Smoky Mountain News | April 20, 2022

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April 20-26, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 47

Cawthorn faces suit from former staffer Page 11 Tribal LLC pursuing bid for two new casinos Page 14

CONTENTS On the Cover: It’s been long talked about, but now Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are proposing a fee for anyone who parks a vehicle on park land.

While some details haven’t yet been worked out, local residents are already divided. (Page 28) Visitors gather in Cataloochee Valley to spot some elk, creating a traffic jam. Donated photo

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Paying to play may be the new reality ........................................................................18 I’ll always remember Aunt Lillie’s eyes ........................................................................19

WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Into the blue: Bill Nershi of The String Cheese Incident ......................................20 Making peace with the past............................................................................................27

Outdoors

April 20-26, 2022

At a crossroads: Parking fee would signal a new era in Smokies history........28 Rules aim to prevent deer disease spread ................................................................32

Smoky Mountain News

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)

Haywood commission candidates face significant challenges ..............................4 Race for Jackson County School Board ......................................................................6 Democrats, Republicans target vulnerable Cawthorn in NC-11 ..........................8 Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on affordable housing......................12 Center for Domestic Peace expands services..........................................................15 Community briefs................................................................................................................17

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James Nash

Kirk Kirkpatrick

Jeff Haynes

Tommy Long

and untreated mental health issues.

“As a county commissioner, I want to continue to push that agenda, because at the end of the day, it’s not only about quality of life; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “We need to be proactive in grantseeking, we need to be proactive in making sure the resources match the needs, and we do that through partnerships and collaborations.”

Rep. Pless (R-Haywood) visited a Raleigh rehabilitation facility and was so impressed that he pushed to get one somewhere in his home county, or at least somewhere in the region. Although Pless couldn’t quite get the funding from the General Assembly to make it happen, most candidates still want to see that materialize. Except for one.

Overhultz is a retired lieutenant from the Broward County Sheriff ’s Department in Florida, and saw drugs and crime infiltrate that community over the course of 30 years. He’s been vocal on several fronts in addressing Haywood County’s current and future problems, and thinks the county should be sending its most vulnerable citizens to existing rehabilitation facilities elsewhere.

“Time is of the essence right now,” he

said. “We have people that are really hurting, and by the time you figure out a place where to put it – which is going to be a problem, because frankly no one is going to want that in their neighborhood, and I don’t blame people – but by the time you’re done dealing with that fight and you build a place, how many people are going to perish because of their addictions?”

Ramey, a retired wrecker operator, wants judges to have the opportunity to issue mandatory rehabilitation for people addicted to drugs.

“I think we need to keep people out of jail as much as we can. If we have rehab, that could put them back into society and make them successful,” he said.

A concurrent conversation has been taking place over the need for local mental health treatment.

“We’ve got to have the facility to handle this. That’s a big part of what it takes to make a great community,” said Ramey.

James Nash, a Buncombe County native and HVAC contractor, thinks that collaboration with the General Assembly is the answer.

“I’ve heard a county commissioner say, ‘Our hands are tied as a county because this is a state issue; the state has cut funding, so

Haywood commission candidates face significant challenges

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR aywood County’s growing, and with that growth comes change – change not everyone is happy to see.

Traditional hot-button issues like fiscal control are intricately tied into other issues like affordable housing, which are tied into still other issues like the opioid crisis, the mental health crisis and the homelessness crisis.

Throw in a 500-year flood that’s still not over for some and a clear picture of a county with some important choices to make begins to emerge. Increasingly, residents are asking if and how county government should intervene, financially or otherwise.

Three seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners are up for election this year, and all three incumbents in those seats are running for reelection. Four challengers are hoping to claim a seat of their own, and whoever wins could have a tremendous impact on how Haywood County develops over the next four years, if not 40.

Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

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ncumbent Republican Commissioner Tommy Long is just finishing up his first term.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned in the last four years is, life comes at you fast,” Long said.

That’s exactly what happened on Aug. 17, 2021, when a devastating flood – something county government could neither predict nor prepare for – killed six people and visited utter devastation on portions of the county.

County government’s role in recovery is nearly complete; Haywood advanced $5 million from its rainy-day fund and is

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awaiting reimbursement from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which could take years. Thankfully, the county remains in excellent financial shape.

All candidates agreed that the county did a good job during the aftermath of the flood, but some things left undone by FEMA raise the issue of whether or not the county should do more, especially in regard to stream cleanup.

“It worries me that we’re no farther along with cleanup,” said Commissioner Jennifer Best.

Best, a Republican, was appointed to her seat in 2020 after Mark Pless was elected to the General Assembly and will have her name on the ballot for the first time as an incumbent.

The board’s lone incumbent Democrat, Kirk Kirkpatrick, is seeking his sixth term and sees a role for county government in the ongoing recovery efforts.

“It might be helpful if the county stepped in and provided some kind of service, once every month or something like that, to help pick up the rest of that stuff,” Kirkpatrick said. “There’s still a lot of trash and stuff in that river, and that’s a real jewel for our county as a whole.”

Republican challengers Terry Ramey, Erich Overhultz and James Nash weren’t directly involved in flood recovery, but a Democratic challenger, Jeff Haynes was.

Haynes has spent his career in law enforcement, and is currently chief deputy in the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office.

Haynes has also had experience over the years dealing with the county’s three-headed monster – homelessness, opioid addiction

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Erich Overhultz affordable housing, but it’s going to be a difficult issue for us. I think we’re going to have to get involved and get ahead of it or we’re not going to have any kind of place for someone to live that can be here to work and provide services for all the people we do have coming here.”

Last year, a countywide reappraisal showed increasing property values, some on the order of 20 or 30%. That resulted in some difficult decisions for local governments faced with keeping the increased revenues, going revenue neutral, or splitting the difference. Long voted in favor of the current budget, which came in 2.5 cents above revenue neutral. The surplus revenue was used for employee compensation and public safety.

“Job retention was costing us so much money,” he said. “Training up an employee so they could go find work in another county. Now we’re up to market value and our job retention is doing much better.”

Haynes witnessed the turnover problem in the sheriff ’s office and said he would have voted for the budget. Nash, Ramey and Overhultz said during a previous forum that they would not have.

Best – along with incumbent Brandon Rogers, who is not up for reelection this year – voted against it. Although it did pass 3-2, Rogers and Best wanted it to be revenue neutral.

“We’re coming into budget season again.

So last year, when the budget began – and I still feel this way – that’s my greatest responsibility is overseeing the taxpayers’ money,” she said. “I said this in the forum, it’s not our money, it’s not county money, it is their money and they ask all of us to go oversee it.”

The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, May 17, although absentee ballots are already being mailed out. In-person early voting begins on Thursday, April 28.

Republican voters can select three of the five Republican commission candidates running. Democrats can cast up to three votes, although there are only two candidates, so both will advance to the November General Election. Unaffiliated voters may choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath THE DIRTY TRICKS OF THE “DIRTY DOZEN” Just as those first flowers appear in the Spring, so does the annual “Dirty Dozen” list - - and this year is no exception. The “Dirty Dozen” is supposedly a list of the worst fruits and vegetable offenders in terms of pesticide residue and is the creation of the Environmental Working Group (EWG). This list is usually used to encourage people to buy organic.

(Coincidence? The EWG is a non-profit that is heavily funded by organic marketing companies.)

A few important reminders to put the “Dirty Dozen” list in context.

1. The EWG uses data from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and fails to point out that pesticide residues are measured in parts per BILLION. To get an idea for what that would mean in terms of what you’d have to eat to get a potentially harmful dose of pesticides, see the Safe Fruits and Veggies calculator: https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/pesticide-residue.../ (For strawberries a woman would have to eat 453 SERVINGS- and 1 cup = 1 serving in ONE DAY) 2.Organic farmers also use pesticides: https://www.agdaily.com/.../the-list-of-pesticides.../ 3. Scaring people unnecessarily about eating fruits and vegetables often results in them not eating fruits and vegetables at all. https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/.../nutrition-today.../ Bottom Line: Whether you choose organic or non-organic–wash fruits and vegetables before eating or preparing them (unless they have already been washed) and please just eat your fruits and vegetables!

Smoky Mountain News

our hands are tied.’ They’re not,” Nash said.

“Our hands are not tied. There are things the county can do. We can be the squeaky wheel in Raleigh so we can get the oil we need to get the funding to build a facility because we are far below capacity in treating the mental health issue, and that ties into the homelessness issue.”

Homelessness has become an increasingly controversial issue in Haywood County, especially in Waynesville. Nash sees a place where the county can step in to help.

“We should spend money,” he said. “My main thought – drug addiction, mental health, homelessness. The people that are involved there, they need a foundation, and the foundation starts with a place to live.”

Although homelessness isn’t really related to the affordable housing issue, inventory remains low, prices remain high and the pressure is making it harder and harder for businesses to find workers who can afford to live in the communities where they work.

“One part of me says that’s not the role of county government, the other part of me says the only way it’s going to get done is if county government does get involved to an extent,” Kirkpatrick said. “It almost has to be some type of quasi-public agency/private entity to come together to provide

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April 20-26, 2022

Terry Ramey

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Race for Jackson County School Board

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER en candidates are running for three open seats on the Jackson County Board of Education this spring. Only one incumbent is running, while two other seats will have a newcomer following the Primary Election.

Though the race is non-partisan, it is decided during Primary Elections. All Jackson County voters are eligible to vote in the race for board of education.

According to Jackson County Board of Elections Director Lisa Lovedahl, Jackson County is one of about 30 included in a law that made county school boards non-partisan and placed them on the primary ballot.

Primary Elections take place May 17, with early voting beginning April 28. After board members have been elected, the board will vote to make one member chairman for a two-year term.

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Abigail Clayton

Courtney Umphlett

Lisa Buchanan

Wesley McKnight

Kim Moore

Frederick Buskey

Lynn Dillard

Joy Rose

istrict 2 covers Sylva’s North Ward, as well as Scotts Creek. Abigail Clayton currently represents the district. She was elected for her first term in 2018 and is running for reelection this year. She has two competitors for the seat, Courtney Umphlett and Lisa Buchanan.

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Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

ABIGAIL CLAYTON Age: 38 Birthplace: Anchorage Alaska Place of residence: Sylva (since 1995) Occupation: Vice-President/City Executive for State Employees’ Credit Union in Cullowhee Experience in education: While I am not a formal educator, I am a huge supporter of our local schools. I am an active volunteer with JCPS and my career has allowed me to introduce financial education in our local schools.

Why are you the right person for the job? As a parent of a JCPS student, I can bring a voice for parents. As a supporter for our local educators, I bring their perspective to the Board. I have a special needs younger brother who is also a JCPS student, so I can provide perspective for those within special education. I also serve this population in our community as the local program coordinator for Special Olympics. Everyone in our community deserves to be heard, and I feel like I am excellent at listening to all parties and doing what is best for the children of Jackson County.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: I will strive to give all stakeholders (parents, the community and our local educators) the transparency and the voice they want and deserve. I am proud of our strong leadership and will continue to support their efforts to do what is right for the children of Jackson County. I will ensure that improving the education and well-being of our students is at the forefront of all decisions.

COURTNEY UMPHLETT 6

Age: 33 Birthplace: Salisbury

Place of residence: Sylva Occupation: Owner of Wonderworks Music Studio and The Sylva Art Bar Experience in education: I have accumulated 13 years in education in various capacities. My experiences include three years as a music teacher in public schools as well as a reading/math tutor and after school program educator in JCPS; lead and substitute teacher for preschool classrooms at the Early Learning Center in Sylva; and contracted teacher for various band and choir programs throughout WNC. Through my business, I teach private piano and voice lessons to students in Sylva and online around the globe as well as manage the various aspects of an education business from budgeting to observations of teachers.

Why are you the right person for the job? I am a passionate supporter of public education and believe it is one of the best things our nation does. Having been in the classroom as well as married to a JCPS teacher of 16 years, I know the ins and outs of our public education systems today. I understand what proposed actions may better the school system or make things harder on the staff. My 10 years running an education business bring a unique perspective to the board. I am willing to work with anyone to bring good and lasting change to JCPS as well as listen to those whose opinions may differ from my own. We are all in this together, and working together is the only way we can achieve success.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: Continuing the funding and support of preschool in Jackson County. Working with high schools to explore a wide variety of opportunities for post-graduation tracks such as: col-

lege, apprenticeships, career and technical education, or entering the workforce.

Responding to the mass teacher and staff exodus we are seeing in our public schools.

Jackson county is not the only one, but it doesn’t mean we can’t work to figure out the reasons why this is happening and develop solutions to make the education world seem like a desirable career again.

LISA BUCHANAN Age: 57 Birthplace: Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas. My family moved back to Jackson County when I was 5 years old.

Place of residence: Sylva Occupation: I am a North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal. Commercial Documentation Specialist for HomeTrust Bank.

Experience in education: I have volunteered with Jackson County schools as a soccer coach at two area schools. I was a founding board member for the Smoky Mountain Touchdown Club and have volunteered with Jackson County Bible Club. I have taught at a private school on a volunteer basis.

I have raised four children who attended Jackson County schools. My sons were involved in athletics as JCPS students, and my youngest son graduated from Jackson County Early College. I have a passion to see every Jackson County child provided with an education that equips each child to reach his or her full potential.

Why are you the right person for the job? I have always had a passion to improve the lives of and protect children. In addition to the

opportunities I have had to work with children in Jackson County schools, I have volunteered in many other aspects for Jackson county youth. At the national level I am a volunteer with Veterans for Child Rescue. I am a State Bar Certified Paralegal, and I believe this training and knowledge will serve me well as I serve our community. I believe strongly in the power of prayer and will seek God’s will for the needs of our children.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: Transparency, Teacher Support, Academic Excellence and Safety. I support open communications and open meetings and everyone’s voice will be recognized and valued.

We need to redirect resources to the classrooms and give our teachers the support they need. Although our county has need of improvement academically, our teachers and school-based staff are a dedicated, hardworking team. I’m committed to providing much needed resources, wholesome curriculum, and encouragement to these valuable individuals to improve overall student performance.

I will work hard to provide each child with a safe education, both the safest environment and the most wholesome, age-appropriate curriculum possible. istrict 4 covers Cullowhee, Caney Fork, River and Canada. It is currently represented by Ali Laird-Large, who is also chairman of the Jackson County School board. She has represented district four since first being elected in 1998 and is not running for reelection. Wesley McKnight, Kim Moore, and Frederick Buskey are competing to represent district 4.

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WESLEY MCKNIGHT

istrict 5 covers Cashiers, Hamburg and Mountain Precincts. Margaret McRae currently represents the district. She was originally appointed to represent the district and won reelection in 2018. McRae

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Place of Residence: Cashiers (47 years) Occupation: Retired Educator Experience in Education: My educational background includes two degrees from Emory University: a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with concentrations in Curriculum and Measurement and a Master of Arts in Teaching. My areas of licensure include Superintendent, Principal (K-12), Curriculum Specialist, Exceptional Children’s Program Administrator, Teacher (K-3, 4-6, 69 Language Arts) and Academically Gifted (K12). I have served for 10 years on the Blue Ridge School Education Foundation which monetarily supplements educational materials and equipment not ordinarily provided by the Board of Education.

Why are you the right person for the job? I have made over 15 national presentations on innovative educational ideas including to the annual meeting of the National School Boards Association in San Francisco. Because of my school and community involvement, I was selected as “Educator of the Year” by both the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Cashiers Area Chamber as well as “Woman of the Year” twice by the Jackson County Community Development Council.

My 40-plus years of educational and community involvement have been exciting and rewarding. I would like to continue my career representing the southern end of Jackson County on the School Board.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: My priority is to support the Superintendent in creatively re-engaging students who have lost interest in the traditional presentation of curriculum or students who learn differently.

I am also an advocate for early literacy and the opportunity to include career courses in Early College.

SARAH PETERKIN Age: 32 Birthplace: Tallahassee, Florida Place of Residence: Cashiers Occupation: Pastry chef, manager Why are you the right person for the job? I understand the importance of happy, supported teachers, who then help create successful, happy, productive students.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: Providing the best academic, athletic, fine arts, and extra-curricular opportunities for all students and schools should be the focus of school board members. My hope is all schools can offer inclusive classrooms and support for our teachers in those classrooms.

Providing necessary support to maintain all buildings and facilities is an ongoing need and priority

RICK ROBSON Place of Residence: Cashiers Occupation: Real Estate Appraiser Experience in education: I have volunteered for every job I’ve been aware of over

JOY ROSE Birthplace: El Dorado, Arkansas Place of Residence: District 5 Occupation: Business management Experience in education: I raised two children who attended public schools and briefly taught as a substitute teacher in the Guilford County schools. I also have experience in business management, Christian leadership and community volunteering.

Why are you the right person for the job?

I will provide oversight into all board decisions. I will strive to keep the primary focus on academic excellence and support increased benefits for teachers. As an experienced business leader and community volunteer, I have the wisdom and fortitude to help guide our Board of Education in the improvement of all Jackson County schools.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: My three overarching goals as a member of the Board of Education are to ensure oversight, academic excellence and teacher support.

My oversight responsibility has a threeprong focus: curriculum, parents’ rights and unbiased instruction. I will advocate for ageappropriate curriculum, media and internet access in the classrooms, libraries, and media centers. My oversight responsibility is to support parents’ authority over their children’s moral and character development and advocate for unbiased and politically neutral instruction.

