Smoky Mountain News | May 26, 2021

May 26-June 1, 2021 Vol. 22 Iss. 52 www.smokymountainnews.com

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

Jackson County to modify Confederate statue Page 6 Sharing Ghost Town memories Page 12

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CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: With most COVID-related restrictions now lifted, Western N.C. is gearing up for another busy tourist and festival season. Despite the pandemic, travel in 2020 and so far in 2021 surpassed all previous records. Still, tourism leaders worry that keeping travelers coming to WNC could prove difficult as more places open up (Pages 8-10). The Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville. A Shot Above photo

News Jackson decides to modify Confederate statue..........................................................6 Jackson to drop tax rate amid additional revenues ....................................................7 Homeless man has belongings trashed......................................................................11 Ghost Town project moving forward............................................................................12 Back the Blue rally draws supporters to Maggie Valley ........................................14 Madison Cawthorn likes his poll results......................................................................16 Tribal Council candidates discuss priorities ..............................................................18 EBCI tries to stop Catawba casino ............................................................................21

CLASSIFIEDS: NEWS EDITOR: WRITING:

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

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

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

Opinion Legislators should pass Government Transparency Act ......................................22

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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

A conversation with Edwin McCain ............................................................................24 Reflections on spirituality, creativity and art ..............................................................29

Outdoors Cherokee partners in chestnut restoration project..................................................30

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HCC offers free tuition for Haywood grads Haywood Community College Foundation’s Tuition Free Guarantee Scholarship is sometimes the deciding factor for Haywood County seniors when deciding where to go to college.

It is not too late to take advantage of HCC Foundation’s Tuition Free Guarantee.

Available to 2021 Haywood County high school graduates from public, private or homeschools, this scholarship will pay for up to four semesters at the in-state tuition rate and select fees for any 2021 qualifying high school graduate who does not obtain the full amount needed through federal financial aid and/or scholarships.

The Tuition Free Guarantee scholarship is applicable for fall and spring semesters for up to two years for students continuing to meet the scholarship criteria. This scholarship covers tuition for in-state HCC students.

Students may apply for and receive additional financial aid or scholarships through other funding methods that could help cover fees such as those required for various programs and courses or books and materials.

Complete the financial aid form at fafsa.gov and complete the HCC scholarship application at haywood.academicworks.com.

For more information about this scholarship, email hcc-scholarships@haywood.edu or call 828.565.4120.

Smoky Mountain News

May 26-June 1, 2021

Swain Middle gets ‘GO’ Grant The North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council announced that Swain County Middle School was awarded a NC Schools Go Outside Grant of $13,789.

The funds will be used to build an outdoor classroom with ground cover, convertible tables and benches, and waste disposal for the space. In response to the news, Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, said, “I’m thrilled to hear that Swain County Middle has been awarded a GO grant. It’s so important for children to spend time outside learning about all the nature and wildlife North Carolina has to offer. This outdoor classroom will be of great benefit to the school and enrich the lives of its students for years to come.”

Funding approved for Sylva statue

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he pedestal of the Confederate soldier statue in Sylva will get a $14,000 makeover following a 4-1 vote from the Jackson County commissioners.

The May 18 vote came nine months after the board agreed on Aug. 4, 2020, to make the changes in response to criticism that the statue — and its prominent placement on the hill overlooking downtown Sylva — glorifies racism and the Confederacy.

During an April 13 work session, Chairman Brian McMahan and Commissioner Gayle Woody presented their proposed design to cover up the Confederate flag and inscription “Our heroes of the Confederacy” that currently adorns the front of the pedestal. The Confederate flag will be covered with a large plaque reading, “Jackson County N.C. Civil War Memorial.

This monument was erected by citizens of Jackson County in memory of those who died during the American Civil War. Originally dedicated on September 18, 1915.

Rededicated on May 11, 1996, to honor Jackson County veterans of all wars.” The words “Our heroes of the Confederacy” would be covered with a plaque spelling out the nation’s unofficial motto, “E Pluribus Unum,” which means “out of many, one.”

County Manager Don Adams presented a cost estimate for the changes, which commissioners approved. The plan is to install dark-colored aluminum panels on the front face of the pedestal, which would serve to cover up the original inscriptions without damaging or permanently removing them.

On top of the aluminum panel, cast bronze plaques would be installed bearing commissioners’ desired inscription. The estimated cost for materials is $11,190.85 with an installation fee of $1,910 and sales tax of $783.36 for a total price tag of $13,884.20.

With commissioners’ approval secured, the company — Yadkinville-based AOA Signs — will produce a spec design, which commissioners will also approve. Once that approval is given, the production phase will begin. The process could take up to eight weeks to complete from the time commissioners approve the design.

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Commissioners voted 4-1 last August to pursue the changes after Sylva’s town board voted 3-2 approving a resolution that asked the county relocate the statue. The majority of the county commissioners saw the solution as a compromise between community members who view the statue as offensive glorification of a racist past and others who see it as a memorial to a horrific war that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people. However, the solution appears unlikely to appease either side, with the anti-statue faction reiterating that they’ll settle for nothing less than seeing the statue moved to a less conspicuous location and the pro-statue crowd decrying the planned changes as a disrespectful bow to political pressure.

Even on the board of commissioners,

agreement with the plan has not been unanimous. Commissioner Tom Stribling, who joined the board following November’s election, voted against it and has consistently expressed his disapproval of the proposal.

During an interview ahead of the 2020 election, he called the statue “a symbol of freedom,” and said that it’s a piece of history that “doesn’t need to be erased. It needs to be taught.”

“So this is spending $13,000 to cover the Confederate flag, is that what we’re doing with this?” he asked during a May 11 work session discussing the issue.

“That would be correct,” replied McMahan.

“I think it’s a waste of money myself,” he said. “Just my two cents.”

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The proposed changes would cover pedestal inscriptions glorifying the Confederacy. Donated photo

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Be heard A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, in Room A201 of the Justice & Administration Building in Sylva.

Citizens can make in-person or virtual oral comments, or submit written comments.

Send written comments to angiewinchester@jacksonnc.org and call 828.631.2213 by 5 p.m. June 1 to give public comment by phone or video. The meeting will be livestreamed via YouTube on the “Jackson County North Carolina Local Government” channel.

The proposed budget is online at www.jacksonnc.org/pdf/finance/fy-20212022-proposed-budget.pdf

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Smoky Mountain News

representing a 14.78% increase over last year’s budget. This is mainly due to $267,000 in additional funding needed to operate the $21 million Health Science Building, which is slated for completion this summer and will welcome students for the fall semester.

Proceeds from the quarter-penny sales tax dedicated to education projects fueled construction of the project and will continue to cover debt service. However, much of that money will now go toward projects in the K12 schools. Adams’ budget allocates $2.9 million — $1.8 million of which is from the quarter-penny sales tax — to fund school security projects in Jackson County Schools.

Fire protection also figures heavily in the increased budget figures. In addition to the five additional coordinator positions, the budget grants a fire tax rate increase of 0.61 cents per $100 in the Cashiers area for a budget increase of $582,744. The county will dedicate 1 cent per $100 to provide $1.076 million for the Cullowhee Volunteer Fire Department, which supplies mutual aid to every department in the county, allowing it to hire eight paid firefighters. The fire tax rate in Highlands will fall by 0.33 cents per $100 in order to maintain level funding.

As far as capital improvements, the coming fiscal year will include continued construction on the Animal Rescue Center and schematic design work on renovations to the Jackson County Justice Center will start at the end of 2021-22.

A collection of smaller-ticket items totaling $1.05 million will be funded from a combination of General Fund, Conservation Parks Recreation Fund and Greenway Project Fund revenues. In addition to $500,000 of that cost, the CPR fund will cover about $600,000 in improvements at the Fairview Recreation Complex, just about depleting the fund. With CPR funds now going mainly to maintain existing parks, commissioners might need to look for other funding sources if they want to pursue new park projects, Adams said.

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May 26-June 1, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County Manager Don Adams presented a proposed budget May 18 that represents a 17.5 percent increase in total spending over the 2020-21 adopted budget but would reduce the current tax rate from 38 to 36 cents per $100 of value. Due to increased values following this year’s revaluation, the revenue-neutral rate would be 34.47 cents per $100.

While the $87.26 million total proposed budget outpaces the $74.29 million adopted last year by more than $10 million, the $71.67 million that would be allocated to the General Fund — which covers day-today operations and staffing in county departments — represents a 2.2 percent decrease from the amended general fund budget for 2020-2021.

The 2020-21 budget grew from the amounts originally adopted last June due to stronger-than-expected sales tax receipts and an influx of federal coronavirus relief money.

The proposed 2021-22 budget does not include any federal coronavirus relief dollars, though the county is expecting to receive $8.5 million in America Rescue Plan funds that would have to be spent by Dec. 31, 2024.

Employee pay raises make up a significant portion of the budget increase. Adams proposed $426,082 in spending to provide a one-step increase for all employees, equivalent to a 2 percent pay raise. Additionally, he recommended that the county conduct a salary study — such a study would likely cost between $25,000 and $50,000 — and set aside $1 million to implement its recommendations.

“These departments already know they’re having salary issues, so we don’t need to put something in writing confirming what they believe they know without having funds available to implement it,” said Adams.

The recommended budget also includes three position reclassifications with associated pay raises and eight new positions — six full-time and two part-time. Five of those positions would be fire service district coordinators, one for each of the volunteer fire departments in Balsam/Willets, Savannah, Qualla, Sylva and Little Canada. The budget would also fund a new utility worker position in the grounds department and an investigator/detective position in the sheriff ’s department. Additionally, it would provide a part-time garage position and a parttime solid waste position for equipment wash down and operation.

The budget includes a 3 percent increase in the county’s share of hospitalization and dental insurance premiums for its employees, as well as a 2 percent increase in workers compensation insurance and a 2 percent increase in limited liability insurance.

Southwestern Community College will get a significant funding increase, with the recommended $2.4 million contribution

WE KEEP GROWING! news

Jackson considers $87 million proposed budget

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

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news May 26-June 1, 2021

COMING TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN The 2020 Apple Harvest Festival in downtown Waynesville was one of the few regional events to take place last year. Haywood Chamber of Commerce photo

With the summer kickoff around the corner, what now for community events?

Smoky Mountain News

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR hough Oct. 17 was just seven months ago chronologically, it feels like seven years emotionally with all of the social, political and economic chaos and strife in this current era of Covid-19.

Back then, the list of unknowns and rules of engagement were constantly changing.

Businesses and organizations trying to possibly put on an event had to adhere to (and strictly enforce) protocols from the local and state government, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

The task at hand was daunting and, frankly, scary for those individuals looking to test the waters of people gathering in public spaces for the simple sake of feeling human, feeling normal once again — whether it be a community festival, concert series, farmers 8 market or simple backyard hang.

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“We were lucky to be able to have the Apple Harvest Festival [on Oct. 17 in downtown Waynesville],” CeCe Hipps said in a humble tone. “It took a lot of conversations with various entities and individuals as to how we could do it safely.”

President of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce in Waynesville, Hipps, her staff and the board of directors approached the annual event (which attracts nearly 40,000 locals and visitors) from every possible angle, and possible outcome.

At the time, October 2020, the Apple Harvest Festival was somewhat an island unto itself, being one of the few annual gatherings in our region to not get cancelled, and to actually have occurred.

“After some back and forth questions from the [Waynesville] Board of Aldermen, and guaranteeing them that people would wear a mask, they decided to go ahead and issue us a permit to do [the Apple Harvest Festival],” Hipps said.

To find a balance between keeping traditions alive during a rollercoaster year and also mitigating any scenarios where the festival could become a super-spreader event, the chamber decided not to do any advertising leading up Oct. 17.

The Apple Harvest Festival would still happen, but there would be no push to encourage more folks than what may normally show up during the fall foliage season in Western North Carolina.

In terms of its own protocol, the chamber limited the number of craft and vendors booths allowed on Main Street — from 160 to 80 — to increase spacing between vendors and individuals.

As well, Main Street was split into two lanes of one-way pedestrian traffic, not to mention all the sanitation stations provided and enforcement of mask-wearing by festival volunteers.

And with strict state protocols for restaurants and dining, the chamber allowed local establishments to have an outdoor space on Main Street to not only cater to the high number of festival patrons, but also still be able to function within the 50-percent capacity restrictions at the time.

Even amid a shutdown and in the face of pandemic, and with no advertising, the Apple Harvest Festival was estimated to have welcomed around 25,000 people when all was said and done.

“Everybody followed the directions and the entire day went smoothly. People can put on events safely, they just have to follow the governor’s mandates and guidance of the local CDC,” Hipps reflected. “[In hindsight], my feeling is that we’ve got to move on. We can’t continue to run and hide, [especially now] with plenty of opportunities available for people to get vaccinated.”

And the conversation keeps changing. On May 14, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper lifted the mask mandate as well restrictions on restaurants and performance venues. Culinary spots can now operate at full capacity, with the same going for indoor/outdoor live music locations and similar establishments.

But, that doesn’t mean we as a society are out of the woods just yet. The gates may now be open for summer fun and adventure, all in an effort to steadily move towards “normalcy.” It’s safe to say that there’s still a sense of “cautious optimism” running through the minds and actions of community organizations and events now marked on the calendar.

“We are still going to require our vendors to wear masks all day, regardless of what the state mask mandate may be,” said Kendra Hamm, event coordinator for the Greening Up the Mountains festival, scheduled to take place Aug. 28 in downtown Sylva. “To be honest, we didn’t expect [Gov. Cooper] to roll back the mandates this soon. We won’t be requiring masks for festivalgoers, even though we aren’t really sure what the day will look like for everyone until that day arrives.”

Hamm did note that masks will be required of riders who use the public shuttle service that will transport festivalgoers between GUTM and several parking areas. Attracting thousands of visitors, GUTM — which typically is held in April — will be one of the key litmus test events for Western North Carolina as things begin to unfold and transition from summer into the busy fall season.

“It’s been really challenging to plan with so many unknowns. But, we’re just kind of moving forward and addressing things as they arise,” Hamm said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a better idea of exactly what our festival

will look like by the beginning of August.”

Of the many unknowns for GUTM includes how many vendors will be allowed (or even will sign up), and what sponsorships may appear (or not appear). In 2019, GUTM had an attendance estimated around 12,000, with over 175 vendors.

“Everything is up in the air. We don’t know what our sponsorships are going to look like, and all of that does help to subsidize the cost of the festival, as does the vendor fees,” Hamm said. “But, looking at our festival budget right now, we should be good to go no matter what — I’m looking forward to a little bit of humanity and togetherness that seems to be lacking [these days].”

On the flip side, visitation numbers have never been higher for Western North Carolina, its communities, and robust economic engine that is 21st century tourism (outdoor recreation, culinary delights, craft breweries, etc.).

