Smoky Mountain News | July 7, 2021

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July 7-13, 2021 Vol. 23 Iss. 06

FOLKMOOT RETURNS inside SECTION

Beloved Canton restaurant celebrates five years Page 22 camping ban at Max Patch Page 30

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CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Small town life in Western North Carolina for much of the 20th Century revolved around industry and local baseball leagues. As we celebrate Fourth of July this week, we also take a look back at one of America’s favorite pastimes in the region. (Page 8) The pen and ink figure on this week’s cover (as well as the drawings in the story) first appeared on the cover of Champion Paper’s May 1960 issue of The Log, a magazine-style employee newsletter that chronicled activity at the company’s Canton, North Carolina facility. Micah McClure graphic

News Labor less of a challenge for outdoor industry ..........................................................6 Maggie Valley discusses RV park rules ....................................................................10 Housing crunch exacerbates WCU’s stagnant salaries ......................................11 UNC president visits Cullowhee ..................................................................................12 City Lights owner to lead Sylva’s Main Street program ......................................13 Another Republican out to oust Cawthorn ..............................................................14 Candidates sign up for municipal elections ............................................................16 Health News ......................................................................................................................19

Opinion A shared space, a shared responsibility ....................................................................20

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Beloved Canton restaurant celebrates five years ..................................................22 Perhaps we all need to laugh a little more ................................................................29

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Forest Service issues two-year camping ban at Max Patch ................................30

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July 7-13, 2021

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Rafters navigate whitewater during a guided Dillsboro River Company trip. tuckshot.com photo

Weathering it better

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hile prominently displayed “now hiring” signs and sign-on bonuses attest to the difficulty many employers now face in staffing their operations, outdoor businesses have been largely exempt from the summer’s labor crisis — just as they were from the faltering consumer demand that rattled many industries this time last year.

“We haven’t experienced the same challenges,” said Andy Williamson, executive director of Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC. Many retail shops and gear builders who never really paused during the pandemic

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have been able to retain most or all of their employees. On the government side, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have both been able to fill their nearly 100 seasonal positions apiece this summer without recruitment issues — though housing in gateway communities was, as always, a challenging factor, said Smokies spokesperson Dana Soehn.

Though labor challenges certainly exist in the outdoor industry — Motion Makers Bicycles is still operating on reduced hours and Tuckaseegee Fly Shop is training up inexperienced recruits to plug the gap — it’s not as monumental an issue in that sector as in other areas of the economy.

A look at the Outdoor Gear Builders’ internal job board underscores that point, Williamson said. Traffic there has been about the same this summer as it was before.

Williamson attributes the outdoor indus-

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July 7-13, 2021

Labor shortage a lesser challenge for many outdoor industry businesses

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try’s protection from the hiring crisis to two main factors: the fact that the industry has been charging full steam ahead since the initial lockdown last spring and therefore didn’t lay off as many people as other sectors did, and the community feel many of the companies foster among their workers.

“While we do experience some of the symptoms that the other industries do, because of our region, because of our assets, because of the community, we were able to weather some of the storms a little bit better,” he said.

WORKPLACE CULTURE KEY TO RETENTION That’s certainly been the case for Bryson City Outdoors, whose owners not only run the shop and taproom in Bryson City but also partner with Motion Makers Bicycle Shop at Fire Mountain Outpost in Cherokee.

“My business partner and I basically had made the decision when we first started the

business that we’re going to provide opportunities for people to make a living,” said Brett Hackshaw, who co-owns the business with Ben King. “So I don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not, but we never laid anybody off during the pandemic, and just have always tried to pay more than others.

Three-quarters of our staff are on salary. This is not a tourist-related business to us. It never stops.”

After a “horrendous” March through May of 2020, the business saw a surge of demand, leaving employees scrambling to meet the need. But everyone came together and made it happen — Bryson City Outdoors retained its entire full-time staff over the course of the pandemic, and it’s not hiring now.