Academic excellence MUST be the primary focus of our schools in Jackson County. I will advocate for lower studentteacher ratios in all classrooms, particularly in special needs classrooms. I support having additional funding allocated directly to classrooms in order to bring students up to grade level.

Teachers and parents are essential to each student’s academic progress. Hiring and maintaining experienced teachers will require additional funding which I fully support. Reducing teachers’ excessive paperwork and non-academic tasks will be addressed. I will foster open communication between parents, teachers and students.

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Smoky Mountain News

Place of residence: District 4 Occupation: Business owner, Moore Joy in Family Education in experience: I attended Greensboro College for accounting and spent over 20 years in ministry, hospitality and running a successful business, Moore Joy in Family. My life’s work has included studying, reforming and building curricula that include leadership and economics for all grade levels.

My husband, Charles, and I have been married 24 years and have successfully raised and educated five children. We have proudly used private school, cottage school, public school and homeschool to educate our children, one of whom is a graduate of Smoky Mountain High School.

Why are you the right person for the job? I am Kim Moore, a concerned mom, running for the Board of Education, District 4. I genuinely care about the people of Jackson County and the education of our students— they are our future leaders Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: I

Age: 59 Birthplace: San Francisco, California Place of residence: Cullowhee, North Carolina Occupation: Leadership Development Consultant Experience in education: I spent 17 years as a teacher and administrator in grades preK through 12 and 13 years coordinating and teaching in principal licensure programs at Western Carolina University and Clemson University. I “pre-tired” in 2019 and founded Strategic Leadership Consulting and have continued to train and coach district and building level leaders for multiple school districts in North and South Carolina Why are you the right person for the job?

We are facing unprecedented challenges.

Successful strategies of the past aren’t enough to meet these challenges. We need to rethink and evolve. This work will require creative thinking and collaboration. In my business, I have demonstrated the ability to help school leaders approach problems differently. My role as the Board Chair at HIGHTS has provided me with insights into the challenges facing our most vulnerable youth and families, as well as some of the promising practices that can sustain them. I believe we need to build our future together. The work in front of us is not partisan work, it is priority work. I believe in the power of public education and in the potential of our community to meet today’s challenges by working together.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: Recruit, train, and retain teachers. The teacher shortage will only get worse.

Mental health issues have been on the rise for several years, but the pandemic has only accelerated the problem. Many of the factors are beyond the school district’s control, but the impacts are being felt inside our schools and we need to support teachers, administrators, and families.

Following the pandemic, learning loss is huge and disproportionately impacts the students who were already the most disadvantaged. Our teachers have responded heroically, but heroism is not enough, and we need to look for more ways to support our teachers and prepare them to meet this truly unprecedented challenge.

LYNN DILLARD

the last 20 plus years that had anything to do with kids and/or education in the Cashiers community.

I was on the board at the charter school and Blue Ridge School, my kids went to both schools, my wife and I volunteered at both schools. My wife and I tutored at both schools, we still tutor at Blue Ridge School. I was on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club, I am on the Board of Hampton School, I am on the Cashiers Literacy Council, I have been on someone’s Scholarship committee every year for over 20 years.

Why are you the right person for the job?

This job doesn’t require an expertise in the academics of running the school system.

That’s Dr. Ayers’s job. This job needs someone that can best lookout for the people, schools, staff, faculty, kids and their families. Naturally, I will look out for my district, but I will also look out for the other districts too.

April 20-26, 2022

KIM MOORE

FREDERICK BUSKEY

is not running for reelection this cycle. Lynn Dillard, Sarah Peterkin, Rick Robson and Joy Rose are competing for the seat.

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Age: 41 Birthplace: Tampa, Florida, though I have lived in Jackson County for 16 years.

Place of residence: Cullowhee Occupation: Detention Center Psychotherapist Experience in education: I received my MSW from WCU, BSW from WCU, and my AA from SCC. My participation in educating others: my wife and I are raising four children, the oldest of which will graduate this year and enter the armed forces. I worked in two classroom settings for three years total with an additional year as an intern. I have coached more than fifteen sports teams including football, wrestling and basketball.

Why are you the right person for the job?

My passions, life experience and work experience are the perfect recipe for the position.

Through my work as a child psychotherapist and coach, I have demonstrated passion for improving outcomes for our youth. As a parent of four children, I empathize with the needs of parents. My previous work in classrooms allows me to relate to challenges that present for educators. My current position on two separate boards provides me with experience participating in the operation of boards concerning youth.

Top priorities for Jackson County Schools: Mental health, sports and arts, and teacher support.

North Carolina ranks high in youth mental health challenges and low in mental health resource access. I aim to help ensure that our county outshines the state’s statistics.

As a parent and coach, I have witnessed many children have positive experiences through sports and arts. I aim to support these programs and capitalize on the positive impact they have on our community.

The teaching profession is suffering nationwide. We need to provide our teachers with the resources and support to ensure they can continue to provide outstanding education within our schools.

believe we are in serious need of education reform that includes, but is not limited to, prioritizing academic excellence and freeing teachers from unnecessary bureaucracy.

Teachers need to have freedom in the classroom to use their training and expertise to creatively educate students.

I strongly advocate for the teachers of Jackson County to receive a significant raise. I believe the taxpayers of Jackson County deserve to have transparency regarding school board discussions about all education and budget decisions.

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Democrats, Republicans target vulnerable Cawthorn in NC-11

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR estern North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District has garnered national attention for electing one controversial Trump-affiliated Republican congressman followed by another controversial Trump-affiliated Republican congressman who now finds himself in the fight of his political life against fellow Republicans.

Republicans aren’t the only ones hoping to make Madison Cawthorn a one-term congressman. An energetic field of six Democrats – some of whom have been campaigning for more than a year now – find themselves in a contest that is less about partisan intrigue than it is about trying to build power outside their traditional Asheville stronghold.

W

uring the 2020 campaign, Democrats were outraged not only by Madison Cawthorn’s polarizing statements, but also by the long list of questions about his character. After Cawthorn won and was sworn in on Jan. 3, 2021, it only got worse.

“I always imagined that Democrats would not like me,” Cawthorn told Blue Ridge Public Radio in his congressional office just two weeks after rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Six weeks later, Democratic Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara became the first person to challenge Cawthorn not even two months after he took office.

“I bring a unique background and track record into this race,” said Beach-Ferrara, an ordained minister and executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality. “I’ve won office twice in two tough races for county commission and then being elected to that seat. I also bring a track record of policymaking and building bipartisan support to pass policies on exactly the issues that are front and center in the lives of families across Western North Carolina.”

As a commissioner and a nonprofit exec, Beach-Ferrara has experience with some of the region’s most pressing issues, like access to pre-K, the opioid crisis, workforce development and affordable housing. She’s the most high-profile of the candidates, and is perceived as the frontrunner by most observers.

But every race has its underdog, and Buncombe County environmental engineer Katie Dean may just be that. Dean is active in the outdoor recreation community, and with her husband Zack owns an auto repair shop, giving her strong exposure to the small business community.

“Our campaign has significant traction amongst that base,” she said. “We bring something to the table that most other candidates don’t or can’t, and that’s a level of authenticity and enthusiasm and energy 8 around our campaign to turn out the vote in

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April 20-26, 2022

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a variety of demographics that status quo politicians usually struggle with.”

One of those demographics is rural Southerners.

Asheville has a Democratic city council and Buncombe County has a Democratic county commission. The county hasn’t gone for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004 (narrowly), but the district is about 54% Republican and every state and federal legislator west of Buncombe is a also Republican.

Uncontested races aren’t rare and are indicative of how Michele Democrats have recentWoodhouse ly struggled to reach voters in the most rural and economically disadvantaged parts of the district. That’s something Beach-Ferrara is trying to change.

“I think there’s probably a number of different reasons we could look at historically,” she said. “What I can tell you is that in our campaign, we are fully committed to an approach that is about organizing everywhere and doing that in a way that’s about listening what matters to people, and then sharing a message about way that Democrats deliver.”

Dean has also recogChuck Edwards nized the value of reaching out to voters that don’t often find Democrats on their doorstep.

“The results of this race is not going to be an either/or,” she said. “It’s not gonna be either earning the rural vote or earning all of Buncombe County’s vote. Our district is 15and-a-half counties large. It’s about the size of Connecticut.”

In a district that large, having the money needed to spread that message is crucial, especially among the unaffiliated voters who now make up the largest share of North Carolina’s electorate.

As of March 31, Beach-Ferrara has raised almost 15 times the amount of money as the rest of the field combined.

“Our average donation is about $38,” she said. “We’ve had donations from every corner of the district from the start and all told that’s enabled us to raise more than $1.4 million at this point.”

According to FEC reports, Beach-Ferrara also has more cash on hand than her opponents, and more than Republican frontrunners Cawthorn and Sen. Chuck Edwards.

Dean is a distant second behind BeachFerrara in fundraising, counting $56,000 in the current cycle.

“From day one, I’ve been told it’s all about

the money, it’s all about the money, it’s all about the money,” she said. “The metric to measure a candidate’s worth based on money alone — that’s what we’re running against. I think the people of Western North Carolina are sick and tired of feeling like we can be bought and paid for.”

Dean has earned one interesting endorsement, from a nonpartisan PAC that has only one mission — to unseat NC-11’s current representative.

It’s called Fire Madison Cawthorn, and it caused a stir by first endorsing one of Cawthorn’s Jasmine Republican primary Wendy Beach-Ferrara opponents, Nevarez.

Nevarez was the first Republican to announce a challenge to Cawthorn, just three months after the inauguration. A Navy veteran, Nevarez has positioned herself to the left of the field and will serve as an important test of the sway Cawthorn — and Trump — still hold over the Republican party.

The PAC provoked more controversy by asking Democrats to reregister as unaffiliated before the April 22 deadline so they could vote against Cawthorn on the Republican Primary ballot.

“As a Democratic Katie Dean candidate in the primary, I disagree with the strategy,” Dean said.

“What I would like to see is that coming out of the primary, the Democratic party be as unified as possible to run a hardworking, energetic, enthusiastic campaign to defeat the branded extremism that Madison Cawthorn has brought into our lives.”

Dean is running in a lane slightly to the right of Beach-Ferrara, but the two seem to agree on the nonpartisan PAC’s role in this election.

“I don’t see how that strategy works in this race, in this moment,” Beach-Ferrara said.

“One thing that we’ve been out there just really encouraging folks to do is connect to and support and be part of a campaign you really believe in.”

In 2020, Democratic nominee Moe Davis raised more than $2.2 million, and still came up short against Cawthorn’s $4.7 million.

Plus, voters haven’t given Democrats more than 42% of the vote in this district since 2012. Some Dems wonder if this year’s race is even winnable.

“If we send the right candidate, yes, 100%, absolutely,” said Dean, who recently announced the addition of longtime John Lewis aide and New York Times bestselling

author Andrew Aydin to her campaign team.

“I think this is a battleground district. The way the maps changed from 2020 to 2022, we lost two counties that were Republican strongholds by well over 60%. So that’s advantageous to us.”

The redrawn map does make the district just a little bit more Democrat-friendly, but Dean says it doesn’t present the whole picture.

“When it comes to the metrics of the race and the data on the page, it tells a story of the past,” she said. “What I don’t think the data and metrics [show], for how Republican-leaning this district is, I don’t think it fully captures the mood and the moment that we have right now.”

Beach-Ferrara is likewise working on voters outside Buncombe County who will need to show up strong in both the primary and the general.

“This is a race that is very winnable for the right kind of campaign and that’s a campaign that is building a table where there’s room for everyone,” she said.

Everyone, including Republicans fed up with Cawthorn’s controversies.

“Just a day or so ago I spoke with a gentleman who has been a lifelong Republican and he said you know, this just isn’t … what he’s doing is just not what it means to [be] Republican and not something I want to be affiliated with,” Beach-Ferrara said. “He’s trying to figure out what to do, that voter, and our job is to be there for that conversation not just once but many times.” n many ways, Madison Cawthorn owes his political existence to Mark Meadows, the influential former leader of the House Freedom Caucus. Meadows represented North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District beginning in 2012 until his last-minute 2019 announcement that he wouldn’t seek another term.

Meadows resigned from his seat in 2020 to become chief of staff to President Donald Trump, and is currently under subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. He’s also being investigated by state authorities for alleged voter fraud, after advancing debunked conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

Meadows’s exit from the heavily Republican district produced a 10-candidate GOP Primary Election in which a thenunknown Cawthorn finished a surprising second to a Trump-backed candidate he later trounced in the runoff.

Once Cawthorn became the nominee, a pattern of troubling allegations emerged.

First, it was alleged sexual harassment of a former classmate. Then it was claims of white supremacist sympathies. Then it was stolen valor, over his rejected application to the U.S. Naval Academy. Then it was his poor academic record and repudiation from former classmates at conservative Patrick Henry College.

Voters didn’t seem to care about any of it, and handed Cawthorn a decisive victory over the Democratic nominee in November 2020.

“The people of Western North Carolina said that we are sending a weapon to

I

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Cawthorn addresses supporters at Point Lookout Vineyards in Hendersonville in 2020.

Cory Vaillancourt photo

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going to run in the Charlotte market. I want you to step in and run over here, to fill my seat.”

Cawthorn’s announcement, however, was premature. Newly drawn congressional maps were struck down by courts, and Cawthorn’s best move was to return to his original district.

Several Republicans had already jumped into the race before Cawthorn’s departure, and several more, like Woodhouse, joined after, but now that Cawthorn’s back in the 11th District, they’re all out to get him.

“He has just proven that he does not have the maturity or discernment to serve the people in Western North Carolina,” said Woodhouse. “What I hear across all these counties is people are just so disappointed with his decisions and his antics and the things that he’s done. They gave him a chance, and now the reality is we’ve got another America First candidate who can run, in me, that can take the maturity that we need to Washington D.C.” Three-term Republican state Sen. Chuck Edwards had been critical of Cawthorn in the aftermath of Jan. 6, and jumped into the race upon Cawthorn’s departure.

“I believe that the the folks in North Carolina’s 11th District are tired of people turning their back on them,” Edwards said.

“They feel abandoned because Congressman Cawthorn announced to move down to another district, filed to run in that district and then decided to come back and show the people of these mountains that they are his second choice.”

Edwards’ sense of abandonment isn’t much different than Woodhouse’s, but there is one big difference between him and the rest of the field.

“I know that people in this district are eager to see somebody go to Washington, D.C. that has actually done the things that everybody else says that they would like to do,” Edwards said after a forum in Canton.

April 20-26, 2022

Washington, D.C. to end this divisiveness, to bring America back to what it once was,” Cawthorn said in a triumphant victory speech late on election night.

Still relatively unknown outside his district, Cawthorn first gained national notoriety for his speech at Trump’s “stop the steal” rally on the morning of Jan. 6, just three days after Cawthorn took office.

“Wow this crowd has some fight in it,” he said at the rally. “I am so thankful that each and every one of you have come.”

Cawthorn spent the rest of his first term making headlines. He was stopped with a firearm by Asheville TSA agents. He brought weapons to appearances at local schools, more than once. He warned of bloodshed over false claims of election rigging. He called Capitol rioters “political prisoners.”

He also began to lose support from influential backers like retired Henderson County Sheriff George Erwin, and weathered the initial stages of a lawsuit that sought to disqualify him from the ballot for allegedly engaging in a rebellion or insurrection.

Recently it was revealed that Cawthorn had been charged with driving with a revoked license for the second time in three years, and that a former staffer filed a workplace-related formal complaint against him.

Last month, Cawthorn’s comments about purported sex orgies and cocaine use in Washington drew outrage, and earned him a meeting with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who said after the meeting that Cawthorn’s comments weren’t true.

Perhaps the biggest surprise from Cawthorn came last November, when he announced he wouldn’t run in the district that had elected him.

“When Congressman Cawthorn decided in early November that he was going to run in the newly drawn 13th Congressional District, he reached out to me personally and asked me — I was serving as his district chair at the time — Michelle, I need you to step in and run,” said Michele Woodhouse, former NC-11 GOP chair. “I’m

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Complaint filed against Cawthorn by fired staffer

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR aying in a leaked recording that “we all want the ultimate goal of him never serving again,” Lisa Wiggins, a former caseworker and campaign aide to Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) has filed an employment-related campaign against the embattled congressman.

“What he’s done to me was illegal, morally wrong, you name it, it’s been done,” Wiggins said in a phone call to David Wheeler, co-founder of nonpartisan advocacy PAC American Muckrakers, more commonly known as Fire Madison Cawthorn.

“I had a conversation with Lisa a couple weeks ago to back up the notes I was taking, and I didn’t realize she would provide me with so much information, so I saved a copy,” Wheeler said.

North Carolina is a one-party state, meaning permission to record telephone conversations doesn’t require the consent of all parties engaged in the communication.

Wiggins said in the call that she’d advance claims involving violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which entitles eligible employees to “unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In the call, Wiggins said she was denied leave when her uncle passed away and her husband had a heart attack during the same week.

Wiggins, 46, said she believed she was Cawthorn’s oldest caseworker and that she’d been given a warning but was fired three days after the warning. It’s not clear what the warning was for.

She also said that Cawthorn had closed all of his district offices except for the Hendersonville office, and was using call forwarding to consolidate constituent service calls.

“I know that because I drove and closed them all,” she said. “He didn’t have enough caseworkers to man them. He didn’t care, he doesn’t care about his constituents. He does not care.”