During the shelter-in-place and shutdown of 2020, millions of people from across the country flocked to these mountains, in search of ideal social distancing and a remote area to

“It’s been really challenging to plan with so many unknowns.

But, we’re just kind of moving forward and addressing things as they arise. Hopefully, we’ll have a better idea of exactly what our festival will look like by the beginning of August.”

— Kendra Hamm, event coordinator for the Greening Up the Mountains festival

immerse oneself safely outside and in nature.

And with so many people working remotely, mountain cabins provided an ideal getaway.

Aside from record-breaking visitation numbers for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway last fall, the immense overflow of folks didn’t stop through the holiday season and spring.

That continuation of visitors is evident by the already-high room tax revenue (“headsin-beds”) numbers thus far for the current fiscal year.

“Last fiscal year, [Jackson County] collected $1.09 million in room taxes, which is how we measure visitation. So far, this year, we’ve gotten $1.64 million in room tax, and we still have three more months of the [current] fiscal year,” said Nick Breedlove, executive director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority in Sylva.

Breedlove points to the popularity of vacation rentals during the pandemic and shutdown, something that has carried over into 2021 (and the foreseeable future). “[The vacation rentals] are where we’re seeing our largest

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Folkmoot returns

out the weekend. The night will end with a performance by The Revelers, of whom Executive Director Glenn Fields is a member.

The Revelers specialize in Cajun and Zydeco, which is Gulf Coast French music from Louisiana.

On Friday night there will be a performance at the Nanci Weldon Open Air Gym at Lake Junaluska. This is intended to be kid friendly, as families can see the show from the green space surrounding the gym.

Families are invited to set up blankets or chairs in the lawn where kids can play. It will be free for children 12 and under to attend.

There will also be food trucks on site. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday will see the return of International Festival Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street in Waynesville. Both Haywood Community College and John C. Campbell Folk School will be at the festival doing demonstrations of different arts and crafts they teach. There will be three stages on which different dance and musical groups will be performing throughout the day.

“A big part of this year’s events, we’re trying to involve the Cherokee, the Eastern Band, so we’re hoping to have a bunch of woodcarvers out there and folks doing different things,” said Fields.

From 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Saturday there will be a stickball demonstration at Lake Junaluska by one of the Cherokee stickball teams, where attendants can watch and learn about the sport.

Saturday evening there will be another show at the open air gym at Lake Junaluska with food trucks, music and dance group performances.

Stuart Auditorium will once again be home to the closing ceremony performance from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Due to the ample seating available, social distancing will be possible.

There are big plans for Folkmoot USA moving forward, as the world opens up from

a year of pandemic. In the future, Fields envisions more interactive events at the center, like big dances where community members can come learn about music and dance, or just let loose, dance and have fun.

Fields hopes that one day soon all the empty classrooms at the Folkmoot Center will be filled with artists where they can create studios or other creative spaces. The center will soon start hosting a JAM affiliate, Junior Appalachian Musicians. JAM is a nonprofit that aims to preserve the music of Appalachia by teaching it to kids by ear.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Swain TDA photo

increases, and that’s a nationwide trend,” Breedlove said. “People would rather come get a house and stay in there for a week or so or a long weekend, have the place to themselves to serve as a home base for their trip [and activities].”

That astounding increase in room tax revenue for Jackson County is something that’s being seen in seemingly every county in our region, including Swain.

“Well, last year we did about a $1 million in lodging tax. Right now, we’re at $1.4 million, and predicting that [at the end of this fiscal year] we’re going to be at around $1.8 million,” said Mary Anne Baker, executive director of the Swain County Tourism Development Authority in Bryson City.

Besides the vast recreational options in Swain County, Baker also points to the hugely-popular Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in downtown Bryson City, which never ceased to run throughout the shutdown. If anything, more people found themselves riding the rails and disappearing into the woods than ever before, even with capacity restrictions and social-distancing mandates.

After a year off, a revamped festival

Folkmoot USA will feature American cultural diversity in 2021. Patrick Parton photo

Want to go?

Folkmoot USA is still accepting vendors and is in need of volunteers. To be a vendor or a volunteer, call the Folkmoot Center at 828.452.2997 or visit www.folkmoot.org.

Musicians who know how to play a certain instrument, or a certain style sit down with kids once per week, for an hour and a half and impart their musical wisdom.

“It’s my intention to turn this into sort of an alternative arts and culture community center where people know that if they’re looking for music or arts and crafts or dance or whatever, that they can come stop by and chances are, it will be something happening here,” said Fields. “Music for me has been a blessing. I got obsessed with it at eight years old and never in a million years imagined that I would be doing it for a living, but I’ve been around the world with it for the last 20 years. It’s been a godsend, it gave me something to do and direction in my life. It gave me a passion and it’s allowed me to meet people from all over the world, create understanding and make people smile and have a good time. I think that’s kind of what we’re about here.”

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“What’s also interesting is that now, [with the mandates being lifted], there will be increased competition for travelers with international travel and cruise lines,” Baker said. “[In Western North Carolina], we’re going to have to ramp up our marketing to keep these visitation numbers going [to ensure economic survival].”

Baker’s sentiments are something heartily echoed by Breedlove.

“Our marketing [and marketing budget] is almost at a level that we were at prior to the pandemic — we’re welcoming people back,” Breedlove said. “So, when it comes to [community] events, I think we’re going to see a lot more people out and about. There’s so much pent-up demand to return to normalcy — not just for travel, but to do the things we used to do.”

“What I’m seeing now are more people coming into town. More people are vaccinated and feel comfortable walking around downtown, enjoying the attractions, restaurants and shops,” Baker added. “Last summer

May 26-June 1, 2021

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER Folkmoot USA will return with its annual festival for summer 2021.

Due to both the local and international impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the festival was canceled in 2020. During the tumultuous year, Folkmoot also saw a change in leadership. Angie Schwab left the position of executive director she had held since 2015, and the folkmoot board hired Glenn Fields for the job.

Folkmoot will look different this year than in years past, though some of the most popular events will remain. The festival will run four days, July 22-25.

“The theme of the festival this year, since we can’t fly anybody in from around the world, will be focused on American cultural diversity in music and dance,” said Fields.

“It’s all the different cultures that make up the melting pot that is America and the immigrant cultures that have come to this country to make it what it is.”

Opening night, Thursday, July 22, will take place at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. The festival will begin with food and drinks in the cafeteria, with musical entertainment provided by Los Texmaniacs, a conjunto band from San Antonio, Texas. Then, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium, guests will get a sneak peak of some of the groups performing through-

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and fall, people were afraid to come into town, they just wanted to hike and be away from people. But, this year has been, and will be, different — I think it’s going to be our best summer and fall yet.”

But, again comes the shared feeling of “cautious optimism” for all entities involved in community events and regional tourism, whether it be a local business or resident.

“It can be such a weird balance, especially nowadays, to find ways to encourage people to come visit here, but also the idea of being sensitive to the people who live here, too,” Breedlove said. “We need to balance residential sentiments and also the needs of small businesses — that’s a very delicate juggling act.”

Down U.S. 441 in Franklin, the folks there and in greater Macon County are also seeing high numbers of visitors, with the biggest focus at the moment being how to safely and successfully execute the annual Fourth of July festivities — an anchor date on the calendars of every mountain community in Western North Carolina (and beyond).

“The ‘Fireworks Over Franklin’ was voted on by the town and it will be taking place [on July 3],” said Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce. “The downtown merchants are very optimistic, and we’re just happy to see things looking better than last year.”

According to Harbuck, there will be several key events happening in the community between now and October, with the town and its residents ready to get on with their lives as society slides into a post-pandemic world. Of note, Macon County retains one of the highest vaccination rates of any county in the state.

“Our bigger events are coming back, like the gem shows and craft fairs,” Harbuck said.

“And we’ve also had a lot of ribbon cuttings lately for new businesses, which is a great sign for us.”

When asked if she’s optimistic about the impending summer and fall, Harbuck was quick to respond.

“As far as businesses and counties are concerned, we’re all pretty much in the same boat right now,” Harbuck said. “But, I will say, we’re very fortunate to be in Western North Carolina. We really haven’t felt the effects that some of the larger areas and cities have — it’s a plus for all of us that we live in a good place that people want to visit.”

Inaugural Juneteenth celebration planned

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER n June 19, the Smoky Mountain District of the United Methodist Church will host a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at Lake Junaluska.

“Our mission for the celebration is to worship inclusively, educate our communities on its racial history, initiate critical conversations towards reconciliation, and celebrate African American freedom and culture,” said D’Andre Ash and Dr. Keith Turman, co-chairs of the Smoky Mountain District Justice and Reconciliation Team.

The inaugural event is an expression of the Smoky Mountain District’s desire to take a stand in word and deed, speak out against injustices endured by African Americans and work to end structural racism.

Juneteenth is an annual holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas were told of their freedom — two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia, and over two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

Though Juneteenth is not yet a national holiday, several states have made it a state holiday. In recent years, especially following the nationwide protests last summer over police brutality, there has been widespread pressure to declare June 19 a national holiday.

The Juneteenth Celebration is free and open to the public. Worship begins at 2 p.m. when the Rev. Dr. Stephanie Hand will deliver a keynote address. Other speakers will include acclaimed storyteller and historical interpreter Novella Nimmo from the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She will share re-enactments of the harsh realities of slavery. Local clergy and musicians will lead a celebratory worship experience.

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After the worship service, the community is invited to party on the grounds of the Nanci Weldon Gym from 3 to 6 p.m. where there will be food trucks, inflatables, horseshoes, corn hole, vendors, exhibits, dancing and family fun.

“We hope to celebrate diversity with this Juneteenth event being kind of a visual manifestation of what our mission is.”

—D’Andre Ash, co-chair, Smoky Mountain District Justice and Reconciliation Team

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

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was formed to take on the work of understanding and healing discrimination in Western North Carolina.

The team, which had its first official meeting on Feb. 2 of this year, was born from the idea for a Black Lives Matter worship service at Lake Junaluska.

Originally it was the Smoky Mountain District Vitality Committee, which focuses on the overall health of the church and community within, working to put together the worship service. But in working toward this goal, the need was felt for a group with intentions focused more specifically on conversations around race and diversity.

“The mission for the Justice and Reconciliation Team is to celebrate, educate, worship and initiate,” said Ash. Eventually the idea for a Black Lives Matter Worship Service morphed into the idea, and implementation of a Juneteenth Celebration.

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

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

And we hope it to be a movement that springs from our Methodist tradition, but that invites and includes others. We hope to initiate conversations.”

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According to reporting by The Mountaineer, Peggy Hannah, one of the leaders of the group, made a deliberate effort to dispose of such property, saying she “wasn’t open to leaving personal items where they could be found,” and remarking, “Why would we do that?”

Setting aside the morality of throwing away the personal possessions of an unsheltered person with a limited income who already has next to nothing, there’s more to the issue — in fact, the actions of Hannah and others with her that night may be a crime.

On May 19, King filed a report with the Waynesville Police Department. Listed in the report are six items with a total value of $900: “tent (abandoned), hand tools (abandoned), clothes (abandoned), contact lenses (abandoned) and camp cook stove and cooler (abandoned).”

The question of the property rights of unsheltered persons isn’t a new one, isn’t an easy one, and seems to hinge on whether the belongings are deemed “unattended” or “abandoned.”

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The description of the complaint says, “threw subject’s abandoned belongings away,” and a box is checked indicating the complaint is “unfounded,” meaning King’s claims are not being investigated.

Copious use of the word “abandoned” in the report isn’t likely a coincidence. The question of the property rights of unsheltered persons isn’t a new one, isn’t an easy one, and seems to hinge on whether the belongings are deemed “unattended” or “abandoned.”

A 2012 ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the City of Los Angeles had violated the Fourth Amendment rights of nine homeless men who were subject to unreasonable seizures of unabandoned property. A 1992 opinion in the Southern District of Florida said that the City of Miami did basically the same thing.

King maintains his property wasn’t abandoned — he wasn’t present during the raid, but had been the night before and had planned to return — but nonetheless, it’s all gone.

Meanwhile, the community’s rallied around King, promising a GoFundMe effort and legal backup according to local activist Jesse Lee Dunlap.

“I called Legal Aid and they consulted someone in their organization, and then called me back and said they wanted to take that up,” Dunlap said.

Legal Aid Managing Attorney Suzanne Saucier declined to comment.

ART & CRAFT WALK

May 26-June 1, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR group of concerned citizens conducting a local cleanup effort intended to address the problem of homelessness in Waynesville inadvertently exacerbated the problem when they dismantled an elaborate makeshift residence, and now the man who’s been put out on the streets with nothing but the clothes on his back is pursuing legal action against those who threw away or gave away all of his earthly belongings.

“Everything I own is gone,” said Elijah King, 42.

The story of how King came to live under the bridge is clear, but the story of what he’ll do now is less so, since his birth certificate, Social Security card and other personal documents — often needed to take advantage of employment or social service opportunities — are currently rotting in a landfill somewhere, thanks to a volunteer organization called Saving Haywood.

King admits he knew he was trespassing when he moved into the ersatz “apartment,” but a series of challenges left him with little other choice.

After leading a construction crew for almost 12 years, King’s elderly employer was forced to shut the business down due to declining health.

Then, King says, he was told he had to remove his paid-off trailer from a rented lot in Allens Creek because the owners wanted to install newer models, but he didn’t have the $2,700 to move it, or a place to move it to. He basically abandoned the trailer and ended up in Pathways, but was banned for what he said was a dispute over chores.

From there, he began squatting in an abandoned house but was cited for trespassing. It was then that he took up residence with a woman who was already living underneath a Russ Avenue bridge.

“Everybody needs a home, or someplace they can call home, where their stuff is, where they can go and relax, decompress and put the world aside and just restore themselves,” King said. “Whether that’s under a bridge or on top of Eagles Nest Mountain, generally everything you own is at home.”

On May 1, volunteers escorted by Waynesville police officers raided King’s home.

In addition to the clothing and furnishings and small appliances painstakingly tossed into a trash pile were various personal items, like a set of keys, all King’s documents and his contact lenses.

At the time, King was working part time as a landscaper, attempting to rebuild his life and return to a more normal existence. The raid, he said, has made that journey that much tougher by depriving him of the very basics he needs to work and to live.

“They passed judgement that I was of little to no value, and likewise my things,” King said.

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Ghost Town: a new start for an old favorite

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR weekend-long reunion event brought dozens of former Ghost Town in the Sky performers together to share some old memories, but it also brought together a small group of developers, investors, business owners and elected officials who are now working together to make some new ones.

“It’s been a good long while, not being able to get Ghost Town started and to find somebody that would run it and take care of it. It needs to be put back to where it was,” said Alaska Presley, the park’s longtime owner.

