Smoky Mountain News | April 13, 2022

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April 13-19, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 46

Downtown Sylva to test social district Page 4 Smokies proposes park-wide parking fee Page 16

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: What started as one man’s lofty ambition has since grown to become a beloved North Carolina treasure. See how the state celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at an event in Haywood County.

(Page 28) Hikers take a break on the MST near Mills River Overlook during one of the outings organized for last week’s Gathering of Friends. Holly Kays photo

News Downtown Sylva to test social district ..........................................................................4 Sylva lays out budget priorities ........................................................................................8 A Maggie Valley man’s quest to hold Putin accountable ........................................6 Business titan and longtime Ghost Town owner dead at 98 ................................9 HCS budgets for declining student population ......................................................10 High stakes, high expectations in east Haywood Senate race ..........................12 Macon County shooting case will test limits of qualified immunity ....................14 Smokies proposes park-wide parking fee ..................................................................16

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

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Maggie Valley taxpayers deserve better......................................................................18 Walking side-by-side with Freud and Jung ................................................................19

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A&E At the End of the Rainbow: A conversation with Sierra Ferrell ..........................20 Good book, bad ending: ‘A Stolen Focus’ ................................................................27

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Downtown Sylva to test social district HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Sylva Social District test period is one step closer to launch following input from a community task force.

“We have been taking our time crafting the plan to make sure we consider all of the feedback,” said Main Street Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters.

“We all agree that implementing the social district in a test period will be the best approach.”

The Sylva Town Board approved the ordinance for a social district during its Feb. 10 meeting. A social district is an outdoor area in which a person may carry and consume alcohol sold by an ABC permitted establishment. Following the decision by the board, Peters said the town must create a specific plan, file it with the state and implement the plan according the bill’s specific requirements.

“We plan on hosting a merchant permittee brainstorming session and a non-permittee merchant brainstorming session, plus consider all of the public input from our Feb. 10 Town Board Meeting to create the details of the plan,” Peters said after the meeting.

“We will periodically evaluate the social district’s usage and any reported safety concerns periodically and are open to changing the district plans accordingly.”

Downtown Sylva.

The Sylva Social District Task Force is made up of community members, business owners and local law enforcement. The group has been reviewing feedback given during the public hearing on Feb. 10, and spent eight hours in merchant meetings to hear and process the needs and ideas of downtown merchants.

The current plan is to implement a test period for the social district which involves limited hours. The recommendation is to change the ordinance so that the social district is in effect Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 1-9 p.m.

Town Commissioner and downtown resident Greg McPherson indicated that a

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launch with limited district hours will provide good data for the town board to consider in rolling out, changing or discontinuing the social district.

“Although we don’t anticipate any significant negative impacts of the social district, we want to make sure that we review all of the data objectively and determine our unique community’s best path forward,” said McPherson.

The Sylva Police Department is gathering baseline incident reports for the downtown district and will re-evaluate the impact of the social district after the test period.

Economic impacts for downtown merchants will also be reviewed following the test period. The test period will require consumers to purchase an eco-friendly reusable cup for use in the social district, placement of portable toilets on Main Street and in Bridge Park until the public restrooms are completed, and social district map and rules that permit customers to enter particular public areas, but not shops unless invited by signage and merchant permission.

Commissioners will have to vote on the reduced hours for the social district test period. The next town board meeting is April 21.

The test period will last for six months after it begins. The start date depends on the approval of the ordinance change and plan submission to the state.

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD the price of equipment and furnishings for STAFF WRITER the state-of-the-art health center. The 2016 hough students have been enjoying the Connect NC bond included $7.1 million in amenities of the new Health Sciences funding for repair, renovation and construcCenter at Southwestern Community tion projects. In May of that year, Jackson College since the start of this school year, SCC County approved a quarter-cent sales tax to staff and community members gathered last provide additional funds to Jackson County week for the official grand opening of the new Public Schools and SCC. The $2.6 million for building. equipment and furnishings was raised with “This vision began way back in 2016 when the help of the board of trustees, the Golden the county government, along with SCC, Leaf Foundation, the Bridge Foundation, the agreed to spend some funds for a strategic Nantahala Foundation, Cashiers Highlands master plan,” said College President Dr. Don Health Foundation, Dogwood Health Trust, Tomas. “And our number one priority was the Cannon Foundation, the Great Smokies the health science building.”

Health Foundation and the SCC Foundation.

According to Tomas, the 55,411 square“The people that helped build this buildfoot building allows SCC to expand its health ing are the people that you see their homes sciences programs from 14 to 16, with new up and down these streets and creeks,” Deitz programs in surgical technology and opti- said. “Going through that building, we look cianry. out the big windows and you’re looking at “We now have 16 programs, and, you the whole Balsam Mountain Range. It’s know, for a college our size, we are the only col- lege in the state of North Carolina that has 16 health science programs,” said Tomas.

The new building and additional programs mean the college will be able to enroll over 240 additional students in its health science department.

“That’s how many additional students we The new Health Sciences Center on the campus of Southwestern will be able to expand, Community College is open for learning. SCC photo to create and prepare a work-ready workforce,” said Tomas. “This building enables our stu- beautiful. And it’s who we are. A lot of this is dents and our faculty to have instructional for our people in the Balsam Mountains. I equipment and technology that our students thank y’all so much for allowing us to be may not even see in clinicals. It is state of the part of it. We are so glad as a county and as art, and that’s what’s exciting for all of us.” commissioners that we can do the little that A few exciting resources for students and we do.” staff are the full-size, simulation ambulance Led by founding program coordinator in the EMS paramedic room, simulation labs, Melissa Daniels-Dolan, surgical technology is a surgery room, a birthing room that is iden- housed on the third floor of the new building. tical to those in a hospital, a critical care room The top level also hosts medical laboratory and an Anatomage table. technology, medical assisting, an anatomy “I’m very grateful for everything I’ve got and physiology lab and faculty offices. here,” said Heber Najera, student representaThe second floor is home to the latest tive for the SCC Board of Trustees. “The labs medical-training technology, as well as nursare identical to what they will be in the real- ing, radiography, respiratory therapy and life scenarios. The teaching experience is phe- medical sonography programs. The emernomenal. Every single thing that’s available in gency medical science program and clinics this building, we can use it universally. I’ll use are located on the first floor. the Anatomage table a lot, and I’m a PT stuThe new opticianry program, along with dent, but the nursing students use that as existing programs like health information well.” technology and human services technology, Funding for the new Health Sciences remain in remodeled sections of the Balsam Center was a broad effort that involved local Center. community members, county and state gov“Thank you to everybody in here ... We ernment. Commissioners Gayle Woody, are a community college,” Tomas said during Boyce Deitz and Mark Jones attended the the open house. “We’re here to serve you. open house, as well as reps. Mike Clampitt We’re here to be part of you. We change lives. and Karl Gillespie.

The students that walk through our doors The building cost about $21 million, plus come out with work-ready, workforce skills.”

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SCC Health Science Center open for learning

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April 13-19, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 5

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‘Righteous fury’ A Maggie Valley man is on a quest to hold Putin accountable, and it’s not his first rodeo

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR t the end of every dictator’s reign, every time a warlord has been held to account, its due to the work of people who seek justice without pause or fatigue.

In the quest to try Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, one of those people is David Crane. Crane, 72, spoke at a Haywood County Democratic Party event last week about his own unique history with international law, including his effort to convict Charles Taylor, the Liberian man who committed war crimes in Sierra Leone from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Crane explained his background in Sierra Leone to lend authority to the case he laid out before the audience to indict Putin on war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

Such a large crowd gathered to see Crane that extra chairs were needed. And he didn’t disappoint. He was able to convey things in a way that elicited gasps and laughs from the audience with each high note.

In an interview with The Smoky Mountain News the day after the event, Crane reiterated his passion for justice by describing disdain for bullies, whether on the schoolyard or at the head of a national government, including Charles Taylor, who thanks to Crane’s work currently languishes in a North England prison.

“I was the first American since Justice Robert Jackson (at Nuremberg, 1945-46) to be at the head of a war crimes tribunal,” he said.

“We held Charles Taylor accountable, and that’s what’ll happen to Putin,” he added.

April 13-19, 2022

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OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE

Smoky Mountain News

Just prior to Crane’s discussion, details emerged regarding the horrifying discovery of murdered civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha who’d been summarily executed.

While Russia has denied the atrocities and claimed videos and other evidence have been fabricated, an April 4 New York Times story discussed how that paper verified videos and satellite images that conveyed the aftermath of the Bucha massacre.

“To confirm when the bodies appeared, and when the civilians were likely killed, the Visual Investigations team at The Times conducted a before-and-after analysis of satellite imagery,” the article notes. “The images show dark objects of similar size to a human body appearing on Yablonska Street between March 9 and March 11. The objects appear in the precise positions in which the bodies were found after Ukrainian forces reclaimed Bucha, as the footage from April 1 shows. Further 6 analysis shows that the objects remained in

those position for over three weeks.”

Just a day after Crane spoke, Russia hit a train station in eastern Ukraine with rockets, killing dozens of civilians seeking to leave the country in the face of imminent violence.

In the wake of widespread death and destruction, there have been calls from leaders across the globe to prosecute those war crimes. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his case, noting that Ukrainian security services intercepted communications discussing the murder of civilians, claims Zelensky said were backed up by information obtained during interviews with Russian prisoners of war.

“I think everyone who made a decision, who issued an order, who fulfilled an order, everyone who is relevant to this I believe they are all guilty,” Zelensky said.

Although United States President Joe Biden has stopped short of calling the war crimes a genocide, he made similar statements, even calling Putin a “war criminal.”

An AP report quoted Biden as saying, “This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it.”

“We do not believe that this is just a random accident, or the rogue act of a particular individual,” Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan said in the same report. “We believe that this was part of the plan.”

Adding to the global call for the prosecution of war crimes, The New York Times Editorial Board advocated for the collection of evidence against Russia and Putin in hopes that the United Nations Security Council could initiate prosecution, despite how unlikely that may be for a number of reasons, including Russia’s ability to veto such action.

“Even if the process is difficult and stretches into months and years, it is important that history be left a forensic, credible, verified and judicially processed record of the specific crimes in Ukraine,” the editorial reads. “Those responsible should be named, their actions specified, and if at all possible, the guilty should be locked away.”

MAKING THE CASE Like a prosecutor delivering closing arguments, Crane laid out the facts against Russia to the crowd, ultimately offering his opinion that Putin and dozens of others in his regime are guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression, all terms he defined and provided examples of along the way. The purpose of Crane’s speech last week was to inform residents, but it also seemed like he was honing his ability to make his case on a larger stage.

To frame his argument, Crane discussed his time in Sierra Leone prosecuting Taylor,

David Crane holds up a copy of his book, ‘Every Living Thing: Facing Down Terrorists, Warlords, and Thugs in West Africa—A Story of Justice.’ Kyle Perrotti photo whose government ultimately killed 1.2 million people.

“It’s about the victims,” Crane said.

Crane had plenty of occasions to speak to citizens in that country, people hurt by the nation’s violent past who nonetheless remained hopeful about its future. Crane said they fervently sought justice. During one meeting, a young man in shabby attire stood up and confessed he’d been a child solider, one of 33,000 under Taylor, and that he committed heinous acts.

“He looked at me and says, ‘I killed people; I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,’” Crane said.

“He fell into my arms weeping.”

Crane laid the groundwork for his accusations against Putin by first discussing international law, referencing the Geneva Conventions, International Declaration of Human Rights, Rome Statute and the last century’s worth of tribunals.

“The fundamental principle is every human being on the earth has a legal right to exist,” he said.

Crane theorized that after the genocides of 1990s in the likes of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the world was eager to hold those leaders accountable.

But things changed.

Crane said that in 2015, a global paradigm shift toward populism and nationalism led to the rise of numerous authoritarian regimes,

including Putin’s. Although Putin had been in power on and off since 2000, he became emboldened in the last decade, notoriously capturing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 with little serious resistance from the international community.

Crane cited other examples of war crimes he intends to prosecute, including the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs — a Muslim minority in China — by that country’s president, Xi Jinping. He noted that holding Putin accountable is crucial, as it will send a message to other opportunistic leaders that they won’t get away with war crimes or crimes against humanity.

“The rule of law is more powerful than the rule of the gun,” he said. That was a phrase he’d repeat several times that evening.

Crane discussed Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians, including the bombing of 300 hospitals, and how they’re in violation of international humanitarian law, ultimately wrapping up his discussion by outlining how those attacks meet the statutory requirements to prosecute.

Following Crane’s 40-minute speech, people had a chance to write questions on note cards, questions that varied greatly but showed how seriously they’d been thinking about the issue.

While some questions dealt with semantics, jurisdictions and even the threat of

THE ‘WHITE PAPER’

DRIVEN TO HARM’S WAY

David Crane offers opening statements during the prosecution of warlord Charles Taylor.

Donated photo

“The fundamental principle is every human being on the earth has a legal right to exist.”

— David Crane

While Crane is well-versed in the language of international justice, there’s also a performative aspect to his work. When he addresses a crowd, although his presentation is polished and convicted, there seems to be a need to persuade anyone who’ll listen.

“To be at the level that I am, you have to be as much of a diplomat and politician,” he said. “These political considerations are important.

NEXT STEPS Like the New York Times editorial, the white paper notes that it will be tough to hold Putin and other Russian Oligarchs accountable, but it doesn’t shy away from conveying the necessity of following through.

“We have done this once before and we can do it again with the International Criminal Court prosecuting the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity and a United Nations backed Special Court for Ukraine, the world’s second hybrid international war crimes tribunal,” it reads. “Its mandate to prosecute those who bear the greatest responsibility for the aggression against Ukraine must include President Vladimir Putin.”

But even during his Waynesville event,

someone posed the obvious question: If Putin is indicted, can he even be arrested?

“Once we indict him, he can’t travel out of Russia,” Crane said while admitting that it’d be all but impossible to apprehend him in his own country.

Crane told SMN the possibility that Putin may still be able to travel to some countries that would be unlikely to arrest him or report his presence, such as Belarus and China but added that his options would still be limited.

A crucial element of securing the indictment is continuously stoking the political will of elected leaders, something Crane pursued last month when testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the Capitol. He said he was well received, especially considering many of the people he spoke in front of were familiar faces going all the way back to his time prosecuting Taylor.

“You could say we’ve been through the fire together,” he said.

“In the House and Senate, a lot of this stuff is largely bipartisan,” he added while also condemning the existence of a small “pro-Putin” caucus.

In the meantime, while Crane marveled at how poorly the Russian offensive has gone, he also noted that international sanctions have helped hobble that country’s economy. He said he believes President Joe Biden has done a good job of “slowly ratcheting up” pressure, and that’s in addition to weapons the United States previously provided, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are easy to use but can stall a whole column of enemy tanks.

“Can we do anything about them? Hell yes,” Crane said. “We are, and we started the day the invasion took place.”

However, Crane lamented the fact that the public can be fickle and frivolous when it comes to international affairs, even something as stark as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although he said modern digital technology has proven a handy tool in maintaining people’s attention.

“The public is very feckless on these things … but social media has helped brining pressure on international politicians,” he said.

Crane said that in international matters, unlike state or federal court, the chief prosecutor has more discretion on who, how and when they indict. The prosecutor will present the indictment to a review judge. If the judge agrees there’s probable cause, that’s all that’s needed — no grand jury like in a United States court.

If Putin were indicted, an international criminal court would have jurisdiction over the war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the UN would need to create a special court for the crime of aggression.

If Putin is somehow eventually brought to the Hague for a trial, despite a ton of security, it would be open to the public, meaning the whole world would get to see and hear the evidence against him. Whether that happens may be uncertain, but Crane wanted to assure folks of one fact: things are getting tougher for Putin, and no matter what, the end result of his increased aggression won’t be pretty.

“Vladimir Putin is done for politically, militarily and legally,” Crane said. “I know of no dictator or tyrant who has retired peacefully.” 7

Smoky Mountain News

During his interview with SMN, Crane, who was also a Syracuse law professor until 2018, went deeper into his background while also discussing in more detail his quest to bring Putin to justice. Crane’s academic demeanor belies the fact that he spent 25 years in the Army. His time as an officer included a stint as a platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam era.

Crane continued to serve in the Army in the legal field, eventually transitioning into the civilian world, where he was initially general counsel of the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 2002, he retired but was appointed

by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to act as founding chief prosecutor of the International War Crimes Tribunal in West Africa, which led him to spend years in Sierra Leone.

Ultimately, Crane said his time abroad has brought him to “cheat death almost too many times,” but noted that it’s been an honor to serve the United States as so many others had before him, regardless of violence encountered and bouts with malaria, yellow fever and parasites.

Even though he’s been called “Professor Crane” for quite some time now, he also said he’s been in harm’s way for the better part of four decades. Crane’s exciting history may make him appear to some like the Indiana Jones of foreign affairs, but he sees himself more as another popular character.

“I’m kind of like Forrest Gump,” he said.

“I’ve been around the world and involved in key things, whether in the background or up front.”

When asked whether the intellectual pursuit of holding dictators accountable is part of the joy he derives from the job, he said yes.

“But there’s nothing wrong with getting the adrenaline going either,” he said, adding that he feels fueled by a sort of “righteous fury.”

