Smoky Mountain News | February 17, 2021

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Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

February 17-23, 2021 Vol. 22 Iss. 38

Big investments bring broadband to the mountains Page 8 Capacity limits for rivalry game ‘make no sense’ Page 11

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: The impressive and barrier-breaking careers of two Black men were launched back in 1967 with the creation of the first forestry program at Haywood Technical Institute. Both men experienced their share of blatant and covert racism in their lifetimes but say they have been fortunate that a love for the outdoors has taken them on incredible paths. (Page 20) Donated photo

News Methodist churches form Justice and Reconciliation Team ..................................4 Vaccination coverage improves in WNC ....................................................................5 Prognosis for NC economic recovery is good ..........................................................6 Major investments bring broadband to the mountains ............................................8 Nikwasi Initiative changes plans for Franklin ............................................................10 Capacity limits for rivalry game ‘make no sense’ ....................................................11 All signs point to Canton’s continuing renewal ......................................................13

EDITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN & WEBSITE: DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING SALES:

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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 Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@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) Boyd Allsbrook (writing)

CONTACT

Opinion Introducing triple-win climate solutions ......................................................................14

WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789

A&E The Get Right Band to play Grey Eagle live stream ..............................................16

Books Lit-bits: a wild week with books and words ..............................................................19

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Local Methodist churches form Justice and Reconciliation Team

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Smoky Mountain District of the First United Methodist Church has created a Justice and Reconciliation Team to take on the work of understanding and healing discrimination in Western North Carolina.

The Smoky Mountain District comprises the western-most counties in North Carolina and is a subsection of the Western North Carolina Conference of the First United Methodist Church.

The team, which had its first official meeting on Feb. 2, was born from the idea for a Black Lives Matter worship Keith Turman service at Lake Junaluska. Originally it was the Smoky Mountain District vitality committee, which focuses on the overall health of the church and community within, working to put together the worship service. But D’Andre Ash in working toward this goal, the need was felt for a group with intentions focused more specifically on conversations around race and diversity.

“We realized this was big. This was bigger than this [vitality] team, and really this is important enough that it needs to have its own group of people so that we could broaden ecumenically,” said Rev. Linda Kelly, Smoky Mountain District superintendent.

The team is co-chaired by the Rev. Keith Turman of Waynesville First United Methodist Church and Rev. D’Andre Ash of Snowhill and Iotla United Methodist churches in Franklin.

“Our mission specifically, which we recently put together and we understand to

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February 17-23, 2021

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be something that we’ll be sharpening and crafting as we move forward, is to celebrate, to educate, to worship and initiate,” Ash said.

The original idea for a Black Lives Matter Worship service has since morphed into plans for a recurring Juneteenth celebration that would include worship, conversation, music, food and guest speakers.

Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, celebrates the end of slavery on June 19. The celebration is still in the planning phase, but the group hopes this can be a way for the church to bring the community together in celebration, and better understanding, of Black culture.

“The town of Waynesville, we celebrate so many things and we block off Main Street and we have these apple festivals and folk festivals and all these different things,” said Turman. “How awesome would it be if we had a Juneteenth celebration? It might be a big ordeal to try to get the town of Waynesville to block off the main street and have a big party on June 19, but we at the church could do something.”

The Western North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church has its own Justice and Reconciliation Team, whose mission and form were the model for the newly created team within the Smoky Mountain District. Local church leaders thought it was important to build a Justice and Reconciliation team in order to address local issues and work on projects for worship and celebration within the area, like the Juneteenth celebration.

“We hope to celebrate diversity with this Juneteenth event being kind of a visual manifestation of what our mission is,” said Ash. “So, we hope to celebrate diversity and we hope to educate folks on racial history and disparities that exist between races. We hope to worship together with folks of different denominations, different religions.

And we hope it to be a movement that springs from our Methodist tradition, but

that invites and includes others. We hope to initiate conversations.”

Both Ash and Turman value the importance of conversation in the work for justice and reconciliation. An important part of the Juneteenth event they want to create involves facilitating conversations that may be difficult to have — teaching people how to sit down and speak about issues that have for so long gone unexamined by so many.

“We hope that the lasting thing that we leave behind is that folks learn how to dialogue, and be in relationship with the other,” said Ash.

“We hope to worship together with folks of different denominations, different religions. And we hope it to be a movement that springs from our Methodist tradition, but that invites and includes others. We hope to initiate conversations.”

— D’Andre Ash

He understands this dialogue well. Ash is the only Black clergy member in the Smoky Mountain District. Originally from Atlanta, he was invited to pastor at both Snowhill and Iotla churches. Both homogenous, white congregations.

“These churches have open hearts, open and loving hearts, contrary to what, I don’t know, one may generalize about a homogenous, white church in Western North Carolina, rural Western North Carolina,” said Ash. “These churches are loving and open and they have the capacity and the bandwidth to listen

Drive-thru for Pancake Day United Methodist Church of Waynesville will still be continuing its annual Pancake Day celebration, but it will be different during the pandemic.

On the 65th FUMC Pancake Day this year, volunteers will be handing out Stay Home-Flip Safe Pancake Day Kits through a drive-through in the church parking lot (Tate Street entrance) from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21; noon to 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, and 3-6 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 23. The church is located at 566 South Haywood St., Waynesville.

Each packet will contain enough pancake mix to serve a family of four.

Also included will be a bottle of syrup and a spatula for flipping the pancakes.

For requests for packets or for more information, visit fumcpancakeday.com.

and to speak and to dialogue. I think that’s an important part of why I’m here and kind of willing to engage in the work with the district.”

Turman looks to his church’s work with the LGBTQ community for guidance and inspiration. Two years ago, when a special council of the larger United Methodist Church convened to address divisions regarding the LGBTQ community, FUMC Waynesville did not shy away from the issue. The church was intentional in facilitating conversation within its own congregation, regardless of what the denomination at large decided.

“There’s this precedent now that we’re just not gonna look the other way. We’re not going to be silent. We’re going to ask the hard questions because that’s what Jesus would do,” he said.

The group is still growing, still taking on members. Kelly says the group wants to include more voices in order to make decisions that are respectful and reflective of the community.

“We’re excited about raising the banner, you know, for whatever that means in Western North Carolina and being courageous enough to say that we stand on the side of justice and engage in conversation with anyone who has a heart as willing to listen and be in conversation with us,” said Ash.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER accination coverage is picking up in Western North Carolina, with the percentage of the population receiving at least one dose now in the double digits for every far western county.

Among the four counties in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area, Haywood still leads the pack with 13.29 percent of its estimated population having received the first dose, but Swain County is close behind at 12.58 percent, followed by Macon County at 11.54 percent and Jackson County at 10.53 percent.

Second dose coverage is also creeping up, with 6.19 percent of Haywood County residents having received the second shot.

Trailing Haywood are Macon County at 2.76 percent, Swain County at 2.51 percent and Jackson at 2.44 percent.

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weren’t sure they would get vaccinated or knew they did not want to be vaccinated.

The level of immunity through vaccination or illness needed to achieve herd immunity is unknown, said McKnight, because COVID-19 is a new virus. However, it’s been estimated anywhere from 70 to 90 percent.

These respondents were concerned about the shot’s safety, McKnight said, and they wanted more information or a recommendation from a trusted health care professional before receiving it.

“We know there’s additional work that needs to be done to educate folks in our community about safety and answer any concerns or increase and build trust,” she said. “This is especially important when we’re starting to talk about our historically marginalized populations.”

Jackson County, like many other counties across the nation, has been administer-

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Vaccination by the numbers County Haywood Jackson Swain Macon EBCI Statewide

Feb. 8 First doses 7,206 3,064 1,472 3,101 1,751 970,162

Percent population 11.6 7.0 10.3 8.9 13 9.25

Feb. 15 First doses 8,283 4,627 1,795 4,137 3041 1,129,323

Percent population 13.29 10.53 12.58 11.54 23 10.77

ing large numbers of vaccines with a drivethru clinic format that uses law enforcement personnel to help direct traffic and oversee other safety-related aspects.

“Though we truly value law enforcement being there to help direct traffic, we know there are types of people who will not come if there is someone in a uniform out front,” said McKnight. “We are starting to brainstorm ways we can bring vaccine to certain pockets of community in a situation where they are more comfortable.”

The Sylva Town Board voted unanimously Feb. 11 to enact a policy that aims to chip away at logistically based vaccine reticence among town staff. Because the vaccine can cause flu-like side effects the board unanimously approved a policy giving two additional sick days to any town employee who receives the vaccine.

“They would need to show proof of receiving the vaccine,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling. “They could take the days after the first one or the second one or however they felt they needed to do it.”

The town is not responsible for paying out unused sick leave when an employee leaves, so adding the extra sick leave will not affect the town’s bottom line outside of any lost productivity from the additional days off.

QUESTION: What are some snack ideas for someone with diabetes?

ANSWER: Often when someone has diabetes and is counting or

controlling carbohydrates it is helpful to have some ideas about snacks that have minimal carbohydrates and that are balanced with protein and some fats.

• Dips with fruits and vegetables (Vegetables like celery, grape/cherry tomatoes, carrots, jicama, snow peas or snap peas, radishes, stems of broccoli cut into "coins". Fruits like apple slices, pear slices, strawberries/blueberries) • hummus • cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (mix with seasoning blends or small amount of no sugar added jam or apple butter) • plain Greek yogurt mixed with seasoning blends or dry dressing mixes ( like ranch) or no sugar added jam.

• natural nut butters (peanut, almond etc) with no added sugar plain or mixed with small amount of no sugar added jam.

• Cheese and whole wheat or whole grain crackers.

• Small serving or container of Greek yogurt. (check the amount of carbohydrates and added sugar!)

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

Smoky Mountain News

However, those numbers don’t include the 3,041 first doses or 846 second doses distributed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to tribal members and anybody eligible for services at the Cherokee Indian Hospital. While Cherokee tribal members are scattered throughout the region and indeed the nation, they are mostly concentrated on the Qualla Boundary in Jackson and Swain counties. The tribe estimates 23 percent coverage for the first dose and 6 percent for the second dose.

County numbers also exclude doses administered through the federal long-term care facilities program. Statewide, 108,888 first doses and 54,774 second doses have been administered through this program.

While vaccination rates continue to rise, a survey conducted by the Jackson County Department of Public Health indicates that vaccine hesitance could become an issue as the vaccination effort progresses. Conducted back in November and December, the survey drew 1,300 respondents, of whom close to 50 percent said they wanted to be vaccinated as soon as possible. An additional 15 percent said they would get the shot within six months, Deputy Health Director Melissa McKnight told the Sylva board during a Feb. 11 meeting.

However, the remaining 35 percent

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath February 17-23, 2021

*Tribal dose numbers from EBCI. All other dose numbers from NCDHHS. Data do not include doses administered through the federal long-term care facilities program or by tribal governments and may be subject to a 72-hour reporting lag. Population figures based on 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, excepting tribal figures, which are from the EBCI.

Ingles Nutrition Notes

@InglesDietitian Leah McGrath - Dietitian 800.334.4936 Ingles Markets… caring about your health

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Top to bottom, prognosis for NC economic recovery is good

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR orth Carolina’s fiscal and economic health, along with years of budgetary discipline and a commitment to economic freedom, bode well for a sustained long-term economic recovery so long as policymakers continue prudent decision making — particularly in regard to worker regulations and market restrictions.

That’s the conclusion of a new report issued by Western Carolina University’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise and its director, economics professor Dr. Edward J. Lopez.

“This study is looking at the long-term,” said Lopez. “When it comes to the longterm, it draws our attention to things that are not immediately on the surface, but are more like fundamentals on the structure of the economy.”

Although the outlook is rosy, the current situation is still fragile. The report, part of the CSFE’s COVID-19 Research Initiative, was funded by a grant from the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory. In focusing on the longterm, it doesn’t address current coronavirusrelated drags on the economy but instead envisions a time when economic activity isn’t affected as much by the pandemic.

During 2020, net job growth was just 1.1 percent, the lowest since the state was attempting to claw its way back from the Great Recession of 2008. As of last December, there were still 200,000 fewer workers employed than the pre-pandemic average of about 5 million. SNAP recipients grew by 20 percent from February to August, 35 percent of households are having difficulty meeting expenses and almost 20 percent say they are late on rent.

Solutions to these problems come from two directions — from the top on down and from the bottom on up. In this example, the top is represented by state government, and the bottom is represented by ordinary people.

The report, co-authored by CFSE policy researcher Emma Blair Fedison, argues that top-down solutions are not alone sufficient to foster economic prosperity. Fedison, originally from southwestern Virginia, will soon have her master’s degree in economics from George Mason University.

“Thankfully, both of those perspectives look pretty good,” Fedison said. “Coming into COVID, North Carolina had a pretty good top-down position because they have built themselves into a good fiscal position coming into the pandemic in regard to how they have formed tax policy and how they have been somewhat conservative in their spending.”

At the onset of the pandemic, North Carolina’s pocketbook was in good shape for 6 just such an eventuality. There was more

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Pandemic-induced unemployment levels have diminished rapidly, according to a report issued by a Western Carolina University economist. WCU Center for the Study of Free Enterprise photo

Sales tax collections in select WNC counties The North Carolina Department of Revenue publishes sales tax collections numbers by county on a monthly basis as they become available. The most recent report is for the month of November, 2020. Data below is expressed in millions.

COUNTY NOVEMBER 2019 NOVEMBER 2020 Buncombe ................................................$24.69.......................................................$25.25 Haywood....................................................$3.63.........................................................$4.06 Jackson......................................................$2.63.........................................................$3.16 Macon........................................................$2.59.........................................................$3.15 Swain .......................................................$0.742.......................................................$0.932 than $1.2 billion in the “rainy day” fund, almost $3 billion in the unemployment insurance fund and another $1.5 billion stashed among the state’s various departments. That’s better than 36 other states, according to the report.