“If you come from Cherokee County, you’re driving five hours to see your congressman,” Wiggins said. “But you can’t see your congressman anyway when you go to the office. There’s no way you can get a meeting with him unless he’s trying to pull some votes and that’s about the only way.”

Wiggins went on to make a number of other claims against her former employer, including that there were more liquor bottles in the Hendersonville office than water bottles, and that she hadn’t seen the congressman she worked for since October.

She explained that she didn’t believe all of the sexual assault or harassment allegations against Cawthorn were true, but that she does believe some of them, including ones from his brief stint at Patrick Henry College, are true. No charges or suits have been filed against Cawthorn in regards to 10 any of those claims.

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Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks to a gathering in Sylva in 2020. Cory Vaillancourt photo

“The ultimate goal, of course, is to get him out. I’m working harder here than I did for his campaign two years ago, and I mean, I worked really hard two years ago.”

— Lisa Wiggins, former caseworker and campaign aide to Rep. Madison Cawthorn

“As far as the candidate himself, I mean, he’s just a bad person. He’s a habitual liar, and he’s going to say and do anything he can to your face but behind your back he’s completely opposite,” Wiggins said.

“There’s some good stories I have – a lot of good stories.”

Cawthorn is currently facing seven other Republican challengers in the state’s May 17 Primary Election. Wiggins, a supporter of retired Army Col. Rod Honeycutt, said she hoped Cawthorn would not reach the 30% (plus one vote) threshold to avoid a runoff and proceed directly to the General Election in November.

“The main goal here is that he does not get that 30 plus 1 percent,” she said. “I don’t feel like he’s gonna get it. I just don’t feel like he’s gonna run away with it on May 17.”

The Fire Madison Cawthorn PAC endorsed another Cawthorn challenger, Republican Wendy Nevarez, and has encouraged Democrats to re-register as unaffiliated in advance of the April 22 deadline to vote against Cawthorn in the Republican Primary Election.

“The ultimate goal, of course, is to get him out,” Wiggins said. “I’m working harder here than I did for his campaign two years ago, and I mean, I worked really hard two years ago.”

Any work-related complaint from Wiggins would be handled by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, according to OCWR Executive Assistant Glenda DuPree.

When reached by phone on April 18, DuPree also said that if such a complaint

were filed, it would be confidential, and that the OCWR could not even confirm or deny the existence of such a complaint.

“People need to know how this man really is,” Wiggins said. “He’s still got a lot of people fooled.”

When reached by phone, Wiggins said she had no comment on the matter, but Wheeler said that in a conversation with Wiggins yesterday, Wiggins indicated that the complaint had indeed been filed.

When first reached for comment, Cawthorn spokesman Luke Ball said he was not aware of any complaint being filed. A few hours later, Ball released the following statement: “These accusations are verifiably false.

The individual spreading these disgusting allegations is currently working for a primary opponent of Congressman Cawthorn. We believe these comments potentially amount to defamation of character, and are exploring options to ensure the Congressman’s name emerges from these slanderous remarks unscathed.”

To listen to the leaked phone call in its entirety, visit www.firemadison.com/?page_id=372.

NC 11, CONTINUED FROM 9

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“I’ve cut taxes, outlawed sanctuary cities, balanced budgets, voted to protect the Second Amendment. No one else on that stage can say that. And I believe the voters in NC-11 recognize the difference.”

Cawthorn has traveled the country raising money and meeting with Trump, whom he now considers a mentor. Almost all Republicans now running against Cawthorn – including Woodhouse and Edwards – have criticized his poor attendance.

“They feel abandoned every single time he misses a vote,” Edwards said. “Our voice is not heard, and he’s got one of the worst participation records for voting in the entire U.S. House – 416 House members have a voting participation record and so the people of these mountains feel abandoned when their voice is not heard on the U.S. House floor.”

And then there’s Wendy Nevarez, the Republican endorsed by the Fire Madison Cawthorn PAC. She bolstered her credibility with moderates when she became the only Republican to call Jan. 6 an insurrection. The audience and other candidates, as heard on radio station WTQZ, booed her.

“I was raised to be opinionated and stand by my principles and conviction of truth and honor,” Nevarez told SMN a week later. “And so, at the end of the day, I can sleep at night. I don’t believe that a few hundred people in that room represent everybody in the nation or everybody in my party.”

Due to the format of the forum, not all candidates had a chance to answer the question, which was first directed at Edwards.

“It clearly was not an insurrection, it was a riot not brought under control by Nancy Pelosi when she would have had the opportunity to do that,” he said. “It was a dark day for America but it was not an insurrection.”

Associated Press fact checkers say that Edwards’ claim about Pelosi, also advanced

by Indiana Rep. Jim Banks and Minority Leader McCarthy, is false.

Matthew Burril, chair of the Asheville Regional Airport Authority Board and a fellow candidate, disagreed with Edwards’ assessment.

“That wasn’t a dark day in America, that

was a bright day in America,” he said. “We got folks down here who were strong enough to do it, strong enough to go down there and tell those folks that they’re wrong.”

Burril went on to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election in North Carolina, saying he couldn’t understand how a state that supported Republicans Donald Trump and Mark Robinson for president and lieutenant governor, respectively, also elected Democrat Roy Cooper as governor.

Another candidate, Kristie Sluder, doubled down on Burril’s assertion.

“I protested that election, that fraudulent election, for three solid months,” said Sluder. “I was in D.C. in November, I was in Atlanta in December, I David Coatney was back in D.C. in January because the people were silenced and the people knew it.”

No credible evidence of widespread voter fraud in Georgia or in the United States as a whole in 2020 has yet been presented.

Cawthorn, echoing comments he’d made in the past, said that he was not in favor of dissolving the so-called January 6 Commission if Republicans regain power next year, but instead wanted to use it to investigate who, exactly, was responsible for the violence that day.

“We need answers for the political prisoners in D.C. jails,” he said.

The top finisher in the May 17 Primary Election needs 30% of the vote to advance to the General Election.

Democrats include Jasmine BeachFerrara, Katie Dean, Jay Carey, Marco Gutierrez, Bo Hess and Bynum Lunsford. If none of them gets there, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff election on July 26.

The same goes for Republicans including Cawthorn, who declined to comment for this story, as well as for Matthew Burril, Chuck Edwards, Rod Honeycutt, Wendy Nevarez, Bruce O’Connell, Kristie Sluder and Michele Woodhouse.

Libertarian David Coatney does not have a Primary Election opponent, and will appear on the November ballot.

Macon Middle principal suspended

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Smoky Mountain News

Students at Macon County Middle School returned this week from spring break with a new principal at the helm — at least temporarily.

Dr. Kevin Bailey has been suspended with pay from his post at Macon County Middle School. The school system has not released any information regarding the reason for the principal’s dismissal, though an email to staff at Macon County Middle School did confirm that Mark Sutton, current Macon Early College principal, began serving the students and staff in that role as of Monday morning.

Bailey was hired at Macon Middle in July of 2021, making this his first school year as principal. He previously worked in Jackson County Schools as executive director of human resources. Prior to that he spent several years as a classroom teacher and an assistant principal.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

— Hannah McLeod, Staff Writer

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Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on affordable housing

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR wain County’s Board of Commissioners will have two new members this year, at least one of whom will emerge from the upcoming Republican Primary Election.

This year, incumbent commissioner Kevin Seagle is vacating his seat to run for the Chairman of the Commissioners against Democrat Ben Bushyhead, who currently holds it. In addition, Democrat Roger Parsons is retiring at the end of his current term, so his seat will be open. Facing off in the General Election against the lone Democrat, Deborah Smith, will be the top two vote-getters between Republicans Isaac Herrin, Donna Cole, David Loftis and Phillip Carson.

The only candidate who’s run for any political office in the past is Carson, who has even served on the commission in the past, including two terms as chairman. He also ran again in 2020 but lost in the General Election. Carson ran every race prior to 2022 as a Democrat but is running as a Republican this go-round. Carson did not respond to requests for an interview.

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April 20-26, 2022

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COMMON CONCERN When asked what the key issue facing Swain County is, each candidate interviewed went immediately to affordable housing, noting that while tourism is an essential industry and they welcome visitors, the housing market has become slim as prices climb and properties get snatched up within days of going on the market.

“I remember when Deep Creek was all farmland and when you went up Alarka you were way out in the country,” Loftis said.

Herrin made a point of defending the

tourism industry — an industry that allows many Swain County businesses to thrive.

“The number one thing that happens is when we’re short on money, we attack our tourism industry,” he said. “I have a hard time with that.”

However, Herrin said he still realizes the nature of the bigger problems that have come with the lack of affordable housing.

“People that are making above the median income are still having a hard time finding a place to live,” he said.

Cole differed slightly, noting that while she doesn’t think tourism is inherently bad, she believes county government has focused too much on out-of-towners.

“In Swain County, we absolutely need to start focusing on our local residents more than we do the tourism,” she said. “We are becoming totally tourism and the prices are high and things are just getting out of hand for locals out here working on a daily basis in a low wage community to afford to be able to live here.”

While the candidates seem to have similar views on some specific issues, their backgrounds vary greatly.

DAVID LOFTIS Loftis, 61, owns the Nantahala Village Riding Stable. He spoke with pride regarding his family’s ownership of that business over the years.

“The Lord’s been good to us,” he said.

Loftis acknowledged that his business thrives when tourism is strong and said he welcomed everyone, but he also lamented that out-of-towners have moved in and “reaped the harvest” of the hard work locals have put in building Swain County up to

what it is.

“I believe the people that’s lived here generation after generation are getting an unfair shake,” Loftis said.

“The more the merrier, but we have to watch what we do. We don’t want our town to be a Gatlinburg,” he added.

Loftis admitted that he’s “not a politician” and hasn’t ever had a desire to run for public office but noted that after some prayer, he felt called to run.

“I’m a religious man, and if the good Lord wants me to have it, I’ll be a commissioner,” he said. “And if I lose, he knows I don’t need it anyway.”

“I will do the very best I can for every citizen of Swain County. I want to keep our living expenses low,” he added. “I would like to see our kids be able to buy an acre of land to live on. I would like to get our small town feel back.”

ISAAC HERRIN At 26, Herrin is the youngest of the bunch by a good deal but has been involved in regional politics since 2016.

“I founded the college Republicans at Western Carolina University, and that kind of sparked an interest in working in the Republican Party a little deeper,” he said.

Herrin served as the vice chair of the district party from 2017-21 before choosing not to run for a third term in Isaac Herrin that role. He said he shifted his attention toward running for office in his home county.

“I wanted to focus local,” he said. “I wanted to kind of work on how I can help where I live more so than the whole region.”

Being the only candidate with a background in real estate, Herrin said he felt qualified to bring the issue of affordable housing to the forefront as a commissioner.

“It is a real problem. You hear stories from the education system in our county where we have teachers having to drive in from 30-minute commutes to make less money than they could at other schools,” he said, adding that other public servants, such

as those in law enforcement, face similar issues. “But I believe we can put a dent in it.”

Affordable housing is a focus for Herrin, who currently serves on the county’s affordable housing committee, but he also had another general concern. He said he’s taken issue with the county’s “wasteful spending” that doesn’t go to “improve everyday lives of people who live here year-round.”

DONNA COLE

In her interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Cole, 67, focused largely on how her faith influences her life and how it would guide her in her decisions as a commissioner.

“I am a Christian, but no the word Christian means Christlike and I’m not that, I’m striving to be a Christian,” she said.

Cole said that she was “semi-retired” but spends three days every Donna Cole week at the Cherokee Justice Center in the kitchen cooking for inmates.

“I find it very interesting,” she said. “It gives me a chance to witness to these young men and grandmother them.”

Cole also occasionally cooks for the folks living at Hope Springs Eternal, a residential faith-based facility that serves men in recovery who are looking to transition back into society after battling addiction.

“We’ve had young men come out of this place who’ve married local women, and now they’re holding jobs and having babies and doing well,” she said.

Cole said that while she’s never wanted to run for office up to this point, she feels that the times have called her to jump into this race. She noted that while tourism is needed, locals have been neglected.

Now she’s looking for a chance to serve the community that’s given her so much in an even greater way.

“I’m not native to Swain County, but I have lived here for 30 years,” she said. “The community has been wonderful to me in hard times, like when I had breast cancer and my husband had a stroke … I owe these people.”

WNC Civil War Roundtable presents talk on the Civil War The Western NC Civil War Roundtable will begin its 2022 series of programs in person on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. with Dr. Aaron Astor speaking about the Civil War as it occurred along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. The program will take place at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville at 678 S. Haywood St. It is free and open to the public.

Aaron Astor will explore how the Civil War along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina grew to become

another front in the overall conflict. As East Tennessee was successfully occupied

by Union armies during 1863, this changed the dynamic for those supporting the confederacy in western North Carolina. Cross border raids, escapees from prisoner of war camps, enslaved people seeking freedom, and general economic deprivation for residents on both sides of the geographic boundary are all aspects of this conflict brought down to the local level.

Dr. Astor is an associate professor of

history at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, where he has lived and taught since 2007. Astor earned his PhD in history at Northwestern University in 2006.

He has served as the president of the East Tennessee Civil War Alliance and on the board of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, Blount County Historical Museum and the Blount Historic Trust. Astor has written extensive articles and published two books including Rebels Along the Border: Civil War, Emancipation, and the

Reconstruction of Kentucky and Missouri.

The WNC Civil War Roundtable meetings will continue in person on June 13 at 7 pm with Dr. Philip Gerard who will share material from his recent book, The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina. On July 11, the Roundtable will welcome Dr. Steve Nash who will speak about Reconstruction in western North Carolina.

More information on these programs can be found at wnccwrt.com.

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UNC System sees surge in employee turnover

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ince July 2021, institutions across the University of North Carolina system have been experiencing massive increases in employee turnover — and Western Carolina University is no exception.

“WCU has experienced an increase in turnover similar to what has been documented across the UNC System,” said WCU Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Payroll Cory Causby. “For the period of July 2021 to January 2022, the number of voluntary turnovers has nearly doubled when compared to the prior fouryear average.”

The category of “voluntary turnover” does not include retirements, deaths, disability or employer-driven separations such as firing or labor force reductions. It refers specifically to employee-driven separations such as resignations, including transfers to other institutions.

“The system office staff attributes a great deal of this to the COVID-19 event and the so-called ‘Great Resignation,’ which is a nationwide challenge for many private and public-sector employers,” Kellie Hunt Blue, who chairs the UNC Board of Governors

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Committee on Personnel and Tenure, said during the board’s April 7 meeting in Cullowhee. “While it is not clear how long these trends will continue, it is an area of great concern to our UNC system human

resources professionals, and we’ll be monitoring it very closely.”

Over the four-year period spanning fiscal years 2017 through 2021, system-wide rates

for faculty and staff ran slightly lower than the median benchmark of 9.4% for public institutions set by the College and University Personnel Association. At WCU, turnover was below that figure for all four years save for fiscal year 2021, when it drew even.

Systemwide, turnover dropped significantly for the first five months of the pandemic and then remained consistent with previous years until June 2021. That’s when it began to increase dramatically.

While the fouryear average for July through January was 2,467 system-wide separations, July 2021 through January 2022 yielded 4,155 separations — a 68% increase. The surge affected both faculty and staff positions, though the increase was higher among staff positions, where

Tribal LLC pursuing bid for two new casinos In a special-called meeting Wednesday, April 13, Tribal Council approved a plan from EBCI Holdings, Inc., to bid on an opportunity to build two new out-of-state casinos.

That’s according to reporting from The Cherokee One Feather, which was able to view and report on the meeting despite it not being advertised ahead of time or broadcast via livestream, as is typically the case for Tribal Council meetings. Tribal offices were closed April 14-18 for the Easter holiday.

The One Feather reported that the resolution EBCI Holdings proposed passed by a vote of 8-2, with Wolfetown Reps. Bill Taylor and Bo Crowe opposed and Cherokee County/Snowbird Rep. Adam Wachacha and Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy absent.

The resolution outlines a “new business and investment opportunity” dubbed Project Thoroughbred, in which EBCI Holdings would make a “relatively modest” investment of $25 million for an equity stake of about 44% in expanded commercial

gaming interests. If EBCI Holdings is selected as the winning bidder, the resolution states, it will make a deposit from its own accounts of about $2.5 million. Then, the tribe will provide $25 million from its endowment and investment accounts — plus or minus 10% — “all or a portion of which will be contributed or otherwise invested, directly or indirectly, in the Project, which is calculated at this time to provide a 44% equity stake.”

The total cost of the project is estimated at $90 million, with EBCI Holdings planning to obtain about $62 million in debt financing, guaranteed by the tribe.

According to The One Feather’s reporting from the April 13 meeting, the project would involve building and owning two new casinos. The resolution did not specify a revenue allocation plan.

Council could later vote to roll proceeds into per capita payments or designate them for some other use, The One Feather reported.

The meeting came less than a week after Tribal Council’s regular monthly meeting, but members did not know about the proposal until April 12, the day before the special-called meeting,

the resolution stated. The One Feather reported that Secretary of Finance Cory Blankenship, who is also a board member of EBCI Holdings, stated that EBCI Holdings had been working on the project for 10 days before the April 13 meeting.

“Due to the short time between when EBCI Holdings, LLC first learned of the opportunity and the impending deadline for submitting a bid, EBCI Holdings, LLC was first able to discuss the Project with Tribal leaders at the conclusion of the Business Committee meeting held on April 12, 2022,” the resolution states.