Considering Crane is 72, it would be understandable if he wanted to spend his days playing golf and relaxing at his Maggie Valley home. But that’s not for him, and it may never be.

“I’m still working on compiling dossiers on several dictators,” he said.

April 13-19, 2022

During last week’s event, Crane referenced a “white paper” — a term referring to a government report on a specific subject meant to argue for a specific policy — that his group, The Global Accountability Network, published. The 276-page report featured numerous footnotes, graphics and appendices.

“We just started cranking out and doing our business,” Crane told SMN, adding that the process was “intensified” to be as expeditious as possible.

However, Crane was also quick to point out that all claims were “double and triple verified” to ensure accuracy.

“We didn’t just throw something in because we thought it happened,” he said.

One appendix contains a draft indictment against Putin, while another has biographies, pictures and specific allegations against Putin and his top brass. Another appendix includes a “crime narrative” that lists specific incidents and how they are violations of international law. The perpetrator listed for each incident is Russia, except for some marked “unknown” and one that blames Belarus, Russia’s ally that shares its southern border with Ukraine.

Crane wrote the white paper’s opening statement.

“Since the first day of invasion, Russia has continued its attacks on not just Ukrainian military, but its civilian population as well, forcing approximately 3.5 million Ukrainians to leave Kyiv. Furthermore, there have been reports of war crimes by Russian government through its acts of shelling an orphanage, maternity hospital, children’s hospital,” it reads.

Crane also uses the opening statement as a rallying cry.

“The people of Ukraine are not in this fight alone, and the international system of justice must step up and fulfill its role as a mechanism of accountability,” it reads.

“Without it, the painful and brutal history of Ukrainian occupation will continue unabat-

ed, leaving democracy and justice around the world in peril.”

The paper establishes the historical context surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, from the 1930s up to the more recent aggression in Crimea and the Donbas region. Like Crane’s speech, the white paper cites international law to make its case. To prosecute, three elements must be proven: the perpetrator — Putin in this case — is either a political or military leader; that leader was involved in planning, preparation or execution of the state’s act of aggression; and, the crime of aggression must be in violation of the UN Charter.

Next, it draws on specific incidents that violate those laws, including the murder of civilians and journalists, attacking humanitarian routes, the use of cluster munitions and the bombing of hospitals and other protected facilities.

“In Mariupol, on March 16, 2022, the Russian military bombed a theatre being used to shelter civilians, unlawfully killing at least 300 civilians and injuring an unknown number of civilians,” it reads.

The white paper discussed a few avenues by which Putin’s crimes may be prosecuted.

Many were tenuous, but it did specifically lay out the most likely path through the United Nations General Assembly.

“The General Assembly members need to meet the required two-thirds majority vote in order to pass resolutions or answers to ‘important questions’ regarding international peace and security,” it reads.

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nuclear war, another elicited a strong audience reaction by asking whether President George W. Bush committed a war crime when the United States invaded Iraq in 2004.

To the surprise of some, Crane was frank when admitting that Bush did commit a crime of aggression.

“Technically speaking, he could be arrested,” Crane said, adding that the war in Afghanistan was difference since it was a legitimate NATO operation.

One question addressed the shooting of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian soldiers — a claim that’s been verified by numerous media outlets.

“If they find that did happen, those soldiers will be prosecuted for murder, and they should … no one is above the law,” he said.

After more discussion, Crane delivered his final address for the audience, promising that there is an international will — and perhaps more importantly, a means — to prosecute Russian officials for their heinous acts and orders.

“We will see in the next year Vladimir Putin indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression,” he said.

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Local family donates $1.5 million to Haywood County Schools Foundation HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER tudents at Pisgah High School will have greater opportunities for higher education funding, after a new $1.5 million scholarship was presented at the April 4 board of education meeting.

“Haywood County Schools Foundation is so excited tonight to be able to announce a tremendous scholarship opportunity for our students,” said Haywood County School Foundation Director Jenny Wood in a presentation to the school board. “For years, we’ve awarded a scholarship of a similar amount at Tuscola, and now we are thrilled to be able to do that at Pisgah.”

The Haywood County Schools Foundation has grown to over $8 million in assets over the past few years. According to Wood, this is largely due to the work of Attorney Pat Smathers and his efforts in estate planning.

Smathers has been working as the school board attorney for the last 37 years.

In 2002, Grace and Wayne Plott began working with Smathers to figure out what the couple could do to help their family and their community. Around the same time, Wayne’s sister, Doris Plott began working with Smathers for the same purpose.

Last week, Carolyn Plott Nettles and Sheila Tallent Fouts, administrators for the estates of their aunts and uncle, presented a check of $1.5 million to the Haywood County Schools Foundation for needs-based scholarships at Pisgah High School.

“The Wayne and Grace Plott scholarship and the Doris Eugenia Plott scholarship are a tribute to all the early settlers from whom the history of this area was made,” said Nettles.

“Each of these families helped settle this part of Western North Carolina. It is most appropriate as a legacy scholarship since Doris never married and Grace and Wayne had no children. It was important for them to know that the students of their beloved Bethel Canton area would have the advantage of obtaining a college education. Grace, Wayne and Doris were proud of their mountain heritage just as Sheila and I are proud of them.

We are both humble and honored to be able to present to the Haywood County Schools Foundation a check in the amount of $1,500,700.”

This is a permanently endowed scholarship and will assist graduating seniors at Pisgah High School in perpetuity. On behalf of the board of education, Chairman Chuck Francis expressed his gratitude to the Plott family.

“We are so proud and so honored,” said Francis. “We know our students at Pisgah are going to use this money and do lots of great things.”

“I trust you will understand this is a clarion call to the students of Pisgah High School now, and forever more,” said Smathers. “It is a clarion call to the administration at Pisgah.

It is a clarion call to the teachers at Pisgah.”

Smoky Mountain News

April 13-19, 2022

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Board of Governors Chairman Randall C. Ramsey (right) speaks during a press conference with Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and UNC System President Peter Hans. Holly Kays photo

UNC System extends waiver for SAT, ACT requirement

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hrough at least fall 2024, applicants to University of North Carolina System schools won’t have to sit for SAT or ACT testing to be considered for admission, following a vote of the UNC Board of Governors Thursday, April 7.

The vote came during a meeting held at the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University, marking the first time since 2014 the Board of Governors has held a meeting at WCU. “Our board is very passionate about

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Tribe eyes property in D.C.

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER astern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal leaders frequently travel to Washington, D.C., to make their case to lawmakers on a variety of issues, and soon they hope to have their own space to conduct business in the nation’s capital.

A resolution passed unanimously during Tribal Council Thursday, April 7, commits the tribe to spend the money needed to acquire property there, whether through lease or purchase, and opens the door to making the acquisition a joint venture with other federally recognized tribes.

Vice Chairman Albert Rose said having such a home base would be extremely

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making sure that we don’t handicap people and handicap their opportunity to enter one of our universities. Certainly, the pandemic and the opportunity to be well prepared for those tests was greatly hindered over the last few years,” said BOG Chairman Randall C. Ramsey in a press conference following the meeting. “Our board debated this pretty rigorously a couple meetings ago. We are debating among ourselves whether we want to bring those requirements back in at all.”

At the body’s July 23, 2020 meeting, the board voted to waive the standardized testing requirement through fall 2021 admis-

sions. On May 27, 2021, the body discussed the issue again and extended the waiver once more, this time through fall 2022. The newly approved waiver extends through fall 2024.

Though students will not need to submit standardized test scores, other minimum eligibility requirements will still apply, including completion of minimum course requirements — four English courses, four math courses, three science courses, two social science courses and two foreign language courses.

The board is now undertaking a study to look at whether it makes sense to reinstitute the requirement at all, said Ramsey.

“We want to make sure students can be successful,” he said. “If it turns out we really believe this is a great indicator, we may bring it back. But I don’t think you’ll be at a loss for seeing us debate that going forward.”

helpful in fostering relationships with new congressmen and senators who are interested in meeting with tribal leaders and learning about their issues.

“This would help us by hosting it at our place instead of us having to walk from here to there or take a cab,” he said.

“It’s close to the Capitol. And plus, our building can tell our story. You’ll be amazed on these freshmen congressmen.

They don’t know. They just vote the way they’re told until you educate them.”

Council members were enthusiastic about the proposal but said they’d prefer to make the transaction in concert with one or more partner tribes — doing so would reduce the cost and foster collaboration between participating tribes.

“If you had [senators] coming to you with three other shared tribes, I think that’s just more power for the four tribes,” said Painttown Rep. Boyd Owle.

The resolution states that since Principal Chief John Ross’s first trip in

1816, Cherokee leaders have frequently traveled to D.C. to shape federal law and policy affecting the tribe.

“It is important for the continued success and prosperity of the Tribe to have a visible and responsive presence among Federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C.,” the resolution states.

The tribe has the resources, whether on its own or in concert with a partner tribe, to purchase or lease property there, the resolution states, providing a place to do business with leaders of other tribes, members of Congress, agency personnel and lobbyists.

“Real property values in Washington, D.C., are high and will continue to increase, thereby making an investment in real estate there a sound and profitable investment that contributes to diversification of the Tribe’s investment portfolio,” the resolution reads.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Owle. “A great idea.”

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Seen here in the small church at Ghost Town in 2021, Alaska Presley held out hope that she would live to see the park rejuvenated again. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Alaska Presley, business titan and longtime Ghost Town owner, dead at 98

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written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath WHAT DOES “PASTURE-RAISED” MEAN? Pasture-raised can mean a variety of different things depending on the animal or poultry and who is putting the label on the final product.

According to the USDA, pasture-raised on labels is synonymous with: “Free Roaming, Pasture Fed, Pasture Grown… and Meadow Raised” on labels. An important reminder is that the term “pasture-raised” applies to how the animals and poultry live and NOT what the animals or poultry are fed.

There is no inherent description of what this “pasture” looks like; so if you are envisioning a few animals or poultry in wide open spaces, that may not necessarily be the case. According to the USDA, in order to use this wording on a label the grower/producer/farmer must provide documentation that substantiates “…. that the animals or birds have continuous, free access to the outdoors throughout their usual grow-out period” Sources: Food Safety and Inspection Service Labeling Guideline on Documentation Needed to Substantiate Animal Raising Claims for Label Submissions (usda.gov)

Smoky Mountain News

people. Many of them worked at the park alongside movie and television stars like Burt Reynolds, Cowboy Coward, Robert Bradley and Dan Blocker of Bonanza in the park’s live-action cowboy shootouts.

As tourism began placing incredible strain on Maggie’s non-existent infrastructure — there were no sidewalks and sewage was often straight-piped into Jonathan Creek — the Presleys became instrumental in the fight to incorporate the town, which finally happened in 1974.

Eventually, the Presleys sold the park, which continued to operate through the early 2000s. After years of neglect and bad business dealings, the park began a long, slow descent into obsolescence and finally bankruptcy.

In 2012 at age 88, Alaska Presley purchased the park for $2.5 million at auction with an eye toward reviving it. Although Ghost Town did open periodically and sporadically for the next three years, it never regained its former glory and left a gaping hole in the local economy when it finally closed in 2016.

Over the next decade, a number of attempts were made to resurrect the park in conjunction with a relentless stream of developers looking to cash in on the enduring popularity of Ghost Town, but all efforts came up empty.

It’s not yet clear how, if at all, current efforts to redevelop the park will be affected

by Presley’s passing.

– Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor

April 13-19, 2022

mall in stature but towering in her decades-long influence on Haywood County, Alaska Presley passed away on April 7 at Smoky Mountain Health and Rehabilitation, according to an obituary from Wells Funeral Home.

Presley is best known for her almost sixdecade association with famed Maggie Valley mountaintop amusement park Ghost Town in the Sky, although she also held interests in a number of unrelated businesses across Haywood County.

In 1955, Pressley and her late husband, Hubert, came to Maggie Valley.

“Well, it was a little ol’ nothing,” Presley told The Smoky Mountain News in 2019. “It was one straight road, it’s still one straight road. It was not very much inhabited at that time. But the tourists was coming through, and it was still good business in the summertime.”

That led the Presleys and R.B. Coburn to shave the top off Buck Mountain and construct a unique attraction that would draw more than half-million visitors a year for over 50 years.

“It brought the people in,” Presley said of Ghost Town, which opened in 1961.

“You couldn’t take care of the people, there was so many of them. I stood there at Ghost Town many a time and made more of them mad than anything else, because I couldn’t get them up on the mountain.”

At the time, Maggie Valley was an unincorporated hamlet, home to less than 200

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Join the March Hare and the Mad Hatter as the Cherokee Historical Association and Havoc Movement Company present “Alice in Wonderland.” See this Appalachian spin on the classic tale starting April 1, then throughout the month on select nights from 7–9 p.m. Only in Cherokee’s Mountainside Theatre. For dates and tickets: VisitCherokeeNC.com

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HCAE proposes policy changes to review of parental complaints HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER aywood County Association of Educators has put forth suggested amendments to the school board policy regarding parental inspection of and objection to instructional materials.

“We want to make sure that when instructional materials are brought before administration or the board of education, it’s a fair and equitable process across the board,” HCAE president Tara O’Laughlin told The Smoky Mountain News. “Of course, parents can have objections, but we would like teachers to be treated as professionals, weigh in, and have a more objective way for this to be done.”

The changes proposed by HCAE outline a process by which a complaint regarding instructional material is reviewed by a school-level committee made up of educators and administrators. Any determination made by this school-level committee can be appealed to the superintendent and finally to the board of education if the complainant is not satisfied with the school-level or district-level committees’ determinations.

The proposed changes to board policy came in response to the recent pulling of “Dear Martin” from a 10th grade English class at Tuscola High School. Because convening a committee to review parental objections to instructional material is currently optional, there was no recourse for input from educators after Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte made the decision to pull the book.

“These amendments will alleviate the subjective nature when instructional materials are brought into question,” O’Laughlin said in a presentation to the board of education at its April 4 meeting. “The amendments to this policy in no way take away the power from parents in regards to questioning instructional material. Rather it creates an equitable process by which materials will be reviewed.”

The process for parental objection to instructional material is laid out in Policy 3210. First, parents have a right to inspect all instructional materials, except for tests or assessments. The process for parental objection to instructional materials in the current policy involves written objection submitted to the principal of the school. Then the principal may establish a committee to review the objection.

If the principal or the committee determines that any material violates constitutional or other legal rights of the parent or student, the principal or the committee shall either remove the material from instructional use or accommodate the particular student and parent.

This is where HCAE is proposing changes to the policy. The proposed policy updates say that upon receiving a parental complaint, the principal shall forward the complaint to a Building Level Committee. This committee will

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HCS budgets for declining student population

plethora of educators, but community leaders as well,” said O’Laughlin. “Teachers in Haywood County deserve the trust and respect within our classroom and the materials we choose. Our students deserve due process and a fair and equitable system in place if our professionalism is brought into question.”

O’Laughlin said the policy updates are “commonplace in most states and counties.” In The Smoky Mountain News’ fourcounty coverage area, each school district has policies aligning with that of current HCS board policy under which a principal may establish a committee to review objections. Buncombe County School Board has policy aligning with the proposed updates from HCAE. Asheville City School Board has a policy similar to that of current HCS policy, with the option to convene a committee similar to that in proposed policy changes suggested by HCAE. All proposed policy changes are presented to the board of education during public meetings by Associate Superintendent Dr. Trevor Putnam and are considered by the board prior to adoption. The next Haywood County Schools Board of Education meeting is May 9. Find the petition with proposed policy changes from HCAE at tinyurl.com/3d5ur26h or visit the HCAE Facebook page.

ous schools, a new roof in the Waynesville Middle cafeteria and a new gym floor also at Waynesville Middle School. The capital budget is funded by state sales tax dollars.

The total school nutrition fund for the 2022-23 school year is $5.2 million. The Child Nutrition Program operates independently of other programs. The budget for the upcoming school year shows an increase of 3.25%.

“It’s hard to look at past patterns in making the budget for this year,” said School Nutrition Director Allison Francis. “We’ve had the luxury of being able to feed children other than our students and that has helped us with our revenues, and that goes away as of June 30. The waiver for all students to eat for free is also going away.”

Labor and benefits make up 52% of the school nutrition budget, food and supplies account for 39% and overhead accounts for 8%. Pay increases mandated in the state budget added about $162,000 to the labor and benefits portion of the budget.

Due to an increase in food prices, HCS nutrition department recently announced an increase in school meal prices. The cost of breakfast was increased to $2, lunch for prek through grade 5 was increased to $3.50, and lunch for grades 6-12 was increased to $3.75.

The 2022-2023 budget for Haywood County Schools was approved unanimously at the school board meeting April 4.

Have a Voice & Share Your Ideas!

Join us on Tuesday, April 19th at 6:00PM Haywood County Historic Courthouse 215 N Main Street, Waynesville Haywood County Recreation is having a public meeting to hear your ideas on a proposed Haywood County Bike Park just off Farmview Drive in Waynesville, NC. The proposed Haywood County Bike Park will have a pump track, adventure playground, and picnic pavilion with restrooms.

Future phases will have paved walking trails and natural surface trails.

We welcome your feedback. Please drop by this community meeting to discuss the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant application for the proposed Haywood County Bike Park.