At least some of the credit for that goes to Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin. Prior to joining the N.C. Senate earlier this year, Corbin served two terms in the N.C. House. When he arrived in Raleigh for his first House term in 2017, he began conversations with appropriations chair and Wake County Republican Nelson Dollar, a college classmate at Appalachian State, about establishing a rainy-day fund. That led to Corbin co-sponsoring the bill that made it a reality.

“The best way I can describe this to people is, you may look at your checking account right now and you’ll have $1,000 in it, but you’ve got a car payment coming up, you’ve got a house payment coming up, so that money’s sort of spoken for,” Corbin said. “You’ve got a little running balance.

The state, I want to say we had a couple million dollars running balance but it was

money coming in and money going out. We didn’t have any savings.”

Corbin said that the fund grew to around $2 billion before some of it was used for hurricane relief in the eastern part of the state.

By the time COVID-19 hit almost a year ago, the fund was back up to about $1.4 billion.

North Carolina’s commitment to economic freedom over the past decade has also fostered a good business climate in the state.

“Economic freedom” is a quantifiable term based on how government policies affect markets and is based on Adam Smith’s seminal 1776 work, Wealth of Nations. In it, Smith postulates that leaving as much of the population as free as possible inevitably results in greater personal empowerment, economically speaking.

Since Republicans took control of North Carolina’s General Assembly in 2010, that score has steadily increased almost to alltime highs, as of 2018. Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia all score slightly higher than North Carolina.

All score well above the national average, but in North Carolina Lopez and Fedison say there are some areas for improvement in

“blatantly anti-competitive” policies regarding market entry restrictions, price restrictions and occupational freedom that inhibit bottom-up solutions.

“On this perspective of bottom-up growth, the conditions for growth really matter,” Lopez said. “And what does that look like? It’s individuals, it’s couples starting out their lives together. It’s households taking chances, starting businesses, maybe moving into a new career and all along the way bettering themselves and doing the types of things that lead to long-term growth and prosperity.”

Specific areas for improvement in market entry include rehashing certificate-ofneed laws for medical facilities, a review of occupational licensing, and re-examining the strict rules governing the distribution and pricing of alcohol, gasoline and other retail goods.

On a more local level, yet another index measuring economic freedom called the Metropolitan Area Economic Freedom Index ranks cities on nine criteria divided into three larger groups: budget health, tax competitiveness and worker regulation. In North Carolina, Raleigh scored highest, and Asheville scored lowest.

As Western North Carolina’s greatest economic driver, the economic health of Asheville has a ripple effect from Swannanoa to Swain County, and all points in between.

“Asheville is really the crossroads and the gateway to what is west and north of it, including the western counties of North Carolina,” Lopez said. “If you think about the movement of labor and businesses and resources, the things that make up economic activity, if we’re doing it in Western North Carolina, most of it in some way, shape or form is going to pass through Asheville.”

If real estate sales are any indicator, Asheville’s still driving Western North Carolina’s economy. Charlotte-based Canopy MLS gathers data for a number of WNC counties, including Burke, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey. Across 2020, the Asheville MSA reported that sales were up 9.5 percent over 2019. Average sales price also rose 13 percent over 2019, to more than $376,000.

Maintaining both a healthy state budget and a vigorous economy — top, and bottom, respectively — should be the main priority of policymakers according to the report, which also warns that curtaining economic freedom ultimately hinders long-term prospects for meaningful recovery.

“The things that we did all four years I’ve been there, we’ve lowered corporate income tax, we’ve lowered personal income tax,” Corbin said. “That’s kept more money in people’s pockets, which has them spending more.”

That’s been reflected in local sales tax receipts.

“We’re looking at the figures right now, but a lot of counties are running a surplus,” Corbin said. “I can tell you here in my home county of Macon, they had a $1.7 million surplus because sales tax is way up right now.”

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Smoky Mountain News

During a Feb. 15 budget presentation, Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead told commissioners that despite the pandemic-related shutdowns, year-to-date county sales tax collections were up 12.4 percent, or almost $1.4 million over last year.

The surplus can also be attributed at least in part to the influx of tourists and new residents who might not have discovered Western North Carolina were it not for the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“People would rather be in Waynesville or Sylva or Franklin than Atlanta or New York,” Corbin said.

“They come here because of our style of living, fear of the rioting, COVID, the university, and because of this our sales taxes go way up.”

Were Fedison advising the General Assembly based upon the conclusion of her and Lopez’s report, the message is simple — stay the course.

“They’ve done a good job so far of getting the state into a good fiscal position. In regard to their top down response, keep on doing that — North Carolina’s made a lot of positive changes in the past decade in their tax policy,” she said. “Now is not a time to rock that boat. Ordinary people do not need to face higher taxes at any point, but especially at this point in time. For fiscal policy, keep on doing what they’re doing with regards to a bottom up recovery, and look for instances where economic freedom can be improved.”

February 17-23, 2021

Two investigations and subsequent arrests in cases that were first initiated in Fall 2020 has Macon County Sheriff ’s Office detectives continuing their extensive investigations.

On Oct. 16, 2020, detectives from the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office Special Victims Unit received an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Cyber Tip. The Special Victims Unit is also part of the N.C. State Bureau ICAC Task Force and receives information in reference to crimes of possession, manufacture and distribution of child pornography. Because of this tip, detectives made contact with the suspect and an investigation began and soon expanded to other states.

On Feb. 4, 2021, Paul Vatalaro, 56, was arrested at his residence on 129 Gilmer Russell Road in Franklin on four charges of thirddegree Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Vatalaro was released the same day after making the bond set by magistrate of $100,000.

In addition, on Nov. 16, 2020, detectives with the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office Special Victims Unit received another cyber tip from ICAC. The tip was in reference to Michael Allen Jones, 56, of Macon County. Jones had worked most of his life in the Information Technology field. An investigation was initiated by the MCSO. A search warrant was issued and executed at the residence of Jones on Feb. 9 by the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office. Highlands Police Department, ICAC and Franklin Police Department assisted in this case. Jones was arrested on three counts of third-degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond.

These investigations are ongoing and additional charges will be forthcoming.

news

Child pornography arrests made in Macon

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Bit by bit, major investments bring broadband to the mountains

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR fter years of pecking away at Western North Carolina’s broadband problem at the state level, a large-scale federal investment in rural broadband access could bring a game-changing impact for schools, businesses and entrepreneurs across the country, state and region.

“The federal grants coming to North Carolina amount to a total of $166 million [and] $45 million is going to Haywood and west,” said Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin. “A total of 155,000 customers will be hooked up to high-speed internet in North Carolina and we are getting 35,000 hookups in the seven western counties.”

Corbin made the announcement in a Feb. 12 press release that also mentioned the protracted multi-jurisdictional effort that led to the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission’s $20 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund back in 2019.

“It goes back to when [former Marionarea House rep and current NC Labor Commissioner] Josh Dobson and I introduced the Fiber Act. Our argument was, there is no single fix to this internet problem,” Corbin said. “We’re going to have to involve

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February 17-23, 2021

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Western North Carolina census blocks eligible for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund are denoted in shades of red. FCC map state government, local government and private industry. It needs to be a partnership of all of those things.”

If it had passed, the Fiber Act would have dropped longstanding provisions against local governments getting involved in the

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hortly after moving to Haywood County in 2018, I participated in Leadership Haywood, a program sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. Through Leadership Haywood, I met wonderful folks whose passion for and knowledge about our community inspired me to commit to being involved in the good work happening here. Our Chamber features some of the most welcoming and kind business owners in Western Carolina, committed to lifting and supporting each other. In that way, we are almost like family. Even in this virtual environment, our Chamber continues to support business owners with educational features like Issues and Eggs and networking opportunities like Young Professionals.

I am grateful for the opportunity and proud to be a member of our Haywood Chamber of Commerce.”

Wendolyn Forbes Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch, 1 North Pack Square, 2nd Floor, Asheville, NC 28801, 828.258.4477, wendolyn.forbes@ml.com, www.fa.ml.com/wendolyn.forbes

telecom business — even in areas major telecoms fear to tread. But it didn’t.

“I’m just being honest — the big guys like AT&T and Spectrum, those guys hated it, man,” Corbin said. “They were just angry. They fought enough that it killed our

bill, but what came out of that was the GREAT grants.”

Launched in 2018, “GREAT” stands for Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology. Although millions in grant funding suddenly became available through the program, it was only available to counties designated by the North Carolina Department of Commerce as distressed counties, known as Tier 1 counties.

In 2020, the only WNC counties to qualify were Graham and Swain. That year, it took more than $12 million to connect about 8,000 locations across the entire state — a staggeringly slow pace.

“This is the fourth year of that, and we had $15 million per year. When the CARES Act money came from the feds, several of us, Josh Dobson, [Rep.] Bobby Hanig from Manteo, we were like, OK guys, we got this COVID money from the feds, let’s take a hundred million and put it into the GREAT grants,” Corbin said. “Well, we didn’t do that, but we put $39 million in, so it’s about $99 million that we’ve put in over the past four years.”

That was still too slow for General Assembly members like Corbin, who since the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic has chided both the House and the Senate that in his district, remote learning consists of “driving past someone’s house, slowing down and throwing a book out the window.”

Corbin, along with other members of the General Assembly, began to lobby thenCongressman Mark Meadows.

“Congressman Meadows was

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bound to live up to their commitments in terms of locations served as well as matching a certain percentage of the federal funding with their own cash.

If all goes as planned in Corbin’s sevencounty district, providers like SpaceX have six years to connect 33,862 locations. That may not sound like a lot, however that’s locations — not customers. While some locations may serve only one customer, like in a remote cabin up the rural mountain hollers common here, other locations may serve apartment complexes, businesses and schools, perhaps leading to newfound broadband access for more than 100,000 people.

For scale, the seven counties in Corbin’s district have a total population of just over 200,000 residents.

Economic development professionals across the region welcomed the news.

“This is long-awaited good news for Haywood County,” said CeCe Hipps, president of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. “The Haywood Chamber and Economic Development committee have had broadband infrastructure on their legislative priority agenda since 2006. Affordable and accessible broadband is an essential component of economic development along with adequate water, sewer and a well-maintained transportation system.”

Hipps has had her hands in Haywood’s high-stakes economic development game for many years now; accordingly, workforce development has been a focus area, and increased broadband access will only help lure large, high-paying employers out of the state’s better-connected municipalities.

“Site consultants tend to eliminate communities very quickly based upon the abovementioned criteria,” she said.

But Corbin’s not done yet; he’s eager for work to begin on Phase I installations and is looking forward to less restrictive qualifications in Phase II, but in continuing his “no single fix” theory, he’s still pushing on the state level.

“We’re still doing the GREAT grants, and I’ll tell you, I want to reintroduce the Fiber Act again,” he said. “Even if I get pushback, it’s just to keep pressure on everybody to know that we’ve got to keep this moving. It’s like back in the 1950s, when, when our country built the interstate system. I mean, it would take days to get across North Carolina, it would take days to get to Florida. This is the same thing if you translate that to 2021.

North Carolina had been left behind, but we’re catching up fast.”

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February 17-23, 2021

instrumental in getting the ball rolling on this about three years ago,” said Corbin. “He was in a very influential place in Congress, and then he was in an extremely influential place up until about a month ago [as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff through Jan. 20].”

What ensued was the creation of the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which a January 2020 press release from the FCC called its “single biggest step” towards closing the digital divide.

RDOF, as it’s known, is charged with deploying high-speed broadband to rural America through a reverse auction, whereby telecoms submitted bids on how many locations they thought they could connect with the amount of federal funds allocated for each geographic area.

According to a recent story in Broadband Communities Magazine, funding for RDOF “is derived from traditional high-cost universal service funding previously allocated to territories served by large price cap telcos, including Frontier, CenturyLink and AT&T.” This time, however, the FCC focused on moving away from established “incumbent” carriers.

Phase I of the pro- Sen. Kevin Corbin gram entitles only census blocks that have zero customers with broadband access to receive funding. For the purposes of RDOF, broadband is defined as a speed of 25 megabytes per second download, and 3 megabytes per second upload.

All told, $9.2 billion in funding went out across the country to 49 states during Phase I, with $11.6 billion more to come in a future Phase II. North Carolina received more than $166 million of Phase I funding, good for 24th place out of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and the Marianas Islands.

The seven counties in Corbin’s senatorial district received more than $45 million of that. In particular, Haywood County received almost as much funding as the entire state of New Jersey, and Swain County received 20 percent more funding than the state of Connecticut.

That funding, at least in WNC, will go to companies like Charter Communications and Space Exploration Technologies, better known as Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In exchange for the federal funds, those providers are

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COUNTY & PROVIDER • Cherokee (Space Exploration Technologies) ...............................$2,864,363 for 3,229 locations • Clay (Space Exploration Technologies) .......................................$1,459,610 for 1,587 locations • Graham (Charter Communications) ...........................................$3,380,292 for 2,333 locations • Haywood (Charter Communications) .........................................$7,121,025 for 5,479 locations (Space Exploration Technologies) .....................................................$517,287 for 224 locations • Jackson (Charter Communications) .......................................$16,994,261 for 11,128 locations • Macon (Charter Communications) .............................................$9,009,136 for 8,191 locations • Swain (Charter Communications) ..............................................$5,297,362 for 3,400 locations Source: Sen. Kevin Corbin’s office

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Nikwasi Initiative changes plans for Franklin property

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ikwasi Initiative, the nonprofit that took over ownership of the Nikwasi Mound in Franklin two years ago, recently announced some new projects planned for the adjacent properties.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians purchased the former Dan’s Auto property next to the mound with preliminary plans to create an annex of the Museum of Cherokee Indians to provide educational opportunities about Cherokee culture and history.

However, Nikwasi Initiative Executive Director Elaine Eisenbraun presented Macon County commissioners with an updated plan on Feb. 9 that includes a Cherokee-themed restaurant, farm stand, garden, educational center and more.

“The tribe thought about establishing a museum, and we spent a lot of time thinking that over and listening to community feedback and we realized a museum wasn’t going to tell the full story of all the history and cultures in the area,” she said.