Mary Gelbaugh, who owns Dillsboro River Company with her husband Seth, has had a similar experience.

“We’re a small, tight-knit group, and while we hire around 20 people (for the summer), we have most people return,” she said. “They want to be here. It’s a great summer job for high school and college kids. I had people contact me that want to work, and I told them I was already staffed up for the year.”

Gelbaugh attributes that success to the “family-oriented” operation they’ve tried to build, investing time and energy in staff and building their skills and team spirit during off-hours as well as on.

“Whatever we’re doing works, because they want to be here,” she said.

BUILDING EXPERIENCE IN-HOUSE Dale Collins, who with Bob Bennett coowns Tuckaseegee Fly Shop in Sylva and Bryson City — and soon, in Waynesville — said that while he’s been able to keep the shops and expeditions staffed, he’s had to hire less experienced employees this year and invest more time in training.

“I think a lot of folks in Western North Carolina, when they start guiding, they have big ambitions to eventually move on to other areas of the country to guide, whether it be Colorado or Montana,” said Collins. “And if they’re not anchored here by any family ties or anything holding them to Western North Carolina, they’re going to jump around, so we’ve seen that. We’ve certainly lost some guides to that.”

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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath Q: If someone has pre-diabetes (borderline diabetes) is it safe to eat breads with no added sugar?

A: Pre-diabetes is a fasting blood sugar of 100-125mg/dl / a HbA1C of 5.7%-6.4%. Focusing only on sugar or added sugar is not really looking at the whole picture when it comes to what you are eating. It is important to look at the total carbohydrates in the foods that you eat (see the Nutrition Facts panel) and the portion sizes. Foods with carbohydrates, even if they have no added sugar, will still affect your blood glucose. Carbohydrates are found in bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruits, fruit juices, starchy vegetables, beans, milk, yogurt and other dairy products and beer. Many of these may have little or no added sugar. While this doesn't mean these products need to be avoided; you do need to pay attention to the serving size and balance carbohydrates with protein, particularly lean proteins and non-starchy vegetables.

For more information on pre-diabetes: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptomscauses/syc-20355278 and www.diabetes.org/a1c/diagnosis Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

Smoky Mountain News

Inventory is a challenge for Motion Makers Bicycle Shop owner Kent Cranford as well, but so is staffing.

Motion Makers operates locations in Asheville, Sylva and Cherokee. While enough applicants have come in to fill open positions in Sylva and Cherokee, the Asheville store is about 40% understaffed.

Normally, Cranford faces the reverse situation, with the Asheville store receiving a continual surplus of applications and the Cherokee and Sylva locations often struggling to find employees.

“I’m almost to that point where we’re going to start actually putting ads on the job posting sites, trying to find people, because we’re just not getting any applications,” he said. “Normally we have tons of applications, and it’s just never been an issue.”

Cranford attributes the shortage partially to housing issues — new employees are typically bike enthusiasts who have worked at bike shops in other markets. One of the first questions he asks people who say they want to come work for him in Asheville is whether they’ve lined up housing yet.

“They don’t necessary know how hard it

can be to find a place to live,” he said. “Now it’s even harder than it has been, so new people aren’t coming to Asheville to live at the moment.”

At least not people who are planning to work in frontline outdoor industry jobs.

Cranford isn’t convinced that the federal unemployment supplement is responsible for the shortage. It doesn’t seem like enough to live on, and he knows of several employees who left during the pandemic but never signed up for unemployment benefits.

However, he said, he had thought that he’d get some applicants from the food service sector when that industry got hit hard.

“I was kind of excited, because they’re obviously great at customer service and know how to take care of them,” he said. “We’ve had almost none from that side.”

While Cranford has not yet raised base level wages, his employees are all earning more than they were before the pandemic due to the “pretty elaborate bonus structure” Motion Makers uses. With increased business, employees have in some cases been able to earn almost double their hourly wage over the past 15 months. However, Cranford said, he’s evaluating whether the base level rates need to change as well.