Smoky Mountain News

be made up of one media specialist, three educators in related fields, two administrators and two students. This committee is then charged with examining the complaint, surveying professional reviews of the instructional material in question, determining the extent to which the material supports the curriculum, discussing the material and preparing a then report of findings and determination. It will ten give copies of this report to the principal and the complainant within 20 days of the complaint being filed.

If the complainant is not satisfied with the committee’s determination, they may appeal to the superintendent. The superintendent will then convene a similar committee that will follow the same determination process.

If the disagreement continues, the parent may then appeal to the board of education. The board of education will forward the complaint to a Community Committee to review the complaint and the material again. The Board of Education shall make a final determination within 20 business days after receiving the Community Committee’s written report.

“The changes proposed to 3210 are supported by an ever-growing number of signatures to the petition being circulated throughout the county. Not only from a

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for locally funded teachers, as opposed to $1.8 million in the current school year, which would cover 13 teachers and two lead teachers, plus their benefits and stipends.

According to Nolte, this is the budget goal for the start of the next school year but will depend on retirements and resignations.

Other major local expenses include central office administration at just over $1 million, non-instructional support at just over $7 million and employee supplements at over $3 million. The total expenditure for the local current expense budget is $18,277,556 — $1.5 million more than the previous year.

A little more than $16.5 million will come from the county appropriation, $345,000 from fines and forfeitures, $24,000 from ABC revenues and $1.1 million from the fund balance. Although HCS has set aside over $1 million in fund balance money, Nolte said the school system has consistently used less fund balance than anticipated in years past and plans to do the same in the upcoming year.

Total capital expenditures for the 2022-23 school year are $900,000. This amount will allow the school system to address eight of its most pressing needs. A generator needs replacement at Clyde Elementary, spare Bard units for maintenance, new exterior doors at Meadowbrook Elementary, a new water heater at Pisgah, a new fire alarm panel at Riverbend Elementary, paving repairs at vari-

April 13-19, 2022

by almost 500 students since early 2019.

During the 2019-2020 school year, there were 7,100 students enrolled in the system, this school year there were 6,557 students enrolled.

Those enrollment figures do not include students at charter schools in Haywood.

Though charter schools in the county have gained students since the start of the pandemic, according to Nolte, they have not gained half the students that Haywood County Public Schools have lost.

For each student enrolled, the school system gets about $2,300 locally and over $7,000 at the state level.

Nolte also described falling birth rates in Haywood County. According to the superintendent, birth rates are generally closely tied with the number of children entering the school system within five to six years. From 2016 to 2019, the number of births to people in Haywood County were as follows: 616, 617, 540, 525.

“So unless we have a rapid influx of families with school age children, we cannot expect our student population to start growing because of the birth rate,” said Nolte. “I show you all of this to let you know, it is the responsible and necessary thing to do to make our school system the size, financially and personnel wise, of a school system that has 6,500 students rather than over 7,000.”

One result of this loss in funds is the need for fewer locally funded teachers.

Haywood County currently funds 34 teachers locally. The budget for the 2022-23 school year allocates just over $1.2 million

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HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER uring the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina schools did not incur budget cuts due to lower student populations across the board. Now, as the pandemic takes a backseat in the daily lives of many, schools are being held to accountable for their actual per diem numbers. For Haywood County Schools, this means there is less money available.

“The biggest problem is fewer students in a very short time,” said Nolte.

During a March 31 work session, Nolte presented a proposed budget to the board of education. He painted a picture of a school system that would suddenly receive lower funding in the coming year due to a declining student population, a decrease in COVID relief funds and pay increases required by the state budget, but one that would nonetheless be in good shape, in part thanks to a healthy fund balance.

“It’s a little frustrating when, as a superintendent, I feel like we did everything, during the pandemic, that the federal government, the state government and the local community wanted us to do,” said Nolte.

“Now that state and federal money is being pulled back quickly, I’m not sure that a lot of school systems who did what we did will have an easy transition.”

Despite the loss of COVID funds, Nolte made it clear that the biggest obstacle for Haywood County Schools was the decline in student population. Public schools are funded a certain amount for every student enrolled, and HCS enrollment has declined

For additional information, please contact David Francis at 828/452-6625 or david.francis@haywoodcountync.gov 11

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High stakes, high expectations in Senate race

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR edistricting brought small changes to many of Western North Carolina’s legislative districts, but nowhere are those minor changes more major than eastern Haywood County.

A portion of Franklin Republican Sen. Kevin Corbin’s 50th District — 12 precincts, to be exact — was chipped off and added into the sprawling new 47th District, which runs more than 120 miles northeast from Clyde to Sparta.

Those 12 precincts happen to have some unique and pressing needs above and beyond the usual; they’re the epicenter of last summer’s devastating floods that killed six and gutted Canton’s police, fire and administrative infrastructure.

No Democrats filed to run in the 47th, which is about 61% Republican. However, due to a county clustering rule utilized in drawing the state’s new maps, two veteran Republican senators must now compete against each other in one of the most closely watched Primary Election contests in the state.

The loser will go home, but the winner will wade into a river of problems.

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en. Deanna Ballard was born in Denver, North Carolina, the daughter of an educator and a logger.

“My childhood experience was actually riding in logging trucks with my dad to the paper mill, staying in the truck with my hard hat on,” Ballard said.

The experience, she said, taught her the strong work ethic that made her the first in her family to attend a four-year college, Belmont University. Initially, she studied music business, but she ended up with a business degree.

Currently, she serves as the director of public policy for Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham and headquartered in Boone.

In 2016, with no prior experience in electoral politics, Ballard won the March 15 Republican Primary by 6 points, after incumbent Republican Sen. Daniel Soucek announced he wouldn’t run again. Soucek resigned six weeks later, and Ballard was appointed to fill the seat before winning it by 30 points in the General Election.

She’s since won two more terms, is a member of the health and human services/base budget appropriations committees and also serves as chair of the committee on appropriations for education — handy credentials for a district that includes Appalachian State University as well as Haywood Community College.

“In education, there’s always more work to be done,” said Ballard. “COVID really poised the culture of education in North Carolina to change.”

As a product of public schools, Ballard thinks more and more parents are looking 12 for alternative options that best suit the

Smoky Mountain News

April 13-19, 2022

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needs of their children and that the expansion over the past decade of those options, like public charter schools and virtual academies, will continue.

“Believe it or not, there was never really kind of any framework or structure in place at the state level for virtual academies, so we’ve been working with DPI on what that could look like moving forward,” she said.

Virtual academies, however, can’t exist without consistent access to high-speed internet, which is probably the biggest problem in the mountains.

Ballard’s been a proponent of the GREAT grants touted by Corbin as a Deanna Ballard solution, and the nearly $1 billion dollars in the latest state budget that will expand access to them.

She’s also open to the conversation around lifting the existing prohibitions on municipal or county-level service providers.

“I know the batRalph Hise tle and the fight that’s there,” said Ballard. “It’s not something I’ve shied away from, by any means.” t’s safe to say that Sen. Ralph Hise likes numbers. Born and raised in Spruce Pine, Hise graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, got a degree in statistics and

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The 50th Senate District, in dark blue, is relatively compact, but the 47th, in red, sprawls out toward the northeast. davesredistricting.org map

worked as a statistician in the U.S. Census Bureau.

When he went back to grad school at N.C. State, he shifted focus slightly and earned his master’s degree in higher education administration, worked in the local community college system and was elected mayor of Spruce Pine.

In 2010, Hise won his first term in the Senate by defeating Democratic Sen. Joe Sam Queen — that’s right, part of Haywood County used to be in Hise’s district, so Hise has represented the area before — and he was part of the Republican takeover of a General Assembly that had been in Democratic hands for 147 years.

“We really took a focus on a lot of things, some changes we wanted to make,” he said.

“When I took over, the state income tax was at 7.75% percent. What we’ve passed this year, it now will be down to 3.99%. We’ve eliminated the corporate income tax in North Carolina. We’ve cut the sales tax by 1 cent since I came in.”

The state of education has also changed since Hise first took office and indeed since he taught math, both in community colleges and in prisons.

“One of the things that’s clearly obvious to me is there is no such thing as a one-sizefits-all for all children,” said Hise. “You have to create a system that allows parents to find for their children a system that is successful in education — whether it’s public schools, whether it’s charter schools, whether it’s private schools, whether it’s homeschooling, all of those types of things — different children will learn differently and you have to give the parent the authority to have choices for what is most successful for their child.”

Like Ballard, Hise understands the challenges involved with delivering high-speed internet to mountain communities; he’s a co-chair of the joint legislative oversight committee on information technology and

says counties in his district also struggle with connectivity.

Unlike Ballard, Hise is not open to the idea of allowing local governments to compete in the internet service delivery marketplace, saying it actually blocks expansion to areas outside incorporated municipalities. oth Ballard and Hise have experience and influence in critical areas that could be beneficial to Haywood County in the long run, but the winner will have more immediate needs to contend with in the new western outpost of the sprawling 47th District.

On Aug. 17, 2021, Ballard and Hise both quickly learned what was transpiring on the East Fork of the Pigeon River and in communities from Cruso to Canton to Clyde.

“Oh, man. I mean, I had called Corbin to check in. That’s kind of what we do too. We all check in with each other,” said Ballard, whose office is right next to Corbin’s.

“It was something very much reported to the General Assembly,” said Hise. “I had some partial flooding that was reported to me in Yancey County and several of my county leaders there began to call.”

Despite a $9 million appropriation shepherded by Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) that will shore up damage to Canton’s water and sewer infrastructure, there’s currently nothing coming to pay for the extensive damage to Canton’s police and fire stations, and town hall.

Town officials are now faced with a choice — to rehab, to rebuild or to find a new location, up and away from the normally placid waters of the Pigeon that have catastrophically flooded downtown twice in the least two decades.

All three solutions would cost many millions.

Ballard said that her process is to brainstorm with partners, and

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The Fund for Haywood County with the J. Aaron and Adora H. Prevost Endowment Fund and the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund awarded ten grants totaling $66,468 in a recent grant cycle. Since 1994, The Fund for Haywood County, in partnership with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), has awarded grants totaling $1,262,766.

The 2022 grants are: ■ $7,500 to Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry to fund outreach materials and travel expenses to serve the homeless population in Haywood County.

■ $3,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support 14 current mentoring pairs and to recruit, screen, train and place 16 new mentoring volunteers.

■ $4,500 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas to ensure that Haywood County children battling cancer can access timely and complete treatment.

■ $2,600 to Clothes To Kids of Haywood County to defray operating costs for its children’s clothing shop.

■ $7,500 to Haywood Christian Ministry to prevent utility disconnections for people living in

poverty, on fixed incomes, or in crisis.

■ $7,500 to Haywood Pathways Center to support a full-time, onsite Food Services Director.

■ $7,418 to KARE (Kids Advocacy Resource Effort) for forensic interviewing at the children’s advocacy center and direct service personnel to prevent of vicarious and secondary trauma.

■ $7,500 to Kiwanis Club of Waynesville Charitable Corporation to purchase playground equipment specifically designed for children with special needs.

■ $1,000 to Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte to cover costs for Haywood County families.

■ $17,450 to Town of Waynesville from the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund to restore the historic Sulphur Springs Hotel springhouse and provide landscaping and picnic amenities in Sulphur Springs Park.

In 1994, local residents established The Fund for Haywood County as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Fund’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Fund support nonprofits in Haywood County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online at www.FundforHaywoodCounty.org or by mail c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville NC 28803. Make checks payable to CFWNC, noting “Fund for Haywood County” in the memo line. Contributions of any size are welcome.

Lake Junaluska Easter Activities

Spend Easter weekend at Lake Junaluska, where you can enjoy family friendly events, a brunch buffet and a powerful sunrise worship service.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Friends of the Lake

5K Road Race and Walk Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., race begins at 9 a.m. at the Nanci Weldon Open Air Gym. Visit lakejunaluska.com/run to register.

Children’s Easter Egg Hunt 11:15 a.m.

Easter Sunrise Service 7 a.m. at the Lake Junaluska Cross.

The Rev. Dr. Hyung Jae Lee will deliver the message, and a brass quintet will provide music.

Easter Brunch Buffet 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Savor crustless quiche, southern chicken and Belgian waffles, sliced honey glazed ham, southern biscuits and gravy and more.

Reservations are required.

Call 800-222-4930. $32 per adult, $16 per child age 4-12, free for children age 3 and younger.

An 18% gratuity will be added.

lakejunaluska.com/easter

Smoky Mountain News

Near Stuart Auditorium.

Long’s Chapel will host an Easter egg hunt event with face painting, balloon animals, pictures with the Easter bunny and a food truck.

Visit lakejunaluska.com/easter for start times for various ages.

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

April 13-19, 2022

port the effort, too, is always helpful. But at the end of the day, it will depend at the state level on availability of funds, too,” said Ballard.

Hise, who serves as the chair of the appropriations/base budget committee, has a slightly different view on how Canton might be able to recover from the flood.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunities in the districts I’ve had. A similar flood in Madison County, [they] nearly lost their entire stadium, slid off from a landslide from a storm that was near the same time as what was coming from Canton,” he said. “We were able to get the direct appropriations to that.

There is a budget process, but I think we we’re Haywood County precincts in red now belong to the 47th Senate District. in good position Those in blue remain in the 50th. davesredistricting.org map within the state, within the budget process to assist in addressing some of those needs have also kind of put out there and [are] and just need to get those at the forefront of willing to match or really rally around a the table.” group of donors or partners to help sup-

consider public/private partnerships, matching funds, and the availability of funds at the state level.

“Understanding priority levels and understanding, I guess, ‘skin in the game’ that your local community or local officials

news

Haywood County nonprofits awarded $66,468 in grants

13

news

Shooting case will test limits of qualified immunity

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR n 2020, a trial court accepted the qualified immunity defense of Macon County Sheriff ’s Office Deputy Anthony Momphard for the 2018 killing of Scott Knibbs.

“What happens in these cases is that the plaintiff almost always loses because of qualified immunity,” said Waynesville attorney Mark Melrose. “We knew that, but the whole idea was, can we put together a case where we have enough evidence to show that Momphard is not entitled to qualified immunity because this was so far out of bounds?”

Melrose and son Adam have done just that. Last week, an appellate court rejected parts of the 2020 judgement, meaning Momphard will likely be back in federal court, testing the bounds of qualified immunity for police officers who use excessive force.

I

he killing occurred as the result of a dispute between neighbors, according to details in multiple court documents as well as statements provided by Melrose.

Knibbs lived on Pheasant Drive, a onelane, private dead-end road in rural Macon County, with only one house above him, a rental. Knibbs had been upset that the rental appeared to be a bit of a “party house”

Smoky Mountain News

April 13-19, 2022

T

and that the tenants’ dog had disturbed him. He was also upset that people sometimes drove too fast in the roadway, both up and down.

Late in the evening of April 29, 2018, a partygoer mistakenly pulled into Knibbs’ driveway.

Knibbs told them to leave, and kicked the bumper of the vehicle after accusing the occupants of the vehicle and the tenants Scott Knibbs was killed in in the house his home early on the morn- of drug activing of April 30, 2018. ity.

Facebook photo Knibbs then placed several boards studded with nails into the roadway. As another partygoer left the residence later that night, they encountered the ersatz speedbumps on their way down, stopped their car, and called police.

Momphard, a military veteran and rookie deputy, was dispatched to the scene and

likewise encountered the boards on his way up. He stopped, without deploying his emergency lights, and knocked on Knibbs’s door.

Although there was evidence that there were people inside — Knibbs, his wife, his son, his daughter and his grandson — Momphard received no response, so he continued his investigation and spoke to partygoers.

On his way back down, he again tried knocking on Knibbs’ door while identifying himself verbally as a sheriff ’s deputy.

“Scott’s inside the bedroom, and the evidence is that he and his wife Missy heard that, and Scott said, ‘Anybody could say they’re sheriff ’s department,’ which were the last words that he ever spoke,” Melrose said.

Toxicology reports would later show that Knibbs, who had no criminal record and graduated from basic law enforcement training at Southwestern Community College in the 1990s, had a blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit for driving a car.

As Knibbs made his way from his bedroom toward the door with a shotgun, he racked a round into the chamber.

Standing near the porch by an adjacent set of windows, Momphard was looking for cover.

“Momphard hears that, gets his gun out and yells, ‘put it down, put it down’ and then moves in front of the windows,” Melrose said.

“He turns his light on and says he sees Scott

standing there with a gun and so he shoots and kills [Knibbs] through the window.”

District Attorney Ashley Welch recused herself from the case, as Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland is a political supporter of hers and would likely be named if a civil suit were to be filed.

Henderson County District Attorney Greg Newman, who was later removed from his post due to misconduct unrelated to the Knibbs case, declined to bring criminal charges against Momphard, who was cleared by MCSO internal affairs and left the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office on good terms not long after the incident.

Missy Knibbs retained Mark and his son Adam, who a year after the killing filed suit against Momphard and Holland in his official capacity as Sheriff, as well as MCSO’s liability insurance carrier and surety bond providers.

Claims against Momphard included violation of Knibbs’ Second, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, wrongful death and violations of the North Carolina Constitution. Holland was named for wrongful death and violations of the N.C. Constitution.

Forensic evidence presented at trial contradicted Momphard’s contention that Knibbs’ shotgun had been pointed at him.