“The Tribal leaders present at the time were the Principal Chief, Vice Chief, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Tribal Council and most Tribal Council members.”

EBCI Holdings was created in December 2020 during another special-called Tribal Council meeting in which major spending decisions were made in an off-air discussion. At that time, Council approved the controversial decision to purchase casino operations — though not the property itself — at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino for $250 million. The LLC was created to oversee the operation and serve as a vehicle to reinvest profits into additional commercial gaming enterprises in the future — such as the one Tribal Council voted on last week.

Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

turnover came in 69% above the four-year average as opposed to 61% for faculty positions.

During a press conference after the April 7 meeting, UNC System President Peter Hans said his office recognizes the pressures inflation is placing on employees and is advocating for higher salaries.

“We were successful in advocating for a 5% increase in salaries for faculty and staff in the legislative session that concluded last November,” he said. “But when inflation is running close to 8%, obviously that’s a challenge for us.”

However, the turnover surge is not just about salary. According to a report prepared for the Committee on Personnel and Tenure, the pandemic’s impacts on workforce include not only voluntary job changes and retirements, but also parents temporarily leaving the workforce to care for school-age children due to ongoing childcare challenges.

“These trends are not unique to the university and employers in many sectors are experiencing substantial and transformational workforce challenges, including widespread expectations for continued teleworking arrangements by employees,” the report reads.

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ach April, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners declares Sexual Assault Awareness month. This year was no different, and Executive Director of the Center for Domestic Peace Wesley Myers attended the meeting to give a few updates about the organization’s work in Jackson County.

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is providing services for victims of sexual assault.

“We want to make sure that people know that we are the sexual assault provider and those referrals are getting made to us so that clients don’t have to go through the phone tree of calling REACH to then get to us,” said Myers. “We don’t want them to go through that. So we’re going to do a pretty big outreach campaign at that time to make

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sure everybody knows the process.”

According to Myers, around the same time CDP will take over the additional services, Harris Regional Hospital plans to open a forensic nursing department. Currently, anyone seeking a forensic exam has to travel to Buncombe County to receive the service.

A forensic exam is an examination provided to a sexual assault survivor by medical personnel trained to gather evidence of a sexual assault in a manner suitable for use in a court of law.

“It’s very, very big for us, and they’re doing that kind of simultaneously with us adding our sexual assault services,” said Myers. “So we’re very excited that they’re doing that.”

The CDP is also in the preliminary stages of planning for construction of a domestic violence shelter. According to Myers, students in the interior design department at Western Carolina University are working on sketches of options for the interior of the planned shelter.

Funding for the domestic violence shelter is split evenly between grants from Dogwood Health Trust and Jackson County American Rescue Plan money. The total cost of the project was estimated at $4.22 million in 2021.

Currently, the CDP operates using shelters in surrounding counties, as well as the hotel model, where appropriate.

“We are incredibly grateful,” said Myers.

“When I took my job two years ago, I had no idea we would be at this point. This is huge leaps and bounds forward for the county and for the survivors we get to serve.”

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“I want to make it very clear just how incredibly happy Center for Domestic Peace is to be in the community and have all the support that we have for this proclamation through all the things that the county has done for us,” said Myers after the proclamation was announced.

The Center for Domestic Peace will take over primary sexual assault and human trafficking services in Jackson County beginning in July. Those services are currently handled by REACH of Macon County. This means that the CDP will also be receiving the increased state and county funding that comes with taking over the program.

“We are very excited to announce we will be taking on sexual assault services as the primary provider beginning in July of this year,” said Myers. “We will be taking over for REACH of Macon County, who has provided those services for over a decade now.”

In order to provide the additional services, the CDP will be adding another advocate position that will focus specifically on sexual assault and human trafficking.

“A lot of those clients come from the university,” said Myers. “So we’ve been heavily working with them on our processes for making sure we don’t have anybody fall through the cracks and making sure they make all the referrals for students who report sexual assault to be able to come and access our services in the community.”

In July, the CDP will launch a campaign to ensure that businesses, doctor’s offices, hospitals and any other community stakeholders that may be involved know the CDP

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Triple-Win Climate Solutions Since 1988, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports have shown us increasingly dire data, yet they give hope: we have the technology, and it is cost-effective.

The latest IPCC report (2022) explains why we are now out of time. We must halve current emissions by 2030 in eight years. National scale changes must start immediately. If not, Mother Nature like Vesuvius will rain fire upon our heads.

Be like Pompeii? No way!

By WNC CAC volunteer, co-founder and Triple-win Editor Mary Jane Curry MJCinWNC@gmail.com

Pompeii’s tragic end has fascinated millions of people since its ruins were discovered in the eighteenth century. That business, military, cultural, and political city thrived near Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano. In 79 A.D. Vesuvius began lobbing warning cinders to Pompeii’s citizens. How did they react? Some moved away, yet many did not. Instead, they went into denial.

On August 24 in 79 A.D., Vesuvius blew its top, raining molten lava and fire onto Pompeiians, incinerating them in seconds. Centuries later, archaeologists made plaster casts of cavities in the solidified lava; those air pockets had been living beings children, women, men, dogs, all trying to run away, too late. Pompeiians had a highly sophisticated culture in every way. Why did they ignore those fiery warnings? Most of their leaders stayed.

Why do we in the twenty-first century act like Pompeiians? Have we learned nothing

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mate emergency.”

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

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

Nothing says regret like this plaster cast of a Pompeii citizen caught by Vesuvius's eruption, August 24 in 79 A.D./C.E. about heeding Mother Nature’s warnings? We have the advantage of 1,943 years of learning, with recent science and technology that allows us to save ourselves with far less expense and trouble than avoiding reality will cost. The holdup? Political will.

We have been warned for decades. In 1979

scientists from 50 nations convened the First World Climate Conference because “alarming trends for climate change made it urgently necessary to act.” The 1992 Rio Summit, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the 2015 Paris Agreement, warned us. In 2019, over 11,000 scientists signed a letter stating “clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a cli-

Community Almanac

Smoky Mountain News

Lake Junaluska to host annual plant sale The Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale and the Corneille Bryan Native Garden plant sale will be held together on Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the open-air Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym. The landscaping team at Lake Junaluska will have more than 2,500 plants for sale including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and house plants. They range from plants propagated from Lake Junaluska’s Biblical Garden to colorful, original Coleus cross-bred on the grounds. Also at the sale will be several varieties of plants from the Corneille Bryan Native Garden.

“We look forward to the plant sale every year because we get to share some of the plants we love watching bloom and grow in the gardens here at Lake Junaluska, and we get to meet members of our community who share our love for gardening,” said Melissa Tinsley, landscaping manager at Lake Junaluska. “This year will be even more meaningful as we combine the Annual Plant Sale with the Corneille Bryan Native Garden’s plant sale in one event.”

Plants range in price from $2 to $25 and can be purchased by cash, check or charge. Proceeds from the plant sale directly support landscaping at Lake Junaluska, where the grounds and gardens are open for all to enjoy and made possible through charitable giving.

Proceeds from the sale of native plants will specifically benefit the Corneille Bryan Native Garden.

For more information, visit lakejunaluska.com/events or contact Tinsley at mtinsley@lakejunaluska.com.

Applicants sought for Maggie Valley boards The Haywood County Board of County Commissioners continue to seek applicants for the Maggie Valley Planning Board and the Maggie Valley Zoning Board of Adjustments. The Maggie Valley Planning Board has two vacancies, and the Maggie Valley Zoning Board of Adjustments has one vacancy. All three vacancies are for representatives from the Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of the Town of Maggie Valley.

For more information about these two boards, visit: https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/266/maggie-valley-planning-board and www.haywoodcountync.gov/289/maggie-valley-zoning-board.

Application forms may be downloaded from the “How Do I…Submit Volunteer Board or Committee Application” section of the county website www.haywoodcountync.gov/9/how-do-i or picked up from the County Manager’s office from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at the Haywood County Courthouse, third floor, 215 North Main Street, Waynesville.

Completed applications may be returned to the County Manager’s Office or attached to an email to Amy Stevens, Deputy Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, atamy.stevens@haywoodcountync.gov.

The positions are open until filled. For more information, contact the County Manager’s Office at 828.452.6625.

Learn to grow: small and tree fruits class A ‘Small & Tree Fruits’ class will be presented via Zoom on Tuesday, 5/10/2022 at 10 am.

Approximate length: 2 hours. Topics will include site selection; soil preparation; plant selection;

pollination requirements; planting; trellising; mulching; weed control; fertilizing; and pruning.

For more information and a link to register for this class, go to haywood.ces.ncsu.edu/ and click on ‘Gardening in Haywood County — 2022 Home Gardening Classes.’ Or send a note to mgarticles@charter.net. Cost is $10 at registration. Registration ends May 5.

National Day of Prayer service May 5 A National Day of Prayer service will be held at the outdoor amphitheater below the Cross at Lake Junaluska on Thursday, May 5, at 10 a.m. The service will be an opportunity to come together to pray for the nation, and representatives from the community will lead all gathered in prayers for family, church, workplace, education, military, government, and arts and media.

Linda Carlson and Melba Hanson, co-coordinators of the 2022 National Day of Prayer event at Lake Junaluska, said the event is open to the public and encouraged everyone to attend.

“This is such an important time in our nation, and prayer is vitally needed,” said Carlson and Hanson in a joint statement. “Please join us in prayer on Thursday, May 5, at 10 a.m. at the Cross.”

The theme for the 2022 National Day of Prayer “Exalt the Lord, Who has Established Us” is based on Colossians 2:6-7: “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

Parking will be at Lambuth Inn with disability parking available by the Cross. Seating will be available above the amphitheater for those who are unable to climb the steps.

For more information about the National Day of

Prayer, visit nationaldayofprayer.org. Visit lakejunaluska.com/events for additional information or updates in the event of inclement weather.

Lake Junaluska to host Women’s Retreats Registration is now open for the 2022 Lake Junaluska Journey to Joy Women’s Retreats, bringing women together for meaningful weekends of laughter, sharing, worship and fellowship.

Offered in partnership with Leigh Young, author of “Journey to Joy: A Seven-Week Path to the Joyous Life God Intended,” the retreats will be held May 20-22, Aug. 26-28 and Nov. 11-13.

“God intends for us to lead the abundant life full of joy,” said Young, who will lead the retreats.

“I hope that each and every woman who joins us will develop and deepen friendships and begin on the path to this joyous life that God intends for us.

Come join us and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.”

An author, speaker and entrepreneur, Young has a passion for helping women find joy through the Word of God and the God of the Word. Her latest book, “Journey to Joy: A Seven-Week Path to the Joyous Life God Intended,” takes the reader on a voyage to the “abundant life.” She also leads local women’s groups in a pre-journey retreat, Lingering at the Trailhead, and multi-week small group studies.

During the Journey to Joy Women’s Retreats at Lake Junaluska, participants will have fun as they explore where they are, where they want to go, and the steps to take to get there. Individuals seeking to make new friends, as well as women’s groups, faith groups and informal groups of family and friends who wish to grow closer are encouraged to take part, said Young.

“We cannot wait to host you, or you and your posse,” said Young. “Bring your sisters-in-Christ

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to celebrate God’s love and joy.”

Retreat registration includes two nights of lodging at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, five meals and all retreat sessions.

Lodging for the May and August retreats will be at The Terrace Hotel. Lodging for the November retreat will be at historic Lambuth Inn. Package pricing for the retreats varies depending on the number of participants sharing a room and the event weekend.

For more information or to register, visit lakejunaluska.com/joy or contact Lake Junaluska’s reservations team at reservations@lakejunaluska.com or 800.222.4930 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Registration is now open online for the May retreat.

Mountain Community Chorus spring concert The spring concert of the Mountain Community Chorus — Friday April 29 at 7 p.m. and Saturday April 30 at 3 p.m. at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church in Young Harris, Georgia – will feature “Ukrainian Alleluia” by Craig Courtney, a haunting yet inspiring anthem that the composer describes as “a musical portrayal of a quiet voice of faith, praise and hope in the midst of suffering and tragedy.”

Composed in 2007 following a mission trip to Ukraine, this choral piece is a response to the deaths and suffering of millions of Ukrainians during the wars, famines, and persecutions of the 20th century, including persecution of Ukrainian Christians for the sake of their beliefs. Mr. Courtney could not have anticipated that the Ukrainian people would once again be visited with such horrific suffering.

Currently in its 47th season, Mountain Community Chorus is led by newly appointed music director, Terry Hooper. Mr. Hooper currently serves as Adjunct Instructor of Voice at Young Harris College, where he has taught voice, piano and music appreciation, and as Adjunct Instructor of Voice at Truett-McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia. He is also Minister of Music at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Hayesville, North Carolina.

The chorus is supported by two accomplished accompanists — Suzanne West and Cody Killian.

Ms. West is an accompanist with Young Harris College and is the music director and organist at First United Methodist Church in Murphy, North Carolina. She has been with the chorus since 1993. Mr. Killian joined the chorus in the fall of 2019 and will accompany the chorus on the magnificent pipe organ at Sharp Memorial Church. He is director of music at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and pianist at First United Methodist Church, both in Hayesville, North Carolina.

The theme of the spring concert is Songs of the Heart, and the program features spirituals, popular inspirational pieces, musical theater favorites, and other songs evoking love of the mountains, our families, and our Creator.

The concert is free to the public, and all are welcome. Donations will be accepted to further the mission of Mountain Community Chorus.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Paying to play may be the new reality he proposed parking fee for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has users — especially locals in the gateway communities whose family histories are intertwined with the Smokies — understandably upset. The identity of the Smokies and those who live near it are more closely aligned than at other national parks. Locals have roamed freely (save for some camping fees) for several generations on land that was taken with the promise that there would never be a charge for visiting.

The devil is in the details, and those angered by the proposal should not blame park officials who are desperate for some means of repairing and maintaining crumbling infrastrucEditor ture in a park whose visitation has risen by 57 percent in the last decade, while its budget has decreased when inflation is factored in.

The women and men of the National Park Service are doing yeoman’s work to ensure visitors can enjoy their time in what is one of this country’s great wilderness areas despite these budget realities.

No, it’s our representatives in Congress and the White House who should bear the brunt of our collective ire. They are the ones who have led us to this precipice by their refusal

Scott McLeod

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HCAE policy excludes parents To the Editor: Although I have no school-aged children, I read with interest the article about the Haywood County Association of Educators coming up with a new proposal for the review of instructional materials that a parent has

to adequately fund the country’s most popular national park.

Here’s a paragraph from Outdoors Editor Holly Kays’ cover story (page 28) in this week’s edition: In 2011, the park received $18.95 million in federal funding, with that number inching up to $20.66 million for the current fiscal year. President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 would substantially increase the dollar amount to $24.09 million, but even that wouldn’t give the park the same buying power it had 10 years ago. In March 2022 dollars, the $18.95 million it received in 2011 would be worth $24.74 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator.

The Smokies had 14.1 million visits last year. The secondmost popular park is Zion in Utah, which clocked in at 5 million visitors. All the top 10 most visited national parks charge entrance fees, and that money is allowed to stay in that particular park for upkeep and staffing. With no increases in federal funding and no entrance fees, the GSMNP has accumulated a backlog of maintenance needs that totals nearly $240 million.

Try to fathom that — a park whose budget is $20.66 million in 2022 has more than 10 times that amount just in overdue maintenance needs.

As many know, the parking fee proposal is in lieu of an entrance fee, which the Smokies can’t enact. Deeds from

LETTERS found objectionable. The proposed changes would entail the principal forwarding the parental complaint to the building level committee. This committee would be made up of “one media specialist, three educators in related fields, two administrators and two students.”

“If the complainant is not satisfied with

Tennessee when roads were handed over to the park in the 1950s prevent a “toll or license fee” from ever being enacted to use the roads, and another federal law from 1992 bolstered those restrictions to include the entire park. The current proposal, dubbed “Park it Forward,” would allow those driving through the park to continue to do so at no charge.

Once you stop and get out, there would be a fee to park.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the crown jewel of this place we call home. Protecting it for future generations is a legacy we should embrace for both environmental and economic reasons. A $5 parking fee or $40 annual parking pass is not a game-changer for the great majority of park users. The truth is that something has to give: either this park goes to pot in terms of infrastructure or — if we want to preserve it — the federal government steps in or some kind of local fees have to be generated.

It’s a bit too easy to say we should bombard our congressional representatives with complaints about their lack of support for the park because there’s little hope they’ll respond.

This problem has persisted for a couple of decades. But that’s what we should do. It does no good to blame the Park Service folks who came up with the proposal as their motives are clear — saving the park. That’s a mission we can all agree on, and if this fee is the best and only option, then we should support it.

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

the committee’s determination, they may appeal to the superintendent,” who would form a similar committee for the review.

My question is why is no one representing the parents of students on these committees? Is the school system trying to shut out parents from the educational process?

Len May Waynesville

Let’s hope America can think again To the Editor: Every once in a while an every-day experience provides the perfect example of a major issue and one may not even realize it. I usually wear a baseball hat around Waynesville. I generally get positive comments about it.

On this particular day a woman commented, ““I love your hat and what it says!” I usually follow-up with the origins of the hat. When I did, her response was “I hate your hat!”

