Smoky Mountain News | March 24, 2021

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

March 24-30, 2021 Vol. 22 Iss. 43

Early start for 2022 Haywood sheriff’s race Page 12 Large cicada brood to emerge this spring in WNC Page 22

CONTENTS On the Cover: Area hospitals, community colleges and universities discuss what they are doing to combat the growing health care provider shortage in the U.S. While nurses and primary care physicians are in short supply nationally, Western North Carolina has some advantages over more urban areas. (Page 6) SCC Nursing student Jasmine McConnell serves at WCU’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic on March 15 in Cullowhee. Donated photo

News WNC schools finish school year in person ................................................................4 Sports betting opens at Harrah’s ..................................................................................5 Two apartment projects proposed for Sylva ............................................................10 Waynesville greenway survey needs your input ......................................................11 Early start for 2022 Haywood sheriff’s race ............................................................12 As cases recede, health experts urge caution ........................................................15

Opinion A healthy, diverse media landscape is a good thing ..............................................16 Finally, back to school for all ..........................................................................................17

A&E An afternoon with Songs From The Road Band ....................................................18 Taking a vacation with Nicholas Sparks......................................................................21

Outdoors

March 24-30, 2021

Large cicada brood to emerge this spring in WNC ..............................................22

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

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WNC schools to finish school year in person

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER orth Carolina State legislators have voted to send more students back to inperson learning with the passage of Senate Bill 220. Titled “The Reopen Our Schools Act of 2021,” the bill will require districts to offer full-time, in-person learning for K-5 students, where previously school districts could choose what plans to offer K-5. It also gives districts the option to offer Plan A, fully in-person learning, or Plan B, a hybrid plan with remote and in-person learning, to students in grades 6-12.

Most school districts in Western North Carolina were already offering full-time, inperson learning to K-5 students, but districts wasted no time in adjusting learning plans to offer the most in-person instruction possible under the new legislation to students in grades 6-12.

The new bill does not require the six feet of social distancing that was required under Plan B and allows more than one student per seat on school busses. Face coverings, temperature checks and symptom screenings are still required.

“This agreement between the governor and leaders in the state legislature will needlessly encourage school boards to push students, educators, and staff into school buildings that do not comply with CDC guidance during a pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of 11,000 North Carolinians,” Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said in a statement.

Jackson County Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on March 16, to approve the recommendation of Interim Superintendent Dr. Tony Tipton to return grades 6-12 to Plan A beginning April 5.

Students will attend school four days per week, with Wednesday remaining a remote learning day, and an opportunity to sanitize the schools. Jackson County Schools students in grades 6-12 had previously been attending school two days per week, one group on Monday and Tuesday, the other group on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday had been used as a remote learning and sanitation day.

The school system will have a few weeks

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March 24-30, 2021

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to plan for the transition, and will shift to Plan A on April 5, after returning from spring break.

“While this will create a great deal of work for our principals and teachers, it is the right thing to do,” Tipton said. “I fully believe we are in a position to have a strong finish to the school year while keeping our staff and students safe.”

According to Dr. Kevin Bailey, all Jackson County Schools staff that want to be vaccinated have had the opportunity to receive their vaccine. Currently, about 55 percent of school employees are fully vaccinated.

When JCPS transitions to Plan A on April 5, they will no longer be offering Plan B for blended in-person and remote instruction.

All students in Jackson County, including those who have been fully-remote up to this point, will have the opportunity to choose to return to Plan A, or opt for remote-only instruction.

Swain County Schools will also transition to Plan A, with four days of in-person instruction per week, using Wednesday as a remote instruction and school sanitation day. The district will make the transition on April 12, the Monday following spring break.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Sale said that all students are welcome and encouraged to come back to school for Plan A, in-person learning, including students that have been remote only up to this point.

“Before any decisions were made about what direction would be best, we sent a survey out again to teachers, this time to the middle school and high school staff,” said Sale.

There were 98 responses to the survey, 54 percent of whom said they were either very comfortable or somewhat comfortable returning to Plan A four days per week. About one-third of middle and high school staff indicated a level of discomfort returning to Plan A. The primary concern was making a schedule adjustment so late in the school year.

“I understand exactly where they’re coming from on that,” said Sale. “It would be very difficult for us if we were to make a change in schedule, to do it before spring break. A reason also that if we were going to make a change that I would recommend that it hap-

cent felt comfortable returning to Plan A before April, and 76 percent wanted to wait until April 1 to return to Plan A. Of families and teachers surveyed, 37 percent asked for at least one week to prepare to return to inperson learning and 60 percent preferred two to four weeks to return to in-person learning.

About half of teachers in Haywood County have received their first dose of the vaccine. All teachers who opted to get the vaccine will not have received their second dose until two weeks after spring break, April 5-9.

Kim Ross, representing HCAE said confidence to return to Plan A will increase with more vaccinations.

When asked by the board about the pros and cons of choosing a later start date, Nolte said “it would be swapping instructional time for ease of transition.”

For Haywood County Schools, Plan A will be five days per week of full-time, in-person learning. All students can choose to return to Plan A for in-person learning, or opt for Plan C, fully-remote learning.

Macon County Schools decided in a unanimous vote on Monday, March 22, to transition students at Mountain View Intermediate, Macon Middle School and Franklin High School to Plan A on Monday, April 5.

The board decided to return on April 5, the Monday following spring break, in order to give families and teachers adequate time to prepare for the schedule change.

Additionally, all staff that have opted to be vaccinated will have received their vaccine, and the two-week period required to develop COVID-19 immunity will have passed.

For Mountain View Intermediate School, Macon Middle School and Union Academy Plan A will entail four days of in-person instruction per week, with Friday remaining a remote instruction day, and a chance for teachers to interact with fully-remote learners. Franklin High School and Macon Early College will operate under five days per week of in-person instruction.

Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin says the administration understands there will be students with specific needs and special circumstances and that MCPS staff will work to help those students get through the year.

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pen after spring break would be to allow the second wave of staff members to get their second immunization shot. All of us will be getting our second shot next Thursday, and that will be fully effective by April 12, which would be the Monday after spring break.”

Sale said that in speaking with students at the high-school level, they said they felt there could be academic benefit, as well as the benefit of a sense of normalcy. Especially seniors said they felt that going back to in-person learning for the last seven weeks of the year could provide part of the senior-year experience.

“I want to be totally honest about this.

There are benefits, and then there are concerns as well. We need to be conscious of both of those,” said Sale. “It’s time for us to bring our students back to school and to give them the opportunity to have as much as a normal school experience as they possibly can have for the rest of this year. I believe that there can be some academic gain. But I believe maybe more importantly than that, it will give us the opportunity to be a second group of influential and caring individuals in the students’ lives and that is a significant need right now.”

Haywood County Schools decided, after lengthy discussion, on Tuesday, March 16, to return students in grades 6-12 to Plan A on Tuesday, March 23. It will be the only school system in The Smoky Mountain News coverage area to transition to Plan A before all staff have had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

The rapid transition led to a rare split vote from the Board of Education with Vice-chairman Jim Francis and Ronnie Clark voting against the motion to transition to Plan A on March 23. Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte recommended the timeline in order to align the start of Plan A with the start of the last nine weeks of the school year.

The Haywood County Association of Educators conducted a survey after the passage of Senate Bill 220 to determine how teachers and families felt about transitioning to Plan A so quickly. Kim Ross, representative for HCAE, presented the results of the survey to the Board of Education Wednesday night.

There were 107 people who participated in the survey. Of those respondents, under 8 percent felt confidently included in the planning process for a return to Plan A, 23 per-

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Casino employees stand ready to take the first bets at The Book in Cherokee. Harrah’s Cherokee photo

Sports betting opens at Harrah’s

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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Q: I am looking for recipes to share with seniors through the community center, do you have any suggestions?

A: We have the Ingles Table magazine which is a free magazine full of recipes from regional chefs and bloggers. It is available in our deli. You can also go to our website www.ingles-markets.com; we have a recipe section that features these recipes and even videos of how to make the dishes. Here are some additional resources: · MyPlate from the USDA has a variety of economical recipes www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen/recipes · Be sure and check out Leann Brown's budget friendly recipes.

There is even a free PDF on her site: www.leannebrown.com · You might also want to connect with your local NC Cooperative Extension office and they may have a variety of resources for you.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

Smoky Mountain News

Manager Lumpy Lambert. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this new amenity to sports fans, especially on the opening day of the NCAA basketball tournament. We know our guests will thoroughly enjoy The Book and the diverse betting experience it will provide.”

The Book is the culmination of years of collaboration between the EBCI, Caesars Entertainment and William Hill, the world’s preeminent sports betting company.

When Gov. Roy Cooper first signed the bill allowing sports betting on the Qualla Boundary in July 2019, the tribe expected to have The Book up and running within months. However, the project took significantly longer than expected to come to fruition.

Opening The Book required approving an amendment to the tribe’s existing gaming compact with the state. After Cooper signed the bill into law, the tribe began working on the amendment with Cooper’s office, delivering a proposal on Oct. 14, 2019.

Cooper had 180 days from that date to approve or reject the compact, but when the mid-April deadline came he still hadn’t taken action. It wasn’t until Dec. 3, 2020, that Tribal Council had the chance to vote on the Cooper-approved compact amendment.

After that, it needed signatures from state officials and approval from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, with a 45-day public comment period through the Bureau of Indian Affairs required prior to final approval.

Sports wagering is expected to bring in an additional $14 million in casino revenue, accounting for 3 to 5 percent of total casino revenue. The state expects to gain $1 to $1.5 million each year in taxes, and the compact also requires to pay $191,000 annually state regulatory costs.

March 24-30, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ new sports betting venue is now open following a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday, March 18 — just in time for March Madness.

The Book, with locations at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy, offers plush reclining chairs and ultra high-definition screens for guests to watch the games they’re betting on.

“I want to thank everyone who put so much hard work and dedication into bringing this venture to fruition,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in a statement on his Facebook page. “Our goal is always to offer our guests first-class gaming and entertainment services, so we are very proud to now add legal, safe and responsible sports betting to their experience at both of our venues.”

The Cherokee facility boasts a 90-foot screen, seven ticket-writer windows, 10 selfservice betting kiosks, full beverage service and reservable space in the Fan Caves or Upper Deck for those who want a more private viewing experience. The Murphy facility has a 32-foot screen, four ticket-writer windows, five self-service kiosks, full beverage service and an additional lounge area that can be reserved for parties.

Harrah’s Cherokee General Manager Brooks Robinson expressed his gratitude for the casino’s partnership with the EBCI, saying that casino managers are “proud to house North Carolina’s first sports betting venues and are confident that it will be an amenity our guests will enjoy.”

“The Book represents our commitment to continued growth,” added Valley River

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

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news

Hospitals offer incentives to attract providers

BY J ESSI STONE HRMC also struggled with staffing during shortage he’s seen was back in the 2001-2005 in science of nursing) they can apply through time frame followed by a huge surplus that our program to do that and commit to stay N EWS EDITOR the surge of COVID cases in the winter. with us afterward for a certain amount of n 2019, registered nurses were listed as the “We’ve had similar experiences as other was driven by the recession years.

Harris and Swain have taken proactive time. We found that those types of programs third most in-demand job in the U.S., and hospitals. I feel like our staff really pulled even though enrollment in nursing pro- together as a cohesive team to meet the chal- steps to work closely with Western Carolina help engage our staff.”

Harris and Swain also offer recruitment grams is also on the rise, it’s not keeping pace lenges of the pandemic, and now it’s finally University and Southwestern Community with the market demand. starting to feel a little more manageable with College to incentivize students to enter these bonuses for staff members who make a time high-demand fields and work in rural health commitment and also retention bonuses for The COVID-19 Pandemic has only inten- the numbers we have,” Millard said. sified the immediate need for nurses in the She said the hospital currently has open- care settings when they graduate. The hospi- staff members when they meet certain U.S., but according to the U.S Bureau of ings in food service, medical office reception- tal also offers tuition assistance for those anniversaries.

“We recognize the value of having staff Labor Statistics, the need for RNs will contin- ist, behavioral health, as well as nursing posi- graduates. who are committed to staying ue to be one of the largest areas with you over time, and those of growth through 2029. strategies have worked,” The U.S. is also facing a priHeatherly said. mary care provider shortage.

Millard said HRMC is in According to the Association the process of hiring new gradof American Medical Colleges, uates in June through its own there will be a shortfall of partnerships with community 21,400 to 55,200 primary care colleges and universities in the physicians by 2033. area, especially Haywood North Carolina as a whole Community College and AB hasn’t been exempt from that Tech in Asheville. shortage, but here in Western “I think students that North Carolina it seems our attend AB Tech and HCC tend rural providers do have a leg up to want to stay in the commuon recruiting new nurses into nity when they graduate, and their organizations, recruiting one draw about our hospital is primary and specialty providers we have a family life culture,” and retaining a highly qualified she said. workforce.

The hospital’s educational “We live in the beautiful department has designed an mountains of Western North internal residency program Carolina — people want to that’s really appealing for stucome here,” said Steve dents graduating in the healthHeatherly, CEO of Harris care field.

Regional Hospital and Swain HRMC also has what’s Community Hospital. called a “clinical ladder” proJudy Millard, director of gram where employees can do human resources at Haywood a certain amount of work in Regional Medical Center, different areas of the hospital, agreed that HRMC hasn’t had work on special projects, and the same prolonged challenges SCC Nursing student Corrie Kinsland served at WCU’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic on March 15 in Cullowhee. serve on committees. urban providers have had in “Each assignment has a recruiting primary care physicians as well as specialists because people tions in the Intensive Care Unit, Progressive Harris works closely with SCC to identify number of points to gather and once you want to move here.

Care Unit, MedSurg, Women’s Care, students they can put through a training pro- achieve certain levels, it comes with various “People are drawn to our area because it Behavioral Health Unit and Geriatric gram at the hospital’s cost if they agree to bonus amounts through the year,” Millard has so much to offer. Quality of life is impor- Psychiatric Unit. work for the hospital system for a certain said. “It lets our staff members grow profestant,” she said.

With a staff of about 940 people, Millard amount of time after they complete the pro- sionally and increase their income.”

HRMC has also established its own CNA Staffing in general, especially during the said recruiting and retaining staff for HRMC gram. pandemic, has been a challenge for all health was challenging before the pandemic with Heatherly said Harris has two to four peo- (certified nursing assistant) school and gradcare organizations. openings across the board, but especially ple participating in those programs at any uated a class last fall. The program is for non“It was a challenge in the early days of the challenging finding enough nurses. given time. The hospital also chooses several certified staff members who want to further pandemic. We had more staffing than needed “There’s never enough nurses and certain- students and pays for them to go through the their education in exchange for a time combecause we had a limited number of COVID ly we could use more nursing instructors in nurse practitioner program at WCU. They mitment to the organization. The hospital had to receive a special designation to start cases and shut down elective services for a the area,” she said. “We’re working on differ- come to work at Harris after they graduate. span of time, so we really had an oversupply ent things to mitigate those challenges that I Harris also acts as a training site for both the program and has an educator on staff to for a span of time,” Heatherly said.