Stippling and wounds on Knibbs’ body suggested that Knibbs was

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holding the weapon against his chest, with the barrel pointed in a safe position, toward the ceiling.

On Nov. 5, 2020, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgement per the standard of review, which states that “Summary judgment shall be granted ‘if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.’”

But there was a dispute over a material fact — whether or not Knibbs had pointed the shotgun at Momphard.

“So, we appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals,” Melrose said, “and they agreed with us and reversed the case, which

Mark Melrose.

April 13-19, 2022

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Smoky Mountain News

is very unusual.”

A 2-1 majority of the appeals court denied Momphard’s qualified immunity claim because, according to the opinion, “ … Knibbs was only exercising his constitutional right to protect himself and his family by coming to the door with a loaded gun” and that there was no objective way for Knibbs to know who was actually on his front porch.

In his dissent, Judge Paul V. Niemeyer supported the qualified immunity claim because Knibbs knew the officer was there, came to the door with a shotgun, racked it, refused to drop it and refused to communicate with the person on the porch — whomever it may have been.

“The officer, reasonably believing he was about to be shot through the door, seeks safety from that position and, in doing so, sees [Knibbs] holding the gun,” Niemeyer wrote.

“Not waiting to be shot, the officer fires his service pistol. Despite these facts, the majori-

ty rules that the officer is not entitled to qualified immunity because a jury could find that the officer shot Knibbs while he was only ‘possess[ing] a firearm in his own home in a non-threatening manner while investigating a nocturnal disturbance on his premises.’

This makes no sense to me.”

The Macon County Sheriff ’s Office will retain its governmental immunity from suit, but the ruling means that the civil rights and wrongful death claims against Momphard can proceed, and the claims against MCSO’s surety bond against Momphard and Holland, up to $25,000, can proceed as well.

Adam Melrose said Knibbs’s family was relieved to hear of the reversal.

“I think that’s the best way to put it,” he said. “I think this is a case that a jury should decide. That’s sort of been the family’s viewpoint from the get-go, that it’s a case for a jury.”

And soon it will be — if the United States Supreme Court doesn’t get involved first.

“This case has gone from being entirely dismissed to going to trial,” said Mark. “It’ll be in federal court, in Asheville, at a time to be determined, and that will depend on if [the defense] appeals and petition the U.S. Supreme Court for cert.”

“Cert” is short for certiorari and means that the defense can ask SCOTUS to review the case.

More than 7,000 petitions for writs of certiorari are received by SCOTUS each year, but only about a hundred end up being granted. Usually, the court will only accept such requests if the case appears to have national significance, or if the case could resolve conflicting rulings from the several federal courts, or if the case appears to have value as a precedent.

If the defense decides not to petition or the petition is denied, Melrose thinks the case could go to trial within the next year.

If the petition is accepted, it will mean another year or so of legal limbo for the Momphard and Knibbs’ family while SCOTUS decides if the original claim of qualified immunity should stand or not.

Steven Andrew Bader, a Raleigh attorney who represented the defense on appeal, did not return multiple requests for comment from The Smoky Mountain News on whether or not he’d petition SCOTUS for cert.

news

Famed NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte has a message for all North Carolinians: speeding belongs on the racetrack - not the highway.

“The skill level you need to control a car at high speeds takes a lot of practice, and you have to know your ability and limitations,” said Labonte.

Bobby Labonte.

“Racecars are built strong and for safety, and I have equipment like a helmet and fireproof suit that you don’t have when you’re driving a street car. That’s why we have speed limits and need to follow them. I’m always aware of that when I’m on the road.”

North Carolina law enforcement officers will step up enforcement of speeding motorists from April 11-17. Speed-related fatalities have increased 17 percent in the past five years, with 424 people dying in speed-related crashes statewide in 2021 alone.

15

16

Smoky Mountain News April 13-19, 2022

news

Smokies proposes park-wide parking fee A

year.

People participating in decoration days and family reunions managed through the Special Use Permit system would be exempt from the parking tag requirement, and some fee-free days would be scheduled. This year, the National Park Service has designated five service-wide fee-free days, and as superintendent, Cash can designate some additional days limited to the Smokies.

In an interview, Cash said that based on last year’s data, the park could expect to generate $10-$14 million through the parking fee program, even assuming compliance of only 30% when the fee is initially enacted.

Federal law allows parks like the Smokies that can’t charge an entrance fee due to deed restrictions to keep all revenue generated through other fees. Revenue would support repair, maintenance and enhancement of visitor facilities, as well as increased ranger presence and maintenance personnel across the park.

The proposal would also double backcountry camping fees — the fee was enormously contentious when first proposed in 2011 — raising them from $4 to $8 per night, with a maximum of $40 per camper.

Backcountry fees support trip planning, seven-day-a-week backcountry office support and backcountry law enforcement patrol. The fee hasn’t increased since first enacted in 2013, while use of sites has increased to more than 100,000 camper nights per year.

Additionally, the proposal would standardize frontcountry fees across the park — campground operational costs are now similar across locations. The proposed fee for

Waynesville aldermen ponder projects

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR

A virtual public meeting at 5 p.m.

Thursday, April 14, will take input on the proposal. The one-hour meeting will include an overview presentation and a question-andanswer session. To attend the meeting, log on at tinyurl.com/mttkdyxs or call in for listen-only mode at 929.436.2866, passcode 980 8025 4376#.

Written comments will be accepted through May 7. Comment online at parkplanning.nps.gov/GRSMfeeproposal2023 or mail hard copy comments to Superintendent Cassius Cash, Attn: 2023 Smokies Fee Program Changes Proposal, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

The rate change proposals are available at nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2023-fee-proposal.htm.

family campsites at all campgrounds would be $30 per night for primitive sites and $36 per night for electrical hookups. Formerly, rates varied across campgrounds from $17.50 to $25 per night. Fees applying to group camps, horse camps and picnic pavilions would increase by 20-30%, depending on size and location. Rates for daily rental of the Appalachian Clubhouse and Spence Cabin in Elkmont are proposed as a standard daily rate, resulting in an average increase of the weekly rate and decrease of the weekend rate.

The outcome of the proposal would be decided by Oct. 1 at the latest, Cash said, and implemented in March 2023.

rec center to be prioritized as well due to its substantial consumption of power and water.

“You know the old saying, ‘When’s the best time to plant a tree?’ The best answer is 20 years ago. The second-best time is right now,” Feichter said. “Like I’ve said, let’s be bold.”

Feichter also proposes changes to how the town-owned electric service provider operates, including smart metering, budget billing and paperless billing.

Alderman Chuck Dickson said he’d like to contract with a grant writer to help leverage funds from the American Rescue Plan.

“This is a generational opportunity,” said Dickson. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Grant funding would have a substantial impact on the intergovernmental effort to bring badly needed affordable housing developments to the region, as well as advance the multi-jurisdictional greenway project.

Dickson also wants to revisit the idea of staggered terms for aldermen. Right now, Waynesville is the only municipal government in Haywood County that elects all five of its board positions during the same election. The town could change the structure of its board terms by ordinance, without General Assembly action.

Alderman Anthony Sutton, who ran on making law enforcement more efficient and accountable, wants WPD to implement some sort of web-based outlet for police statistics and records.

“We’ve been getting a lot of pushback about transparency with police statistics,” Sutton said.

Sutton also wants to develop and augment community watch programs.

Aldermen will return for another budget session in the coming weeks before deciding which projects are achievable and which 17 are not.

Smoky Mountain News

It’s a critical time in the Town of Waynesville. Legacy problems like aging sewer and water infrastructure and a malfunctioning downtown association are almost in the rearview mirror, as are the uncertainty and disruption of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Those issues, however, have been replaced by new ones, mainly fueled by public safety, development pressures and the need to remain a competitive, attractive tourism destination with reasonable property tax rates.

With a long list of projects and policies and unprecedented amounts of federal funding flowing into cities, aldermen have never had a better opportunity to shape the future of the town.

“Talking with the staff over the last year,” said Town Manager Rob Hites at a town retreat on April 6, “we realized over the last 4 or 5 years we have been asking you to be a reactive board.”

The board’s reactive posture ended that day, as Hites walked aldermen through a 5-hour meeting that instead of starting with a finance presentation focused on the personal priorities of elected officials first.

Mayor Gary Caldwell’s priorities — a trio of pavilions — will likely move forward, albeit slowly. Caldwell said that when the Main Street pavilion went out for bid, only one bidder responded with a price that gave the town “the shock of our life.”

The skate park pavilion, which would be the same as the one constructed at Obama-King Park for $40,000 a few years ago, will now cost $102,000. Now, the town has the choice to re-bid the

project or wait for the construction price boom to possibly subside.

Another Caldwell priority is to explore options for expanded outdoor dining on Main Street.

Alderman Julia Freeman’s main priority was purchasing a new SRT/rescue vehicle for the town’s police force.

“We need to be highly active and alert on using tactical things and making sure our law enforcement has the resources they need to get the job done,” Freeman said.

The current vehicle used for SRT operations is outdated, illequipped and undermatched, based on weapons seized during SRT activities.

“If someone shoots at that vehicle, it’s just going to go through,” said Assistant Chief Brandon Gilmore. A new vehicle would cost approximately $300,000, but refurbished vehicles are available for about half that.

With the impending retirement of Waynesville Parks and Recreation Director Rhett Langston, Freeman also wants to stay on top of the situation and complete a parks and rec master plan.

Alderman Jon Feichter, who’s been pushing a clean energy mentality among the board, wants to convert municipal buildings to solar heat and water, among other renewable energy initiatives.

“I’m pretty keen on how the town can fulfill its 2017 commitment to help the state transition to 100% clean energy by 2050,” he said.

The clean energy plan will be implemented in the design of the town’s forthcoming Hazelwood fire station, and Feichter wants the

Be heard

April 13-19, 2022

the 1951 deed transfer that gave the federal government ownership of Little River Road and Newfound Gap Road, it was with the stipulation that the federal government could never charge a fee to use those roads.

In 1992, Congress passed a law prohibiting entrance fees elsewhere in the park so long as no fees were charged for using its “main highways and thoroughfares.”

However, the park is allowed to charge fees for use of facilities, equipment and services — the proposed parking fee is categorized as an expanded amenity fee. The park does not wish to pursue charging an entrance fee.

The proposal would institute a daily parking fee of $5, with a seven-day tag available for $15 and an annual tag for $40. The park would remain free to enter — motorists using it as a scenic drive or commuter route would not be charged.

Passholders would have to display the tag in their car while parking it in designated parking spots within park boundaries, but the tag would not guarantee a parking spot at any specific location, with parking continuing to be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Roadside parking would no longer be allowed.

Smokies staff determined the proposed rates by comparing prices for similar access on public and private lands. The average parking rate in gateway communities where parking fees are charged — the calculation does not account for communities like Cherokee, that don’t charge fees — is $15 per day and $68 per month. In National Park sites where parking fees are charged, the average rate is $9 per day and $50 per

news

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR visit to the nation’s most popular national park could cease being free if a groundbreaking proposal put forth by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week is enacted.

The proposal seeks to institute a parkwide parking fee, and to increase existing fees for backcountry camping and frontcountry amenities. A public comment period is open through May 7 and a virtual public meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 14.

“Great Smoky Mountains National Park is at a crossroads,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We’re proud to be the most visited National Park, but it does present challenges due to wear and tear on aging facilities and a strain on park resources and employees. Parking tag sales, at a modest fee, would provide critically needed support to protect and enhance the visitor experience not just for tomorrow, but for generations to come. We appreciate the public’s input throughout this process.”

Over the last decade, park visitation has increased by 57% to a record 14.1 million visits in 2021, even as federal appropriations have remained flat around $19 million — or, when adjusted for inflation, fallen. The park needs more money to protect its resources and serve the surging numbers of visitors.

But use fees are a fraught topic. The park was created by forcibly moving families out of the communities they’d built in places like Hazel Creek and Cataloochee, leaving behind homes, churches and cemeteries.

When the Tennessee legislature approved

18

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Maggie Valley taxpayers deserve better I

Why should we care about Ukraine?

To the Editor: Cory Vaillancourt’s March 30 roundup of what WCU professors have to say about the war in the Ukraine (“The messiest story you can have”) was fascinating. Particularly enlightening was Associate Professor David Dorondo’s response to students complaining about ever higher gas prices exacerbated by the conflict: “Remember, you’ll still get your gas. You’ll still get to go home ... and have electricity … and be alive in the morning.” Mr. Dorondo then added that fleeing Ukrainian refugees don’t have those guarantees.

My response is: so what? Professor Dorondo’s salary is more than $66,000 a year, which you can find by checking a state website. That’s four times what I make as a clerk in a secondhand bookstore. I can’t afford to pay more for gas to help people on the far side of the world who have the misfortune to live between the former German and Russian empires. Speaking of which, your reporter didn’t mention that one of Professor Dorondo’s areas of expertise was the German cavalry. In any case, I want to order his book,

board who wanted this member removed brought up the matter and then called for a vote. That’s a bad way to conduct the public’s business.

There are many boards who make it a matter of practice to never vote on controversial matters the first time they are discussed. They know that losing the public’s trust can be a slippery slope, so they make sure to let those who voted for them know what they’ll be discussing and then invite public opinion on the issue.

That did not happen in this instance.

If any elected leader feels the need to take votes by surprise because they Editor know an issue is controversial, well, that’s a big red flag.

Also, it certainly appeared as if those voting to remove Allen Alsbrooks from the board of adjustment had hatched the plan to do just that prior to the meeting. Now, it would have been a blatant violation of the state’s Open Meetings Law if the three of them had met in person or electronically and discussed this prior to the official town board meeting.

That’s a big no-no.

If perhaps they had talked in pairs — if one board mem-

Scott McLeod

t may sound like some kind of bureaucratic mumbojumbo, but trust me it’s not: the processes by which elected boards operate more often than not is a reflection of the wisdom of the decisions that emanate from that public body. By that, I mean those who have adopted processes that invite internal, public debate among members, who make it a practice to respect the opinions of their fellow board members and the taxpayers, who ensure those who elected them can make their opinions known, who can make compromises, who work diligently to keep the public involved and informed, and who rely on the advice of the professionals that work for them more often than not to make sound decisions.

As a journalist, I’ve witnessed that truth time and again.

At this point, I’m not going to judge whether recent decisions by the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen were wise. I will say, however, that their process is showing some cracks.

Here’s why I’ve come to that conclusion.

A recent decision to remove a member of the zoning board of adjustments happened on a 3-2 vote. That’s fine.

Split votes are common among many elected boards, and it’s merely a reflection of differing values of board members.

However, what was troubling in this particular instance is that the issue was not on the published agenda for that meeting. Under “other business,” those members of the town

ber had called another, discussed the issue, and then said, “OK, I’ll call so-and-so and see if he’s in agreement before the meeting and I’ll let you know” — well, that’s also a violation of the “spirit” of the N.C. Open Meetings Law. Public decisions must be discussed and made in public. Period.

Over the past few months, Maggie Valley’s elected leaders have chosen to ignore the recommendations of their paid professionals, in particular town planner Kaitland Finkle. Again, that’s their prerogative as elected leaders, but to do it time and again speaks to some kind of dysfunction.

Maggie Valley — for all its quaint, touristy exterior — has over the past couple of decades often been embroiled in a bruising brand of small-town politics. Whether it was over Ghost Town, annexation, Soco Road’s future, etc., there have often been strong differences among those who are elected to the board.

So be it. Let the emotions run hot. But the processes should be set in stone, not subject to the whims of the current elected board. And when potential violations of laws governing open meetings crop up, the disservice to taxpayers is multiplied. Doing the public’s business the right way can be tedious, monotonous and really, really hard. But it’s what voters deserve, and anything less is unacceptable.

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

LETTERS “Riders of the Apocalypse: German Cavalry and Modern Warfare, 1870-1945.” But does he also lose sleep over what’s going on in the Yemen, inflicted by our ally, Saudi Arabia? It makes Ukraine look like a Rotary picnic.

The truth is, it doesn’t affect regular Americans what Putin does or doesn’t do in the lands covered in the 1918 Brest-Litovsk treaty. Those here who are most concerned — and think a war with Russia might be worth it — include government officials and diplomats whose “expertise” is said to be in that part of the world, or those whose ancestors hail from that area or they themselves were born there (e.g., Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Under Secretary Victoria Nuland, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Col. Alexander Vindman). Plus, we’ve got our own garden-variety, saber-rattling fantasists including the entire U.S. Senate, who hope foreign posturing will make us forget their utter mediocrity.

They can’t imagine not caring about Eastern Europe, but I can. Putin’s writ could run to the English Channel and it wouldn’t make me materially worse off. If Europe won’t pay to defend itself, why should we? NATO

stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Is Ukraine getting salt breezes from that Ocean? Romania? And if you want to talk about Munich 1938, bring it on.

Neither “Munich” nor “balance of power” mean anything in the age of nuclear weapons.

Stuart Ferguson Highlands

Air the laundry. The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns.

All viewpoints are welcome.

Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786

Walking side by side with Freud and Jung

Susanna Shetley

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Smoky Mountain News

gies to achieve inner peace.”

Therapist: (Smiling) “I think your wisdom has risen above your ego.”

