Smoky Mountain News | February 24, 2021

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

February 24-March 2, 2021 Vol. 22 Iss. 39

Sylva man charged in Capitol riots claims innocence Page 4 Developer withdraws Cashiers Hillside application Page 11

CONTENTS On the Cover: An imagined narrative adds a deepening understanding of what it must have been like for freed slaves after the Civil War ended in the South and a deeper look into the group of Black people that ended up in Western North Carolina, settling in what they would call the Kingdom of The Happy Land.

(Page 6) Micah McClure illustration

News Sylva man charged in Capitol riots ................................................................................4 Winter storms slow down vaccine progress ..............................................................5 Developer withdraws Cashiers Hillside application ..............................................11 Foxfire, BPR team up for COVID-19 history project ............................................12 International equity firm invests in Drake Software ................................................13 Changes, upgrades coming to Maggie festival grounds ....................................14 Education News ................................................................................................................15

Opinion Who can you trust to tell the truth? ............................................................................16 Falling hard for pandemic puppy love..........................................................................17

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ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

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 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 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Sylva artist channels creative spirit through tattooing ..........................................18 An excellent history lesson ..............................................................................................21

Outdoors Asheville YouTuber raises funds for Canton bike park ..........................................22

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February 24-March 2, 2021

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February 24-March 2, 2021

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Chicken vocabulary Broilers - chickens raised for food Laying hens - chicken raised to produce eggs Top broiler chicken producing states: Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi How much chicken do we eat?

In the U.S. we consume 93.5 lbs per capita. Thanks to the cost and the number of quick serve restaurants that feature chicken, it is the number one consumed protein in the U.S.

Sources: For recipe ideas and more information on chicken: https://www.chickencheck.in/ https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-andpress-releases/chicken-every-pot

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Nutrition and versatility: Chicken is a versatile and nutritious form of protein and can be baked, broiled, roasted or fried.

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Sylva man charged in Capitol riots

On Jan. 21, workers begin to remove displays and equipment used on an Inauguration Day that was heavily influenced by the events of Jan. 6.

February 24-March 2, 2021

Jeffery Delannoy photo

Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he world watched with bated breath Jan. 6 as what is normally a perfunctory proceeding — the Senatorial certification of Electoral College results — turned violent. At the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., thenPresident Donald Trump was whipping attendees into a frenzy of anger over what he continues to claim was a stolen election, and as he spoke the roiling crowd made its raucous way to the U.S. Capitol a couple miles away.

Barriers were broken, police officers were beaten, windows were smashed. Tear gas hung in the air, residue eventually settling to coat tabletops, floors, everything. The joint session of Congress that would have ultimately resulted in approving the transfer of power from Trump to now-President Joe Biden was in progress when the barriers broke, and members of the House and Senate hurriedly evacuated ahead of the oncoming rioters.

According to federal prosecutors, 35year-old Sylva resident Lewis Easton Cantwell was part of that melee. On Feb. 17, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan signed a warrant for his arrest on six separate charges, all related to his presence in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.

Cantwell is being charged with Civil Disorder and Aiding and Abetting; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building and Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct 4 in a Restricted Building and Grounds;

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Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Capitol Building and Grounds; and Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building.

In the first two counts — the most serious of the six — the grand jury indictment accuses Cantwell of interfering with a law enforcement officer while in the commission of a civil disorder that adversely affected a “federally protected function,” and of “corruptly” obstructing a Congressional proceeding by entering and remaining in the U.S. Capitol without permission and “committing an act of civil disorder, engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct and destroying federal property.”

The first count, the one pertaining to interfering with law enforcement, carries a maximum penalty of five years, while the second carries a maximum of 20 years. The remaining counts carry a maximum penalty of one year or 6 months. If convicted on all six counts, Cantwell would face a maximum sentence of 28 years in federal prison.

On Feb. 19, Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf allowed Cantwell’s release on a $25,000 unsecured bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, via Zoom. According to a database of Capitol Riot arrests from NPR, Cantwell is one of five North Carolina residents facing federal charges in connection with the events of Jan. 6.

News of Cantwell’s arrest elicited widespread anger and derision on social media when it was announced. Comments on The

Lewis Easton Cantwell.

Smoky Mountain News’s initial story about the arrest called for the government to “lock those domestic terrorist (sic) up,” and said Cantwell is a domestic terrorist, wishing him a good time in federal prison.

But Cantwell says he’s innocent of the charges.

“I didn’t go there with any intention to hurt anyone or storm the Capitol,” he said during a phone interview Feb. 22. “I didn’t go inside the Capitol Building. I never attacked anyone. I was there filming. And I helped a bunch of people who were injured come out of the front lines.”

Cantwell said that he was in D.C. for a business engagement that would take place two days later. He chose to ride up with some friends of his who were going to Trump’s rally rather than buying a plane ticket. He’d never been to D.C. before, and he wanted to witness what he expected would be some kind of historic moment.

His friends went to the Trump rally, he said, and he wandered around D.C. taking photos and videos. He did not hear Trump’s speech, he said Feb. 22. However, according to a Jan. 13 story from The Sylva Herald, in a social media post that has since been taken down, Cantwell wrote that he was at the rally and could attest that Trump “didn’t say a thing that could be alluded to as instigating it.”

When he arrived at the Capitol Building, Cantwell said, there were no gates but there were thousands of people up front, where he eventually worked his way. The doorway was blocked by a large group of police, so there was no way he could have gotten inside even if he wanted to. The scene was “chaotic, at the least,” he said, with people up front getting crushed.

“I’ve never witnessed anything like that before,” he said.

This whole time, Cantwell was filming, and he posted the videos on social media.

However, he later deleted them because “I didn’t want to be involved in that anymore.”

Cantwell said the FBI interviewed him in January but that the arrest came as a complete surprise, as he maintains he has done nothing wrong.

“It is my right to go to any event I want,” the Herald quoted from Cantwell’s post in the Jan. 13 story. “Yesterday was historic, and I went to see something. I just wasn’t aware I would see what I saw.”

According to the Herald’s reporting, Cantwell said he arrived at 3:30 a.m. to start taking video. The post said that no buildings were burned, and damage was minimal.

“People got mad when [P]ence didn’t do what they wanted, so Trump supporters stormed that building, not Antifa, not BLM, not undercover feds,” the Herald quoted from Cantwell’s post. “That’s all garbage lies.

I talked to people up front. Most were veterans and small business owners.”

Cantwell avers that, at most, he’s guilty of trespassing, but that really, he’s just guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Though he is registered as a Republican, he said that he is not right-wing, voted for Obama twice and has never been to any kind of protest before.

A U.S. Army veteran, Cantwell said that six years ago he was homeless, and he walked to Waynesville “with nothing but a backpack,” building his business, Sip’ Sum Tea, from the ground up while also working a full-time job. Last year, he expanded his tea shop to a second location, operating stores in Maggie Valley and Sylva. But after his arrest, his landlord evicted him. That, combined with the onslaught of negative reviews online, prompted him to close down permanently.

“I’m just trying to run a business and live my life,” he said. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

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Smoky Mountain News

Vaccination by the numbers Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 22 Feb. 22 First/Second Doses Percent population First/Second Doses Percent population Haywood.........8,283/3,858................13.29/6.19 ................8,971/4,944 .................14.4/9.93 Jackson ..........4,627/1,073................10.53/2.44 ................4,736/2,264 ................10.78/5.15 Swain...............1,795/358 .................12.58/2.51..................1,807/614...................12.66/4.3 Macon..............4,137/990 .................11.54/2.76 ................4,247/2,035 ................11.84/5.68 EBCI.................3,041/846 ......................23/6 .....................3,094/1,184 .....................24/9 Statewide..1,129,323/487,702 ..........10.77/4.65...........1,226,758/676,572............11.7/6.46

*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.

February 24-March 2, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER idespread winter storms last week drastically slowed down vaccination efforts in Jackson County, which still has the lowest percentage of its population vaccinated of the four counties in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area.

Last week, the Jackson County Department of Public Health had expected to receive 300 first doses and to assist Western Carolina University in its inaugural public vaccine clinic, to be supplied with 500 doses. However, winter weather in other parts of the country delayed those shipments.

This week, JCDPH received 300 first doses intended for delivery last week as well as 500 doses intended for delivery the week of Feb. 21-27. Similarly, Blue Ridge Health did not receive any vaccines last week due to shipment delays but expects to get those doses this week as well as the 100 doses for Haywood and 100 for Jackson that are part of this week’s allocation.

Additionally, the clinic at WCU is expected to open this week pending the arrival of vaccines — the 500 doses that should have arrived last week are expected to come in this week. WCU will spend the first few weeks of its clinic helping JCDPH reduce its backlog of people in Group 1 and Group 2 waiting to be vaccinated before opening registration to people across the region. There are currently 1,800 on that waiting list.

Over in Haywood County, the hospital and health department combined will have 600 doses this week. Spokesperson Allison Richmond said that while the storm did delay Haywood’s shipment, it did not impact vaccinations as it did in Jackson.

Based on changes in vaccination coverage between Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, the win-

Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the

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Winter storms slow down vaccine progress

ter weather appears to have slowed most counties down. Haywood County increased its first dose coverage the most in that timeframe, increasing its percent vaccinated by 1.11 percent. Jackson, Swain and Macon counties all increased their coverage by less than half a percent in that same timeframe, though statewide first dose coverage crept up by about 0.9 percent.

More people are getting second doses, with Haywood having administered second doses to 9.93 percent of its population. Trailing are Macon at 5.68 percent, Jackson at 5.15 percent and Swain at 4.3 percent. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which receives a separate federal vaccine allocation, has vaccinated nearly a quarter — 24 percent — of its population with a first dose and 9 percent with a second dose.

As of Feb. 19, Haywood had administered 8,882 first COVID-19 vaccines. The number does not include those vaccinated at long-term care facilities, the VA, or through local pharmacies or health care offices. The health department estimated that 10,500 people in Haywood County have received at least their first dose.

Since completing vaccinations for longterm care facilities and staff, hospital and doctor’s offices, health department, emergency services and vaccine clinic staff, the county is currently in the process of vaccinating residents ages 65 and older.

Looking ahead, the next group to get vaccinated will be teachers and frontline workers. Gov. Roy Cooper has decreed that North Carolina can move to Group 3 Frontline Essential Workers on Feb. 24. While acknowledging that the vaccine supply is still very limited and the population of frontline essential workers is so large, the state has advised vaccinating those working in child care or K-12 schools first starting Feb. 24 then moving to other frontline essential workers on March 10.

“With a very limited supply of vaccine and a large senior population yet to be vaccinated, Haywood County will do our best to begin incorporating this new group of eligible citizens into the vaccination efforts while still vaccinating those 65 and older.

Plans for how to do this in Haywood County are underway, but not finalized as of this press release,” said Interim Health Director Garron Bradish.

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news February 24-March 2, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

This map, from Sadie Smathers Patton’s book, shows the approximate location of the Kingdom today. Stevens Press photo

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

eary and sore they came upon a small copse of Loblolly pines swaying high above a sea of softly undulating golden broomsedge just as the first light of dawn faded in from the east. able-bodied kept watch in shifts, peering out over the grassy field, trying to divine whence trouble may come before dark and which way they’d head after.

From deep within the camp came a voice, somnolent yet strong, and even though Robert knew it was Louella’s it still startled him from behind like the crack of a Springfield.

They all fished and hunted and trapped and foraged as much as they could, but they were always running short of food and supplies, and somebody was always sick. Many in the group had skills or trades they’d brought with them — butchers, tailors, chandlers — but there was no doctor and there was no money with which to pay one, so somebody would have to go into town and look for day work.

“Robert,” she said. “You know it has to be you.”

behind, in Mississippi — friends and family unwilling to gamble their temporary security for the kind of permanent peace he sought.

Maybe they were right, his stomach told him. He hadn’t eaten for a full day but drawing nearer to the camp he could smell that a fire was burning, and someone was cooking up some kind of fish that must have been caught while he was gone.

“I like it better here,” Mack said, the low ridges of the Appalachian Mountains rising off his left shoulder. “It’s not so hot up here.”

Robert turned off the road and ducked back into the woods, picking up the red cloth he’d dropped earlier. It was nearly dark now, but as he and Mack emerged from the trees into the vast field of broomsedge, their presence didn’t escape notice.

“Louella,” said a man standing watch near the edge of the camp. “Someone’s coming.”

“Is it Robert?” she asked quietly, stroking the forehead of the infant sleeping in her lap.

“If it is, he got someone with him,” the man said, prompting Louella to rise and hand the child off to another woman tucked up in a nest of pine needles.

Smoky Mountain News

The bright sunshine hit Robert’s light brown eyes in a way that made it hard for him to see as he slowly emerged from the woods near the camp, wiping the sweat from his chin with a rag.

He dropped the tattered red cloth, scampered across the road and into a dense patch of white oak that paralleled it all the way into town.

A foot of dried leaves topped several inches of acorns, all crunching loudly underfoot, but Robert was still able to catch a sound with his ear that he knew was out of place. Stilled and listening intently, he realized it was a wagon and a horse, maybe two, coming down the road. Breathing hard, he took shelter behind a massive trunk and watched the farmers rumble past him over the stony, rutted path.

Hopping one by one on slippery river stones, he crossed a shining stream lined with

The war was over. Mostly.

Isolated skirmishes continued across the South, but if Lee surrendering his sword at Appomattox back in April hadn’t stopped the whites from continuing to kill each other, it certainly wouldn’t stop them from killing the Blacks some still blamed for the war itself.

February 24-March 2, 2021

For weeks, they’d slept during the balmy spring days and walked mostly by moonlight, never by road. At times they’d take to the train tracks, ducking into the underbrush when one of them would sense the coming of the iron horse. Other times they strode along soaring tree lines edging fallow fields, damp spongy soil radiating the last of the day’s heat to their bare feet, until they found some small, safe, out-of-the way place as dark and anonymous as their faces.

The war was over. Mostly. Isolated skirmishes continued across the South, but if Lee surrendering his sword at Appomattox back in April hadn’t stopped the whites from continuing to kill each other, it certainly wouldn’t stop them from killing the Blacks some still blamed for the war itself.