WCU and SCC. Clinical students come to work with the class. think is going to help.”

“There’s no cost to the student and if they As COVID cases started to pick up, the Heatherly said he tracks staffing needs Harris to get a feel for what it’s like in the real hospital started to see an increase in COVID- every week. With about 1,000 employees at medical setting and they also establish a men- want to pursue nursing after that, we have related admittances in the fall. The surge that Harris, Swain and associated medical offices, tor type of relationship with someone in their tuition reimbursement opportunities,” began in October caused a need for more there are currently about 56 job openings respective department. That experience and Millard said.

Heatherly said Harris and Swain hospitals nurses, lab techs and radiology techs. connection with staff members makes those across the board.

“During the surge, which for us was October “That’s not out of the normal range for us. students more likely to stay in the system to have had great success recruiting specialty through mid-January, it felt like a double wham- These days no one can find enough nurses at work since they are already familiar with the physicians in recent years. In 2020, they recruited three new primary care physicians, my because we had an influx of COVID patients any given moment and that goes in cycles processes and the staff. and also staff that had the virus all happening at through the years — sometimes there’s a sur“Beyond that, we do a lot of work around a neonatologist, a general surgeon with a spesame time,” he said. “To complicate matters, plus but more often there’s a deficit,” he said. tuition reimbursement and investing in our cialty in breast cancer, a neurologist and travel nurses were in short supply because they Heatherly said he’s been through a worse staff — it carries a commitment to the organ- more. were being paid huge amounts of money to go cycle of supply and demand in the industry ization,” Heatherly said. “If we have a nurse than what COVID has created. The worst that wants to get a BSN (a bachelor’s degree S EE HOSPITALS, PAGE 9 6 to hotspots in the country.”

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March 24-30, 2021

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Amid pandemic, educators train new generation of healthcare professionals

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‘WITH A WEEK’S NOTICE’

92 percent of its 2020 graduating class pass the nursing licensure exam on the first try, “one of the highest rates we’d had in years,” said Executive Vice President of Instruction and Student Services Thom Brooks.

Still, Hayes said of WCU’s nursing students, “I’m sure it was difficult for them to get shortened at the end on practical experience and then go right into hospitals that were dealing with all the COVID stuff.”

DIFFERENT EACH SEMESTER For last year’s graduates, COVID was a factor only at the very end of their educational journey. Nearly all the health sciences students set to graduate this year, however, had to deal with pandemic restrictions through the majority of their chosen program, most of which are two years long.

However, by summertime two things were apparent: the pandemic would be around for a while, and everybody would need to start thinking about how to resume normal activities as safely as possible. As a result, restrictions during the following fall and spring were nowhere near as severe as in the early days of the pandemic.

“We did get to go back to clinical a little bit over the summer, and in the fall everybody was back in clinical some, and we did as many hours as we could,” said Lorene Putnam, nursing director for HCC and TriCounty Community College.

While most locations began accepting clinical students again over the summer and even more into the fall, program directors often had a hard time getting students the

same number of hours on the job they would have been expected to obtain pre-pandemic.

“In some units we couldn’t put as many students just because of physical distancing,” said Putnam. “They didn’t want as many people there, which is understandable, and then hesitancy of clients — just hesitance to have anybody there that didn’t absolutely have to be there.”

Programs have gone to creative lengths to continue teaching what are by definition hands-on jobs while still observing pandemic protocol. Sometimes, instructors must offer labs twice as often in order to halve the number of students in the room at once. For other classes, instructors divide students into two groups, with one group attending in person and the other via video for any given session.

With no conferences on the schedule, SCC has been using its conference center to hold nursing classes. The space is much larger than the usual nursing classroom, making social distancing easier.

The measures seem to be working. Brooks said that SCC has not documented any cases of a student contracting COVID-19 from a class, lab or clinical.

Students and teachers alike are looking forward to a more normal fall, and in particular to more opportunities for face-to-face interaction. But some pandemic-era teaching methods may persist.

“Some of the things we’ve learned, we might keep,” said Hayes. “They kind of worked out better. So it’s really made us look at everything, how we’re teaching. I think that has been a lesson of COVID.” On the other hand, the rollout of the largest mass vaccination program in history is giving students access to a type of hands-on experience that their predecessors never had the chance to try.

“Each semester in COVID has been different,” said Hayes. “But this one’s really about the vaccine.”

Students from WCU, SCC and HCC have all been volunteering at clinics across the region as they run in the race to vaccinate faster than the virus mutates.

“I think they appreciate the importance of

it and the impacts that they can make by contributing,” said Hayes. “Several seem to really appreciate that — that they’re involved at this point in time with this pandemic, knowing that they’re in nursing school, and they can make a difference right away.”

ATTACKING THE SHORTAGE While the pandemic highlighted the need for more nurses, doctors, EMTs, respiratory therapists, radiologists and all manner of health care workers in Western North Carolina, it did not create the need.

A 2018 report from the N.C. Institute of Medicine looks at the number of primary, dental and mental/behavioral care professionals in each county to determine whether there’s a shortage in any category. It names Cherokee, Clay, Macon, Jackson, Haywood and Swain counties as “health professional shortage areas” for all three, with Graham designated as a shortage area for both primary and dental care.

According to the report, salaries are not the main issue when it comes to attracting and maintaining health professionals in rural areas — in fact, salaries for rural areas are 13 to 16 percent higher than for urban areas. Instead, it blames lack of training opportunities, higher caseloads and community characteristics that may not be attractive to people looking for a place with more urban amenities.

SCC and HCC are hoping to attack two of those three issues with plans for new health sciences buildings. These projects aim to drastically increase capacity to train new health professionals and to pull from a largely local pool of applicants who are already familiar with the community’s rural nature and likely to stick around after graduation. SCC, for example, estimates that about 90 percent of its graduates live and work in Jackson, Macon or Swain County after graduation.

HCC just broke ground on its new building this year, but SCC’s has been under construction since 2019 and is scheduled for completion in June. The $21 million project will

Smoky Mountain News

All across the region — the country — the world — students were in the final weeks of their spring semester when the pandemic forced institutions from kindergartens to graduate schools to shutter their classrooms and pivot to virtual learning. But for a nursing student learning draw blood or a respiratory therapist in training learning how to use a ventilator, Zoom just doesn’t cut it.

While state mandates shutting down inperson instruction had exceptions for healthcare programs that require clinical experiences, many agencies and organizations that had previously hosted clinical students stopped allowing them in, especially in the first few months of the pandemic. That left instructors to figure out how to get their stu-

CAREGIVER SHORTAGE

Haywood Community College students work with a simulation lab ‘patient.' HCC photo

March 24-30, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER s a respiratory therapist, Bruce Moyle is trained to deliver breathing therapies to people who struggle to draw oxygen. As a respiratory therapy instructor at Southwestern Community College, he’s trained to deliver the next generation of healthcare workers to a region that struggles to hire enough of them.

Those roles gave him a closer look than most at just how bad the pandemic got this winter — and at the critical importance of expanding Western North Carolina’s standing army of healthcare professionals.

“This past midwinter, which we’ll call December and January, was extraordinarily busy,” he said. “There was reopening of areas that had been mothballed to take care of COVID patients. Workload was, to put it bluntly, extreme, because of the numbers of patients requiring extensive oxygen therapy, breathing modalities, pulmonary care. I was offered shifts every week.”

Even as he was working one or two 12hour shifts per week at Mission Health, Moyle was working full-time at SCC, doing his best to educate the 20 students enrolled in the college’s two-year respiratory therapy program.

Since COVID hit, that hasn’t been easy.

“It’s been a huge learning curve to go through what we’ve gone through, more so in the education environment than the actual provision of healthcare,” he said.

Preventing exposure to dangerous contagions has always been part of the healthcare environment, even if those preventative measures did heighten during the pandemic.

“It was much more dramatic in the scholastic environment, because we’ve never had to go through it before,” Moyle said.

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Growing the pipeline

dents the experience they’d need to pass their certification exams and deliver quality care in the field.

“We kind of had to put it together with a week’s notice,” said Colleen Hayes, director of Western Carolina University’s undergraduate nursing program.

She used various online learning resources to help fill the gap, including a program called Shadow Health that allows students to work through virtual clinical situations. The university also reached out to retired doctors for help. The students would call the doctors to practice giving a patient report, just as they would do in a clinical setting.

Typically, nursing students must complete at least 120 clinical hours in their final year of education, of which only a percentage could be delivered virtually. However, the N.C. Board of Nursing temporarily waived that rule, stating that program directors would be responsible “for determining educationally sound modifications that are necessary, for identifying whether the program outcomes have been met, and for validating those students who meet the program outcome.” The waiver is set to expire at the end of June.

Representatives from SCC, WCU and Haywood Community College all said that, despite the challenges, their students rose to the occasion, graduating and passing certification exams at high rates. In fact, SCC saw

S EE E DUCATORS, PAGE 9 7

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Nursing students find purpose amid difficulties of pandemic

to go into hospitals and all learning was done over Zoom.

“The second half of my first semester was at the beginning of the pandemic and we lost all clinical opportunities,” said Fernandez. “I had professors that taught skills labs over Zoom in their living room. It was very difficult because we were not able to practice skills in clinical, and we lost a lot of hands-on learning.”

Regardless of the difficult situation, Pilcher, Sawyers and Fernandez were adamant that their professors worked hard to make sure they were still receiving the best education possible under the circumstances. Fernandez said nursing students always have to be on top of things and take initiative, but the pandemic has made her nursing class even more diligent, flexible and resilient.

CAREGIVER SHORTAGE A nursing student at Haywood Community College practices his skills on a simulation lab dummy. HCC photo

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER or students in the nursing program at Western Carolina University, the Coronavirus Pandemic sauntered into their world during spring break 2020. On Wednesday of that week, the university informed students that the break would be extended by one week. By Friday, the news was more dire, students wouldn’t be returning to campus at all.

Billy Pilcher, a third semester nursing student at WCU, remembers when the virus began to spread in the U.S. During his first semester, he can recall a conversation with his girlfriend, telling her that the government is prepared for this, that they would get it under control. Pilcher now knows that his girlfriend was right when she told him this was serious — something that was not going away any time soon.

Maria Fernandez was on spring break, halfway through her first semester of nursing school when friends of hers got the news spring break had been extended. She says that at that time she had no idea she

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March 24-30, 2021

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wouldn’t be returning to campus at all that semester.

Amaya Sawyers, also in her third semester of nursing school at WCU, was sitting on her back porch in Gastonia when the stay-athome order went into effect. For her, that was the turning point from anomaly to long-term change.

Sawyers, like Pilcher, Fernandez and many other college students, had already returned home and Billy Pilcher is a started preparing for third semester the unknown — fullynursing student at remote, online learning WCU. for the second half of their first semester of nursing school.

During the second half of that first semester, nursing students usually begin hospital rotations, learn skills in simulation labs and start clinicals. With stay-at-home restrictions in place, students were not able

“It really showed the resiliency of the nursing program and told me that even though my nursing education would be impacted, we could get through it together and with our amazing support from professors here at Western,” said Pilcher.

The pandemic has reaffirmed these students’ knowledge that they are on the right path, and has shown them the very real impact they will have on people’s lives. They understand that they are coming into the field at a time when, as Fernandez put it, fresh legs are needed.

“At the start of the pandemic, I was extremely nervous about going into nursing,” said Sawyers. “I was seeing all of these nurses talk about how burnt out they felt and how tired they were working the front lines of this pandemic. We have some family friends who are nurses and hearing them describe what a day in their lives was like on their units at the height of the pandemic was scary. I questioned whether or not I was capable of being one of them. To be someone who went into work every day and risked my life for the lives of my patients.

However, I realized that every single day these nurses were making a difference in someone else’s life and that is all I have ever wanted to do. Today, I can confidently say that I am excited to start my career as a

nurse.”

One of the more difficult aspects of studying nursing during this time is being privy to both sides — seeing and understanding how hard health care professionals are working and watching as people outside the health care world take restrictions and recommendations lightly.

Sawyer says she hates wearing a mask, just like everyone else. But she wears one,

“[The pandemic] really showed the resiliency of the nursing program and told me that even though my nursing education would be impacted, we could get through it together and with our amazing support from professors here at Western.”

— Billy Pilcher

she washes her hands and social distances because she knows that may be what keeps someone else from contracting coronavirus and dying. Keeping other people safe is more important than how comfortable she feels.

Pilcher agrees, the rules are in place to keep one another from developing serious illness and watching as they become more relaxed has been hard.

In their second and third semesters this group of students has had the chance to complete hospital rotations. They help regularly at the VA Hospital in Asheville, and they have been on the front lines assisting with vaccine administration and education.

“Nursing students have had to adapt to whatever new information comes our way.

We have learned to expect anything, and that things can change within a moment’s notice. It can be stressful at times during the program having a plan all laid out and then having to rearrange everything, but these are things we learn from and can bring to our profession upon graduation,” said Pilcher.

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HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

HOSPITALS, CONTINUED FROM 6

Smoky Mountain News

While many rural health care systems struggle to recruit hard-to-find specialties, Heatherly said Western North Carolina is fortunate.

“I think there will continue to be a national shortage of physicians, but I’m optimistic about our ability to recruit the provider talent we need to take care of our community,” he said.

The average pay for nurses in North Carolina, according to Indeed.com, is $33.84 per hour plus $10,125 in overtime. That average increases $9.62 an hour for nurses in the field for 10 years or more.

Heatherly said the hospital is continually assessing the pay for staff and adjusting compensation as needed to keep pace with the market. In a market where there is more demand than supply, rural health care organizations have to stay competitive to retain their workforce.

“I think that we’re going to have to be committed to being competitive and I think that’s one of the challenges of rural health

care in particular,” he said.

With the aging demographics of this region, rural health care providers rely on more Medicare reimbursements from the government and those reimbursements are less than what’s typical with private insurance companies. Hospitals in urban areas have a better balance of private and public reimbursements than providers in rural areas.

Millard said one of HRMC’s challenges is its proximity to other larger providers — particularly Mission Health that has locations in Asheville as well as a facility in Clyde now.

“We do compete with large health care organizations — that’s often a challenge.

We try to stay on top of things and convey our message of who we are and our culture,” she said. “By and large, I think pay is good here, but there’s always room for improvement.”

For job opportunities at HRMC, visit www.myhaywoodregional.com/careers.

For job opportunities at Harris and Swain, visit www.myharrisregional.com/careers or www.myswaincommunity.com/careers.

March 24-30, 2021

The pandemic has shown what a vital, difficult and sometimes dangerous field health care can be, but educators say that their students aren’t backing away from the challenge.

“Not a single one dropped out due to COVID,” said Eric Hester, EMS Program Coordinator for SCC. “They actually stepped up to the plate, and they accepted the challenge. It kind of just reaffirmed to them that, ‘I’m needed, and let’s get out there and get to work.’”