When I left her office that day, I started thinking about my ego. When she made that comment, I knew she was referring to Freud’s definition of ego and not our modernized interpretation of the word. Our ego and superego are beyond complicated. They are rooted in moralistic codes, societal expectations and subsequent feelings of guilt and shame. In contrast, wisdom is simply defined as the quality of being wise, of having good judgment and the knowledge of what is true.

In my situation, my wisdom has taught me that drama, negativity, controlling and blaming do nothing but pull me down. I look for the good in people, even if they don’t appear to like me or if they seem to be judging me. I’ve learned that people who freely judge others or try to control are hurting in their own ways. They have their own healing to do. I’ve moved from being annoyed with them to being compassionate toward them and hopeful they’ll do the work they need to do.

Much of the progress I’ve made is also due to the fact that I came face-to-face with my shadow self. This is a Jungian philosophy that may sound farfetched at first, but it’s really quite easy to understand.

Jung said, “No one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of selfknowledge.”

Seeing the shadow within ourselves is extremely difficult, but we’re excellent at seeing undesirable shadow traits in others.

Many people enjoy calling out unsightly qualities in others—in fact, gossiping, judging and complaining are built on this fundamental human tendency. Although our conscious minds are avoiding our own flaws, they still want to deal with them on a deeper level, so we magnify those flaws in others.

I’ve worked hard to recognize and accept my own shadow and have come to understand that people who judge others have not gotten to that level of enlightenment.

The work is never done when it comes to self-acceptance and inner peace, but I feel like I’ve reached a full circle moment. From that enthusiastic college freshman with her pen at the ready to take notes on Freudian theory to a 42-year-old woman and mom working hard to achieve wisdom, the masters in the world of psychology were there to encourage me all along.

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

Western North Carolina’s

April 13-19, 2022

ne of my bachelor’s degrees is in psychology. I wanted to be a therapist or psychologist to help others. I’ve always been intrigued with human development and the vastness of the mind. For a while, I worked as a school psychologist, but that role is more about testing and shuffling paperwork than working one-on-one with individuals, so I moved on to other avenues. Nonetheless, I’ll be forever grateful for the knowledge I gained in those undergraduate years.

From Freud and Jung to Skinner and Watson and Piaget, I loved learning about all the greats in the field. Though some of the old methods, Columnist theories and experiments are a bit metaphysical and sometimes unethical, they hold some truth in them. Perhaps more than we like to admit.

Despite transitioning to careers in education and journalism, I’ve remained enthralled with the field of psychology. The older and wiser I get, the more I realize Freud and Jung were attempting to offer healing knowledge, but people weren’t ready to receive it.

I’ve shared before in this column my woes surrounding my mother’s death, guilt and shame over being divorced, sadness about the dismantling of my family unit, being judged in a small town and so on and so forth. For years, I tried to deal with all these heavy feelings in a superficial manner, by complaining, venting, crying, blaming and controlling. The worst part was trying to figure out which emotion went with which situation. It all blurred together, and life felt dark.

At some point, someone suggested I see a therapist. I resisted for a long time, but then I found the most incredible therapist, and she helped me find my way back to the light. After my experience, I feel like everyone needs a therapist. Mental health is just as important as physical health, if not more so, and the stigma that surrounds seeking support is mind boggling, but that’s for another column.

For years, I went to my therapist and most of my statements started with “He said,” “She said,” “They should not have,” or “I wish he would” or “I wish she would” or “I wish I would’ve.”

And then recently I had a session where the conversation went something like this.

Therapist: “So, what’s on your mind today? What’s been going on?”

Me: “I don’t feel like talking about any of that stuff we normally talk about. None of it deserves my energy. My desire for inner peace supersedes my need to please anyone. So, I would like to talk about strate-

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Smoky Mountain News

At the End of the Rainbow Want to go?

Rising singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, April 22, at The Orange Peel in Asheville.

Timbo will open the performance. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22 day of show. The concert is ages 18 and up.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to theorangepeel.net and click on the “Shows” tab. For more on Ferrell, go to sierraferrellmusic.com.

about more because mental health is so important. Like, I feel like a lot of kids aren’t told they should exercise more.

SMN: Or admit it.

SF: Or admit it. Or admit that you’re wrong, especially Americans. It was pretty eye-opening. I’ve never really made as much money as what I have been making since I have this [marketing] team and stuff. And I’m definitely aware, especially being an addict as I have been before in the past, [now] having all this money at my disposal.

I mean, I’m just going to keep doing my thing. I hope I get to keep working with amazing musicians, because I feel they’ve opened that door for me.

Sierra Ferrell.

A conversation with Sierra Ferrell

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR Musician extraordinaire. Freelance sniper.

Dancer.

Those are the occupations listed by rising singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell. Sitting in the dimly lit backstage area at the Albino Skunk Music Festival in rural Upstate South Carolina, she leans back into her chair and puts her boot up on the bottom rung of the nearby porch railing.

With a voice as timeless as it is mesmerizing, the West Virginia-raised songbird is a haunting presence, this staggering blend of old-time folk, blues, jazz and country music.

And it’s her distinct voice that’s become the talk of Nashville, the town she currently calls home, more so since she signed with Rounder Records — a storied label that isn’t looking for a “flash in the pan” act, but actual artists to develop for decades to come.

In person, Ferrell is this whirlwind of curiosity and passion. It’s almost as if she’s more intrigued by those in the audience than they are in awe of her once-in-a-generation talent. It isn’t that she’s unaware of her prowess,

Ferrell simply doesn’t take any moment, interaction or gig for granted — for it’s all a dream we dream, don’t you know?

For someone who bounced around America in her formative years, homeless and living out of her van while busking and honing her craft, Ferrell seems to just be happy to be along for the ride — this continuing trajectory upward and towards the unknown melodic horizon of unlimited possibility.

Smoky Mountain News: Aside from the chaos of everything during the shutdown, what was your big takeaway, as an artist and as a human being?

Sierra Ferrell: Well, I would say, as an artist, I was really prepared to just get on the road [in 2020]. Because, when you’re touring, it’s definitely a state of mind. You have to be prepared or it’ll eat you up. I had already wired myself to be prepared, to be traveling and be on the road.

Then, of course, Covid put a wrench in the tire and I just had to figure it out. I had some really bad anxiety in the beginning, the uncertainty. A positive thing I took away from it, is

that I have a bunch of new songs, so that makes me happy. I’ve been working on some new stuff and I have a different band right now — to try something different.

SMN: You were on this fast trajectory and then everything was paused. Did you look at that pause as an opportunity to reevaluate what you want out of this?

SF: I definitely know I’m going to be playing music until the day I die.

SMN: So, that’s solidified?

SF: Yeah. I’m going to be doing that no matter what. And if I can go along and other people do the marketing stuff for me? Awesome.

SMN: What do you think about the fact everyone is focusing on you all of a sudden? Does that affect your personal expectations? How do you deal with that?

SF: I just go with it and hope I don’t get too weird. [Laughs] But, it is heavy. And, you know, I do suffer from some mental instabilities. I’m sure everyone does. But, I’m super aware of it. It’s something people need to talk

SMN: Is your lack of an online presence on purpose?

SF: You know, I’ve never really liked the internet. We’re not supposed to experience [all of] that. We’re not supposed to be connected to 20 million people. We’re supposed to be interacting hands on, communicating [face-to-face].

The internet pisses me off, to be honest. I just get frustrated with it and I can’t work it. Of course, these days I’ve progressed. I do love Instagram now, that kind of started when I first moved to Nashville, to document things.

SMN: Do you have other expectations?

SF: You know, I just want to be able to do good and finally get to be around my mom, take her somewhere nice. She’s in West Virginia.

The one thing that I really do love about West Virginia? I lived in the Charleston area a lot, and I love that it’s a river town and it’s all tucked away. You’re always surrounded by these rolling hills. There’s always a hill. You feel cradled. You feel safe. And there’s this river.

Then, I started hobo-ing it up. [Laughs] I just wanted to see America. And I learned a lot.

I learned about what I need, what I didn’t need.

Now I have a [home and] a garden [in Nashville]. I love spending time alone. And I love spending time with the people I choose to be around me. I have to maintain this — for my mental health and for me to progress forward. I’m in a really good place.

HOT PICKS

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘Don’t deny the freedom that’s born to me, don’t deny that a rambler must always be free’

H

A dirt road outside Reliance, South Dakota. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

1 2 3

Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Shane Meade (soul/indie) at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

Local author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle will be discussing her award-winning book, “Even As We Breathe,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

4 5

Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host In Flight (rock/jam) at 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 16.

The annual “Teen Poetry Night,” an open-mic event for high schoolage poets and poetry lovers, will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus in Franklin.

lost in thought about nothing and everything. Looking out this large U-Haul windshield onto the mountains of Montana and Wyoming, onward through the Black Hills of South Dakota, the cornfields of Iowa and Missouri, the streaming traffic of St. Louis, Nashville and Charlotte.

Visions and memories dancing across the dashboard. Former lovers — I wondered where they were these days and hoped that they’re happy and found what they were ultimately seeking. Old friends not seen in years, dearly missed as both sides of the friendship hold closely the shenanigans of youth and all that resides in the name of irresponsible enlightenment.

Ah, the road to the “here and now,” eh?

The meandering of people and things, miles ticking away on the odometer of my pickup truck and of my heart in the grand scheme of things. Visions across the dashboard of who I was, where I was, and what I was seeking along my own path.

I think of that little kid riding his bike through Rouses Point to destinations unknown, and the teenager in a beat-up Camry cruising the backroads of the Northern Tier of Upstate New York.

And then there’s the 20-year-old music freak on his first solo road trip from college in Connecticut to the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee, all while carrying a fresh copy of Kerouac’s seminal novel “On the Road” that ignited this ongoing journey of hard pavement and dirt roads through the lens of the written word.

Fuel up the thirsty U-Haul in Reliance, South Dakota. Grab some water and snacks in the gas station. Look at the face in the bathroom mirror. I’m 37 now, but the urge for the open road, for restless thoughts and dashboard visions, and the surprises that lie just beyond the horizon are just too good to pass up — and will forever remain so.

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

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Smoky Mountain News

“You know, I never really had any time to mourn his death,” Aunt Chrissy turned and said to me over beers the other day in the Sun Lounge at the Days Inn on the outskirts of Rapid City, South Dakota. “I buried him and went back to Montana and went back to my life, never having the time to stop and actually mourn the passing of my son.”

Suffice to say, this cross-country caravan trek of the U-Haul and her Volkswagen Tiguan was a cleansing of sorts for not only my aunt, but also me, too. Though I’ve dealt with death and the passing of loved ones a lot in my past, and have to come to terms with “it all,” Nate leaving us was such a heavy blow, where time kind of slowed down a little bit in those first few days after I received that phone call from my little sister that his landlord had found him unresponsive in his tiny rented motel room in Rouses Point.

Throughout that 2,120-mile road trip from Bozeman to Charlotte, I did a lot of thinking. Endless hours of simply getting

The “Easter Hat Parade” will return to the streets at 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 16, in downtown Dillsboro.

April 13-19, 2022

opping out of the 15-foot U-Haul truck last week, I reached for the gas pump and began fueling up the thirsty vehicle. It was Hieb’s Cenex gas station on Route 248 between the small town of Reliance, South Dakota (population: 128), and the bustling Interstate 90.

There isn’t really much of anything ‘round these parts. Vast, empty farmland and high desert prairie as far as the eye can see. Reliance is right smack dab in the middle of the state, somewhat equidistant from Rapid City to the west and Sioux Falls to the east — one city a gateway to the Rockies, the other a doorstep to the Midwest.

I’ve always been a rambler. It’s in my blood, more so at the core of my being, which is why when I find myself in off-the-beaten-path dots on the map like Reliance, where I can’t help but be in absolute awe and curiosity about such places and the faces that inhabit these fringe communities.

I can’t help but wonder how different my life would be if I grew up here, perhaps ended up here in some wondrous, happenstance situation of time and place.

Hell, maybe I’d still end up here in Western North Carolina working for a newspaper in some roundabout way. Who knows? That’s the beauty of life, right?

I mean, my small Canadian Border hometown of Rouses Point, New York, sparked whatever ramblin’ fever is still raging deeply within my heart and soul.

Even as a young kid, I was never home. I’d be on my bicycle — somewhere, anywhere — in search of adventure around whatever corner or down whatever road I’d yet to explore.

Once I got my driver’s license, I was hellbent on leaving everything in Rouses Point in the rearview mirror, the nose of my rusted 1989 Toyota Camry aimed down whatever backroad, highway or byway I’d come across. Where does that route go to? Where does it pop out into? Who lives in those towns? What mischief might I conjure and manifest with my constant need for human interaction and new experiences?

Luckily, that sense of mischief and curiosity parlayed itself into a bountiful (thus far) 16-year career as a writer and journalist, one where my truck is rarely parked outside my humble abode in downtown Waynesville, where once the weather gets nice, I’ll spend more nights sleeping in hotels, camping

tents and the backseat of my pickup instead of the comforts of my bed and Sealy queen mattress back in the apartment.

Thus, as I’ve mentioned recently, I jumped on the opportunity two weeks ago to help my Aunt Chrissy relocate from Bozeman, Montana, back to Charlotte where her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters reside. Though it was an arduous task to pack up the big U-Haul — physically and emotionally — for just the two of us, it was also incredibly cathartic.

You see, last June, her son (my cousin Nate) passed away unexpectedly at age 42.

Though his health had been deteriorating for several years at that point, it was still a shock when you finally get that phone call you’ve been dreading for many moons. Right after the funeral in Rouses Point, my Aunt Chrissy went immediately back to Bozeman, back to work in her office, and back to some weird sense of normalcy.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

274 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6570 WAYNESVILLEYOGACENTER.COM

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On the beat arts & entertainment

Ready for ‘YerkFest’?

Blackberry Smoke.

Harrah’s welcomes Blackberry Smoke

April 13-19, 2022

Southern rock juggernaut Blackberry Smoke will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Since their debut in 2004, the Atlanta, Georgia-based band has independently released six full-length albums and toured relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. The band has also had unparalleled success with sales of each of their last albums.

In 2015, Blackberry Smoke released “Holding All the Roses,” which was the first independently-released record to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country album charts in modern history. “Like An Arrow” followed in 2016, again putting them at No. 1.

Most recently, in 2019, Blackberry Smoke released “Homecoming: Live in Atlanta,” a recorded performance from their annual show in the band’s hometown. It also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk sales charts.

Tickets start at $47.50 per person. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

Bryson City community jam Rock, jam at Boojum Asheville prog-rock group In Flight will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

Smoky Mountain News

In Flight.

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Celebrating the life of the late Erica Erica Waldrop, the 2nd annual “YerkFest” Waldrop. will be held from 5-11 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Innovation Station and (photo: Quintin Ellison) Quirky Birds Tree House & Bistro in Dillsboro.

The showcase will directly follow the culmination of the “Greening Up The Mountains” festival. Live music at “YerkFest” will be provided by Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass), PMA (reggae/soul), Prophets of Time and Panthertown.

Waldrop passed away in a tragic car accident in January 2021. She was a friend to many in Sylva and greater Jackson County. A shoulder to lean on.

A smile to brighten your day.

Waldrop was many things to many people. Of note, she was a social justice warrior who stood proudly at any and all community marches, most recently the Black Lives Matter and Confederate statue gatherings in front of the Sylva fountain.

She was also a helping hand and the life in any social setting.

“Yerkfest” is free and open to the pubof the party. If you were passionate not only about life, but what you wanted out of lic. Donations will also be accepted for the Erica S. Waldrop Scholarship, which is it, she was right there to amplify those given to a graduate student at Western aspirations into the universe. She never Carolina University who is in the speech met a stranger, and was always connecting language pathology program. the dots of people, places and things with-

M ONDAY-F RIDAY 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE P LAZA 828-456-5387 • WAYNESVILLETIRE . COM

A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.

The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs.

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall.

This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.

828.488.3030.

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arts & entertainment April 13-19, 2022

Smoky Mountain News

23

arts & entertainment

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

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

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

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

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and In Flight (rock/jam) April 16. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

April 13-19, 2022

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Nathan Hefner (piano/vocals) April 16 and Cynthia McDermott (mandolin/vocals) April 23. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

of the AT Fest at 6 p.m. April 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aly Jordan (singer-songwriter) April 15, Shane Meade (soul/indie) April 16, Steve Heffker April 22, Twelfth Fret (Americana) April 23 and George Ausman (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. April 24. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

ALSO:

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

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Rachel Bellavance 7 p.m. April 16. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

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

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kind, Clean Gentlemen April 15, Buffalo Kings April 22 and Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) April 23. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host David Potter April 14 and Rossdafareye April 21. All events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Trippin’ Hardie Boys 7 p.m. April 22 and “Yerkfest” w/Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, PMA, Prophets of Time and Panthertown starting at 5 p.m. April 23. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m.

24 April 16 and an “Outdoor Music Jam” as part

Want to paint, sip craft beer?

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host an “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. April 14 and Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. April 15.

All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Blackberry Smoke (southern rock) 7:30 p.m. April 23. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

Smoky Mountain News

On the wall

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Cory Asbury (singersongwriter/worship leader) at 7:30 p.m. April 23. Tickets start at $17. smokymountainarts.com.