Since leaving the plantation upon which they’d toiled for a lifetime, be that six or 66 years, the small band of travelers had only grown in size. Initially, it was but a handful — some from the house, some from the field, some young, some not. As they made their way north and east each night, through thickets and rhododendron, through thunder and frost, through Alabama and into Georgia, they occasionally stumbled onto similar groups of former slaves who’d sought out the same lonely places, for the same reasons.

They didn’t know where they were heading, but they knew they couldn’t stay where they were and that was as true on this sleepy spring morning as it was the day they started walking out of Mississippi. Their ultimate destination was not a physical destination.

An uncertain future as free people, they decided, was almost as terrifying as the bondage they’d left miles behind them but at least it was a future that could be theirs and could be free from the cruelty of slavery.

Now, they counted 50 men, women and children among them, maybe more. It was getting harder and harder to keep their numbers known only to the moon, and it was getting harder and harder to keep them all fed, clothed and shod. Some of the feeblest of the group had already begun piling pine boughs and needles into small mounds where they’d bed down for the day, while the

“Passing through? To where?” Mack shot back.

“Just passing through,” Robert said.

With daylight fast disappearing over the horizon, Robert headed back down the main road toward the camp, too exhausted to fight the underbrush anymore. Mack walked beside Robert, who’d grown annoyed with Mack’s questions.

“Where y’all come from?” Mack continued.

Soldiers on horseback had begun freeing slaves in the U.S.-occupied territories of Mississippi shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, but Robert wasn’t part of that effort and had to wait until many months after Vicksburg fell to learn that he was free, at least as far as the government was concerned.

“I come from the coast myself,” said Mack. “Ended up here during the war. Ain’t really had no reason to stay, but ain’t really had no reason to leave, neither.”

Keeping up a brisk stride, Robert thought back to the faces and places he’d left

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the glistening green leaves of pungent spring ramps and took to a well-worn game trail that circled up a sharply sloping ruddy red knob.

Robert saw a break in the trees up ahead and thought he might be nearing town.

Instead, when he reached the top, a small, orderly collection of algae-dotted limestones presented themselves to him. In front of each, the ground formed a bowlshaped depression, some with raggedy white trillium flowers drooping lazily across them.

Taking a few delicate steps forward, he encountered a worn wooden sign that simply read, “Colored Cemetery.”

Names were near impossible to read, even though Robert could. There were rumors about Robert’s preferential treatment on the plantation, and his education, and his father, and why his skin was lighter than most of the people in his band. That’s why Louella had called out to him by name in the camp. That’s why it had to be him.

Robert squatted down over one of the graves and grasped sides of the tombstone like a sack of flour, running his thumbs through its eroded grooves in silence, over and over, trying to discern a 1 from a 7 and a 3 from an 8 from a 9 until he grew tired and propped himself up against the stone and fell fast asleep.

With the sun directly over his head he woke feeling that something wasn’t quite right, but he shrugged it off to the turkey buzzards taking to the skies all around him.

He stood up, continuing on his way, crossing the same creek again and following its course until he found saddled up to its far bank a churning, whirling grist mill.

There, on the outskirts of town, Robert watched as white farmers came and went in wagons, sometimes with Black laborers.

He knew better than to take their presence as an invitation and remained concealed at a safe distance on the opposite bank — looking for the things you don’t see, listening for the things you don’t hear.

There’s a difference between freedom and being free, he thought to himself, while trying to decide if it was worth the risk for him to cross over and see about finding someone willing to let him do some work.

Lost in that thought, he stood for what seemed like hours, watching them come, watching them go, until a noise he thought only existed in his head turned out to be the sound of leaves and acorns crunching loudly underfoot behind him.

“We found you in the burying ground.

We was wonderin’ where you coming from, or going to,” said Mack, the taller of the two men who’d followed Robert. Both of them were Black, much to Robert’s relief.

They’d talked with him in hushed voices for a while, glancing furtively at the workers shuffling in and out of the mill, and told him there was no work to be found and that he should just move on if he didn’t want trouble.

“We … I have a sick child,” Robert told them.

Mack’s face lit up.

“You have people? There’s more of you?

Where y’all stay at?” he asked.

“Nowhere,” Robert said. “Just passing through.”

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Smoky Mountain News

February 24-March 2, 2021

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“Don’t worry,” he told Louella. “He’s Black too.”

Brushing the grass with her hands as she walked, Louella met Robert and Mack a few yards outside the camp, so as not to rouse those who were still asleep.

“Who’s this?” she asked, nodding apprehensively at Mack.

“Where is she?” Robert asked in return.

Louella took Robert by the hand and hustled him through the darkened camp, around the sleeping bodies, past the glowing embers of the fire they’d smelled. Leading him to the child she’d cradled moments earlier, Louella watched Robert pull a foggy glass bottle out of the back pocket of his pants. It read, “Dr. Ander’s Bone and Nerve Liniment” and was half-full of a strongsmelling brownish liquid.

He removed the cap, poured some on his hands, rubbed them together and grasped the child by the arm, rubbing it into her dark brown skin, kneading and massaging her tiny muscles, all the way up to the shoulder. She gave a short yelp, but never roused from her slumber.

“Thank you,” her mother said, looking up at him, only the whites of her dark brown eyes visible to him. “Thank you, Robert.”

“Thank Mack here,” Robert replied. “He knew someone who had some so I didn’t have to work for it or buy it.”

Louella again glanced at Mack, slightly less suspicious of him than the last time.

“It’s late and you’re tired and probably hungry, too,” Louella said, her eyes shifting to meet Robert’s. “We should stay another night here. It’s been pretty quiet all day, I think we’ll be alright for one more night.

Everyone could use a little more rest before we go on.”

Robert thought for a second but couldn’t get any words out before the sentry who’d spotted him and Mack coming back into camp trotted up to them with concerning urgency.

“Louella, somebody coming,” he said softly.

“Is he white?” Louella asked him.

“Too dark, can’t tell. And he’s got a hat on,” he said.

Robert gripped the bottle by the neck, stood up and followed the watchman back to the perimeter, with Mack trailing closely behind. Dropping to all fours, they crawled some distance from the camp, and then sat silently with their heads just slightly above the grass.

They still couldn’t see him clearly, but they could hear the shhhh-shhhh sound his canvas trousers made as he brushed against the tufts of grass. Shhhh-shhhh, closer with each step, shhhh-shhhh. Mack grew more agitated with each step, shifting his weight onto his knees.

As the noise grew louder, the intruder couldn’t have been more than a few yards away when Mack took a deep breath and puffed out his chest, whole body shivering, ready either for flight, or for fight. Shhhhshhhh.

Once the man had passed them by, Robert grabbed Mack by the elbow and yanked him up, roughly, all three men now 8 standing.

“Jim!” Mack shouted at the back of the man who’d been with him when they discovered Robert near the mill. “Jim what you doin’ out here this time of night, mean to scare us half to death?”

Jim, equally startled, turned quickly to face them and reflexively drew his fists up in front of his face. Recognizing Mack and eyeballing the other two men, Jim let his arms slowly slump to his waist.

Robert put the bottle back in his pocket.

“They know. They comin’. Leave this place,” Jim said. “Leave right now.”

Spring became late summer and nights were short so for several weeks they made less progress than usual, but most of the group had grown stronger thanks to the long day-sleeps and relative abundance of pokeweed and dandelions and scallions, not to mention all the berries and mushrooms.

Soon there would be apples.

They’d largely remained out of the mountains, instead skirting the piedmont nestled against their southern face, progressing generally northeast. Many of the older members of the group had ailments or infirmities that they’d nursed their entire lives — like a badly-healed break or bone-on-bone joints — and couldn’t bear to cross the Blue Ridge.

That became unavoidable as they pushed through North Georgia into the far western corner of South Carolina, which little resembled the sandy beaches and booming urban ports down on the coast. Rugged and deserted with some peaks reaching over 3,000 feet, the landscape took its toll on Robert’s evergrowing band but at least allowed them to travel out in the open, during the day.

From the shade of a large rock overhang they’d adopted for the past week, Louella saw on a trail far below Robert returning to the camp. A few steps back was the man he’d brought him four days prior, same black suit, same black shoes, same black hat, same black face.

When Louella stood up, Mack saw her and knew it was time and began to gather the others, following her up a winding path that ended atop the overhang at a grassy bald. There, nearly a hundred of them circled around two crudely rigged wooden crosses that were held together with a few turns of hemp cord. From their bases rose two oblong mounds of freshly-piled dirt, one about the size of a man but the newest, a small child.

With Robert was an itinerant preacher who’d come from Cross Anchor but had been staying nearby. Louella led the group in song until Rev. Ezel took his place between the graves.

“Shall we pray? God in Heaven, we thank you for this day and for all of the things that are good,” he began, just as he did when he said it for Jim. “Again, we come to you in our time of need and pray that you give us

THE THINGS YOU DON’T HEAR understanding and peace, as we all will follow Jim and now dear Alice to your kingdom, the happy land where none shall know sorrow, in Jesus’ name we pray Amen.”

After Mack’s brother died — he just dropped, during a strenuous ascent, like a heap of laundry — Robert and Louella thought it best to linger for a few days out of respect. Ruth, mother of baby Alice, preferred not to dwell and wanted to move on.

“What are you looking for?” Rev. Ezel asked Robert later, campfire flames flickering about the overhang. “You know you can’t walk forever. Be out of these hills by fall, but you know you can’t walk forever.”

Robert stared at the ground. He didn’t have an answer.

“We are all on this journey,” the reverend continued. “We’re all on this journey to the Kingdom of God, but you’ve got to find your joy, your place, your happy land on this world while you wait to go on to the next.”

About a week later, everyone packed up and left Jim and Alice, their graves known to none but them and the moon that cast a long midnight shadow of the crosses over dewy sedge. Moving east, day by day, and driven down from the mountains by an unusual stretch of late September chill, they finally descended into a knife-shaped valley a mile wide and 10 miles long, maybe more.

Louella out in front, Robert in the back, their own column now stretched nearly a quarter-mile in length. Cresting a hill, Louella spotted in the distance a wide, wellmaintained road teeming with activity.

Carriages, wagons, and men on horseback passed in both directions, north to south. Some walked. A few had mules. All of them were carrying something, or pulling something, or pushing something. Meat.

Molasses. Black men. White men.

Robert soon caught up to Louella and watched with her for a time until he and Mack, under her vigilant watch, made their way down to the road.

“I know what this is,” Mack said, as they drew near. “I been on this.”

“What?” said Robert. “What is this?”

“Say!” Mack shouted to an oncoming stagecoach, waving his hand at the Black driver. “What road is this?”

Skidding his team to a slow trot, the driver could only shout as he passed.

“This here is the Buncombe Turnpike and we headed for Asheville,” he said, leaving them in a cloud of dirt.

Mack knew it, and told Robert.

“You go that way, you get through Columbia and down to the Low Country.

You go this way,” Mack said, pointing at the

cloud of dirt, “and you get up in them mountains. Every year, in the summer, we used to ‘company the man of the house and his bride up here from Port Royal. Get away from that heat.”

It took some convincing to get Louella on board, but when Robert and Mack explained that going back up into the mountains might get them off the road for the winter she reluctantly went along with the plan, which was to stagger their insertion onto the northbound road in groups of five or 10 so as not to arouse any more suspicion than a group of 150 former slaves carrying nothing and going nowhere might normally arouse.

Several days up the road, after crossing into North Carolina’s Henderson County, Louella stopped at an intersection to sit beneath a tall pink myrtle soaking up the waning light of fall. When the whole group caught up, Robert among the last of them, their eyes met and she called out to him by name.

“What are you looking for?” Rev. Ezel asked him later, campfire flames flickering about the overhang. “You know you can’t walk forever. Be out of these hills by fall, but you know you can’t walk forever.”

It was only getting colder and harder and it was all uphill, and everyone was tired.

Something had to change or equilibrium would ensure they’d eventually all waste away or worse, grow so large as a group as to bring misfortune on the lot of them.

Anyways, another little one was sick.

“Robert, you know it has to be you,” Louella said.

He headed up the road in search of liniment — always that damned liniment — until right about nightfall, when he heard the telltale squealing of a rusty chain, swinging in the blustery winds blowing down from above. A whittled wood sign hanging on a pole had broken from one of its rusty mounts. Holding it in his hands, Robert could see that it said “Oakland Inn,” with an arrow pointing at a road that went up a ways but terminated at a large, rundown house drawing him in by the warm glow of its fire light.

The sound of his boots on the plank porch leading to the front door shook Robert, no less than when he pounded his fist on front door, polite and firm. Hoping for the best, Robert swallowed hard when he heard the light footsteps approach and the bolt click and slide and he saw the door jerk open. Jammed out the crack was the bonnetclad head of the smallest, oldest white woman Robert had ever seen.

“I’m Widow Davis,” she scowled. “What are you looking for?”

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nearly 900 acres in the Green River area of what was then Buncombe County.

With his bride Septa (sometimes spelled Sarepta) Davis and his family ran an inn and stagecoach stop along the Buncombe Turnpike in a settlement he called Oakland, just outside of modern-day Tuxedo, in Henderson County.

The parcel backed right up to the South Carolina line, which proved a notable feature.

The famed Vance-Carson duel took place on the far southwestern flank of the property in 1827. Asheville native Robert Vance was Gov. Zebulon Vance’s uncle and a one-term congressman elected in 1822. He saw electoral defeat handed him by Marion-born Samuel Price Carson, a state senator, in 1824 and again in 1826. Owing to the heated nature of the campaigns, Vance challenged Carson to a duel.

Dueling had been illegal in North Carolina since 1802, so they stepped across the property line, into South Carolina. Vance never fired, but Carson put a ball in Vance’s hip. Vance was taken to Davis’ inn, and died there a day later. Congressman Davey 9

Smoky Mountain News

aybe it all happened that way and maybe it didn’t, but the truth is that very little is known about Robert Montgomery before he and the rest of his band established what came to be known as The Kingdom of the Happy Land on Septa Merritt Davis’ farm right after the Civil War. What’s known after isn’t much more, right down to the true identities of its most captivating figures.