Presley and her husband Hubert were part of the original ownership team, along with R.B. Coburn, that opened the Wild West-themed amusement park high atop Maggie Valley’s Buck Mountain in the early 1960s. She bought the park back out of bankruptcy in 2012, but it never quite returned to the glory of its early years before closing permanently in 2016.

Since then, a number of rehabilitation schemes had been attempted by developers hoping to purchase the property from Presley, who’d listed it for almost $6 million.

Now, a new LLC with Presley and developer Frankie Wood has been formed, as have expansive plans for the park’s revitalization.

It’s no surprise that the park’s loyal fan base is still adamant about its eventual

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reopening, but many of the well-known local personalities who attended the mountaintop reunion – and two reenactments of the park’s iconic gunfights – shed light on why.

RUSS PARKER “It was kind of a weird place to grow up,” said photographer Russ Parker. “People got shot and killed every hour, on the hour.”

Parker’s dad, legendary NASCAR photographer Pal Parker, did some work in Florida during the 1960s at Ghost Town’s sister park, Six Gun Territory, which led to Coburn coming to Maggie Valley to operate the photo concession at Ghost Town. Russ, named for the park’s designer Russ Pearson, was born a year later.

“Dad was in-and-out between here and the racing circuit, which meant that he employed all of his six kids and his wife,” Parker said. “And so the entire family, six kids and my mother, came up and were really raised here on the park and worked every day, all summer long.”

Parker said he estimates he’d shot more than 100,000 photos of tourists riding the chairlift, and has visited Ghost Town several times since it closed. Every time he does, he said, the experience brings a lifetime of memories flooding back.

“I was here a while back by myself, up here on the mountain, waiting for Robert

Ghost Town’s iconic gunfighters reunited for one last performance before renovations on the park begin. Jeffrey Delannoy photo [Bradley, a gunfighter] for something. It was eerie because you could almost hear the voices of all the things that happened as you were growing up,” Parker said. “You could picture coming in late and being yelled at.

We never left here before 9:30 or 10 o’clock at night in the summer.”

When Parker and his siblings weren’t working, they’d explore the mountaintop and ride dirt bikes.

“We had all kinds of fun. All my friends

ROBERT BRADLEY Robert Bradley has been rolling off Ghost Town rooftops since 1962, but he started off at the bottom of the mountain, parking cars.

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by the window, so we could set that bottle behind the curtain and people wouldn’t see that cheap shit we was drinking.”

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Wood, one of the park’s developers, had visited the park during his childhood and held fond memories, which is what led him to become involved in the effort to revive it.

“We were very excited about this reunion, giving everybody the opportunity to really enjoy it again as much as I did,” Wood said.

Wood’s brought in Matt Ferguson, co-owner of Route 19 Inn and chief innovation officer for Storyland Studios, a fabrication and design company that specializes in visual storytelling for some of the world’s biggest e names in amusement park entero tainment.

“Our goal for Ghost Town is to be everything that people love Robert Bradley, shown here as the “Apache Kid,” has a about it and more,” Ferguson history with Ghost Town that goes all the way back to its said. “We want to have rides and beginnings. Jeffrey Delannoy photo attractions that compete with the best in the world, but we also “I kept aggravating all the gunfighters, want to preserve all of the things that people wanting to gunfight,” he said. “They finally remembered and love about Ghost Town.” called me up here up on top of the Silver Ferguson and Wood have been steadfast Dollar, and all I’d do is come out and they’d in their desire to retain as much of the park’s see me and shoot, and I’d go back inside and existing character as possible. that was it. Later that evening I was working “These facades here are something that in a show called ‘Jailbreak.’ I was running would be hard to do any better. We’d love to down the street and when I got to the end, preserve what we can and recreate what we they opened up with shotguns and I turned to flip and gravel flew and from then on they said, ‘Well, you just stay up here. You don’t have to go back to the bottom.’”

Eventually, Bradley clawed his way to the very top of the mountain as a performer, writer and manager of the park’s live action entertainment. During that time, like other Ghost Town performers, Bradley became fast buddies with Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds.

“Burt was a good stuntman to start with,” Bradley said. “He came just for a weekend gig or something like that, and he ended up staying the whole summer.”

When the park finally closed, left behind That summer consisted of performances were costumes, props and performance in which Reynolds played a bank robber. notes. Caroline Miller photo He’d come running out of the bank, and Bradley’s job was to jump up on a box, hurdle a railing and tackle Reynolds, a former can’t preserve because it just brings back Florida State halfback, mid-stride. memories when people walk down these “All that had to be timed out just right, streets,” he said. “We want to preserve those and then from there it was just ass-overmemories.” elbows out through the street,” Bradley said.

That all sounds like good news to Parker.

Off the job, that summer also consisted “What’s sitting here is the worst-case of a growing series of folkloric anecdotes scenario at this point, but what Coburn and about Reynolds’ time in Maggie Valley.

Pearson did here was unique, because they “Back then you had to go all the way to actually went out west and did scale drawAsheville to get liquor, unless you bought it ings of buildings, they bought furniture, bootleg. That was cheap liquor at expensive they brought props, they just created this prices,” Bradley said. “Instead of going to entire town based not out of their imaginaAsheville to get our liquor, me and Burt tion, but out of real Western sets in rural stopped and got some of that old bootleg Western towns,” he said. “What happens liquor in this bottle club. It was a restaurant here now and what moves forward can only and all that. We would always get us a table be positive.”

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Divisive sign catalyzes Back the Blue rally

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER aggie Valley Town Hall Pavilion and the surrounding grassy area were ablaze with the black and blue flags of a Back the Blue Rally on Saturday, May 22, in support of local law enforcement. The event came in response to the message that has been displayed on one Maggie Valley hotel sign for the last several weeks: “ACAB! The Barrel is Rotten.”

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he Black the Blue rally was organized by Steven Rich, who also started the Facebook group “Maggie Valley Patriots.”

“The purpose of today is not political in any way,” said Rich as he addressed the crowd. “The purpose of today is not to walk down the sidewalk to that hotel and wave flags. It’s not about them. We don’t need to respond to them, they have enough problems of their own.”

The event was reminiscent of a carnival, complete with music, guest speakers, food, door prizes and a 50-50 drawing. Several people stood on the sidewalk and waved flags and signs with messages like “honk to show support,” at cars passing by. The response of blaring horns could be heard throughout the day.

Two of those holding signs, Eric and Lisa Overhultz, said they were tired of the nega-

May 26-June 1, 2021

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tive rap law enforcement has been getting on such a broad scale.

“They [the motel owners with the ‘ACAB’ sign] are certainly within their First Amendment rights, but I also feel like it should be done civilly,” said Eric.

For the Overhultzes, the event was overwhelmingly positive.

“There are a lot of cars beeping and waving and everything. No one’s yelled anything negative. I mean, where would we all be without law enforcement? Same with all emergency personnel,” said Lisa.

Jeffrey Delannoy photo

uring the Back the Blue Event, less than one block away at the Our Place Inn, the hotel owners responsible for the divisive sign — Kitty and Cody Currin — hosted a cookout with friends.

“We’re hosting this during the same hours as the Back the Blue rally, just to kind of have extra eyes around the place. It’s not like a political protest by any means. It’s just the means of keeping our community safe without having to involve the police,” said Kitty.

Both gatherings remained peaceful throughout the day, though one family did walk down to the hotel, stand in front of the sign and wave their Back the Blue flag.

Several cars also took the time to drive through the Our Place Inn parking lot and eye the peaceful cookout attendants menacingly.

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be changed at the legislative level.

“What’s going on up the street here, with the language and all, that doesn’t help anything. I think we can all agree to that. I do think that right now in our country police officers are being vilified all of them together,” Pitt told the Smoky Mountain News. “I won’t say there’s never been a bad officer.”

The next speaker was Rondell Lance, President of the Asheville Fraternal Order of Police. Lance was found guilty of assault on a female after a Black Lives Matter Protest over the summer, when cops were trying to clear an area.

“For you to say that all cops are bad, then you say, well, we want to have a conversation, you cannot have a conversation if you’re starting out with all cops are bad. There’s no room to Maggie Valley police officers pose in front of the talk,” said Lance. “So don’t buy Back the Blue flag. Jeffrey Delannoy photo into that rhetoric, ‘we want peace and harmony, we want commuEllen Pitt was the first to address the nity.’ No they don’t. They want to take over, crowd. She has represented Mothers they want anarchy.”

Against Drunk Driving in Western North At one point in his speech, Lance insinuCarolina since 2003. She is an advocate for ated that all Black Lives Matter, reform law sobriety courts, also known as drug or DUI enforcement and defund the police protescourts. tors were an invading force coming from “No matter how much reimagining, sitoutside Maggie Valley and outside the ting around in useless meetings or rioting is county. done by the woke mob, there can be no “I’ve sat down with Black Lives Matter, change and no reform until the courts, the I’ve dealt with them, I’ve talked to them, I community, and yes, the churches start know their agenda. I know how they work,” doing their jobs,” said Pitt in her address to said Lance. “You would think, ‘why would the crowd. “The police don’t need you to anybody come all the way up here to Maggie line up at a ceremony when one of them is Valley to protest?’ They know they can work shot or stabbed or dragged to death trying their way in. They are organized, they are to stop a car. They need you every day. They well-funded and their agenda is to cause need you in the courts, they need you out in disharmony in this community, their agenda the community and at election time, they is to disrupt this community and their agenneed you at the polls.” da, the biggest thing that they use is fear.”

Pitt described some of the deep-rooted The Currins, community members at problems she sees in the justice system, their cookout, the organizers and the such as recidivism rates, disparities of majority of marchers in last summer’s BLM access to things like drug courts in different protests, however, were residents of regions, and other policies she says have to Haywood County.

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The Currins say they posted ACAB, the acronym for “All Cops Are Bastards,” on their sign to start a conversation around policing. They recently changed the second part of the message on their sign to say “reopen behavioral health urgent care,” which refers to the 24-hour behavioral health urgent care program at the Balsam Center that was closed last year due to reductions in state funding.

“We’ve kind of localized our conversation to things that we can control. So that’s one of the things that we recently changed our sign for, that’s addressing the Balsam Center, the behavioral health urgent care, the 24-hour one that was closed last year,” said Kitty. “One of the things that we want to do is reduce police responsibilities. And one of the ways that we can do that is giving them other places to take people besides jail. And for people experiencing a mental health crisis or drug crisis, that would be a behavioral health center.”

The Currins don’t want important conversations around policing, poverty or mental health resources to get swept under the rug.

Conversation has indeed erupted around the community since people first caught wind of the hotel sign. Many businesses around Haywood County displayed messages on their own signs in support of law enforcement or hung Back the Blue flags in solidarity.

However, several of the more than 75 attendees at the rally said it would be difficult to have an actual conversation around policing when it started with the derisive and generalizing statement on the motel’s marquee.

“A conversation generally doesn’t start with words like ‘bastard’ and generalizing a group of people, particularly the group of people that I know and have worked with for years of my life, who have by and large been willing to commit their lives and their time to making the lives of other people better,” said Bill Wilke, a candidate for the 2022 Haywood sheriff ’s race.

Wilke did say he would “keep the door open” for conversation.

“It’s incumbent upon us to rise above that and continue to reach out. And I think if they’re willing to reduce that rhetoric and set aside the ACAB and waving the flag to defund the police and stop attacking what’s at the heart of what police officers do. I think that there will be some point at which we can come together, sit down, have a talk, because let’s face it, not all cops are perfect.

Our hiring processes are not perfect.”

Several elected officials attended the Back the Blue rally, including Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, Maggie Valley Mayor Mike Eveland, and Maggie Valley Aldermen Twinkle Patel, and Phillip and Tammy Wight. Almost the entire Maggie Valley police force was at the event, as well as Chief of Police Russ Gilliland who was one of the guests slated to speak to the crowd. Western North Carolina’s Congressman, Madison Cawthorn, RHendersonville, had stated his intentions to attend the event but later rescinded his commitment.

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Cawthorn’s internal poll measures job performance, approval

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR fter almost five months in office, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, has his first look into the major political questions that have arisen during his short, tumultuous tenure — namely, his approval rating among Republicans, the state of the Republican Party and their current opinion of former President Donald Trump.

“The results make me feel really good. I think it definitely shows that when you have the back of the American people, that when you abide by what you said you were going to do in Congress, that when you are true to your word and you’re true to your district and you don’t go all Washington, people have your back,” Cawthorn said.

“We came out with 66 percent of the [Republican runoff] vote, now we’re up to 72 percent and we plan to keep on growing that, by just showing that we’re a serious legislator just as much as we are a fighter against this radical left uprising,” he said.

There are some significant caveats to the survey. Internal polls are, as the name suggests, conducted internally by staffers as opposed to high-priced professional polling firms. This could lead sympathetic pollsters to push for more positive results; however, it’s in no one’s interest to expend all that effort for inaccurate results.

It’s also a Primary Election survey — focused on how the Republicans who will vote in the primary feel about their congressman right now. General Election polls, which may come much later in the cycle, usually have a broader scope and include other voters situated elsewhere on the political spectrum.

This particular poll was conducted using interactive voice response, live landline calls, and online mobile interviews on May 12 and 13, and included only registered Republican voters in Cawthorn’s 11th Dstrict who had voted in at least two of four elections from 2014 through 2020.

Of the 600 respondents — 300 men and 300 women — 59 percent describe themselves as “very conservative” with a further 28 percent saying, “somewhat conservative.”

Moderate, liberal or very liberal Republicans make up about 12 percent of the district’s Republicans, according to the survey.

About 51 percent were aged 65 and older, with 20 percent 55 to 64, 22 percent aged 3554, and 7 percent under 34.

Residents of Buncombe County made up the largest segment of the poll, almost 24 percent. Henderson County weighed in at almost 20 percent, with Transylvania a distant third at 9 percent. Avery, Haywood, Macon and McDowell were all clustered around 5-6 percent, with the rest of Cawthorn’s 17-county district between 1 and 3 percent.

All 600 respondents say they’re extremely 16 likely or somewhat likely to vote in the 2022

Rep. Madison Cawthorn sits in a hallway outside his Washington, D.C. office on Jan.21, 2021. Jeffrey Delannoy photo

Smoky Mountain News

May 26-June 1, 2021

A

been overshadowed on social media by your inaccurate claim about being the first freshman to pass a bill. How did that happen?

Madison Cawthorn: I don’t know if it’s overshadowed, it’s been really celebrated here on the Hill, but um there was a guy named Andrew Garabino (R-NY), a dear friend of mine, who passed a procedural vote before I did. We had called the leadership staff just clarifying that no one had passed a bill yet in the freshmen class, and that was our understanding. But then we found out that Andrew had. I talked to Fox yesterday and Newsmax yesterday giving him props for being the first, but we were still among the first. So I’m quite happy with that. And this bill is something that really demonstrates the fact that you can come up here and be a fighter. You can come up here and be a hard charger for your beliefs. You can still get something done. And I think that’s kind of a new example, a new version of the GOP.