The mound was once the epicenter of an agrarian native community. A Cherokee councilhouse once sat on top of the mound with the eternal flame burning, surrounded by family dwellings. They relied on the land and on each other, something Eisenbraun said Nikwasi Initiative stakeholders want to try to attempt to recreate.

Smoky Mountain News

February 17-23, 2021

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$3 million on an annual basis. year in revenue. On the other hand, “Food and language are important to the “Those are huge numbers for a nonprofEisenbraun said the new plan for diversified tribe and we wanted to incorporate that,” she it,” she said. attractions could expect more traffic. She said. “So, let’s plant the area around it with At this point in the process, everything said the restaurant could expect 200 people traditional Cherokee food and create a is still preliminary, though Eisenbraun Cherokee themed modern, casual restaurant.” a day, resulting in $1.2 million in revenue, showed commissioners several concept while the learning center and other rental The concept would offer many opportuopportunities could bring in $150,000 a year drawings of what the property could look nities, Eisenbraun said, including an outlike when all is said and done. She asked and exhibits could bring in another door experiential design, diverse economic that the county identify someone in leader$100,000 a year. Lastly, the opportunity to expansion, an indoor learning center where ship to work closely with Nikwasi there could be a commercial kitchen to through the planning process. teach cooking and other classroom “We want your input, and we’ll space for basket weaving, pottery, want you to pony up some money when music and other native skills. the time is right,” she told the board.

She also sees many opportunities to Nikwasi Initiative Board of create jobs, offer internships and recovDirectors is made up of stakeholders ery opportunities through the “seed to representing the town of Franklin, service” model this agrarian complex Macon County, Mainspring would create. Such a project would also Conservation Trust and the EBCI. It be another asset for Macon County’s was this joint venture and vision that growing tourism trends. As Eisenbraun A drawing shows Nikwasi Initiative’s preliminary plans for convinced the Franklin Town Council pointed out, cultural and culinary the mound and surrounding property. in 2019 to hand over the deed to the tourism are two major trends right nonprofit. The town was the deed now, with data showing that 73 percent holder of the mound property since 1946, develop micro-enterprises on the property of millennials seek out cultural attractions when residents in the area came together to — like the farm stand, guided river trips, when traveling. purchase the property and save it from and crafters — is estimated to create “They want the cultural interactions — they want to taste the foods of the area, hear $150,000 a year. The overall impact could be being developed. The deed was then handed over to the town for safe keeping and main$1.5 million a year. the music of the area and immerse themtenance, but Nikwasi Initiative wanted the As for creating jobs, Nikwasi Initiative selves in the culture of a place,” she said. chance to better preserve the property and estimates the project would need five to The feasibility studies Nikwasi Initiative the history surrounding it. eight people for the farm, 20 for the restauhas conducted show that a museum would For more information, visit rant and 10 other indirect positions that bring in an estimated 41,000 visitors a year, would create a total economic impact of over www.nikwasi-initiative.org. which would equate to about $511,000 a

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Capacity limits for rivalry game ‘make no sense’

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“We want to be treated as fair as say, the universities and the other largecapacity venues that have been able to go up to 300 or even more.”

— Chuck Francis, chairman of the Haywood County School Board

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Smoky Mountain News

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, too, has called for leadership on the state level to help remedy the inequities inherent in the capacity limits while remaining mindful of the fact that despite recent good news in the fight against the Coronavirus Pandemic, it’s far from over.

“Let us first understand that thousands and thousands of North Carolinians have passed away because of COVID and there are families that will go into these football stadiums and schools, and they have lost someone in their family,” Smathers said. “That cannot be forgotten, any of it. Yes, there’s times to celebrate and have fun, but again, this pandemic, as it rolls on, has cost us so much. I don’t want to give this pandemic more and allow it to take from us any more than it already has.”

With less than 10 days until kickoff, the only thing that’s certain now is that the game — regardless of how many people are in the stands — will be played. Pisgah holds a small advantage in the all-time record and looks to extend its winning streak to eight straight.

Smathers said he was pleased that his Pisgah Bears had been able to retain bragging rights for an extended period of time following Pisgah’s 2019 victory, while Francis said he was excited that his Tuscola Mountaineers would have the chance to beat Pisgah twice in one year.

As of press time, Haywood officials hadn’t yet been given a response to their request by NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker.

Likewise, a call to Tucker’s office by The Smoky Mountain News went unanswered.

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR s promised, members of Down Home North Carolina presented to Haywood County commissioners a budget alternative that prioritizes treatment and rehabilitation over incarceration.

“Instead of $16.5 million allotted to build a new jail, why not choose life over punishment?” Victoria Castle asked Haywood commissioners during the Feb. 15 regular board meeting’s public comment session, before proposing $1.8 million for mental health and substance abuse treatment, $1.5 million in housing assistance and $73,000 for law enforcement crisis intervention training.

Castle’s wasn’t the only ask speakers made of commissioners in regard to plans for a jail expansion that would serve a growing population through 2045. The next speaker, Rev. Peter Constantian, stressed he wasn’t speaking on behalf of his Cruso United Methodist Church when he made a far more provocative inquiry.

“The cost I’m concerned about is the moral cost,” Constantian said. “How would Jesus spend $16 million in Haywood County?”

Both Castle and Constantian asked that commissioners meet with them to

consider the reprioritization of what they say is the project’s estimated $160 million lifetime cost — most of which comes in the form of payroll for staffing the proposed jail expansion.

Each of the commissioners told the speakers that they’d heard from constituents on the jail issue and that their comments would be taken under advisement while the county continues to consider its budget for fiscal year 2022, but Commissioner Tommy Long responded with some questions of his own.

“I wonder what Jesus would do,” said Long. “Did you ever stop to think in His final act as a mortal man there were two others hanging on the cross with Him, why didn’t he take both of them with him? As the population increases, there’s gonna be more people that really need to be in jail, just like that third thief on the cross.

Sometimes as bad as you pastors try, there’s some that slip through the cracks.”

Long reiterated that commissioners weren’t “jail mongers” and that statistics show the county has far less beds per capita than similarly-sized counties, demonstrating a need for the new facility.

County Manager Bryant Morehead later revealed that commissioners and opponents of the jail might just have a bit more time to meet and to come to an agreement — the county won’t award architectural fees for the proposed jail expansion likely until June, much later than the first quarter of 2021 as had been initially proposed.

February 17-23, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR t’s a rivalry that runs as deep as the waters of Lake Logan and as wide as the Pigeon River that snakes its way through this county of 60,000, but this year the annual Pisgah-Tuscola football game has already taken on a significance that extends far beyond the borders of Haywood County.

“In normal years at Pisgah, we would be expecting anywhere to 13,000 to 15,000 fans from across Haywood County and across the region,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, a Pisgah graduate. “This is the best high school rivalry in the state.”

Last fall, the annual game was cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. It’s been rescheduled to the night of Feb. 26, however highly restrictive rules implemented by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association mean that an outdoor stadium that can comfortably accommodate more than 10,000 spectators will be limited to just 100.

“It doesn’t make sense,” said Chuck Francis, chairman of the Haywood County School Board. “We’ve learned so much more about the pandemic since these restrictions were put into place — social distancing, the mask requirements. It’s horrific for parents that have spent their lifetime raising a child, travel sports, money and time invested in their child’s athletics and we’ve got a hundred people coming to a football game at normally has 10,000 to 15,000 people. It does not make sense.”

Regulations enacted by Gov. Roy Cooper allow for outdoor venues with capacities in excess of 10,000 to reach 7 percent capacity. At Pisgah’s Memorial Stadium in Canton, that’s at least 700 people, but the NCHSAA’s 100spectator limit takes precedence over the higher limit. Given the number of players, band members and cheerleaders on both teams, schools and families will have to make some tough decisions on who actually gets to attend.

Francis and others aren’t taking the capacity restrictions, which affect all high schools across the state, sitting down.

“We’ve been leading the charge because of course the rivalry game is not just a Haywood County issue. It has a huge importance, not only here, but across the state,” Francis said.

“We’re going to try to push this, to get all high schools to be able to increase that capacity.

I’ve had calls from across the state from other boards of education, wanting to know how they can help.”

Jail expansion opponents ask county to reprioritize

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Hottest ticket in town

Haywood’s school board has signed a broadcast contract that will allow for the game to be televised and has pledged to offset the nearly $100,000 in revenue the game usually generates for the schools. Boosters are also trying to figure out how to conduct the legendary 50/50 raffle that can swell to nearly $50,000.

An increase in capacity wouldn’t really affect the game’s financials, but in the end this rivalry game is about much more than money. The capacity limit has been appealed, according to Francis, with administrators heading up the effort.

“Our administration, [Superintendent] Dr. Bill Nolte, [Associate Superintendent] Dr. Trevor Putnam and [Associate Superintendent] Dr. Jill Barker have all been working together, trying to get some relief from the state,” Francis said. “We want to be treated as fair as say, the universities and the other large-capacity venues that have been able to go up to 300 or even more. Why are our high schools being chosen to be limited so much?”

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hearts, she did hope to perhaps help soften the edges.

Harper entered two Alford pleas to driving while impaired and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. The consecutive sentences of 90 days and 75 days, respectively, were suspended with three years of supervised probation imposed.

An Alford plea occurs when a defendant does not admit guilt but enters a plea of guilty.

Harper maintains she does not recall details about the wreck. In court, she spoke directly to Marsden’s parents, telling them she was sorry for what had happened.

Both women consumed alcohol while working at No Name. The two left work after 2 a.m. in Harper’s Subaru Impreza. About a minute later and a half-mile from the bar, the car rounded a curve, went off the road and became airborne, crashing into a power pole.

It was broken into two pieces.

Harper’s car flipped at least once, if not more, Matheson told the judge. Neither woman was wearing a seatbelt, and first responders found them entangled on the ground about 50 feet from the totaled Subaru.

Harper suffered severe injuries in the wreck. At the hospital, a blood sample revealed the presence of amphetamines and cocaine, in addition to alcohol, said Matheson, who prosecuted the case.

A woman who wrecked while driving impaired, killing a close friend after the two left work from the now-shuttered No Name Sports Pub in Sylva, will spend three days a year in jail for three consecutive years, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Shannon Marsden died at the Nov. 4, 2017, wreck scene on Skyland Road. At her parents’ request, Jackson County Superior Court Judge Athena Brooks on Monday ordered driver Mary Harper, 41, to serve the days in jail over three weekends that most closely follow the anniversary of Marsden’s death.

Additionally, Harper must undergo substance-abuse treatment and serve the community by discussing with groups — such as students — the consequences of her decision to drive that night while impaired.

Marsden’s parents were in court.

“They are a family of compassion, not vengeance,” Assistant District Attorney Christina Matheson told Judge Athena Brooks. “They did not want Mary sentenced as a felon with active time in prison.”

Brooks confirmed, with them, the wishes of Marsden’s parents. The judge told them although she could not heal the hole in their

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there’s absolutely no taxpayer cost for the upgrade.

“They will replace some signs that are old, just your typical street signs,” Mayor Zeb Smathers said. “These [new] signs look better. As we’ve been able to grow and our downtown has come alive, we’ve not strayed from our historic roots of being a paper town, and these signs are what you would see in a lot of historic towns.”

During a Feb. 11 meeting, Assistant Town Manager Nick Scheuer presented the Canton Board of Aldermen/women with several options for the signs.

Alderwoman Gail Mull said she liked the white signs with green lettering, but offrecord sources tell The Smoky Mountain News there is a bit of trepidation surrounding one of the proposed sign options — the colors of the antique bronzed-style model are a little too close to the black and gold livery of Haywood County arch-rival high school Tuscola for some diehard black and red Pisgah high school graduates (see FOOTBALL, page 11).

Aldermen will decide on the signs in the coming weeks. Smathers said he hopes to see them installed by late summer, if not sooner.

The first batch will be placed in almost a dozen prominent downtown Canton locations, including along Park Street at Adams and Sorrels streets, as well as on Main Street at Adams, Academy, Depot, Mears and Sorrels streets.

February 17-23, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR nother aesthetic improvement to Canton’s emerging downtown business district — rundown and dilapidated for years, until recently — will soon welcome residents and visitors alike with a sense of style befitting the mountain mill town’s historic character.

“There’s a lot of things we’d love to do in Canton, but we are on a very tight budget,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. “The Cruso Endowment has offered to pay for several historic signs that will be installed in our downtown district.”

Back in March 2019, Canton attorney Pat Smathers, Zeb’s father and also former mayor of Canton, announced he’d been called up on to administer a substantial gift by the estate of Haywood County natives David and Irene Smathers.

The Cruso Endowment began with a $2 million nest egg, and for tax purposes must spend around $100,000 a year despite the goal of maintaining and growing the principal in perpetuity. David and Irene stipulated that their gift be used to help the poor, to build churches, to augment recreational facilities and to contribute to the overall beautification of the town of Canton.

The new signs fulfill the beautification aspect of the spending guidelines, and as with other Cruso Endowment spending, they require no match from the town so

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Introducing triple-win climate solutions

BY MARY JANE CURRY G UEST COLUMNIST “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.”

— William Wordsworth, 1798 greeing generates peace and optimism — emotions hard to come by over the past year. Fortunately, a growing majority of Americans do agree that we must do more to lessen the climate crisis and they want to be part of the solution. But how and what?

More and more people are learning that there is near 100percent agreement by scientists, economists and other experts that weaning ourselves from pollutants is necessary if today’s children are to have a livable Earth. A growing number also understand why mitigating the worsening climate is far less expensive than continuing with the status quo.

In fact, economists and climate scientists conclude, we must act now — locally, individually, nationally and globally — to survive. In 2019 and again in 2020, Bank of England Director Mark Carney issued a dire warning, telling British firms that they will go bankrupt unless they divest from fossils and invest in mitigating climate change. By this past December, all major U.S. banks had announced they would invest no more in Arctic drilling: the Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Morgan Stanley. They were joined by another 30 major financial institutions worldwide.