At 55, Hester’s finding that working in the back of an ambulance takes an increasing physical toll, and during the winter, when nearly every call was for a COVID-positive patient and the vaccine wasn’t available yet, it was downright scary. He found his students’ response to the challenge encouraging.

“They’re fresh and ready to go, and that’s rejoicing to me because since I’m older I’d like

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yield 55,411 square feet of state-of-the-art lab and classroom space that will house SCC’s 14 existing health sciences programs along with two new ones. With the extra space, SCC expects to increase health sciences admissions by 57 percent over the next three years, with capacity growing from 506 to nearly 800.

“The building immediately gives us more capacity for the numbers of students that we can accept into our health science programs,” said Brooks. “Most of our programs have limitations on the number of students that can be accepted into the program, and oftentimes that’s tied to the physical space that the program has to provide adequate lab experiences to those students.”

HCC’s 16,000-square-foot building, meanwhile, will double the space available for nursing education, a program currently enrolling 49 students. Construction will last about one year, wrapping up in time for use in fall 2022.

to step back and let the younger people step up to the plate,” he said.

Hester did see a lag in interest during the 2020-21 school year, with only seven students in a cohort that would usually have 14 or 15.

Nationwide, community colleges saw a 10 percent drop in enrollment between fall 2019 and fall 2020, for a variety of reasons. But Hester is hopeful that applications will return to a more normal level in the year ahead.

Thankfully, the drastic decrease in Hester’s program was the exception rather than the rule. Moyle said that he saw about the same number of applications for 2020-21 as for 2019-20.

“Most community colleges have seen a decrease in enrollment, but that hasn’t been so much the case for our health science programs,” said Brooks.

Putnam said that enrollment seems to be down “a little bit,” but not significantly.

However, that could change next year, because typically students planning to enter the nursing program will take their general education courses before applying. It’s possible that fewer chose to do that this academic year, which could lead to fewer applications in the year ahead.

On a university-wide level, WCU saw record enrollment this year — again — and applications to the nursing program came in at the high end of normal, said Hayes.

Hope for a more typical school year this fall is high, and educators yearn to see that hope realized and to give their full focus once again to the most important task at hand — supplying Western North Carolina with a pipeline of professionals sufficient to serve the needs of an ever-expanding population of mountain residents.

“We had a big advisory meeting yesterday with representatives from literally all the EMS agencies in our general region,” said Hester. “And every single one of the agencies are begging for medics. There’s availability out there, and they are begging for people to come to work.”

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Two apartment projects proposed for Sylva

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER pair of public hearings slated for April 1 will determine the fate of two proposed apartment developments in Sylva.

The projects would add a combined 274 bedrooms spread over 156 units to a community where a mounting housing shortage has led to higher prices and fewer choices for renters and homeowners alike.

During a March 9 meeting, the Sylva Planning Board considered the proposals — which both require a Conditional Use Permit to move forward — and voted unanimously to recommend them for approval by the Sylva Zoning Board of Adjustment. The board is composed of the town’s mayor and commissioners, along with a representative from the extra-territorial jurisdiction.

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CANYON CHASE

March 24-30, 2021

Envisioned as a senior living development, Canyon Chase would include 84 units — 44 one-bedroom and 40 two-bedroom — in a single four-story building to be constructed on the north side of the Chipper Curve and Allens Branch Road intersection.

The project would also include an indoor/outdoor sitting area, a multi-purpose room, an exercise room, a computer center and storage areas for the tenants.

The proposed apartment building would be constructed entirely on the larger parcel, located within the town’s Professional Business District, where multi-family dwellings are allowed provided the town grants a CUP. The smaller parcel is part of the R1 district, where apartments are now allowed, and would be maintained as open space or as a private park for apartment residents.

The proposal met with support from Sylva Planning Board members when it was presented during a March 9 meeting.

“In the future we’re envisioning this Skyland corridor as a mixed-use corridor that would include some residential and business and government things,” said Planning Board Member Melissa Madrona, “so I think it would fit in pretty well with that and also help serve our future goal of creating a little bit more density for housing development.”

The project is proposed

by Clemmons-based KRP As proposed, The Bluffs would add 150 bedrooms in a three- Investments LLC, whose building, 75-unit apartment complex on Savannah Drive. manager is Karen Perry. This Martin Riley Associates image would be Perry’s second try

The property, currently owned by various members of the Cogdill family, consists of two parcels. The larger one is a 4.5-acre parcel that sits in the corner of Chipper Curve and Allens Branch roads and contains a home whose current tax value is $38,450.

The smaller parcel is vacant, borders the backside of the larger property and fronts Moody Childress Drive.

at building an apartment complex in Sylva.

In 2016, the town approved plans for a 54unit workforce housing project across U.S. 23 from Harris Regional Hospital, to be financed with tax credits from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency. The project was delayed due to issues with receiving the tax credits in the first round of application and came before the town once more in 2018 as a slightly larger, 60-unit project. Though Perry ultimately secured the tax credits, the project was never built.

“For various reasons beyond developer control, The Village Overlook will not move forward and credits were returned to NCHFA,” Perry said in an email.

Chase Canyon will also rely on tax credits to move forward. If the CUP is approved, Perry will apply for the round of awards to be announced in August of this year and hopes to start building in 2022.

Perry’s plans call for the 126 parking spaces required by county ordinance, but when presenting his staff report Jackson County Senior Planner John Jeleniewski said that the county is working to refine its rules on parking requirements. Because of the nature of the project, fewer residents are likely to have and use cars than would be the case with a typical workforce housing or multifamily housing project.

The planning board approved the plan, but with five recommen-

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Be heard The Sylva Zoning Board of Adjustments is expected to make a final decision on the Conditional Use Permits recommended for The Bluffs and Chase Canyon following a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 1, at Bridge Park Pavilion.

To grant the CUP, the board must find that the project will not materially endanger public health or safety, meets all required conditions and specifications, will not substantially injure the value of adjoining and abutting properties and will have a location and character in harmony with the general area.

The town had planned to hold the meeting virtually, but on March 25 the town board will vote on a proposal to hold it in-person at Bridge Park instead. Contact Sylva Town Hall with questions at 828.586.2719 or townclerk@townofsylva.org.

travel the already busy U.S. 23 during peak hours. However, a signal does already exist at the intersection of U.S. 23 and Savannah Drive.

The applicant on the project is Southern Properties & Development LLC, a Greensboro-based business whose mangers are Thomas W. Honeycutt and Brian D. Smith. The land in question is a single tract currently owned by the Hensley and Bartlett families.

The planning board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the CUP. Jeleniewski attached the same four recommendations to this project as to the Canyon Chase proposal, and the planning board upheld those recommendations in its vote.

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To be constructed on 6.83 acres of vacant land on Savannah Drive — about 1,120 feet south of that road’s intersection with U.S. 23 — this development would include three three-story buildings containing a total of 72 units for a total of 150 bedrooms.

In addition, the project would feature a community area with a clubhouse/multipurpose room, covered picnic area, playground, covered patio and gazebo. The property is within the Business 2 district of the town’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction, where multi-family developments are allowed only when a CUP is granted.

Town ordinance requires 108 parking spots for a project of this size, but 133 parking stalls are proposed. Unlike the senior living complex, this development is expected to attract working families who would

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March 24-30, 2021

dations attached. The first four, proposed in Jeleniewski’s staff report, are that all final site construction plans be reviewed for compliance; that a sidewalk 5 feet wide be built along Chipper Curve Road and Skyland Drive and then connected to the sidewalk network proposed for the interior of the project; that downcast lighting be installed for parking areas, walkways and public spaces; and that KRP coordinate with the N.C. Department of Transportation for a driveway access permit and three-party encroachment agreement for the sidewalk.

The fifth recommendation, added by the planning board, asks that the back parcel be preserved as green space.

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR The Town of Waynesville’s chances at being awarded a $500,000 grant for greenway infrastructure could drastically improve — with your help.

“It’s very similar to building a court case,” said Rhett Langston, Waynesville’s recreation director. “You have to show that is there is a public need for it and that of course it has to be very well-documented in your grant application. It’s not us sitting behind a desk thinking, ‘This is what we think that this area needs,’ it’s based upon public input.”

If the grant application is successful, an award from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund would help pay for access and improvements to a parcel of land the town recently purchased just across Richland Creek from the rec center; the cost of a bridge over the creek is substantial, despite a generous donation from Waynesville resident Philan Medford.

“We’ve done a little bit of fundraising already locally,” said Elizabeth Teague, Waynesville’s development services director. “We have some generous donors who are really supportive of the greenways but,

what we’re trying to do now is collect information on recreation needs and then we’ll build a budget and a grant application around public input.”

To that end, the town is asking for residents to fill out a short internet survey indicating what amenities greenway users might want to see on the parcel. That could be anything from picnic tables to fishing access to horseshoe pits, and more.

“Waynesville is seeing a lot of growth right now, and one of the things that both the parks and rec commission and the planning board — which are all-volunteer boards — have looked at is how we preserve and maximize green space for the public,” Teague said.

Current planning is being conducted in conjunction with Haywood Waterways, to ensure the Richland Creek watershed’s integrity isn’t in any way compromised.

The town will also hold a public meeting for the Richland Creek Greenway and park development, to make it easier for residents to learn more about the project, on Thursday, March 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Take the survey at www.waynesvillenc.gov/departments/parks -recreation. For more information on the grant application or the scope of the project, contact Langston at 828.456.2030 or email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov.

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Early start for 2022 Haywood sheriff’s race

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR t’s been an open secret for a while now, but two-term incumbent Democratic Sheriff of Haywood County Greg Christopher made it official last weekend — he’s not running for a third term.

“I’ve been saying this to my staff for quite some time,” Christopher told The Smoky Mountain News on March 19. “I wanted them to be able to prepare for the future.”

Christopher, who will be 61 when his term ends in 2022, said that after a lifetime in law enforcement it’s time for him and his wife to enjoy retirement. Christopher was appointed Haywood County sheriff in March 2013, after then-Sheriff Bobby Suttles retired abruptly with almost two years left on his term.

At the time, the Haywood County native Christopher was a lieutenant in the State Highway Patrol. After his appointment, Christopher won his first four-year term in 2014, and his second in 2018. Both times, he ran unopposed.

“God has been good to me, as have the citizens of this county,” Christopher said.

The next sheriff of Haywood County will encounter a situation far different than Christopher walked into in 2013.

Since the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer late last spring, law enforcement officials and elected leaders are taking a hard look at best practices that could transform policing as a whole.

The political landscape has also shifted — a hard right turn in Haywood County politics made Christopher, a popular Democrat, an electoral rarity at a time when Republicans made gains on the county commission, and in the General Assembly.

Whoever that next sheriff ends up being, Christopher has some words of advice when he leaves his post in 20 months.

“I would say that they need to plan on being available to the public, to listen to the needs of the community, to put the office and citizens above themselves, and to adopt an attitude of servitude,” he said.

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wo contenders have already emerged as possible successors to Christopher, even though the election is still a long ways away.

Raised on the eastern shore of Maryland, Bill Wilkie grew up working on crab boats and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Salisbury University. His career in law enforcement began in Virginia.

“I became a Newport News police officer for close to four years, so I cut my teeth in law enforcement basically as a beat officer there,” Wilkie said. “Following that event, I was hired full-time with the North Carolina National Guard as a training officer.”

While training the two MP battalions in Asheville, Wilkie, 51, concurrently became an Asheville Police Officer. He also ran for Haywood County sheriff in 2010, winning the Republican primary, but losing to Suttles.

“At the time, the standards for Asheville 12

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were really high. It was the place to go in Western North Carolina for law enforcement,” he said. “I was there for 16 years. I made it to the rank of lieutenant. I worked in policy development my last year, but for the four years prior to my lieutenant-hood, I was a district commander.”

Wilkie said that around 2013 or 2014, Asheville began “going in a direction that didn’t align with my morals and my values,” so he left in October 2016, and became a licensed private investigator.

“It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had, in addition to law enforcement, because you get to help a vast array of people and clients,” he said. “I handle murder cases.

I’ve pursued people that don’t pay their child support, I’ve done civil process, serving papers.”

His Primary Election opponent is a familiar name in Haywood County’s law enforcement community — Capt. Tony Cope.

Cope, 50, is a Haywood County native raised in the Lake Logan area. After high school, he began his career in public service with the Center Pigeon Fire Department, while working in manufacturing for about a decade.

“The company I was working for was going out of business. I developed a relationship with a couple of guys that I had went to high school with, Lt. Mike Price and Tim Henson, and did some ride-alongs,” said Cope. “We were allowed to do ride-alongs as volunteer fireman at that time. Sheriff Alexander gave me a sponsorship and I went to rookie school, and here I am.”

Aside from a short stint with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Tribal Police, Cope has spent his entire law enforcement career in the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office.

Cope had been registered as a Democrat until recently but changed his registration due to philosophical disagreements with the party’s stance on several issues.

“I don’t believe in defunding the police, I certainly don’t believe in third trimester abortion, and I don’t believe in any changes to our Constitution,” he said. “That’s the very foundation of this country and that’s what I’ve stood on since I became law enforcement.”

Cope doesn’t think the change will affect his electability.

“I have worked in this county for over 20 years in law enforcement, no matter what the political affiliations were,” he said. “I’ve served the citizens of this county for that amount of time. And I think that, I think that will stand for itself.”

Cope and Wilke, and any other Republicans who may end up joining them, will face off in a Primary Election in 2022, but the timing of Election Day is still very much up in the air.

Problems with census data collected in 2020 may result in a delay in drawing new electoral maps. Those new maps will affect everything from congressional boundaries to state legislative districts, and a Primary Election can’t be held until they’re approved.

There’s talk of pushing the primary from

Tony Cope

Bill Wilkie March to May, and that could make all the difference for Cope and Wilke — currently, there are no Democrats in the race, and if that continues, the Republican Primary Election alone will determine the face of law enforcement in Haywood County for the next four years.

Even if a Democrat does indeed enter the race, the winner of the Republican Primary should still have a strong electoral advantage.

Since Christopher’s first election back in 2014, voters on a countywide level have been throwing more and more support to Republicans. At that time, the Haywood Board of Commissioners was firmly in Democratic hands, by a four-to-one majority.

Today, it’s the exact opposite.

The Smoky Mountain News: Being in law enforcement for more than 20 years, you’ve watched this county change quite a bit, and you’ve also watched how Buncombe County has changed over that same time. Do you see Haywood County going down the same path as Asheville, in terms of what law enforcement is called upon to deal with?

Tony Cope: I think we’re kind of insulated over here. I think we’re in pretty good shape.

There’s a lot of great people in this community, a lot of great leaders in this community that have been able to maintain our morals and our principles.

Bill Wilkie: What’s happened in Asheville is a direct result of the leaders that were elected because those leaders were responsible for the policies. I would suggest to you that saying the police are a “necessary evil” — I knew when I heard that, it was time to go. I hold police officers and sheriff ’s deputies and people that put their own life on the line for our benefit in very high regard. These are the people that should be an example to our young folks. This is America. It’s my duty as a future sheriff to protect how you want to live, regardless of whether or not I believe in that.