While Sylva and Cherokee are sufficiently staffed, they’re not staffed well enough to get back to pre-pandemic hours. Before COVID-19, Cranford’s stores were sevendays-a-week enterprises. Since the pandemic, he’s been down to six days a week and doesn’t have the staff to add back the extra day. In Asheville, he’s considering going down to five days a week to take pressure off his existing employees.

“We haven’t done it yet, but it’s been a conversation over the last several weeks,” he said. “I hate that it’s tourist season. If we’re not open, they just go somewhere else.”

Meanwhile, inventory is still a challenge, as it’s been for bike retailers across the country since March 2020. While inventory comes in every day, any bike costing less than $1,000 is “just as rare as can be.”

“I have backorders that date back to last July,” he said. “People have prepaid for bikes that we still haven’t gotten for them, and that’s crazy to me. The demand is there.

People are still waiting for them.”

Mtn State Concepts LLC

July 7-13, 2021

Collins and Bennett are normally “very picky” on hiring, Collins said, looking for people to lead excursions and staff the stores who already know the ins and outs of the sport. Now, they’re hiring a significant number of Western Carolina University students who come in with little to no fly-fishing knowledge.

In some ways, it’s good — they’re bringing new people into the sport and recruiting from populations that might not be as likely to grow up learning how to cast a rod. Two of the shop’s recent hires are women.

Hiring hasn’t been hard enough to stop Collins and Bennett from expanding their business to a new town. By Aug. 1, they expect to open up shop at 110 Depot Street in Waynesville. It’s the availability of inventory — not labor — that pushes out the opening date that long. If they get their orders in earlier, Collins said, they might open sooner.

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Tuckaseegee Fly Shop will expand into Haywood County starting Aug. 1, with plans to open a retail shop and guide service based at 110 Depot Street in Waynesville.

“It’s crazy there’s not anyone based out of Waynesville guiding that I’m aware of,” said Tuckaseegee Fly Shop co-owner Dale Collins. “They’re all guiding out of Asheville or Jackson County or Buncombe County. There’s definitely a rich heritage of fly fishing in Haywood County, so we’re glad to bring a brick-and-mortar face to that.”

Waynesville has been home to various fly shops over the years. Roger Lowe operated a well-loved retail shop for years in the 1990s and 2000s but eventually closed it up.

Since then, a couple different enterprises have attempted to fill the gap, but currently no retail fly shop exists in a town that well-stocked with angling enthusiasts.

Collins hopes that the Waynesville store will open him up to a different labor market, drawing people from the West Asheville and Canton areas who wouldn’t drive as far as Sylva for work. He also expects the store’s existence to take some pressure off of the Sylva location.

“We’ll be able to highlight a lot of the great fisheries in Haywood County that traditionally have been great places to fish,” said Collins. “Just another exposure of the outdoor face of Haywood County, so to speak. There’s great water in the Pigeon River.”

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

7

In Western North Carolina, memories of old-time baseball endure

July 7-13, 2021

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT • STAFF WRITER

This July, 1960 photo shows one of the last Champion teams to play WNC Industrial League hardball. The Log photo

or much of the 20th Century, small-town life in Western North Carolina revolved around the largescale industrial enterprises that had sprung up across some of the most rural settlements in the state.

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From Asheville to Sylva — and all points between and beyond — tanneries, cabinet shops, paper plants, textile mills and can companies often served as the economic and cultural epicenters of existence for generations of Appalachian families.

The very fabric of these communities was imbued with the sickly-sweet smell of factory life, the noontime whistle, the bustling teamsters, the promise of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, the chance for a better life in a region traditionally poverty-stricken.