“Most Blacks, the names that we have are not ours,” said Ronnie Pepper, a Henderson County native and historian. “When we came from Africa, our language was taken, our names was taken, our songs, our dance, they tried to push that down, so those names are not ours. We were made to forget all of that, because we were not people, but slaves.”

In fact, there’s but one lone source for the saga of the Happy Land, a 16-page pamphlet published by Stevens Press in 1957 for Sadie Smathers Patton, a local historian. She called it “a dim and tattered page” of Henderson County’s history.

Although the publication does provide crucial details regarding The Kingdom of the Happy Land, the story has mostly been preserved by storytellers like Pepper.

“What we can say about Robert Montgomery, that he was a man, and about the Kingdom, that it did exist,” he said. “It’s been documented.”

What’s known is that Col. John Davis, born in Virginia in 1782, had fought under Andrew Jackson in the battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, before purchasing

February 24-March 2, 2021

Henderson County historian Ronnie Pepper speaks at a Saluda church in October, 2019. Cory Vaillancourt photo

February 24-March 2, 2021

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We’ll probably never know what sort of deal Montgomery struck with the Widow Davis, but because of Patton’s book and Pepper’s stories, we do know that it resulted in a significant settlement of free Blacks on Davis’ farm by 1866 or 1867.

Septa (sometimes spelled Serepta) Davis owned the land that would eventually become The Kingdom of the Happy Land. Stevens Press photo

Smoky Mountain News

Crockett was a witness to this duel, as his wife Elizabeth Patton was from Swannanoa. They were there as friends of Carson, who continued serving in Congress until 1833 until moving to Texas (with Crockett) and signing the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836.

Sometime around 1859, Col. Davis passed away, leaving the elderly Septa and their son Tom to manage the sprawling 200acre plot that served as home to the inn. It’s not known if they had slaves before the Civil War, but if they did, by the time Robert Montgomery arrived they’d either run off or been freed, leaving the grounds in a terrible state of disrepair.

We’ll probably never know what sort of deal Montgomery struck with the Widow Davis, but because of Patton’s book and Pepper’s stories, we do know that it resulted in a significant settlement of free Blacks on Davis’ farm by 1866 or 1867. Perhaps they worked for her. Perhaps they worked with her. In any case, the residents of the Kingdom built for themselves a new civilization that provided basic needs to its residents for near10 ly four decades.

THE THINGS YOU DON’T HEAR “This community worked together and pooled their resources,” Pepper said. “They worked for surrounding families. They farmed. They mined. They used the skills that they brought from Africa, that they learned here in the states as slaves, and that benefited them and that benefited others.”

They also benefitted from the trade that took place along the turnpike, bartering with travelers for crops and transporting their own goods to and from market. They even produced their own brand of liniment — at the time, snake-oil patent medicines made from various herbs and grain alcohol or turpentine — called Happy Land Liniment.

The form of self-governance they took on was unique, in its time and place. Although it was called a “Kingdom” and did indeed have a king, all economic activity flowed through King Robert in a very communal way. When residents of the Kingdom would hire themselves out to work for others in the area,

they’d give King Robert their wages, and he’d spend them on necessaries to ensure the Kingdom’s agricultural operations could continue.

Fortune smiled on the Kingdom as it slowly became established as a beacon for free Blacks in the region. Peak population estimates range from 50 to 200, but some suppose it could have been more than 400. In the spring of 1882, a deed conveyed ownership rights of more than 200 acres from J.H. Goodwin and Sarah Goodwin (Septa’s daughter) to Robert and Louella Montgomery.

King Robert did not rule alone — conflicting accounts say Louella was Robert’s wife, or sister, or sister-in-law — but all accounts agree she became known as “Queen Louella.”

Dr. Dana Patterson, director for the Office of Intercultural Affairs at Western Carolina University, calls the idea of a Black Queen in North Carolina, at a time when even white women couldn’t vote, intriguing.

“In African values, this idea of having women hold very high and very prominent places within the community is something that dates back to traditional African societies — matriarchal communities,” said

Patterson. “Even a lot of African American families today are still led by grandmothers and aunties who are of a certain age. These women are the holders of the knowledge and the holders of the culture.”

Queen Louella seems to have filled that role nicely. She formed and led a choir called The Kingdom Singers and helped establish a church and a school in the Kingdom.

“I would think that when any group of freed slaves would have come together in a community that was one of the first things they would have wanted to do,” said Patterson, who is also the newly-elected head of the Jackson County Branch of the NAACP. “They’re two institutions that would have been very important, as they are still very important in the Black community today.”

Around the turn of the century the Kingdom began to decline — not due to internal strife nor to external oppression, but for purely economic reasons. With the coming of the railroad nearby the Buncombe Turnpike, the entire business model of the Kingdom was upended.

Eventually the land was sold, several times, and today is owned by an LLC that grows legal cannabis to produce its own line of CBD products. No signs of the Kingdom are visible from the road, and the owners have expressed a desire for privacy while also acknowledging the historic nature of the property on their website.

Not a single record survives of what happened to Robert, or Louella, or anyone else in the Kingdom after it ceased to exist. Rumor has it some may have moved to Hendersonville, or East Flat Rock. Others may have joined the existing Black communities in Asheville, Franklin, Sylva or Waynesville. Others yet may still reside in the Kingdom of the Happy Land, in a purported cemetery.

Many of the Kingdom’s enduring facades may have faded away into history like the grave markers in countless Appalachian family cemeteries, but the impact of this historical tale still reverberates across generational divides, and racial lines.

“It’s a joyful story,” Pepper said. “Our stories are similar. We struggle. We have to overcome. Everything’s not perfect. We have more things in common than we realize.”

Developer withdraws Cashiers Hillside application

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A public hearing on a text amendment dealing with the maximum building size allowed in the Cashiers area will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, March 22, via Zoom.

The issue emerged during the quasijudicial hearing session Jan. 25 when John Noor, attorney for property owners opposed to the Cashiers Hillside Development, argued that the application should be denied because many buildings proposed in the plan exceeded the 5,000-square-foot limit stated in the Cashiers Small Area Plan.

However, said Planning Director Michael Poston, no such limit was found in the ordinance text, nor had one been intended.

The limit appeared only as part of an explanatory graphic embedded with the text and had been errantly included in the updated ordinance. He proposed that the council hold a public hearing on the matter and then consider a text amendment to clarify the issue.

However, the hearing is likely to gather more participation than the typical semantic ordinance change. Many residents following the Cashiers hillside proposal feel that the ordinance should include some kind of upper limit on building size.

“We can’t simply delete and have no limit on building sizes in Cashiers,” Paul Anderson, spokesperson for Develop Cashiers Responsibly, told the council Feb. 22. “We need a planning process that will address this and come up with some specific guidance on that.”

To sign up for public comment at the March 22 meeting, contact Allison Kelly at allisonkelly@jacksonnc.org or 828.631.2261.

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Cashiers community, we were able to hold the developer accountable to the rules,” reads a statement on the website for Develop Cashiers Responsibly, an organization that formed to oppose the development. “After having submitted a revised but no-less-problematic plan to the county, the developer temporarily withdrew its special use permit application on Feb. 9. But in its withdrawal letter, it said that it planned to submit a new application in the ‘very near future.’ So, it would appear that this developer with his strong inclination for super-sized development is not gone or going away.”

The proposed development would be constructed on a 55.5-acre area located in the southeast corner of the U.S. 64/N.C. 107 crossroads. The original plan called for a total of 726 residential units, while the amended plan Macauley floated Jan. 25 would contain 581. Cashiers is currently estimated to have only about 1,500 full-time residents, though that population swells up toward 30,000 during the summertime.

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February 24-March 2, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen it was first scheduled, the Feb. 22 meeting of the Cashiers Area Community Planning Council was expected to be a full day of tedious testimony and detailed cross examination as the body conducted a quasi-judicial hearing to determine the fate of a massive development proposed for Cashiers.

However, the meeting ended almost as soon as it began after Jackson County Planning Director Michael Poston introduced a letter from the d developer’s attorney Craig Justus, asking to t withdraw the applicad tion.

“On behalf of my client, I am authorized f to inform you and the County that Macauley Investments LLC has Michael Poston d decided to withdraw its d current application for a special use permit for the above referenced project, which is scheduled to be presented for continued y hearing on Feb. 22, 2021, before the Cashier Community Planning Council,” Justus wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 9. “We look forward to renewing our request for development t approval in the very near future.”

The withdrawal came following an all-day quasi-judicial hearing session Jan. 25 in which, after hours of testimony and crossexamination based on the application subl mitted last fall, developer Stephen Macauley t took the stand toward the end of the afternoon and told the council that in response to community concerns he would offer a revised plan featuring a reduction in housing density.

Council voted to accept the amended plan, pending a technical review by county staff, but the move elicited vigorous opposition from John Noor, the Asheville-based attorney representing property owners who r oppose the proposed development. Noor said that Macauley was essentially offering an entirely new plan that would require an entirely new review from the experts his r clients had retained, placing undue financial burden on people who were already paying d thousands of dollars out of pocket to keep the proposed development at bay. Noor also criticized Macauley’s decision to delay announcing the new plan until the very end of the day.

Justus’ Feb. 9 letter means that the Cashiers Hillside project won’t get approval l anytime in the immediate future, but it also makes clear that the company intends to return with a revised proposal. The issue is far from dead.

“Thanks to the efforts of Develop Cashiers Responsibly and the support of the

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Foxfire and BPR team up for COVID-19 oral history project

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ince the beginning of the pandemic, Foxfire has been collecting stories, memories, photographs and artifacts related to the experiences of people in Appalachia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Blue Ridge Public Radio is partnering with the project to help expand its reach and focus on collecting stories from Western North Carolina.

Foxfire is not new to the art of listening to peoples’ stories. Since its early days as a classroom English project at Rabun GapNacoochee school in Northeast Georgia in 1966, Foxfire has worked to listen and document the stories and experiences of Appalachian people. Over its 55-year history, Foxfire has created a series of anthologies, magazines and an oral history archive documenting the life and history of Southern Appalachia.

The women leading the charge to document COVID-19 oral histories bring an abundance of knowledge and passion for storytelling to the project.

Kami Ahrens joined Foxfire in 2017 as assistant curator and educational outreach coordinator. Her academic background is in anthropology and archeology with an emphasis on museum studies, specifically material, culture and identity.

“I’ve always been incredibly interested in the everyday perspective of ordinary people, especially when it comes to history. I think those are where a lot of the gaps in our historical record are. I think that by speaking to people and learning their stories, that we can start to fill in those gaps,” Ahrens said. “And I think those stories become the bridge between our present and our past and help us to understand where we came from and the things that happened and how we can learn from those lessons and navigate our present.”

At a staff meeting in March 2020, just as COVID-19 was emerging in the United States and pandemic restrictions were being put in place, Ahrens introduced the idea for a crowd-sourced oral history project about the developing global event. Her fellow staff members agreed that the project aligned with the Foxfire’s mission and work began to get the message out to people of Southern

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Appalachia: we want to hear your stories.

The project expanded over the summer with the work of five high school students as part of Foxfire’s summer leadership program. Over the course of eight weeks, the team conducted 40 interviews via Zoom with local businesses, educators and other individuals about the impact of the pandem-

people sound when they’re explaining something really personal, and I think it’s really hard to replicate that outside of radio,” she said.

Growing up in Franklin and reporting on Western North Carolina for BPR, Knoepp was no stranger to Foxfire or its work. Like many media outlets these days, BPR has

ic in the Appalachian community. Collection efforts continued through the fall, which is when Lilly Knoepp, regional reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio, reached out about collaborating on this project in honor of the anniversary of the pandemic.

Knoepp is the first full-time regional reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio, covering everything west of Asheville. She knew she wanted to be a journalist, she says, after accidentally joining the newspaper in high school. Once the work of putting out the paper began, she was hooked.

“I realized that it was really fun that you could make a whole career out of just kind of talking to people and telling their stories,” said Knoepp. “I was a really big reader when I was a little kid and I started talking to people for journalism class and I realized that real people are even more interesting than the characters in a lot of books.”

After graduate school in journalism, Knoepp fell in love with radio. She says it has something to do with hearing people’s voices when they are sharing their stories.

“It’s just really nice to hear exactly how

committed a large majority of its time to reporting on stories related to COVID-19 over the past year. It has even encouraged listeners to share their stories with BPR as they related to the pandemic.

Knoepp and Ahrens saw where their work converged and understood that combining forces could improve the reach and breadth of story collection. Collaborating with BPR has allowed Foxfire to refresh and reintroduce the COVID-19 oral history project to the public, emphasizing collection in Western North Carolina. Foxfire and BPR will share interviews and oral histories to be both archived and broadcasted.

“As public historians, we have a responsibility and interest to capture history as it happens around us, and to engage the community in that pursuit,” said Ahrens.

“Historical moments like this drastically shape who we are as a culture, as a nation.

Collecting oral histories offers a personal connection to the past and allows individuals the opportunity to help write history from their own perspective, creating a more diverse and robust historical narrative.”

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The team at BPR will work to collect more stories from the pandemic, archive the numerous interviews related to COVID-19 from the past year, and amplify the crowdsourcing efforts of Foxfire to engage more people with the oral history project.

Foxfire has over 2,700 oral histories in its archive from the past 55 years which, Ahrens says, have been useful for people during this time of uncertainty.

“It’s been a really interesting time for Foxfire because a lot of people have turned to the Foxfire books to relearn those tangible skills that are preserved in those oral histories.”

Though the Foxfire project didn’t start until 1966, its collection reaches much farther back into the history of Appalachia.

“They have oral histories of people who were a hundred years old remembering the 1918 pandemic. So being able to preserve what’s happening here in Western North Carolina, during COVID-19 right now is something people are going to be able to look back on in the future and really learn from,” Knoepp said.

Both Knoepp and Ahrens have listened and documented the stories of Appalachian people throughout this pandemic and have observed as perspective has shifted and grown. Both women understand the value of documenting that perspective for the future, as well as the connection storytelling creates for the present.