SMN: You’ve also been called out on social media as the freshman who’s missed the most votes.

MC: You know what, if I ever had to choose between going on a honeymoon with my wife and staying here to vote with Nancy [Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the House] and missing a week of votes, I will always choose that. There were no major, really major bills that came up that week. You only get married one time, and Christina already put off a wedding once for us to finish the campaign so definitely it’s something that I knew we’d probably take a hit on, but everyone that I’ve talked to once they find out that it was because I was on my honeymoon, no one has problem with it.

Republican Primary Election, which is good news for Cawthorn — 60 percent say they strongly approve of his job performance to date, and 22 percent say they somewhat approve, while 9 percent say they somewhat or strongly disapprove.

“Everywhere I am across the district, Madison is seen as a true conservative fighter,” said Michele Woodhouse, NC11 GOP chair. “His approval ratings are actually probably much higher than that, but I’m pleased with those numbers as I’m sure he is.”

Favorability ratings for Cawthorn appear similar, with 73 percent saying they hold a favorable opinion of him, against 11 percent holding unfavorable opinions of him. A further 14 percent had no opinion.

If those numbers hold true, it could spell trouble for Buncombe County resident Wendy Nevarez, who is Cawthorn’s first, and so far only, declared Republican challenger.

It could also present a challenge for any of the half-dozen or so Democrats who’ve already signed up to run against Cawthorn in the November, 2022 General Election.

The survey shows that almost 83 percent of NC11 Republicans say they approve of Trump’s tenure as president, and another 8 percent say they “somewhat approve.” The other two choices, somewhat disapprove or strongly dis-

approve, totaled less than 7 percent.

Favorability ratings for Trump also remain high, around 87 percent. Just 10 percent of NC11 Republicans said they held an unfavorable opinion of Trump, and 2 percent said they had no opinion.

“Those are great numbers and not surprising at all,” said Woodhouse. “What would be fascinating would be to see those numbers against Joe Biden’s, because Joe Biden’s America has been disastrous for Americans, and especially for those us in the mountains.”

Of course, there are those who think Cawthorn’s numbers among Democrats and unaffiliated voters will be far lower, especially after another busy week on the Hill.

“Cawthorn likes to rile up his base with fearmongering over a fanciful culture war narrative where far-right Republicans are heroes and everyone else is a villain,” said Michael O’Shea, who was just elected as the Democratic NC11 chair. “Back in reality, a majority of his constituents are independents and Democrats who peacefully coexist with their Republican neighbors and don’t appreciate the constant derision.”

The Smoky Mountain News: That veterans bill that was just passed seems to have

SMN: Getting back to your survey, Trump’s favorability numbers are really high, and I think we saw that play out with the removal of Liz Cheney. Back in January, you told me you voted for her to serve as conference chair, and that the Republican Party needed unity. Last week, you voted to remove her. What changed for you between January and today?

MC: A lot of people were confused about this. We did not vote to kick her out of Congress. I believe that right only should resides with the people who elected her. We just kicked her out of a leadership position of our conference. When somebody is in a leadership position, their job is to really champion the message. It’s really important the person that we demonstrate to the press, they know our message so if you want to hear what we believe, they are a great contact for you, they’re an authoritative source. But Liz Cheney continually just kept kicking us in the teeth. Continually. Just went around in circles about what she believed, did not have our back and just trying to litigate the past, when I’m not focused on the past. I am focused on making sure that dining room politics 10 years from now are better than what we have today, so that when people in my generation are getting married they start saying, “Hey, you know what? I do want to have a child. I think that I have hope for that child because I believe, well, this world is going to be a better place when I leave it.”

F

SMN: As we’re talking about your job performance based on the survey, when you came into the House, the pandemic was probably the biggest issue. You’ve been vaccinated, right?

MC: That’s part of my personal data, when it comes to my health, I share that with my doctor.

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SMN: Regardless, what’s your current opinion, the vaccination situation and what would you say to folks who haven’t yet been vaccinated?

MC: Our vaccination rates are so high that we announced we’re starting to export vaccines, which I think is great that we have access to enough vaccines that anyone who wants one can get one. I have absolutely zero advice for people who have not taken a vaccination yet. I think that would be absolute folly, for someone who’s not a medical doctor to start saying, “Oh, well, I think you should do X, Y, and Z.” You know, I have to guess that’s why our country is in such a terrible state, because you have so many politicians who don’t know much of anything who would just start talking like they’re an authoritative force on something. But you know, I think [vaccination] is between you and your doctor and God, and you should have that conversation.

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SMN: Some people have suggested your vote against that commission might be rooted in your purported involvement on Jan. 6 and your speech at the Ellipse. What would you have to say to those folks?

MC: I think that’s laughable. Anybody who really listened to that, it’s very clear that I was representing them on the House floor. I think there were some bad actors in town on Jan. 6. Intelligence reports that we received showed that there were people who had very orchestrated plans that had been weeks in the works and they were just wanting to take advantage of the fact that there was a huge crowd in Washington. The Capitol police were going to be spread thin because of the number of people and then just a lot of people who came with a lot of diversionary tactics that they used to their advantage. And it was disgusting.

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SMN: I watched the floor vote yesterday on the Jan. 6 commission. It was a voice vote, but I assume you voted no on that.

MC: I absolutely voted no on it. It’s a little narrow scope to say that it’s just going to focus on Jan. 6. It basically puts it on the same level as 9-11, which I think is just kind of insulting to the people who went through 9-11. [The proposed commission] is to focus on the political violence that occurred on a single day. Really, in a calendar year when it turns out that there was political violence for months in 2020, that has never been investigated. As awful as it is that we lost the Capitol police officer due to this riot here on Capitol Hill, I wonder how the wives and the husbands of the six fallen officers that fell here in the Black Lives Matter protest this summer feel when they hear they’re putting on a commission. The scope needs to be brought in to look at all political violence.

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Tribal Council candidates make their case

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER uring the Primary Election next week, Cherokee voters will decide which candidates vying for seats on Tribal Council and the Cherokee Central Schools Board of Education will progress to the Sept.

2 General Election.

This year, all 12 Tribal Council seats are up for election, as well as School Board seats for Wolfetown, Big Cove and Birdtown.

Candidates seeking to represent Yellowhill, Wolfetown or Birdtown on Tribal Council will face a primary contest this year, as will all 12 School Board candidates.

The Smoky Mountain News contacted all 19 Tribal Council candidates in next month’s Primary with an opportunity to introduce themselves to voters. This is the third and final group of responses received.

D

GLORIA “PUNKIN” GRIFFIN

Smoky Mountain News

May 26-June 1, 2021

Griffin, 58, currently represents Birdtown on the Cherokee Central Schools Board.

During her 32 years of employment with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, she has gained experience in fiscal policies, finance, reporting, budgets, contracts, management and leadership. Griffin holds an associate’s degree in administrative office technology from Southwestern Community College as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Montreat College.

Opinion on tribal government’s current direction: “Our Tribe has made tremendous growth but needs to focus on business diversification other than focusing on casino-related purchases. We need to focus on our youth and build family-orientated businesses for them as well as our visitors that are not attached to the casino.

We have spent so much time and money on planning for different family-orientated businesses that never get approved in the final Gloria “Punkin” stage, which are Griffin scrapped and told to move on to something else. This creates wasteful spending and when we build something there are too many change orders, which creates having to do a budget amendment that goes to Council for approval to add more money to be spent on the project. Homes are not being built in a timely manner for our families. We have a beautiful hospital and we still need to work patient care for our people. We have been working on saving our Cherokee language and I would hope to see our arts and crafts being kept alive as well.”

Top priority if elected: “My top priority is to see if we can contract a specialty firm to come in and help our

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Realty Office become up-to-date. Our land records need to be updated and organized as soon as possible. Our Realty Office being outof-date creates problems for our people to get their homes built in a timely manner. Our Realty Office has been behind a long time.

This is not something that just happened overnight. Family homes need to be built at a more affordable price. We need homes that do not cost our members $1,000 dollars a month. We need more childcare for children under the age of 5 years of age. We must add on to our current childcare centers or build new bigger facility to meet our needs.

Continue to work on Cherokee language while adding Cherokee arts and crafts. We need to put more emphasis on these items for future generations to carry on.”

Contact information: 828.507.8174 or P.O. Box 633, Cherokee, NC 28719.

SAMUEL “FRELL” REED Reed, 54, is seeking to represent Wolfetown/Big Y on Tribal Council. His family has resided in Cherokee on Old Soco Road for over 100 years. He is the son of the late Ollie Reed and Abraham Wildcatt, and the grandson of Sam and Lucinda Bird Reed and Bodie and Bessie Wildcatt. He is a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, earned a BLET certificate from Southwestern Community College and Samuel “Frell” served as a law enforceReed ment officer for 20 years. He is currently a Tribal Court Magistrate, where he has worked for 10 years, and owns a small business, Reed Transport Service. Reed has experience in business, law enforcement, tribal programs, the Tribal Court system and the legislative body.

Opinion on tribal government’s current direction: “Recently due to some poor decisions by the current tribal government, the people are distrustful of the actions of our leaders.

I feel that the will of the people is oftentimes excluded when it comes to making important decisions that affect the wellbeing of all enrolled members, such as the recent vote to purchase an outside casino in another state, which had strong opposition including from two former chiefs. We currently lack diversification of income producers and industries for our people to work.

Economic diversification can be obtained by investing in opportunities on and off the Qualla Boundary that provide jobs for enrolled members. I would agree to ventures with outside entities that benefit the EBCI, so that we further provide for our native people. I feel that anything we partake in must have jobs for our enrolled members.”

Top priority if elected: “Partner with or develop some industry on the Qualla Boundary to provide jobs to

Also on the ballot TRIBAL COUNCIL Birdtown • Albert Rose • Boyd Owle • Gilbert Crowe Jr. • Gloria “Punkin” Griffin • Robin Lambert • Jacob George • Cyndi Lambert Wolfetown • Jesse “Fonzie” Sneed • Bo Crowe • Bill Taylor • Chelsea Taylor Saunooke • Sam “Frell” Reed Yellowhill • Tom Wahnetah • T.W. Price Saunooke • Dave Wolfe • Stephanie Saunooke French • Christopher Reed • Shannon Ross • Elvia Walkingstick (Write-in)

SCHOOL BOARD Big Cove • Kristina Hyatt • Lavita Hill • Karen French-Browning • Lori Taylor • Damian Solis Birdtown • Melanie Lambert • Ashford Smith • Bree Stamper • Ray Long Wolftown • Isaac “Ike” Long • Berdie Toineeta • Bucky Squirrel enrolled members. Also develop a technical and/or trade school for our young adults or even working adults who might want to change positions, to fill critical positions in our tribe such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians and others. We have an extreme need for these technical jobs on the Qualla Boundary. I also want to propose legislation for the welfare of children who are being raised by others because the parents are involved in drug use. This not a complete list of what I will work on diligently throughout my career as your Wolfetown/Big Y Councilman. I’ve listened to what your wishes are. I pledge to work together with other Council members, executives and the community at large to lead us towards the future making our tribe stronger.”

Contact information: 828.736.3307 or 828.497.5349.

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Cherokee appeals Catawba casino decision

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into trust as tribal land. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma joined the EBCI in its suit as an intervenor on the plaintiff side, while the Catawba joined as an intervenor on the defendant’s side.

The Catawba — a federally recognized tribe based in Rock Hill, South Carolina — had been attempting to build a casino in Kings Mountain for years. The tribe hoped launching its own gaming operation would provide a needed economic boost to its people, but state laws in South Carolina blocked the Catawba from building one there. Kings Mountain is located just over 30 miles away from Rock Hill. Having the land taken into trust was the highest hurdle the Catawba had to clear to make their planned casino a reality.

However, the EBCI denounced the Interior’s decision to grant the Catawba’s land-to-trust application as “rushed,” “flawed,” and in violation of “the plain language of federal law.” It ran contrary to provisions in the Administrative Procedure Act and the 1993 Settlement Act that set the framework for the Catawba’s status as a federally recognized tribe, the EBCI argued, and Interior’s approval process violated both the National Environmental Protection Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. The tribe also claimed that the DOI arbitrarily ignored the allegedly suspect background of the Catawba’s business partner Wallace Cheves.

The Catawba broke ground on the casino project last July with the intention of opening the first phase this summer.

However, as the lawsuit dragged on the tribe decided to wait on permanent construction until resolving the legal issue. A temporary 500-slot casino contained in prefabricated modular buildings will open this summer, to be torn down once the permanent, 1,300-slot first phase opens next year.

The EBCI anticipates that the new casino could eat away up to $100 million per year in revenues currently enjoyed by its facilities in Cherokee and Murphy.

May 26-June 1, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is appealing an April 16 decision from District Court Judge James A. Boasberg that paved the way for the Catawba Indian Nation to develop a casino in Cleveland County.

The tribe filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday, May 21.

“As Judge Boasberg noted, this issue is complex and his ruling was a close call,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed in a statement. “We continue to believe the Department of Interior violated law in authorizing the Catawba casino, and our appeal is simply the next step in the process to ensure that justice is done.”

In his 55-page opinion, Boasberg examined each EBCI claim in detail but ultimately ruled in favor of the defendants on every count.

“Plaintiffs (EBCI) raise several close and complex questions of statutory and regulatory construction, and the Court certainly cannot fault them for rolling the dice here,” Boasberg wrote. “In the end, though, they come up with snake eyes, as on each claim they either lack standing or lose on the merits.”

The Catawba declined to comment on the EBCI’s decision to appeal, but in an April 16 press release issued after Boasberg filed his opinion Chief Bill Harris said that such an appeal would be “frivolous.”

“This is the right decision and the one we anticipated from the court to reject the litigation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” he said. “We hope this exhaustive review of the facts and emphatic 55-page decision means the Eastern Band will not seek a frivolous appeal and that our two tribes can now work together for the betterment of our people.”

The EBCI filed its initial lawsuit against the DOI on March 17, 2020, five days after the agency approved the Catawba’s application to take 16.5 acres in Kings Mountain

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Open up the records of public employees L

The real steal may come in 2024 To the Editor: Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was removed from her leadership position in the Republican Party for only one reason — she stood firm in telling the truth. Allow that to sink in. Rep. Cheney (daughter of former VP Dick Cheney) courageously stood, nearly alone, against party leaders whose destructive lies endanger our republic. “Remaining silent, ignoring the lies, denying the truth, only emboldens the liars,” she said.

The GOP axed a solidly conservative representative because she refused to accept audacious lies. I was taught by every adult in my life that it was wrong to lie: family members, teachers, employers, churches once taught and practiced this basic tenet.