Now to my hat and why it caused this reversal. My hat is royal blue and says in large letters “Make America Think Again.” The problem arose when I explained, as I do each time I get a comment, that it is a Hillary Clinton campaign hat from 2016.

Her instant reversal epitomizes the polarization, tribalism, and “lack” of woke that is infecting this country at the moment. The hat slogan speaks for itself to all people.

Let’s all hope that America can learn to “Think Again.”

Richard Gould Waynesville

The woke family is bad for U.S. To the Editor: The nuclear family in America has been the backbone of its strength. This sacred unit has been under attack since 1965 when then President Lyndon Baines Johnson along with its laws and policies of “The Great Society” gradually redefined “family.”

Children need their parents’ guidance and a childhood. It is not appropriate for young children to be educated by schools or woke corporations about what adults do behind closed doors regardless of sexual orientation. Parents, grandparents, and or legal guardians have the duty to decide when, where and how to teach them about not only sex itself, but also the responsibilities and respect for one another that should be the centerpiece of this discussion. Parents are the final arbiters for their children. The line has been drawn.

Schools, teacher unions, and woke corporations need to cease, desist, and finally come to this realization.

Pam McAloon Maggie Valley

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS: 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., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

I’ll always remember Aunt Lillie’s eyes

Chris Cox

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as a golf ball.

When I got too hot and needed to cool off, I’d come inside and watch “The Price Is Right” or “Let’s Make a Deal” with Lillie.

She’d pop us some popcorn in a bowl about the size of a laundry basket, and we’d eat it with cold bottles of Dr Pepper while guessing how much for that car or which door concealed the biggest prize. Then, because the popcorn was pretty salty, she’d get us a big bowl of black cherry ice cream or some ice cream sandwiches.

Many days, when Elgin had a break from his job as a carpenter, we’d all load up and go over the state line to Galax, Virginia, to go to Roses, which was kind of the WalMart of its day, where we’d get chili dogs and orange fountain drinks. I might buy a 45 RPM record, or a whiffle ball and bat, my sister a doll or a coloring book, my brother a cap pistol. On the way back, we’d stop at Tastee Freez and get a big vanilla cone that we had to eat within a minute or two to keep it from melting all over our hands and arms.

I’d stay overnight quite a bit, staying up late and sneaking peeks at Lillie’s detective magazines when she wasn’t looking. If my cousin, Tim, stayed over with me, we’d stay up late thinking up pranks to play on our younger siblings the next day. When my poor mother came to take me home the next afternoon, a lot of times she’d have to peel me off of Lillie like a piece of melted cheese off a hamburger.

If Lillie loved you, she loved you fiercely and utterly. She was the oldest of five siblings, and she doted on all of them, sometimes protecting her younger sisters from getting a spanking when they misbehaved.

She spoiled my dad until the day he died, about 21 years ago, just two months before Elgin and eight months before her mother also passed. That was a rough year. Now here is another one.

We had her service outside, no preachers, no viewing, nothing elaborate, just the way she wanted it. She hoped that some family members might say something if they wanted to, maybe share a story or whatever they felt moved to say, and several did. She wanted someone to play “Precious Memories,” and it was played.

I’ve never been to a service quite like it, but it suited her. No pretensions, no artifice, no pomp. Just simple and plain, a circle of love formed by the people she loved and the people who loved her. Afterward, we met at Janie’s house and told more stories.

We’ll go on telling them as long as we are able to gather, I am sure of it.

On the way home, three hours away, I stopped off at Dairy Queen — the nearest thing to Tastee Freez that I could find — and got myself a big cone of vanilla ice cream as a toast to her and our wonderful lives. She would have liked that. You just have to eat it really fast.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com.)

April 20-26, 2022

y Aunt Lillie fed raccoons at her house as long as I can remember, generations of them. When I was at her house a couple of months ago to visit, my brother called and I had to step outside to get a better signal. As we were talking, three raccoons appeared from around the corner of the house no more than 10 feet away and walked upright into the garage as slowly and deliberately as plump, little senators reporting to congress. Lunch time.

Lillie was inside in the living room propped up in her easy chair in front of the television, though she couldn’t really see it and Columnist probably didn’t turn it on much. She was living out her last days after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. Her time was just about up and she knew it and was at peace about it.

“It’s been a good life,” she told me. “I’m ready to go.

Seeing her at Thanksgiving a few weeks earlier was one of the most unsettling experiences of my life. When we arrived at her sister Janie’s house — already filled with family — Lillie was sitting in a recliner near the fireplace and for a full minute, I didn’t know who she was, this woman I have known and adored my entire life. She looked gaunt, absent, the light already gone from her eyes. I knew the cancer was back and it was bad, but I never could have imagined it would transform her into someone I didn’t recognize.

But those eyes. If we are very lucky, we have two or three things stored deep inside us like preserves in a root cellar, nourishment that we can reach for when we are lonely or discouraged. Something that feels like home. For me, one of those things is the sparkle in Lillie’s eyes every time I have ever seen her.

Sixty years of Sunday lunches after church, holidays, reunions, birthdays, cookouts, and always that same sparkle in her eyes when I came into the house and headed straight to the kitchen to see her and her sisters, all of them laboring over steaming pots of chicken and dumplings or mashed potatoes or creamed corn. There is being seen, and then there is someone being genuinely glad to see you, glad you are home again.

All of my life, Lillie made me feel special. When I was a very little boy, I stayed with her and my uncle Elgin a lot. My siblings and cousins and I would roam the woods, picking blueberries or wild strawberries or chinquapins. On hot days, we’d squirt each other with a garden hose, and then go on up to the pond across the road from my grandma’s house and catch tadpoles, some tiny, some almost as big around

CASUAL FINE DINING WITH LIVE MUSIC COVERED PATIO

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Smoky Mountain News

[Initially], I had a brother living in Colorado. He became a hang glider pilot out there. He was kind of this rowdy hippy living in Telluride. And I went to visit him. It was in eyeopener. This was the 1970s. There was no law.

You could kind of do whatever. Everybody was left to their own devices. It was pretty fun.

The String Cheese Incident. (photo: Scott McCormick)

INTO THE BLUE Bill Nershi of The String Cheese Incident

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR ith its latest album, the EP “Into the Blue,” Colorado-based jam-band icons The String Cheese Incident have offered up a glimpse at where the group currently resides on the musical spectrum — everywhere and anywhere inspiration strikes.

The record is another new and unknown chapter for SCI, a beloved sextet that’s remained a proud and vibrant torchbearer of innovation and improvisation since its inception in 1993 on the ski slopes of Telluride and Crested Butte.

It’s also a testament to the power and depth of SCI, this bastion of continual melodic exploration in the realms of rock-n-roll, bluegrass, electronic and jazz fusion — a breadth of talent and possibility that seemingly knows no bounds.

And at the center of SCI is lead singer/guitarist Bill Nershi. Originally from New Jersey, Nershi came of age as a curious, music-seeking teenager in the 1970s. His deep love of progrock, folk and bluegrass music led to a pilgrimage to Colorado following high school.

Nershi took off for the Rocky Mountains in

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a lifelong quest for freedom and enlightenment along his own respective journey in life, an ethos of sorts that resides at the core of SCI — this free-flowing entity that came together by happenstance almost three decades ago, only to now be considered an American musical institution of sound and purpose.

Smoky Mountain News: It’s interesting that you start out as an acoustic jam band, but now you have this sound that’s all over the map. It’s a real melting pot. Is that kind of by design or just how you go with the flow in terms of what you’re creating?

Bill Nershi: Well, it was always a melting pot, to some degree. Maybe it’s a little more amplified or magnified now. We’ve always tried to throw in different styles — world beat, African, Latin, funk, different things.

I don’t want to abandon our old, innocent acoustic type sounds completely, though. But, that’s me, I’m on the end of the spectrum trying to keep it real. There’s a lot of balances. The one thing that we try to avoid is saying “no” to ideas, so that accounts for the variety of styles.

We need to keep it interesting for us, so that we can stay excited about the music, and so we

Want to go?

Jam-band legends The String Cheese Incident will perform April 22-24 on the outside stage at the Salvage Station in Asheville. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Admission is $59.50 per person, per night. Tickets are general admission, with three-night passes still available. All shows are all ages. Rain or shine. Large event parking. No refunds.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to salvagestation.com and click on the “Events” tab. can make it fun for the audience and our fans.

SMN: You’re from New Jersey. What spurred that move to Colorado?

BN: Originally New Jersey and I’ve been in Colorado since 1981. I was probably getting ready to drop out of college [at that time]. I moved to Telluride when I was pretty young.

And that was what really turned me onto to music, the [Telluride] Bluegrass Festival.

[Telluride] had [all kinds of] festivals there — rock, jazz, all these different things. I was really exposed to a lot of different kinds of music and started playing music in Telluride.

Eventually, I moved to Crested Butte and met the guys in String Cheese and started playing shows.

SMN: And with Cheese, what do you remember most about those early years, those first interactions and expectations, if there even were any expectations?

BN: There were no expectations at all. You know, [1993] was another winter in a ski town.

I moved to [Crested Butte] to ski a different mountain after 12 years of season passes in Telluride.

I knew [bassist] Keith Mosley from various bluegrass festivals, hanging out drinking beer and playing music at the festivals. So, I drove my [converted] school bus and parked it over by his place, which I later found out was owned by [percussionist Michael] Travis.

I played in all the local little picks and played some shows in bars with pickup bands, with Keith and with other people.

And then, someone told me about [mandolinist Michael] Kang and I looked him up.

I said, “Let’s get a regular once-a-week gig where we can play happy hour or après-ski up on the mountain.”

We started playing and Keith joined us, eventually Travis. We played our first show as a four-piece, it was nothing more than something fun to do, and maybe we could get a few gigs around Crested Butte and Telluride.

And it was really the reaction of the audiences we played to that gave us the light bulb over our heads to continue with the four-piece.

Not long after that, [keyboardist] Kyle [Hollingsworth] joined, and then later, [percussionist] Jason [Hann].

SMN: When you talk about the vibe and freedom of that time and place, I feel that — consciously or subconsciously — it probably played into the freedom of exploration within the music.

BN: Yeah. We were really open, and as long as we were having a good time, you know? And that’s what I want to make sure we remember now. We’ve busted our asses for many years and spent unbelievable amounts of hours together. [We need to always remember] that we’re still in it to have fun and enjoy the process, whether we’re recording, rehearsing or playing shows.

And I really think that’s a big part of what people latched onto with us, “Oh, these guys just look like they’re having fun,” and, in turn, the audience is having fun. I want to remember that while we’re working at our craft and while we’re playing our shows — this is what we’re spending our lives doing. If we can’t enjoy the thing that we spend the most time doing, then there’s no point.

The main point is to enjoy ourselves and enjoy the fact that we have people there [in the audience who] love listening to us — that’s a blessing.

HOT PICKS

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

I know the journey’s long and I’m sure you’ll find your way

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Rural South Carolina. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

The annual “Greening Up The Mountains” festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in Sylva.

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

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

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Macon County youth will take the stage for the annual “Student Talent Showcase” at 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 23, in the Franklin High School Fine Arts Building.

when you put it all in a shoebox in the closet of your memory, only to start over with a fresh, empty box come Monday morning.

And then there are the days and hours (and minutes that fly by with ease) you’re alone in your truck, cruising along I-95 and I-26 back to Southern Appalachia. A glorious spring sunset falling behind the deep forest of South Carolina. Your aging parents hundreds of miles below you in St. Augustine. Your hometown over a thousand miles due north, filled with faces not seen in many moons.

They say home is where the heart is. And my heart always seems to fill to the brim with pure emotion and gratitude when I get lost in those moments like last Monday afternoon/evening, rolling along that lost highway, happily lost in thought.

Don’t forget, all who wander aren’t lost.

The miles continue to tick away, as does time. It never stops. Tick, tick. Just like the memories when darkness fills the sky and traffic is long gone. Put on the cruise control and turn up the volume of the radio program for maximum immersion.

Remember the good times (and the bad times, too). Think of the beauty and nature of your own path moving forward. What lies just ahead? What more to come further and farther down the road? It’s all one moment, anyhow, you dig?

By around 11 p.m. or so, I finally pulled up in front of my apartment in downtown Waynesville. Another solo trek in the books.

But, no matter the road taken or length of the journey, it’s always an adventure, where you’re never really ever the same again once you return to wherever you started from.

The same goes for middle school, and for summer camp, too. Such is life, eh?

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

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Smoky Mountain News

Spartanburg, South Carolina, “Middle School” slid into 1998’s “Notes on Camp” episode. I hadn’t thought of my past summer camp experiences since I was, well, in middle school. YMCA Camp Abnaki on the shores of Lake Champlain in North Hero, Vermont.

Myself and a few of my friends from school heading off to camp for a week each summer (for four years in a row), learning the ropes of not only rock climbing, canoeing, archery, arts/crafts and capture the flag, but also how to navigate the choppy waters and unknown landscape of growing up. And not to mention those awkward, sometimes promising weekend dances with YWCA Camp Hochelaga from just across the water in South Hero.

It’s funny, you know? You spend every day trying to accomplish the tasks at hand, whether it’s work-related or whatever it is that brings you happiness when not in the presence of work. You compartmentalize the day at hand, more so the week ahead of you, now in the rearview mirror come Sunday,

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April 20-26, 2022

t was a couple miles beyond the South Carolina/Florida border heading north on Interstate 95 when the highway sign blinked brightly: “Incident, Mile Marker 14.” Expected delays and brake lights just ahead.

Like clockwork, by Exit 5 I saw the red taillights and snail-pace traffic. With less than a quarter tank left in the ole Tacoma, time to pull off and gas up. Hit the bathroom. Grab an energy drink. Hop back into the pickup and merge back into the molasses collage of vehicles and defeated faces.

Sitting in the passing lane in the late Monday afternoon sunshine, I rolled the windows down as the sweet smell of spring wafting into the truck. Rural South Carolina and its lush vegetation. No smell of diesel and slammed brakes in the line of automobiles hovering at five miles per hour.

Nowhere to go but ahead. Switch from the constant undulating stereo playlist to the digital archives of “This American Life,” this vast treasure trove of decades of radio stories that have remained a pillar of National Public Radio (NPR) — a sacred haven of interesting people and wild tales to feed the body, mind and soul, especially when in transition via your car along some endless highway.

It was at this juncture of my road trip — from visiting my parents at their vacation spot in St. Augustine, Florida, to my humble abode in Waynesville — where I began a deep dive into a series of memories, emotions and visions that kept me company on the solo trek back to Western North Carolina, back to some semblance of myself within the whirlwind madness that is daily life.

The first episode that I stumbled upon was from “Rest Stop” from 2009. A series of “This American Life” reporters posted up at a New York State Thruway rest area and interviewed whoever about whatever while they passed through the doors from and to destinations unknown amid the late summer rush.

For someone like myself who wanders through rest stops and travel plazas on a pretty consistent basis — and throughout seemingly every corner of this country — I found a lot of solidarity in the responses from those who were approached and questioned.

Voices heading somewhere for summer vacation. Voices in transition, physically and emotionally. Voices, in essence, just moving from one dot on the map to the next, either for work or play (or both). And even though I’d never met or interacted with those voices, I knew and acknowledged each one.

Somewhere near the intersection of I-95 and I-26, the radio program slipped into another episode, 2011’s “Middle School.”

Journalists roaming around schools and interviewing young kids as they hop the fence between their elementary years and their impending teenage experiences.

Interactions and moments not thought of since I myself was in middle school, the late 1990s on the Canadian border. Hallways and lockers slamming. Broken pencils, always in need of an eraser. Worried about a pop quiz and the mile test in gym class. The smell of crappy pizza and sounds of overzealous excitement in the cafeteria.

Somewhere between Columbia and

Presented by the Women of Waynesville (WOW), the “Manly Man v. Wonder Women” auction will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

21

arts & entertainment

On the beat 49 Winchester.

Bear Shadow Music Festival

Ol’ Dirty Bathtub.

The annual Bear Shadow Music Festival will be held April 29-May 1 in Highlands.

Bear Shadow brings world-renowned music acts and exceptional day time experiences to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.

It’s a weekend of music, mountains, and revelry, which introduces a hopeful new

Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

Ready for ‘YerkFest’?

22

Celebrating the life of the late Erica Waldrop, the 2nd annual “YerkFest” will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Innovation Station and 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 of the party. If you were passionate not only about life, but what you wanted out of it, she was right there to amplify those aspirations into the universe. She never met a stranger, and was always connecting the dots of people, places and things within any social setting.

“Yerkfest” is free and open to the public.

Donations will also be accepted for the Erica S. Waldrop Scholarship, which is given to a graduate student at Western Carolina University who is in the speech language pathology program.

Interested in learning the dulcimer?

Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

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

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

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

The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth

Blackberry Smoke.

Harrah’s welcomes Blackberry Smoke 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,

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

Bryson City community jam A community jam will be held from 6 to 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

season as we all emerge from hibernation with anticipation for the future.

The lineup for the weekend event will include renowned groups Band Of Horses, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Trampled By Turtles, Jamestown Revival, Susto, 49 Winchester, Kitchen Dwellers, Wild Rivers, and more.

For more information, a full band schedule and/or to purchase tickets, go to bearshadownc.com.

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 #1 on the Billboard Country album charts in modern history. “Like An Arrow” followed in 2016, again putting them at #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 #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk sales charts.

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

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.

On the beat

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

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

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends.

