will be more opportunities for human-dog interactions and other concerns than there are currently.”

outdoors

Land and Water Fund gets new director After serving as interim director for seven months, Will Summer has been named the next director of the N.C.

Will Summer. Donated photo

Division of Land and Water Stewardship and executive director of the N.C. Land and Water Fund.

Summer has served as deputy director since 2017 and has served NCLWF in various roles since joining the organization in 2008. He holds a Master of Science in forest hydrology from the University of Georgia.

Formerly known as the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the NCLWF was created by the General Assembly in 1996.

Since that time, it’s conserved well over half a million acres and protected or restored 3,000 miles of streams and rivers.

In 2021, the NCLWF awarded more than $60 million in grants and anticipates awarding $75 million in 2022, higherthan-normal figures thanks to funding included in the recently enacted state budget. The Division of Land and Water Stewardship also includes the Natural Heritage Program, which serves as an information clearinghouse in support of conservation of the rarest and most outstanding elements of natural diversity in the state.

Program lets kids attend camp for free

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

The N.C. Arboretum is offering free summer camp experiences for up to 20 kids this year through its new “Campership” program.

Receiving a Campership allows children to attend a free week of camp, with priority based on household size and annual income.

The Campership program is supported by donors and sponsors — contribute by donating to bit.ly/2XBiah4. Apply for a Campership at bit.ly/3HDKbZ2.

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The project is the result of prolonged collaboration from a variety of groups and organizations.

Hansi Johnson/Outdoors for All Old Fort photo

Trails project to kick off in Old Fort A groundbreaking celebration for the Old Fort Trails Project will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, marking the start of the 42-mile trail project’s first phase.

The groundbreaking event will take place in the new parking area at 1450 Curtis Creek Road in Old Fort, and afterward participants can join in on a short

walk to the trailhead and discussion about the first phase of trails. An outdoor reception at Kitsbow’s Old Fort Ride House will follow.

The first 6 miles of trail and a parking area are slated to open this summer, with the entire project implemented over five to 10 years. Learn more at bit.ly/3r1OUxb.

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Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. —William Wordsworth, 1798

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his first column of 2022 takes a look back at early writing about nature and people’s relationship to nature. As early as the 1700s, people in the English-speaking world expressed concern about that relationship.

Sometimes looking at where we came from helps us figure where we should go. It is hoped that the texts below will provide new insights? and perhaps a renewed commitment to push elected leaders to address the climate crisis seriously.

For I have learned To look on nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

Several years later, he composed a lament with which we today can also identify: greed and destruction of nature were destroying our sacred like with nature. People are “out of tune” with all nature’s beauty and power, our senses dulled by “getting and spending.” The speaker is standing on a beach: The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

“The World Is Too Much With Us” In our own time, songwriter-singer Jackson Browne also responded to our abuse of nature in his prophetic song “Before the Deluge,” written over 40 years ago. Here are the last stanza and the refrain: Some of them were angry At the way the earth was abused By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power.

And they struggled to protect her from them Only to be confused By the magnitude of her fury in the final hour.

And when the sand was gone and the time arrived, In the naked dawn only a few survived, And, in attempts to understand a thing so sim-

ple and so huge, Believed that they were meant to live after the deluge.

Now let the music keep our spirits high And let the buildings keep our children dry Let creation reveal its secrets by and by By and by...

When the light that's lost within us reaches the sky.

Clearly, alarm and dismay over our disrespect for nature, or Creation, is nothing new. What are new are solutions. Elected leaders holding the most power have so far failed to do enough to save us from the climate hell many are already in.

Read what you as a voter can do to ‘light a fire” under them at the Climate Reality Project Act: https://www.climaterealityproject.org/act.

Learn how to get local government on board, County Climate Coalition: https://www.climaterealityproject.org/climatecoalition

By Mary Jane Curry ,WNC CAC volunteer, co-founder and Triple-win Editor MJCinWNC@gmail.com The WNC Climate Action Coalition is an all-volunteer group working to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis in our region. https://WNCClimateAction.com Twitter: @WncAction

Smoky Mountain News

In his mid-twenties British poet William Wordsworth retraced a long trek he had taken five years before in the Wye River Valley. In between he experienced a personal crisis ending in his fleeing France when it went to war against Britain. He had to leave a young woman he loved.

The unspoiled beauty of rural England became his comfort, emotional and spiritual. Wordsworth and others also believed that feeling kinship with nature can make us better people.

To chasten and subdue.—And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man: A motion and a spirit, that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still A lover of the meadows and the woods And mountains; and of all that we behold From this green earth; of all the mighty world Of eye, and ear,—both what they half create, And what perceive; well pleased to recognise In nature and the language of the sense The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul Of all my moral being.