Noteworthy as well, the Republican Party seems eager to concede this is by no means a conflict of ideas or policy but clearly about character, integrity and reputation. The majority of Republicans seem to consider Donald Trump vital to reclaiming a congressional majority or the White House itself.

Rep. Cheney voted with Trump 93 percent of the time, clearly confirming her party loyalty and conservative leanings. Cheney’s chosen replacement, the vivacious four-term congresswoman from New York (Elise Stefanik), only voted with Trump 78 percent of the time.

Stefanik’s appeal is her willingness to hold the rudder steady on the Republican ship of lies.

America is experiencing a war on truth.

parents — one county away wouldn’t know that when that prospective teacher applied for a job there. When you are a public employee, you are accountable to the taxpayer. Period.

We should know how the people we pay to carry out government duties behave.

What about aggressive behavior or excessive force by a police officer? In many cases his boss would force that officer to resign or get fired, and so he or she walks away without any charges. When that officer applies for a job elsewhere, that police chief has no knowledge of the bad behavior.

That’s why 36 other states already make this information public.

Editor Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Ohio, and Texas allow access to virtually the entire public employee personnel file (minus social security and bank account numbers and the like).

Thirty more states offer access to reasons for disciplinary actions like those contained in SB 355.

In those states, superintendents, sheriffs and police chiefs can make better hiring decisions because they have open access to the employee files from their previous job. Also,

Scott McLeod

ast July, The Smoky Mountain News produced a series of stories looking into police reform following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and other incidents of violence by law enforcement officers. One of the takeaways from that reporting was that good law enforcement officers are, perhaps, more critical of bad cops than the general public.

Former Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton had this to say in one of our stories: “Things do happen, and when they do, we definitely have to make sure we have all systems in place to make sure bad cops don’t get to continue being cops, or go free. Nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop.”

That’s a prime example of why it’s critical that the North Carolina Legislature passes the Government Transparency Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 355), a law that would open the personnel files of public employees who are paid by taxpayers. The bill would allow the public to see the reason for hirings, firings, demotions and promotions, opening a window into the management of public personnel and the decisions around their job performance.

It’s easy to see how this would benefit the citizens of North Carolina who pay the salaries of these employees. A teacher may be forced to resign because of inappropriate texts or suggestive remarks to a student, but the school system — and the

LETTERS Truth is under attack, under siege, and the assailants are our own leaders. Some strike directly (including a former president). Some assail the truth indirectly by their vocal complicity, and many collaborate by their silence.

Fed by Fox News and other manure spreaders, tens of millions of Americans defect to alternative realities where truth and evidence cannot penetrate. In that carelessly chosen bubble people believe massive voter fraud cost Trump the 2020 election and that January 6 (my birthday) was a “peaceful assembly of patriots.” Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), whom I must note, was born precisely on another day that will live in infamy (Nov. 22, 1963), likened January 6 to a “normal tourist visit.” In this optional craziness, Liz Cheney is a traitor, COVID is not dangerous, masks offer no protection, and life-saving vaccines are a sinister plot aimed at driving Christians away from their churches.

These lies have led to possibly hundreds of thousands of otherwise avoidable deaths during the pandemic, and to an unsuccessful but violent attempt to overturn an election, costing more lives.

The GOP becomes more radical every hour. If Rep. Cheney can be axed for her unwillingness to lie, if Republicans are successful in suppressing voting by changing state laws and if they manage to regain control of Congress in 2022, what happens if Trump runs in 2024 — and loses — but asks Congress to override the Electoral College?

Will a partisan cabal of Trump loyalists

school boards and town boards whose job it is to hire leaders like superintendents and police chiefs can look into their personnel records. Unfortunately, groups such as the North Carolina Association of Educators, the State Employees Association of North Carolina and the Teamsters Union are lobbying against passage of this bill. They say it is unconstitutional despite the fact that sponsors listened to their issues and made changes to the bill. What do they have to hide?

What is the value in keeping performance records hidden from view?

In most instances, teachers, law enforcement officers and other public employees are dedicated public servants who take great pride in their jobs. Passage of this bill would reaffirm this, signaling that the state is serious about weeding out the bad apples while acknowledging that they have confidence in these public servants.

North Carolina has one of the worst public records laws in the nation, and passage of this bill would change that. Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, has so far expressed support for the bill, as has Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City. Let’s hope Rep. Mark Pless, R-Canton, joins them and this long overdue measure becomes law.

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

(McConnell- and McCarthytrained faithful) defer to any “rule of law” or yield to Trump?

By purging truth-tellers like Liz Cheney, the Republican Party leaders willingly align with the criminals who attacked our Capitol on January 6. As Mona Charen stated in TheBulwark.com: “Beware: The real steal is coming.”

David L. Snell Franklin

How about the Second Amendment?

To the Editor: In a recent letter to The Smoky Mountain News a retired military man stated, “Among all the other abhorrent and anti-American acts Comrade Beijing Biden and his cabal are perpetrating is endeavoring to take all firearms away from law-abiding Americans.”

Later in his letter he refers to “… this unprecedented act.”

This is a reminder of how little legislation

has been enacted to regulate guns in the last 25 years. Readers, look this information up for yourselves. Don’t take my word for it.

Don’t believe the NRA’s propaganda either.

Biden is not going to “take all firearms.”

The writer focuses only on the second part of the Second Amendment and omits the first part. The entire amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Contrary to what the writer states the amendment does not provide absolute gun rights. If it did, why even include the first 13 words?

To those who want to protect gun rights as provided in the Constitution this ex-sailor will stand with you. Will you stand with those who want a “well-regulated militia?”

Dave Waldrop Webster

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.

May 26-June 1, 2021

Smoky Mountain News

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BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR hen the entire music industry shutdown last year, acclaimed singer-songwriter Edwin McCain wasn’t necessarily concerned with not being able to hit the road and perform onstage, something the 51-yearold has been doing for the better part of the last three decades.

“I’ve always had multiple side hustles going since the beginning of my career, much to the chagrin of my wife,” McCain said recently over the phone from his Upstate South Carolina home. “When everything stopped, I was like, ‘See, this is why I do all these other things, in case of some weird interruption or my career comes to an abrupt end.’ [Laughs].”

Those “other things” are a wide-range of endeavors: owner of a land clearing/grading business, creative consulting/business development for an anti-virus software entity, spokesman for a forestry mulching equipment group, and a partnership in a medical waste company.

But, for most of us, McCain is well-known and regarded for his work in front of a microphone, a distinct voice which propelled the singer-songwriter onto some of the biggest stages in entertainment, backed by his smash singles “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask for More” — melodies that continue to be spun every day on radio stations and covered by performers the world over.

And, for many years, McCain has also

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Smoky Mountain News

Want to go?

And I could not ask for more A conversation with Edwin McCain

Edwin McCain. remained a fixture at the legendary Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam in Asheville, an intricate, vibrant rock scene and brotherhood McCain has been part of since he first entered the national circuit in the early 1990s.

In his older age, McCain doesn’t yearn for the mega-stardom heights of his younger years.

And there’s no bitterness, either, for the haphazard nature of the music industry.

No, Edwin McCain is just happy to, well, be happy and alive, this truly humble, introspective being — one filled with sincere gratitude for his past successes, and for the glorious unknowns of a future with head held high.

Smoky Mountain News: Aside from the chaos of everything, what was your takeaway from the shutdown? What were you up to?

Edwin McCain: Well, it definitely forced me into the social media paradigm. I had never really engaged with social media at all. I didn’t post stuff on Instagram, that was all done through our office. I’m just one of those old farts that didn’t believe it was a valid method of transmission.

[Then], I started doing Facebook [live streaming] shows. I really enjoyed those, we raised money for all kinds of different causes.

And, as a result, I ended up kind of getting into TikTok, which is fascinating to me, because there’s all these young musicians on there and they’re able to reach crazy amounts [of people].

I don’t know if it’s the short nature of [TikTok], but I haven’t figured out why it’s so

“If you can get on [TikTok] and be compelling in 60 seconds, then you’re just as valid as anybody … So now, all that matters now is: Are you connecting with an audience? Is what you’re doing compelling enough to make them want to find out more? It’s been a revelation, for sure.”

— Edwin McCain

compelling. I think it really suits that ADD mind. There’s this ability for younger artists to market and work on how to be compelling.

It’s sort of made a meritocracy out of the music [industry]. If you can get on there and be compelling in 60 seconds, then you’re just as valid as anybody. And the ability that kids have to make high-quality recording off a desktop computer in their bedroom has leveled the playing field considerably.

So now, all that matters now is: Are you connecting with an audience? Is what you’re

Singer-songwriter Edwin McCain will hit the outdoor stage at 7 p.m. Friday, June 4, at Silverados in Black Mountain.

Tickets are $25 per person. Parking is $10. Doors open at 5 p.m. A full bar and pubstyle food menu will also be available onsite.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.silveradoswnc.com and click on the “Outdoor Concerts” tab. doing compelling enough to make them want to find out more? It’s been a revelation, for sure.

SMN: But, then I wonder, too, is if they’re missing out on something? I mean, how much do you subscribe to that whole idea of “paying your dues” on the road and grinding away?

EM: [My friends and I] had that discussion last night, [the idea of] making a direct connection from your audience to the artists. One of the artists in the chat was of that [younger] generation.

His take on it was that artists [today] are going to pick the route they want to go, [whether] to be exclusively producing content from home and be fully digital with no live performance, or some hybrid of that, or be a purist and only play live.

You know, for us who come up in the “van and trailer” days, and the struggle of trying to make it to a point where you could support yourself by playing music, we sort of romanticize it. I know I do. And I always tell [younger artists] that’s the best part of your career.

You won’t tell stories from that time when you’re successful, but you’ll tell the “van and trailer” stories, because they’re the best stories.

But, it would a remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that when we [hit radio and chart success, that timing] was equally as important to anything we ever did — we came along at exactly the right time.

SMN: And a digital platform will also never replace the incredibly beautiful, cosmic nature of live performance.

EM: Right. So, that’s why I think [the music industry] will end up being two different things: [digital content and live performance].

You have these online guitarists that have this technical ability to play crazy complicated stuff. But, then I’ll go and put on Jimmy Herring [of Widespread Panic] or Derek Trucks [of The Allman Brothers Band].

And the difference between [those guys and the online players] is palpable because it’s a lifetime of experience, soul and emotion that’s being put into the notes that are being played, as opposed to video game accuracy.

[People like Jimmy and Derek] have dedicated their whole lives to understanding how to soulfully communicate music to an audience, and it shows — that’s why they’re who they are.

This must be the place

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May 26-June 1, 2021

Racin’ with the wind, and the feelin’ that I’m under

Times,” when the live music industry was flourishing, and with no end in sight.

Grabbing the microphone, I stood atop the stage in front of the Piedmont faithful and gave my spiel. It is truth that many of the performers there are just ‘round the corner for their inevitable fates as some of the most promising acts coming out of Southern Appalachia right now: 49 Winchester, Abby Bryant & The Echoes, Them Dirty Roses, Jive Mother Mary.

Eat hearty amounts of signature Carolina barbecue in the artist catering tent. Find shade wherever and whenever.

Find water bottles and hydrate. Find cheap beers in the cooler to continue the quest into a rollickin’ weekend. Introduce more bands. Shakes hands with old friends and new acquaintances. Damn, it felt good to be back in the groove of things after radio silence for over a year.

With the sun fading behind the tree line of the dragway, the temperature started to drop, finally. From 90 to 80, and then some.

With the final act onstage, my emcee duties were done, at least for this year’s gathering.

Shake the hands goodbye. Pack up the gear. Strap down the cooler. Crank the truck engine and aim the nose for Greensboro, for hotel rooms and prime airconditioning, not to mention a chance to wash up quickly and Uber to the nearby college bars in downtown.

So long Power & Sound Revival. So long to those haunting melodies and motorcycle burnout contests. So long to the hatchet throwing and spur-of-the-moment tattoos.

So long to my old friends and those new.

See all of you down the ole dusty trail at the next festival, next show and/or chance encounter in this whirlwind of life and tone that we call our daily existence.

The midnight hour rolls by at The Corner Bar in Greensboro. Sipping a draft beer, thinking about what transpired that day. Pondering what mischief that I’ll find myself immersed in tomorrow, the following weekend perhaps.

Sip the pint glass with a slight grin. One happily exhausted journalist and music freak right then and there. And it ain’t even Memorial Day yet. Good lord. The summer and all its unknown adventures are right around the corner. And I say bring it on. See you at the rock show.

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

arts & entertainment

friends seated across the breakfast table from me. Voices groggy from a wild night in the Piedmont. Laughter echoing through the Terrace Room. What was that person from last night’s deal? Did you see what I saw?

Did that really happen?

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD Saturday morning in Waynesville. Pack up the truck with camping gear.

Stock the cooler with cheap beer and Gatorade. Wait on my buddy to show up and hit the road for the inaugural Power & Sound Revival just south of Greensboro.

Located at the Piedmont Dragway in Julian, the music festival featured an array of folks and organizations one would deem the “counterculture:” wild-n-out motorcycle groups, custom classic van collectives, renegade factions from all walks of life and locations, all while sprinkling in a hatchet throwing booth and mobile tattoo parlor, all amid some of the finest outlaw rock and alt-country acts in the Southeast. My kind of place, truth be told. My kind of people, too.

The organizers of the revival are good friends of mine from within the North Carolina music scene, to which I was asked to be the stage emcee, to rile up the crowd and embrace what it means to be in the presence of the sacred realm that is live music, of being “in the now” in a moment of bliss shared together.

The Power & Sound Revival.

Rolling up to the Piedmont (photo: Garret K. Woodward) Dragway, it was a landscape of joyous mayhem. Motorcycles hours away from the humble abode in roaring around the steamy pavement.

Waynesville. The hotel room temperature Classic rock and country gold radiating from was a cool 65 degrees, but it was already the open windows of classic muscle cars and over 80 outside on the hot pavement in the vans. The sounds of cold beer cans being depths of the Piedmont. cracked open. The vibrating noise of the It was 9:50 a.m., with breakfast served mobile tattoo parlor when you walked by the until 10. Hop out of bed, throw on your y eyes shot open when the air-conditrailer towards the backstage area. shorts, socks and shoes. Throw some water tioning unit kicked on. It took me a Busted up tour vans and shaggy musion your face and stumble on down the hallcouple of moments to realize where I cians with heavy guitar cases emerging into way, down the elevator to the Terrace Room was. Our room was dark and silent. The the hot, hot heat of the backstage. Like for watered down coffee, lukewarm eggs, queen-sized bed, sheets and pillows were standing in an open pizza oven. If this is sausage, homefries, and orange juice made extremely comfortable, and damn well betmid-May, how damn hot is it when the actufrom concentrate. ter be if you’re paying a pretty penny to stay al summer rolls around? Sheesh. Shake No matter, as the foggy memories of at the Wyndham Garden in Greensboro. hands with the old road dogs, many of Saturday were rehashed with one of my best Sunday morning and a little over three which hadn’t been seen since the “Before

Smoky Mountain News 25

arts & entertainment

On the beat

‘An Appalachian Evening’

The Maggie Valley Band.