That’s my duty as a leader. I’m not going to sit in the judgment seat of how you choose to live your life. I think that’s where Asheville got it wrong. I think that’s where we’re starting to get it wrong.

SMN: We’re about to construct a $16 million jail expansion. The numbers say we’re going to need it as population grows over the next 25 years, but some folks are upset because there was no real thought given to using any of that money or any of that space for harm reduction. What are your feelings on the new jail and how would you proceed with harm reduction?

BW: One, nothing’s ever perfect the way it is, and two, the expansion is necessary and I’m behind it, and three, I am generally opposed to handing out needles. I don’t know how else to say it, because I think it’s an enabler and I would love to engage in that conversation. Maybe there’s some perspectives I don’t understand, but as a law enforcement officer, particularly with my personal experience, it’s very difficult for me to imagine that providing someone the means with which to harm themselves is a more viable alternative than leading them through recovery. I’m closely tied with a few cases that have affected this county, and I don’t see [handing out needles] as a viable alternative. However, I do not want to shut off the conversation of how we best help. And if there are resources to help, I will do that, but I’m not going to do it if I think it contributes to harm or obviously if it’s against the law.

TC: I’m not as familiar with the jail project right now, because that’s kind of just got lifted off. We talk about mental health and that’s one of the things that is very near and dear to my heart and affects people of all ages.

Providing that mental health service has been a challenge in this county, across the state, really across the country, but we use all kinds of ways to reach out to people. There’s education, there’s prevention. We’ve worked on substance abuse issues in Haywood County with harm reduction and doing post-overdose response, mobile crisis [response], veteran’s affairs. Just to have those community partners, I think we could work towards a better solution for the mental health and sub-

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stance abuse issues out there. I’m not a big fan of the needle program, but I am of the other part of it where they talk to people, the follow-up the portion of it. They do offer them services and they try to get them into substance abuse treatment and so forth. I am a proponent of that.

S EE S HERIFF, PAGE 14

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SMN: And then, Pathways — certainly Sheriff Christopher has left quite a legacy in that project. It started off trying to reduce recidivism, but now it’s also grown into a place where people who are off drugs can turn their lives around. Do you see yourself continuing to support that group’s current mission? Or should we rethink what’s going on there?

TC: There’s some great people that’s come out of Pathways. We’ve got some peer support folks that work in our jail right now. The part I’m in support of, by far, is the peer review and the peer support that they provide to the detention facility. I think that part of it is a great partnership.

BW: We need to keep the conversation open on best practices that reduce the impact to our businesses. And that’s not just a Pathways issue. That’s an issue that spans the

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March 24-30, 2021

“I have worked in this county for over 20 years in law enforcement, no matter what the political affiliations were. I’ve served the citizens of this county for that amount of time. I think that will stand for itself.”

homeless community, because the homeless community has got issues related to it that I won’t say are unique to it, but are emphasized there – crime, mental health. Those have to be addressed, but by the same token, it doesn’t excuse you from not obeying the law. Jail is a deterrent. I don’t want to forget that we’re in law enforcement to prevent crime. We’re talking about modifying human behavior.

That is very basic. Sometimes human behavior is modified when the consequences of your actions are not favorable. I want to make sure that the consequences of breaking the law are not favorable to you. That may include jail, but at the same token, [Pathways] is not going away. We need to engage in the conversation that helps them contribute to best practices.

SMN: Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, elected officials and community leaders and law enforcement administrators are all looking at policing, and best practices. One of the major things that’s been talked about is transparency in the personnel records of not only law enforcement, but also teachers, since it’s still theoretically possible to just shuffle people around who have done bad things and the public doesn’t have the opportunity to hear about it. What are your thoughts on opening up personnel records?

BW: There’s a very simple answer to that.

If you apply to the Haywood County Sheriff ’s office and you don’t sign permission for me to see your previous records, you’re automatically disqualified. Now, you must also understand that the source of that information has to be measured against its credibility. Can you imagine if an officer has a disagreement with a supervisor? I’m speaking from personal experience. If you have an officer that has a disagreement with a manager and that officer’s right, and that manager is wrong, that manager has power over you. He can ruin

(From Main St. into town, take a right at light on Academy)

Contact: Caroline LaFrienier, Project Manager 828-586-1962 x218 13

S HERIFF, CONTINUED FROM 13 news

your life. And he could say things about you that you could only write a response to and that goes to Raleigh, forever.

TC: Transparency is key. I do believe that in order to maintain a relationship with the public and rely on them to understand you and understand what you’re up against, transparency and honesty is key. Some of that stuff is personal information and as long as they protect that personal information, I think we’d be OK. I do know that we take great pride in being transparent here in Haywood County, and we always have been.

People make mistakes and we’ve always been able to address those and move on.

March 24-30, 2021

SMN: Haywood County cooperates with ICE, and honors ICE detainers. Asheville does not. There are some folks saying that we shouldn’t be doing that, but Sheriff Christopher has continued to comply. How do you feel about that moving forward?

TC: I think just following the letter of the law on the ICE detainers. That’s what we’ve done and that’s what we’ll continue to do.

BW: As sheriff, I will honor ICE detainers because it keeps this community safe. It’s about safety and it’s about the law. That’s just how terrorists get in, and if the county just to the east of us isn’t going to honor ICE detainers, where are these folks coming in? What are they doing? It’s very conceivable to think that they’re there within this county.

TO STAR T

Smoky Mountain News

MA I N COURS E

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TO ACCOMPAN Y

FOR DESSER T

SMN: About a year ago, the “Second Amendment sanctuary” movement rolled out of Virginia and into North Carolina.

Citizens asked their counties to pass these resolutions stating that we will not enforce anything that we feel is unconstitutional, particularly in regard to guns. There are two bills in Congress right now that are widely seen as gun control bills. One is enhancing background checks and the other is closing a gun show/internet loophole. If those pass

More COVID restrictions lifted in NC As coronavirus case counts continue to decline and vaccination totals continue to rise, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a new executive order further loosening restrictions on gatherings.

“The millions of people in North Carolina who’ve worn masks and acted responsibly deserve credit for this success,” said Cooper during a March 23 press conference.

Cooper’s new executive order goes into effect on Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m., and although the mask mandate remains in effect, the order raises important limits for a number of businesses.

Museums, aquariums, retail businesses and personal care establishments, like barbers and salons, may now operate at 100 percent of fire code occupancy.

Restaurants, breweries and wineries, as well as amusement parks, gyms and pools, can now operate at 75 percent capacity indoors, and 100 percent capacity outdoors.

and your constituents come to you and say, “We feel this is unconstitutional,” what do you do?

BW: My life is about supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States — period, end of sentence. I will stand and I will hold the line to support and defend it. Anything that is “unconstitutional” is ruled such by court and it’s not for Bill Wilkie to sit in the judge’s seat and decide. However, the Constitution was written so that normal people could read it. I can clearly see and understand what it says. If we’re going to talk

This is America. It’s my duty as a future sheriff to protect how you want to live, regardless of whether or not I believe in that.

That’s my duty as a leader.

— Bill Wilkie

about the Second Amendment, it says the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It’s not just the Second Amendment, let’s talk about the fourth, fifth and sixth. When it comes to due process, when it comes to advocating for and protecting those rights, I will stand in the gap between people who want to infringe on those rights and people that are exercising their rights in a free and appropriate and legal manner.

TC: I think we have to maintain the Constitution as it is. I think it’s very well laid out in a very well thought-out process. The Second Amendment is a huge topic, and I hear all this stuff about background checks.

Well, they’re doing background checks. It’s not like it’s not being done. I saw that they were looking to extend that [three-day] time a little bit, to maybe 10 days or so.

Conference centers, bars, sports arenas and other live performance venues can now operate at 50 percent capacity so long as safety protocols remain in place.

Additionally, the 11 p.m. curfew for on-site alcohol consumption has also been lifted.

The state’s mass gathering limit, which covers gatherings not specifically laid out in the order, has been increased to 50 indoors, and 100 outdoors.

Cooper’s order will take effect exactly 364 days after President Donald Trump issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state, and 381 days after Cooper himself declared a State of Emergency in North Carolina.

During that time, almost 900,000 North Carolinians tested positive for the virus.

Almost 12,000 of them died as a result.

As of March 23, more than 22 percent of North Carolinians and more than 28 percent of North Carolinians over the age of 18 had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

To read the full text of Cooper’s latest executive order, visit www.governor.nc.gov/ news/executive-orders.

As cases recede, health experts urge caution V

cases were reported on March 23, and as of that date in the past seven days Haywood County and Macon County had each reported 29 new cases, Jackson had reported 45 and Swain 10.

Statewide as of March 23, 22.2 percent of the entire population and 28.5 percent of the population 18 and older had received at least one vaccination shot.

On average, the four-county region

cent for partial vaccinations and 17.16 percent for full vaccinations. While some people vaccinated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians do not live in the fourcounty area — a significant number of tribal members live in Cherokee and Graham counties, and tribal employees may commute significant distances to work — most of them do.

These figures also don’t account for vac-

County and 0.8 percent in Macon.

Local health departments continue to vaccinate mainly with Moderna. This week, Jackson County will receive 600 first doses, 200 of which will be for a special event targeting the county’s Latino population, and Harris Regional together with Swain Community Hospital will receive 100.

Macon County will also receive 600 doses, and Haywood County and Haywood

news

Vaccination by the numbers County Haywood Jackson Swain Macon EBCI Combined Statewide

Feb. 22 First/second dose 8,971/4,944 4,736/2,264 1,807/614 4,247/2,035 3,094/1,184 22,855/11,041 1,226,758/676,572

Percent population 14.4/9.93 10.78/5.15 12.66/4.3 11.84/5.68 24/9 14.71/7.11 11.70/6.45

March 22 Partial/ full vaccination 13,238/9,945 10,215/4,881 2,973/1,778 9,623/6,711 4,699/3,341 40,748/26,656 2,295,702/1,459,146

Percent population 21.2/16.0 23.2/11.1 20.8/12.5 26.8/18.7 30.95/22.63 26.23/17.16 21.9/13.9

* Tribal dose numbers from EBCI. All other dose numbers from NCDHHS. County 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. Combined figures based on population of four-county area.

appears to be doing better than the state as a whole in terms of percentage of population vaccinated. As of March 22, county rates ranged from 20.8 percent of the population partially vaccinated in Swain up to 26.8 percent in Macon.

But these rates don’t take into account vaccination efforts on the Qualla Boundary, which operate under a federal allocation.

When adding in vaccinations administered by the EBCI, vaccination coverage over the entire four-county area jumps to 26.23 per-

cines administered through the federal longterm care vaccination program executed in partnership with Walgreens. Long-term care residents had the opportunity to be vaccinated back in December and January, with county health departments now taking over the job of vaccinating new residents as they arrive. While data is not available as to what proportion of long-term care residents chose to get vaccinated, long-term care residents make up a small percentage of overall population, about 1.1 percent in Haywood

Regional Medical Center will receive a combined 700 — all Moderna. The clinic at Western Carolina University is one of the few locations in the mountains able to store the Pfizer vaccine, and so far that vaccine has made up the majority of its doses.

Area vaccine distributors have consistently said in response to questions on the matter that they have not recorded any severe adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and that they have been able to avoid wasting or spoiling allocated doses.

March 24-30, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER accination numbers have nearly doubled in the four-county area of Haywood, Jackson, Swain and Macon counties over past month and case numbers are way down, but with Easter weekend and spring break trips on the horizon, public health officials are urging the public to continue taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Spring is an exciting time of year, and I know that everyone is anxious to get outside and vacation as the weather warms up,” said Haywood County Health Director Sarah Henderson. “I ask that if you are considering traveling during this time, please be diligent about wearing a mask in public settings, maintaining social distance when possible, and washing your hands often.”

While case counts in Haywood have remained about level over the past week, they have increased in some parts of the state.

That being said, overall the figures are encouraging. On March 17, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina fell below 1,000 for the first time since Oct. 5 and has remained below that threshold since. Statewide, 1,062 positive

Smoky Mountain News 15

Opinion A healthy, diverse media landscape is a good thing W Smoky Mountain News

e who live in Western North Carolina are fortunate in many ways. We know that. It’s a beautiful place with a vibrant economy populated by interesting people from all over. It’s easy to commune with friends at a brewery or restaurant (adhering to covid restrictions) or slip away to the woods in the East Coast’s largest wilderness area.

Here’s another reason we’re lucky: we are home to some very good, very reliable media outlets, this in an era when many parts of the country can’t say that.

I know that may sound braggadocious, but I’m not just talking about The Smoky Mountain News. The North Carolina Press Association held its awards ceremony a couple weeks ago, and all the newspapers in this region — The Franklin Press, The Sylva Herald, The Smoky Mountain Times, The Mountaineer, Mountain Xpress and The Smoky Mountain News — walked away with a nice haul of prizes certifying that they do quality work. In some categories — like investigative reporting, local news websites — The Smoky Mountain News and The Mountaineer dominated the competition, and in some categories our own staff won multiple awards. It’s fun to compete against our peers, and it’s nice to see our writers rec-

Stop Asian Hate To the Editor: As a member of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community in Jackson County, the attack in Atlanta on the Asian American community was shocking and heart breaking, but not really surprising. Violence against Asian Americans has increased by 150% in 2020 during the Covid 19 pandemic with more than 2800 hate incidents recorded by the nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate.

Words have the power to enflame and the hateful rhetoric of the last president threw gasoline on an already tense situation. Calling the virus the Kung Flu, the Wuhan Virus and the China virus over and over again, only helped to direct the hate and animosity of Trump supporters toward the Asian American community. Asian Americans have often needed to “prove” racism until social media videos came along. AAPI groups have video footage of hundreds of instances of violence committed against our community.

The Asian community in Jackson County is the smallest minority group at 1.1% of the population according the 2019 US Census Bureau. That’s 315 people. We’re smaller than the African American population that makes up 2.4% and Latinos that make up 6.2%.

While we don’t hear of violence against Asians in Jackson County, all minority groups face racism. On Sunday I attended a candlelight vigil at the fountain in Sylva against AAPI Hate and during the hour that we were assembled, several cars drove by yelling at us.

It doesn’t take much to enflame your supporters, but words can also heal and President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s words in Atlanta, did just that. I felt gratitude to know that President Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of the people who were killed in Atlanta. I felt gratitude

ognized for the hard work they do every week.

I wrote a column earlier this year about how trust in news sources at all levels has decreased dramatically in this country.

It’s of interest to note that findings like that are occurring at the same time that newspapers across the country are closing. A study released a couple years ago by a UNC journalism professor found that 1,800 newspapers in this country have closed since 2004. A follow-up study, reported on by the Poynter Institute in February, noted that another 60 newsrooms in the U.S. have been shuttered since the onset of the pandemic. Many Editor other news organizations are surviving by cutting staff and eliminating positions as local advertisers enduring business slowdowns due the pandemic have stopped advertising.