We cannot wait for large organizations or governments, however effective, to solve this problem for us because local changes must happen, too. Even if home-bound, we can help reduce the impact of destructive weather events and the warming climate on Western North Carolina.

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N.C. should pass ERA To the Editor: Thank you for your February 3 primer on the history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as well as an update on its reintroduction this session in the North Carolina General Assembly.

The state constitutions in 25 U.S. states contain a guarantee of equal rights on the basis of sex. North Carolina is not one of them. Therefore, without amending the U.S. Constitution, people in the other half of states across our nation — including in North Carolina — remain vulnerable to legal discrimination on the basis of sex.

But wait, aren’t women generally treated more fairly than they were around the middle of the last century before President Nixon signed the ERA and sent it to the states to ratify? Yep. Thankfully, Congress has put laws on the books like the Equal Pay Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Titles VII and IX of the Civil Rights Act. Sadly, these laws don’t cover all aspects of discrimination on the basis of sex. There is more work to be done. And with forces working against equal rights for all, such laws run the risk of being weakened, repealed or poorly administered.

North Carolina needs to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment now. It’s past time to legally protect all North Carolinians and Americans against sex-based discrimination.

The columns that will be published in upcoming editions of The Smoky Mountain News will focus entirely on partial solutions that all of us — renters and homeowners — can act on immediately. These fixes fall under the headings of home improvement, buying practices, household management, gardening and volunteering for land and stream conservation projects. They’re a “triple-win” because they improve our health and overall quality of life, support our local economy and uphold our shared values.

Each column will address: a specific problem affecting all of WNC; what we can do now to solve or mitigate it; why it needs doing; information needed to leap into action, and; who says, the authoritative sources.

These articles are written by volunteers, most of us retirees. We are the Haywood County-based WNC Climate Action Coalition, a non-partisan group of concerned citizens formed in August 2019. We felt compelled to act because our region has unique climate-related problems that must be tackled here: farmers losing crops and livestock to extreme rains or drought, disruptions in everyone’s food supply, loss of tourism dollars, methane from a defunct landfill and damage to or loss of homes from mudslides, for example.

We are also compelled by concern for our youngest relatives and all of their generation who will inherit either the

fruit of our labor or a catastrophic whirlwind. Their future depends on what we do now. Our Youth Conservation Corps, inspired by the CCC of the 1930s, is partnering with Western Carolina University, Haywood Waterways Association and other local organizations teaching young people skills needed in leadership, sciences and conservation.

Many of us are members-volunteers with Haywood Waterways Association because we know that conserving our rivers and streams is necessary to our quality of life, food supply and economy. We belong to some of the oldest and largest conservation and nature organizations: the Sierra Club, Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife, among them. A number of us have backgrounds in farming, building trades, industry, meteorology, biology, health care, gardening, agronomy and water quality. We are especially grateful for the expertise of three members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Many of us are active in churches and civic organizations.

Several of us belong to two local churches in the Creation Care Alliance of WNC ( www.creationcarealliance.org/) — First United Methodist Church (FUMC) and Grace Episcopal Church in the Mountains, both in Waynesville. Both are carrying out climate-related projects.

(Mary Jane Curry of Haywood County is the co-founder of WNC Climate Action Coalition co-founder (www.WNClimateAction.com) and a retired teacher. currycei@gmail.com.

LETTERS Let’s work together to make 2021 the year that North Carolina does its part to stop sexbased discrimination.

Mary Ellen M. Kustin Hendersonville

Defer to sheriff on need for jail To the Editor: There has been a bit of discussion and controversy over the proposal for Haywood County to spend in the neighborhood of $15 million to build a new jail. One of the arguments is that there are other needs that could be addressed for that amount of money. The problem is that some of the arguments don’t address the issue for the need of a new detention facility.

Some groups and individuals have correctly pointed out that mental health and substance use disorders appear to contribute to criminal behavior and recidivism. This is partially based on a study conducted in the Haywood County Detention Center showing high prevalence rates for these conditions and associations with recidivism.

In full disclosure, I need to acknowledge that, in concert with Sheriff Christopher and his staff, I designed that study and oversaw

the day-to-day operation of the project. I have also just assisted in writing up a similar report for a county in Florida. There, a treatment counselor from a local treatment provider administered the same structured interview used in Haywood County. Of the inmates with a substantial alcohol and/or drug use disorder about one in three actually entered a treatment program.

The logical conclusion from the two studies is that effective treatment for alcohol and

drug conditions could help reduce criminal behavior and recidivism. The other implication is that providing treatment for substance use disorders would also contribute to public health by reducing injecting drug use and risk for overdoses. The problem with the conclusions is that in Western North Carolina such needs are partially irrelevant to the issue of a new jail. This is true for three reasons.

The first reason is that I personally know of no provider in Haywood,

Jail spending doesn’t solve problems

Jackson, or Transylvania counties currently staffed to provide behavioral health services for those leaving a jail. Over the past decade or two we have seen a reduction in treatment providers in the area.

Secondly, even if there were providers able to provide services there is no way to pay for them. Unlike the situation in Florida, counties in our area do not have a reliable funding source to pay for clinical services for this population. This is exacerbated by the fact that North Carolina has not expanded Medicaid. In all likelihood, few people leaving the detention center in Waynesville would have coverage or be able to pay for the services they need.

The final considerations may trump all other reasons. The overriding factor is the current condition, size and capability of the jail to meet current and future needs. Given

the ever-increasing population, it is unlikely that we will see any substantial reduction in the number of people requiring incarceration. Another factor is that the General Assembly has shifted the responsibility for incarcerating inmates with short sentences to counties instead of providing incarceration in the prison system of the state. This adds to space requirements.

The bottom line is that I would need to defer to Sheriff Christopher and Chief Deputy Jeff Haynes concerning the need for a new detention facility. As to addressing the behavioral health needs of those arrested as well as the rest of the community, I would be pleased to work with commissioners and the courts to explore pragmatic strategies.

Norman Hoffman Waynesville

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our residents.

A Western Carolina University study found that more than 85 percent of people in the Haywood County jail showed signs consistent with a substance use disorder; more than half the jail population had symptoms of PTSD; and a third had symptoms of major depression (Lilly Knoepp, Blue Ridge Public Radio, 2019). The overrepresentation of poor people and of people suffering from mental health disorders in jails are an example of this budgeting moral failure: we are spending our money on poverty and mental health but in the most costly and most unkind budget line.

Not only is the $16.5 million dollar jail a budget failure, but it’s also lacking the bravery, imagination and incentive of hope that our community desperately needs. At Down Home North Carolina, we share our neighbor’s concerns about crime, poverty, the overdose crisis and the affordable housing crisis. But we look to our own local history and local data to know that we cannot police or jail our way out of these problems.

The rate at which Haywood County locks people up has grown dramatically over the last decade. Between 2000 and 2018, Haywood’s jail incarceration rate increased 133 percent while the county working-age population increased only 8.4 percent.

Our county budget should serve our community, but expanding the jail fails both those who might be incarcerated as well as those who are footing the bill. Before an architect is hired or ground is broken, our community leaders must identify less costly opportunities to reduce incarceration and expand real services in Haywood County.

Down Home members here in Haywood County have created an alternative budget proposal that we will be presenting to the county commission this month that includes ways to reduce crime and reduce incarceration while balancing a moral budget that builds a Haywood for all.

Jesse-Lee Dunlap, Down Home North Carolina Haywood County

February 17-23, 2021

To the Editor: Budgets, it has been said, are moral documents. This is because how a community chooses to spend and invest its money demonstrates the priorities of that community and, ultimately, our values. More than just a dry process of bureaucracy, budgets shape our future and impact who we, together, will become.

Building a $16.5 million dollar jail in Haywood County is a moral failure, as well as a strategic one. During the worst economic crisis that many of our local residents will ever live through, this egregious expenditure feels like a slap in the face to local working folks. The jail is one of the biggest lines in our county’s current budget proposal, stealing funds from public hospitals, schools, social services, roads and other essential services that all of us badly need.

Jail expansion is rarely a good answer to legitimate concerns about crime and frequently triggers a vicious cycle: Adding new jail beds often leads to increased pretrial detention meaning that bigger jails are quickly filled and taxpayers are on the hook for this ever-increasing expense. We have already seen this in Haywood County: after more than tripling our jail capacity in 2004, the incarceration rate increased by 47 percent over the next six years (U.S. Department of Justice), bringing us to our current “need” today. Moreover, the cost of a new jail will be substantially higher than the initial investment, with studies showing that the capital costs needed to build a jail end up being less than 10 percent of the total cost for the facility over time (Vera Institute, 2015).

In Haywood County, it’s clear that locking people up simply isn’t working. This continued increase in incarceration shows us that there are policies and practices in our community driving this growth that must be addressed. Instead of spending $16.5 million to build a new jail, we could and should invest in alternatives to incarceration such as affordable housing, education, healthcare and resources that would improve the quality of life and safety for all

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The Get Right Band is JC Mears, (from left) Silas Durocher and Jesse Gentry.

— Silas Durocher

What lies beneath The Get Right Band to play Grey Eagle live stream

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER efore the pandemic and eventual shutdown, The Get Right Band was one of the hardest work musical acts in Western North Carolina. Based out of Asheville, the power rock trio is a cauldron spilling over with indie, folk, reggae, soul and pop influences — a unique mixture that’s become its melodic signature.

And yet, even amid uncertain times currently in the music industry (especially for ensembles that thrive in a live setting), The Get Right Band hunkered down and honed its already precise chops even more. Onstage, the group flows as one vibrant entity, something that’s a true testament to the depths of skill, musicianship and unspoken communication between the bandmates.

But, with most venues and stages remaining dark for the foreseeable future, musicians have to resort to the ever-growing popularity of live streaming. It’s not only another avenue of revenue, but, more importantly, as a way and means to once again connect with an audience — to harness that singular back and forth energy of human connection through the universal catalyst of melody.

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“The goal is for it to be that you could listen to it and not even know or care that it’s a concept album, that it’s just a collection of bunch of great songs that you can rock out to.”

Smoky Mountain News: Next month, it’ll be a year since the shutdown. Personally and artistically, what has surprised you — and rest of The Get Right Band — the most through “all of this”?

Silas Durocher (lead singer/guitarist): Not touring is a very weird thing. I haven’t taken any substantial time off touring for probably 15 years. So, it’s very odd. I really miss the experience of playing shows.

And I also just miss the experience of touring. I miss the people we get to visit when we tour and seeing new cities, that kind of time spent with my bandmates where we are still seeing each other, but it’s mostly for work.

It’s fun to be on tour. It’s fun to have that time together — the downtime, the fun time, the creative time, the work time. On the flip side, it has been really cool to be home, more time home with my girlfriend and my pets. Just be in my own space and in my own bed and not dealing with some of the headaches that come from touring.

SMN: Like yourself, I get a lot of inspiration from social interaction and wandering around.

But, what have you been finding to provoke the creative fires when you’re stuck in small circles these days?

SD: My biggest creative inspiration is usually the music itself. And other people’s music [lately, too]. For example, this album that we’re

Want to watch?

The Get Right Band will host a special performance via live stream at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19, broadcasted from The Grey Eagle in Asheville.

The live stream is free to access and view. Donations are accepted. A virtual tip jar will be available: www.paypal.me/thegreyeagle. To watch the stream, click on www.facebook.com/greyeagleasheville.

For more information about the concert and/or other upcoming shows, go to www.thegreyeagle.com and click on the “Calendar” tab. working on right now, I’m drawing a lot of inspiration from Pink Floyd. I’m also drawing a lot of inspiration from Gorillaz, Soul Coughing, Broken Bells.

It’s stuff that really inspires me a lot, because I get so excited about what they’ve done and it jazzes me up to do something exciting. You love the feeling of this Gorillaz song [and think], “I wonder if we could do something that’s kind of in that vibe, but with our own style” — that’s very exciting to me. And then just the actual act of recording and producing is a major source of inspiration.

SMN: You mentioned Pink Floyd. That’s a band at the core of all of us music freaks. It’s music that’s always been around, whether consciously or subconsciously. What are you dis-

covering about them lately when you’re digging deep? What are you finding that you didn’t hear or realize before?

SD: Man, I do feel exactly like you’re saying — it is a constant evolution. I’ve been a hardcore Pink Floyd fan for 20 years probably. I’ve listened to “The Wall” more than any other album, and I still hear new things. I still learn new things.

This new album that we’re working on right now is the first time that we’ve ever done a concept album. And so, obviously Pink Floyd is the ultimate when it comes to constructing an album as a full piece — that’s really written altogether, that flows. And it’s their psychedelic approach to production and songwriting. I’ve always appreciated those things about them.

With “The Wall,” I’ve been reading a lot of the lyrics along with listening, as opposed to just listening. And you catch new lyrics that you didn’t catch before. But, I’m also catching a lot of ways that the concept album ties in with itself, these really subtle, little musical ideas.

It’s the way [Pink Floyd] ties it all together.

The way they tell a story, but they don’t hit you over the head with it, you know? They really struck a perfect balance.

SMN: Well, it’s one of those things, especially with Pink Floyd, where if you didn’t want to dig deep, it’s still enjoyable music for your head. But, with Pink Floyd, it was this bait and switch — these really catchy rock songs, but then, if you really looked behind the curtain, there was a lot of depth in there.

SD: And that is 100 percent what we’re going for. [Our album] is a long way from coming out, but it’s what we’re working on right now. And the goal is for it to be that you could listen to it and not even know or care that it’s a concept album, that it’s just a collection of bunch of great songs that you can rock out to.

Then, there should also be the multiple layers of a concept album, where you listened to it the first time and you catch certain references within each song and how it relates to the rest of the album. But, then you notice these other things on the twentieth listen, other things on the hundredth listen.

There are all these little references and little things — it’s a really fun puzzle to put together.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Welcome to my life, tattoo, we’ve a long time together, me and you

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once I took off into the organized chaos of adulthood.