“Perhaps the strongest theme in all the interviews is a need for face-to-face connection and physical engagement with a community,” said Ahrens. “Everyone has been so creative in their search for connection, and I am constantly impressed with the imaginative ways people have found to recreate experiences and community on a digital level. All examples of our resiliency.”

BPR will be launching this project with a series of features beginning Friday, March 5.

Foxfire is currently sharing its stories in the bi-annual Foxfire magazine, the “It Still Lives” Foxfire podcast and on social media @foxfire on Facebook and Instagram.

To share your story via audio recording, journal entry, photograph or video, visit www.foxfire.org/covid19 or email covidhistory@foxfire.org.

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your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news

February 24-March 2, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

International private equity firm Cinven recently announced that it has agreed to make a significant investment into Drake Software, a provider of software for tax preparers headquartered in Franklin.

Financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed. Drake is a leading provider of professional tax preparation software. It provides the tools and resources that tax professionals need to build their businesses and attract new clients. Drake employs more than 600 people across five offices in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. More than 64,000 tax professionals nationwide use Drake, and each year the company processes more than 33 million federal and state-accepted returns. The business was established in 1977 by founder Phil Drake.

Building on its successful investment in Visma, a provider of Enterprise Resource Planning software and services — including accounting, tax and payroll applications — Cinven’s Technology, Media and Telecom (‘TMT’) Sector team worked closely with its U.S. team to identify Drake as an attractive investment opportunity, given the resilience and stability of the professional tax preparation market; Drake’s best-in-class reputation with its customers, evidenced by its marketleading customer retention rates and high recurring revenues; its market leading position, with the opportunity for further organic and acquisitive growth and the quality and breadth of the company’s software, with recent success in cross-selling new products and opportunities for the introduction of add-on products.

Cinven will be working with the highly experienced Drake management team, with Jamie Stiles continuing in his role as president and CEO of Drake Software.

“This is a truly outstanding opportunity for Cinven to invest behind a team that has not only built a product that is loved by its customers, but also has a well-established position in a stable market with a wide range of exciting growth prospects,” said Chris Good, partner at Cinven. “We believe Cinven is well positioned to support the company through its next stage of growth, especially given its track record of investing successfully in technology-focused companies such as Visma and Jaggaer.”

“We are delighted to have the chance to work with Jamie and the Drake management team. We plan to invest behind the company’s growth plans to expand Drake’s presence in the market, renew its technology platform, and enhance its product offerings for the benefit of Drake’s employees and customers,” Daniel Garin, principal at Cinven.

The transaction is subject to customary anti-trust approvals. Ropes & Gray LLP provided legal advice to Cinven on the transaction. Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. provided legal advice to Drake Software.

Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC acted as financial advisor to Drake Software.

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International equity firm invests in Drake Software

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Drug sting wraps up in Macon County

Smoky Mountain News

February 24-March 2, 2021

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said a Macon County woman who was arrested as part of a multiple-person drug sting will serve at least 120 months in prison.

Pamela Nicole “Nikki” Wykle, 44, of Franklin, pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to two counts sell/deliver methamphetamine and trafficking methamphetamine.

In addition to active prison time, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward ordered her to pay a $50,000 fine.

Wykle’s plea marks the successful conclusion to officials’ efforts to curb a largescale methamphetamine operation that served as a drug pipeline from Atlanta, Georgia into Western North Carolina.

The Macon County Sheriff ’s Office launched an investigation after a suspect on Jan. 1, 2019, admitted to buying 13 grams of methamphetamine from Wykle.

A week later, on Jan. 7, 2019, Christopher Wikstrom, 48, of Toccoa, Georgia, was arrested as part of a traffic stop.

Investigators found more than 200 grams of methamphetamine in his possession.

Wikstrom admitted he had made at

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least 10 trips to the Atlanta, Georgia area, carrying, he said, “large amounts of money provided by methamphetamine dealers in Macon County,” including Wykle. He said on each trip he purchased between a quarter pound and half kilo of methamphetamine.

Wikstrom ultimately pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine and was sentenced to 70- to 93-months in prison.

Meanwhile, detectives were setting up a total of three controlled purchases at Wykle’s home on Cat Creek Road. The final buy took place April 10, 2019, and she was arrested.

As part of the drug sting, detectives kept Wykle’s home under surveillance, leading to the arrest of Kenneth Underwood, 51, of Otto. He was observed at Wykle’s residence.

Underwood was arrested the same day as Wykle, on April 10, 2019. Investigators found about 1,100 grams of methamphetamine in his possession. A suspect in his car, Melissa Burch, 41, of Franklin, also was arrested.

Underwood pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine and received a sentence of at least 225 months and up to 282 months in prison, plus a $250,000 fine.

Burch pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking and was sentenced to serve 24 to 35 months in prison.

Assistant District Attorney John Hindsman Jr. served as case prosecutor.

Changes, upgrades coming to Maggie festival grounds

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Town of Maggie Valley recently decided on several upgrades and changes to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds this month. The town purchased property that will be used for additional parking, purchased a gate to be installed along the western side of the grounds and changed the amplified music noise ordinance.

At a special called meeting Feb. 15, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to purchase the 1.05-acre parcel located at 3399 Soco Road. The town will pay $185,000 to the Hobby Family Liquidating Trust. The tax value of the land is $214,500.

The trust will pay property taxes for 2019 and 2020 and the town will pay title insurance and surveying costs.

The property is located directly across Soco Road from the festival grounds and will be used as public parking and as parking for the festival grounds. The lot is currently vacant and was previously home to the Sweet Briar Motel, which was demolished several years ago. For the last several years the lot has been used as auxiliary for the town and people attending festival ground events.

“I don’t think you’re going to see any huge changes to that in the short term, once we formally acquire the property, but I think long term, the town’s plans would be to maximize that area for a true parking lot, which would mean asphalt surface upgrades, landscape upgrades, et cetera,” said Maggie Valley Town manager Nathan Clark.

At the regular scheduled board meeting Feb. 9, the board approved purchasing a 20foot gate to be installed along the western side of the grounds for $3,374 from Asheville Fence.

Adding a gate at the western side of the grounds opens up another location for guests to enter and exit the festival grounds.

According to Clark, there had been interest from event promoters to offer more ingress and egress to the western side, allowing people to come and go in a more socially dis-

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tanced manner. Clark said the town also decided to put up the fence because it would help make the festival grounds safer.

Additionally, the town board voted to change a section of the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds rules and procedures regarding noise.

The town’s noise ordinance did not change, and has remained the same since 2012. The festival grounds are exempt from the town noise ordinance and follow its own set of rules and procedures laid out by the town.

Previously, the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds Rules and Procedures stated that all amplified noise must end by 11 p.m. The new rule, approved unanimously, states that all amplified noise must end by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Historically, the festival grounds had been used for events Thursday through Sunday afternoon. However, with social distancing affecting the entertainment industry in 2020, Maggie Valley Festival Grounds became host to several drive-in concerts last year. Though most of those concerts took place on weekends, some took place mid-week.

“I just wanted to make that change to be sensitive for those that are working, trying to get to school, 11 o’clock on Sunday through Thursday nights can be a little bit late to be rocking out with live music and just want to be more respectful and consider the people that are adjacent or in earshot of the grounds and lower that down a little bit and to have that 10 o’clock cutoff be the new time,” said Clark.

According to Clark this change did not come in response to any significant amount of pushback from the public about late night, amplified music.

“This is just something that we noticed,” said Clark. “The festival grounds is changing, this was a change that we saw and we saw a lot of potential in what the Gray Eagle has brought to us. But then also at the same time we wanted to change our rules and procedures to account for those changes that were, good change.”

Hillbilly Winter Jam 2021 Abused, neglected Eat, drink and … well, drink some more at children need your help this year’s annual Hillbilly Winter Jam in Maggie Valley.

On Thursday, Feb. 25, join fellow jammers at the Valley Tavern, 2550 Soco Road, for karaoke from 6 to 9 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 26, head back to the Valley Tavern for South Mountain Distilling Company’s release party, with drinks from 1 to 4 p.m., then stick around for the Ryan Perry Band from 6 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 27, meet and greet your favorite television moonshiners from 1 to 4 p.m. at Dave and Sue Angel’s Elevated Mountain Distilling Company, 3732 Soco Road. All events are free except the meet and greet, where a $3 cover will go to the PAWS animal shelter of Bryson City. www.thehillbillyjam.com.

In Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, the rights of vulnerable children are being lost in the shuffle of a strained system.

Last month, of the 315 children currently before the court for having been abused or neglected, 37 had no volunteer advocate to speak up for them. You can help be that voice by becoming a Guardian ad Litem. The GAL program is currently accepting applications for child advocates and will begin near the end of March.

Call 828.454.6513 or email Maria.L.Parrish@nccourts.org. To submit an application, visit www.volunteerforgal.org or www.facebook.com/30th-District-NCGuardian-ad-Litem.

Education

Smoky Mountain News

WCU professor receives public service award Dr. Billy Ogletree of Western Carolina University received the 2020 Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service.

The award honors faculty who exemplify the University’s commitment to service and community engagement. Created in 2007 and renamed in 2013 to honor former governor, James E. Holshouser, Jr., the award is designed to “encourage, identify, recognize and reward public service by employees of the University.”

As WCU’s Catherine Brewer Smith Distinguished Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Ogletree has written three influential books and published or presented nearly 100 referred works, which have made major contributions to research in the field of severe developmental disabilities and autism.

Over the course of 28 years at WCU, Ogletree has prioritized preparing both future and working therapists, scholars, and teachers to lead the way in supporting those with speech-language pathologies. He has Dr. Billy Ogletree secured nearly $4 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to help support more than 175 student scholars.

Ogletree will receive a $7,500 stipend and a bronze medallion in honor of his work.

WCU students advance in financial competition Sophia Spangler and Kristen Revis, students in Western Carolina University’s College of Business, are advancing to the national finals in a financial planning competition held by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants.

Open to undergraduate students who are enrolled in a financial services curriculum, teams undertake a fictional case narrative and from it craft a financial plan, which is judged for effectiveness and potential for success.

Spangler and Revis will present their plans virtually during a championship round to be held at the organization’s annual meeting on April 22 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Patrick Payne, WCU associate professor of finance and competition adviser, said the students have worked hard and even came to campus between semesters just to prepare their presentations.

“This is a prestigious competition,” he said.

“There are routinely over 100 competitors from more than 60 different universities that compete each year. For two of the four finalists to be from WCU is a monumental personal achievement for these students, as well as a testament to the quality of education that WCU can provide.”

Farm Bureau offers scholarship Scholarships are available to graduating Haywood County seniors who have a degree of need coupled with a serious commitment to community service. Haywood County Farm Bureau members will have first priority.

Students must be graduating seniors, currently enrolled in a Haywood County School, or enrolled in a two or four-year school and a resident of Haywood County. Students must have a

2.5 GPA or better and planning to enroll in an approved post-secondary program (technical/community, junior college, or a fouryear institution.) The applicant must be studying some form of agriculture.

Application forms may be acquired at Haywood County Farm Bureau, 1520 Asheville Rd, Waynesville, NC. Applications must be submitted by April 5, by mail or delivered to: Haywood County Farm Bureau Attention: Scholarship Committee Chair, 1520 Asheville Rd., Waynesville, NC, 28786.

New vendor for Jackson substitutes Jackson County Public Schools has partnered with ESS to manage the recruitment, hiring, training and placement of substitute teachers and school aides effective on or before March 15.

The ESS platform allows substitutes to pick from available assignments through a user-friendly online system. JCPS encourages family and community members to apply for one of the many substitute opportunities that are currently open.

Training and support will be provided by ESS. Individuals interested in substitute teaching for Jackson County Public Schools can call Teshia McIver at 803.335.6717 for more information or complete the online application at www.ess.jobs.

HCC grad receives military accolades Christopher “Shane” Smith, 1995 Haywood Community College Fish & Wildlife Management Technology graduate, recently returned from a four-month deployment overseas where he earned seven awards for distinguished assistance to the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

He used his expertise as a Wildlife Biologist with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

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cation offerings, most of which will transfer to any public — and most private — four-year institutions in North Carolina. Online tutoring and all of SCC’s other support options will be available to all students who sign up.

To get started, apply online at www.southwesterncc.edu. Contact SCC Enrollment Services at 828.339.4352 or admissions@southwesterncc.edu for additional information.

Haywood coach gets state recognition

Wildlife Services to reduce aviation hazards on coalitions airbases. This was his second tour overseas.

According to a press release from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Smith was “recognized for his efforts by the US Air Force Central Command with the Civilian Employee of the Month, Civilian Employee of the Quarter, Civilian Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Civilian Medal and the NATO medal given to service in the Joint Operations Area in Afghanistan. He also received the Civilian Exemplary Achievement Medal granted to Air Force civilian employees who served for at least one year, resulting in profound Air Force-wide documented impact.”

In Afghanistan, Smith conducted hazard assessments and managed wildlife hazards by patrolling the airfields and dealing with multinational personnel to accomplish tasks. Previously, Smith helped assist in the recovery efforts from the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

‘Enroll Anytime’ available at SCC Southwestern Community College is launching an “Enroll Anytime” selection of classes this semester.

Students can earn as much credit as they can fit into their schedules, and new sections begin every week from Feb. 1 through April 5. All classes end on May 13.

“We view this as a bridge for students who missed the initial opportunity this fall,” said Dr. Thom Brooks, Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at SCC. “They can begin — or continue — their college journeys immediately. Since these classes are entirely online, no one has to worry about exposure to COVID-19.”

“Enroll Anytime” classes are all general edu-

Haywood Community College success coach Farrah Rodriguez was named winner of the 2021 Staff of the Year Award by the State Board of Community Colleges.

The award recognizes “excellent performance and commitment to the community college mission by the non-teaching staff of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System and the System Office,” according to the NCCCS website.

Rodriguez advises over 800 students in 14 programs of study. Building strong relationships with students, she continuously displays selfless dedication and is able to uniquely identify and understand their problems to help solve them. As a graduate of HCC and a recent graduate of Gardner Webb University, Rodriguez uses her personal life experience and the challenges she has overcome to help students through similar situations.