Excerpt, “Lines, Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Walking Tour”

January 12-18, 2022

Triple-Win Climate Solutions

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outdoors

The water’s cold, but plungers can participate by dipping a toe or braving a full-body immersion.

Bill Killalay/Killilay Photography photo

Take the Plunge

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

The Plunge is just a month away from marking its 10th consecutive year hosting a frigid entry into wintry water for the benefit of environmental education in Haywood County, with the event slated for Saturday, Feb. 12, at Lake Junaluska.

Haywood Waterways and Lake Junaluska Assembly are hosting the event, with participants choosing from two options — the traditional Plunge or the Plunge Challenge. The traditional Plunge will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lake Junaluska Aquatics Center Pool, with onsite check-in and registration starting at 10 a.m. The Plunge Challenge is adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic — in this format, participants can pick the date,

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time and location to plunge at their convenience.

Cost is $25 for adults or $10 for youth under 18, or free by raising sponsorships.

All plungers receive a free T-shirt and hot lunch, and the depth of the plunge is a personal choice, ranging from the tip of the toe to a full-body immersion. Prizes are awarded for best costumes, best fundraisers, best plunge and most plungers.

All proceeds benefit Haywood Waterways’ Kids in the Creek program and environmental education programs. Sign up or learn more at tiny.cc/HWA10thPlunge. Reach Haywood Waterways at 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

Waynesville water park reopens The water park at the Waynesville Recreation Center will reopen Jan. 14 after a months-long closure due to staffing issues, and the lap pool will have expanded hours as well.

Starting Jan. 14, the water park will be open 1-6:30 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturdays, with the lap pool open 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. However, the water park and pool will both be closed Saturday, Jan. 22, for a high school swim meet.

Since September, the lap pool had been open only Monday through Thursday, and the water park has been closed since August.

For more information, call 828.456.2030.

Bird the lake Puzzles can be found on page 30 These are only the answers.

Go birding at Lake Junaluska this month to spot migratory birds, including waterfowl.

Tours will be offered at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 19, led by Kevin Burke,

and 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, led by Howard Browers.

The excursion is offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks and costs $10 per person, with loaner binoculars available. Call 828.452.6789 to register.

Race through Waynesville this spring The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon and Mighty Four Miler will return to Waynesville this year, stepping off Saturday, April 2.

Both distances — 13.2 and 4 miles — offer a beautiful run route through and around downtown Waynesville. Honoring local hero Riley Howell, who gave his own life to save classmates from an active shooter at UNC Charlotte in 2019, the Mighty Four Miler is a fundraiser for the Riley Howell Foundation Fund, which supports organizations that benefit victims of gun violence. Both races are organized by Glory Hound Events.

Register at gloryhoundevents.com. The four miler is $35, and the $70 early bird price for the half marathon is available through Jan. 31.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Branch #54AB of the NC NAACP will hold its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan.15, online. The group will discuss its plans for MLK Day and share the theme and events for 2022. Email jcnaacp54ab@gmail.com to receive instructions to join online. All are welcome.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting professional organizer Shannon Smith at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, to help everyone with decluttering. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge.

Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings.

828.586.2016.

• The Jackson County Public Library is starting a Foreign Film Series beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday at 2 p.m., two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge.

Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings.

• The Jackson County Public Library is hosting Jenna from Uncomplicated Kitchen at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, who will teach patrons how to build a nutritious, delicious and hearty salad that one can easily make at home. This program is in the Atrium and is free of charge, however sign-up is required as space is limited.

Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. To register, call 828.586.2016.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:40 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 7 through April 12, by appointment at the Macon County Library. Masks are required. Appointments can be made online at wnctaxaide.as.me or by calling 828.524.3600 or visiting the library located at 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filings Mondays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 7 through April 13, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theater. Masks are required. Appointments can be made online at wnctaxaide.as.me or by phone starting Jan. 17 at 828.476.9570.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Free Yoga will be hosted by Beyond Bending Yoga from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Macon County Public Library in the Public Meeting Room. Register with our instructor at https://beyondbendingyoga.com/schedule/ to ensure safe numbers.

• A free community class on substance use, misuse and the opioid crisis will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Jan. 19, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room. Register ahead by calling or emailing Kristina Moe at 828.524.3600 or kmoe@fontanalib.org.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip to tour the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the Grove Arcade in Asheville. The trip will take place from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. The cost is $10 per person and this does not include lunch. For more information or to register, call the Waynesville Recreation Center at 828.456.2030 or email mgaddis@waynesvillenc.gov.

f i n d

u s

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com

POLITICAL CORNER • John Hemingway will host a Meet & Greet from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 81 Main Street in Clyde.

John is running for Sheriff of Haywood County. This is an opportunity to ask John questions and address concerns. He encourages everyone to get to know the candidates running. Food will be provided. For more information, please visit the website at hemingwayforsheriff.com, call John directly at 828.593.8277.