Before we left NOLA, my mom asked if I wanted any souvenirs. I hate material possessions and useless crap, so I said no. “Are you sure?” she questioned. Thinking it over, I told her I did want a souvenir from our trip: I wanted a tattoo. The next day, we wandered into a parlor in the French Quarter. I strolled out with another small turtle (on my right ankle), which, in hindsight, was seemingly for symmetrical reasons.

Three of my tattoos were done my cousin, Todd LaMere, an incredibly talented artist in my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York. Growing up together, Todd was older but always made me feel included in whatever he and his friends were doing. We remained close, more so now than ever before. Eventually, he found himself in the realm of tattooing, becoming well-known around the North Country for his intricate, stunning works.

From Todd, I’ve received my Hunter S. Thompson “Gonzo” fist emblem (for obvious reasons) and the Burning Man symbol (a life-changing experience for any and all, especially in 2008 and 2009 when I found myself out there in the Black Rock Desert).

And also, the outline of the Adirondack Park (the epicenter of my universe), the place and space that will forever haunt my dreams and be the muse of whatever words flow from my thoughts and fingertips.

What’s sincerely striking about the park outline is that I told Todd he could create whatever he wanted inside of the outline.

When he revealed the finished product, the outline was filled with a landscape of my native Adirondacks. Trees. Stars (and “The Big Dipper,” too). A full moon. And the peaks of Whiteface and Poke-O-Moonshine, two mountains that I not only was raised on, but continue to chase after and run up whenever I serendipitously find my way back home.

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

February 17-23, 2021

oisting myself up onto the leather chair, I flipped over and laid on my stomach. I could feel the sharp razor shaving the back of my right leg, just below the calf muscle. A few moments later, the sounds of a vibrating needle echoed throughout the small room.

On Monday evening, I received my eighth tattoo. It was funny that I actually had to think for a moment on how many I have when the artist, my dear friend Robbie Crisp (at Born and Raised Tattoo in Sylva), asked as he designed what I was in search of, which came to be the Grateful Dead lightning skull logo (aka: “stealie”) with a writing quill inside of the head.

The quill is a given, seeing as my entire adult journey, personally and professionally, has all come to fruition due to the pursuit of the written word and all that is irresponsible enlightenment. And the Grateful Dead, too — the singular biggest influence on my entire life.

When thinking about getting a tattoo, I don’t freak out. I don’t overthink the design and the process. I look at tattoos as art — your art — that tells the story of your life.

So, with that said, what symbols represent those chapters on your ongoing and unfolding tale, eh?

The Grateful Dead have been a pillar of my physical and spiritual existence as far back as I can remember. I was nine years old in 1994 when I was first handed a Dead cassette. It changed my life forever: how I viewed the world, how I wanted to impact the greater good, this road map for a bountiful life amid nothing and everything. That band and its music has never been lost of me.

If anything, it continues to evolve and meander along in solidarity right beside me.

While Robbie worked his magic on the

back of my right leg, we started swapping wild stories about tattoos we’d either gotten or seen (or in Robbie’s case, drew on others) over the years. Laughter and camaraderie over the simple, yet sacred, act of putting ink onto the canvas of skin we each walk around in.

I was 19 when I got my first ink. I’d always wanted a tattoo, but never knew when the opportunity would present itself.

My girlfriend at the time (who was 23) had several tattoos and we would talk about getting one together from time to time. It was the summer of 2004 and we decided to do a camping trip through Maine, one that would culminate with a Phish festival (the infamous mud bath that was the “Coventry” gathering) in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Walking the backstreets of Portland, Maine, one afternoon, we passed by a tattoo parlor. My girlfriend goes, “We should get a tattoo.” Being on a tight travel budget, I was initially apprehensive. But, we threw together a couple hundred dollars and walked into the second-story shop.

Apparently, the artist was this worldrenowned Japanese tattooist who did full body warrior pieces for clients around the globe. And yet, there I was, with about $100 (including tip) to put towards some ink. He was jovial and cordial when I pointed to a small turtle design on the wall and said I’d like it placed on my leg.

A half-hour later, my girlfriend and I walked out of the parlor, each sporting new ink. We broke up a few months later and went our separate ways. But, I still have such vivid, joyous memories of our time together whenever I look down at the small turtle on my left ankle.

So, what about the other tattoos, huh?

Well, not long after Portland, I found myself in New Orleans, Louisiana. My mother and I took off for Bourbon Street in search of adventure and shenanigans. It was another installment of our yearly trip together when I was in college, seeing as I never really made it back home to the North Country

Smoky Mountain News 17

Smoky Mountain News

February 17-23, 2021

arts & entertainment

On the street Haywood art studio tour

WCU to stream ‘Code of the Freaks’

The Haywood County Arts Council invites all Haywood County studio artists to participate in the annual Haywood County Studio Tour scheduled for Sept. 25-26.

The Haywood County Studio Tour is a two-day, self-guided, free event in which Haywood County artists open their studios to the public.

To participate, the studio must be in Haywood County. Artists may choose to open their Haywood County studio or to join with another studio host. The HCAC will act as a liaison between artists needing a host site and studios that have space for additional artists.

The artist/studio application and policies for participation may be found on the Haywood County Arts Council website or picked up from HCAC Gallery & Gifts at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville.

Email completed forms to artist@haywoodarts.org or mail to P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, NC 28786.

The deadline for the completed studio tour application is Monday, May 10. The Haywood County Studio Tour Exhibit Opening Reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 3, if feasible. The HCAC will follow the NC Governor’s mandates regarding COVID. For more information about HCAC programs and events, visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Directed and produced by Salome Chansnoff, “Code of the Freaks” imagines a cinematic landscape that takes people with disabilities seriously. The Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University will present an opportunity to watch this dynamic documentary on-demand from Feb. 21-24.

From 1932’s “Freaks” to “Forrest Gump,” Hollywood has propagated persistent tropes about characters with disabilities. But now, people with disabilities who have historically been excluded from the industry are increasingly being seen and heard by mainstream audiences. “Code of the Freaks” features their voices in interviews with activists, educators, as well as those who work in front of and behind the camera.

The documentary is available to watch on-demand from Feb. 21-24. Once you begin watching, you have 24 hours to finish. Watch on a browser or through the EventiveTV App. Learn more and pre-order a free ticket at arts.wcu.edu/codeofthefreaks.

This event is made possible through the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, a South Arts program. Since its inception in 1975, Southern Circuit has brought some of the best independent filmmakers and their films from around the country to communities throughout the South. The program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. www.wcu.edu.

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

Free and open to the public. www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• There will be a free wine tasting 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.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• The Jackson Arts Market will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 27 at 533 West Main Street (next to the Sylva Herald). Admission is free. www.facebook.com/jacksonartsmarket.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Winter Member’s Show” will be held March 5-27 in the Gallery & Gifts showroom at the HCAC in downtown Waynesville.

Original work for 24 local artisans. Free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host North Georgia Sound Feb. 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host North Georgia Sound Feb. 19. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

18 www.nantahalabrewing.com.

ALSO:

• “This & That Market” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Canton Armory. Vendors and artisan crafters.

• The Bethel Christian Academy will be hosting the “Papertown Spring Market” fundraiser on March 13. There will be booths for local vendors to set up and sell their products: boutique clothing, home decor, handmade items, jewelry, and more.

If you have any questions or would like to set up a booth, call 828.734.9733.

SCC launches Heritage Arts Endowed Fund

Jeff Marley.

Over the past decade at Southwestern Community College, serving as Heritage Arts Department Chair has become much more than a fun job for Jeff Marley — it’s a passion.

Marley’s desire to see the program continue to flourish is the main reason he recently took steps to create the Heritage Arts Endowed Fund through the SCC Foundation. The scholarship will be used to financially support visiting artists, equipment, travel and salaries associated with the Heritage Arts program, which is housed at the SCC Swain Center.

“Unlike a scholarship for an individual student, this fund will benefit all students and the community through events and classes we offer,” Marley said. “I wanted to begin developing this fund to ensure the Heritage Arts program would have the fiscal means to be able to provide a wide variety of events well into the future. I want to sustain our program and provide many more opportunities to our students.”

The new fund will be sustained by a series of ongoing fundraising events Marley conducts each year at the SCC Swain Center.

These events include special courses and the sales of handmade items created by students and artists enrolled at SCC. Brett Woods, who oversees the SCC Foundation, helped Marley set up the new scholarship.

“Southwestern is fortunate to have dedicated, visionary, philanthropic employees like Jeff Marley,” Woods said. “He’s obviously talented as an artist and as an instructor, and he passes along to his students a tremendous understanding of – and passion for – Cherokee culture.”

For more information about the Heritage Arts Endowed Fund at SCC, or to make a donation, contact Woods at 828.339.4241 or b_woods@southwesterncc.edu.

To learn more about Heritage Arts classes at Southwestern, contact Marley at 828.366.2005 or j_marley@southwesterncc.edu.

forget the

REAL WORLD

On the shelf

and

escape

fine novel centered on the Shelton Laurel Massacre in Madison County during the Civil War. In a previous column, I resolved at New Year’s to read books other than the ones I review, with a special emphasis on older works. I duly read Ivanhoe, so bravo for me.

Yet there on the island table in my kitchen sits Dostoevsky’s fat work of fiction The Devils, as yet untouched.

In the coffee shop I frequent, a young man introduced himself to me, and after ascertaining my interest in biographies and books of history, left the café and returned a couple of minutes later with a copy of Steven Pressfield’s Gates Of Fire, a story set around the Battle of Thermopylae. “He’s my favorite author,” the young man said, and then insisted I take and keep the book. I’ve intended to read Pressfield for several years, and so thanked my benefactor and added his gift to my “Books To Read” shelf at home.

Gates Of Fire stands alongside The Boys in the Boat, the story about nine young

Americans who competed in rowing in the 1936 Olympics. The sweet couple who live across the street gave me this book for watching their cats while they were away, which was generous, but at the rate the books are piling up, I imagine summer will arrive before I crack this one open.

(A humorous aside: I had just finished the above paragraph when a UPS deliveryman bounded onto my front porch, which I can see from this table where I write. He slid a package across the porch and hustled back to his van.

J.L.Askew’s War in the Mountains: The Macbeth Light Artillery at Asheville, NC 1864-1865 has now joined the hillock of books beside my desk.)

Also today, at the behest of an inlaw, a relative called to ask me why Chuck Lorre’s 2012 book What Kills Us Make Us Bitter cost over $500 on various Internet sites. While speaking with her, I discovered What Kills Us Makes Us Bitter was a limited-edition run, which means few of Lorre’s books were ever available for sale, hence the steep price.

To Chuck Lorre, who apparently works in television: for heaven’s sakes, man, reissue your book. You’ve got buyers beating at the door.

More snippets: This week I went twice to our local secondhand bookstore and purchased some books for the birthdays of some of my grandchildren. Like everything else I do these days, I’m running late. A friend asked me if I’d ever read the book One Crazy Summer, which her daughter had to read for school. Nope, I’d never heard of it. A DVD of Francois Truffaut’s “Fahrenheit 451” has sat as yet unwatched for a column I write elsewhere. Emails arrived from authors thanking me for reviewing their books or wondering when I was going to get around to that task.

In less than two weeks, I’ll find myself celebrating the Biblical “threescore years and ten.” Given my age and the stacks of literature and literary matters demanding my attention, the adage “So many books, so little time” has taken on new meaning.

Onward and upward.

(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)

Writers’ Workshop poetry contest

free workshops online; or 10 poems line-edited and revised by our editorial staff. n 2nd Place: Two free workshops; or eight poems line-edited. n 3rd Place: One free workshop, or fivepages line-edited. n 10 Honorable Mentions.

All work must be unpublished. Each poem should not exceed two pages. Multiple entries are accepted. Your name, address, phone email and

title of work should appear on the first page. The entry fee is $25 for every three poems. All entries receive comments from the judges.

Enclose self-sealing SASE for comments and winners’ list, and mail to: Poetry Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC, 28805.

Emailed submissions may be sent to writersw@gmail.com with “Poetry Contest” in the subject. Entry fee is payable online at www.twwoa.org.

Jeff Minick

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The Writers’ Workshop of Asheville is sponsoring its “Annual Poetry Contest,” which is open to any writer regardless of residence.

The awards are: n 1st Place: Your choice of a two-night stay at the Mountain Muse B&B in Asheville; or three

into a

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in the next column or two here.

Meanwhile, for Smoky Mountain Living Magazine — a sister publication of The Smoky Mountain News — I read and reviewed And The Crows Took Their Eyes, a

February 17-23, 2021

ometimes I feel waist deep not in flood waters, troubles, quandaries, or even grandchildren, but in books, literature, literary classics, movies based on books, questions about authors, and friends and family members either recommending titles I should read or asking me what books they should read.

Mind you, I’m not complaining. It’s just that sometimes I find myself drenched Writer in the world of words. Gene Kelly’s “Singing in the Rain” had that nimble-footed dancer doing a classic bit with an umbrella. My “Pinging in the Brain” finds me stumbling all over the street, no umbrella but a book in each hand, one under each arm, and one clenched between my teeth as I just try to keep my balance.

Now for some book notes.

Here’s a question for you: What 1949 novel recently spent weeks on the best seller lists in America and Great Britain?

George Orwell’s 1984.

Sales of the book shot through the roof during the Trump presidency and the weeks following Joe Biden’s election, a sure sign that many people are leery about big government and big tech.

Penguin Random House just recently republished Sinclair Lewis’s It Can’t Happen Here, a 1935 novel about the rise of a fascist dictator in the United States. Sales in Britain are surging, which tell us our cousins across the Atlantic are just as uncomfortable with their government.

Readers have also shown renewed interest in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, that story about a future where the government dominates its people by propaganda, drugs, television, and the erasure of history.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, which depicts a future where books are banned and burned, is also popular these days.