But as those workers rose from their beds in the pre-dawn, scrambling in the dark for an old lunch pail or a dinged up hard hat or a pair of work-worn coveralls on their way out the door in pursuit of that American Dream, it wasn’t always all about the tools of the trade; some of those workers also grabbed a tool emblematic of America’s Pastime — a 8 freshly oiled leather baseball glove.

hampion Coated Paper of Hamilton, Ohio, was organized in 1893 by retired printer Peter Thompson. In 1906, the Champion Fibre Company was established in Canton, North Carolina, by Thompson’s son-in-law Reuben Robertson as a source of wood pulp for the Ohio mill.

According to a photo in a company newsletter called The Log of Champion Activities, the Canton workers almost immediately took to playing baseball.

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The photo in The Log may or may not be slightly misdated (1905), but even if it is, it’s still significant. Baseball had yet to become the international corporate behemoth it is today, mostly due to a lack of mass media coverage.

Even today’s major leagues were still in their infancy at the time; the National League was founded in 1876 to replace the pre-existing National Association of Professional Base Ball Players and a second league, the American League, wasn’t founded until 1901.

Most of what is known about baseball at Champion comes from The Log, a companyissued monthly magazine-style periodical that began in 1914 and continued in that format through at least the 1960s. The Canton Area Historical Museum in downtown Canton hosts a substantial repository of issues, some from as early as 1926.

Usually running about 48 pages, The Log serves as more than just a chronicle of daily life at a bustling early-1900s paper mill. It’s the diary of an entire community.

“As we build our future in Canton, we’ve made it clear that it’s also important to us to honor our past,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s mayor. “What The Log does is, it allows us a

glimpse not only into the past at the paper mill but also a glimpse into the traditions and personalities that we still celebrate today.”

Features, briefs and snippets in The Log record births, deaths and marriages among the company’s workforce, in addition to promotions, resignations and transfers among the company’s Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas divisions.

During the lead-up to World War II, The Log notes Adolf Hitler’s European aggression, as well as that by the Empire of Japan in the Pacific. Some stories mention beefed-up U.S. defense spending as early as 1938. Other stories proudly display the sons of Haywood County in Army green, photographed at boot camps or outposts across the country.

Later would come reports of their deaths in combat, half a world away.

All in all, The Log serves as an important reminder of America’s corporate culture from a bygone era. Its glossy pages show that Champion held company picnics and banquets frequently, hosted retreats at Lake Logan and provided myriad educational opportunities that would allow workers to rise through the ranks at the mill.

Throughout the history of The Log, it’s

A separate entry says Hazelwood won the league in 1932 and 1933, and suggests the team had hit a rough patch ever since.

Player bios read like a who’s who of Appalachian personalities, both past and present. There are Inmans, Wyatts and Truitts. The manager, J.F. Shields, was a native of Cades Cove. R.A. Gaddis had been manager of the Waynesville High School team. Andy Wyatt played for teams as far as Charlotte. Roger Monteith, a Sylva High School grad, had by that time played for 20 years with teams in Bryson City and Greenville, South Carolina.

The roster also notes a familiar figure in Haywood County lore, Clyde “Dutch” Fisher.

Fisher, a lefthanded second baseman, was the captain of the 1937 team and had been with the club for a full decade, after playing three years at Waynesville High School and one year for the Pigeons.

Fisher went on to become Hazelwood’s longtime mayor in 1941, as eventually did his daughter Maryann Fisher Enloe.

For a number of reasons, the league dissolved in 1962, but its impact on generations of blue-collar workers, and on their descendants, hasn’t faded just yet.

Today, the memory of the old Western North Carolina Industrial League as well as Fisher’s legacy are appropriately memorialized in Hazelwood, at a little league baseball field named in his honor.

which the Canton Pigeons — named not for the bird but for the river that flows through town and through the mill itself — would play. The story implores employees to try out for the team, stating that all positions were available “for any player who can deliver the goods.”

WNC Industrial League was just one of a hodge-podge of several dozen semi-pro baseball associations actively competing across the country during the prewar ascendency of Major League Baseball.