It’s a transformative time in many industries. But when we lose 30,000 reporting jobs in 10 years and more than 1,800 newspapers, there’s little doubt taxpayers and citizens are less

Scott McLeod

16

LETTERS when community members attended the vigil to show their support of the AAPI community.

Words can unite and heal, so lets all speak out against hateful speech and speak up against racism. Let’s use our speech to bring us together not tear us apart.

Nilofer Couture Culowhee

Canceling our freedom of speech To the Editor: Protecting our freedom of speech may be one circumstance where liberals, conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents virtually all Americans can agree and unify.

When did we begin to lose that freedom?

Maybe it happened when political correctness, a concept based on language usage, became a fixation in the 1970s. Euphemisms to ease perceived exclusion, marginalizing, or insult to groups of people became ingrained in our conversations. For instance, he is not balding, he is in follicle regression. She is not a housewife, she is a domestic engineer. Old is chronologically gifted.

Now such demands have escalated to proportions that unequivocally challenge our freedom of speech. Powerful big tech entities like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Google censor any entries they … whoever “they” really are we do not know …. deem offensive. The problem is what is offensive to those censoring is not necessarily offensive to others.

For instance, many Americans believe there was election fraud. But because social media rejects that idea they disallow entries that mention it. Certain people have been shut down on social media because “they” do

informed. Having a shared set of facts is critical if we are to make decisions on local issues that are important to our communities. But many regions are now news deserts, places where there is no reliable source of information on what county commissioners, town leaders, and the school board are doing. Studies have found that the costs to taxpayers — taxes, user fees, etc. — go up when there is no local news source.

There’s no doubt that the way news is delivered is changing, and so does the way consumers pay for it. Just this week, I made a contribution to Blue Ridge Public Radio during their fund drive because I believe strongly that their reporting is important. I also made a contribution to another mostly Asheville news site — the Asheville Hotsheet, run by Jason Sandford who also runs the Ashvegas blog. Both are very good regional and local news sources, and the donation/subscription model is important for the survival of local news.

Just as our forests here are rich, diverse, temperate rainforests, so too is our media climate very diverse and mostly healthy. That’s good for those who live here, so let’s hope it stays that way as this industry continues to evolve.

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

not like positions those individuals take.

Some will say a certain idea is not popular, is offensive to others or is deemed untrue. It is not the job of any media to determine any of those conclusions. One may reject much of liberal or conservative gab, but those ideologues must have freedom to present their ideas no matter how fanatic, offensive, bizarre or eccentric.

If one does not use social media, we have something called cancel culture where “they” — again whoever “they” are — deem certain terms, products, books, toys, foods, titles, etc., etc., offensive because “they” say so. If you have any association with general news, you have heard that certain Dr. Suess books are racist, Goya Foods was boycotted because the company owner supported President Trump, and cartoon characters Dumbo, Pepe le Pew, Speedy Gonzalez are gone. My sense is because some group decided this, we all are supposed to go along with their ideas and forget our own freedom of thought and speech.

Workers have lost their jobs because they expressed an opinion. Entertainers and celebrities have suffered the same injustice.

Most recently Piers Morgan left his show because of reactions to his negative comments about an interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Banjoist Winston Marshall apologized because he praised a book by rightwing writer Andy Ngo. Somewhere in the nonsense of politics, establishment of a commission reminiscent of Orwell’s Ministry of Truth has been suggested. This government agency would, I guess — with probably hundreds of hired snooping bureaucrats — comb through social media, talk shows, letters to the editor, print media articles, and monitored phone calls for comments that are anti anything that is the latest government darling. That is when we will have totally lost our freedom of speech guaranteed in our U.S. Constitution.

Carol Adams Glenville

Vaccination volunteers, staff were wonderful To the Editor: I can’t recall ever writing a letter to the editor in all my 64 years; but I feel compelled to do so now. I received my first COVID Moderna vaccination today, administered by Haywood County at the Lambuth Inn, Lake Junaluska. My husband received his first vaccination last week at the fairgrounds and raved about what an impressive operation it was; but hearing about it didn’t have the same effect as seeing it for myself.

I cannot say enough positive things about how well coordinated and smooth the process was. To a person, everyone I encountered in my approximately 20-minute drive-through was efficient and extremely friendly. The first volunteer I encountered after my “jab” actually thanked me for being there. Who knows how many hours they were there in the cold and sometimes rain, processing reportedly 1,000 recipients throughout the day, and yet every one of them was as pleasant as could be.

I don’t know how many staff and volunteers there were in total, but it seemed like many dozens — and everything went like clockwork. I am so appreciative to every single person who had any part in planning and implementing the vaccinations. From the first volunteer who checked my ID, to the EMS personnel who were standing by at the “end of the line” to respond if anyone had an adverse reaction, to the many in between: thank you for your service and for helping to make Haywood County safer!

Cyn Slaughter Waynesville

Finally, back to school for all

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Smoky Mountain News

masks snug on their faces. People said the littlest students wouldn’t follow COVID-19 guidelines, but they have been troopers.

Even the youngest among us will do what’s right with guidance from the adults in their lives.

Vaccinations are also bolstering my confidence. I don’t have exact numbers, but I’ve heard and read that many educators are now vaccinated. Similarly, as time goes on, more and more people of all ages and professions are getting vaccinated which helps with herd immunity.

Lastly, the boost in mental health for students is a motivating factor. It’s common knowledge that many kids only eat warm meals when they are at school. Further, numerous students benefit from the socialization a school offers and the kind, nurturing mentorship of the staff in the building.

The CDC offers the following key points when it comes to reopening schools fulltime.

1. Evidence suggests that many K-12 schools that have strictly implemented prevention strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open.

2. CDC’s K-12 operational strategy presents a pathway for schools to provide inperson instruction safely through consistent use of prevention strategies, including universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.

3. All schools should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.

4. Testing to identify individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination for teachers and staff provide additional layers of COVID-19 protection in schools.

In the same document, the CDC provides this comprehensive statement: “Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of communities, as they provide safe and supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to work.

Many students, staff, and caregivers are either missing or have had interruptions in services due to school building closures and virtual and hybrid learning. Evidence suggests that many K–12 schools that have strictly implemented prevention strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open.”

Again, I realize there are people who feel it’s not time to send students back, and that’s OK. As a society, we’re going to have varying opinions on the matter. But for me personally, I am grateful to see the smiles on my kids’ faces now that mornings feel normal and they get to see classmates they’ve missed for a year. As their mom, this feels so good.

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

March 24-30, 2021

’ve missed chaotic mornings fighting for the bathroom, looking for shoes under beds, packing lunches, slinging bagels in the toaster and yelling for kids to get in the car. After a year of strangeness, all students are back in school, and it’s offering a thirstquenching sense of normalcy.

In March 2020, when our local system canceled school for two weeks, it seemed like a long time to keep kids home. It’s interesting how one’s perspective can change with hindsight. I remember last year wondering how we would survive two weeks of virtual schooling while trying to work and function. But, after all this time, the pandemic has taught us that we do what we have to do, even if it’s cumbersome and uncomfortable.

Columnist Humans are truly an adaptive species.

I know that everyone is not happy with the decision to send students back full-time.

Last fall, I was uncertain whether children should be back in the classroom. The vaccine was still in experimental mode and we were unclear how rapidly kids transmit or if they would become seriously ill. There were many unknowns.

As a former teacher, I cannot imagine how hard this year has been on educators.

Whether online or in person, they have been extraordinarily essential to the well being of our nation’s children. Even over a computer screen, an attuned teacher can tell if a student is not doing well, has not eaten or needs an intervention. It’s not the same as seeing their faces in person, but nonetheless, maintaining that connection between teachers and students has been paramount during the pandemic.

All these months later, several factors are giving me confidence to send all students back to the classroom. My youngest son is in third grade. Near the start of this school year, elementary levels chose to go back full-time. Middle and high schools employed a hybrid model, where students were in-person one week and remote the next week. This allowed those schools to stay at half capacity.

I’ve watched with awe how my child’s elementary school has handled schooling during a pandemic. Via strict mask rules, social distancing, temperature checks, sanitization, contact tracing and enforcing quarantine for exposed or sick students and staff, they have done a phenomenal job.

With no dances, programs, big events or extracurricular activities, it’s certainly been a different type of school year for my little guy, but he and his classmates have made the best of it. He loves his teachers and friends. He gets in the car each afternoon and chatters about his day. When in car line, I always smile to myself as I see all the kids, even kindergarteners, wearing their

828.456.3021 HaywoodChamber.com 17

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Smoky Mountain News

How can it be wrong if it grows wild

An afternoon with Songs From The Road Band

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR n March 14, 2020, Songs From The Road Band jumped onstage in the backroom of the Wicked Weed Funkatorium in the South Slope district of Asheville. What was to be a showcase of the immensely talented hometown string band turned out to be the last show within the city limits for the foreseeable future.

And with the final notes played that evening, so was the culmination of the entire music industry as we knew it in Western North Carolina (and beyond). Everybody packed up their instruments, said farewell to each other, and disappeared out into the unknown night.

Skip ahead exactly a year later and SFTRB is sitting in the depths of the legendary Echo Mountain Recording Studios on French Broad Avenue in Asheville. Though the music industry is still in flux, especially in regard to live performances, the group is hunkered down and doing what it does best — work hard.

Whether onstage in the midst of a rollicking jam or in a studio booth breathing life into its latest creation, SFTRB has emerged as one of the most exciting string acts to come along in recent memory. A blend of bluegrass, indie-

O

folk and roots music, the ensemble is a slew of Southern Appalachian pickin’ heroes and nationally-acclaimed musicians.

At the helm of this acoustic pirate ship is bassist Charles Humphrey III. A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer, he’s constantly collaborating with other artists and wordsmiths — always seeking out the next earworm that can (and has) elevated SFTRB into its inevitable place as one of the most progressive and fiery string bands out there today.

Smoky Mountain News: The last time we sat down to interview was at The Funkatorium show. What do you remember feeling when you went home from that last gig?

Charles Humphrey: The day before [that show], we had just come straight back from the studio in Nashville, where we were working on that [same] record we’re in the studio today [in Asheville] for.

I’m a pretty optimistic person, so I wasn’t too worried [when I left The Funkatorium].

And then shows were being cancelled for a month, six months and a year out, where we even have stuff for this summer going to 2022.

So, it has just kept snowballing. I didn’t know where it was going to stop or when it was going to start — it was a just a lot of unknowns.

SMN: And now a year later, do you still have those same thoughts or are you seeing

Want to go?

Songs From The Road Band will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at 185 King Street in Brevard.

Tickets are $15 a seat, but you must reserve an entire table to attend the performance, due to social-distancing protocol and safety measures. Indoor and outdoor seating options are available.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.185kingst.com and click on the “Events” tab. things through a different lens?

CH: [Artistically], I think we came out of it better than we were. Honestly, we were able to stay connected with our fans [through live streaming]. We picked up a booking agency during a time when nobody’s booking gigs, which was Prater Day. We’re still on the radio [with hit songs] and making music.

I do know that we don’t want to go back to playing over 200 shows a year. So, I think a lot of people feel reinforced in, “Hey, let’s just do the big stuff.” Focus on the core, play higher quality stuff, play less and work [more] on the records, stay connected with the fans.

This last year? It’s in favor of growing the team, if it’s the right situation. Joining Prater

Day, aligning ourselves to them was fantastic.

That’s a move in the right direction. And another major event [for us] was solidifying our fivepiece lineup with [our new] banjo player.

You want to build a family. You want a community of people that love the music, who also love to see each other, congregate and visit. If they can do that based around your musical environment, then I think you’re going to be successful and you’ll be doing something that hard to do.

SMN: How have the expectations changed for the band since the shutdown?

CH: We expect to work hard and we’re hopeful that good things will come. And we’re thankful for everything, the good things that have come. But, you just have to keep working hard and see what happens, you know?

You never know what your big break is going to be. I mean, there’s been great musicians that never got a break, that were always one step away. As much as you’ve got to be good, you’ve got to be lucky — right place, right time.

SMN: But, I feel with you guys, it’s more about career longevity.

CH: Oh, yeah. We want to do this for the rest of our lives. Make good records. Create new music. And bring joy to the world. [It’s about] working on the songs and doing what we love.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

We sit together forever, by the color TV glow, telling stories, allegories

S

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

shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Illegal Pizza Party March 27, Chris Pressley w/Arnold Hill (Americana/rock) April 2-3, Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) April 9 and Isaac Corbitt (soul/acoustic) April 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Eric Alan Barker (classic rock) April 3 and Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. April 10.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. March 26 and Arnold Hill (rock/indie) 8 p.m. April 9. All

• Advocates for Animals of WNC will host an Easter photo shoot for pets and children (or both) from noon to 6 p.m. April 3 at the

you, now small dots way off in the distance.

Which is why it means so much to rendezvous with those dots, whether it be by happenstance on the road or next to Richland Creek over a cold beer and fond memories rehashed, where so much time has swept by, but all present in conversation still remaining on the same page — a unique and cherished thing in a fast-paced society of meaningless distractions and white noise.

Take the old clothes out of the dryer at the old laundromat. Toss them in the old laundry basket and hop into the old truck, onward to the old apartment. Adjust the rearview mirror and see the old face in the reflection.

Not necessarily old by the numbers (36), but well-worn and road-weary. And yet sincerely happy and full of gratitude: for the knowns and unknowns, for things out of my control, and for the deep, sometimes fleeting, splendor just within my field-of-vision.

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

Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Plenty of outdoor activities throughout the day, too. Music

by Kim Smith. Small raffle items will also be offered.

Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held on April 3 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

ALSO:

• 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.

• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing

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

Smoky Mountain News

• 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.

bag. Now, the idea of a “dirt bag” has nothing to do with a lack of hygiene or lack of a work ethic.

It’s more about minimalism, the idea that you can you pack up with very little and take off in a moment’s notice for the horizon in search of new adventures and experiences.

I purposely have very little, and don’t have much interest to own more than a one-bedroom apartment filled with shelves of books, stacks of vinyl records and a few old guitars leaning against the wall.

But, even minimalists and those who forever ramble after the horizon desire a companion, someone to share those sunrises and sunsets with. Who wouldn’t want that, right? Us ramblers seem to lose track of the ever-ticking clock, where months and years have passed since you turned around and realized you might just be the last of your friends still running around all in the name of irresponsible enlightenment — those beloved faces that used to walk alongside

March 24-30, 2021

tepping out of my old apartment in downtown Waynesville on Monday afternoon, I placed my old laundry basket on the passenger’s seat of my old truck.

Driving two blocks to the old laundromat, I tossed my old clothes into the old dryer and hopped back into my old truck.

Adjusting the rearview mirror, I saw my old face in the reflection.

Though I’m not necessarily old by the numbers (36), I do sometimes feel well-worn and road-weary. Hundreds of thousands of miles traveled. Thousands of interviews conducted and stories written. A constant, endless stream of friends, acquaintances and strangers of the night.