As the top award winner, both Rodriguez and the HCC Foundation will receive a cash prize. The recipient is selected by a committee that recommends the winner to the State Board of Community Colleges.

Local woman awarded Zonta scholarship Rikki Bryant, studying for a Masters in Business Administration at Western Carolina University, has been awarded a Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship from District 11, Zonta International, having been nominated by the Zonta Club of the Franklin Area.

Zonta International is a world wide organization devoted to the empowerment of women and girls, with programs aimed to help every woman reach her full potential through international, national and local advocacy; education; and health and other support services. Zonta is working to end child marriage, to end violence against women, and to create equal opportunities for women in education and the workplace.

Bryant’s personal experiences led her to pursue a career in higher education fundraising. Born in Germany to military parents, she came to the U.S. as a toddler. Working at the University of North Carolina’s Health Foundation, she learned of their Global Health Initiatives and found her vocation.

Her career aspirations are to work for an international organization devoted to health and humanitarian aid.

For more information on this outstanding young woman, visit Rikki’s YouTube presentation at: https://youtu.be/QhJiOT06D1k.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Who can you trust to tell the truth?

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Trump deserved to be impeached To the Editor: Senator Patrick Leahy (eight-term Democratic senator from Vermont) recently wrote a column charging former President Trump with a dozen, well, transgressions, you might say. I’ll paraphrase for simplicity and space.

(1) Donald Trump failed to uphold his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, (2) emerged as the greatest threat to the Constitution and American democracy in a generation, (3) sparked the flames of sedition and fanned them relentlessly, (4) lied about the election in an effort to undermine Americans’ faith in our democracy, (5) promoted division, disruption and violence, (6) attempted to thwart our nation’s unbroken history of a constitutional and peaceful transfer of power, (7) incited and promoted a riot that laid siege to our Capitol building (the very heart of our democracy), (8) insurrectionists chanting Trump’s name viciously beat Capitol Police Officers protecting the building, (9) insurrectionists called for the death of the Vice President, (10) insurrectionists delayed Congress from fulfilling its constitutional duty of certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden, (11) they left a trail of destruction in their wake, including the deaths of five people, and (12) the former President of the United States fueled and exploited the dark undercurrent of insurrection.

Sen. Leahy also reminded us that even President Nixon understood he had to resign after his crimes were exposed; and that this former president’s crimes are far worse.

Former President Trump bears accountability for this attack and the fact that he has disavowed any responsibility for the violent assault on our democracy makes clear he was

and Blue Ridge Public Radio? Are we loathed or loved with the same intensity that those polled may have for CNN or Fox? We certainly don’t have the Sean Hannitys and Anderson Coopers endlessly trilling on from their hyper-partisan perspectives, either pissing people off or piping koombaya into someone’s echo chamber.

It’s certainly easier to distrust and find fault with the media when it comes to national and international reporting. I mean, I can read or listen to a story about the recent power outages in Texas or our diplomacy with Iran in a traditional media source — New York Times or Wall Street Journal, NPR — and then go onto the Editor web and find smaller, more partisan sites that tell a completely different story. If that alternative truth is out there on the web or comes straight from the mouth of an expert on nightly cable

Scott McLeod

nother poll, another reality check for the media: Americans don’t trust us. The question that comes to mind, for me, is who does the public does trust for reporting the news?

A Gallup poll released late last year revealed that 60 percent of Americans don’t think the media accurately and fairly reports the news, and 33 percent have absolutely no trust or confidence in the media. Finally, a whopping 27 percent have “not very much” trust in mass media (newspapers, television and radio).

The poll reveals a stark contrast based on political party affiliation. Of those with no confidence in the accuracy of mass media news reporting, 58 percent are Republicans, 35 percent are Independents, and 6 percent are Democrats.

I’ve argued in this space previously that lumping local news outlets as part of “the media” doesn’t really work, which makes it very difficult to ascertain what these national polls mean at our micro level. Do these poll numbers hold for The Smoky Mountain News, the Franklin Press, WPTL in Canton

LETTERS unworthy of the office he held and should have been removed.

It pains me deeply, as a 20-year Navy veteran, that so many veterans clearly have forgotten what their uniform and oath stand for, and chose (so wrongly) to participate in the insurrection of January 6 and that veterans’ organizations (the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and others) continue to remain deafeningly silent. These are not the veterans of WWI, WWII, or Korea.

Having failed to uphold his oath of office (which alone warranted impeachment), senators who voted to acquit former President Trump are irresponsible, derelict in their duty and, having put the interests of their party and their own self-serving welfare above that of the national interest, are, in my opinion, accomplices in the wrongdoings for which former President Trump was charged.

David L. Snell Franklin

Media gives lies too much power To the Editor: America has failed to punish Trump, the ex-president who has done so much harm to our country.

There would have been no insurrection without Trump and the members of Congress (our “representatives”) who furthered his lies.

America loves to prosecute peons, while letting the honchos go scot-free. Members of either house of Congress who were complicit in Trump’s lies should have been prevented from having any vote in the impeachment of Trump. Likewise, members of Congress who did not attend the impeachment trial should have had no vote. Republican party leaders who have America’s best interests at heart

news, then I guess the big, traditional media are wrong and not to be trusted.

Competition is a good thing in almost all instances, and in the marketplace of ideas it is essential to consider competing viewpoints. But this country needs citizens who can cut through the spin and tell fact from fiction. There is no competition for fact, no “better” fact. It doesn’t work that way.

I don’t think these polls lie. I think the challenge is defining what is meant by media, trust and truth. We in the media need to take seriously what we hear from readers and citizens, and make sure we continue to stay focused.

That’s why I appreciate the work done by those local newspapers and radio stations I mentioned earlier and all the other media in our region. I know these people and they are honest, hardworking members of this community. Just like the guy at the tire store or the woman fixing your power line, this is their home and so they have skin in the game. Big media often doesn’t understand that connection.

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

should see that complicit members of Congress have no voice in bringing legislation to the floor of either house.

What’s happened to America that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene receives a standing ovation in one house of Congress, while state Republican parties are seeking to censure members of their party who failed to stand with the cult of Trump?

America is far too tolerant of lies and liars, and the media aids lies and liars by giving the lies legs to run on and wings to fly.

Bil Aylor Bryson City

Cawthorn cares only about Cawthorn To the Editor: In the six weeks since being sworn in as North Carolina’s new 11th District representative in Congress, Madison Cawthorn has voted against direct cash payments to his constituents and against financial support for apprenticeship programs at local community colleges. These are two votes that really would have helped people in Western North Carolina.

Cawthorn said that his office would prioritize communications rather than work on legislation that would help folks in WNC. Wait, what? Cawthorn spends lots of time on TV

talking about issues that have nothing to do with WNC. We need someone representing us who will work hard to improve our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren. We don’t need someone who only wants to get seen on TV and only cares about the next photo opportunity.

I know that sometimes the letter behind a candidate’s name seems all important, but maybe it is time for us to vote for someone who actually wants to serve the community and help folks who live here, rather than someone who just wants to win so they can use it as a stepping stone to further their own career.

Cawthorn may talk nice when in Waynesville and Franklin and Bryson City, but whatever he is doing in D.C. isn’t helping to make the lives of folks here in WNC any better.

During the next election maybe we should vote for someone who will help us — no matter what their party — rather than Cawthorn, who only cares about himself.

Graeme McGufficke Asheville

Falling hard for pandemic puppy love

Susanna Shetley

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Smoky Mountain News

sharp puppy teeth. He doesn’t nip too much at us alphas, but he tends to nip incessantly at the kids when he wants them to play. This doesn’t bode well when it results in holes in Adidas trainer pants or broken skin that requires a Band-Aid. At a recent vet appointment, the doctor said his puppy teeth should be falling out any day.

Woo-hoo!

In Ringo’s defense, he has a wonderful disposition. He loves being with his humans and follows us around everywhere, which is very cute. If we’re sitting at the dining room table, he’s under our feet. If we move to the kitchen to wash dishes, he follows us. When we transition to the living room, he follows us there too.

He’s also learned quite a bit in his young life. We’ve taught him how to sit, stay and fetch. He’s great with other animals and enjoys socializing. He’s trying extremely hard to make friends with our cat, Oliver, who isn’t very interested in a friendship at the moment. Maybe one day.

We’re working hard on leash walking so we can take Ringo out and about with us wherever we go. Our pup also loves to ride in the car. We want him to travel and adventure with us, so we’ve made sure he gets used to riding in the car at a young age.

I’m not sure we would have chosen to get a puppy had the pandemic not happened. In a typical year, we’re constantly on the go and traveling all over the place so having a young dog would have been challenging. But with more time at home and more minutes to think about what’s truly important, we decided to delve into the world of dog ownership.

We’re not the only ones, apparently. An estimated 11.3 million U.S. households have acquired a new pet during the COVID19 era, according to the American Pet Products Association. Further, three out of four pet owners say spending time with a dog, cat or other animal has helped reduce stress and increase a sense of well being during the pandemic. Whether to fill an emotional void or because of more time at home, pet sales and adoptions have soared over the past year. Shelters and breeders are having trouble keeping up with the demand.

Despite the challenges of having a new puppy, I’m falling madly in love with Ringo Mac. Just like with our kids, I know time will fly and before we know it, he’ll be an old tired dog sleeping most of the day. We have more training to do and it will require much patience, but I feel motivated and excited. It takes a lot to turn my heart to mush, but our new furry family member seems to be doing it with ease.

(Susanna Shetley is an editor, writer and digital media specialist with The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living, and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)

February 24-March 2, 2021

’d always heard having a puppy was a little like having a baby. I’ve learned over the past two months that information is correct.

As a Christmas gift, my boyfriend and I decided to get our collective five children an Australian Shepherd puppy. We deliberated between two puppies from the same litter, a black tri-color and a blue merle. After much rumination, we were drawn to the fluffy black tri-color with a flame on his forehead.

Once we knew what our little guy looked like, we spent hours talking about names.

Similar to two parents selecting a moniker for their child, we made lists, trying to find meaning to whatever Columnist name we chose. To get started, we researched the Australian Shepherd breed.

Despite its title, this medium-sized herding dog is quintessentially American, a breed developed out West in states such as California, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho.

The original purpose of the breed was to tend to the large flocks of sheep grazing in this part of the country.

We wanted his name to reflect his Western origin. Our initial list included Mac, Ringo, Bogart, Finn, Sam, Baker, Hatch, Durango and Bowman. Our friend suggested he have a first and middle name.

Ultimately we decided on Ringo Mac. His colors offer the impressions of rings and the flame on his head made me think of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire. The word “Mac” is part of our street name.

Though we adults usually call him Ringo, the kids have created a few nicknames such as Ringo Bingo and Ringus Dingus. He’s a bit of a stinker right now so the latter names better fit his current personality.

After about two weeks of snuggly puppy time, Ringo turned into a full-blown, bullin-a-china cabinet toddler, chewing everything in sight, using the bathroom wherever he pleased and waking his parents up in the night. While I’ve owned dogs in the past, Ringo is the first puppy I’ve raised from infancy. And boy, is it an experience.

Since I’ve been working mostly from home during the pandemic, I’ve taken on the daytime responsibilities while my boyfriend gets up in the night. Ringo has already made great strides on the potty training front. He very rarely goes number 1 in the house, but he still occasionally goes number 2. My veteran dog owner friends assure me that four months is a turning point when it comes to potty training.

Ringo will be four months on March 10.

We’re counting down the days.

Then there’s the issue of those pesky

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Robbie Crisp working on a new arm piece for a client at Born and Raised Tattoo parlor in Sylva. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

The human canvas Sylva artist channels creative spirit through tattooing

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s Monday evening. A heavy rain is soaking Sylva and greater Jackson County. Passing by the Sylva Shopping Area, the empty parking lot is illuminated by the bright lights of Harold’s Supermarket. The rest of the plaza is closed and dark, save for one bright light at the end of the row, a large window with the word “tattoo” emblazoned on it.

“I was 8 years old when I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist. You know how some kids have lemonade stands? Well, I asked my dad to build me a little shack in front of the house so I could draw temporary tattoos,” Robbie Crisp chuckled, taking a long pull from his cigarette in front of the shop. “I used to look at my dad’s biker magazines and there were all these tattoos underneath the skin of the people in the photos — something about it fascinated me.”

Now 33, Crisp is an in-demand artist (alongside shop owner/fellow tattooist Jeremy

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Brooks) for Born and Raised Tattoo in the Sylva Shopping Area. Crisp has been an artist in some capacity since he was doodling in his notebooks in elementary school.

With no formal art training (expect for one semester of college that was “a waste of time because they said I drew ‘too realistic’ for them,” according to him), Crisp has now become a word-of-mouth tattooist (and a popular local painter) in the mountains of Western North Carolina, one whose schedule is seemingly filling up faster and faster with each passing year.

“I want to do concepRobbie Crisp tual works. And I’ve always been drawn to the masters, like [surrealist painter Salvador] Dalí, where he brought his dreams to life on the canvas,” Crisp said.

“If you have a conceptual idea, why the hell not say it in the most masterful way you can, and also being true to yourself, too?”

Growing up in Bryson City, Crisp started his apprenticeship with a tattoo shop in Sylva while he was still a senior in high school. After a short stint at Western Carolina University, he returned to the parlor and resumed his studies of ink and skin. There was just something

Want some ink?

Born and Raised Tattoo is located in the Sylva Shopping Area. Tattoos are by appointment only. Email Robbie Crisp (bab1873tattoo87@gmail.com) or Jeremy Brooks (tattoojerms@gmail.com). follow them on Instagram: @robbiecrisp_tattoos, @jeremybrookstattooer, @bornandraisedtattoo.

“With tattooing, you can’t have a bad day. Your reputation is on every single piece you do.”

— Robbie Crisp

about tattoos that kept calling to Crisp from deep within.

“It’s about the transparency and depth of the ink on the body,” Crisp said. “It’s like when you look at a tattoo, it’s almost an antique on the body, this aged symbol on a person that tells a story about something that means a lot to them and their life’s journey.”