On Wednesdays, the Pigeons would host visiting squads at their field across from Canton Middle School. On Saturdays, the

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The Log was Champion’s employee newsletter through the early part of the 20th Century.

July 7-13, 2021

impossible to ignore the substantial recreational opportunities offered to workers at Champion — and later, through the Champion YMCA — all meant to foster unity and comradery among colleagues who might spend their entire working lives together.

There was a bowling team. A checkers team. Horseshoes. Basketball. Softball. Many of the sports offered both men’s and women’s teams, although Black faces rarely grace The Log’s coverage.

Some sports were so popular that the leagues were purely internal, pitting employees in one section of the mill against employees from another. Other sports, like baseball, were highly competitive and had teams that participated in travel ball to play against other teams in what’s generically referred to as “textile league” or “industrial league” baseball.

Champion’s 1905 team played in what was called the KIO (Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio) League, a defunct semi-professional baseball association featuring teams of brewers, butchers or cops. It’s likely Canton’s team was included in this league due to the company’s established presence in southwestern Ohio.

Although there are substantial gaps in the history of the milltown nine, The Log demonstrates the team’s enduring presence. The first verified mention of a baseball team at Champion comes from a May 1937 issue and features both a brutal assessment and a dose of optimism familiar to sports fans of all stripes across space and time.

“Our baseball team has been failing in many ways in the past four years,” it reads.

“This year the fellows are really digging in to make it a success.”

A May 1939 issue contains an early reference to the WNC Industrial League, in

WNC Industrial League was just one of a hodgepodge of several dozen semi-pro baseball associations actively competing across the country during the prewar ascendency of Major League Baseball.

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A February 1957 issue of The Log includes a photo purportedly of the 1905 Champion Coated Paper Company baseball team, which included Logan Thompson, Peter Thompson’s son and namesake of Haywood County’s Lake Logan. The Log photo

Pigeons would travel to play against nearby teams in places like Brevard, Enka, Hendersonville and Swannanoa.

Brevard’s team was sponsored by the Ecusta Paper Corporation, which was established on the banks of the Davidson River in 1939 and produced fine cigarette paper until closing in 2002. The team was known as the Papermakers.

The American Enka Company, the country’s largest manufacturer of rayon fiber, was one of the original Fortune 500 companies and fielded a team called the Rayonites.

Hendersonville’s team was based at a textile plant called Berkeley Mills and therefore took the name of the Spinners. The Spinners’ home field still exists, on Balfour Road, and also appears on the National Register of Historic Places.

Founded in Massachusetts in 1904, the Beacon Blanket Company relocated to Swannanoa near the start of the Great Depression and fielded a team known as the Blanketeers.

From time to time, there was even an Industrial League team in Sylva, called the Plowboys.

Of course, no industrial league in Western North Carolina would have been complete without a team from the Haywood County town of Hazelwood, quite possibly one of the most heavily industrialized municipalities in the region.

Hazelwood was home to a number of major furniture and apparel manufacturers through the 1980s. Accordingly, the team was called the Manufacturers and it garnered regular press coverage throughout its existence in the county’s oldest newspaper.

The April 22, 1937, front page of the Waynesville Mountaineer holds a treasure trove of information on the Manufacturers, and includes a team photo.

That early in the year, the occasion must have been the league’s opening day.

A box showing WNC Industrial League standings lists Enka, Canton, Tryon and Beacon all tied for first at 1-and-0, with Hazelwood, Green River, Sayles and Brevard all at 0-and-1.

Haywood County historian Alex McKay owns this authentic baseball jersey from one of the Hazelwood baseball teams. Cory Vaillancourt photo

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news

Maggie Valley discusses RV park rules

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER draft text amendment to a Maggie Valley ordinance concerning campgrounds and RV parks has sparked a larger conversation about the future of Maggie Valley itself.