Countless days lost in the blurry haze of people, places and things, and in seemingly every corner, nook and cranny of this country. And all of it culminating on a quiet Monday afternoon in an empty laundromat, the lone soul being a scruffy writer scrounging enough quarters in the change cup of the old truck to ensure the old clothes get enough heat from the old dryer.

And I use the word “old” as a term of endearment. Nothing negative or demeaning. More so, from an old soul like myself who’s deeply sentimental and always in awe of the stories being older folks and antique objects. What stories do they have to tell?

What things have they seen, felt and understood about the world surrounding you and me?

This balance of thought between apprecifation of all things and a possible existential crisis occurring at the neighborhood laundromat was brought on by a visit this weekend by my best friend of all time and space, Andy, alongside his darling wife, Ashley, and

their new baby girl, Alice.

Living in Knoxville, Tennessee, I’d see Andy & Co. almost monthly for several years. Of course, that all changed with the pandemic and shutdown, where this past weekend was pretty much the first time I’d spent quality time with them in over a year.

Meeting up at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville, we sat at a table next to Richland Creek. Sunshine and smiles all around. I missed my friends. I missed a lot of things as I sat there and caught up with them. It was surreal to interact with their baby girl, this entity of beauty and grace created by Andy and Ashley. Wild stuff, to say the least, eh?

I sat there and sipped my cold beer, reminiscing of when Andy first brought Ashley to Waynesville, where all met up at Frog Level for drinks. Back then, Andy was still living in Waynesville, Ashley in Knoxville. We were all just at the starting line of our respective careers and impending adulthood. Those days were the better part of a decade ago, and yet it feels like yesterday.

They’ve worked hard to get to where they stand today, and continue to do so. As their love for each other continues to grow, so does their lives together in East Tennessee.

There’s a nice house that they call “home.”

New cars in the driveway. Baby crib in the former guest room. Heck, they even have their own washer and dryer onsite.

It’s not that these things are foreign to a longtime bachelor like myself. But, they do remain elusive, in many respects. I could care less about the material stuff. I like my rusty, musty Toyota Tacoma, where I’m able to throw it around the backwoods without a care about getting it scratched or all muddy (badges of honor and symbols of fun, truth be told).

To each their own, I say. Some folks aim for the family and white picket fence kind of lifestyle. Others, like myself, tend to gravitate towards the lifestyle of a glorified dirt

• Open call for artists to sell their work in the Carriage House Gift Shop at the historic Shelton House in Waynesville. For details, call 757.894.2293.

19

On the street arts & entertainment

Easter on the Village Green

Shane Meade.

Meade to play Lazy Hiker, Nantahala Popular Western North Carolina singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 26, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

He will also hit the stage at the following venues: • 8 p.m. Friday, April 9, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

• 8 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

All shows are free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

March 24-30, 2021

Canton barbecue fundraiser An International Teacher Sorority, the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, are partnering with Pig In A Basket BBQ and Bethel Barbershop to host a fundraiser on Saturday, March 27, at the Bethel Barbershop, which is located at 6388 Cruso Road in Canton.

The fundraiser will benefit the children of Haywood County Schools. They will be

Lake Junaluska Easter festivities

All are welcome to come and celebrate Easter with an outdoor sunrise service at the Lake Junaluska Cross and a contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro on Sunday, April 4, at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

The sunrise service will begin at 7 a.m. at the outdoor amphitheater below the Lake Junaluska Cross and is open to the public for in-person worship. The service also will be streamed live on Lake Junaluska’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakejunaluska.

“The message of Easter continues to be one of hope, and we invite you to join us inperson or online as we come together this Easter to share in the hope and the love of Christ,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska.

A brass quintet will provide music, and the speaker will be the Rev. Gina Gilland Campbell. Campbell is an ordained United Methodist clergywoman and an adjunct faculty member at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she teaches classes in wor20 ship, preaching, pastoral leadership and the

Smoky Mountain News

collecting money and food items that will be donated to the schools to help supply items for children that are food insecure.

Alpha Delta Kappa will be collecting items on site and a ticket for a free barbecue sandwich (with side) will be given for a donation of five or more items.

Pig in a Basket BBQ, a local food truck based out of Canton, will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the barbershop. Find more information at any of the sponsoring groups Facebook page or by emailing adk.alpharho@gmail.com.

The Village Green in Cashiers will host an array of activities during Easter Weekend that celebrates the hope, renewal and joy of the Spring holiday.

The first event is the observance of the Stations of the Cross at 4 p.m. Good Friday, April 2, beginning at The Village Green Commons. The service will also be livestreamed on the Village Green Facebook page (@cashiersgreen).

In the event of inclement weather, the Cashiers Area Clergy will lead this as a virtual experience, again via live-stream on the Village Green Facebook page.

The following morning, hop on over to the Village Play to begin a preview of the newly installed StoryWalk and ending with a visit with the Easter Bunny at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 3, at the Commons.

Families are encouraged to pick up a coloring page with an interactive scavenger hunt to use along the StoryWalk path in the Village Green. The StoryWalk begins near the playground and extends to the Commons where the

Easter Bunny will take safe-distanced photos.

For the visit with the Easter Bunny, guests will be asked to wear masks in line, but may be removed for photos. Reservations are urged to ensure safe-distancing as well as an enjoyable experience for everyone.

The links to register can be found on the “Events Calendar” page at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/calendar. In the event of inclement weather, the Bunny Walk will be canceled and notice sent to registrants.

The annual Community Sunrise Service will be the following day at 7 a.m., Sunday, April 4, at the Commons. The service will also be live-streamed on the Village Green Facebook page (@cashiersgreen).

Celebrate the Resurrection with a service featuring live music by The Lost Chords, scripture and an uplifting message with the backdrop of a beautiful sunrise over the mountains.

Those attending need to bring a lawn chair and observe a six-foot distance between households. In the event of inclement weather, the Cashiers Area Clergy will lead this as a virtual experience, again via live-stream on the Village Green Facebook page.

To learn more about The Village Green and these events or to make a donation, call 828.743.3434 or visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

formation of Christian leaders in an increasingly interfaith world.

Service attendees are encouraged to dress warmly for cool mountain morning temperatures, and are asked to bring masks and observe social distancing. In the event of rain, the service will be held at Memorial Chapel. Check lakejunaluska.com/easter for possible schedule changes.

Following the service, Lake Junaluska also will host a sumptuous contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro inside The Terrace Hotel from 7:30 a.m to 10 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 828.454.6662.

Due to health and safety concerns, Lake Junaluska will not host Easter egg hunts this year and the Lake Junaluska Friends of the Lake 5K, previously held during Easter weekend, will take place Saturday, Sept. 4.

For more information, to check updates for weather-related schedule changes or see the full menu for the Lakeside Bistro’s contactless Easter breakfast buffet, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/easter.

Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade The famous Easter Hat Parade will return to the streets at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3, in downtown Dillsboro.

Bring your finest Easter bonnet and dress up the smiles on everyone’s face by joining in and walking in the parade. In keeping with the times and the pandemic, you should plan to wear a mask. And if you do not participate in the parade, you can simply do as hundreds of others do: come to Dillsboro and watch the array of folks strolling “down the avenue” in their finery.

Registration for the parade starts at 11 a.m. Brenda Anders, coordinator for the event for the last 30 years, has taken the joy of Easter just a little further.

“The first couple of years, the number of participants in the parade were less than 24,” Anders said. “But, the event has grown, to where we have had over 200 hat contest entries in our parades through the years.”

The prizes for the hat contest are simple and mostly handmade. The categories are ever-changing, but include the largest, smallest, most outrageous, best use of fresh flowers, hat that traveled the farthest, youngest and, of course, best dog.

The Easter Bunny will also be onsite for photos. For more information, call 828.506.8331 or click on www.visitdillsboro.com.

On the shelf

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Jeff Minick

F

Callie’s shadowy past. He continues to seek romance with the elusive Natalie, cares for his grandfather’s beehives, and studies in preparation for an upcoming psychiatric residency in Baltimore. To say much more than

“She turned her attention to the table, chewing on her lip as she studied the produce. Moving closer, I stole a peek at her profile, thinking that her unguarded expression revealed a surprising innocence, as though she still puzzled over why bad things happened in the world. I wondered if

Like Natalie Masterson, Sparks’s prose is easy on the eyes.

Moreover, many of us can identify with Sparks’s characters. They resemble people we meet in our daily lives, acquaintances and strangers, folks we see in the grocery store or the coffee shop. Many novelists paint portraits of the extreme in human nature — serial killers, drug addicts, figures of fantasy — but The Return features average people dealing with problems large and small just the way most of us do. Trevor’s struggle with PTSD, for instance, which so many veterans suffer, gives readers insight into this disorder along with hope that the afflicted can battle against it.

Finally, The Return is entertaining. It’s an easy read, the plots keep our attention, we learn a little along the way about beekeeping and medicine, and for the most part the people we meet on our excursion to the coast are likeable. I polished off the book in two days and enjoyed every minute of it.

Contrast this experience with my reading of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Devils, which I began two weeks ago, having vowed to read at least six classics this year that were new to me. (Note to self: Do NOT select another 700-page book.) The Russian names and the convoluted relationships make for tough going on this one, and I have only just passed page 200. I’m glad I’m reading Dostoevsky — years ago, I read Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov — but I wouldn’t call my visit to Russia a vacation.

At any rate, if you’re looking for entertainment, a good story with interesting characters, and some time away from your routine, try The Return.

(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)

• Mountain Wordsmiths will feature writer Glenda Beall at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25, via Zoom. The event is sponsored

by NC Writers’ Network-West. To register to attend, email vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or call 706.464.0819. The writing group includes poets, authors, journalists and playwrights.

Walk-ins Welcome Appointment Available OPEN Tues-Sat:10AM-6PM Sun-Mon: CLOSED

828-246-9386 302 N. Haywood St

WAYNESVILLE

Author Meet & Greet Bob Plott & Jacob Morgan Plott SATURDAY, MARCH 27TH • 2PM don't forget those pesky masks & social distancing.

They will be here to answer all your questions pertaining to the history of the railroad coming to the Smokies and the effects on commerce and tourism, etc.

You'll want your own copy signed by both and a gift for someone else!

Magazines - Newspapers 428 HAZELWOOD Ave.

Waynesville • 456-6000 MON-FRI 9-5:30 | SAT 9-3 Smoky Mountain News

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that about the plot would spoil the story for readers.

Doubtless some critics view Sparks as a lightweight novelist, a guy who writes romantic stories whose characters and plots are formulaic, varying little from book to book.

Perhaps.

But here are some reasons why so many readers, including myself, enjoy these stories.

First up is the author’s talent. Sparks’s writing is crisp and clear, and delivered with a simplicity that undoubtedly is the product of great effort. Here, for example, he describes one of his early meetings with Natalie while both of them are shopping at the farmers’ market:

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it had something to do with her job, or whether I was simply imagining it. Or whether, God forbid, it had something to do with me.”

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March 24-30, 2021

ebruary and early March were a little rough on your reviewer. We got slammed with some bad weather — snow I like, but long, gray winter days wear on me — and I suffered some health problems, one of which put me in a dismal emergency room cubicle for five hours. A week of fighting a severe chest cold has also taken its toll.

So I decided to take a vacation and head for New Bern, North Carolina.

I required no car or rental house for this getaway. No, instead I opened Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel, The Return (Grand Central Publishing, 2020, Writer 355 pages), poured myself a cup of hot tea replete with honey and a slice of lemon, kicked back in my beloved La-Z-Boy recliner, and read myself away from my troubles.

Trevor Benson, who narrates this story, is a Navy doctor wounded in a mortar attack in Afghanistan. After months of surgeries and physical therapy, followed by many more months of psychiatric treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, Trevor travels to the coast of North Carolina to tend to his deceased grandfather’s house and property, which includes several beehives. Having spent his summers there as a boy, Trevor finds his stay in his beloved grandfather’s home brings him comfort and healing. He also ruminates on his grandfather’s death, trying to figure out why the 91-year-old had died hours from home in Easley, South Carolina.

While living in his grandfather’s house, Trevor meets Callie, a teenager with a troubled history who now works as a clerk at Slow Jim’s Trading Post. Though shy at first, and unwilling to share any details about her past, Callie does recollect Carl, Trevor’s grandfather, for his kindnesses to her, and eventually Trevor begins to suspect she holds the key to the mystery of his whereabouts at his death.

Trevor also meets and befriends Natalie Masterson, a strikingly beautiful deputy sheriff who, like Callie, keeps secrets from her personal life locked in her heart. Trevor quickly falls in love with her, but though she obviously has feelings for him as well, some barrier that Trevor can’t identify and which she refuses to discuss keeps them apart.

Throughout the rest of The Return, Trevor plays amateur detective as he looks into the circumstances of his grandfather’s death and tries to discover more about

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arts & entertainment

Taking a vacation with Nicholas Sparks

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22

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

This cicada hatched in 2015 as part of Brood IV. It belongs to the species Magicicada cassinii, which is similar to, but distinct from, the Magicicada septendecim species that occurs in Western North Carolina. Greg Holmes photo

Year of the cicada After 17 years, large cicada brood will emerge aboveground

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER his spring, the eastern United States will play host to one of nature’s great marvels — periodical cicadas, mysterious insects that live underground either 13 or 17 years before emerging for a few short weeks of furious mating closely followed by mass death.

“Being an entomologist, I especially nerd out on these things,” said Jim Costa, Ph.D., a long-time biology professor at Western Carolina University and director of the Highlands Biological Station. “It’s one of nature’s great, amazing natural phenomenon, this mass emergence and the air just alive with this constant loud droning humming sound.”

The last time Costa saw the periodical cicadas, it was 2008 and he was in Asheville.

For those doing the math, that wasn’t 17 years ago — but that’s because the 17-year cicadas are divided into 12 different broods, each of which emerge on a different schedule and occupy different geographic areas. The 13year cicadas, comprised of a separate set of species, are divided into three broods.

Brood XIV, the one Costa saw in 2008, won’t emerge again until 2025. Its populations are concentrated along the Appalachian

T

foothills, mainly in Tennessee and Kentucky but also including parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and West Virginia as well as a few disjointed blips in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

The brood set to come out this year, Brood X, is the most widely distributed of the 17year cicadas, with thee distinct pockets of population. The smallest of the three wraps around the southern toe of the Great Smokies region, including eastern Tennessee, a handful of counties in northern Georgia and the very western tip of North Carolina in Cherokee County.

Brood IV cicadas, also Magicicada cassinii, crowd a branch in 2015.

Greg Holmes photo

Contribute to science To add your cicada observations to the trove of data scientists will use to better understand the periodical cicada phenomenon, download the Cicada Safari app from Apple or Google Play — and then upload your photos once the emergence begins. Learn more at cicadas.uconn.edu or www.cicadamania.com.

“They’re definitely worth people making a road trip to see, because truly these are one of nature’s magnificent spectacles,” said Costa.

For 17 years, the insects set to appear this spring have been underground, growing little by little as they feed on tree and shrub roots.