Americana, indie in WNC The Maggie Valley Band will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at The Gem taproom

at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

The group will also hit the stage at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

The show will be a celebration of the band’s latest EP, “Something New Vol. 1.” A blend of old-time mountain, Americana and psychedelic folk music, the Haywood County group is fronted by siblings Whitney and Caroline Miller.

The duo has gone through several changes since they first set out on their melodic adventure several years ago. But, what remains is the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, something that’s become a stronghold — and strong suit — in what it will take to break into the next level of their promising careers.

Both shows are free and open to the public. For more information, click on www.themaggievalleyband.com.

Smoky Mountain News

May 26-June 1, 2021

Frank & Allie. (photo: Terri Clark Photography) The “An Appalachian Evening” series will return to the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

Performers include The Jones Brothers & Julie Nelms June 5, Frank & Allie June 12 and Buncombe Turnpike June 19. The three shows are free and open to the public.

All June shows will be live streamed at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube, with a link available at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com prior to the show. A special online performance by The Kruger Brothers will be held June 26.

Ticketed shows will include The Jeff Little Trio July 10 ($25), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road July 17 ($15) and Darin & Brooke Aldridge July 24 ($25).

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or click on www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• 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 www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) 9 p.m. May 29. Free and open to the public.

828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Woolybooger (Americana/folk) May 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.342.5133 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Woolybooger (Americana/folk) May 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host a special dinner show with Sheila Gordon (vocals/piano) at 7 p.m. June 5. Cost is $62 per person, which includes the meal.

Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Kate Thomas May 28 and Granny’s Mason Jar May 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m.

Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Western Carolina Writers May 28, Arnold Hill May 29, Syrrup 4 p.m. May 30, The Realtorz June 4, Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/country) June 5 and Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. June 6. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or 26 www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends and Shane Meade & The Sound (Americana/indie) at 7:30 p.m. May 28 and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) 6 p.m. May 30. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” May

WOOLYBOOGER Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 8 p.m. Friday.

May 28, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. He will also hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

Both shows are free and open to the public. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

28 and June 4, The Log Noggins May 29, Granny’s Mason Jar May 30 and Brown Mountain Lighting Bugs June 5. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.

888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” series will host The Jones Brothers & Julie Nelms June 5, Frank & Allie June 12 and Buncombe Turnpike June 19. The three shows are free and open to the public. A special online performance

by The Kruger Brothers will be June 26.

Ticketed shows will include The Jeff Little Trio July 10 ($25), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road July 17 ($15) and Darin & Brooke Aldridge July 24 ($25). 828.479.3364 or www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Outlaw Whiskey May 29, Blackjack Country June 3 and Tricia Ann & The Wolfpack June 5.

All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends and Scoundrel’s Lounge 3 p.m July 25.

828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.

‘Memorial Day Mashup’ Presented by Adamas Entertainment, the inaugural “Memorial Day Mashup” will be held from 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant in Waynesville.

Live music is back with a vengeance in Waynesville. Three bands. Three genres. Onstage in the parking lot of Mad Anthony’s in downtown.

Performers will include Brothers Gillespie (Americana/indie), J.J. Hipps & The Hideaway (rock/blues), and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals (jamgrass) Music kicks off at 4 p.m. Admission is $15 at the door (card/cash accepted).

All proceeds at the door goes to paying for the bands and PA system.

A wide selection of craft beer will be flowing from the Mad Anthony’s taps.

Fresh gourmet pizza and wings also available onsite from Dough Boys.

On the street arts & entertainment

Nick Breedlove photo

Open call for vendors Artisans, crafters and food vendors are invited to submit their application for the Greening Up the Mountains festival, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, in downtown Sylva.

Sponsored by the Town of Sylva, GUTM is the premier spring festival for Western North Carolina. This year’s festival seeks artisans and crafters selling their own handmade products.

Please visit the festival’s website, www.greeningupthemountains.com to review the 2021 Vendor Policies and download your application, which will be accepted through June 30.

For more information, email the event coordinator at greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

The annual “Spring Market Day” will kick off at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 29, in downtown Franklin.

Sponsored by the Streets of Franklin Heritage Association, the event showcases the goods of downtown merchants.

Hometown Spring Market Day also features handmade arts and crafts, small businesses (that don’t have a storefront), home based businesses, as well as nonprofits.

“Spring Market Day” will also include Airing of the Quilts, an outdoor quilt show

with nearly 100 quilts displayed throughout the downtown area. www.franklin-chamber.com.

‘Rockin’ Block Party’ The highly popular “Rockin’ Block Party” will return from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 29, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Performers will include the 96.5 FM Band and the Waynesville Brass Band. No animals allowed at downtown events. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host a special dinner show with Sheila Gordon (vocals/piano) at 7 p.m. June 5. Cost is $62 per person, which includes the meal.

Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

ALSO:

• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for

dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. www.mountainlovers.com.

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

828.631.3075.

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

Smoky Mountain News

On the table

May 26-June 1, 2021

‘Spring Market Day’

27

arts & entertainment

On the stage

On the wall

Pasquale LaCorte.

‘THE CREATIVE MUSE AT WORK’ The exhibit “Inspiration: The Creative Muse at Work” will run June 4-26 at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville. The showcase will feature works from our current retail artists: Diannah Beauregard, Linda Blount, Barbara Brook, Bonnie Calhoun, Susan Remi Dawkins (pictured), Allison Gernandt, Gayle Haynie, Jude Lobe, Jennifer Sharkey, Debbie Skelly, and Cheryl Summey. www.haywoodarts.org.

Last call for ‘Say Goodnight, Gracie’ stars of film and radio, and eventually had a successful television show in the 1950s.

The show offers an unforgettable tour through a century of entertainment.

Audiences will be transported with treasured video clips, audio and pictures from the life of these comic icons.

All seats are $20 general admission.

Door opens 30 minutes prior to the performance.

To make reservations call the HART Box office at 828.456.6322 at any time and simply leave your name, phone number, the number of tickets you would like held and the performance date on the recording.

May 26-June 1, 2021

Starring Pasquale LaCorte as George Burns, “Say Goodnight, Gracie” will be held over for more performances following a high demand for tickets. The production will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. May 28-29, and 2 p.m. May 30 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

“Say Goodnight, Gracie” is an evening with one of the entertainment industry’s most celebrated figures. George Burns lived to be one hundred years old and was a major star until he died. He performed in Vaudeville in the 1920s and in the 1930s he teamed up with Gracie Allen, whom he would eventually marry. The two became

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Botanical art workshop Norma Hendrix, retired art professor at Western Carolina University and founder/director of the internationally recognized arts organization Cullowhee Arts, will lead a two-day botanical art workshop June 14–15 at Lake Logan Conference Center in Canton.

Participants will learn to make graphite rubbings, embellished with collage. This workshop is for any level, including beginner.

The art of frottage, or “rubbings,” is a printmaking process done without the need of a printing press. Using simple graphite sticks, an accurate impression of plant material is “rubbed,” onto vellum paper.

These rubbings become the basis of further creative exploration using collage mate-

• “Faces,” an exhibit of drawings by the late Ron Hunnicutt, who passed away in February, will be held through the end of June at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 828.524.3600.

• “Spring Fling Art & Craft Walk” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 29, in downtown Dillsboro. Live music and craft demonstrations. 828.707.2004.

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture,

rials, watercolors, and dry media, such as art graf chunks, and colored pencils.

Overnight single, double occupancy and commuter options are available. For more information, click on www.lakelogan.org/event/botanical-artworkshop or call 828.646.0095.

Celebrate Smokies flora The exhibit: “Celebrating the Flora of the Smoky Mountains” will run through May 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom on Main Street in Waynesville.

The exhibit will showcase our beautiful native wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and trees, all from local and regional artisans. www.haywoodarts.org.

illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV. • Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City.

Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and a strolling musician. Leashed pets welcome. Outdoor event. Current Covid19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced. 828.488.7857.

ALSO:

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

On the shelf arts & entertainment

Reflections on spirituality, creativity and art

Adult summer reading program

earth, water, fire and air are the building blocks of our world, both physical and metaphysical.

From current non-fiction to ancient folktales and mythology, to even our basic personas, many of our greatest stories and truths alike are inspired by the nature of the four elements.

This summer in the Great Jackson County Read, let’s explore how earth, water, fire, and air manifest in the books we read. Check out the library website (www.fontanalib.org) for some

reading suggestions from the library staff.

This year, the library is encouraging you to sign up online using the website www.fontanalib.org/summer. Sign-up begins now, and on June 1 you can begin submitting your pages.

For more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

Jeff Minick

of the New Creation.” Out-and-out nonbelievers will struggle with Fujimura’s observations on art and creation.

Yet nearly everyone can appreciate Fujimura’s thoughts on such writers and painters as Emily Dickinson, Vincent van Gogh, and Wendell Berry. All three of these creative spirits, and others, are “calling us to the deep resonance of the Spirit, already at work to create the New.” In this same chapter Fujimura also discusses Kintsugi, which again was unfamiliar to me. If I understand rightly, this is the art of repairing broken porcelain with gold linings that make them more valuable than the original. Fujimura uses Kintsugi as a sort of metaphor for the repair of our culture and ourselves. He writes, “When Making honors brokenness, the broken shapes can come into focus as the necessary components of the New World to come …. A journey toward the New begins with an experience of raw authenticity of brokenness, tears, and healing.”

Born in 1960 in Boston, Fujimura grew up in Japan, returned with his family to the United States when he was in high school, graduated from Bucknell University in 1983, studied traditional Japanese art back in Japan, and is a writer and film maker as well as an internationally known artist. In Art + Faith, he mentions various international exhibits in which his work has appeared and some of the artists he has known.

The three aspects of Art + Faith that most impressed me are his emphasis on the idea of Making as a spiritual act, his erudition, and his command of the English language. For Fujimura, Making (the capitalized word is his construction) has to do with creation. He speaks of the divine nature of creativity, and I do not believe he limits his definition of creation only to the artist, but to all “Making” by human beings. In other words, the woodworker who builds a beautiful table, the mason who constructs a lovely serpentine brick wall, or the seamstress who creates original striking dresses are all participating in the religious act of creation.

To support these arguments, Fujimura brings into play not only his knowledge of the Bible but also such writers as T.S. Eliot, Dante, and Emily Dickinson. While William Blake is a major influence on his work, he has also studied the paintings of Mark Rothko and other moderns, and has read various theologians.

And the man can write. If Art + Faith didn’t belong to the library, the book in my hands would be marred by dog-eared pages, stuffed with bits of paper marking certain passages, and filled with underlined sentences and notes on the margins, all reminders of his fascinating observations and opinions.

In his Foreword to Art + Faith, N.T. Wright observes, “Makoto Fujimura is one of those rare artists with the ability to explain what he does, why he does it, and how his vocation makes sense within his larger worldview. Since this worldview is explicitly and intricately Christian, this makes him doubly rare.”

Five stars for this intriguing reflection on art.

(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make the Man. minick0301@gmail.com)

It is time again for the “Great Jackson County Read,” the adult summer reading program from Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

This year’s theme is “The Four Elements: Earth, Water, Fire and Air.” The four elements of

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tion of Art + Faith, Fujimura’s writing is drenched in Biblical references and meditations on Christian thought. He describes the interplay between his own spiritual beliefs and his art, writing, for example, “Imagination gives us wings to create, but it is through Christ’s tears and the invitation to the feast of God that we can be partakers

May 26-June 1, 2021

Sometimes a book can overwhelm us with its energy and its wisdom.

Like most readers, I love when a writer, especially one completely unknown to me, reaches out from the pages, grabs me by the shoulders, and says, “Listen to me!”

And so I do.

Mark Helprin’s A Soldier of the Great War took me in this way, so much so that I have given away almost a dozen copies of that novel, mostly to young men in their twenties. For me, Helprin’s saga of an Italian soldier in World War I and the Writer aftereffects of that conflict on his life is a primer in manhood.

Long ago, when I myself was in my twenties and trying to read as much as I could with the intention of becoming a writer of fiction, the beauty of the writing I found in Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby just blew me away. Even today, 40 years later, I can open that novel at random and marvel at Fitzgerald’s magical talent with words and sentences.

In my personal library are dozens of other such books — novels, poetry, essays — that have become treasured friends. They inspire me in my own writing, offer consolation in the bad times, and still possess the power to move me deeply no matter how many times I have revisited them.

This past week I’ve found yet one more of these jewels.

I was at the public library, looking over the “New Book” shelves, when Makoto Fujimura’s Art + Faith: A Theology of Making (Yale University Press, 2020, 167 pages) reached out and tugged at my sleeve.

I confess I’d never heard of Makoto Fujimura, and if it was indeed a book on faith, then why, I wondered, wasn’t it in the Dewey Decimal 200 section, which is the holding area for religious books? At any rate, I opened Art + Faith, read a few pages here and there, and knew immediately that not only was Mr. Fujimura coming home with me, but that I needed to add him to my permanent collection.

A word of warning to some readers of this review: Despite the library’s classifica-

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

This still-healthy American chestnut tree growing wild in Western North Carolina bursts with nut-filled burs.

TACF photo

RESTORING A GIANT EBCI partners to resurrect the chestnut tree

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ex Mann’s father was the kind of storyteller whose voice would make everyone in the room stop what they were doing, come and listen.

“In many of his stories, he’d talk about this special tree, the American chestnut, and what it meant to his people,” Mann told the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Timber and Natural Resources Committee last August. “His voice would be animated, and he would say, ‘The wood of the chestnut was amazing. It lasted forever. It was slow to rot.

The chestnut fed our livestock, the game we hunted, and us. We never had any money, so in the fall the whole family would gather chestnuts by the sackful and carry them to the country store, where we swapped them for things we had no money to buy, like shoes for the kids.’

“Then he added, ‘But that was before the blight.’”

Mann, director emeritus for Ashevillebased The American Chestnut Foundation, grew up in Kentucky hundreds of miles away from the forests of Western North Carolina.

But the same towering chestnut trees that formed the backbone of his native hills once covered these mountains too. And the same fungal blight killed them both.

The chestnut blight, accidentally imported

R

from Asia, was first observed in New York City in 1904. It spread like wildfire, and by the 1950s there were no mature chestnut trees to be found in the 200 million acres that once housed an estimated 4 billion of them.

Because the blight kills only the above-ground portion of the tree, American chestnuts still exist in the wild, but only as shrubs sprouting from the stumps of fallen giants, doomed to die long before they touch the sky.

PARTNERSHIP WITH CHEROKEE Since 1983, TACF has been working to reverse that fate, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is poised to become a key player in the effort.