• A meeting of the Jackson County Republican Party will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, at the Sylva GOP headquarters located at 24D Steeple drive.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Twelfth Fret Jan. 14, Scott James Stambaugh (singersongwriter) Jan. 15, Aly Jordan (singer-songwriter) Jan. 21 and Shane Meade (roots/soul) Jan. 22. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade (soul/roots) Jan. 21. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Jan. 13, Rock Holler Band Jan. 14, Outlaw Whiskey Jan. 15, Live Karaoke in the Smokies Jan. 20 and Carolina Freightshakers Jan. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig (singersongwriter) at 6 p.m. Jan. 27. 828.926.7440 or valleytavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host an “Emo Night Dance Party” at 9 p.m. Feb. 12.

828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Dementia Caregivers Support Group, for those providing care for folks who are dealing with dementia, meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). For additional information call 828.476.7985.

• Al-Anon, for families and friends of alcoholics, meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St., Sylva. Enter at front of church through the door to the left of the sanctuary; meeting is first door on the right. The Church requests that you wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

• Narcotics Anonymous meetings are back "live" in-person after a year of being on Zoom only. Local meetings are 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at Sylva First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva. Entrance at back of building.

A&E

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Lilah Price (singer-songwriter) Jan. 20, WNC Artist Spotlight Open Mic Jan. 26 and Rossdafareye (roots/soul) Jan. 28. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Alma Russ (indie/folk) Jan. 15 and Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) Jan. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Alma Russ (indie/folk) Jan. 14 and Prophets of Time Jan. 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

a t :

FOOD AND DRINK • “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) is currently seeking one or more gallery interns with a passion for the arts and interest in learning about the administration of a small nonprofit. Send cover letters and resumes to HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl at director@haywoodarts.org.

• Cold Mountain Art Collective (Canton) will host “Kids Ceramic Magnet Painting” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 15. All kids ages 3-12 are welcome for a creative afternoon painting their choice of three ceramic magnets from over a dozen different designs. The “unWIND: Mommy’s Night Out” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, where you can join other local mommas for a night out painting your own ceramic wine cup. coldmountainartcollective.com/events.

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.

Outdoors

• Wednesday evenings will offer open volleyball play and practice at the Waynesville Recreation Center this month, with sessions held 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 5 through Feb. 9. Donald Hummel, dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov or 828.456.2030.

27

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n n n n

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings • A groundbreaking celebration for the Old Fort Trails Project will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, marking the start of the 42-mile trail project’s first phase. The groundbreaking event will take place in the new parking area at 1450 Curtis Creek Road in Old Fort, and afterward participants can join in on a short walk to the trailhead and discussion about the first phase of trails. An outdoor reception at Kitsbow’s Old Fort Ride House will follow.

• Jackson County Coon Hunters Association will hold a Nite Hunt and Bench Show at 4 p.m. Jan. 15 at 44 Oak Hill Drive Sylva. Bench Show will begin at 4 p.m. and costs $15, Nite Hunt will begin at 6 p.m. and cost $20.

For more information contact Matthew Bryson at 828.508.6465.

• Go birding at Lake Junaluska this month to spot migratory birds, including waterfowl. Tours will be offered at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, led by Kevin Burke, and 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, led by Howard Browers. The excursion is offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks and costs $10 per person, with loaner binoculars available. Call 828.452.6789 to register.

• The Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing a slate of changes to agency regulations for seasons in 2022-2023. Public comment is open through Monday, Jan. 31. This year, the agency’s furthest-west public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at McDowell Technical College in Marion, and an online hearing is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20.

• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip to Linville Caverns from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 5. The cost of the trip is $20 per person.

The fee does not cover lunch. For more information or to register, call the Waynesville Recreation Center at 828.456.2030 or email mgaddis@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Haywood Waterways and Lake Junaluska Assembly will host The Plunge from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12, at the Lake Junaluska Aquatics Center Pool, with onsite registration and check-in starting at 10 a.m. Cost is $25 for adults or $10 for youth under 18, or free by raising sponsorships. All proceeds benefit Haywood Waterways’ Kids in the Creek program and environmental education programs. Sign up or learn more at tiny.cc/HWA10thPlunge. Reach Haywood Waterways at 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon and Mighty Four Miler will return to Waynesville this year, stepping off Saturday, April 2. Register at gloryhoundevents.com. The four miler is $35, and the $70 early bird price for the half marathon is available through Jan. 31.

• The 2022 Outdoor Economy Conference is less than three months away, scheduled for April 4-7 at the new Cherokee Convention Center in Cherokee. Early bird pricing of $400 for the full, four-day conference is available through Feb. 28. Find out more at outdooreconomy.org.