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

828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

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

828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Steve Hefler (singer-songwriter) April 14, Brian Ashley Jones (singer-songwriter) April 15 and Outlaw Whiskey (southern/classic rock) April 16. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Keil Nathan Smith (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m.

April 21. Free and open to the public.

828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Graysin Slade (one-man band) April 16 and Jon Cox Band (Americana/indie) April 23. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events brings you “Paint & Sip” events West of Asheville. It’s not only a “night out,” but an experience that should lift your spirits.

Join others as Arramae shows you stepby-step how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer. She has everything you need to paint with: set up, grab a beer, tie on your apron and start painting.

The encouragement to let everything go into your canvas, fill it up, and not to worry about how it turns out is the mission.

Arramae coins this paint style as “Lucid Flow.” This is a two-hour event, and you leave with your painting.

Anyone 21 and up are welcome.

Events will be held at the following locations once a month: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton), Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) and the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin).

Please visit Arramae’s website to sign up. For more information, click on wncpaint.events. Contact the website about setting up a private event: any age, minimum six/maximum 25 attendees.

For live social feed and pictures, follow her on Instagram & Facebook “WNC Paint Events”: @paintwnc (Facebook), @wnc_paint_events (Instagram).

Space is limited at each event. Drinks sold separately.

Macon County art scholarship

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

The Arts Council of Macon County will accept applications through Sunday, May 15, for its annual $1,000 Arts Scholarship.

Guidelines and application forms are available from any Macon County high school guidance office, online at artscouncilofmacon.org, and from the Arts Council office.

Macon County residents of all ages wishing to pursue a college degree in the performing, literary, visual/graphic arts, or arts education may apply. Applicants must submit to an in-person interview the afternoon of Thursday, May 26.

The recipient is chosen on the basis of talent, commitment, career aspirations, and financial need. The scholarship was established in 1988 to help talented and deserving Macon County residents prepare for a career in the arts.

For more information contact any high school guidance office or the Arts Council, 828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

• A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge.

Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. fontanalib.org.

ALSO:

On the street

Downtown Sylva. (photo: Jeff Bean)

Featuring an array of local/regional artisans, crafters and musicians, the annual “Greening Up The Mountains” festival will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in Sylva.

The premiere spring festival for Western North Carolina, the event attracts thousands

‘Ancient Philosophies of Life’ lecture The Jackson County Public Library lectures series on “Ancient Philosophies of Life,” led by Clemson professor Todd May, will conclude from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Community Room at the library in Sylva.

• The “Factory Easter Egg Hunt” will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 15-16 at The Factory in Franklin. Over 5,000 eggs and prizes. For more information on admission and activities, click on franklinfun.com.

• The “Eggstravaganza” will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Easter-themed activities, vendors, fresh produce, food, an egg hunt, and a search for the Easter Bunny.

Darnellfarms.com.

• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday, April 16, at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City.

Passengers will be on the lookout for those train hopping bunnies who have snuck on May is the Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of the Humanities at Clemson University. He is the author of 16 books of philosophy and was an advisor to the philosophical sitcom “The Good Place.” He is a collaborator with “The Good Place” showrunner Mike Schur on a book of ethics, “How To Be Perfect.”

“For ancient Greek and Roman thinkers, the central philosophical question is: What is the best life for a human being? How should one live? Of course, they gave very different answers,” May said. “Over the three weeks of this program, we will discuss each of these answers, seeking to understand and engage with them together.”

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This seminar is cosponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The JCPL is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

board to take a free ride. Festivities include an Easter egg hunt with prizes, a giveaway bag with activities to enjoy during the train ride and an Easter treat for our junior railroaders to enjoy. There will also be plenty of opportunities for pictures with our bunny hoppers, so don’t forget your camera. Boxed lunches available. For more information, click on gsmr.com or call 800.872.4681.

ALSO:

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

Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

‘Manly Men v. Wonder Women’ auction Presented by the Women of Waynesville (WOW), the “Manly Man v. Wonder Women” auction will be held at 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 23, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.

WOW is bringing its “Manly Men” and “Wonder Women” together for one big event to raise money for the Lynda Chovan Memorial Scholarship Fund. Let’s see who can raise the most money to send young women to college.

A beloved local nonprofit organization, the mission of WOW is to provide an outlet for women in the community to join forces with the purpose and collective passion of supporting the needs of women and children in Haywood County.

For more information, click on womenofwaynesville.org.

Smoky Mountain News

‘Greening Up the Mountains’ festival

of visitors and locals alike. Sponsored by the Town of Sylva, the festivities will once again take place in historical downtown Sylva.

Hitting the stage at Bridge Park, live music will be provided by The Maggie Valley Band (10-10:45 a.m.), The Summit Church Band (11-11:45 a.m.), PMA (noon-12:45 p.m.), Shane Meade & The Sound (1-1:45 p.m.), Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (2-2:45 p.m.) and Darren & The Buttered Toast (3-4 p.m.).

For more information, click on greeningupthemountains.com.

Easter Hat Parade.

April 13-19, 2022

Darnell Farms in Bryson City will be hosting its fourth annual Eggstravaganza Easter event from 10a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday, April 16.

The event will feature plenty of Easter themed activities and vendors, as well as a host of food trucks, including their own “chuck wagon.” Of course, there will also be an Easter egg hunt with 30,000 eggs, as well as a search for the Easter Bunny.

There will also be opportunities to fish along the river that runs through the farm and possibly a chance to pick strawberries, depending on their ripeness.

Co-owner Afton 30,000 eggs will be Darnell Roberts hidden across the said prizes will be 60-acre farm. handed out, as well.

“It’s mainly prizes to get kids outdoors,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to get to prizes that will get them to just stay indoors.”

Roberts added that they’ll have inflatable toys and a photo booth, as well.

A beloved Western North Carolina tradition, the “Easter Hat Parade” will return to the streets at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16, 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. 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. 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.

For more information, call 828.586.2155 or click on mountainlovers.com.

arts & entertainment

Come out to Darnell Farms’ ‘Eggstravaganza’

Dillsboro ‘Easter Hat Parade’

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On the stage arts & entertainment

‘Alice in Wonderland’

WE RECYCLE WASTE WOOD STUMPS • LIMBS • BRUSH

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Smoky Mountain News

April 13-19, 2022

A stage production of the beloved tale “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee.

The beloved venue will host the world premiere of “Alice in Wonderland” stage show, written by The Guinn Twins, Darby and Jake Guinn. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company that will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the spring season.

Directed by Jason Paul Tate, a long-time veteran of outdoor drama, the show features the spectacle driven, heartfelt storytelling audiences have come to expect from Havoc Movement.

Alice’s days on the mountain in Cherokee have lacked adventure lately. Bored with her book, she runs away from her sister to chase a strange white rabbit, who leads her to a world somewhat familiar and yet peculiarly askew.

As she travels further down the rabbit

hole, she encounters the customary characters (with an Appalachian twist) and finds herself at odds with the rules of Wonderland.

She makes both friends and enemies while her problems grow and shrink within this epic journey to the heart of her imagination.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on cherokeehistorical.org/alicein-wonderland.

• The Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville is currently offering a wide variety of classes in the theater arts for all ages, young and old. Whether you are just starting out or want to hone your skills, HART has opportunities for you. For more information, contact HART Artistic Director Candice Dickinson at 646.647.4546 or email candice@harttheatre.org.

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On the table

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

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

828.631.3075.

• A “Wine Tasting” will take place on Friday

and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Enjoy new wines, meats, cheeses and yummy snacks, all while making new friends or hanging out with old ones. For more information, call 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

At one point, Hari proudly writes that “Within five years, the development of every single new coal mine and new power plant in Britain was stopped, and the government had been forced to set in stone plans to close down the ones that already existed. As a result of their campaign, the place that launched the world on the road to global warming had

New monthly book club The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva is starting a new monthly program.

Each month, a library staff member will be discussing some of the new book titles that the library has received. Particular attention will be paid to “under the radar” titles and authors, new releases, and other books that the staff is excited about.

All are welcome and no registration is required. For more information on when the club will meet, please call the library at 828.586.2016.

This club is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The JCPL is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

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begun to seek a path beyond it.”

All well and good, but there are two problems with Hari’s reasoning here. First, he just undercut his own thesis. Despite his argument that we can’t focus on problems, including global warming, apparently some people did possess the ability to concentrate and close down Britain’s coal industry.

Second, Hari fails to mention that China, as the New York Times and other news outlets have reported, is opening a new coal-powered plant every week. Are we to assume that somehow the Chinese have developed a technology to keep that smog locked up over China rather than spreading it around the globe?

And while calling us to do battle against global warming, Hari seems oblivious to

other issues. After visiting a London park during the Covid-19 lockdowns, he describes the afternoon this way: “I looked around us, where people were sitting in the middle of a workday under the trees, enjoying nature. This was, I realized, the only time in my life the world had truly slowed down. A terrible tragedy had forced us to do it — but there was also, for many of us, a hint of relief. It was the first time in centuries that the world chose, together, to stop racing, and pause. We decided as a society to value something other than speed and growth. We literally looked up and saw the trees.”

Now, there’s a mindbending statement.

Many people were probably sitting in that park looking at the trees because they were unemployed due to the lockdowns. Some had probably lost their businesses.

Few people that I knew during the lockdowns felt “relief.” And no, we didn’t choose to “stop racing, and pause.” Our governments forced that on us. Besides, it’s likely that before Covid-19 people sat in the park and looked at the trees.

One of the blurbs on the back of “Stolen Focus” tells us to “read this book to save your mind.” Agreed. Social media, the constant leaping from one online site to another, the dopamine incited by the frenzied interaction of fingers on a keyboard or a phone while communicating with the world outside of the self, are breaking down our ability to pay attention to life beyond our screens. “Stolen Focus” addresses that danger.

But the last pages of the book are themselves a stolen focus from Hari’s thesis.

My advice: read until you hit the last chapter. Then close the book and move on.

(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.)

April 13-19, 2022

Sucker-punched.

That’s how I felt when I finished reading Johann Hari’s “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again” (Crown Publishers, 2022, 368 pages).

For nearly the entire book, Johann Hari focuses our attention on our inability to pay attention. He gives example after example of our vanished talent for deep reading, of being unable to stick with tasks for more than a few minutes, of children lacking the power to apply themselves to their school lessons.

Writer While reading these pages, I was nodding in agreement, knowing that I too was one of those who, for instance, skims articles on the internet rather than absorbing them. Though I don’t engage in social media, like the people Hari describes, I feel driven to jump from one task to another every few minutes — writing a book review, but then stopping to wash the dishes, telling myself to clean the basement but then settling down with a glass of wine on the front porch.

Early on in his book, Hari writes “Through no fault of your own, there never seems to be enough stillness — enough cool, clear space — for you to stop and think.” I live a life of solitude, for the most part, and should have plenty of “cool, clear space,” yet that observation struck home with me. As is the case for millions of us, the Internet is the great disturber of that stillness, and Hari’s diagnosis and advice on how to revive our ability to focus resonated with me.

Then came the last 20 pages of “Stolen Focus,” when Hari suddenly jumped from our age of distraction to writing a screed about global warming, which he calls “an unprecedented crisis.”

My shock and my objections to this intrusion have nothing to do with global warming, a subject on which I am unqualified to offer comment, at least on the science involved. No — I object because Hari’s insertion of this topic at this point in his book seemed ludicrous. Here’s a writer who’s just spent well over 260 pages of his book explaining why we are unfocused and how we might move away from this attention deficit disorder, but then suggests we use our new powers of concentration to battle global warning.

arts & entertainment

Good book, bad ending: ‘A Stolen Focus’

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Smoky Mountain News

from federal, state and local government. But others had enough desire for its manifestathat collaboration “would speed us toward tion to devote their lives to making it reality. previously undreamed of recreation goals.” If Last week, MST leaders and enthusiasts other states followed suit, one day those sepafrom across the state converged on Lake rate state trails could link together to form a Junaluska for Friends of the MST’s annual larger, national trail.

Gathering of Friends, a four-day event this Lee “surprised perhaps even hardcore outyear commemorating the trail concept’s 45th doorsmen” with the proposal, Clark wrote. anniversary on the same stage where it was originally proposed on Sept. 9, 1977.

“I see myself as someone who does not see N IDEA WITH MOMENTUM things as they are and simply ask, ‘Why?’” Howard Lee, who first proposed the concept Lee even surprised the governor.

45 years ago, told the crowd filling Shackford “A cabinet secretary does not go out and Hall Saturday, April 9. “I’ve always dreamed make proposals without clearing them with of things that have never been and asked, the governor’s office,” Lee said April 9. “I had ‘Why not?’”

Now 88, Lee was in his early 40s when he made his infamous speech at Lake Junaluska. But his “why not?” attitude began much earlier, when he was a Black child growing up under Jim Crowe oppression in Georgia.

“I’d go to the segregated high school, sit at a used desk using used books and people would say, ‘I don’t know why you’re getting an education. You’re not going to get a decent job. You’re never going to be hired at a high-level position, and you’re never going to be able to rise higher in society,’” he said.

“My question was always, ‘Why not?’”

Lee proved the detractors of his younger years wrong, earning a A 1977 article in The Mountaineer reports on Howard master’s degree at UNC Chapel Hill Lee’s speech proposing the MST. Haywood County Library photo and then becoming the city’s mayor in 1969. After unsuccessful runs for Congress not cleared this through Gov. Hunt’s office.” in 1972 and lieutenant governor in 1976, he He probably wouldn’t have done it at all if found political success as a state senator in not for Jim Hallsey, who was seven years into 1990. But before that — just one year after his tenure with DENR at the time, and losing the lieutenant governor race — Gov. speechwriter Steve Meehan. They asked him Jim Hunt appointed him secretary of what to insert lines in the speech proposing the was then called the Department of trail, and while it didn’t appeal to Lee at first, Environment and Natural Resources, making the more they talked about it the more enthuhim the first Black man in the South to hold a siastic he became. state cabinet seat.

“I made the proposal thinking, ‘It’ll go The appointment would prove transforaway. It won’t last,’” Lee said. “It just hapmational for Lee, but he almost turned it pened that a reporter from the Asheville down. He’d wanted to lead the Department of newspaper was in the audience, and I was told Health and Human Services. He had no interthat a big article was about to appear in the est in natural resources.

Asheville newspaper. I had to fly back into “My wife talked to me and said, if you’re Raleigh that day and go straight to the manbeing offered an opportunity, why would you sion to have a meeting with Gov. Hunt. It was want to reject it?” he said. “I accepted. That not a pleasant meeting.” was the best decision I think I’ve ever made in Thankfully, said Lee, their friendship my life.” recovered, but Hunt made it clear that no state Later that year, Lee found himself at Lake money would be coming to fund Lee’s big Junaluska, speaking as part of the fourth idea. While Hunt later saw the value of the National Trails Symposium. There he proMST concept, recently telling Lee that launchposed a state trail stretching 450 miles from ing the trail is what he’s most proud of from the mountains to the coast, touching commutheir time in office together, that conversation nities and natural areas alike. As reported in a set the tone for a culture that continues to this contemporary article by Mountaineer writer day — throughout its history, the MST has Doug Clark, the trail would give visitors and been a shoestring operation fueled by volunresidents alike “a real feel for the sights, teers, donations and the goodwill of land mansounds and people of this state.” agement agencies and private landowners.

Completing the trail would be a long-term “I made a speech. My heart was goal, Lee said, and it would take cooperation in it. I was committed to it, and in

A

White dots mark the way from Clingmans Dome to Jockey’s Ridge on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Holly Kays photo

Thinking bigger After 45 years, MST vision keeps growing

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR utting off from the left side of a typically busy Blue Ridge Parkway pull-off overlooking Mills River, an unassuming dirt path dips into the woods and winds its way east, just out of view of the famed scenic drive.

In a month or so, flowers and newly birthed leaves will splash color through the forest, and eager undergrowth will paint over the woodland floor, now plastered with dead brown leaves. Today, though, the trees are still bare, an assertive cold front staving off spring’s arrival. I’m wearing thermal leggings under my hiking pants, a knit hat and three layers on top. Snowflakes shaped like tiny snowballs drift through the air, melting in disappointment as they meet ground that’s just barely too warm to hold them.

But despite the chill, portents of spring

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abound — for those willing to slow down enough to see them. Patches of showy white bloodroot flowers burst through thick layers of decay. Orange columns of bear corn rise alongside last year’s crumbling remains. Close to the ground, the pink-white blooms of trailing arbutus poke out between leathery, evergreen leaves.

Observation, combined with imagination, make it possible to see what this place — one small link in the 1,175-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail — will look like once the comforting nirvana of summer arrives.

THE VISION The MST itself is the result of that same kind of vision — the kind that sees beyond what is, to glimpse what could be. Stretching from Clingmans Dome on the Tennessee border to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the Outer Banks, the long-distance trail exists because 45 years ago, one person had enough faith in the vision to name it publicly, and countless

Howard Lee speaks to the Gathering of Friends Friday, April 8, at Lake Junaluska.

Holly Kays photo

none existed. Four-and-a-half decades later, others have amplified his vision to encompass 1,175 miles, of which 455 still need to be moved off motor roads and into the woods. When Lee met with Hunt after the speech, he was told that no state money would go into trail construction. Now, trails enthusiasts are celebrating a 2021-2023 state budget committing $29 million to state trails projects.