All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Cynthia McDermott (mandolin/vocals) April 23 and James Hammel (guitar/vocals) April 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave 7 p.m. April 23. 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 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

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

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 28.

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

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host a “Jam & Practice” with members of The Vagabonds (Americana) 2 p.m. April 25.

Bring your instrument and/or voice to play along. Free and open to the public.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Steve Heffker April 22, Twelfth Fret (Americana) April 23, George Ausman (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. April 24 and Kate Thomas April 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host 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.

Shane Meade & The Sound.

Rock, soul at Frog Level Popular Florida-based rock/soul group Shane Meade & The Sound will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

Get to know

Maggie. Between the Blue Ridge

and Great Smoky Mountains rests one of the best golf courses in North Carolina

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 Blackjack Country April 21, GenePool April 22 and Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/beach) April 23. 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, Craig St. John (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 28, Ricky Gunter (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 30 and Adjacent Hays 3 p.m. May 1. Free and open to the public.

828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Jon Cox Band (Americana/indie) April 23 and Smoky Mountain Sirens (rock/indie) April 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host 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.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host 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.

April 20-26, 2022

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

at 5 p.m April 23. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

arts & entertainment

• Appalachian Women’s Museum (Dillsboro) will host “Music On The Porch” from noon to 6 p.m. April 30. Live bands, food trucks, and more. Tickets are $15 per person. appwomen.org.

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arts & entertainment

On the street

There’s no better time to be a

Passhsoldder!

‘Greening Up the Mountains’ festival Featuring an array of The Maggie Valley Band. local/regional artisans, crafters and musicians, the annual “Greening Up The Mountains” festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 23, in Sylva.

The premiere spring festival for Western North Carolina, the event attracts thousands 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 to 10:45 a.m.), The Summit Church Band (11 to 11:45 a.m.), PMA (noon to 12:45 p.m.), Shane Meade & The Sound (1 to 1:45 p.m.), Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (2 to 2:45 p.m.) and Darren & The Buttered Toast (3 to 4 p.m.).

For more information and a full schedule of events, click on greeningupthemountains.com.

April 20-26, 2022

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Women of Waynesville.

Smoky Mountain News

‘Manly Men v. Wonder Women’ auction

Created an nd Produced by

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Presented by the Women of Waynesville (WOW), the “Manly Man v. Wonder Women” auction will be held from 4 to 6 p.m.

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

WOW is combining its previous Manly Men and its Wonder Women live auctions to give attendees the chance to bid on local professional services and experiences that are unique to Western North Carolina.

Some of the bidding packages include lawn care, handyman services, oil change and tire rotation, a new set of tools, guitar lessons, a load of mulch, a facial, a paint party, jewelry, a mineral bath soak at Hot Springs Resort, a manicure, an authentic Polish dinner for two, gift bags, gift cards, and so much more.

All proceeds from the auction will go toward WOW’s Lynda Chovan Memorial Scholarship

fund through the Haywood County Schools Foundation. To honor the memory of one of WOW’s founding members, WOW awards scholarship funds every year to young women graduating from Haywood County Schools.

“The pandemic has prevented us from hosting live events and raising money for the causes we care the most about so we’re excited about combining these two fun auctions into one big event,” said WOW President Michelle Jacobs. “We’re hoping for a big turn out so we can replenish our scholarship fund and reward hard working seniors who plan on attending college this fall.”

WOW’s mission is to support the needs of women and children in Haywood County.

Learn more about WOW by visiting womenofwaynesville.com or following them on Facebook at @womenofwaynesville.

arts & entertainment April 20-26, 2022

Smoky Mountain News

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April 20-26, 2022

arts & entertainment

On the stage Franklin student talent show Macon County youth will take the stage for the annual “Student Talent Showcase” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in Franklin.

Held in the Franklin High School Fine Arts Building, this non-competitive talent show for selected 3rd to 12th graders features students chosen from the county’s public schools.

Students will perform a variety of entertaining acts, including vocal and instrumental numbers to dance, gymnastics, comedy routines, and more.

Macon Middle School is this year’s spotlight school, with a number of MMS students appearing in supportive and at times surprising roles throughout the show.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for youth age 16 and under, and $15 for a family (two adults and their children). Proceeds support the Arts Council’s Artists-in-theSchools Program, an Arts Council/Macon County Board of Education partnership that brings diverse interactive, instructive arts programs to our public schools.

Franklin High School is on Panther Drive, off Business 441 in Franklin. The showcase is produced by the Arts Council of Macon County. For more information, call 828.524.ARTS or email arts4all@dnet.net.

Ballet Magnificat in WNC Ballet Magnificat will present its production of “The Hiding Place” at 7 p.m.

Friday, May 6, at the Smoky Mountain

• “The Magic Lamp of Aladdin” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. April 29-30 and 2 p.m.

April 30. Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company.

Approximately one hour in length.

Sponsored by The Factory. Tickets are $13 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.

ALSO:

• 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.

‘Alice in Wonderland’

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, click on cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland.

con.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.

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

On the wall Want to paint, sip craft beer?

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 step-bystep 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), 26 BearWaters Brewing (Canton), Mountain

Smoky Mountain News

Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Placed in the war zone of Dutch Haarlem in 1944, the story is a portrayal of divinely inspired forgiveness in the midst of desperate and unimaginable circumstances.

Ballet Magnificat taps into the struggle of two sisters, Corrie and Betsie ten Boom, as they search for possibilities to help their lifelong Jewish neighbors and friends obtain security, found in a small hiding place built in the wall of their home, only to be discovered and transported to the concentration camp of Ravensbrück to face struggles far exceeding their wildest imagination.

Tickets for the performance start at $15.

As well, there will be a student workshop at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 7. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com.

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 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 artscouncilofma-

• 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.

ALSO:

• 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. 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.

and dealings with First Nations peoples, she moves into the more positive narrative that deals with what has and what is being done to make amends for past injustices.

Indigenous survivors of child removal and their descendants are not waiting for the U.S. government to hold a formal truth and reconciliation process like the one that occurred in South Africa at the end of Apartheid. Telling the story of White Hawk, who was originally from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation and taken from her family when she was only 18 months old, Jacobs tells us that White Hawk has gone on to organize the Truth Healing Reconciliation Community Forums program. “At each forum displaced adults are invited to sit in a Talking Circle and share their experiences with social workers, mental health professionals, adoption workers and community members — providing a therapeutic and spiritual healing of the inter-federational disenfranchised grief and trauma caused by the removal of Indigenous children to foster care and adoption.”

After many chapters and examples of injustices and tribal attempts at reconcilation, Jacobs ends her cross-continent journey on a hopeful note on a Ponca farm in Neigh, Nebraska, in the spring of 2019. She writes:

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BOOK

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“About fifty people, both American Indians and settlers, showed up, sharing a potluck meal in a utility shed before heading out to the Ponca cornfield. Many of us piled onto a flatbed trailer, pulled by a tractor. We gathered in a circle near a row of cottonwood trees. A Ponca elder led a prayer. The circle of people then unfurled into a long line along the edge of a plowed field.

A Ponca woman and her child came down the line with a bucket of scarlet corn kernels. Each of us took a handful, cradling them carefully in our palms. On the signal from the elder, each of us bent down, nested three seeds into three holes in the loose earth, and then stood again. After everyone had planted their seeds, the line took one step forward and repeated the process until all the corn was planted. A group would gather again in a few months to harvest the sacred corn.” Drawing on dozens of interviews, “After One Hundred Winters” reveals how Indigenous people and settlers in America today, despite their troubled history, are finding unexpected gifts in reconciliation.

(Thomas Crowe is a regular contributer to The Smoky Mountain News and author of the multiaward-winning non-fiction nature memoir “Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods.”)

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their “Search for Reconciliation on America’s Stolen Lands” as the book’s subtitle says.

Jacobs starts her journey and takes us with her to north-central Nebraska to a tribal gathering of families from the Ponca, Omahas, Winnebagos and Santee Sioux — giving us personal perspectives into the past and current tribal histories for these peoples, much of which is unknown to mainstream Americans. Jacob writes: “In 2019 a New York Times writer dubbed it ‘Opening the West.’ But what happened to the Poncas, and other American Indian nations, was theft.”

After this introduction, Jacobs takes us on an historic journey tracing the various crimes committed against sovereign Indian nations; the founding of reconciliation movements across the country early on; the search for reconciliation in the twenty-first century; and an update on what is going on today — “revealing how much we have to gain by learning from our history instead of denying it.” These stories of dispossession are a harsh truth, but Jacobs in “After One Hundred Winters” courageously traces the brutal legacy of systemic racial injustice to Indigenous people that has endured since the nation’s founding. She explains how early attempts at reconciliation succeeded only in robbing tribal nations of their land and forcing their children into abusive boarding schools.

In a reunion in Genoa, Nebraska, she recalls that “some Genoa Boarding School alumni recounted deep loneliness as they labored under a strict military-style regime.

They spoke of the anguish of losing their languages and familial connections.” Jacobs goes on to state: “Genoa was but one of more than 150 federal Indian boarding schools that operated from the late nineteenth century well into the twentieth.” In her personal and intimate text, Jacobs urges us to “face our past and learn from it, and once we have done so, to redress past abuses.”

After several chapters detailing the unfortunate history of our nation’s relations

April 20-26, 2022

spent my boyhood living in Graham County in a community called Milltown in Robbinsville. In those days, there was still segregation amongst the white and Cherokee communities. The BIA ran an “Indian School” over on Big Snowbird in their attempt to integrate Cherokee youth and their families into white American society. One of my good friends during those years was the son of the husbandand-wife team that ran the Indian Writer School and so on weekends and holidays I spent much of my time over on the Snowbird Reservation with my friend David and his Cherokee friends.

During these informative years I learned a lot about tribal Native American culture and traditions and how my new Cherokee friends were being treated and marginalized by the U.S. government.

I would take this experience with me into my twenties and beyond with more personal experiences with people of Indigenous heritage and from scholarship of my own making. In the end, it became clear to me that the history of the interactions between white settlers, the U.S. government (et.al.) and all Indigenous peoples was one of outright hostilities, broken treaties and downright genocide. These are issues that are still being talked about, written about and debated even now, more than one 150 years later.

In her new book “After One Hundred Winters” (Princeton University Press, 2021), Margaret Jacobs, who is director of the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska, takes us on a personal journey into Indian Country as we visit several Indigenous nations, experience their current lives first-hand and what is being done by certain individuals and groups in

REAL WORLD

Making peace with the past

arts & entertainment

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On the shelf

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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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

At a crossroads Parking fee would signal a new era in Smokies history

Cars overflow from the Alum Cave Trailhead parking lot to line both sides of the road during a busy Saturday in July 2020. NPS photo

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR ince its official opening in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been free to enter, to park, to hike, to explore. The intervening years have made free access a core principle of the park’s identity, cherished by residents of gateway communities like Bryson City and Gatlinburg — many of whom are descendants of the families forced from their homes to make way for the park’s creation.

That tradition of free access could soon change. Skyrocketing visitation and stagnant funding has pushed park resources to their breaking point. This month, the park released a proposal that, if enacted, would strike a seismic shift in park policy — a mandatory, parkwide parking fee along with significant rate increases for existing amenity fees. Park leaders say they know the plan is controversial, but that without the resulting revenue the park can’t carry on.

“Our facilities and our resources are strained, and for years we’ve been applying a lot of Band-Aid fixes to meet our needs,” Management Assistant Dana Soehn said during an April 14 virtual meeting discussing the proposal. “We’ve shifted our donation dollars to support operational needs. We’ve chased grant monies, we’ve chased project dollars, but with this extreme demand for visitor services in our park and the use, we simply can’t meet the needs without drastically cutting services or access to the park.”

S

In the park’s first decade of existence, it surpassed 1 million visits only once — in 1941, the year after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially dedicated it. Its popularity grew steadily after the end of World War II, but the last decade has seen especially dramatic growth. Visitation increased 57% between 2011 and 2021 to land at a whopping 14.1 million annual visitors last year. During that same 10-year period, overall National Park Service visitation increased by only 6.5%.

Meanwhile, the federal funding the park relies on for 80% of its budget has remained stagnant — with inflation factored in, it’s fallen.

In 2011, the park received $18.95 million in federal funding, with that number inching up to $20.66 million for the current fiscal year. President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 would substantially increase the dollar amount to $24.09 million, but even that wouldn’t give the park the same buying power it had 10 years ago. In March 2022 dollars, the $18.95 million it received in 2011 would be worth $24.74 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator.

To balance the budget, the park has had to reduce law enforcement staffing by 18% and maintenance staffing by 32%, Soehn said — even as ever-increasing visitation numbers demand those services more than ever before.

“We are at a crossroads, this park is,” Superintendent Cassius Cash said in an interview. “How do we identify a sustainable fund-

Be heard Written comment on the proposed fee changes 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, along with an extensive Q&A, are available at nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2023-fee-proposal.htm.

ing source that gives the millions of people that come to this park an opportunity to give back in a way that this park has given to so many others?”

Smokies leadership has been mulling that question for years, especially since the visitation bump that followed the pandemic’s arrival in 2020. A complete closure at the pandemic’s onset meant that total 2020 visitation was slightly lower than for 2019, but during the height of the season, many areas of the park experienced double-digit percentage increases compared to the same portion of the previous year. Issues with congestion, litter and chewed-up roadsides led park leadership to conduct a series of virtual public meetings to take input on possible solutions.

Last year, the park conducted a pilot project at Laurel Falls, one of the park’s most popular trails, to try out new regulations aimed at reducing congestion, including pay-to-reserve parking and a trailhead shuttle from Gatlinburg. Visitor feedback was positive, but perhaps the most important thing the park learned is that it needs revenue to support any of the congestion management strategies it’s considering.

“No one has a scientific formula for ‘sustainable,’” said Cash. “What I do know is we have hosted 14.1 million, and I would like to believe with more people and more resources that is a plausible number that we could support. But who knows if it’s going to stay at 14 or go down to 13 million or go up to 15 million? Regardless of the number, the fee that we’re seeking is needed regardless, because just to do business it costs so much differently than it did a decade ago.”

THE PROPOSAL The “Park it Forward” proposal would levy a $5 daily fee to park a car at any designated parking spot in the Smokies — and to prohibit parking in undesignated areas. Visitors could also choose to buy a weekly pass for $15

or an annual pass for $40.

“We feel we were very price sensitive to the numbers we picked,” said Cash. “This parking pass is not intended to be an economic barrier, but it does, we feel, with the volume of people that visit here, capture and recognize the needs that we have here so we can continue to give our visitors a quality experience.”

Because National Park Service regulations exempt members of Native American tribes from paying entrance fees to visit national parks for traditional activities, Cash has committed to provide no-cost parking tags to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians citizens. No such regulatory structure allows the park to institute a similar exemption for local residents, Soehn said.

Even with only 30% compliance when the fee is initially enacted, the park expects to pull in $10-$14 million each year if visitation stays at 2021 levels. That would represent close to a 50% increase over the park’s current budget.

According to calculations from Smokies staff, the park receives about $25 million each year from all revenue sources combined, while similar national parks with entrance fees bring in about $70 million. The park currently spends about $2 per visitor, while similar national parks with entrance fees are funded at about $15 per visitor.

Soehn said she and her team determined the proposed rates through a “very standard” comparison process. In gateway communities where parking fees are charged, the cost is $15 daily or $68 monthly. On National Park Service sites with parking fees, the average fee is $9 daily or $50 annually, the comparison found.

The proposal would also double backcountry camping fees from $4 to $8 per night, with a maximum of $40 per camper, and increase frontcountry fees parkwide. While campground rates currently vary between $17.50 and $25 per night, they would be standardized to $30 for primitive sites and $36 for electric hookups. Fees at group camps, horse camps and picnic pavilions would increase by 20%-30% depending on size and location, and rates for daily rental of the Appalachian Clubhouse and Spence Cabin in Elkmont would change to a standard daily rate, resulting in an average increase of the weekly rate and decrease of the weekend rate.

All revenue from the passes would stay in the park. The park plans to use parking fee money to increase park ranger presence, restore recreational habitats and better care for park facilities. Frontcountry revenue would offset inflationary costs of operating those amenities, while backcountry revenue could support additional backcountry trip planning tools, maintenance and improvement of the Backcountry Permit System and maintenance of backcountry signage and amenities.

SUPPORT FOR THE FEE Many community members and park proponents have expressed

of funds that is well beyond anything that my organization could certainly provide.”

‘A TRAVESTY’

NOT AN ENTRANCE FEE

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES Cash said that a final decision on the proposal will be made no later than Sept. 30 — though it could come earlier — and that the park intends to wait six months after that decision before implementing it.

During that time, park staff will be making decisions about what, exactly, they will be implementing, and how it should be carried out.

“We’re still working on implementation

Smoky Mountain News

Casada — and many others who oppose the fee — may prefer to see the federal budget fill the gap, but that’s not how it works at any of the other high-visitation national parks. In 2021, when the Smokies drew 14.1 million visits, the second-busiest park was Zion — at 5 million, it logged roughly one-third the visits seen in the Smokies. Glacier National Park closed out the top 10 at 3.1 million visits.

Of those 10 parks, the Smokies is the only one that does not charge an entrance fee after Indiana Dunes National Park enacted a new $25-per-vehicle fee on March 31. Fees for these highly visited parks range from $25 to $35 per vehicle.