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January 12-18, 2022

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TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

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29

SUPER

CROSSWORD

ACORN-STASHING IN THE SKY ACROSS 1 Exchanges for paper money 7 Takes too much, briefly 10 Gp. concerned with birdies 13 Liquid detergent quantity 19 Opere -- (in the work already mentioned) 20 International news agency 22 Relaxed 23 "First Blood" actor Richard 24 Pilot Amelia 25 Like magma 26 Start of a riddle 29 930-mile-long Russian river 30 Politico Trent 31 Raw rock 32 Lakers' org.

35 Riddle, part 2 43 Styled like 44 Heir, often 45 Be a rambler 46 "I smell --!"

47 Defunct Russ. state 48 Riddle, part 3 55 Airline seat pull-down 57 Dir. from N.M. to Ky. 58 "Play it by ear," e.g.

59 Orem's state 61 Google program for targeted promotions 65 Brother of DDE's follower 66 Big tub 69 Riddle, part 4 74 Facial blinker 75 Caviar base

76 77 78 80 81 83 90 93 94 95 96 97 105 106 107 108 109 117 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128

Manors Oklahoma city Livid Actor Stephen Basketball tourney org.

Riddle, part 5 Turner of song Add to the work force Vientiane is its capital No. on a map Liquor choice End of the riddle Prefix with 17-Down Byrnes who was "Kookie" Wayward GI Family mem.

Riddle's answer Mitchell of NBC News Not yet encrypted Is entirely unacceptable Disclose List the particulars of Coop up Officers-to-be Tutu-wearing Muppet D.C. bigwig "-- Fideles" (carol)

DOWN 1 Roman 301 2 Plane wings, e.g.

3 Raw beef dish 4 Disney's Montana 5 Tall Sicilian volcano 6 Fly high 7 Chocolate cookieflavored Post cereal 8 Shortage 9 Guarantee 10 Bell's ring 11 Mutt's noise

12 Concerning 13 SLR, say 14 Makes amends 15 Animal hide 16 Jack Sprat's no-no 17 Function 18 Writer Deighton 21 Jennifer Lopez's "J to -- LO!" 27 Dull 28 Homer Simpson's outburst 32 Cruel Roman emperor 33 Male lover 34 Echidnas eat them 35 Once existed 36 Totally lost 37 Squarish, as a vehicle 38 Four minus one, in Italy 39 Gmail rival 40 Trailing plant 41 -- Strauss 42 Wizard of Oz creator 49 Work over 50 Happen next 51 Comes upon 52 "Luther" star Elba 53 Repeated jazz phrase 54 Smoker's puff 56 Pi-sigma link 59 Sport- -- (off-roader) 60 Your, biblically 61 "Billy, Don't Be --" (1974 hit song) 62 Insect egg 63 Beginning 64 Lauder of makeup 66 Seasoned, oily salad dressings 67 French buddy 68 Turner of TV

70 Big coffee dispensers 71 Vincent van -72 Incline 73 Coffee alternative 78 Suited to -79 Christmas 81 Court barriers 82 Flight staffers 83 Punch sound 84 Old LP player 85 Crafts' partner 86 Not stringent 87 Lead-in to "And how!"

88 Suffix with lobby 89 High-pitched warble 91 Nailed the performance 92 Opposite of 63-Down 98 Nuke, as leftovers 99 Standards 100 NFL six-pointers 101 Legendary Manhattan restaurant 102 Pluck, as brows 103 "Stalag 17" star William 104 With 109-Down, part of a Florida orchard 109 See 104-Down 110 Mini-exam 111 A law -- itself 112 Slush Puppie alternative 113 CD- -114 Female youth org.

115 Incite 116 Subjective loudness unit 117 Circle bit 118 Org. concerned with the three R's 119 Burnable storage device

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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30

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January 12-18, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

Great Smokies

STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com 434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 www.wncmarketplace.com

January 12-18, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

31

WAYNESVILLE OFFICE 74 North Main Street | (828) 634 -7333 Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.

4BR, 3BA, 2HB | $1,325,000 | #3774445

Under Contract

2BR, 1BA $100,000 | #3811678

2BR, 1BA $169,000 | #3801343

Country Place Of Waynesville | 3BR, 2BA $180,000 | #3817206

Cedarwood | 2BR, 3BA $274,900 | #3815873

1BR, 1BA $290,000 | #3817899

Sylva | 3BR, 2BA $298,000 | #3782116

2BR, 2BA, 1HB $319,000 | #3815959

$389,000 | #3778948

4BR, 2BA, 1HB $484,900 | #3783254

3BR, 2BA $795,000 | #3774025

4BR, 4BA, 1HB $849,900 | #3777103

The Estates at Laurel Ridge | 7BR, 6BA, 1HB $4,500,000 | #3691934

Pending

Smoky Mountain News

January 12-18, 2022

Under Contract

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 32