Though he’s originally from this region, Crisp has become a beloved character of sorts in the Sylva community. Whether it be working in the parlor, riding high atop his hand-built motorcycle or rockin’ out in the front row of a raucous concert, Crisp runs in as many social

circles as he has clients (and there are a lot).

For Crisp, it’s about the urge to never stop exploring, never stop meeting new folks, having new experiences and making sense of the ongoing struggle that is the human condition, come hell or high water — all of which eventually carrying through his creative works somewhere down the line.

“There’s always an adventure in doing this.

And with tattooing, you can’t have a bad day.

Your reputation is on every single piece you do,” Crisp said. “In a way, I’m also glad the stigma — behind getting tattoos and what they represent — has pretty much gone away these days. They’ve become socially acceptable and are looked at as what they should be, which is a piece of art.”

Watching Crisp work, or even viewing his Instagram account of recent tattoos, one is clearly witnessing a human being in their absolute element. The intricate nature of his shading and clean lines on a portrait is astounding, especially when you take into account the permanence of each piece.

This is the human canvas. You only get one shot at that space and in that time. It’s about freedom of expression and artistic vision — from both sides of the needle.

“People feel very vulnerable when they’re getting a tattoo. It’s permanent and it’s a very intimate moment for them,” Crisp said. “And people open up to you about some of the most personal things in their lives. You wouldn’t believe the stories I hear and the people I meet who sit down in that chair — it’s an honor to do this.”

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Turn my head into sound, I don’t know when I lay down on the ground

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Big Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

more so late 60s. I ask what his secret is to looking so young. He replies with a smile, “Drink Budweiser and don’t trust doctors.”

We laugh and talk a little while longer.

I get up to leave and tell him, “Well, Joe, we are friends now. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He goes, “You too, Garret. Remember: don’t speed and be kind.”

The next day, with a crisp air and bluebird skies, I wandered into the national park. Nobody around. No tourists. No locals, either. An empty parking lot at Big Creek, which was odd and happily surprising. Throw on the trail running shoes and begin the trot up the Midnight Hole trail.

Mud puddles. Bounding over rock and roots unearthed by the elements.

By the time I reached Mouse Creek Falls, I had, literally and figuratively, sweat out any and all thoughts and emotions taking up real estate in my head. The whole jog up, I thought of how I could swing purchasing that Electromatic, of how striking it was to be immersed in nature in pure solitude, of Joe and his mantra of “don’t speed and be kind” and all he has witnessed thus far in his 86 years on this planet.

I thought of Tony Jo (“The Harmonica Man”) and his light being cut short at 67, how close he got to his life’s goal of jam-

ming onstage with 500 local/regional bands. It was said he had recently passed 470, according to his small notebook where he’d scribble down the names of musicians he played with.

I thought of family and friends back home in my native Upstate New York, the personal struggles they’re dealing with at the moment, of which I either come across on social media or through text messages at all hours of the day and night.

Thoughts of recent dates with the opposite sex, expectations high after a year of social distancing and lack of opportunities to meet a new femme fatale amid “all this,” only to walk away with head held high that a cosmic connection via matters of the heart will someday be met — most likely by chance, not by purpose.

Taking off my gloves and hat, I sat down on a large boulder in front of Mouse Creek Falls and watched the rushing water. Lots on my mind, as per usual. Endless thoughts flying by just like the waters I stood alongside.

The sounds of the waterfall coated my body and soul. It is what it is. Keep that head held high. Be grateful and live in the moment. And remember, “don’t speed and be kind.”

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

February 24-March 2, 2021

hen the trail bends sharply to the right, I know the waterfall is just behind the brush. I can’t see it, but I can hear it. This eternal rush of water cascading down from the farthest reaches of the surrounding mountains.

About two miles up the Midnight Hole trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I stood in front of Mouse Creek Falls: in silence and in awe. Late Sunday afternoon, right when the sun finally disappears behind the ridge. Taking off my gloves and hat, I sat down on a large boulder in the creek and watched the rushing water.

Lots on my mind, as per usual. Endless thoughts flying by just like the waters I stood alongside. Passing by so fast that you don’t seem to have enough time — not even one moment — to process what’s actually going on and how you should react.

It seems the entire world and all of its human creatures has also been on this ongoing trajectory, this flying arrow through the heavens that only seems to pick up speed with each season. Keep moving. Keep working.

Keep being productive. Keep going somewhere, anywhere. But why, and for what?

Friday morning. With most of my writing and assignments in the rearview mirror, I sat down on my couch and strummed my acoustic guitar. Plucking through some chord changes emerging from deep emotions currently felt within, now radiating through the fingertips. The strings felt a tad grimy after a little while. It was time for new strings.

Hop into the truck and head for Strains of Music in downtown Waynesville. Pick up some Tommy Emmanuel signature Martin strings and head for the register. But, not before wandering into the electric guitar

room. Pull down a couple of Fender Telecasters and Jazzmasters from the wall rack. Felt great, as expected.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a bright orange Gretsch Electromatic hollow body with the Bigsby. Always such aesthetically pleasing instruments. But, I’ve never sat down and actually played one. Lord, that thing felt absolutely amazing within my hands. I was shocked. I didn’t want to put it down.

My fingertips just rolled up and down that fretboard with such ease. As they say: you don’t pick the guitar, it picks you. Put it back up on the rack with nonstop ideas in my head as to how to afford this instrument: will it still be here if and when I come back next week?

Headed over to Maggie Valley on Saturday afternoon to attend a memorial and fundraiser for a good friend who recently passed away. Somber vibe. Auction held to raise money to pay for his funeral expenses (which they did, thankfully). Lots of sad faces trying to hold steady amid the celebration of Tony Jo (aka: “The Harmonica Man”). Tall tales told in gusto.

Left the memorial by myself and meandered back down Soco Road. Rolled by the Valley Tavern. Hadn’t eaten lunch and felt like having a beer. Pulled in. No seats open in the entire place, except the far end of the bar counter next to this old man. I ask him if I can sit down. He says okay.

I ordered a Budweiser. He grunts, “Well, at least yah drink good beer and not that other crap,” then points to his Budweiser in solidarity. I chuckle, cheers him and introduce myself. His name is Joe. Start talking.

Turns out he’s 86. From Detroit originally, was a “tool and dye guy.” Came down to Carolina some 19 years ago because “my late wife was sick of Michigan winters and wanted four seasons.” Then he goes, “There are only two seasons in Detroit: winter and the Fourth of July.”

I smile in solidarity being a North Country native. I swear, he doesn’t look 86,

Smoky Mountain News 19

February 24-March 2, 2021

arts & entertainment

On the street

Black Mountain College art exhibit

“Connecting Legacies: A First Look at the Dreier Black Mountain College Archive” features archival objects from the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection presented alongside artworks from the Asheville Art Museum’s Black Mountain College Collection to explore the connections between artworks and ephemera.

The exhibition is on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery through May 17.

Displayed in this exhibition are archival objects shown alongside works from the

museum’s Black Mountain College Collection, which comprises over 1,000 artworks and ephemera. These objects create connections, each one a thread contributing to a nuanced tapestry of the people, materials, geographies, and ideas of Black Mountain College and its ongoing legacy.

“Connecting Legacies” highlights ephemeral materials that focus on underrepresented narratives and the women and people of color of Black Mountain College.

For instance, during the Summer Music Institute of 1944, almost 10 years to the day

• “Drag Queen Trivia” hosted by Beulah Land will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom/restaurant in Sylva.

Study up on your drag history for a chance to win a Lazy Hiker gift card. Free to attend and participate. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Magg Dylan 7 p.m. Feb. 26. Free and open to the public. The opening act will be Nick Perkins & Garrett Denton. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• 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.

Smoky Mountain News

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

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

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

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Crossfire Band Feb. 27 and The Waymores March 13. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Mountain Gypsy March 5 and The Waymores March 12. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

20 www.nantahalabrewing.com.

before the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling, Alma Stone Williams became the first African American student invited to BMC. The following summer, musicians Roland Hayes and Carol Brice were welcomed to the college as its first African American faculty. Programs from their performances are curated alongside student artworks made around the same period.

Black Mountain College was an experimental liberal arts community based in Black Mountain, from 1933-1957, founded by John Andrew Rice, Theodore Dreier, and others

who believed in an educational model that was distinctly different from the prevailing frameworks of the time.

Archival objects on view are part of the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection and include mimeographs, letterpress, linoleum prints, offset prints, photographs, handwritten text, clippings, and correspondence. They contain internal records of the school and documentation from Dreier’s tenure at the school from 1933–1949, as well as correspondence, mailings, and publications through the mid-1950s.

Featured BMC faculty and student artists in this exhibition include Lorna Blaine Halper, Ruth Asawa, Hazel Larsen Archer, Elaine Schmitt Urbain, Warren “Pete” Jennerjahn, John Urbain, Joseph Fiore, Ray Johnson, Barbara Morgan, Anni Albers, and more.

The museum’s galleries, store and Perspective Café are open with limited capacity. Art PLAYce, our intergenerational makerspace, and the Frances Mulhall Achilles Art Research Library remain temporarily closed.

The museum welcomes visitors from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, with late-night Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

General admission is always free for Museum Members, UNC Asheville students, and children under 6; $15 per adult; $13 per senior (65+); and $10 per student (child 6–17 or degree-seeking college students with valid ID). Admission tickets are available at www.ashevilleart.org/visit.

Waynesville painter Jo Ridge Kelley.

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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.

Haywood art studio tour 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 need-

ing 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. www.haywoodarts.org.

On the shelf

••• A word to young readers: Google “Declining IQ scores,” and you’ll find some recent evidence suggests that IQ scores are falling. Possible evidence of this decline may be found in Washington, D.C., and on televised news.

Various causes are attributed to this reduction: our obsession with electronic devices, the failures of some of our educational system, an inability to concentrate in a world bloated with distractions.

Some observers also cite our diminished reading habits as a factor.

You can join the fight against idiocracy by reading from a real paper-and-ink book.

Select some book, old or new, that will challenge you, that will make you think and feel, that will allow you to travel in time or to meet human beings utterly different than yourself, and that will most of all make you more fully human.

Put down that phone, hie yourself off to the public library or your local bookstore, browse the shelves, and pick out a book.

Better yet, pick up an armload of books, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and begin reading.

Have a blast and boost your brain.

(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)

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salt that would prevent their families from starving in the winter, a raiding party — many of them Confederate deserters — entered the town of Marshall, stole some of the supply of salt, and ransacked several homes. The events following this foray, which Askew presents in detail, led to the Shelton Laurel Massacre, where Confederate troops executed thirteen captives ranging in age from 13 to 60.

Askew also recounts regular pitched battles between Confederate and Federal troops like the Battle of Asheville, Bull’s Gap in Tennessee, and Saltville in Virginia. Here we follow the Macbeth Light Artillery as it attempts to turn the tide against the intrusions of the Union army.

Finally, Askew brings us into Asheville when Union soldiers enter the city. Though an armistice of sorts was in effect, and the small number of Confederate defenders had withdrawn, a mob of Union troops “had entered the town, riding onto front lawns, going from door to door, pounding for admission, then rushing inside and going

through the house” as they plundered the civilian homes.

War In The Mountains includes extensive citations and notes, the names of the soldiers in the Macbeth, a lengthy bibliography, and 20 pages of maps and photographs.

In his Introduction to War In The Mountains, Askew writes, “I strive for synthesis to bring various military reports and anecdotes into a seamless narrative, stressing individual perspectives, how soldiers saw events and responded as human beings. I seek to avoid dry recitation of facts but try to show people caught in the chaotic and tragic circumstances of war revealing their true nature, both good and bad.”

Mission accomplished.

RAND

Jeff Minick

H

Macbeth unit was fighting in this region, these mountains attracted large numbers of Confederate deserters sought refuge, and raiders and guerillas from both sides might unexpectedly appear to terrorize those left at home.

Sometimes desperation impelled such raids. In January 1863, short of the supply of

February 24-March 2, 2021

aving recently read and reviewed for the Smoky Mountain Living magazine Vicki Lane’s And The Crows Took Their Eyes, a fine novel set in Madison County during the Civil War and focused on the Shelton Laurel Massacre, this week I returned to that era with J.L. Askew’s War In The Mountains: The Macbeth Light Artillery at Asheville, N.C. 1864-1865 (Covenant Books, Inc., 2020, 535 pages).

I have but one quarrel with this excellent history. The title suggests that the author will address only the activities of a particular artillery unit in a specific period of time.

Instead, Askew has given us a splendid account not only Writer of the Macbeth Light Artillery, but also of the war in Western North Carolina, the leaders on both sides, the troops, the partisans and bushwhackers, and the women, children, and elderly who witnessed various raids and battles or fell victim to them.

Though the author centers his history of the Macbeth on articles published year’s after the war’s end by a participant, H.F. Scaife, who wrote under the name of VIDI — a Latin word meaning “I saw” — Askew has delivered a well-researched and well-written history of our region during that tumultuous time.

In the first chapter, for example, Askew provides a detailed description of Asheville in the middle of the Civil War, taking readers on a tour of that city: the Eagle Hotel, the Female College, a Confederate Hospital, the courthouse, and several other places He introduces us to a “young lad attending Colonel Lee’s Academy in Chunn’s Cove” who witnessed several terrible sights during the War, including “the remains of deserters who had been captured by local troops and killed trying to escape.”

Askew is also a student of the terrain and the importance of key locations. In looking at Asheville, for instance, he points out that this “village of 1,100 inhabitants” was the “largest town in North Carolina west of the Blue Ridge.” He goes on to explain its strategic value, that it lay on the primary road connecting East Tennessee to South Carolina, a road used by drovers of livestock for decades. Eventually, the state legislature saw to it that the Buncombe Road became a turnpike considered “to be the best road in North Carolina.”

Control Asheville, in other words, and you controlled the traffic of that road, cutting off the connections between Tennessee and Western North Carolina.

Like Vicki Lane’s novel, War In The Mountains shows us the horrors of a war when the enemy might well be your nextdoor neighbor. During the years when the

is a Good Time to Catch Up with an Old Friend...