But the Smokies will never charge an entrance fee, because it can’t. The reason dates back to 1951, when the Tennessee legislature enacted a deed transfer giving the federal government ownership of Little River Road and Newfound Gap Road. A restriction on the deed stated that “no toll or license fee” could ever be imposed to use the roads. A 1992 federal law built on that restriction, prohibiting fees from being charged for “entrance on other routes into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or any part thereof unless fees are charged for entrance into that park on main highways and thoroughfares.”

“We are not pursuing an entrance fee,” said Cash. “I want to make sure that’s clear.”

People who are cruising through the park as a scenic drive won’t need to pay, and neither will commuters traveling between Gatlinburg and Cherokee.

“If you park to use facilities, the trails, the picnic areas, then we would be asking that you now help contribute to the care of those resources,” said Soehn.

issues,” Soehn said.

Those issues include whether parking tags will be transferrable between multiple cars within a household, whether registered campers will need a parking tag too, and whether America the Beautiful passholders could receive discounted parking tags.

Also unclear is which spots will qualify as designated parking.

“We’re doing that assessment parkwide on all our 384 miles of roadways,” said Soehn. “How do we clearly define what is a durable, sustainable parking space that will then be clearly identified as designated parking versus some of the locations that have developed over time in unofficial parking areas that’s simply not sustainable?

That’s something that right now is not clearly defined in the park. But we do have a team that’s working on that right now.”

Don Casada, who is Jim’s brother, an avid history buff and longtime leaders of Friends of the Bryson City Cemetery, is worried about the outcome of that assessment.

“In the Oconaluftee area alone, there are multiple cemeteries which are by far more easily reached from roadside, undesignated parking areas,” he said. “These include the Floyd, Queen, Conner and Dock Conner Cemeteries. The only other option is to park well away from there and then either walk along the highway and/or by bushwhacking. The same is true for accessing old home sites.”

If roadside parking is no longer allowed in those areas, the park would “completely preclude” visits to these emotionally important sites, he said.

While they couldn’t speak yet to the specifics of where parking will be allowed, both Soehn and Cash said the park will ensure that locals and descendants retain access to cemeteries.

“I can’t speak to every situation, but in a broad sense, certainly for the cemetery access we are providing a tool and mechanism to be able to get people into those spaces and parking in a way that’s not destructive to the roadside,” Soehn said.

Events operating through the Special Use Permit System — such as the decoration and reunion days that occur every week between April and November — would be exempt from the parking fee, with that cost baked into the permit itself.

The park was created as the result of enormous sacrifice on the part of the Cherokee people who lived there first and then of the white settlers who came after them. The park’s birth meant the death of their communities and way of life. While some, like Jim Casada, view the parking fee proposal as a punitive measure against the descendants of the people who made those sacrifices, Cash sees it differently.

“What we are wanting to do is to shift the weight of those sacrifices of local Tennesseans and North Carolinians to the shoulders of the millions of visitors that come to the park to maintain in perpetuity,” he said. “In the Park Service we’re in the forever business, and we feel that with parking fees, that ensures that we’ll be able to do that in a way that we’re proud and that you’re proud of.”

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April 20-26, 2022

Not everyone supports the fee.

An April 13 Facebook post asking Smoky Mountain News readers their opinion drew 29 comments with a definitive yes or no answer, and the results were nearly split — 16 people in favor, 18 opposed.

Of those who gave a reason for their opposition, most cited the fact that the Smokies is a federal park, owned by all Americans.

“Don’t start the cycle of fees. They get bigger, and they multiply,” said Jackson County resident Frank Huguelet. “Parks are owned by all American citizens.

We should not pay for the privilege of National Park Service statistics show that Great Smoky Mountains using them.”

National Park’s visitation dwarfs other parks, but that its overall Others brought budget is far smaller. NPS graphics up the history behind the park’s creation.

“My family was one of the families that the government forced out of Cataloochee to create this park,” wrote Erica Montene Hannah. “While I am grateful to be able to visit their homestead and the who work there,” North Shore Cemetery graves of my fourth great-grandparents and Association Chairman Henry Chambers third great-grandmother and aunts uncles wrote in an extensive statement posted to etc., I should not have to pay them to visit Facebook. “If you want to hate me for my their graves because parking is required and support, that is your business. No matter a hike to visit those graves!” what happens, we are all like a yoke of oxen: In an interview, Jim Casada — a Bryson we will move together, one way or another.

City native who is an author and retired If you want to see a beautiful well-mainuniversity professor with a deep interest in tained Park, join with me. If you want less, park issues — gave a succinct summary of that is your choice and your decision.” his opinion on the proposal.

While park partners Friends of the “I think it’s a travesty,” he said.

Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains Casada is also a board member of Association aren’t taking a position on the Southern Forest Watch, an organization specifics of the proposal, both said there’s created in 2011 to oppose the backcountry no question that the park badly needs suscamping fee the park proposed that year. tainable funding far beyond the nonprofits’ The group took the park to court over the fundraising capabilities. With more visitors, issue, but the lawsuit was unsuccessful. the park needs more money to maintain the Since 2013 backcountry camping has cost quality of visitor experience and preserve $4 per night. the natural beauty that makes the place so Casada took issue with the park’s findspecial, said Friends of the Smokies ing that similar parking options in gateway Development Director Marielle DeJong. communities cost an average of $15 per day.

“Both of our organizations were created None of the gateway communities in North originally to provide a margin of excellence Carolina charge for parking — with the in visitor services supporting the park, and exception of $6 all-day parking for Great more and more we find ourselves being the Smoky Mountains Railroad customers in margin of survival for the park,” said Bryson City — meaning the figure is mainly GSMA CEO Laurel Rematore. “In that reflective of conditions in Gatlinburg. The respect, that’s why we understand that the park is an integral part of life for Western park really needs to do something signifiNorth Carolinians, with many Swain cant in order to create a sustainable source County residents using it for daily walks or

running routes.

“The response might be, ‘Well for $40 a year they can do that,’ but $40 is real money to a lot of folks in the area,” said Casada. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Swain County, expressed in 2020 dollars, was $45,554 for 2016-2020.

Casada concedes that the park needs more revenue but believes that the parking fee is the wrong way to go about getting it.

It’s “punitive” to locals, he said. It’s a federal park, and the federal budget should pay for it.

“I think they need first and foremost to talk to the Washington politicians serving Tennessee and North Carolinas,” he said.

“That’s where the answer lies.”

outdoors

support for the proposal.

“In an ideal world, there would be no need for parking fees, entrance fees (in other parks) or even Friends groups,” hiking guide author and hike leader Danny Bernstein wrote on her blog Hiker to Hiker. “In an ideal world, our government would fund our parks properly. But the park needs the money because your taxes are not doing it.”

“I am making my stand in supporting the Park in getting what it needs to operate, in supporting my friends and the employees

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Smoky Mountain News April 20-26, 2022

outdoors

Frederick Law Olmstead’s vision inspired creation of the N.C. Arboretum.

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Frederick Law Olmstead turns 200 grounds for Central Park in New York City, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago — and Biltmore Estate in Asheville.

Inspired by the region’s rich plant diversity, he sought to create the nation’s most comprehensive research arboretum on the estate.

While that vision was never realized, it was the impetus for the Arboretum, established in 1986 by the N.C. General Assembly.

The Arboretum is now operating under extended spring hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with incoming gates closing at 8 p.m. each day. Parking is free for members and otherwise $16 for standard vehicles.

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Walk the Valley River An easy nature walk along the Valley River will highlight plant diversity and watershed ecology 2-3 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in Andrews.

MountainTrue’s western region program coordinator will lead the walk, pointing out various native trees and shrubs and discussing their value as streambank stabilization, shade, stormwater filtration and wildlife habitat. The walk will also highlight two stream habitat restoration projects completed by the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition in 2006 and 2015.

Sign up for the free event at mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar.

The Bobs Creek State Natural Area in McDowell County now totals more than 6,000 acres following completion of the third and final phase of property acquisition March 30.

The 2,249-acre purchase by Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation follows a pair of 2019 purchases totaling 3,700 acres. The land’s former owner Tim Sweeney donated about one-third of the property’s value in the sale.

Ultimately, the property will be open to

the public and managed by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation for lowimpact recreation, water quality and preservation of rare plants and diverse natural ecosystems. Hiking, mountain biking, wildlife observation and scenic enjoyment could all be offered on the property. Bobs Creek State Natural Area protects water quality along 5 miles of source streams draining to Muddy Creek, the Catawba River and the Second Broad River.

Funding included $1.2 million in grants from the N.C. Land and Water Fund, $1.5 million from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and grants from Fred and Alice Stanback and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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Smoky Mountain News

New state natural area now totals 6,000 acres

April 20-26, 2022

Celebrate the 200th birthday of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Like any good party, this one will have treats, live music, games and activities for all ages, and the Arboretum will be giving away 200 tree seedlings. The new Thanks FLO exhibit will be open, and guided trail walks will start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Bent Creek Bistro and Connections Gallery gift shop will operate on extended hours, through 6 p.m.

Regarded as the father of American landscape architecture, Olmstead designed the

828.246.9135 haywoodhabitat.org 31

outdoors

Clean up Highlands The annual Plateau Pickup is coming to Highlands Saturday, April 23, with volunteers meeting at 8 a.m. at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park to remove litter and garbage from corridors leading to Highlands, as well as in town.

The Highlands Chamber of Commerce will provide supplies, including vests, gloves, litter pickup tools and garbage bags, as well as breakfast, lunch and a t-shirt. Volunteers will turn in their supplies at the end of the event between noon and 1 p.m.

To participate, contact events@highlandschamber.org.

Sweep away litter

Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

Help clean up the Village of Forest Hills during a litter pickup at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, meeting outside the Forest Hills Assembly Hall at 97 Market St. Over the course of 60-90 minutes, volunteers will divvy up community roads and remove litter using trash and recycling bags, reflective vests, gloves, pickup sticks and hand sanitizer provided as part of the event.

The cleanup is part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s 2022 Spring Litter Sweep, with events scheduled April 1620 across the state. To find more local events, contact the county coordinator listed at bit.ly/3M7Dvo8.

Rules aim to prevent deer disease spread The executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has invoked emergency powers to prevent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease following its detection in a deer in Yadkin County.

Using his emergency powers, Executive Director Cameron Ingram has established surveillance areas in the affected region.

Inside those areas, mandatory CWD testing is in effect. Prohibited in these areas are rehabilitation of white-tailed deer fawns, transportation of both live and dead deer out of the area, disposal of carcasses taken or found outside the area and placement of bait, food, food products, mineral or salt licks to purposely congregate wildlife. Bird feeders are exempt from this stipulation.

CWD is a fatal, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, caused by abnormal prions, that affects white-tailed deer and other cervids, including elk. On March 31, the agency announced the state’s first identified and confirmed positive case of CWD in a hunter-harvested white-tailed

deer in Yadkin County.

“The one CWD case the NCWRC has have found in Yadkin County is over 125

miles from North Carolina’s elk herd,” said deer biologist Moriah Boggess. “It’s far enough away from the elk population right now that it doesn’t pose an immediate threat. However, it will be a concern should deer spread the disease westward into the N.C. counties that have elk. Elk are susceptible to CWD and if they are exposed to it, they will become infected just as deer do.”

The emergency powers were enacted during an out-of-cycle Wildlife Commission meeting held April 7 to discuss the agency’s next steps regarding the CWD positive detection. The Commission began temporary rulemaking on these emergency regulations at its April 14 business meeting. The Wildlife Commission will also adopt temporary rules for the affected area and host a public hearing the second week of May. An in-person question-and-answer session is planned for Monday, May 2, in Yadkin County.

For more information visit ncwildlife.org/cwd.

Seniors’ softball practice starting in Waynesville A weekly softball practice opportunity for people 60 and over is now offered Wednesdays at the Vance Street Softball Field in Waynesville, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each week.

Practices will include hitting, fielding and infield practice with skills and drills and is open to all men and women 60 and over interested in practicing and participating on a team. Participants should bring any softball equipment they have.

For more information, contact Donald Hummel at 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

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The long-awaited Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside Canton will open to the public Saturday, April 23, with a family-friendly grand opening 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Situated as a park-within-a-park, Berm Park will open to mountain bikers the same day.

“We cannot think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day than the opening of this incredible conservation and recreation proj-

Chestnut Mountain Nature Park will offer new outdoor recreation opportunities just outside Canton town limits.

SAHC photo

April 20-26, 2022

ect,” said Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer. “The importance of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park cannot be overstated and its impact on wildlife protection, quality of life improvements and economic development will impact generations to come.”

The event will include music from Life Like Water and food from Woof Street Bistro, Pig in a Basket BBQ, Pelicans of Asheville and Papertown Coffee. A long list

of vendors and organizations will be present and hosting activities, including The Pigeon River Garden Club, which will hold its Earth Day celebration during the event.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased the 450-acre Chestnut Mountain property in 2020 in an ambitious endeavor to pair permanent protection of habitat and water resources with creation of a conservationfriendly, community-centric space for outdoor recreation.

The Town of Canton engaged Equinox Environmental to lead the master planning process and Elevated Trail Design completed trail designs. Seth Alvo, creator of the Berm Peak YouTube channel and Seth’s Bike Hacks, galvanized his followers to support development of Berm Park — a mountain biking oasis and park-within-apark at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. This year, SAHC will transfer ownership to Canton, but the land trust will continue to monitor the conservation easements that protect the tract in perpetuity.

The grand opening celebrates completion of the project’s first phase, with approximately 35 acres opening to the public and available for day use afterward. This area includes Berm Park and a hiking/biking trail that climbs 350 feet from the parking lot to the pedestrian bridge that forms the gateway to the property. The town continues to secure funding for infrastructure development and plans to open more trails, recreation areas and park amenities over the next two years.

outdoors

Chestnut Mountain opens this weekend

Family fishing offered in Waynesville Go fishing in Waynesville the morning of Saturday, April 30, with an education program offered by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Participants of all ages at this family event will learn basic fishing skills and regulations, with equipment and materials provided. Bring water and snacks, and sign up ahead of time with Tanya Poole at 828.329.3472.

Smoky Mountain News

Waynesville greenway section closed A section of the Waynesville greenway next to Richland Creek at Vance Street Park is now closed for a construction project that will ultimately grow the park’s acreage.

Several trees will be removed and a bridge installed over Richland Creek to access another property, adding to the park.

That project is expected to take a few months, lasting into summertime. The closed greenway section will reopen as soon as possible. Pedestrians can use the track and open greenway sections in Vance Street

Once complete, the project will result in a new bridge connecting additional land to the park. Donated photo Park or across the street in the Waynesville Recreation Park.

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Smoky Mountain News

Volunteers hike the trails and report maintenance needs such as downed trees to park staff. NPS photo

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

Adopt a Smokies trail Adoptive parents are needed for 848 miles of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with a volunteer training session planned for 10 a.m. Friday, April 29, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.

Volunteers will hike at least one designated trail four times per year and submit a report on their findings. Information from adopters is critical to park staff, helping them to better prioritize their work in remote areas. No experience is required,

but prospective volunteers should be comfortable hiking in the backcountry and enjoy interaction with visitors.

The two-hour training will cover how the park maintains trails, reporting relevant trail needs information and instilling Leave No Trace practices while hiking. An alternate training session will be offered Saturday, April 30, in Gatlinburg.

To register for training, contact Adam Monroe at 828.497.1949 or adam_monroe@nps.gov.

Outdoor gear expo coming to Black Mountain The seventh annual Get in Gear Fest, hosted by Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, will bring together gear makers and users April 22-24 for a celebration of WNC’s outdoor industry at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain.

Saturday, April 23, will feature a free event 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the public to see new products, test gear and gather outdoors, with a VIP gathering Friday night. No tickets are necessary to attend Saturday, but those looking to make a full weekend of it can obtain on-site lodging, food, beverage and adventure passes from Camp Rockmont at rockmont.com/gigf.

For more information on the festival, visit getingearfest.com.

Connect to the spirit of the Smokies The “Spirit of the Smokies” certificate program is starting up again, offered by the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School for adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and desire a deeper connection to this landscape. This will be the field school’s 45th season.

The program offers the chance to choose seven from a myriad of course offerings April through November that explore everything from geology to wildflowers to first aid.

Students who complete seven courses during 2022 will be invited to a certificate completion celebration with park officials

in November, where they will receive an official Spirit of the Smokies certificate and commemorative lapel pin. Register at smfs.utk.edu or call 865.974.1051.

Sign up for volleyball

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Register by April 30 for the Adult Co-Rec Volleyball League in Cullowhee.

Games will start mid-May, to be played Tuesday nights at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. The league will hold a maximum of eight teams with a roster size of 12 players ages 14 and older. The perteam fee is $200. A mandatory captains meeting will be held Tuesday, May 17.

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 County Farmers Market meets every Saturday, November through March 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m.-noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram.

• 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. Weston Lyles, Alex Travers and Nick Colavito will play music at the market on April 23. ERockBabeyyy will play music at the market April 30. Wooly Booger will play music at the market May 7.

• Indivisible Swain County NC will meet at 7 p.m.

Monday, April 25, via Zoom. All are welcome to join us and share concerns and ideas. If interested in attending, please email maryherr2017@gmail.com for a link or call 828.497.9498.

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 first-ever Justice Matters Tours will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, April 22, and 1:30-3 p.m.