“We’re just getting started, and it’s exciting to think about the research opportunities that are going to go on after we’re gone from here,” said EBCI Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Joey Owle.

Mann came to Cherokee at the invitation of Painttown Representative Dike Sneed, whose father Jimbo and Mann’s late father were fast friends, united by their calling as Baptist ministers. Mann was eager to share his life’s work — restoring the chestnut tree — with these family friends whose culture and way of life have also been impacted by the chestnut’s disappearance.

On April 21, atop a pristine mountain on tribal reserve land in the area of Cherokee’s Wolfetown community, the tribe and the nonprofit signed a memorandum of understanding for a four-phase partnership to establish a

demonstration orchard for a blight-resistant form of the chestnut tree on tribal lands. For more than 40 years, TACF has been working to develop an American chestnut tree capable of withstanding the blight’s ravages and reclaiming its place in the forest canopy.

That’s no longer a far-off goal. Within a decade, efforts could begin to plant chestnuts throughout their historical range.

It’s “overwhelming,” said Samantha Bowers, director of philanthropy and external affairs for TACF, to think that in as little as five to 10 years, “we will have the true answer to, ‘Are we ready to gear up our production and get this restoration show on the road?’”

The trees about to get planted in the 4-acre demonstration orchard established with the MOU are the product of a project TACF has had ongoing since 1989. The trees are seventhgeneration backcrosses with the Chinese chestnut tree, which does not succumb to the blight like its American cousin. The backcrosses are created by breeding a Chinese chestnut tree with an American chestnut, then breeding the hybrid offspring with another American chestnut, and breeding that offspring with an American chestnut — and so on, until producing a hybrid tree that retains the Chinese blight resistance but in every other way presents as the American species.

The 25 trees that TACF donated for the Cherokee partnership are fifteen-sixteenths American chestnut, and just one-sixteenth Chinese. They’re blightresistant but grow like the American species — though it remains to be seen if any characteristics associated with the Chinese species come out as the trees get older.

Under the first phase of the partnership, the EBCI will get the orchard established, which includes working out a site design and taking exacting care of the transplanted trees to ensure successful establishment for as many as possible.

In the second phase, the tribe will gather genetic material from at least 20 American chestnuts from the Qualla Boundary and surrounding area for grafting into the orchard’s disease-resistant chestnuts. This will improve the genetic diversity of the blight-resistant stock, giving the species more genetic tools to survive — and hopefully thrive — in the wild.

The third phase will involve controlled pollinations between disease-resistant and wild chestnuts conserved by the EBCI, and a seed orchard will be established with this regionally adapted material. Finally, in phase four, the partnership seeks to repopulate the Qualla Boundary with disease-resistant American chestnuts harvested from EBCI orchards.

TACF already has partnerships in place allowing chestnut plots in locations across the tree’s native range, but this year the organization will apply for grants with the U.S. Forest Service to fund landscape-scale restoration tri-

als on national forest lands in six or possibly seven states — North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maine, and maybe Georgia.

“These will take about five to 10 years for us to monitor, and with successful results that we’re hopeful for, we’ll be able to deem that the chestnuts we have to date are ready to compete in the forest environment,” said Bowers.

MULTIPLE APPROACHES The hybrid backcross project is the longest-running in the effort to restore the chestnut, but it’s just one of three approaches scientists are now studying.

At the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, researchers have inserted a single wheat gene to create a genetically modified chestnut tree that can coexist with the fungus that wiped out its ancestors. The wheat gene creates an enzyme that breaks down the acid the chestnut blight fungus produces, rendering it harmless. It’s an exciting development, because while the seventhgeneration backcross tree contains more than 10,000 genes that originate from the Chinese chestnut, the transgenic tree from SUNY contains only one gene that does not come from

Before the blight, American chestnuts were once a staple in the diets of people, wildlife and livestock.

TACF photo

the American chestnut.

“This is going to be a pure American chestnut in all its characteristics,” said Bowers.

“That’s a very exciting potential there.”

Meanwhile, scientists at the University of Maryland and West Virginia University are studying the biocontrol method of blight protection. This approach uses a virus to weaken the chestnut blight fungus, allowing the tree to survive infection.

These two approaches are much more heavily regulated than the hybridization method that TACF has been using for decades. Before transgenic chestnut trees or biocontrol organisms can be released out into the world, researchers must gain approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration, all of which require public comment periods as part of the process. Bowers estimates it will take about two more years for the

B

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Smokies names new deputy superintendent The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s long-time Facility Management Division chief has been named as the park’s new deputy superintendent.

Alan Sumeriski has led the facilities division since 2007 and has served multiple detail assignments as acting deputy superintendent in the Smokies, also filling other leadership roles at the National Park Service’s national and regional offices.

“Alan is a well-respected senior leader in the National Park Service with over 30 years of experience in managing some of the most complex operations in the National Park Service, and I’m honored to select him as the next deputy superintendent of the Smokies,” said Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash. “As acting deputy superintendent, Alan has consistently provided strong and innovative parkwide leadership to help us meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Sumeriski replaces former Deputy Superintendent Clay Jordan, who left the Smokies last year for a superintendent position at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California.

Sumeriski has received many leadership awards during his NPS career, including the 2020 Facility Manager of the Year Award for the NPS, the 2019 Facility Manager of the Year Award for the South Atlantic Gulf Region and the 2010 Park

Employee of the Year Award for the Smokies. He oversees 150 permanent and seasonal staff who care for 384 miles of roads, 146 bridges, 152 historic cemeteries, 27 water and sewer systems, 10 campgrounds, 11 picnic areas, 848 miles of trails and over 100 historic structures and

outdoors

Alan Sumeriski. NPS photo landscapes. He’s led the way on major projects such as completion of the Foothills Parkway’s “Missing Link” in 2019, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Collections Preservation Center and $100 million worth of infrastructure improvements through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

May 26-June 1, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

to successfully restore a tree that once composed a quarter of the Appalachian hardwood population, said Bowers.

Saving the chestnut impacts far more than just that one species.

“We must understand that everything that lives in these mountains is interconnected,” said Mann. “Everything affects each other. When we lose a species, it rips a hole in the fabric of the ecosystem that never recovers in our lifetime.

Other trees will take over the space where the dead trees once grew, but they can never play the role that the original trees played.”

SUNY researchers have run a number of experiments to investigate the Accompanied by EBCI Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources transgenic tree’s impact on a Joey Owle (left) and TACF Director Emeritus Rex Mann (right), Vice Chief wide range of Alan “B” Ensley and TACF Director and CEO Lisa Thompson sign the species, includmemorandum of understanding April 21. TACF photo ing wood frog tadpoles. For the last century, tadpoles have been able to feed “That’s going to be years down the road only on maple and beech leaves, but SUNY before we even consider taking a look at researchers found that their growth rate those opportunities,” said Owle. increased when they fed on American chestnut leaves, whether transgenic or wild. If LUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE tadpoles across the eastern U.S. could once more access these more nutritious leaves, These newer approaches — especially what ripple effects might emanate up and the transgenic approach — have ignited down the food chain? some controversy among environmental “It makes you think that nature misses advocates. Even as some organizations like the chestnut more than we even know,” said TACF hail the transgenic tree as a vital tool Bowers. in the quest to restore a native species, othWhile TACF’s focus thus far has been ers decry it as a dangerous alteration of the exclusively on restoring the chestnut, the natural order that’s being considered withorganization sees its work as creating a out research into its potential long-term blueprint for future restoration of the myrieffects. During a virtual press conference ad native tree species now under attack held in October, leaders of five organizafrom invasive pests. Since the death of the tions opposing the transgenic tree spoke on chestnut, disease has devastated the the subject, including B.J. McManama of American elm and the white walnut. The the Indigenous Environmental Network. emerald ash borer is now killing ash trees “Today, there remain large areas of traby the billions, and the hemlock wooly adelditional and treaty lands on which much is gid is well on its way to taking out the eastforested and managed as sovereign territory ern hemlock, along with the shade these of many different Native American peotrees provide to mountain trout streams. ples,” she said in a press release. “These Emerging diseases threaten black walnuts forests are not only a source of economic and oak trees. self-determination but hold great cultural In his speech to the Timber and Natural significance to include sacred sites where Resources Committee, Mann said that, the trees are an element of sustenance, without using cutting-edge science to save knowledge and familial identity. Every livthem, those trees are doomed. He coming being within the forests are related in pared the choice before today’s leaders to some form, and nothing within these lands the one he faced years ago when a doctor lives in isolation, therefore changing or diagnosed him with Stage 4 Hodgkin altering the original instructions of any one Lymphoma. He had to choose whether to or any part of these elements threatens the seek treatment or let nature take its course. natural order established over millennia.”

He chose treatment, which led to remission.

Bowers acknowledged that there’s no “We’ve made significant progress in way to answer the question about long-term restoring the chestnut tree,” he said. “The effects right now, but said that to save the tree will be restored, but perhaps even more chestnut “we have to be willing to take that importantly, by doing so we are blazing a risk.” trail for using cutting-edge science to restore It will take all three tools — hybridizathe other trees that we are tragically losing.” tion, gene modification and biocontrol —

federal government to give its answer on the transgenic tree and three to four years on use of the biocontrol method.

The partnership between the EBCI and TAFC could eventually include use of these more cutting-edge approaches. However, any use of transgenic trees or biocontrol would occur years in the future. For now, the tribe is just planting hybrid trees and working to engage its members in the effort.

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outdoors

NOC celebrates its 50th season Nantahala Outdoor Center is open for its 50th season, with new venues, courses and events in 2021.

Expanded courses at the NOC Paddling School allow kayakers to learn new skills and experience Southeastern

rivers, and the Relia’s Lost Kitchen dinner series — offering five-course meals served with wine, bourbon and beer pairings — kicked off this month with a sold-out Orin Swift Wine Dinner. Whitewater trips have launched on seven rivers and aerial adventures are now underway to high demand.

NOC’s 500-acre campus in Bryson City now offers two new food and beverage venues, including Slow Joe’s, a renovated coffee and donut shuttle bus, and Little Wesser, a beer venue offering New Belgium beer and custom beer blends.

A full calendar of live music from regional and local bands, as well as the return of well loved events like Women’s Paddlefest and river releases, are expected to make the season great.

Stay up-to-date on NOC events at www.noc.com/events.

Guide rates swim spot safety On Memorial Day weekend, MountainTrue will launch a new service that offers up-to-date water quality results for more than 65 popular recreation areas

Western Regional Director Callie Moore collects a water sample.

MountainTrue photo

The Bluffs reopens on the Parkway

May 26-June 1, 2021

The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway will reopen under new management on Thursday, May 27.

Heritage Dining and Events, LLC, led by Sharon Pinney and Chef John Gamradt of Boone brings a combined 35 years of experience in the food service industry to the historical restaurant at milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Alleghany County. When it originally opened in 1949, it became the first dining establishment on the Parkway, but it’s been closed since 2010.

The restaurant will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, featuring traditional Southern fare with a fresh and savory, modern approach.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Daily Bar Service SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY: • Lunch

Smoky Mountain News

THURSDAY TO SATURDAY:

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• Lunch & Dinner

Experience a Casual, Relaxing Atmosphere perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.

1819 Country Club Dr. | Maggie Valley, NC | M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M

in Western North Carolina, northeastern Tennessee and Towns and Union counties in Georgia.

Every Wednesday, MountainTrue volunteers and staff collect water samples and

Kids fish free Kids can give fishing a try during the more than 25 events planned statewide over the coming weeks to recognize National Fishing and Boating Week, which is June 513.

All events are free for children, with no license required, and participants at each one will have the chance to win prizes, including a statewide grand prize drawing for a lifetime sportsman license and a freshwater lifetime fishing license. Additional prizes include tackle boxes, rods, reels and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The events are offered through a partnership between the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Neuse Sport Shop and Trout Unlimited North Carolina. At many sites, the Commission will stock fish prior to the event so as to give anglers a better chance of reeling something in.

Local events include: n 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at Cullowhee Creek by the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Open to ages 7 to 13, with a participation limit of 40. David Davenport, poopaw3@yahoo.com or Jackson County Parks and Recreation, 828.508.2992. n 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at Cliffside Lake in Macon County. Open to ages 15 and younger. Registration offered upon arrival. Richard McClure,

then rush to process, analyze and post those results at www.theswimguide.org by Thursday afternoon.

The website and companion smartphone app geolocate users to provide a list of nearby testing sites that either pass or fail U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for E. coli in designated swimming areas. E. coli bacteria and other harmful pathogens make their way into waterways from sewer/septic system leaks, cattle accessing streams and stormwater runoff — especially runoff from animal agricultural operations without riparian buffers. E. coli serves as an indicator for the presence of other more harmful microbes, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella and norovirus.

Find the guide at www.theswimguide.org.

828.524.6441, ext. 421 or rmmcclure02@fs.fed.us. n 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, June 4-5, at Lake Powhatan in Buncombe County. Open to ages 12 and under. Register on-site the day of the event. Lorie Stroup, 828.877.3265 or loriestroup@fs.fed.us. n Noon to 4 p.m. Monday, June 7, and 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, June 8, at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Two-day fly-fishing school for six participants 12 and up. Lee Sherrill, lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org, 828.877.4423. n 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 10, at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. On-the-water fly fishing class with equipment and materials provided. Ages 12 and up. Registration required. Lee Sherrill, lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org, 828.877.4423. n 9 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at Max Patch Pond in Madison County. Open to ages 15 and younger. Registration available upon arrival. Brandon Yearack, 828.689.9694, ext. 105 or Brandon.yearack@usda.gov. n 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville.

Tanya Poole, Tanya.poole@ncwildlife.org. n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at Lake Tomahawk in Buncombe County.

Michele Raine, 828.669.2052 or Michele.raine@townofblackmountain.org.

For a full list of fishing events, visit www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/news/documents/nfbw-2021-list-of-events.pdf.

outdoors

Grandfather Mountain offers a striking backdrop for the vibrant hues of rhododendron blooms.

Victoria Darlington/Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation photo

Visit rhododendrons in bloom It’s the height of rhododendron season at Grandfather Mountain, and a series of guided walks next week will offer a chance to see it up close.

From May 29 through June 6, 20-minute guided walks will be offered at 2 p.m. to highlight Grandfather Mountain’s various rhododendron species and blooms.

Learn more at www.grandfather.com.

Go birding Meet the birds of Haywood County with a pair of upcoming birdwatching trips organized through Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

Head to Graveyard Fields on Wednesday, June 2, or check out Cataloochee Valley on Saturday, June 12. Both excursions begin at 8 a.m., include 2.5 miles of walking with a difficulty rating of moderate, and are led by guide Howard Browers.

Register at 828.452.6789.