Though I’ve read all of these except for It Can’t Happen Here, and taught them as well, I’d never opened C.S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength, which some critics and friends compare favorably to 1984. So I’ve started that novel just this week in hopes that Lewis might help explain our political turmoil. That one will undoubtedly pop up

arts & entertainment

Lit-bits: a wild week with books and words

Call 828.452. 5039 for more information

19

20

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Leading the way In a U.S. Forest Service video published toward the end of his career, Hilliard L. Gibbs Jr. discusses his research on the germination of ramps, cohosh and other forest plants. Donated photo

Love for nature spurred AT HOME OUTSIDE From a young age, Davis knew that he was HCC’s Black forestry grads happiest when he was outdoors.

A butler’s son, he grew up one of seven to barrier-breaking lives children in the historically African American

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER on Davis Sr. was just 17 years old when he arrived in the tiny town of Clyde, completely alone.

It was 1967, and Davis, a Black man from Knoxville, was there to start the new forestry program at Haywood Technical Institute, now known as Haywood Community College. He worked out a boarding agreement with the only Black person who lived within walking distance of the school, then located in the building that today contains Central Haywood High School, and nervously reported for his first day of class.

That’s when he first saw Hilliard L. Gibbs Jr., the only other dark face in that room of 45 or so young men. Davis felt a cool relief wash over him at the sight.

“As an African American not knowing anybody there — had never been there before in that town — you can only imagine how I felt seeing another African American come into the classroom,” said Davis.

Davis would later learn that his landlord was actually one of Gibbs’ uncles, and by the time he graduated he’d consider Gibbs’ people his North Carolina family. But that initial introduction was just the first frame in a friendship that would carry the two men not only through forestry school, but through decades of trailblazing professional success in the natural resources field.

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West Knoxville community of Lyons View, but his dad William Davis made sure to teach his kids the joy that comes from time in nature.

“Not only did he have that interest and pass it on to us, but my dad was kind of an environmentalist before the term was even coined,” said Davis, now 70.

As scoutmaster for the local Boy Scouts troop, the elder Davis often took the boys out hunting, fishing and camping. The wealthy couple he worked for — Hal and Elizabeth Mebane — had a cabin in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and every fall and spring Davis would join his dad for a few days to open up the cabin in the spring and close it down in the fall. Those were some of the best times of Davis’ boyhood. During lunch breaks, they’d fish Jakes Creek, which flowed directly behind the cabin, or hike the trail that started just across the street.

“All of that exposure to the outdoors in a young person — it just internalized the love of out of doors, the love of the mountains, the love of mountain streams, the love of fishing, seeing wildlife,” said Davis.

The family had to give up the cabin in 1992 when the U.S. Department of Interior ended Elkmont’s use as a summer residence.

The Mebane cabin, known as Dudley Cabin, was ultimately torn down. But Davis’ boyhood experiences there had a “profound” impact on his later career path.

Donate for the future Established in 2012 by the 1969 Forestry Class, the Rice, Seibert, Brodhage Scholarship was named after faculty and staff who had a significant impact on the natural resources program at Haywood Community College — and it aims to help the students who will become the profession’s future.

To apply, students must be enrolled in the natural resources program for at least 12 credit hours, hold a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have financial need. It is awarded to one student each academic year, who can then receive $500 annually. Over the past six years, the scholarship has provided $5,570 in financial aid.

To donate to the fund, visit www.haywood.edu/foundation or mail a check payable to the HCC Foundation with the scholarship name on the memo line to HCC Foundation, 185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde NC 28721.

Not that Davis had tons of leisure time as a young person. His father believed in the importance of hard work, often repeating the mantra that “money doesn’t grow on trees.”

When he was 11, Davis started doing yard work for the Mebanes during school vacations. Around the eighth or ninth grade, his older brother left town for a job in Minnesota, so Davis took over his old job helping out at a local veterinary office, continuing to work there through the end of high school.

Davis’ future was looking pretty bright by this time. Hal Mebane — who was part employer, part family to Davis and his parents — had years ago offered to send Davis to col-

lege after he graduated. Meanwhile the vet, Dr. George Shiflett, was encouraging him to go to vet school.

Unfortunately, Mebane died the same year that Davis graduated from high school, and the promise to fund his education wasn’t reflected anywhere in the will. He wasn’t sure about vet school, so he applied to a summer jobs program. When all of his answers to questions about his passions and interests led back to the outdoors, the counselor steered him toward a job opening at the Tennessee Valley Authority.

That summer changed Davis’ life.

“I loved the work so much if I had not gotten paid I would have been there every day, working,” he said. “I was that passionate about it then and even now. I just loved it.”

He was outdoors, of course, helping with fisheries research in the lakes. But he was also working directly with pioneers in the profession. The TVA was created in 1933, so by the late 1960s most of the organization’s original leaders were reaching the end of their careers.

They were ready and willing to mentor the young people who would lead the organization through the coming decades.

Those were the early days of integration and affirmative action, and as an African American with an interest in natural resources, Davis was viewed as a “low-supply, highdemand” person, he said. By the time the summer was over, the TVA had offered not only to hire Davis on permanently but to pay for his education. That’s how he ended up at HCC. “It’s the Lord working in my life to put me in the right place at the right time,” he said.

“The TVA viewed me as someone that could help them meet a need that they had. All the while I had a love for doing the work I was doing.”

MOUNTAIN LEGACY Growing up in Waynesville’s Pigeon community, Gibbs too came to know that the best parts of life were found outside.

His mother Thelma Gibbs was a Cub Scout leader, intent on getting her boys out in the mountains whenever possible. Gibbs spent a lot of time out on Country Club Drive, as well, where his grandfather Fred Moore owned a farm. He’d help tend the crops and the animals, learning about ecology and agriculture in the process.

“He had quite a bit of influence on me,” said Gibbs. “It shaped me to a career in forest management.”

As Davis does his father, Gibbs remembers his grandfather as an environmentalist, even though the word itself wasn’t invented until long after the men developed their respective environmental ethics. Later, after enrolling in the forestry program, Gibbs would discover that Moore had spent his younger years as a mule team logger at the Sunburst logging camp in southeastern Haywood County — that’s why he was so often able to stump his grandson with insightful questions about forestry and timber management.

and we visited the Macon fire lab there,” said Gibbs. “I was impressed by that facility. Little did I know that was the facility that finally ended up hiring me for my first job in the Forest Service.”

WORKING WITH RACISM When Gibbs and Davis graduated in 1969, they were two of a handful of African American forestry graduates nationwide.

So, it’s not surprising that Gibbs was the first Black technician to work for the U.S. Forest Service’s Macon Fire Science Laboratory — or that he was immediately confronted with the all-too-real reality of racism in the Civil Rights Era South.

Gibbs’ initial papers said he’d be working on a forest inventory crew — the crews traveled through a multi-state territory taking forest measurements — but two weeks later he got a follow-up letter that said the lab was actually not taking on new fire inventory trainees. He was offered a different job instead, for less money.

Gibbs knew something was up when he discovered that one of his white classmates from HCC had just been hired to that same crew, as a trainee. He quickly figured out what had happened.

“Traveling around in rural areas like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, what happens is those field crews when they finish up, they have to seek housing,” he said.

“They thought I was going to have a problem getting a house.”

That attempt to avoid placing Gibbs in racially charged situations didn’t completely work. Three years later, he was working on a fire research program that required him to travel with two field crews deployed to Charleston, South Carolina, for a prescribed burn. The group came back home on a Saturday and stopped for a meal in a small town off Interstate 16. Gibbs sat down with his co-workers, only to have the waitress tell him that he could eat in the kitchen, but not at the table. That restaurant didn’t serve Black people, she said.

Gibbs stood up.

“Everybody got quiet in the restaurant,” he said. “I stood and said, ‘Is there anybody that objects to me eating here in this place today?’”

Smoky Mountain News

Despite the racially fraught climate of the 1960s, both Gibbs and Davis recall their years at HCC fondly and have little negative to say about their white classmates and professors.

Gibbs said his classmates were “really nice guys” hailing from a diversity of backgrounds. Even 50 years later, said Davis, he still maintains friendships with a good number of them.

“We were the first class that was enrolled in the forestry program in HCC, so that was an opportunity for all of us,” said Gibbs. “We had a myriad of different students. We had some that had just come back from service in the military, come back from Vietnam. It was a mixed class of backgrounds.”

That’s not to say that there weren’t some jerks in the mix, said Davis. Neither he nor Gibbs remember any overt racism, like racial slurs or violence, but there was a “very, very, very small minority” that engaged in “subtle behavior patterns” that Davis recognized as racist. Gibbs remembers some discussions in a current events class he had to take as part of his studies, and how some of the guys had a “different theme” about the unfolding events of the Civil Rights Era. “But that was OK. We worked through all that and I think we were better for it,

having our professor lead us into some conversations like that,” he said. “We were getting ready to move into other areas of the United States by being hired, so we needed to make sure we understood Hilliard Gibbs, pictured about the situaaround the year 2000. tions we could Donated photo encounter.”

Gibbs was focused on the future. So was Davis.

“I don’t know what we were called behind our backs, but it didn’t matter to me,” Davis said. “I was so passionate about what I was Ron Davis, pictured doing and my doing TVA field work career path that in the late 1970s. nothing was going Donated photo to discourage me from pursuing it.”

The program they were enrolled in was setting them up to do just that. Gibbs recalls with particular fondness a professor named Walter Rice, who had come to HCC from Lake City Junior College in Florida. He also had significant experience in private forest industries.

“He offered a lot of opportunities,” said Gibbs. “We did do a lot of travel during our two years as students. He made sure we got around to look at different forest types, management practices — all that.”

About twice a week, the students would leave campus and travel somewhere in the surrounding national forest or to various research facilities. Most of those trips were two or more hours away from Clyde, and at the end of the second year the class took a tour of the entire Southeast, gaining firstperson familiarity with each of the many forest types contained there.

“We traveled through Macon, Georgia,

Nobody spoke, but the waitress still refused to serve him. Gibbs’ boss informed her that she was committing a civil rights violation, and that they were there as a crew, together. They would all eat there, or none of them would. The men left, ignoring their hungry stomachs for the next hour or so until they made it home to Macon.

“I tell you, it was enlightening for the field crew members, because some of them were reluctant to believe that discrimination was a thing that was going on in the Southeast, but there it was, a striking example,” Gibbs recalled.

The experience galvanized him.

Throughout the rest of his career, Gibbs was active in his station’s Civil Rights Committee, years later in Alabama serving as committee president and even going out as his station’s representative to the National Civil Rights Committee.

Employees would submit grievances, and the committee would review them. Many were simple instances of a supervisor and employee not getting along, but some were indeed “dire civil rights problems,” and the committee would make sure those issues were dealt with, and not just swept under the rug. He enjoyed the work, and it allowed him additional travel opportunities. His efforts eventually earned him recognition as the winner of the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station MultiCulture Award for Civil Rights in 1996 and 1997.

Gibbs credits his parents with giving him the tools he needed to stay calm in the face of discrimination and then push back against it. Growing up, racial prejudice didn’t slap him in the face on a day-to-day basis, but he knew it existed. There were “places we didn’t frequent as a Black community,” and he remembers the time that the KKK burned a flag on the backside of his neighborhood. But his parents taught him how keep his cool, and his dignity.

“It didn’t make me upset. I didn’t get upset,” he said of that 1972 day in the Georgia restaurant. “I had a pretty good focus about what I was trying to do, so I maintained that.”

Meanwhile, Davis was over in Tennessee, working to carve out a career of his own. After finishing up at Haywood, he went to the University of Tennessee — still on the TVA’s dime — to earn his four-year degree, all the time working for the TVA whenever he wasn’t at school. Much of his work involved required him to travel alone to remote areas, measuring trees.

“There were parts of the Tennessee Valley region where TVA would not let me work for fear of racial problems,” he said.

Their fear was not unfounded. About a decade ago, Davis had the chance to meet a man who had been fishing with some white friends in Telico Lake — one of the places Davis was not allowed to work — around the same time Davis’ TVA career began. It was the middle of the day, and a guy in a truck came around to tell the man, who was Black, that he’d better get out of there if he wanted to live. The young man figured the

February 17-23, 2021

OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATION

In a photo taken in the late 1980s, Ron Davis’ parents William Davis Sr. (far left) and Mary Davis (second from right) stand in front of the Mebane family cabin with his brother Steve, his wife Tanya and their children. Donated photo

outdoors

Gibbs’ dad was an avid hunter and sportsman, and as a young person Gibbs would often have the chance to roam the mountains, hunting and fishing. The woods were also a gathering place for the family, which was exceedingly large. Both of Gibbs’ grandparents had 13 children, and when gathered together all those aunts and uncles, plus their children and eventually their children’s children, would make quite a crowd. Every July, they’d meet at the Pink Beds Picnic Area in the Pisgah National Forest and share a meal.

Gibbs was a high school senior in 1966, when integration prompted his move from the all-Black high school in Canton to the formerly all-White Tuscola High School in Waynesville. But Gibbs had an easier time than some. As a standout football player and state wrestling champion, he was a popular guy.

As he neared graduation, he started pondering more seriously what his posthigh school years might bring. Maybe he’d be a wildlife officer, he thought. But there were no educational opportunities available for that. Then he heard about forestry school.

“My grandmother, who was Odessa Gibbs, she always took interest in listening to me about what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “One day she called me on the phone.”

Haywood Technical was starting a forestry program, she said. Maybe her grandson would consider enrolling? It turned out that the only prequisite for acceptance was the agriculture class he’d ended up taking at Tuscola. Soon, Gibbs was a forestry student.

S EE LEADING, PAGE 22 21

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LEADING, CONTINUED FROM 21 guy was bluffing. Anyhow, it was the middle of the day and he was surrounded by his white friends.

“The guy came back and shot him,” said Davis. “Fortunately, it hit him in his thigh and his leg, and it didn’t hit any vital organs.

He shot him and took off in his truck.”