“This money is so wonderful, but it’s also a really big challenge,” Dixon said while addressing the gathering April 9.

Throughout its history, Friends of the MST grew organically, taking one step at a time as resources allowed. Now, the little organization with a $400,000 annual budget is poised for rapid growth.

“All of a sudden we have $5 million that

communities that are close by,” said National Forests in North Carolina Forest Supervisor James Melonas. “We joke sometimes that we have the world’s best trail network, but it’s not connected into the community in a way that they’re benefiting.”

With the Year of the Trail coming, said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout, the Parkway hopes to start prioritizing trail construction and maintenance in a way the road-centric park thus far has not.

She’s working with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to fund a permanent trails coordinator, who will complete an assessment of Parkway trails and help articulate and prioritize trails-related needs.

“We’re going to spend some money with this trails position, taking stock of all the trails, trying to figure out where we need to invest and trying to prioritize because it is becoming an increasingly important part of what we do,” she said. “And I anticipate over the long-term spending more and more on the trails program.”

N.C. Parks Director Dwayne Patterson sees a similar future for his organization.

With more people moving to North Carolina and more people using outdoor spaces, he said, by 2030 the state parks system could well be seeing 30 million annual visitors.

Smokies Acting Deputy Superintendent Lisa McInnis agreed.

“People continue to crave being outside, which is a great thing,” she said. “But how you manage that is a challenge.”

PASSING THE TORCH Another challenge facing the MST is its aging workforce. Throughout its history, the trail has been volunteer-driven, and those volunteers are getting older. The average age of trail maintainers affiliated with the Carolina Mountain Club is about 70, said MST President Marcia Bromberg, who is also a member of CMC. Larry Hombert, who works on a section of trail just east of CMC’s region, said that at 66 he’s the youngest maintainer on his crew.

“As I look around this room today, I see time is going to take its toll on a lot of us,” said Lee. “And that is a reality that we must appreciate. Part of what I would suggest we try to do if you are a volunteer is to get some young people to go with you and help them understand that this is a live trail, but it’s an ownership trail.”

If the MST is to survive, he said, so must the spirit of ownership and commitment to its existence.

Overall, Lee is enthusiastic about the trail’s future. When he proposed it in 1977, it seemed an impossible dream. And at 88, Lee continues to nurture seeming impossibilities.

“There are very few states like North Carolina where you can start at the highest peak of a mountain and go to the flattest areas of the coast,” he said.

He believes that the MST can not only persist, but can become “the best trail in the world” — a unique place “that people will flock to and enjoy and be able to appreciate.”

“Why not think even bigger?” he asked. 29

Smoky Mountain News

Friends of the MST recently welcomed Brent Laurenz as its new leader, signaling the start of a new era in the trail’s history.

“I’m coming into this sort of inflection

Hikers navigate a downhill section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail near Bent Creek Gap Friday, April 8, during one of the outings organized for last week’s Gathering of Friends. Holly Kays photo

the state is looking to us to spend quickly to make really significant changes on the trail,” she said. “It’s a real big undertaking for this organization.”

In the western part of the state, the trail is complete — a continuous 361-mile section stretches from Clingmans Dome to Stone Mountain State Park.

But farther east, roadside walking is common. Laurenz said that he’ll be focusing on filling those gaps, and on connecting the trail to existing neighborhoods and communities wherever possible.

“Next year is the Year of the Trail, and I think that there’s some really cool opportunities to promote both our trail, the MST, and also all the other trails across the state, to really continue to highlight the value they bring to the state and how to get out and use them,” he said.

That’s a focus shared by Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Access to trails and greenways is important for physical and mental health, but also for economic development.

Increasingly, he said during an April 8 address to The Gathering of Friends, companies want locations that offer their employees easy access to outdoor amenities.

Yet, in many parts of the state there are “big gaps.”

“We’re trying to figure out how to, at the very grassroots level in small communities, work with them so that we can help them create these wonderful recreational facilities where they live,” he said. “We want to make sure that everybody in the community can get in a car or on a bike and be in a park or on a trail in not that many minutes.”

In a panel discussion held later that evening, leaders from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S. Forest Service and N.C. State Parks also emphasized the importance of connectivity between the MST and the parks and communities it passes.

“We want to have these trails that are sustainable in terms of reducing any impacts to the resource, but also that they’re providing economic driver for the

April 13-19, 2022

A NEW ERA

point or transition point where it’s been 45 years and the trail’s amazing, and it’s gotten to this great place,” Laurenz said. “What is the next 45 years going to look like?”

That’s the million-dollar question.

When Lee took the podium on Sept. 9, 1977, he envisioned a 450-mile trail where

outdoors

spite of the fact that some didn’t think it made sense, I did it anyway,” Lee said. “But the people who brought us here today deserve the full credit.”

Louise Chatfield, who chaired the N.C. Trails Commission at the time and was the first woman to do so, was the “principal spark plug” for the project, her son Bill told the audience April 9. She has since passed away but was known for her organizational skill and ability to identify local leaders who could carry a mission forward. She worked hard to generate awareness for the trail effort and organize press events to highlight it.

Lee also lifted up Doris Hammett, a Waynesville pediatrician with a passion for trails. Hammett is now 98, so her daughter Karen attended the April 9 event in her stead, recognizing her mother’s contributions to the statewide trail.

“Mom saw hiking as an activity families could do together, no matter the age,” she said. “Hiking is easily shared, and she encouraged this activity in her pediatric practice. It was difficult for her patients and her patients’ mothers to say no to this idea because it didn’t involve expensive gear and there was no cost to do it, and that was very important in a rural county that did not have a high income level at that time. So when Howard Lee suggested a trail across the state of North Carolina at the National Trails Symposium in 1977, that speech must have been really good, because that idea took fire in Mom.” Hammett organized the BalsamHighlands Task Force focused on trail-building in the western region, and while she didn’t build much trail herself, she was a gifted organizer. She planned meetings, wrote informational pieces for news media, and coordinated local efforts with those at the state level.

Jim Hallsey, who pushed Lee to make the speech that got him in the governor’s hot seat, spent countless hours to make the MST concept reality. Allen de Hart and John Lanman were also devoted trail builders and advocates. And Kate Dixon, recently retired as Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail’s first director, took the mission to a whole new level.

“Kate is the one who actually provided the fuel that had this trail process kick off like most of us could not have envisioned,” Lee said.

Since Dixon took the helm in 2008, annual volunteer hours have multiplied from 13,000 in 2007 to 34,000 in 2019. She developed the Coastal Crescent route in the southeastern part of the state, where no new trail had been built for 30 years, and under her leadership more than 200 new trail miles were added, bringing the trail’s off-road total to 720 miles. The remaining portion of the 1,175-mile route still uses roadways. A fund established in her name aims to help continue what she started.

outdoors

Wayah the wolf makes frequent visits to schools and other educational gatherings.

Holly Kays photo

Wayah the wolf to visit Franklin Meet a wolf named Wayah at 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 14, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Rob Gudger, a wildlife biologist and outdoorsman, will bring one of the three wolves he keeps. Wayah is a female wolf who has visited children in local schools

before. She’ll join Gudger for an interactive evening full of close-up opportunities and tales from the wilds.

The presentation is part of the Nantahala Hiking Club’s regular monthly meeting, and is open and free for nonmembers.

April 13-19, 2022

NOC opens its 50th year with Spring Fling The Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County will kick off its 50th anniversary season with a Spring Fling Weekend Celebration Saturday, April 23.

The Outfitter’s Store will open at 8 a.m. for river passes and gear, closing at 6 p.m., with whitewater churning from the Upper Nantahala/Cascades Release 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors will be onsite 3-6 p.m. for kayak demos, with a raffle benefitting American Whitewater at 6 p.m. Prizes include a large Pyranha Jed, Rumpl gear and more.

Smoky Mountain News

Motion Makers sells all three stores

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After 36 years in business, Motion Makers Bicycle Shop owner Kent Cranford has sold all three stores to Specialized Bicycles, the shop’s largest supplier.

In an April 10 email announcing the sale, Cranford said that he wasn’t too interested when Specialized first approached him, but as he thought about it, the sale made increasing sense. It removes the need to compete with suppliers and will allow the store to stock models that it had wanted to sell but hadn’t been able to acquire.

Additionally, all Motion Makers employees have been offered jobs with an “amazing” benefits package that Cranford said he

would never have been able to provide them.

“Specialized wants MM as it is and for what we have created it to be,” Cranford wrote. “They have no desire to mess with what has been working and they aren’t going to be slapping big red S’ on the building or my staff. This is important! It’s the same crew you love and trust minus me.

Everyone was offered a job and they all accepted.”

Cranford said the transaction did not specify a role for him after the sale, but he is the landlord of the Sylva building and will still operate his fleet of Volkswagens.

“Thank you to all of my friends for making this business a success,” Cranford wrote, “and I look forward to that continuing!”

Lane closures planned on Gatlinburg Spur Temporary, single-lane closures will be in place both north and southbound on the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge through Thursday, April 21, for routine maintenance on road shoulders.

Work will include litter pickup, downed tree and rock debris removal and mowing. Closures will be in effect Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

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April 13-19, 2022

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outdoors April 13-19, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 32

Fish, bird and drink through Earth Week Celebrate Earth Week with Mainspring Conservation Trust, which is hosting a slew of events in recognition.

■ Fishing for Conservation, a bass fishing competition benefiting Mainspring, will start at first light Saturday, April 16, at Ledford Boat Ramp at Lake Chatuge. Weigh-in is 3 p.m., and the entry fee is $100 per boat, with a first-place prize of $1,000. Second place wins $700 and third place $300. Register through 5:30 a.m. March 16 at mainspringconserves.com/events. Contact Alex Jump with questions at 828.524.2711, ext. 310.

■ Take a walk with bird connoisseur Jack Johnson at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Macon County, which is stop 53 on the N.C. Birding Trail. Cost is $10 per person, with registration at mainspringconserves.com/events.

Contact Rachel with questions at rnewcomb@mainspringconserves.org or 828.524.2711, ext. 305.

■ Green Drinks, an event targeted toward young professionals who love the outdoors, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at Nocturnal Brewing Company in Hayesville. Come for a casual meeting with others in the community to discuss the outdoors in the Southern Blue Ridge. Register at mainspringconserves.com/events.

Earth Day celebrations united against plastic waste Celebrate Earth Day in Haywood County this month by participating in a robust schedule of events focused on axing single-use plastics.

Plastic bags like those supplied at grocery stores are used for an average of 12 minutes, with a typical family using 1,500 per year. A grocery store serving 2,000 families distributes 1-2 million bags annually.

Plastic doesn’t break down like paper does — instead it breaks up into tiny particles called microplastics, contaminating water, air and food. Recent studies show that microplastics are in human tissue and blood as well.

■ Haywood Community College will celebrate Earth Day Thursday, April 21, with activities from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The day will kick off with rain garden maintenance and a tree planting followed by a Moon Tree dedication at 10 a.m., a bird walk at noon, another round of rain garden maintenance and tree planting at 12:30 p.m. and a tree walk at 1 p.m. A community partner showcase will be set up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 30-minute student presentations given 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Spotted Banana Food Truck will be available 11 a.m.-2 p.m. All activities start in the Hemlock building lower lobby area. For more information, contact Michelle Williams at 828.627.4521.

■ On Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23, volunteers will visit participating retail

stores to inform customers about the dangers plastic bags pose and pass out the reusable ones sewn by Bring Your Own Bag

Haywood, a community effort led by Outdoor Mission Community and WNC Climate Action Coalition to oust plastic by creating reusable bags from scrap fabric.

Participating stores include GO Grocery, Hometown Hardware, TSC, Mast General Store and the Haywood Historic Farmers Market at HART Theater, all in Waynesville. Food Lion locations in Clyde and Canton are participating as well. Ingles Markets and Food Lion of Canton are each

donating 200 reusable bags for the project. Ace Hardware and Junaluska Feed are supporters of the project, though bags will not be available at their stores.

Completed reusable ■ A stream bags await cleanup 9-10:30 distribution on Earth a.m. Saturday, Day. Donated photo April 23, will get rid of trash at Allens Creek in Waynesville. The group will meet at the far end of the PetSmart parking lot and pick up trash along the streambank, parking lot and railroad tracks. Haywood Waterways Association, which is organizing the event, will provide gloves, trash bags, trash grabbers and vests.

Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes and long pants that can get dirty, and bring a towel. RSVP by April 21 to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.co m or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

For more information, contact outdoormissioncommunity@gmail.com or visit wncclimateaction.com.

A two-year trail rehabilitation project will soon start on Ramsey Cascades Trail, one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s most popular paths.

Located in the Greenbrier area, the 4-mile trail provides the only access to the park’s tallest waterfall, 100-foot Ramsey Cascades.

From May 2 through Nov. 17, the trail as well as Ramsey Prong Road will be closed Monday through Thursday, excluding fedAt 100 feet, eral holidays, to allow Ramsey Cascades crews funded through is the park’s the Trails Forever protallest waterfalls. gram to safely rehabiliNPS photo tate it. The trail will be fully open Friday through Sunday each week.

The project aims to improve overall trail safety and the park’s natural resources. Crews will repair and regrade the tread surface, improve existing drainage, add new drainage, cover up social trails and remove tripping hazards such as roots and rocks. They’ll also build retaining walls, staircases, water bars and turnpikes using locust logs and native stone found onsite.

Last week, a helicopter operation delivered 35 loads of supplies to five different drop-off sites along the trail from a staging area near the Cosby Picnic Area.

The loads include bundles of locust logs, tools and equipment.

The project is possible through Trails Forever, a partnership program of Friends of the Smokies and the park. In 2012, Friends established an endowment, now

worth more than $6 million, to fund a permanent, highly skilled crew to rehabilitate high-use trails. So far, the program has contributed more than $2 million to fully rehabilitate Abrams Falls, Trillium Gap, Rainbow Falls, Alum Cave, Chimney Tops, and Forney Ridge trails.

The project will also include volunteers and Conservation Corps Crew interns work-

Report hellbender, mudpuppy sightings

“snot otter” or “Alleghany alligator,” is the largest aquatic salamander in North America, averaging 16-17 inches long. It has a flat, broad head and flattened body, wrinkly skin on its sides and is brown — sometimes mottled with dark splotches. It’s typically found only in fast-moving, clean mountain streams.

Both are listed as species of special concern in North Carolina, and Wildlife Commission biologists want to know more about their distribution in the state and how their populations are faring. Neither animal is harmful to humans, though they may try to bite if someone tries to pick them up. If spotted, leave the salamanders alone but submit a report.

Reports should include location, preferably with GPS coordinates, a photo if possible, and any other relevant details. Submit reports to lori.williams@ncwildlife.org or call 866.318.2401.

More than 600 people from across the region, nation and Canada representing every facet of the outdoor industry converged on Cherokee last week for the fourth annual Outdoor Economy Conference.

The four-day conference was held at the new Cherokee Convention Center, featuring more than 70 speakers, four keynote addresses and 16 breakout sessions. Gear N.C. Outdoor Recreation builders, conservation Industry Office Director Amy leaders, federal agencies, Allison addresses conference local officials, economic attendees. Steven Reinhold photo developers, land managers and more were all present to connect with others in the industry, outdoors and the economy. The conference is discuss the challenges facing it, and work now a project of Mountain BizWorks.

Hike Winding Stairs Gap Take a moderately strenuous hike Saturday, April 16, venturing 5 miles roundtrip from Winding Stairs Gap to Panther Gap in Macon County.

Led by the Nantahala Hiking Club, this adventure will use the Appalachian Trail to take in streams, waterfalls and views. The group will meet at 9 a.m. at Westgate Plaza in Franklin to carpool. Hikers should bring a windbreaker jacket and hat, lunch, snacks and water.

No charge or reservations needed. Visitors and good dogs welcome. Contact hike leader David Stearns at 828.349.7361 for more information.

Don’t live with pain, we have solutions.

WE ARE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

ing alongside the paid trail crews. Volunteer workdays will be held weekly, May through November, with prior registration required.

For volunteer details, contact Trails and Facilities Volunteer Coordinator Adam Monroe at 828.497.1949 or adam_monroe@nps.gov.

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

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April 13-19, 2022

As fishing season begins for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, wildlife biologists at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking the public to report sightings of mudpuppies and hellbenders.

The giant salamander species often get confused with each other but have distinct differences. The mudpuppy has light brown, smooth skin that is typically speckled with spots, and red external feathery gills it retains through its whole life. It’s smaller than the hellbender, averaging around 10 inches in length as an adult. It primarily lives in deep rivers, lakes, large ponds and reservoirs, but also thrives in unpolluted streams like the hellbender.

The hellbender, also called a “water dog,”

toward continued and sustainable growth of the outdoor economy.

The first Outdoor Economy Conference was a single-day event organized by Western Carolina University in 2016. Since then, it’s grown into an annual event drawing hundreds of people from across the country and even the world to focus on the intersection of the

outdoors

Ramsey Cascades Trail to get a makeover

Outdoor Economy Conference draws hundreds to Cherokee

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outdoors

Poultry events suspended due to bird flu All poultry shows and public poultry sales are suspended in North Carolina due to the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The suspension, announced by State Veterinarian Mike Martin, includes all exhi-

The outbreak is a significant threat to birds, but not to people. bitions, farm tours, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps and meets pertaining to poultry and feathered fowl in North Carolina.