Now that it’s their year to emerge, they’re waiting for the right temperature. In the warmer parts of their range, they tunnel to the surface in late April or early May, but here in the mountains, it will be more like late May or early June.

“Some will begin to emerge, and that probably induces others once they start calling,” said Costa. “You begin to get a few, and it rapidly ramps up.”

All told, cicadas remain aboveground for four to six weeks after the first emergence.

During that time, males congregate in “choruses,” usually in high, sunlit branches, where they create their infamous sound using the ridged membranes on their abdomens called tymbals. Females don’t have these sound-producing organs, so the sound serves to guide the females to the choruses of males. They visit and mate.

Soon after mating, females split the bark of living trees and shrubs and deposit their eggs, usually between 24 and 48 at a time.

However, females can mate many times during the course of an emergence and may lay up to 600 eggs before their death at the end of the emergence. The eggs remain in the trees for six to 10 weeks, at which point the juveniles hatch, drop to the ground, and burrow into the soil, where they will remain for another 17 years.

There are about 150 species of cicadas in the United States and at least 3,000 worldwide, but the seven species in the eastern United States known as periodical cicadas are unique among them. These species — four on a 13-year cycle and three on a 17-year cycle — are the only ones that combine an extremely long nymphal stage with a synchronized mass aboveground emergence.

Time is just as effective at separating gene pools as mountain chains or oceans.

“You can imagine there’s a strong selective pressure against getting the timing wrong,” said Costa. “A real latecomer isn’t going to have a mate, and that’s it. So if for whatever reason they didn’t emerge and there’s any genetic component to that, that’s not going to make it to the next generation.”

Stragglers do exist, however. In every brood, there are some individuals that emerge a little bit early or a little bit late. Scientists are interested in studying this phenomenon in order to better understand how common it is and how common it must become in order to eventually create a new, self-sustaining brood, or significant genetic transfer between broods.

According to the cicada lab at the University of Connecticut, stragglers are a particular issue for Brood X, the one set to emerge this year, because it occurs four years after Brood VI and four years before Brood XIV — these broods appear adjacent to each other in some parts of their ranges.

“From a biological perspective, four-year stragglers from either of these broods are of interest because they can cause gene flow among these broods,” reads an explanation on the lab’s webpage.

Seagrass declining on N.C. coast

Get in the ag guide Buy Haywood is collecting listings through March 26 for its 2021-2022 agritourism guide, a popular publication that crisscrosses Haywood County to highlight its rich agricultural heritage.

Listings for “Find Your Adventure! 2021-22 Haywood County Agritourism Guide” must be located in Haywood County and be eligible to accept visitors, even if only seasonally or by appointment.

Categories include produce and farm stands, on-farm markets, specialty retail stores, farmers and tailgate markets, u-pick operations, historic and farm-based event venues, farm tours, farm stay accommodations, historic preservation sites related to agriculture, gardens, arboretums, greenways, seed libraries, nurseries and landscaping, Christmas tree farms and more.

For an application, contact Tina Masciarelli at 828.734.9574 or tina@sofiolpress.com with BUY HAYWOOD in the subject line. The deadline to submit a new listing or renew a previous one is 5 p.m. Friday, March 26. The project is funded by the Haywood Advancement Foundation and the Bethel Rural Community Organization.

Turkey season opens soon The season opens for youth hunters on April 3 and runs through April 9, and the statewide season is April 10 to May 8.

Hunters are limited to two turkeys for the season, only one of which may be taken during youth season.

The youth season is open to anyone under 18, but hunters 16 and older must have hunting licenses. Hunters under 16 do not need a license as long as they are accompanied by a license holder age 18 or older. However, youth who have a license or hunter education card may hunt without adult supervision.

A record-high turkey harvest was documented last year, with the statewide harvest increasing by 28 percent and the youth harvest by 110 percent compared to

the average of the three previous years.

The increase was likely due to North Carolinians spending more time outdoors due to COVID-19.

The season dates are designed to offer the turkeys plenty of opportunity for breeding before the males are harvested.

Hunters must report harvests using the Big Game Harvest Report Card at www.ncwildlife.org/hunting/big-gameharvest-reporting.

they have these very coarse maps of the distribution of the broods, or they relay on the occasional secondhand accounts of things,” said Costa, “but the crowdsource approach is brilliant.”

Not everybody is a cicada fan. The 1.5inch-long insects don’t bite — they don’t have teeth, after all — but they are loud during the daytime hours, though they don’t sing at night. Some of the more raucous choruses can exceed 90 decibels as perceived by somebody standing directly under the tree, similar in volume to a motorcycle from 25 feet away or a power lawnmower. Adult cicadas eat tree sap through a proboscis, and while those meals are unlikely to impart any real damage even to young trees, it may be best to cover young woody plants with bird netting or cheesecloth in order to avoid damage from females as they pierce small branches to insert their eggs.

However, for many, the mass emergence is a short-lived but impressive spectacle worthy of awe, and of appreciation.

“This is just amazing,” said Costa, “and we’re so fortunate to have them in our backyard. It’s well worth going to check them out.”

PARADE 2PM beginning at TOWN HALL

April 3rd

Always Easter Saturday

Put on Your Finest, Funniest or Biggest Hat Bring The Kids & The Dog! JOIN US Meet the Easter Bunny

Smoky Mountain News

“From a practical perspective, four-year stragglers from any of these broods complicate mapping efforts, because populations may be difficult to assign to a brood.”

For decades, the lab has sought to better understand the who, what, where and why of cicada emergence, and this time around it — as well as various other cicada researchers — is enlisting the public to help advance scientific understanding of this still-mysterious species. Because each brood emerges so rarely, it’s difficult to impossible for scientists to collect the magnitude of data they need to answer their research questions in the limited time available between the emergence and death of any given year’s adult population.

The Cicada Safari app — created by Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., in partnership with the Center for IT Engagement at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati — is now available on Google Play and the Apple Store, and anybody can use it to submit their photographs of the cicada emergence.

Once the photos are verified, they’ll be posted to a live map.

“If they were being studied a century ago by a couple of people, you can imagine they can’t be everywhere at any one time, so

EASTER HAT

March 24-30, 2021

Dillsboro's 31st Annual

Brood X, set to emerge this spring, is shown in yellow. USFS map

outdoors

A recently published report shows significant loss in seagrass along the North Carolina coast.

According to the report from the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, the extent of seagrass meadows in the Albermarle-Pamlico estuary decreased by 5.6 percent — or 5,686 acres — between 2006 and 2013 despite available habitat for the resource to expand. Seagrass is declining worldwide, but rates in North Carolina are at or below the global average.

North Carolina has the largest seagrass acreage on the East Coast, with about

100,000 acres.

The decrease was greater in more highly populated areas of the estuary. It is likely that increased water pollution in these more populated areas contributed to the higher rate of seagrass decline. Because seagrass is very sensitive to water quality, including nutrient and sediment pollution, a decrease in the acreage of these underwater meadows indicates that the overall health of North Carolina’s estuaries may also be worsening.

Data used for the report were collected using aerial surveys from 2006-2007 and 2013. A third survey was completed in 2019-2020. Analysis of this new survey is underway. Access the report at bit.ly/2PhfNxO.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO: VISITDILLSBORO.ORG Dillsboro, NC is located at the crossroads of 441 & Business 23

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outdoors

Weigh in on Waynesville greenway project A new project in Waynesville involving the Richland Creek Greenway and new park property across Richland Creek in front of the Waynesville Recreation Center is in the planning stages, and public input is needed.

A survey on the topic is now available at www.waynesvillenc.gov/departments/parks-recreation. Information gathered will be critical to supporting a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant Application seeking project funds.

828.456.2030 or rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov.

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Smoky Mountain News

March 24-30, 2021

IN SUPPORT OF THE HOWELL FAMILY KEN & DEBBIE WILSON

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Stop by FROG Quarters FROG Quarters on 573 East Main Street in Franklin is now open for the season.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, the public can stop by for a coffee, soft drink or snack, use the free internet and check out the greenway gift shop. Friends of the Greenway can also help visitors reserve shelters for greenway events.

Become a trail maintainer Help keep WNC’s hiking trails in shape by joining on of the Carolina Mountain Club’s many ongoing maintenance crews.

The club has an Art Loeb Monday crew, Waynesville Wednesday crew, a Thursday crew, an Asheville Friday crew, a Pisgah Friday crew, a Wilderness Response crew, a Saturday crew that meets quarterly, an Appalachian Trail crew, a crew focusing on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and a crew that camps out overnight to reach remote trail sections.

For a full list of crews and points of contact for each, visit bit.ly/3rVt7Gx.

Friends of the MST to gather virtually Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail will hold its annual Gathering of Friends virtually this year, planning an event for Friday and Saturday, March 26-27.

Affectionately called the unGathering of Friends, the event will feature a Friday evening “members-only” celebration and happy hour for current members of Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Saturday morning and afternoon will be open for all to learn about North Carolina’s 1,175-mile flagship trail.

While the event will be virtual, the agenda will be open and participatory.

Learn more at www.mountainstoseatrail.org/event/virtual-annual-meeting. Membership starts at $35

facebook.com/smnews

Wildlife Commission approves rule changes outdoors

Combining the two existing Public Mountain Trout Waters catch-and-release classifications into a single classification, Catch and Release/Artificial Flies and Lures Only Trout Waters, aims to reduce regulatory complexity.

Rules that changed from what was noticed and presented at the virtual public hearing include: n Public Mountain Trout Waters: Proposed boundary changes for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters on Big Pine Creek and Meadow Fork in Alleghany County were removed from consideration at the request of the Blue Ridge Parkway. n Remote Trap Checking: Rule was edited for clarification about when and how traps must be checked.

n Wild Quail Management Areas: The contiguous acreage requirement changed from 1,500 acres to 500 acres, and a minimum of 225 acres or 15 percent of the land, whichever is greater, must be maintained in a year-round bobwhite quail habitat. n Trapping on Game Lands: Clarified that food used by trappers may not be processed food products as defined in GS 113-294(r) and that certain feathers, hair and bones do not need to be covered. n Goose Creek Game Land: The rule was changed to prohibit the pursing or chasing of deer or bear with dogs for the purposes of training or hunting on the Beaufort County portion of Goose Creek Game Land except for that portion east of Smith Creek and south of Campbell Creek.

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Food and Farm Vendors apply on our website!

Live Music is Back at the

TVA campgrounds open for spring Seasonal campgrounds operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority are open for the season, which runs March 15 through Nov. 15.

The campgrounds are all located in Tennessee and associated with dam areas. They include Douglas Dam Headwater and Douglas Dam Tailwater near Sevierville; Watauga Dam near Elizabethton, Cherokee Dam near Jefferson, Melton Hill Dam near Lenior City and Pickwick Dam near Savannah.

Recreation Resource Management LLC manages the campgrounds. Details and reservations are available at www.camprrm.com.

8:30

Kevin Lorenz Guitar

Park Service, N.C. Department of Transportation and Tennessee Department of Transportation applied to the Federal Highway Administration to receive the AllAmerican Road designation. The application was accepted in February.

Newfound Gap Road is now the fifth North Carolina road to be designated a national byway and only the second, along with the Blue Ridge Parkway, to be declared an All-American Road. The road was designated as a North Carolina Scenic Byway in 2009.

The National Scenic Byways Program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation’s most scenic roads while also promoting tourism and economic development. All-American Roads represent the best of the national scenic byways and are considered a destination and reason for travel unto themselves.

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Smoky Mountain News

The 31-mile corridor, which is part of U.S. 441, traverses the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and crosses the Appalachian Trail. Last year, the National

TO

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Full Tapas Menu Reservations accepted

Newfound Gap Road named All-American Road

Newfound Gap Road has been designated an All-American Road, joining the Blue Ridge Parkway in claiming a designation that recognizes it as one of the country’s most scenic roads.

MARCH 27 6:30

March 24-30, 2021

During its business meeting Feb. 25, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reviewed proposed rule changes and accepted 40 of them.

The Commission received more than 1,500 comments regarding Sunday hunting on game lands during the comment period.

The approved regulations will go into effect Aug. 1.

Adopted rules include: n Sunday Hunting on Game Lands: Fortyfive “Six Days per week Game Lands” were approved as “Seven Days per Week Game Lands” where hunting is allowed Monday through Sunday during open seasons. Six “Three Days per Week Game Lands” will become “Four Days per Week Game Lands,” where hunting is allowed Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday during open seasons.

The statutory limitations for Sunday hunting, prohibiting hunting with a firearm between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., using firearms to hunt deer with the use of dogs, and hunting with a firearm within 500 yards of a place of worship or any accessory structure thereof will also apply on game lands.

Additionally, hunting migratory game birds on Sunday is prohibited statewide. n Remote Trap Checking. Remote trap checking systems will be allowed in lieu of a physical trap check under specified conditions. n Wild Quail Management Areas. A new private land program called Wild Quail Management Areas will allow qualified property owners enrolled in the program to implement specific management actions for bobwhite quail. n Public Mountain Trout Waters.

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

Jog in the Running of the Goats The inaugural Running of the Goats 5K and Nature Walk will give animal lovers and runners alike a reason to head to the WNC Nature Center in Asheville on Sunday, April 25.

Participants can choose to run or walk the 3.1-mile course, which starts and ends at the WNC Nature Center. During this chip-time race, runners will begin by catching a glimpse of the goats, bears, birds and otters before heading out on a rolling, paved course on Azalea Road by the John B. Lewis Soccer Fields. While the goats will not actually be running in the race, they will be on the sidelines to cheer on runners, as the first part of the course passes by the barnyard. Participants are encouraged to wear animal-themed attire and accessories for the event, with a costume contest and prizes for the best dressed.

Participants can also choose to walk the non-competitive Nature Walk inside the

Nature Center, a 1-mile paved route that offers the chance to see the animals while enjoying the park at a more leisurely pace.

This self-guided tour will include fun, nature-related prompts and activities along the path. To ensure that the animals do not become stressed, running is not permitted along the Nature Walk course.

Registration is limited, and rolling starts with waves between 7:30 and 9 a.m. will allow for distancing, Staff and volunteers will wear masks, and runners must wear them while at the start and finish line and while inside the Nature Center park gates. There will not be a finish line experience or an awards ceremony — results will be posted online with winners contacted later.

Proceeds will benefit Friends of the WNC Nature Center and support programs throughout the park. Register at www.wildwnc.org/runwild.

New StoryWalk in Cashiers

The first installation is already up and aims to educate the public about what they can expect from the attraction in the months to come. Each of the 18 pages also offers an educational kids activity in both English and Spanish. The first story, “Cashiers Come Play With Me,” will be installed in mid-June. Geared toward children at the second-grade reading level, the bilingual tale of how the Cashiers Village Play came into being will include activities for older children as well. It was written by Village Green Director Ann Self with illustrations from Kat Ford and translation by Ana Crespo.

The StoryWalk is a collaboration between Vision Cashiers, The Village Green, The Albert Carlton-Cashiers Library and The Literary Council of Cashiers. Space for the Easter Bunny event is limited. Register at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/event/visit-with-the-easter-bunny.