Fortunately, Davis stayed safe from such racial violence, but sometimes he had trouble finding a place to sleep when traveling for work. The motels would never tell him that he couldn’t stay there because he was Black, as the waitress in Georgia had once told Gibbs. They would say that they didn’t have any rooms available. But on those occasions, Davis would often drive by later at night, just to see. Usually there were very few people there, if any.

“Because I was working with professional people, for the most part I had people looking out for me,” he said. “Ultimately the Lord was looking out for me. I was safe.

I never had any time that I can reflect back on where I knowingly was in danger. There were probably situations where I was in danger and just didn’t know it.”

Hilliard Gibbs stands with HCC President Rose Johnson in 2011 during a reception honoring him as that year’s Outstanding Alumni. HCC photo

‘IT’S BEEN AN ADVENTURE’

Smoky Mountain News

February 17-23, 2021

Gibbs and Davis had no choice but to notice and adapt to the realities of racism in the South, but they weren’t pursuing careers in civil rights. They were pursuing careers in natural resources, and aside from being trailblazers in a profession that is still overwhelmingly white, they proved to be talented and driven at their jobs.

Both ultimately completed four-year degrees after leaving Haywood. While in Macon, Gibbs earned a bachelor’s degree in math with concentration in natural science and a minor in computer science. After graduating in 1986, he was promoted to physical scientist and transferred halfway across the country to Missoula, Montana, where being Black was an oddity, but not a stigma.

“Those people out there didn’t see us too different as far as patrons at the restaurants, hotels, all that stuff — it’s Mr. Soand-so, Mrs. So-and-so,” he said. “We got more respect there than we did in the Southeast.”

Gibbs spent the rest of his career in physical science, working in so many different research areas that he never got bored.

He started off with fire research, and then went into atmospheric science, looking at the chemical content of smoke plumes and later the hazardous effects of forest fire smoke and which worker protections are necessary to guard against it. He was in Montana when the devastating Yellowstone fires of 1988 ravaged the West, an opportune time given his research interests.

After two years out West, he transferred back to Auburn, Alabama, where he began working with Jerry Michael, Ph.D., to research water quality, work that he considers to be the best of his career.

“All of the chemicals that were produced for forest management had to go through 22 what they call a field evaluation, and that

A 1968 TVA publication features a photo of HCC’s inaugural forestry class, including Davis on the far left, Gibbs on the far right and instructor Jack Brodhage. Donated photo meant we had to set up forest areas and then apply herbicide to it and then track it through the waterways to find out what significant compounds were from that application,” Gibbs explained.

Gibbs and his team had to test water quality during the first five significant rainstorms after the herbicide application, and it proved quite burdensome — not to mention dangerous — to get out and collect samples every time it stormed.

“Once or twice, you smell the ozone from the lightning because you’re working in those kind of situations, and you kind of want to remove yourself from those situations,” he said.

So, together with Michael, Gibbs figured out a better way. He came up with a scheme that would automatically collect

and store the water samples when the stormwater caused the stream to rise. Then, the team could come back sometime in the next 24 hours, after the storm had cleared, to collect them.

Gibbs retired in 2014 a decorated employee. In addition to recognition for his civil rights work, he received the USDA Superior Service Award as a Physical Science Technician in 1982, the Southern Research Station Support Technician of the Year Award in 1985, several awards for Exceptional Performance as a Physical Science Technician between 1985 and 1987, the U.S. Forest Service Support Scientist of the Year Award in 1998, and the USFS Southern Research Station Director’s Support Scientist of the Year Award in 1998 and 2010. In 2010, he was inducted into the Boy Scouts of America’s National Hall of Leadership and selected as HCC Outstanding Alumni in 2011.

“It’s been an adventure,” he said of his career, “but it’s been great and enjoyable.”

THE TVA PATH Davis graduated from UT in 1975, took a 10,000-mile road trip with his dad to visit as many national parks as possible in three weeks, and then started a 39-year upward journey through the TVA’s ranks.

He became supervisor of the TVA’s Upland Wildlife Section in the Land Management Division in the early 1980s, and then started work on a graduate degree in wildlife management. He never completed his thesis, but the unfinished degree didn’t hurt his career.

“TVA was recognizing my passion for the profession, and I continued to move up in the agency to the point where I ended up a department head,” he said. “I headed up TVA’s environmental compliance department for the Land and River Management Divisions.”

“I don’t know what we were called behind our backs, but it didn’t matter to me. I was so passionate about what I was doing and my career path that nothing was going to discourage me from pursuing it.”

— Ron Davis

Davis’ department was responsible for supplying the large amounts of research, reporting and recommendations required under the National Environmental Protection Act. At one point, he had more than 100 people under him, everything from biologists and water quality specialists to divers and archeologists.

“For me it was great because not only did I have a technical knowledge of those areas, I also could get out in the field every now and then,” he said. “Because my job became a desk job, I could get out in the field on occasion and do some field inspections.”

TVA is a power agency, but Davis said he was proud of the ways he found to protect the environment within the confines of his compliance work. His team would conduct reviews and assessments and then write in mitigation measures designed to protect the environment from harms that the proposals in question could have inflicted.

“I felt good that not only were we helping the valley — which was a part of TVA’s mission — with economic growth, but we were also as a part of our mission protecting natural resources and the environment,” he said. “All the while we were helping grow jobs and doing other things.”

Even as his own career matured, Davis kept his responsibility to the next generation of natural resource professionals — and particularly to minority members of that generation — at the forefront of his mind. Back when he was coming of age, African Americans were trying to meet more traditional definitions of success — becoming doctors, lawyers, business owners — and to distance themselves from careers that were viewed by some as a continuation of the slavery and sharecropping legacy, Davis said.

“The connotation of working outdoors was not viewed from a positive prism or point of view by a lot of African Americans back in the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and even into the ‘70s,” he said, “and that’s why we felt such a need to just increase awareness, because even when I got started in the ‘60s, into the late ‘60s, I wasn’t aware that I could make a living in forestry or wildlife or fisheries.”

In the 1980s, Davis helped found an organization called Minorities in Natural Resources Conservation that seeks to make minority students aware of natural resources career opportunities and to work with agencies to increase employment opportunities for minority students — the organization is still active today. Together with his fellow 1969 HCC graduates, including Gibbs, he put together a scholarship aiming to help support natural resource students at the school.

Davis retired in 2004 after 39 years with the TVA and plenty of professional accomplishments to boast of, but when asked what he’s most proud of in the last four decades, his answer is simple.

“I am most proud,” he said, “of protecting and enhancing the natural resources of the Tennessee Valley region and being a role model to others, especially African Americans in this career path.”

Outdoor Economy Conference to return this year The Outdoor Economy Conference will return as a live, in-person event this fall, scheduled for Oct. 12 to 15 in a location yet to be determined.

Started in 2018 as a one-day event at Western Carolina University, by 2019 the conference had become multi-day affair attracting hundreds of people. In 2020, it was re-envisioned as a month-long event featuring weekly sessions in a virtual format due to the pandemic. Those recorded sessions are still available online at a reduced rate for those who did not attend the virtual conference.

Learn more at www.outdooreconomy.org.

NPS photo

outdoors

Cyclists take a break during a ride on Cades Cove Loop Road.

Buy national forest passes online

Vehicle-free Wednesdays will continue at Cades Cove participated in the vehicle-free days last year, 25 percent more than had done so Wednesday and Saturday mornings in 2019.

On average, 1,800 people used the road each Wednesday.

Park managers are still concerned about parking congestion and will monitor use levels, availability, visitor experience and congestion throughout the year. In 2020, parking lots were full during 30 percent of the observation period and roadside shoulders along the Laurel Creek Road were used for parking during 60 percent of the observation period. This season, park managers will take action to prevent roadside parking on Laurel Creek Road, which can damage the road and create safety hazards, and to ease pressure on campground and picnic area lots. www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/management/ves.htm.

February 17-23, 2021

A pilot project that last year kept Cades Cove Loop Road vehicle-free on Wednesdays will continue this year.

From May 5 through Sept. 1, the road will be closed to motor vehicles but open to pedestrians and cyclists every Wednesday.

Park managers implemented this policy last year in an effort to improve visitor experience and reduce congestion associated with the vehicle-free mornings that had previously been offered until 10 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The park received 47 comments giving feedback on the pilot project, of which more than 60 percent were “extremely positive.” However, early morning congestion still caused an issue for some campers, and some visitors were disappointed they couldn’t drive the loop road on Wednesdays.

Nearly 30,000 cyclists and pedestrians

A new online platform now allows visitors to the Nantahala, Pisgah and Croatan National Forests to pay day-use and annual pass fees through www.recreation.gov at no additional cost.

Passes can be printed and placed on the dashboard, though this is not required because staff can validate passholders’ license plates instead. Passes are available for Black Swamp OHV Trails (reopens in March), Cheoah Point Beach (open April 15 to Oct. 31), Dry Falls (year-round), Jackrabbit Mountain Beach (open May 1 to Sept. 30), Panther Top Shooting Range (year-round), Roan Mountain (May 28 to Sept. 30), Tsali Mountain Bike and Equestrian Trails (year-round), Whiteside Mountain (year-round), and Whitewater Falls (year-round).

Passes purchased for Dry Falls, Whiteside Mountain or Whitewater Falls are honored at all three locations.

Recreation fee revenue is used to operate and maintain the recreation sites. www.recreation.gov/pass.

Cub Scouts seeking new members

Smoky Mountain News

Despite the pandemic, Sylva’s Cub Scout Pack 999 has been staying active and is currently seeking new members to join the group.

The Pack returned to in-person meetings in mid-October but turned to Zoom as cases began to spike over the holiday season. Keeping the momentum going was vital to the Pack so the Scouts and their families could stay engaged, on track, and have something to look forward to while staying mostly in their own homes.

The Pack participated in Cub Parent Weekend organized by the Daniel Boone Council and has adopted the Bradley Fork Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, hiking the 5-mile section while performing cleanup duties.

Boys and girls ages 5 to 10 or in elementary school from kindergarten to fifth grade can join Cub Scouts. Youth 11-17 are eligible to join Scouts BSA. Learn more at daniel-

Pack members pause for a moment of silliness on Bradley Fork Trail. Donated photo boonecouncil.org/join or contact Brian Sullivan at 828.254.6189 or brian.sullivan@scouting.org.

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outdoors

Take the Plunge

Tobacco Fund opens new grant cycle The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is accepting applications for the 2021 grant cycle.

Grants will be awarded for projects that support the agricultural industry, impact rural communities and stimulate economic development. The N.C. General Assembly established the fund in 2000.

Applications are available at www.tobaccotrustfund.org and due by Friday, March 5.

N.C. Extension offers scholarship

Costumes are encouraged when taking the Plunge.

Donated photo

February 17-23, 2021

A $750 scholarship for North Carolina residents pursuing a college degree in business or a business-related field is taking applications through Friday, March 19.

The Herter O’Neal Scholarship is awarded annually by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association in honor of Herter and Frances O’Neal, co-leaders in forming the NCCEAPA in 1973.

Applicants must be enrolled to attend classes at a college during the 2021-2022 school year. Application packets are available at high school financial aid offices. Learn more by contacting Macon County Cooperative Extension at 828.349.2050.

The ninth annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education will be held in Canton on Saturday, Feb. 27, giving participants a chilly but socially distanced way to show their support for Haywood Waterways Association.

There are two options for participation this year: • The traditional plunge will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Champion Credit Union Aquatics Center, where plungers will be able to jump off the diving board or side of the pool, or simply wade in to a comfortable depth. Individuals, families and socially-distanced groups will reserve 15-minute time slots during the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. time periods, with a maximum of 10 people per slot and everybody required to stay 6 feet apart. Walkins are welcome but must wait for the next available time slot.

• Supporters who can’t attend or want to take extra precautions against the virus are invited to find their own place to plunge — a bathtub, a kiddie pool, a front yard with a hose or anything else — and video their plunge for posting online. After Feb. 27, the public will have the chance to vote on the videos, and the three receiving the most votes will win Best Plunge and receive a coveted Plunger trophy and prize package.

Registration for either participation method is $25 ($10 for those under 18) or free by raising sponsorships. To register, visit charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/9thhwaplunge. All participants will receive a free T-shirt. Prize packages will be given to the top three individual fundraisers, school team fundraisers and community team fundraisers; top three best costumes; team with the most plungers; and best plunge. Any cash turned in by March 1 will count for the fundraising award.

Funds will benefit Haywood Waterways Association’s premier education event, Kids in the Creek, which gets Haywood County eighth-graders out in the water for some hands-on science experience. Event sponsors are needed. For more information, contact 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

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February 17-23, 2021 Smoky Mountain News 25

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The Bonsai Expo is canceled, but the bonsai exhibits will return to display on World Bonsai Day May 8.

N.C. Arboretum photo

Bonsai Expo, Orchid Festival canceled

February 17-23, 2021

Two popular springtime events at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville won’t take place this year due to ongoing virus-related safety precautions.

Both the Asheville Orchid Festival and the Carolina Bonsai Expo have been canceled for 2021. These signature shows draw national and international acclaim and have attracted thousands of people for more than two decades. However, due to the delicate plants’ need for temperate climates, the events are held indoors. This, combined with the large crowds expected and the fact that many attendees are in high-risk cate-

gories for COVID-19, prompted organizers to call it off. Both events were canceled last year as well in what would have been the Bonsai Expo’s 25th year and the Orchid Festival’s 22nd.

Despite the cancellations, the Arboretum’s Bonsai Garden is open yearround, with the collection coming back out on display for the season on World Bonsai Day, the second Saturday in May, and the entire 434 acres of permanent garden exhibits at The North Carolina Arboretum continue to be open seven days a week. www.ncarboretum.org.

Order fruit for the garden

Smoky Mountain News

Macon County 4-H is taking orders on fruit and berry plants through Friday, March 12, for its annual 4-H Plant Sale.

Available plants include grapes, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, elderberry and strawberry plants as well as apple, cherry, pear and plum trees. The order form is available at www.macon.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/02/2021annual-4-h-plant-sale. Submit orders with payment by March 12 and pick up plants April 7-9.