Explore the MST

May 26-June 1, 2021

Hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail with Haywood Waterways Association during an 8.5-mile trek Saturday, June 5.

Steve Winchester will lead this adventure from Soco Gap to Waterrock Knob, following the headwaters of Soco Creek in the Plott Balsam Mountains through mixed hardwood forest with some open vistas.

With an elevation gain of 1,960 feet, the hike is rated moderate to strenuous. It’s

part of Haywood Waterways’ Get to Know Your Watershed series of outdoor recreation activities.

The group will meet at 9 a.m. and return by 2 p.m. The event is free for Haywood Waterways members with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers. Space limited. No dogs. Hikers should bring their own lunch and water.

RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4669, ext. 11.

Earn a boating safety cert

Pedal Franklin’s greenway The Nantahala Bike Club will sponsor a community social ride starting at 10 a.m.

Saturday, June 5, at Friends of the Greenway headquarters in Franklin.

Friends of the Greenway will have hot dogs, drinks and food for sale and a social ride will follow along the greenway, highlighting the new Main Street under-bridge connector. The event aims to highlight improvements and future vision for the

greenway.

828.369.8488.

Smoky Mountain News

A boating safety course will be offered 6 to 9 p.m. June 2-3 at Haywood Community College, giving participants a shot at a certification required to operate vessels propelled by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater.

Participants must attend both sessions and pass a written exam. The free course is offered as a partnership between HCC and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Register at www.ncwildlife.org by selecting the “Learning” tab.

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outdoors

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Photograph blue ghost fireflies at the Cradle of Forestry in America and skip the crowds by signing up for a workshop with Brevard-based photographer Bobby Bradley and FIND Outdoors naturalists.

Workshops last from 8 p.m. to midnight and are scheduled for Sunday, May 30, and Monday, May 31. A mini workshop and equipment overview will kick off the night, as well as a review of Bradley’s past images and a discussion of techniques needed to achieve optimal results. The group will then head out on the Cradle’s 2 miles of paved Quantity 50 30 50 30

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Play pickup soccer Play pickup soccer Tuesday nights in Waynesville this summer.

Games will be played from 6 p.m. to sundown every week at Allens Creek Park, open to anyone age 16 or older.

Free. Offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks. 828.452.6789.

828.452.2313

Log backyard biodiversity

479 Dellwood Rd Waynesville

www.kimsrx.com Smoky Mountain News

trails to scout locations and learn about blue ghosts with a FIND Outdoors naturalist. Once it gets dark enough for the fireflies to emerge, participants will split into pairs in at least three locations, and Bradley will rotate between the groups to offer tips and advice. Shooting will wrap up at 11 p.m., and participants will return to the building to review images.

Attendance limited to six participants.

Cost is $200. Register at www.cradleofforestry.com/event/blue-ghost-photography-tours.

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

Help win a regional competition to crown the 2021 champion of biodiversity by logging your outdoor observations on the iNaturalist app from June 5-19.

Jackson, Transylvania and Watauga counties will compete during MountainTrue’s annual BioBlitz event.

Download the iNaturalist app, and under the “Projects” menu join the 2021 MountainTrue BioBlitz as well as the individual projects listed for Jackson, Transylvania and Watauga counties. Then, start logging observations.

Scores will be tallied for each county

and for individual participants, with prizes and bragging rights to the winners. Prize categories include overall best observation, most total observations, most species, most birds, most arthropods and most fungi.

MountainTrue will also recognize as the County Champion of Biodiversity the county that receives the most observations of unique species. Counties will also receive recognition for most participants and most observations submitted.

During last year’s iNaturalist BioBlitz, 97 observers documented more than 1,100 unique species. This year, MountainTrue is expanding the blitz from one county to three hoping to record even more species and make a greater contribution to the region’s scientific record.

Go coon hunting 34

The Jackson County Coon Hunters Association will host a night hunt and bench show Saturday, May 29, in Sylva.

The bench show will start at 5 pm., and the one-hour night hunt will begin at 9 p.m. The group will meet at 44 Oak Hill Drive. Matthew Bryson, 828.508.6465.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Sept. 29 at the Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. The bonfire is free and open to the public. For more information, call 800.438.1601 or click on www.visitcherokeenc.com.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • With Heart Projects will host its first Annual Charity Golf Tournament at 12 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Waynesville Inn and Golf Resort. This is a four-person captain’s choice tournament, entry fee is $250 and registration begins at 11 a.m. For more information contact Gabriel Frazier at 229-315-4240 or on With Heart Projects Facebook and Instagram.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • As part of Mental Health Month in May, Vaya Health will present three virtual screenings of “Suicide: The Ripple Effect” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, May 25-27. If you would like to view the film, visit www.vayahealth.com/event/suicide-the-rippleeffect/ at 7 p.m. on one of the days listed above to register. To learn more about local mental health and substance use services, call Vaya’s toll-free, 24/7 Access to Care Line at 1-800-849-6127. For more information visitwww.vayahealth.com.

• Waynesville Yoga will host a restorative session with Amber Kleid and Shutri Nadis from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23. Cost is $25 plus donations for musicians. For more information about what to bring or to register contact the Yoga Center at 828.246.6570 or hello@waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer pickleball lessons for ages 16 and up at the Waynesville Recreation Center every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon and every other Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for new and novice players. Sign-up sheets are available at the Old Armory and the Waynesville Recreation Center. Free for members and $20 for 10 play days for non-members. For more information call 456.2030 or email dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

A&E

• The inaugural “Memorial Day Mashup” will be held from 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant in Waynesville. Presented by Adamas Entertainment, performers will include the Brothers Gillespie (Americana/indie), J.J. Hipps & The Hideaway (rock/blues), and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals (jamgrass). Music kicks off at 4 p.m. $15 at the door (card/cash accepted).

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host a special dinner show with Sheila Gordon (vocals/piano) at 7 p.m. June 5. Cost is $62 per person, which includes the meal. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Western Carolina Writers May 28, Arnold Hill May 29, Syrrup at 4 p.m. May 30, The Realtorz on June 4, Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/country) on June 5 and Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) at 4 p.m. June 6. All shows begin at

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Woolybooger (Americana/folk) May 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.342.5133 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Woolybooger (Americana/folk) May 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Kate Thomas May 28 and Granny’s Mason Jar May 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” series will host The Jones Brothers & Julie Nelms June 5, Frank & Allie June 12, and Buncombe Turnpike June 19. The three shows are free and open to the public. A special online performance by The Kruger Brothers will be June 26. Ticketed shows will include The Jeff Little Trio July 10 ($25), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road July 17 ($15), and Darin & Brooke Aldridge July 24 ($25). 828.479.3364 or www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Outlaw Whiskey May 29, Blackjack Country June 3 and Tricia Ann & The Wolfpack June 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

FOOD AND DRINK • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host a special dinner show with Sheila Gordon (vocals/piano) at 7 p.m. June 5. Cost is $62 per person, which includes the meal. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

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

• Bryson City Wine Market will host weekly wine flight tasting events from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The market will also serve wine by the glass from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Starring Pasquale LaCorte as George Burns, “Say Goodnight, Gracie” will be held over for more performances following a high demand for tickets. The production will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. May 28-29, and 2 p.m. May 30 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Visit harttheatre.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • An art class titled “Milk Carton Town” will be taught at Waynesville Art School from 1-3 p.m. on Friday, May 28. Ages four and older are welcome. Registration is required, cost is $25. For more information and to register call 828.246.9869 or visit waynesvilleartschool.com/register-online.

• An art class titled “Best Friends (play-doh)” will be taught at Waynesville Art School from 1-3 p.m.

Smoky Mountain News

Saturday, May 29. Ages 5 and older are welcome.

Registration is required, cost is $25. For more information and to register call 828.246.9869 or visit www.waynesvilleartschool.com/register-online.

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

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • The exhibit “Inspiration: The Creative Muse at Work” will run June 4-26 at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

Outdoors

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will host fourpart fly fishing courses as well as fly fishing expeditions throughout the summer. The cost for each set of four classes is $10, each expedition also costs $10. For more information, dates or to register, visit https://haywoodcountync.gov/720/Fly-Fishing.

• Play pickup soccer Tuesday nights in Waynesville this summer. Games will be played from 6 p.m. to sundown every week at Allens Creek Park, open to anyone age 16 or older. Free. Offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks. 828.452.6789.

• The Master Gardener In-Person Plant Clinic will be open starting in June on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. at Haywood County Extension on Raccoon Road. Master Gardeners will be available to help gardeners with all gardening questions.

FACES

OF

35

• The Jackson County Coon Hunters Association will host a night hunt and bench show Saturday, May 29, in Sylva. The bench show will start at 5 pm., and the onehour night hunt will begin at 9 p.m. The group will meet at 44 Oak Hill Drive. Matthew Bryson, 828.508.6465.

• Haywood County Parks and Rec will lead a hike to from Waterrock to Black Rock at 8 a.m. June 2. The hike will be led by Kevin Fitzgerald and Greg Shuping. Hikes are $10 per person, paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a birding tour at Graveyard Fields at 8 a.m. June 2. The tour will be led by Howard Browers. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• The Nantahala Bike Club will sponsor a community social ride starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at Friends of the Greenway headquarters in Franklin.

Friends of the Greenway will have hot dogs, drinks and food for sale and a social ride will follow along the greenway, highlighting the new Main Street underbridge connector. 828.369.8488.

HAYWOOD

“E

ven before J.M. Teague Engineering and Planning (JMTE) opened its doors for business in March 2010, Mark Teague knew the importance and benefits of being members of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. The Haywood Chamber has provided value and opportunities for JMTE to demonstrate its commitment to giving back to the community while enjoying the benefits of building both business and personal relationships through networking opportunities, special events and service projects. The Chamber’s website has provided a continuing source of relevant information about Haywood County’s exceptional resources and business opportunities. Moreover, Chamber’s exceptional leadership continues to effectively promote Haywood County locally, regionally, and nationally. Our annual investment in the Haywood Chamber continues to yield immeasurable results. There is company pride in being continuing members of the Haywood Chamber.”

JMTE 828.456.3021 HaywoodChamber.com

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Announcements

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Employment THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for a Foster Care Social Worker in Child Welfare. This position will work with foster children and provide services to families where needs have been LGHQWL¿HG 5HTXLUHV OLPLWed availability after hours as needed. The starting salary is $42,102.07, if IXOO\ TXDOL¿HG 0LQLPXP TXDOL¿FDWLRQV LQFOXGH a four year degree in a

Old Edwards Hospitality Group Highlands NC NOW RECRUITING FOR: Assistant F&B Manager, Banquet Captain, Banquet Supervisor, Banquet Server, Restaurant Reservationist, Host, Server, Busser, Bartender, Cook, Pastry & Bread Cook, Dishwasher, Gardener’s Assistant, Reservations Specialist, Front Desk Agent, Bellman, Night Auditor, Room Attendant, Houseman, 2nd Shift Laundry, Warehouse Associate, Retail Associate, Spa Attendant, Spa Concierge, Massage Therapist, Cosmetologist Contract Positions: Fitness Instructor (spin), Makeup Artist

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p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com 36

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+XPDQ 6HUYLFH ¿HOG Preference will be given to applicants with a 0DVWHU¶V RU %DFKHORU¶V Degree in Social Work and/or experience providing Social Work services.

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THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for a Social Worker in Child Protective Services. This position provides in-home services to families when needs KDYH EHHQ LGHQWL¿HG 5HTXLUHV OLPLWHG DYDLOability after hours and on weekends. The starting salary is $42,102.07, if IXOO\ TXDOL¿HG 0LQLPXP TXDOL¿FDWLRQV LQFOXGH a four year degree in a +XPDQ 6HUYLFH ¿HOG Preference will be given to applicants with a 0DVWHU¶V RU %DFKHORU¶V Degree in Social Work and/or experience providing Social Work services.

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& Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available for those who TXDOLI\ HEALTH/NUTRITION COORDINATOR – Haywood County - Responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring health program services for children and their families. Ensure that these services are delivered in accordance with federal, state, and local law, regulations, policies and procedures. Collaborate with other Head Start/ EHS staff to ensure health program services are delivered according to the federal Head Start Program Performance 6WDQGDUGV 0LQLPXP RI %DFKHORU¶V GHJUHH LQ D KHDOWK UHODWHG ¿HOG UHTXLUHG ([SHULHQFH LQ a health/nutrition related ¿HOG DQG RU H[SHULHQFH in preschool education RU UHODWHG ¿HOG )XOO WLPH ZLWK EHQH¿WV PRQWK position. Please apply at www.mountainprojects. org EOE/AA THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for an Adult Services Social Worker. This position investigates reports of adult abuse and neglect and provides case management for substantiated adult protective services cases. This position also provides ongoing case management for guardianships, payeeships, individual and family adjustment services. Other duties include general intake and community outreach VHUYLFHV 5HTXLUHV OLPLW-

WNC MarketPlace

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

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com • Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

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D

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WNC MarketPlace

37

SUPER

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

in child care preferred.

10 months position with IXOO WLPH EHQH¿WV 3OHDVH apply at: www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA HEAD START FAMILY SERVICE WORKERHaywood County. AA 5HTXLUHG LQ 6RFLDO ZRUN counseling, human/ family services. BA preferred.

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Specialist – FT Haywood Co. Applicant should have experience in, but QRW OLPLWHG WR 0LFURVRIW RI¿FH DELOLW\ WR SHUIRUP basic word processing DQG GDWD HQWU\ 0XVW have excellent verbal and written communications skills, demonstrated customer service skills,

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Previous experience with WIOA programs is SUHIHUUHG %DFKHORU¶V degree preferred with 1 year responsible work experience in human VHUYLFHV RU UHODWHG ¿HOG Please apply by visiting www.mountainprojects. org. EOE/AA

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR FIRST UNITED 0(7+2',67 &+85&+ OF SYLVA is seeking D IXOO WLPH 2I¿FH $GPLQLVWUDWRU 7KH 2I¿FH Administrator is responVLEOH IRU WKH ¿QDQFLDO DQG administrative operations of the church. This position directly manages and is responsible for all accounting and payroll functions, oversight of all accounts receivable and payable, maintenance of general ledger, and reconciliation of bank ac-

counts. This position also works with support from RI¿FH VWDII WR PDQDJH membership database, RUJDQL]H FKXUFK ¿OHV DQG prepare communications such as email, newsletters, and bulletins. Degree in accounting and/or administration preferred; PLQLPXP WZR \HDUV¶ H[SHULHQFH UHTXLUHG )RU more information or to submit a resume, please FRQWDFW 5HY 'U 0DU\ Brown, Senior Pastor at marybrown@sylvafumc.

RUJ PDrybrown@sylvafumc.org

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38

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May 26-June 1, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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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 GLVFULPLQDWLRQ¶ )DPLOLDO status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women.

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bknoland@beverly-hanks.com

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