HEMINGWAY

An excellent history lesson

arts & entertainment

Cold Weather & A Warm Fire

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

21

22

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

A biker takes a jump at a bike park similar to the one Alvo envisions for Canton. Seth Alvo photo

‘A trail for everybody’ YouTuber raises funds for WORLDWIDE SUPPORT When Alvo started asking around, he Canton bike park quickly heard about the massive outdoor

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he first trails at Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Park will be ready to ride before the leaves drop this fall thanks to an overwhelmingly successful fundraising effort from Asheville YouTuber Seth Alvo.

Alvo, whose biking-focused YouTube channel Berm Peak has more than 2 million subscribers, had the idea in mind before Canton even announced its intention to open a 448acre natural park in Haywood County. Having traveled all over the country to ride trails and film his adventures, Alvo wanted to bring something he saw as a norm in other areas of the United States back home to Asheville, where he has lived since early 2017.

“Free public bike parks are really, really common across the United States, especially on the West Coast,” said Alvo. “But here on the East Coast they’re kind of few and far between, especially the kind of bike park we’re building here.”

T

recreation effort that Canton is undertaking just 15 minutes away from downtown Asheville and enthusiastically offered his support.

The previous owners of the 448-acre property, located right off U.S. 23/74 and Interstate 40, considered pursuing various business ventures there before eventually selling it to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 2020 with the town later purchasing an adjacent 3.3-acre parcel. The land trust is placing conservation easements on the property and will soon transfer it to Canton for use as a public park. The town will develop the property in partnership with Haywood County to offer a variety of backcountry and frontcountry recreation experiences.

Alvo’s project, which he describes as “a park within a park” will be the first amenity to open there.

“This is one of those projects that will be slow moving,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. “There will be a lot of excitement

and there will be a lull, but we are moving into an exciting phase of this. Berm Park will be the first addition and amenity at Chestnut Mountain.”

Smathers is hoping to see the park open this summer, though Alvo said the project might not be complete until the fall, depending on weather and other factors, including the town’s work schedule. Before work can begin on Berm Park, Canton has to finish building a parking lot and access to it.

Once that’s done, the town’s next order of business will be to build pedestrian access from the parking lot to the bike trails.

“Our goal for the town especially as we go into budget season is to get people from the parking lot to Berm Park,” said Smathers. “So during the budget season we will see cost estimates for that and how much we will budget for that.”

The town and its partners are also seeking grants for various other efforts, including signage, stream restoration and trail building.

Alvo has raised “well north” of $200,000 in business sponsorships and individual donations to build Berm Park, quickly outstripping his original fundraising goal to end up with about 120 percent of that figure.

“Instead of getting millions of companies or thousands of companies to give little bits and find a way to shout them all out, I said to be part of the project you have to cover an entire trail,” said Alvo.

While he’s not yet ready to announce the project’s sponsors, he said they include a bike tool company, bicycle company, national bicycle products retailer, non-alcoholic brewery and an independent donor — a fan of the channel who credits mountain biking with changing his life and health for the better.

Additionally, the project is supported by thousands of people from across the world who are donating $2 per month on Patreon, a subscription platform that allows fans to give to their favorite artists and creators. Many YouTubers use it to earn an income without running ads or securing business sponsorships. Alvo doesn’t need Patreon to support his YouTube channel but saw it as the perfect tool to raise support for Berm Park. Now, the project’s 2,442 subscribers are contributing nearly $4,400 per month, which Alvo plans to use for maintenance and upkeep of the park until it eventually transitions to a volunteersupported model.

THE VISION Western North Carolina may already have tons of mountain biking opportunities, but it’s short on offerings that are beginner-friend-

Learn more For more about Chestnut Mountain Park, visit http://bit.ly/2NN10u6. Seth Alvo’s, YouTube channel, Berm Peak, is available at http://bit.ly/37D4J4a.

ly and accessible without driving for an hour and packing a bag full of emergency supplies.

“I’ve seen rescues happen out in Pisgah — it’s a really gnarly place, and it’s unbelievable and we’re lucky to have it, but if you want to start as a beginner, it’s really, really intimidating,” said Alvo. “We don’t have anything for beginners out here. It’s sort of baptism by fire if you start mountain biking in Asheville.”

Cullowhee and Cherokee both have professionally designed mountain biking trails located close to the heart of their respective communities, but those systems are more backcountry-oriented and don’t offer the type of short but progressive loops Alvo has in mind. The Jackson County Greenway opened a kids bike park in collaboration with the Nantahala Area Southern Off Road Bicycle Association in fall 2019, but Seth Alvo that location doesn’t offer any challenging options for more advanced riders.

“You don’t really have anything like this,” Alvo said. “The rest of the country does, and I feel like Asheville is just ready for that. We have the people, we have the demand. We build something like that, the parking lot’s going to be packed every day.”

Asheville-based Elevated Trail Designs will plan and execute the project, which Alvo envisions as a series of flow trails offering enjoyment and challenge for all skill levels — from children trying out a mountain bike for the first time to expert riders perfecting adrenaline-fueled tricks. Berm Park will feature just a couple miles of trail all told, but length is not the point, said Alvo. Rather, the point is to offer progressive, clearly labeled trails of the highest quality that riders can loop again and again and again.

“These entire trails are going to be ‘the best part of the trail,’ he said. “We’re building extremely high-quality trail from top to bottom. You’re going to want to ride it again.

We’re just putting tons of resources into short stretches of trail. It’s about putting in laps.”

At Berm Park, everybody will start on the same trail — a double-track climbing path from which the five planned descent trails will branch off. The easier routes will start earlier on so that beginning riders will be required to do less climbing and manage a smaller drop in elevation. More advanced riders, meanwhile, might want to try out a slopestyle ride, taking a jump and maybe even doing some mid-air tricks before landing on the other side. However, even these options will be offered with an all-skills-welcome attitude.

Riders who fall short of the target will find themselves landing on a sloped dirt bed waiting to catch them.

F

Get ready for motorcycle season outdoors

Hit the open road virtually at 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 2, for author Hawk Hagebak’s humorous take on motorcycling up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This 30-minute webinar hosted by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will include the “Code of the Road,” the unwritten rules for those who travel this 469-mile route. It’s the Foundation’s latest installment of the Insider’s Report series, which highlights the nonprofit’s projects and ways to enjoy the Parkway. New topics are covered at 11 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month.

Hagebak is an author, comedian and retired law enforcement officer who has written books about motorcycle touring in the Southern Appalachians and performed at Atlanta comedy clubs.

Free. Register at www.brpfoundation.org/events.

facebook.com/smnews

A map shows the planned trail network at Berm Park.

Donated map

9am - 10pm

Smoky Mountain News

unlikely to ever visit in person.

“It’s really important for us to give them a way to feel like they’re there, so we’re making the park very visually pleasing and we’re making it easy for people to take photos and “These entire trails are going to be pictures and post it on ‘the best part of the trail,’ he said. social media and tag it to give these contributors a “We’re building extremely high-quality way to see what they’ve built,” said Alvo. trail from top to bottom. You’re going An artist from to want to ride it again.”

Asheville will create a sculpture featuring the — Seth Alvo Berm Park logo to go at the top of the park, and it will feature benches at strategic locations Aesthetic appeal will also be a key eleand features made of rough-sawn wood ment of the park, and Alvo’s subscribers are designed to look good in photos and videos. a big part of the reason for that. People “Any type of bike is going to be welcome from all over the world donated to the projhere,” he said. “There’s going to be a trail ect, including residents of Sweden, Austria, for everybody.”

Germany and the United Kingdom who are “We don’t have anything to prove,” said Alvo. “We want a safe and progressive place for people to ride, and we want it to be fun.”

17 Trails Open 3 Aerial Lifts 2 Surface Lift 61 - 91 Inch Base

February 24-March 2, 2021

SNOW REPORT

FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED

Snow conditions can change quickly visit: cataloochee.com for the most up to date conditions

23

outdoors February 24-March 2, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

Smokies scientists to present their research The annual Great Smoky Mountains National Park Science Colloquium and Teacher Workshop will return this year, but in a virtual format.

The free annual research symposium will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 4, via Zoom.

Scientists from Western Carolina University, the University of Tennessee and several other regional institutions will present results from their work in the park. Topics will include Smokies synchronous firefly behavior, examining the Trillium species complex, hibernating bat species in Tennessee and more.

In addition, a virtual workshop for teachers about the iScience biodiversity program will be held that same day from 3 to 5 p.m.

Teachers, other educators and parents are welcome.

Free, with registration required. Hosted by Discover Life in America. Sign up at www.dlia.org.

Groups praise reversal of Trump administration conservation funding policy Conservation groups are applauding a Feb. 11 order from Acting Secretary of the Interior Scott de la Vega that rescinds and revokes a previous order from the Trump Administration’s Interior Secretary David Bernhardt regarding implementation of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act. Considered a landmark victory for conservation, the GAOA uses royalties from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million a year to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation. It also dedicates up to $9.5 billion over five years to address the high-priority repair needs on public lands.

The same groups now applauding de la Vega had blasted Bernhardt’s order as “an unconscionable violation of Congress’s intent” that would place “untenable new restrictions” on the funding in an attempt to “sabotage” the project. The groups opposed “unworkable ideas” such as limits on western land conservation, “unnecessary procedural hurdles” for conservation proj-

ect and giving county commissioners veto power over landowners’ decisions to sell their land for conservation with LWCF dollars. Bernhardt, meanwhile, had said that the provisions of the secretarial order would “ensure land acquisitions will increase recreation opportunities, enhance conservation benefits and provide flexibility to our partners in states and local communities to ensure this investment is managed and allocated in the best possible manner.”

In addition to rescinding the November 2020 Bernhardt policy, de la Vega’s Secretarial Order 3396 instructs the National Park Service to revise the Land and Water Conservation Fund Assistance Manual to remove the restrictive policies implemented in the previous order, and to reinstate preexisting implementation of the LWCF state assistance program and Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program. The ORLP program is the only LWCF competitive grant program dedicated to addressing the recreational gap in underserved urban areas.

“This is a swift and decisive step toward reversing the damaging policies of the pre-

vious administration and unleashing the full potential of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in its first year of full funding,” said Tom Cors, director of government relations for lands at The Nature Conservancy and a spokesperson for the LWCF Coalition. “When Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act last year and fully funded LWCF, its message was clear: the country must and shall invest more in conservation and access to America’s outdoors for all. This fund supports critical conservation tools for communities and investment in natural infrastructure. We applaud the Biden Administration for its commitment to ensuring LWCF functions as intended.’

Secretarial Order 3396 was issued the day after a bipartisan group of 90 lawmakers, led by Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., wrote to the Acting Secretary of the Interior requesting that he repeal Bernhardt’s Secretarial Order and “further harmful changes and restrictions” to the LWCF. — By Holly Kays, outdoors editor

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haywood.ces.ncsu.edu and click on “Gardening in the Mountains” or email mgarticles@charter.net.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will deliver his State of Agriculture address virtually at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24.

In addition to Troxler’s remarks, the online event will include an agricultural economic outlook from N.C. State University economist Blake Brown, Ph.D. The event is hosted by the N.C. Farm Bureau. Log on to the webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81966875890.

Order plants from Haywood gardeners

Learn about food preservation

“Superman” takes the plunge. Donated photo

It’s ‘Plunge’ time by the boathouse and across the road.

Waivers are required and are available at www.haywoodwaterways.org or at Lake Logan’s main office at 25 Wormy Chestnut Lane.

Registration for either participation method is $25 ($10 for those under 18) or free by raising sponsorships. 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.

To register, visit charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/9th hwaplunge. All participants will receive a free T-shirt, with prizes for top fundraisers, best costumes and best plunge. For more information, contact 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

Time is almost up to get in on the annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale, with orders due pre-paid

by March 1.

The sale offers edibles like berries and asparagus and hard-to-find native plants including pollinator-attracting perennials at exceptional prices. Edibles will be available for pickup on Saturday, April 10, and native plants will come in Saturday, June 5. Plant pickup will be drive-thru and contactless.

Proceeds fund education-related horticulture projects in Haywood County.

Order forms are available online at www.haywood.ces.ncsu.edu or by email to mgarticles@charter.net. They’re also in physical form at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. 828.456.3575.

Identify winter trees The Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy will hold a Bartram-themed winter tree ID workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, near Clayton, Georgia.

The workshop will include a 3-mile roundtrip walk on the Bartram Trail starting at Warwoman Dell. Sign up with Brent Martin at info@ncbartramtrail.org.

February 24-March 2, 2021

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.

Participate in person between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — entries will reserve 15-minute time slots to ensure social distancing — or join in by finding your own place to plunge and posting a video online.

Lake Logan Conference Center is partnering with Haywood Waterways to offer the lake as an alternative plunging location, with participants invited to video their plunge there anytime between noon and 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, or Friday, Feb. 26.

There are no changing facilities available, so come prepared. Limited parking is located

A Home Food Preservation class slated for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 2, still has openings.

The two-hour class, to be held via Zoom, will cover the science behind canning, canning basics, pressure versus hot water bath techniques and tested recipes.

Cost is $10. To register visit

outdoors

Catch the State of Agriculture address

Register for Discovery Camp

Trout Waters closed until April About 1,000 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters will close to fishing after sunset Feb. 28, reopening at 7 a.m.

April 3.

The waters will close so that the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission can prepare for open season. These waters are stocked at frequent intervals during the spring and early summer and are marked with green-

and-white signs. After the waters reopen, anglers can harvest up to seven trout per day with no minimum size limit or bait restrictions.

This year, the Wildlife Commission will stock about 960,000 trout, 96 percent of which will average 10 inches in length while the remaining 4 percent will exceed 14 inches.

For more information about trout fishing in North Carolina, visit www.ncwildlife.org/learning/species/fish/t rout/trout-fishing.

Smoky Mountain News

Discovery Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville will look and feel a little different this year, but it will nevertheless be a good time with registration now open.

Camps will be offered weekly from Jun 7 through July 2 and July 19 through Aug. 13. They’re open to rising second through seventh graders, who will spend the week exploring the great outdoors in the 434-acre Arboretum campus.

Learn more or sign up at www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/discovery-camp.