Proceeds benefit Macon County 4-H. 828.349.2046.

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

Get ready for turkey season A series of free, online turkey hunting seminars is coming up in March from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Topics will include biology, species habits, habitats, scouting, essential equipment, setup, effective shot placement, decoy placement and hunting strategies. Classes will be held 7-8 p.m. with an interactive Q&A session at the end. The seminars are intended as a consecutive, three-night workshop, but the format allows students to take one or all o the classes in the order they

choose. The seminars are specifically geared toward new hunters.

Classes are: n Tuesday, March 2: Biology for Hunters, Regulations, Where to Hunt and Scouting. n Wednesday, March 3: Firearms, Ammo, Clothing and Miscellaneous Equipment. n Thursday, March 4: Hunting Techniques and Strategies.

Space is limited with pre-registration required at www.ncwildlife.org. Classes will be held via Zoom. The classes are timed to take place prior to wild turkey open seasons for male or bearded turkeys, which are April 3-9 for youth under 18 and April 10 to May 8 statewide.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Branch of the NC NAACP will hold its February Membership Meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, online. Participants will hear from Down Home NC's "No New Jail in Haywood" campaign. The meeting will also host the African American History Readers Theater. Email jcnaacp54ab@gmail.com to receive instructions to join online. The public is welcome to join this meeting.

• Haywood County NAACP will be meet at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, via Zoom. To join the meeting contact Katherine Bartel in advance at bartelkatherine@gmail.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com ules/drive_schedule/163951. All blood donors will receive a $20 VISA gift card. Those who would like to donate convalescent plasma (must have proof of COVID-19 diagnosis) will receive $100 in e-gift cards. COVID-19 antibody testing is included with all blood donations.

• This and That Market will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Canton Armory, 71 Penland Street. There will be over 25 local vendors and food on site.

• The Jackson Arts Market will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 27 at 533 West Main Street (next to the Sylva Herald). Admission is free. www.facebook.com/jacksonartsmarket.

• Papertown Spring Market will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at Bethel Christian Academy, 100 Park St. There will be local vendors and food. Admission is free. For vendor information contact Jessica Jones 828.734.9733.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free Arts & Crafts based business virtual learning series from 9 to 11 a.m.

Feb. 17 and March 10. Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

• A joint task force to mentor public school teachers will host a presentation

by Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, online. Join the free event virtually by registering at: http://bit.ly/DrTaylorBullockWNC. This series is being offered to Macon, Jackson, Swain and Haywood County schools.

Haywood County NAACP is hosting along with Jackson County NAACP.

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VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The Special Liberty Project, which serves Veterans, Gold Star Families and active-duty/veteran Suicide Spouses with nature-centric programs, retreats and peer support, is hosting two Volunteer Days at the organization’s new Farm and Retreat Center in Franklin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 20 and March 6. Lunch will be provided. To RSVP or for more information, call 619.726.9240 or email Jessica@speciallibertyproject.org.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Waynesville Yoga Center will honor Black History as our Nation’s History this month during Black History Month. Community members are invited to read a selection of poems and come together to discuss at the end of the month. The community gathering and discussion will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Yoga Center. The event is free, but space is limited due to social distancing guidelines. Register or learn more at waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

• Macon County Board of Health will hold its February meeting at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. Click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88993132655?pwd=bk5BVnhtcFNSZ0QyWmxX WUhjbTdBUT09 and use passcode: 663689.

• The Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville is hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, inside the lobby area (87 Haywood Street). Sign up at https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/sched-

www.sunburstrealty.com

A&E

• Bardo Arts Center presents an opportunity to watch the documentary “Code of Freaks'' on-demand from Feb. 21-24. Once you begin watching the documentary, you have 24 hours to finish. Watch on a browser or through the EventiveTV App. Learn more and pre-order your free ticket at arts.wcu.edu/codeofthefreaks.

• Sylva First United Methodist Church will host a Father Daughter Drive-In Movie Night at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, in the church parking lot. Due to copyright laws, the name of the movie cannot be announced. Each couple will receive a concession box to enjoy during the evening. Couples are asked to sign up online at Register@sylvafumc.org.

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Winter Member’s Show” will be held Feb. 5-27 in the Gallery & Gifts showroom at the HCAC in downtown Waynesville. Original work for 24 local artisans. Free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

Phyllis Robinson OWNER/BROKER

(828) 712-5578

lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

FOOD AND DRINK • There will be a free wine tasting 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.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • On Thursday, Feb. 25, Grace Church in the Mountains will host the driveby "Pathways Empty Bowls Dinner” from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and local band Arnold Hill will livestream a performance from 6 to 8 p.m., for guests to enjoy at home with their soup. VIP tickets are $40, general admission $25, and $15 for soup flight only. Tickets may be purchased online at www.haywoodpathwayscenter.org or by calling the HPC office at 828.246.0332, or in person at the HPC office located at 179 Hemlock Street, in Waynesville.

Raffle tickets are $5 each, or five for $20. Local businesses and individuals are welcome to donate an item or service to be raffled at the event.

Contact david@haywoodpathways.org to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

147 Walnut St. • Waynesville 828-456-7376 • 1-800-627-1210

Outdoors

• The annual Lake Cleanup at Lake Junaluska will be held over the course of four days this year, taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 19, 20, 26 and 27 in order to allow added safety precautions in light of the pandemic. For more information contact Jim Pearson at 502.419.3035. Register at www.lakejunaluska.com/cleanup.

• Help keep the trails at Panthertown Valley clear during a workday slated for Saturday, Feb. 20. No previous trail work experience is necessary.

Participants will get a guided tour of the valley and meet others who also love Panthertown. To sign up, visit wwww.panthertown.org/volunteer.

• Learn the art of apple grafting from an experienced horticulturist during a workshop offered 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Cowee School in Macon County. Cost is $35. Register at www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcoming-events.

• Volunteers are wanted to help track nature’s calendar in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with virtual training sessions planned for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, and 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20.

No experience necessary. To sign up, email grsm_phenology@nps.gov.

• A two-day conference and virtual trade show featuring a variety of topics to help vegetable growers will be held online Feb. 24-25. Cost is $40, with registration available at http://bit.ly/36Oc5S9. Scholarships are available from Empowering Mountain Food Systems for all regional farmers and food producers. Apply for a scholarship at http://bit.ly/2N0rZle. • In-person and online wildlife education courses are available this month at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education near Brevard. A Casting For Beginners course is planned for 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, open to ages 12 and older. An Introduction to Fly Fishing Class will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, open to ages 12 and older. Wild Woodlands will be offered for ages 5 and up 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. Endangered Species will be offered for ages 5 and up 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25.

Pre-registration is required for all classes by calling 828.877.4423 or visiting www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Education-Centers/Pisgah.

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate 91 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070

www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com Conveniently located in the Bethea Welcome Center

Brian Noland RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROFESSIONAL

bknoland@beverly-hanks.com

828.734.5201

74 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786

828.452.5809

Follow Amanda Williams Real Estate on Facebook

Once a client always a friend

Amanda Cook Williams

RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

(828) 400-4825

amandawilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County.

Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates: • • • •

• •

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Free — Lost or found pet ads. $6 — Residential yard sale ads.* $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m.

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Announcements

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Old Edwards Hospitality Group Highlands NC SPACIOUS PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SUITE AVAILABLE TO RENT $1595 Featuring 4 private offices and conference room on main level. 3 private offices with conference room on ground level. Includes 2 restrooms and kitchenette. Available NOW 256 N. Main Street, Waynesville

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Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.

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Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

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

Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-888-575-3018 or visit http://dorranceinfo.com/ press

*Single independent office available top floor $300 - 258 N. Main Street

(828) 452-1688 www.haywoodrentalsnc.com 58 Pigeon Street • Waynesville, NC

28

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February 17-23, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

please visit our employment portal at: https:// faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/ Human Resources 2I¿FH 3KRQH 7342 Internet: http://www. faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Find Us One mile past State Rd. 276 and Hwy-19 on the right side, across from Frankie’s Italian Restaurant

I Am Proud of Our Mountains and Would Love to Show You Around!

Randall Rogers

BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

(828) 734-8862

RROGERS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

Pets PITBULL TERRIER MIX - B&W,CUPCAKE 1 year old active girl, loves people. Plays rough; needs to meet doggie housemates pre-adoption. Looking for adventure! (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org SOLID GRAY CAT, GABRIEL 2-3 years old; laidback boy would love to hang out around the house, provide companionship without needing constant attention. (828) 7612001 publicrelations@ ashevillehumane.org USE TONEKOTE For Cats & Dogs to stop shedding, scratching and insure a warm winter coat!!! N.C. Clampitt Hardware 828-488-2782, www.kennelvax.com

Real Estate Announcements

www.wncmarketplace.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

KAREN HOLLINGSED BROKER ASSOCIATE

(828) 734-6222

KHOLLINGSED@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com • Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty • Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net • Pam James - pam@pamjames.com

74 N. Main St. Waynesville, NC

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

828.452.5809

Dan Womack BROKER

828.

243.1126

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Log & Frame Homes - 828-734-9323 Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

MOUNTAIN REALTY

71 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC

828-564-9393

ATTENTION SENIORS 62+! Get a Reverse Mortgage Loan to access tax free cash & no monthly mortgage payments as long as you live in the home. Retire with more Cash! Call 888-704-0782 GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 BaseCampLeasing.com

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Real Experience.

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828.452.3727 www.TheRealTeamNC.com

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

71 N. Main Street Waynesville

February 17-23, 2021

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com • • • • • • • •

remax-maggievalleync.com The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net Juli Rogers - julimeaserogers@gmail.com Amy Boyd Sugg - amyboydsugg@gmail.com David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com

WNC Real Estate Store • Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com • Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

29

SUPER

CROSSWORD

AM TOO! ACROSS 1 Kuwaiti rulers 6 Pin to hang a chapeau on 12 Clothes 16 "This is so frustrating!"

19 Maui porch 20 Single-celled creature 21 Old term for margarine 22 Sooner than, in sonnets 23 Incriminated dancer Ginger with false evidence?

25 Possible cause of sneezing 27 Petri dish gel 28 A handsome Greek god put half-and-half in his coffee?

30 Scholars' milieu 34 See 56-Across 35 Mini-plateau 36 Cornhusk-wrapped treats found in an underground vault?

43 Pizazz 44 Psychic glow 45 Volt-per-ampere unit 46 Stephen of film 49 Temporarily smiling broadly?

56 With 34-Across, "Green Eggs and Ham" character 59 Sweetheart 60 Oklahoma city 61 Shoe retailer 62 Former flying inits.

63 Gas suffix 64 Tuscany city 66 Negative particle 67 Iowa's tree 68 Tony-winning musical

73 74 76 77 78 79 80 82 84 85

89 90 91 92 96

104 106 107 108

115 116 117 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129

DOWN

performed in France's capital?

Graynor of "The Sitter" Nabisco treats Valleys Wish to undo Pince- -6/6/44 Colonel North, briefly Broadway star Rivera Spokane-to-Boise dir.

Actor Ralph having reached a saloon's counter?

"-- -haw!"

Suffix with brilliant Rod go-with Memo starter Group journey that has made everyone really hungry?

Memo starter British rocker Brian Cold carnival treats Group of truck drivers who were once in the same college fraternity?

"After that ..."

Belgium's capital Doubled radius of a toy on a string?

Go astray Intro studio course By wagering Plant used to make tequila Hankering Pony pattern SEALs' mil. branch Renowned

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 26 29 30 31 32 33 37 38 39 40 41 42 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57

Pixieish one Damage a bit -- funk (sad) Ninth Muslim month Gangster Bugsy Singer Emmylou "Yo te --" Roman wrap Small chirp Spanish river Illuminated like old streets "Beat it, kid!"

Actor Guinness Back area Foreshadow Some math specialists French city Ibsen's "-- Gabler" Matriarch Pitch a tent "-- -di-dah!"

Feasted Nev. neighbor Docs' org.

-- worse than death Rhine feeder Nev. neighbor Yoga pad Corn bases Cronus' wife Singer Sumac Audience extras Really suffer Licked parts of envelopes Actress Chaplin KOA patron Newsy bits Tax-free bond, in brief Israeli airline Adult males Supported Oscar winner, e.g.

58 64 65 66 69 70 71 72 75 80 81 82 83 86 87 88 92 93 94 95 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 109 110 111 112 113 114 118 119 120 121

Not go right or straight while driving Paper unit Actor Ziering Lend -- (listen) Inuit-language word for "house" Small error Chi-Town daily paper Let -- sigh Popeye's gal Old Dodge Corrosive cleansers Rice -- (cereal) Assists Archer's skill Pt. of NATO Ball balancer In a single try Wicked act Wingtip tip Walk- -- (small roles) Santa -- (hot winds) Entraps Walk- -- (noappointment customers) "I meant someone else" Real thing Qatari port "The -- Cometh" Monks' home -- Haute, Indiana Despot of old Architect Saarinen Utah ski site Ages on end Meg of film Japanese noodle Actor Patel Tit for -Night before Ruby, e.g.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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HOUSE RENTAL NEEDED Mature women seeks 2-3 bedroom rental with private entrance (ex. carriage house, mother/ daughter suite) in the Lake Junaluska/Waynesville area. Furnished or partially. Contact Jan yoddea@icloud.com (207) 530-1151 VACATION RENTAL WANTED Senior Couple (no pets, no children, no stairs) want 1 or 2 bedrooms in or near Waynesville for July and August. pandc200@aol.com

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SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 26 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

30

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February 17-23, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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.

6BR, 3BA | $925,000 | #3654248

3BR, 2BA $275,000 | #3701882

Cedar Hill Estates | 3BR, 2BA $286,000 | #3701708

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Smoky Mountain News

2BR, 1BA $175,000 | #3703431

February 17-23, 2021

Brookwood Place | 2BR, 1BA, 1HB $119,900 | #3706489

CALL TODAY (828) 634 -7333 31

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Smoky Mountain News February 17-23, 2021