The new Cashiers Greenway Ramble StoryWalk is now complete, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, April 2, set to coincide with International Children’s Book Day and a socially distanced visit from the Easter Bunny planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 3.

During the Easter Bunny event, children will have a chance to sit on the steps for a quick mask-free photo before enjoying the StoryWalk trail and Village Play playground, and each child will receive a free book.

The StoryWalk provides outdoor adventure with a literary twist. Pages of a story are posted at a series of stations along the trail, allowing families to enjoy the adventure as they walk.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Fines Creek Annual Easter Dinner (Drive-thru) & Egg Hunt will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Fines Creek Community Center. Price for adults is $8.

All proceeds benefit the local MANNA Foodbank.

• Dillsboro will hold its Easter Hat Parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, in downtown Dillsboro. For more information, call 828-506-8331, or go to the website visitdillsboro.com.

• Lake Junaluska will celebrate Easter with an outdoor sunrise service at the Lake Junaluska Cross and a contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro on Sunday, April 4. The sunrise service will begin at 7 a.m. at the outdoor amphitheater below the Lake Junaluska Cross and will be streamed live on Lake Junaluska’s Facebook page. www.lakejunaluska.com/easter.

• Opening Day of the Waynesville Farmer’s Market & Shelton House Easter Candy Give Away will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 3. The Easter Bunny's helpers from Shelton House will be at the opening of the Famer's Market to pass out Easter Candy to children.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College, in coordination with Small Business Centers in the WNC Region, will offer a free three-part Small Business Tax virtual learning series featuring representatives from the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

The Small Business Tax series will be held on Tuesdays, April 6, April 20 and May 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College is offering a free "Empowering Mountain Food Systems - Agribusiness" webinar series. The four-part series is designed to address the unique needs of current and prospective agribusinesses. Upcoming classes include Agritourism to be held 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 28. Interested current and prospective agriculturebased businesses and entrepreneurs are welcome to register for a single session or all four. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • The Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, an International Teacher Sorority, are partnering with Pig In A Basket BBQ and Bethel Barbershop to host a fundraiser on Saturday, March 27 at Bethel Barbershop, 6388 Cruso Road, Canton. The group will collect money and food items that will be donated to the schools to help supply items for children that are food insecure. A ticket for a free BBQ sandwich with side will be given for a donation of 5 or more items.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The annual Adopt-A-Highway Spring Litter Sweep is coming up April 10 to 24, and volunteers are needed to help the N.C. Department of Transportation remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers will receive cleanup supplies such as trash bags, gloves and safety vests and are encouraged to follow COVID-19 safety guidance while out and about. Sign up at bit.ly/3c7vtez or call 919.707.297.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Gibbins Advisors is scheduling an informational online meeting open to all communities in Western North

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com Carolina served by Mission Health. The webinar will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. In the webinar, the IM team will discuss its role, provide an update on its work, and present the opportunity to ask questions.

Those interested in participating can register at the following: www.independentmonitormhs.com/register

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.

• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

ART SHOWINGS AND AUTHORS AND BOOKS • There will be a special virtual book launch party for the new novel, The Healing Tree, by Darryl Bollinger at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, which will be hosted

by Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. To register for the virtual book launch party, email darryl@darrylbollinger.com.

• Mountain Wordsmiths will feature writer Glenda Beall at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25, via Zoom. The event is sponsored by NC Writers’ Network-West. To register to attend, email vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or call 706.464.0819. The writing group includes poets, authors, journalists and playwrights.

• Author Bob Plott will present his latest work, Smoky Mountain Railways, during a special drop-in book signing at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

A&E

• The “Inspired by Nature” clay stamp class with Jan Kolenda will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville.

Cost is $45 per person. Please bring cash or a check in the amount of $45. Checks must be made payable to “Jan Kolenda.” To RSVP, call 828.452.0593. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Eric Alan Barker (classic rock) April 3 and Shane Meade (singersongwriter) 8 p.m. April 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. March 26 and Arnold Hill (rock/indie) 8 p.m. April 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public. 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 Illegal Pizza Party March 27, Chris Pressley w/Arnold Hill (Americana/rock) April 2-3, Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) April 9 and Isaac Corbitt (soul/acoustic) April 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Advocates for Animals of WNC will host an Easter photo shoot for pets and children (or both) from noon to 6 p.m. April 3 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro.

Plenty of outdoor activities throughout the day, too.

Music by Kim Smith. Small raffle items will also be offered.

• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held on April 3 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

GALLERIES • 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.

• The “Inspired by Nature” clay stamp class with Jan Kolenda will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville.

Maximum of eight participants. Masks are required.

Cost is $45 per person. Please bring cash or a check in the amount of $45. Checks must be made payable to “Jan Kolenda.” To RSVP, call 828.452.0593. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org.

•The “2021 Juried Artist Exhibit,” hosted by Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), opens on April 2 and will run through May 1. The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org.

• “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 (BMC) 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.

Admission tickets are available at www.ashevilleart.org/visit.

Outdoors

• Buy Haywood is collecting listings through March 26 for its 2021-2022 agritourism guide, a popular publication that crisscrosses Haywood County to highlight its rich agricultural heritage. For an application, contact Tina Masciarelli at 828.734.9574 or tina@sofiolpress.com with BUY HAYWOOD in the subject line. The deadline to submit a new listing or renew a previous one is 5 p.m. Friday, March 26.

• Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail will hold its annual Gathering of Friends virtually this year, planning an event for Friday and Saturday, March 26-27. While the event will be virtual, the agenda will be open and participatory. Learn more at mountainstoseatrail.org/event/virtual-annual-meeting.

Membership starts at $35.

• The new Cashiers Greenway Ramble StoryWalk is now complete, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m.

Friday, April 2, set to coincide with International Children’s Book Day and a socially distanced visit from the Easter Bunny planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 3.

Register at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/event/visit-with-theeaster-bunny.

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 • The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting proposed migratory bird hunting seasons for 2021-2022 through its online comment portal at www.ncpaws.org/paws/wrc/publiccomments/publiccomments.aspx. These regulations will apply to waterfowl, webless and extended falconry. Commissioners will review the comments and set season dates April 22.

Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/proposedregulations/migratory-birds.

• A series of horticulture classes aimed at home gardeners will be offered in the New Year through Haywood County Cooperative Extension. Upcoming sessions are 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 inaugural Running of the Goats 5K and Nature Walk will take place at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville on Sunday, April 25. Registration is limited and rolling starts with waves between 7:30 and 9 a.m. will allow for distancing. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the WNC Nature Center and support programs throughout the park. Register at www.wildwnc.org/runwild • The “Spirit of the Smokies” certificate program is starting up again, offered by the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School. The program consists of eight sessions spread from March to November that explore everything from geology to wildflowers to first aid. All classes take place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park unless otherwise noted. Registration is $449 per adult, with a discounted rate of $849 available for two adults. Register at http://bit.ly/3uXmmWs or call 865.974.1051 to receive the discounted rate. Space limited.

• Go on a virtual wildflower hike with Olympian Missy Kane during an upcoming series on Wednesdays in April. Registration is full for the limited in-person attendance option, but the virtual option is still available. All participants will receive hike swag, including wildflower-themed items and the opportunity to meet Kane. Learn more at www.friendsofthesmokies.org/getonthetrail.

• 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 • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 4.5 mile-hike on Saturday, March 27, to Round Mountain near Cashiers. The club will meet at Cashiers Recreation Park at 10 a.m. Call Leaders, Mike and Susan Kettles, 828.743.1079, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

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

Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

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

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

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302, Asheville, NC 28801 on or before the 7th day of June, 2021, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 1st day of March, 2021 Tony Moon, Ancillary Administrator Estate of Anna J. North

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

29

SUPER

CROSSWORD

JUMBLE OF TREES ACROSS 1 Item in a place setting 6 Duffels, e.g.

10 Grand tales 15 Hence 19 Boundary 20 "-- Three Ships" 21 -- Park (Edison's home) 22 Took off 23 Really big tree?

25 Fundamental tree?

27 Longs for 28 Franz who composed "The Merry Widow" 30 Early settler 31 "Erin Burnett OutFront" channel 32 Passes on, as a story 34 French brandy 35 Chinese ideology centered around a tree?

39 Actor Mahershala 41 "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane 42 Soon 43 Two of Henry VIII's wives 44 Coagulates 46 "Gunga Din" studio 47 Recorded digitally, in a way 49 LAX datum 51 Wharf locale 56 Tree-dwelling hooded snake?

60 Tree whose trunk curves?

62 Cut of pork 63 Dutch Renaissance scholar 65 Rake part 66 Nuances 69 Item in a place setting

70 72 73 74 75 78 83 84 86 87 88 90 93 94 98 99 102 104 106 107 109 110 114

116 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125

Of delicate beauty A shot Love-struck Farm vehicle Tree sold at a low price?

Cantaloupe growing on a tree?

More flavorful Indy circuit Auction site Union promise Slant Millionaire-making game Menial type Provoke Corp. wheel Charm exuding from a tree?

Nancy of the House Like sown seeds "Ally McBeal" co-star Lucy In total -- Gay (WWII B-29) Tea-scenting blossom Tree that makes people think like a French novelist?

Window sections through which trees are visible?

Richard of "Wicked Woman" "Fuer --" (piano piece) Romances Florida bird Mail in Steven of Aerosmith Fit of pique Plow inventor John

DOWN 1 Pleased 2 Citrus fruit 3 Hi-fi parts 4 Microchip material 5 Ships' rears 6 Slant 7 Viper variety 8 Old warship 9 Deary 10 Prepare for a pyramid 11 Oyster bead 12 People with clout 13 Applaud 14 Asked for 15 Nasal singing tones 16 Curtis of cosmetics 17 Overthrow 18 Potato stuff 24 Suvari of Hollywood 26 Ghostly cry 29 "Siddhartha" novelist 32 Soul music is a form of it 33 -- soda (cleanser) 35 Singer Cohn 36 Jimmy Durante's "-Dinka Doo" 37 "Park" a ship 38 Central Georgia city 40 Gets bested 44 Vivid crimson 45 Egg pouch 47 Slender woodwind 48 CBS military law show 50 Fez dangler 52 Small and 70-Across 53 Chief Norse god 54 Talk wildly 55 Deuce taker 57 Hackneyed 58 Grid of fine lines in an eyepiece

59 61 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 76 77 79 80 81 82 85 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 99 100 101 103 105 108 110 111 112 113 115 117

Franklin of soul -- -de-sac See 71-Down Splinter group Laugh sound Golf coups Thurman of Hollywood Funny Carvey With 64-Down, hostile swarming insect Suit fabric Old computer language Entertainer Zadora Gift for a drawer, perhaps Dealt (out) In -- of (replacing) Gas leak giveaway Zilch Suburb of Dallas Hack (off) Prohibits High crime Bird feathers Gaps Mammal's fur Comic Tracey Roly-poly Cavalry soldier Actor Ruck Talked like Cindy Brady Alert at sea Car contract As is fitting Joke About -- -do-well (idler) Punta del -1,000 G's Luau bowlful

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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Real Estate Announcements PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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March 24-30, 2021

We are fortunate to count you o as a valuable partner duriing an unprecedented time.

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T

ry this recipe at home! You have all the ingredients, and you can cook it slow or fast. When it’s done you have good, nutritious food in the form of nutritious soil that feeds your plants with a healthy diet. If you’re growing vegetables, they will return the favor and nourish you with healthier produce than big agriculture can provide.

It’s as easy as starting a pile; see the directions in the sidebar. You don’t have to have a garden. Compost is good to spread on the lawn or around both indoor and outdoor plants.

COMPOSTING IS A TRIPLE-WIN SOLUTION: Landfill waste is reduced up to a third per household by composting. All the ingredients for making good compost aren’t able to decompose

Composting: A Recipe for Success when packed into landfills with no exposure to air and water. They become frozen in time taking up valuable space, rather than turning into healthy soil.

You save lots of money. Soil amendments are expensive. When you make your own soil, you save that money, plus money spent on fertilizers and pesticides. Healthy soil produces healthy plants that don't need fertilizer. Healthy plants are more resistant to disease and predators. This reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides or herbicides.

The less we dump, the less we contribute to the gases that are causing the climate crisis. Reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides reduces the toxic chemicals accumulating in our groundwater and entering our wells and watersheds. Those toxins harm our health. They heat

MORE INFORMATION:

March 24-30, 2021

If you live in an apartment or have a small yard, you can still compost using vermiculture. Special little worms called red wigglers do all the work inside a non-porous container that you throw your carbon and nitrogen sources into and let them go to work.

Most folks have a small compost receptacle in their kitchens that, when filled, is added to a large pile outside. Your kitchen is the source of a lot of the nitrogen ingredients your compost recipe needs, like vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee and tea grounds, eggshells and trimmings from healthy houseplants.

To that, add your carbon source in heaping helpings by sprin-

our streams, rivers, and lakes, killing the fish and other living things.

MORE INFORMATION TO START SUCCESSFUL COMPOSTING: · https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu/home-composting/ · Composting Video by Sara Martin, biologist and local composting expert: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocwv2_hente · Video by Laura Armour on her personal efforts to begin composting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bhy8e36vtm · Power Point presentation by Debra Shaw, Maggie Valley Community Garden:

Smoky Mountain News

· “The 7 Best Countertop Composting Bins” – Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2021/02/02/7-best-countertop-compost-bins/?sh=2b5ff637ba9e · “Best Compost Bins Under $30 for Your Countertop” – Food Network: www.foodnetwork.com/fndish/shopping/2019/04/best-countertopcompost-bins Laura Armour is a free-lance writer who lives in Haywood County. She is a member of the Western North Carolina Climate Action Coalition. https://wncclimateaction.com

build their own, and some dig a shallow hole. There is no right or wrong way to make compost, but some ingredients should be avoided: · Coal or charcoal ash · Dairy products, egg yolks or egg whites · Diseased or insect-ridden plants · Fats, grease, lard or oils · Meat or fish bones and scraps · Pet waste or soiled cat litter · Yard and/or grass trimmings treated with pesticides or herbicides · Black walnut tree leaves or twigs

kling it generously with shredded non-glossy paper, newspapers and fliers. Three parts carbon to one part nitrogen reduces the baking time considerably!

Once you move your mixture outside, you can add more nitrogen from grass clippings and more carbon from dried leaves, hay, straw, sawdust and woodchips. Now you are ready for nature’s special seasonings… water and air! Frequent rainfall provides most of the moisture, although you may need to cover the compost during wet seasons or add water during dry. Your compost should be about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Mix often to add oxygen. If you do nothing, you will still get compost. It will just take longer. Some folks like to buy compost bins, others

289 Access Road, Waynesville ∙ 452­4343 32 Asheville Hwy, Sylva ∙ 586­8950 188 Georgia Road, Franklin ∙ 349­4534 49 McDowell Street, Asheville ∙ 254­7716 35 NC Hwy 141, Murphy ∙ 835­8389

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32

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