Since March 29, the bird flu has been detected at seven commercial poultry facilities in Johnston and Wayne Counties, with more than 90,000 turkeys and 280,000 broilers killed and composted onsite to prevent further spread. The virus is considered low risk to people and not a food safety threat.

Several other states, including Georgia, have also canceled or altered poultry events due to the virus. Poultry owners across the state need to practice strict biosecurity.

This includes keeping flocks indoors without access to outside and reporting sick birds to your local veterinarian, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division, 919.707.3250, or the N.C. Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System 919.733.3986. Updates on the outbreak are available at ncagr.gov/avianflu/newsroom.htm.

Pick up trash, plant a tree

Smoky Mountain News

April 13-19, 2022

Clean up your community with the N.C. Wildlife Federation Neighborhood Cleanup Challenge, happening statewide through April 15.

Volunteers can collect trash on their own, join a community cleanup or organize a local group of volunteers. For every 25 pounds of trash collected and reported, NCWF will plant a native tree or 10 pollinator plants. Last year, more than 400 volunteers cleaned up 15,000 pounds of litter.

Learn more at ncwf.org/blog/neighborhood-cleanup-challenge.

Pesticide pickup coming to Macon

Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.

Macon County residents will have a chance to get rid of their unneeded pesticides from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at the Environmental Resource Center on 1624 Lakeside Drive in Franklin.

Accepted pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants, rodenticides and growth regulators. Save any portion of the product’s label to help identify the material and assist with disposal.

Unknown materials cannot be accepted.

Other hazardous materials, such as paint and antifreeze, will not be accepted.

Christy Bredenkamp, 828.349.2046.

Macon County residents can dispose of old pesticides April 19.

Donated photo

Youth tennis lessons starting soon

34

Sign up by April 31 for youth tennis lessons in Sylva, open to kids 5-12.

The six-week program will start Tuesday, May 3, held weekly at Mark Watson Park in Sylva. Kids 58 will meet 5:30-6:15 p.m. and kids 9-12 will meet 6:30-7:15 p.m. Signup is limited to eight kids per age group.

Register at rec.jacksonnc.org. Contact Andrew Sherling with questions at 828.293.3053, ext. 6 or andrewsherling@jacksonnc.org.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists. David Cheatham will play music at the market April 16.

• The Jackson County NAACP monthly meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, online. The topic is “The May North Carolina Primaries: What’s at stake in local elections.” Email jcnaacp54ab@gmail.com to receive instructions to join online. All are welcome.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • City Lights Bookstore will host a presentation on business leadership by Ron Robinson at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20, at the bookstore. To reserve copies of A Business of Leaders, call City lights Bookstore AT 828.586.9499.

• The Macon County Public Library will hold an information session regarding bear safety at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, in the Macon County Public Library meeting room. For more information contact Ashely Hobbs at Ashley.hobbs@ncwildlife.org

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Women of Waynesville will host the “Manly Man v.

Wonder Women” auction at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.

The event will raise money for the Lynda Chosen Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information, go to womenofwaynesville.org.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • Volunteers are wanted for Kids in the Creek, an annual environmental education program that’s been teaching eighth grade students in Haywood County about watershed ecology since 1999. Kids in the Creek will take place 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. April 19-21 and 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. April 22, rain or shine, at the Canton Recreation Park. RSVP to Christine O’Brien by April 15 at 828.475.4667, ext. 11, or Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Swain County Caring Corner Free Clinic is open Thursday’s 4-9 p.m. at Restoration House (Bryson City United Methodist Church). Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m.-noon. Call 828.341.1998 to see if you qualify to receive free medical care from volunteer providers.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Local author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle will be in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. She will be discussing her award-winning book “Even As We Breathe”. This book discussion is part of the NC Reads statewide book club with which the library is partnering. This event is open to all and is free of charge. www.fontanalib.org

KIDS & FAMILIES • The “Factory Easter Egg Hunt’’ will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 15-16 at The Factory in Franklin. Over 5,000 eggs and prizes. For more information on admission and activities, click on franklinfun.com.

• Long’s Chapel will be hosting a free children’s Easter egg hunt at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Stuart

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. For any questions about this event, please email kids@longschapel.com.

• The “Eggstravaganza” will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

Easter-themed activities, vendors, fresh produce, food, an egg hunt, and a search for the Easter Bunny.

Darnellfarms.com.

• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City. Boxed lunches available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on gsmr.com or call 800.872.4681.

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods.

Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host and In Flight (rock/jam) April 16. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Nathan Hefner (piano/vocals) April 16 and Cynthia McDermott (mandolin/vocals) April 23. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended.

828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Rachel Bellavance 7 p.m. April 16. Free and open to the public.

828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kind, Clean Gentlemen April 15, Buffalo Kings April 22 and Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) April 23. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host David Potter April 14 and Rossdafareye April 21. All events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Trippin’ Hardie Boys 7 p.m. April 22 and “Yerkfest” w/Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, PMA, Prophets of Time and Panthertown starting at 5 p.m April 23. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 16 and an “Outdoor Music Jam” as part of the AT Fest at 6 p.m. April 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host an “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. April 14 and Dustin Martin (singersongwriter) 8 p.m. April 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aly

Jordan (singer-songwriter) April 15, Shane Meade (soul/indie) April 16, Steve Heffker April 22, Twelfth Fret (Americana) April 23 and George Ausman (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. April 24. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Steve Hefler (singer-songwriter) April 14, Brian Ashley Jones (singersongwriter) April 15 and Outlaw Whiskey (southern/classic rock) April 16. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Keil Nathan Smith (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m. April 21. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

FOOD AND DRINK • Join Museum of the Cherokee Indian staff live on YouTube at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, for the premiere of “Corn: A Look at Traditional Foodways and Cherokee Identity.” Learn traditional preparation methods and how corn ties to the Cherokee identity. Museum staff will lead a chat-based Q&A. Events are free, but space is limited.

Find registration links at mci.org/learn/programming.

• McKinley Edwards Inn will host Saturday Afternoon Tea from 4-5 p.m. Saturday April 30, in the Inn Dining Room. Cost is $18 per person, for reservations please call 828.488.9626.

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

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

• Bryson City Wine Market offers trips around the world with four different wines from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. every Friday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. every Saturday.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 (and other 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 gsmr.com.

• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and storyteller Nancy Reeder will perform and then answer questions as Grandma Emma Gatewood, the first female solo A.T. thru-hiker at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room. For more information on Grandma Emma Gatewood, the first woman to solo thru-hike the A.T., visit the library’s Reference Desk for a copy of the book: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery.

• Dogwood Crafters will host a workshop on nontraditional approach to quilting called the “Stack ‘n Whack” method will be taught in two sessions from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursdays, April 7 and April 14. Joyce Lantz will lead participants in stacking and cutting their fabric at the first meeting and putting it all together at the second. The cost is $20. To attend, call Dogwood Crafters at 828.586.2248.

• The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will begin hosting a free six-week workshop on American Sign Language. This workshop will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 7 through Thursday, May 12, in the library’s audi-

35

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 torium. This workshop will give the basic introduction into the world of ASL including basic vocabulary, simple two-way communication and finger spelling. All classes are free and open to all ages.

• Dogwood Crafters will host a workshop from 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20. Claudia Lampley will lead the workshop on Beginning Dyeing Using Recycled Wool. Participants are asked to bring wool and it will be evaluated to see what will work best for rug hooking; they’ll learn the pros and cons of using recycled wool, how to marry wool, how to bleed wool, and lots more.

Cost is $22.00 and the registration deadline is April 13th. To attend, call Dogwood Crafters at 828-586-2248.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Photography by Wendy Kates “From Rural to Urban: A Photographic Exploration,” will be on display in the Macon County Public Library Meeting room April 2-30. A reception will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 9.

Outdoors

• A spring wildflower hike will be led by Haywood Waterways Association at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14, exploring the Big Creek Watershed of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park while teaching participants to identify blooming plants. No pets, and space is limited, with carpooling encouraged. RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

• The AT110 Fest at 6 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub will benefit Mainspring Conservation Trust.

• Clean up your community with the N.C. Wildlife Federation Neighborhood Cleanup Challenge, happening statewide through April 15. Learn more at ncwf.org/blog/neighborhood-cleanup-challenge.

• Fishing for Conservation, a bass fishing competition benefiting Mainspring, will start at first light Saturday, April 16, at Ledford Boat Ramp at Lake Chatuge.

Register through 5:30 a.m. March 16 at mainspringconserves.com/events. Contact Alex Jump with questions at 828.524.2711, ext. 310.

• Take a moderately strenuous hike at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 16, venturing 5 miles roundtrip from Winding Stairs Gap to Panther Gap in Macon County. No charge or reservations needed. Visitors and good dogs welcome. Contact hike leader David Stearns at 828.349.7361 for more information.

• Friends of Panthertown is hosting a series of trail workdays this spring, and all are invited to come pitch in. Scheduled work days are Friday, April 15; Saturday, April 16; Friday, April 22; Friday, April 29; Friday, May 13; Saturday, May 14; Friday, May 20; Saturday, May 21; Friday, May 27; and Saturday, May 28. Work days typically run from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sign up at panthertown.org/contact. Learn more at www.panthertown.org/volunteer.

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

Monday for your ad to run again FREE Legal Notices — 25¢ per word $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less) Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4 Boost in Print Add Photo $6 Bold ad $2 Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4 Border $4

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

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THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for an Income Maintenance Caseworker. This position is responsible for intake, application processing and some review functions in determining eligibility for Adult Medicaid. Above average communication skills and work organization is UHTXLUHG :RUN LQYROYHV direct contact with the public. Applicants should have one year of Income Maintenance Casework experience. Applicants will also be considered who have an Associate’s Degree in human services, business or clerical UHODWHG ¿HOG RU JUDGXDtion from high school and DQ HTXLYDOHQW FRPELnation of training and experience. The starting salary is $30,956.2134,129.22, depending on education and experience. The application for employment is available online at: www. jcdss.org and should be submitted to the Jackson County Department of 6RFLDO 6HUYLFHV *ULI¿Q Street, Sylva, NC 28779 or the Sylva branch of the NC Works Career Center.

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April 13-19, 2022

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37

SUPER

CROSSWORD

TRIP UP ACROSS 1 Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark 10 Hebrew holy text 15 Chicago hub 20 Rembrandt painted with them 21 You RSVP to it online 22 Tempos 23 Eton and Hogwarts 25 RAM units 26 Nastase of tennis fame 27 The sun, e.g.

28 Hooded viper 30 Get higher 31 Long-necked beast 35 Companies with cabbies 39 Give the details of 42 Kite's home 43 Suffix with human 44 Skilled thief, slangily 48 Adds on 52 Positive vote in Congress 53 "What's the --?" ("Care to explain that?," slangily) 54 Vow 56 Dried up 57 Weightlifting units 59 Cuddle (up) 62 "Stay" singer Lisa 64 Teensy 65 Bug B Gon's brand 67 Abbr. on an airport uniform 68 Jacob Bronowski book about human history, with "The" 71 Platoon unit 73 German wine region 75 Equipper of horse hooves 76 Carnival vessels 79 Backpacked beast,

maybe 82 "Chicago" showgirl Hart 84 -- polloi 85 "Toodles!"

86 Club get-togethers 89 Bleacher feature 90 PC brand 92 Part of DJ 94 Plant-based salve for treating bruises 96 Longtime CBS series 97 10th month, in German 99 Many golf hits onto the green 103 Comic actor Aykroyd 104 Sweetheart 105 Sitting Bull's tribe 106 Hoped-for result of a throw to a receiver 111 Frosty and the like 115 Face defacer 116 Tofu base 117 Negative votes in Congress 120 Green Hornet's aide 121 Gut 123 Trip associated with the starts of seven answers in this puzzle 129 With 6-Down, boxing legend's boxing daughter 130 Devilish grin 131 Native of the Raiders' home 132 Fidgeting 133 Literature Nobelist William Butler -134 Event for unloading household items in an urban area

DOWN 1 Edna Ferber novel 2 Garlicky mayonnaise 3 "-- de Lune" 4 Lot statistic 5 Jupiter, e.g.

6 See 129-Across 7 Took the gold 8 Units of work 9 Aide: Abbr.

10 Native of Iran's capital 11 -- -lacto diet 12 '16 Olympics city 13 Finally 14 Literature Nobelist Hermann 15 The sun, e.g.

16 Hoedown excursions 17 Stuffy story 18 Singer Della 19 Snaky curves 24 Tabby 29 Divine seers 32 Grub 33 Small flutes 34 -- terrible (hellion) 36 Crosses (out) 37 Analogy part 38 Pooh-bah 40 Anklebone 41 Folding craft 44 Poi plant 45 Australian landmark 46 Stayed silent 47 Dress finely, with "out" 48 Oodles 49 Taos locale 50 Most bleak 51 Not hidden 55 Stein quaff 58 Feng -60 Steer catcher

61 Japan finish?

63 Niels with a Nobel 66 Brewer's kiln 69 Revlon rival 70 Yard third 72 Cul-de-sacs 74 Mil. missions 76 Elaine in Trump's Cabinet 77 Commotion 78 Owns 80 Capital of Yemen 81 Makes glossy, as one's hair 83 Discord deity 87 Street vehicle 88 "Danke --" 91 Retina parts associated with monochrome vision 93 D-Day city in France 95 About 98 "Humbug!"

100 Golf norm 101 Shrub shapers 102 Sadie -- Day 104 Miami Heat great Wade 106 Small hand drum of India 107 Shark's place 108 Not ignited 109 "-- -daisy!"

110 Prefix with payment or partisan 112 Sister of Eva and Zsa Zsa 113 "I Love Lucy" neighbor 114 -- Dame 118 I problems?

119 Bleacher feature 122 "Whoopee!"

124 Shark's place 125 Weightlifting unit 126 MGM rival 127 Waitress at Mel's Diner 128 Racing circuit

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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38

www.smokymountainnews.com

April 13-19, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

SPONSORED CONTENT

The Team

When Passion Meets Purpose

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

SUSANNA SHETLEY· Stephany Semones grew up in Haywood County and graduated from Pisgah High School. She then went on to earn a degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School. A chance experience at a store in Nashville inspired her to open Pink Regalia, originally located in Clyde then on Main Street in Waynesville and now in Hazelwood Village.

Pink Regalia is a luxury lingerie boutique that offers beautiful undergarments for women of all ages but also specializes in products for individuals who have undergone mastectomy and lumpectomy surgeries, among other procedures. Rumble writer Susanna Shetley sat down with Stephany to hear the story of Pink Regalia and her sister store, Lift Your Spirits, located next door.

RUMBLE: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR PINK REGALIA? STEPHANY: I went on a job interview in Nashville for something totally unrelated and walked into a store like Pink Regalia. I just felt a spiritual presence there and wanted to come back here and create a similar business. Nowe we have this store, one in Asheville, and we travel all over the place in order to meet the needs of more clients. We are experts when it comes to the science of fitting, which makes us good at our job. We assist women with many types of surgeries, including breast, heart and shoulder.

When it comes to medical situations, we accept insurance. Clients need a prescription to file, but we can help them with all of that. Also, we do other fittings such as nursing bras or helping a preteen find the perfect first bra. No body shape is the same so we work hard to find each woman something that’s comfortable for her unique body.

RUMBLE: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR OTHER STORE, LIFT YOUR SPIRITS: STEPHANY: I owned Sage Boutique before Lift Your Spirits but decided a clothing store wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted something that was more fun. At Lift Your Spirits, you can have a glass of wine or beer and walk around and shop or make your own DIY candle. We have a candle-making station where customers can smell various scents and then blend their own candle. Popular products include jewelry, reusable and sustainable items, beer, wine, candles, small batch groceries, cards and novelty gifts.

RUMBLE: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? STEPHANY: I love everything about what I do. I love that I get to meet amazing women every day, many of whom are going through something really hard, whether it’s having a baby, a breast cancer diagnosis or another type of life changing event. I’m grateful I can be a part of their journey. I’ve learned so much from my clients about life. What we do at out store reminds us that time is a gift and relationships are a gift. It’s the hard part about what we do, but it’s the part that makes what we do real and purposeful.

RUMBLE: IS THERE ANYTHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESSES? STEPHANY: Pink Regalia is both a regular lingerie boutique and a store who specializes in fitting women during medical situations. At Lift Your Spirits, we offer beer, wine and beer on draft. We will also wrap your gifts, mail cards and gifts, and even deliver.

RUMBLE: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER WOMEN WHO ARE TRYING TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO OPEN A BUSINESS OR FOLLOW A DREAM? STEPHANY: Go for it and don’t worry about the next step. Take one step at a time. That’s truly how I feel. Had I known in the beginning what this business was going to grow into, I may not have done it. If you’re passionate about something, you’re going to find a way to make it happen. Don’t wait until the “perfect time.” There is never going to be a perfect time, so why wait?

For more information on Stephany's businesses, visit Pink Regalia and Lift Your Spirits online.

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

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s uth media

Subscribe: smokymountainnews.com/rumble Want to know more about newsletter advertising, sponsored content or advertising on this page email Susanna Shetley at susanna.b@smokymountainnews or call 828.452.4251 www.wncmarketplace.com

April 13-19, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

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Smoky Mountain News April 13-19, 2022