Friday, May 20, at the Highlands/Cashiers Pisgah Legal Services office. Find out how you can join Pisgah Legal Services in standing for justice. This interactive in-person tour delves into how Pisgah Legal addresses domestic violence, housing, immigration, access to healthcare, and community economic development and explains how community members can get involved.

Limited space available. RSVP to Megan Quattlebaum at 828-575-1353 or email Megan@pisgahlegal.org.

• 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 • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting professional organizer Shannon Smith at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, in the Community Room. The event will help everyone with their home organizing and is free of charge. www.fontanalib.org • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting a free mental health seminar facilitated by VAYA Health at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, in the Community Room.

Free of charge but registration is required. For more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 586-2016. www.fontanalib.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.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Yoga at the Macon County Public Library will take place at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. Meet in from of the library, practice takes place outside if weather permits. Register at beyondbendingyoga.com/schedule/ • 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,

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com Thursday, Friday 9 a.m.-noon. Call 828.341.1998 to see if you qualify to receive free medical care from volunteer providers.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting Family Night from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in the Community Room. Patrons can come anytime during the two-hour event which is part of the NC Science Festival.

Free of charge. For more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. www.fontanalib.org

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 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.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host a “Jam & Practice” with members of The Vagabonds (Americana) 2 p.m. April 25. Bring your instrument and/or voice to play along. Free and open to the public.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country April 21, GenePool April 22 and Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/beach) April 23. 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, Craig St. John (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 28, Ricky Gunter (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 30 and Adjacent Hays 3 p.m. May 1. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Jon Cox Band (Americana/indie) April 23 and Smoky Mountain Sirens (rock/indie) April 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

FOOD AND DRINK • 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.

• Appalachian Women’s Museum (Dillsboro) will host “Music On The Porch” from noon-6 p.m. April 30. Live bands, food trucks, and more. Tickets are $15 per person. appwomen.org.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. New wines arrive weekly.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semiregular 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.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Cynthia McDermott (mandolin/vocals) April 23 and James Hammel (guitar/vocals) April 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave 7 p.m. April 23. 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 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 Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 28. 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 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.

• “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.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “The Magic Lamp of Aladdin” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. April 29-30 and 2 p.m. April 30. Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company. Tickets are $13 per person.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.

• 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.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • “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. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.

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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 • 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.

• Landscape photographer John Smith and jewelry artist Kristie MacGregor will be on display at Twigs and Leaves Gallery for Art After Dark, 6-9 p.m. May 6. www.twigsandleaves.com.

Outdoors

• A weekly softball practice opportunity for people 60 and over is now offered Wednesdays at the Vance Street Softball Field in Waynesville, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each week. For more information, contact Donald Hummel at 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Friends of Panthertown is hosting a series of trail workdays this spring, and all are invited to come pitch in. Scheduled workdays are 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. Workdays typically run from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sign up at panthertown.org/contact. Learn more at www.panthertown.org/volunteer.

• 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.

• The seventh annual Get in Gear Fest, hosted by Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, will take place April 2224 for a celebration of WNC’s outdoor industry at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain. For more information on the festival, visit getingearfest.com.

• Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside Canton will open to the public Saturday, April 23, with a familyfriendly grand opening 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Situated as a park-within-a-park, Berm Park will open to mountain bikers the same day.

• Friends of DuPont Forest will hold an annual meeting at 3 p.m. April 23, near the Guion Farm access area.

Learn more about the Master Recreation Plan and what it means for the future of the forest. Bring camp chairs and dress for weather. Join at www.dupontforest.com/membership/ • Help clean up the Village of Forest Hills during a litter pickup at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, meeting outside the Forest Hills Assembly Hall at 97 Market St. The cleanup is part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s 2022 Spring Litter Sweep, with events scheduled April 16-20 across the state. To find more local events, contact the county coordinator listed at bit.ly/3M7Dvo8.

• The annual Plateau Pickup is coming to Highlands Saturday, April 23, with volunteers meeting at 8 a.m. at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park to remove litter and garbage from corridors leading to Highlands, as well as in town. To participate, events@highlandschamber.org.

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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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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pathways For The Future, Inc. DBA Disability Partners Is Seeking A Dynamic, Forward Thinking Person For The Position Of Executive Director. Disability Partners Is A Local Center For Independent Living Serving 14 Counties In Western North Carolina, :LWK 2I¿FHV ,Q 6\OYD $QG Asheville, North Carolina.

People With Disabilities Are Served Through The Center For Independent Living, Homecare Partners And Person First Services, A Provider Of The Innovations Waiver Through Vaya. The

INDEPENDENT LIVING SPECIALIST Are you someone with a disability who has overcome obstacles relating to a personal disability and will use that strength to help others with disabilities set and reach goals to live more independently. If so, DisAbility Partners has a full-time position available for you. Work experience and education will EH FRQVLGHUHG %HQH¿WV vacation, sick, holidays and dental, life and health

April 20-26, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

Executive Director Job Description And Application Can Be Found At https://www.disabilitypartners.org/employment-opportunities. All Applicants Must Submit By Email: Cover Letter, Current Resume And A Complete Application To: ssacco@ disabilitypartners.org.

The Deadline To Apply For The Position Is April 29, 2022 At 5:00pm. Documents Submitted After The Deadline Will Not Be Accepted. Persons With Disabilities Are Encouraged To Apply For The Position.

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN The Club at Balsam Mountain is looking for a Maintenance Facilities TechniFLDQ )XOO 7LPH %HQH¿WV after 90 days. Pay depending on experience. Hands-on Training provided. For more information please contact us by email.

Submit your resume to balsamcabins@gmail. com or pick up an application from 81 Preserve Road, Sylva, NC 28779 balsamcabins@gmail. com PATHWAYS FOR THE FUTURE, INC. dba Disability Partners is seeking a dynamic, forward thinking person for the position of Executive Director. Disability Partners is a local Center for Independent Living serving 14 Counties in Western North Carolina, ZLWK RI¿FHV LQ 6\OYD DQG Asheville, North Carolina.

People with disabilities are served through the Center for Independent Living, Homecare Partners and Person First Services, a provider of the Innovations Waiver through Vaya. The Ex-

ecutive Director Job Description and application can be found at https:// www.disabilitypartners. org/employment-opportunities. All applicants must submit by email: Cover Letter, current Resume and a complete application to: ssacco@disabilitypartners.org. The deadline to apply for the position is April 29, 2022 at 5:00pm. Documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

GUEST SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Highlands Inn - Work in the heart of downtown @ 420 Main Street, Highlands.

Now hiring Guest service representatives for all shifts, all days.

Part time or Fulltime. :H DUH ÀH[LEOH (PDLO Resume to : sales@ highlandsinnlodge.FRP VWRS E\ IRU DQ application or give us a call at 828-5265899. (828) 526-5899 sales@highlandsinnlodge.com CHEROKEE ENTERPRISES Construction Jobs Available - Cherokee Enterprises, Inc., an Equal Opportunity Employer, is accepting applications for heavy construction employees including laborers, heavy equipment operators and CDL truck drivers. General Laborer: $18.00/hr; CDL Dump Truck Drivers: $22.50/hr; Equipment Operators: up to $30.00/ hr dependent upon skill set; Project Superintendent: Negotiable. Cherokee Enterprises, Inc also provides the following EHQH¿WV SDLG KROLGD\V year; Paid vacation time

The Original Home Town Real Estate Agency Since 1970

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

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

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

Randall Rogers BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

(828) 734-8862

RROGERS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com • George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com • Chuck Brown - chuck@emersongroupus.com

Brian Noland RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROFESSIONAL

bknoland@beverly-hanks.com

828.734.5201 74 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786

828.452.5809

www.wncmarketplace.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • • • •

Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436

EXP Realty • Jeanne Forrest - ashevillerealeat8@gmail.com Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

A Top Listing Agent & A Top Producer

Ready to Serve You

Call for FREE HOME VALUE EVALUATION RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE

www.sunburstrealty.com

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

Emerson Group - emersongroupus.com

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CELL: (803) 528-5039 OFFICE: (828) 452-5809 EMAIL: PAMELAWILLIAMS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

April 20-26, 2022

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

• Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com • Sara Sherman - sarashermanncrealtor@gmail.com • David Rogers- davidr@remax-waynesville.com • Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

Smoky Mountain Retreat Realty • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - Sherellwj@aol.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

37

SUPER

CROSSWORD

NATION NOTION ACROSS 1 Sore 4 Under the ocean 10 "Get what I'm sayin'?"

15 Store 19 Prior to, to poets 20 Gofer's job 21 Gut bacterium 22 Dana Perfumes fragrance 23 Person born in early October in Benghazi?

25 Family car in Khartoum?

27 Eddie -- (leisurewear chain) 28 Carrere of the screen 29 Rock concert booster 30 Make furious 31 Silky cat in Luanda?

34 Beyond city limits 37 Merit badge displayers 38 Kazan of filmmaking 39 It precedes omega 40 Clear-minded 41 Lead-in to history 44 Chess ploy in Banjul?

47 Ballroom dance in Apia?

53 Ency., e.g.

54 Ancient Central Americans 55 See 112-Down 56 Italian "my" 57 Russia's Alexis I, e.g.

59 Envy, e.g.

60 Dark-haired man in Bandar Seri Begawan?

63 Lumber tool 65 Former Oriole Ripken 68 Extremist 69 "Delta Dawn" singer Tucker 71 Pathologist's study

74 Long time 75 Mo. in which fall starts 77 Doc in Tijuana?

79 Cinch -- (trash bag brand) 81 "Keep this in" 83 Do a fist bump 84 Scandal-ridden company of 2002 85 Japanese brew 88 Old TV's "-- Na Na" 89 Tropical devil ray in Valletta?

91 Sleeping garment in San Miguelito?

95 Orig. copies 96 Well out of range 97 Precept 98 Is the right size for 100 "That made no sense to me" 106 People rattling things off 108 Engaged guy in Marseilles?

111 Actress Saoirse 112 Long time 113 Hip-hop producer Gotti 114 The Beatles' "I -- Walrus" 115 Buyable apartment in Brazzaville?

118 Fish eggs in Barcelona?

120 Wine city in California 121 -- a million 122 Secret recorder disguised as a writing instrument 123 -- gow poker 124 Supermodel from Somalia 125 "Check," to a card player 126 Motown's Franklin 127 Lingo suffix DOWN

1 Peach -- (desserts) 2 Singer Grande 3 Cleans up, as software 4 NutraSweet developer 5 Website ID 6 Water filter brand 7 Polio studier Albert 8 Make furious 9 Oklahoma city 10 Polite reply to a lady 11 Coffee pod 12 Drift (off) 13 Pay add-on?

14 Hits the jackpot 15 Piloting guy 16 Gave birth 17 Enthusiasm for Barack 18 Word-wit bit 24 Michelle of "Crazy Rich Asians" 26 Erwin of film 29 Opera opus 32 Some vipers 33 Korbut of gymnastics 34 Secretive viewers 35 B-52 org.

36 Ensnares 42 Meander 43 Arabian ruler 45 Half a bikini 46 Gallic pal 47 Native-born Israeli 48 "What --" ("Ho-hum") 49 Harold's film partner 50 Dodge of old 51 "Hang on --" 52 Boxing event 57 Precept 58 Hades river 59 Go like a fish 61 "May -- a favor?"

62 Personal ID

64 Takes in 65 -- terrier 66 Dressy tie 67 Pop singer Lewis 70 Verdi's slave 72 With 90-Down, appear that 73 Writer Ferber 76 Dismissive remarks 78 Not panicky 79 Partaking of with others 80 Aspiration 82 -- Mahal 85 On -- with 86 Space that's invulnerable to attack 87 Large boa 88 Joust verbally 89 -- Hari 90 See 72-Down 92 Lace town WSW of Paris 93 Willful insult 94 Sorvino of the screen 99 Potshot taker 101 Heavy vapor 102 Genie houser 103 Like early audiobooks 104 Unstressed vowel sounds 105 -- -weenie 107 Chinese ideal 109 Large wader 110 Kick out 112 With 55-Across, she eloped with Ernie Kovacs 115 Caesar's 151 116 Artist Yoko 117 Mo. neighbor 118 Jacuzzi site 119 "Nope"

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

after 1yr employment; Employer paid individual health insurance; Employer matched Simple IRA plan. Please contact RXU RI¿FH DW 5617 with questions or for additional information.

You may also pick up an application at 1371 Acquoni Road, Cherokee, NC. from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Pre-employment drug testing, background check and reliable transportation required.

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain SURJUDPV IRU TXDOL¿HG DSplicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/ consumer-information.

MEDICAL BILLING Train Online!

Become D 0HGLFDO 2I¿FH 3URfessional online at CTI! *HW 7UDLQHG &HUWL¿HG ready to work in months!

Call 866-243-5931. (M-F

HIRING EVENT!!

Southern Hospitality & More Hiring Event.

You’re invited to participate in our Southern Hospitality & More Hiring Event at NCWorks Career Center on Friday, April 29 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm held in our parking lot. The focus RI WKLV HYHQW ZLOO EH for seasonal and summer employment, EXW ORQJ WHUP opportunities with employers will also EH DYDLODEOH :H want to provide an RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU MRE seekers to speak with ORFDO HPSOR\HUV DERXW their employment opportunities.

Employers should contact the Career Center to participate.

NCWORKS CAREER CENTER 1170 N. MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE, NC 28786 828.456.6061 ncws.9200@ nccommerce.com

Medical

DENTAL INSURANCE From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844-4968601 www.dental50plus. com/ncpress #6258

DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? ApSHDO ,I \RX¶UH ¿OHG SSD and denied, our attorneys can help! Win or Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed.

877-553-0252 [SteppachHU /DZ 2I¿FHV //& 3ULQFLSDO 2I¿FH $GDPV Ave Scranton PA 18503]

Pets FRANCENE FROM SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE Francene is a sweet and shy girl who is the lone female from a litter of 4 Black Mouth Cur/Hound mix puppies.

She is the most shy of the siblings, but she makes

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 34 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

38

www.smokymountainnews.com

April 20-26, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

up for it with an equal amount of sweetness.

The litter is just about 5 months old and all weigh between 40-50 pounds.

They will all likely grow into large size adults so potential adopters should have the space and time for Francene to run, play, and train. Francene and her brothers have spent most of their young life outdoors so be prepared to be patient with leash walk training and housebreaking! Francene’s adoption fee is $175. Our dog adoption application can be found at www. sarges.org. (828) 2469050 info@sarges.org CHAMP FROM SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE Champ is a curious and cuddly boy who is looking for a home where he can explore all the rooms, closets, and hideaway spots! He is about 2 years old and weighs just over 10 pounds.

Champ’s adoption fee is $50. Please submit a cat adoption application at www.sarges.org. (828) 246-9050 info@sarges. org GRAY&WHITE CAT, $6+ \U ROG DGRUDEOH girl; friendly, playful. FeLV+; must live indoors; only cat or with other FeLV cats.

Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org PITBULL TERRIER MIX, BROWN&WHITE, ED 2 year old, handVRPH ER\ ZKR LV happy, active, and friendly and loves to play. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements

WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE

QUOTES! Call: 855-8212782 PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women.

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

Recreational Vehicles

STARCRAFT SUPERLITE 2020 TRAVEL TRAILER $24,000/ QHJRWLDEOH /LNH 1HZ 6OLGH RXW EXQN house. Includes $1,000 hitch, Queen mattress, dehumidL¿HU IRU EDWKURRP quality shower head.

RV storage paid through Dec, Bryson City. (803) 427-0500 myranour@aol.com

Entertainment HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/ mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147

Health/Beauty ATTENTION: Oxygen Users. Gain freedom with a portable oxygen concentrator. No more heavy

WDQNV RU UH¿OOV *XDUDQteed lowest prices. Oxygen Concentrator Store 844-866-4793

Home Improvement BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 833-987-0207 UPDATE YOUR HOME With Beautiful New Blinds & Shades. FREE in-home estimates make it convenient to shop from home.

Professional installation.

Top quality - Made in the USA. Call for free consultation: 844-250-7899.

Ask about our specials!

WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833664-1530 (AAN CAN)

Legal, Financial and Tax STOP WORRYING! SilverBills eliminates the stress and hassle of bill payments. All household bills guaranteed to be paid on time, as long as appropriate funds are available. Computer not necessary. Call for a FREE trial or a custom quote today. SilverBills 1-866-530-1374 OVER $10K IN DEBT? Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay a fraction of what you owe. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief 866-949-0934

Wanted to Buy CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, highend, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash!

NEWER MODELS too!

Call 866-535-9689

find us at: facebook.com/smnews www.wncmarketplace.com

April 20-26, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

39

WAYNESVILLE OFFICE 74 North Main Street | (828) 634 -7333 3BR, 2BA | $775,000 | #3774025

Broad Street Crossing $85,000 | #3751741

2BR, 1BA $90,000 | #3811678

Bradley Heights | 2BR, 2BA $279,000 | #3841957

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

$389,000 | #3778948

3BR, 2BA $455,000 | #3573183

4BR, 2BA, 1HB $480,900 | #3783254

3BR, 2BA, 1HB $775,000 | #3796518

Junaluska Highlands | 4BR, 5BA $1,100,000 | #3660973

Villages Of Plott Creek | 5BR, 4BA, 1HB $1,250,000 #3811432

3BR, 3BA, 1HB $1,275,000 | #3839028

4BR, 5BA, 1HB $1,599,000 | #3829686

Smoky Mountain News

April 20-26, 2022

Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 40