25

outdoors

The property includes a heritage apple orchard. SAHC photo

Smoky Mountain News

February 24-March 2, 2021

More land conserved in Hickory Nut Gap

26

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

A recently completed conservation project in Hickory Nut Gap connects to an existing 1,500 acres of conserved land in southwestern Buncombe County.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy project protects a heritage apple orchard, open pasture and forested hillsides around Sherrill’s Inn, a designated Historic American Building. While the easement area will not be open to the public, it is prominent in the view from the Drover’s Road Scenic Byway, a state-designated scenic route from Fairview to Bat Cave. Many of the views from that road have already been protected by the SAHC. “Although this new conservation easement is small in acreage, it adds to hundreds of acres that SAHC has protected at Hickory Nut Gap Forest since 2008,” said

Michelle Pugliese, SAHC’s land protection director. “When I look at this site, I think about preserving the historic natural setting around Sherrill’s Inn, so that it will continue to resemble how it looked when Sherrill’s Inn was built in the 1800’s and used as a stop-over for people traveling across the mountains. I’m excited that this conservation easement will preserve the historic context of this site, as well as its habitat and agricultural resources. This is a great example of how a smaller conservation easement can make a big impact.”

Support from SAHC members, generous gifts from the Stanback family, a grant from Buncombe County and donation of part of the conservation easement value by the James McClure Clarke and Elspeth McClure Clarke Family Limited Partnership made the project possible.

HCC grad wins military honors

of the Quarter, Civilian Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Civilian Medal and the NATO medal given to service in the Joint Operations Area in Afghanistan. He also received the Civilian Exemplary Achievement Medal granted to Air Force civilian employees who served for at least one year, resulting in profound Air Forcewide documented impact.”

In Afghanistan, Smith conducted hazard assessments and managed wildlife hazards by patrolling the airfields and dealing with multinational personnel to accomplish tasks. Previously, Smith helped assist in the recovery efforts from the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

A Hickory native, Smith served in the U.S. Army prior to arriving at HCC, and upon graduation he became the first HCC graduate to work for the USDA. Since then, he has helped numerous HCC graduates find employment at the department and serves on HCC’s Fish and Wildlife Program Advisory Committee.

A 1995 Haywood Community College graduate has received seven awards for his distinguished assistance to the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

Christopher “Shane” Smith is a graduate of HCC’s Fish and Wildlife Management Technology Program and recently returned from a four-month deployment, during which he used his expertise as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reduce aviation hazards on coalitions airbases. This was his second service tour overseas.

“Fish and wildlife have always been my passion. Little did I know that the hands-on nature of learning at HCC would serve me well, not knowing one day I would be catching alligators by hand,” he said.

The U.S. Air Force Central Command recognized Smith with the Civilian Employee of the Month, Civilian Employee

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • 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. All are welcome.

• 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.

• Macon County nonprofit organizations have until Feb. 26, to apply for county funds through the Macon County Community Funding Pool (CFP). Application forms and instructions are available on the Macon County website, www.maconnc.org. Hard copies are available at Macon County Public Library on Siler Farm Road in Franklin, the Hudson Library on Main Street in Highlands, and the Nantahala Public Library on Nantahala School Road.

• The Main Street Sylva Association is organizing a Spring Sylva Sidewalk Sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, in downtown Sylva. There will be live music on Main Street from 12:30-2:30 p.m., provided by the jazz trio "We Three Swing." There will also be live music at the Jackson Arts Market (JAM) in the parking lot adjacent to the Sylva Herald.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • 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. Following the presentation, public school teachers will be meeting in small groups online with presenters/mentors on several topics related to race, class, LGBTQ students, nationality and religion as it can be discussed in school. This series is being offered to Macon, Jackson, Swain and Haywood County schools. Haywood County NAACP is hosting along with Jackson County NAACP. • The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College is offering a free "Empowering Mountain Food Systems - Agribusiness" webinar series designed to address the unique needs of current and prospective agribusinesses. Upcoming classes include Farmland Transition will be held 9-10 a.m. Friday, March 19.

Agritourism will be held 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 28.

Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register today.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • United Christian Ministries invites you to join the #FiveFruits challenge. Donate five cans or single-serve packages of fruit. Mandarin oranges, apple sauce, fruit cocktail, peaches — all fruits welcome. Donations may be dropped off at the donation cart inside Food Lion or Harold's or brought to UCM at 191 Skyland Drive. For more information, call 828.586.8228 or visit www.ucmhelp.com.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The Annual Meeting of STEP Western North Carolina, a home repair and firewood ministry, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 27 at The Depot at 390 Railroad

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com Avenue in Brevard. Anyone is welcome to join the free, outdoor event that will include boxed meals starting at 11:30 a.m. (while supplies last), music and information about STEP WNC. Contact riverss@stepwnc.org or carolyns@stepwnc.org and ask more about this opportunity.

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.

• Registration is now open for Lake Junaluska’s four two-night Marriage Enrichment Retreats in 2021, with the first coming up March 14-16. Ned Martin, a licensed clinical mental health counselor who also holds a Master of Divinity degree, will lead the retreats to be held March 14-16, May 2-4, July 25-27 and Sept.

12-14. Lake Junaluska is a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body. For more information about Lake Junaluska programs and events, visit www.lakejunaluska.com.

A&E

• 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. Each couple will receive a concession box to enjoy during the evening. Couples are asked to sign up online at Register@sylvafumc.org.

There is no charge for the event, but food items for United Christian Ministries will be accepted.

• 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.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Crossfire Band Feb. 27 and The Waymores March 13. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Mountain Gypsy March 5 and The Waymores March 12. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• 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.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host live music semiregularly on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Magg Dylan 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. Free and open to the public. The opening act will be Nick Perkins & Garrett Denton. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• “Drag Queen Trivia” hosted by Beulah Land will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom/restaurant in Sylva. Study up on your drag history for a chance to win a Lazy Hiker gift card. Free to attend and participate. www.lazyhikerbrewing.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.

Outdoors

• The annual Lake Cleanup at Lake Junaluska will be held over the course of four days this year from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Upcoming dates are Feb. 26 and 27. For more information contact Jim Pearson at 502.419.3035.

Register at www.lakejunaluska.com/cleanup.

• The Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy will hold a Bartram-themed winter tree ID workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, near Clayton, Georgia. The workshop will include a 3-mile roundtrip walk on the Bartram Trail starting at Warwoman Dell. Sign up with Brent Martin at info@ncbartramtrail.org.

• 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. • A Home Food Preservation class slated for 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 2, still has openings. The two-hour class, to be held via Zoom, will cover the science behind canning, canning basics, pressure versus hot water bath techniques and tested recipes. Cost is $10.

To register visit haywood.ces.ncsu.edu and click on “Gardening in the Mountains” or email mgarticles@charter.net.

• Hit the open road virtually at 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 2, for author Hawk Hagebak’s humorous take on motorcycling up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. This 30minute webinar hosted by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will include the “Code of the Road,” the unwritten rules for those who travel this 469-mile route.

Hagebak is an author, comedian and retired law enforcement officer who has written books about motorcycle touring in the Southern Appalachians and performed at Atlanta comedy clubs. The event is free.

Register at www.BRPFoundation.org/events.

• The annual Great Smoky Mountains National Park Science Colloquium and Teacher Workshop will return this year, but in a virtual format. The free annual research symposium will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday, March 4, via Zoom. The event is free, with registration required. Hosted by Discover Life in America. Sign up at www.dlia.org.

27

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings Firearms, Ammo, Clothing and Miscellaneous Equipment. Thursday, March 4: Hunting Techniques and Strategies. Space is limited with pre-registration required at www.ncwildlife.org. Classes will be held via Zoom.

• A new photography exhibit will open at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville Jan. 16. On display at the Baker Exhibit Center through May 2, “The Enveloping Landscape” shows Patrice’s photographs alongside those of 25 workshop participants. Free with regular Arboretum admission.

• The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener plant sale is underway, with edibles like berries and asparagus and hard-to-find native plants including pollinator-attracting perennials available at exceptional prices. Orders must be placed and pre-paid

by March 1. Order forms are available online at www.haywood.ces.ncsu.edu or email mgarticles@charter.net. They’re also in physical form at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. 828.456.3575.

• A series of horticulture classes aimed at home gardeners will be offered in the New Year through Haywood County Cooperative Extension. Planned sessions are: March 2, Introduction to Home Food Preservation; March 18, Landscaping with Native Plants; April 13, Pruning Trees & Shrubs. Classes, taught by extension agents and experienced Master Gardener volunteers, will last for approximately two hours and be held via Zoom until face-to-face training is possible. Sign up by emailing mgarticles@charter.net. Cost is $10 per class.

• The Assault on BlackRock trail race is set for Saturday, March 20, next year, and proceeds will benefit the Southwestern Community College Student Emergency Fund. Registration is $25 in advance or $30 on race day. The Student Emergency Fund proceeds will benefit helps SCC students who encounter unforeseen financial emergencies. Register at www.ultrasignup.com.

• Registration is now open for Discovery Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Camps will be offered weekly from Jun 7 through July 2 and July 19 through Aug. 13. They’re open to rising second through seventh graders, who will spend the week exploring the great outdoors in the 434-acre Arboretum campus. Learn more or sign up at www.ncarboretum.org/educationprograms/discovery-camp.

HIKING CLUBS

• Macon County 4-H is taking orders on fruit and berry plants through Friday, March 12, for its annual 4-H Plant Sale. The order form is available at www.macon.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/02/2021annual-4-hplant-sale. Submit orders with payment by March 12 and pick up plants April 7-9. Proceeds benefit Macon County 4-H. 828.349.2046.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a “Full Moon” moderate 4-mile hike to Siler Bald, elevation change 700 feet, on Saturday, Feb. 27. The club will meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 4:30 p.m. Call Leader Katharine Brown, 421-4178, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.

• A series of free, online turkey hunting seminars are coming up in March from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Classes will be held 7-8 p.m. with an interactive Q&A session at the end. Classes are Tuesday, March 2: Biology for Hunters, Regulations, Where to Hunt and Scouting. Wednesday, March 3:

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 4mile hike, elevation change 300 feet, off the old Murphy road on Forest Service road 7281 on Sunday, Feb. 28.

The club will meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 2 p.m. Call Leader Kathy Ratcliff, 526-6480, for reservations. Visitors and friendly dogs are welcome.

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

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Announcements

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February 24-March 2, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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SUPER

CROSSWORD

BACKUP FUNCTION ACROSS 1 "When -- your age ..."

5 Having two systems 12 One of the "Little Women" 16 Angry crowd 19 "99 Red Balloons" band 20 Really foolish 21 First digits dialed, often 23 * President of Nicaragua 25 Added yeast to, as bread 26 San --, Buenos Aires 27 Oklahoma tribe 28 * Rock yielding element #28 29 Riddle-me- -30 1/36 yard 33 Jai -35 Head, to Fifi 36 * Historical French area 40 Way of being torn, thrilled or loved 44 Put aside for future use 45 Handed out 47 Prefix with soul 48 With 18-Down, 1859 George Eliot novel 51 Cal. neighbor 52 * Crank-turned instrument 55 Prioritizes, as patients 58 Hosp. area 60 TV antennas 61 Bond film actress d'Abo 62 Place for a welcome mat 66 CPR giver 67 Mil. officer 68 * An off-Broadway theater is named for her 71 Linden of TV 74 Ice-T's music

76 77 79 82 83 84 88 90 91 92 93 96 99 104 106 107 108 109 113 115 117 118

121 122 123 124 125 126 127

Plane fliers Viewpoint Apple tablet download A fifth of fifty Nuclear reactor part * Popular citrus fruit "I solved it!"

Nile vipers China's Lao- -Fully enjoy 1966-2013 bookstore chain Funny feline photo meme * Musical group playing industrial drums Egg cell Genesis twin Diana of "Dance Hall" Ball or bass ender * Mafia boss Newsman Koppel 2017 biopic about an Olympic figure skater Per-night cost to stay at a 105-Down "Mr. Mom" plot premise (and what the answers to the starred clues have) Like not-yet-sampled food Two-function Fodder tower Day, in Spain Squirmy fish Lee who advised Reagan and Bush Couturier Cassini

DOWN 1 Gandhi of India 2 Ferret's kin

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 24 28 31 32 34 37 38 39 41 42 43 46 48 49 50 52 53 54 56 57 59 62 63 64

Lennox and Potts Uttered "Nonsense!"

Kin of "equi-" Old space station Hip about Related to food intake African land Meadowland Island east of Java Build Stovetop whistler Can't say no Part of MSG Polish river See 48-Across Big name "Fanny" author Jong San Fran NFLer Tribal groups Gordie of hockey Verdi's title slave Makeup brand Pasta dish Head of corn Collects, as a harvest River duck Many heirs Sprang 24-hr. "bankers" Tow Business of Delta Chemistry lab tube Ominous last words Cup edge Female bud Rhea's kin Fizzy drink Fraction: Abbr.

-- gin fizz Vicious vortex

65 69 70 72 73 75 78 79 80 81 83 85 86 87 89 93 94 95 97 98 100 101 102 103 105 109 110 111 112 114 116 118 119 120

Lifesaving locs.

"Lady for a Day" director Frank It flows in la Seine Rent- -- (security guard) Classic Ford models Ending for lime Blueprints Part of IHOP: Abbr.

Part of UTEP Claim the truth of Actress Edie Colorado NHLers, to fans Eminent Coll. seniors' tests Challenging "Never on Sunday" rule Person who is prospering Opposite of east, in Madrid Key next to a period Disinclined Dine away from home Throat part "Casino --" (Bond film) Not digital Roadside lodging "Darn it!"

Rice-A- -Greek vowel Crimson and cherry Boxer Oscar -- Hoya Roughly Std. for a nutritionist Deep groove Suffix with Siam

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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Wanted to Buy 1960’S AND 1970’S LAND ROVERS Whole or Parts - Especially interested in series Rovers sold from Harrell’s Motor Sales in Waynesville Wanted to restore to keep local. 828-506-5733

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 24-March 2, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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W W W. b l u e r i d g e m o t o r c y c l i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m February 24-March 2, 2021 Smoky Mountain News 31

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Smoky Mountain News February 24-March 2, 2021