According to Town Manager Nathan Clark, the town has received interest from developers to be able to subdivide their proposed RV Parks, but the current approved density yield is cost prohibitive.

At a Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen meeting June 8, there was an agenda item intended to direct the Planning Board to study and make a recommendation to council about providing campgrounds with Planned Unit Development (PUD) status.

According to town ordinance, the purpose of the PUD status is to afford substantial advantages for greater flexibility and improved marketability through permit flexibility in building siting, mixtures of housing types and land use. Residential densities are calculated on a project basis, thus allowing the clustering of buildings to create useful open spaces and preserve natural site features.

There are no density requirements for nonresidential uses as long as the proposed project does not violate the intent of the district in which it is located. The proposed residential density of the planned unit development shall conform to that permitted in the district in which the development is located.

Part of the rationale for allowing campgrounds and RV parks PUD status is that Smoky View Cottages, previously a mixeduse resort, has received PUD status. The town board was reluctant to award another individual development PUD status because of the precedent it would set for allowing any campground/ RV park within the town PUD status that requested it.

“Council needs to decide what they want the valley to look like,” said Mayor Mike Eveland. “This will encourage others to come in, take up all the flat parcels, make a quick buck and leave.”

The primary concern for Eveland at the June 8 meeting was that the board did not have enough information and the issue had

Smoky Mountain News

July 7-13, 2021

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never been discussed by the board.

“When we went to this meeting, we had no information or background stuff on it.

Other than that, we just wanted to send it over to the planning board to look at and decide if they want to make any changes.

That’s one of the first times we’ve had that in a long time,” said Eveland. “Typically, when we’ve done that, there’s been some background information or reasons why somebody’s asking for it or whatever the case may be. My first and primary concern was that we weren’t given that information.”

Normal procedures for such a change hadn’t been followed and some board members expressed concern about changing an ordinance that could have lasting implications for the future of the entire valley.

When the issue was brought up again at the July 1 agenda setting meeting, the board was able to discuss the issue at length.

Though the draft text amendment could affect the entire town, the issue was brought to the table by Frankie Wood, owner of Maggie Valley RV Park LLC and one developer of the coming Ghost Town revitalization.

According to Wood, the RV park that he is trying to develop will not be economically feasible unless he can subdivide it into 15 lots. Without PUD status, he will only be able to get eight lots on the site.

At the July 1 meeting, Clark presented the board with ample information regarding current town rules and ordinances, as well as what information the planning board should consider when discussing the rule change. Clark spoke to the importance of defining exactly what the town wanted to permit for campgrounds and RV parks moving forward. For instance, should PUD status be given only to Class A RVs? “Is this a situation where we want to allow this thing to happen because it’s a very popular trend with class A’s? Or do we want to make it available to all the fifth wheels and pull-behinds? It starts getting really definition heavy, these are the things the planning board will need to think about and evaluate,” said Clark.

Eveland again asked for caution in making a change that would have implications for all of Maggie Valley.

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“Keep in mind, if this was just for one individual property, that would be great. But that’s not the case, we’re changing the actual rules and the ordinance. And I don’t believe that we want to open up the door for campgrounds throughout the valley,” he said.

Wood, who was at the July 1 meeting, spoke openly with the board throughout the meeting, at one point assuring them of his

direct the planning board to investigate and make a recommendation regarding RV PUD at its regularly scheduled board of aldermen meeting July 13. After that, the planning board would make a recommendation on text amendment. Then, 30 days are required to advertise the text amendment before reaching the board of aldermen for consideration of adoption.

intent to develop the RV park in question according to high standards.

“I’m definitely not for the campers. The high-end RV parks, as far as the financial side making something work, to be able to beautify it, you’ve got to be able to make enough money to keep the maintenance up, keep the landscaping, keep everything done that needs to be done,” said Wood.

According to Wood, the Citgo RV park being discussed, due to topography and other considerations, would likely be able to fit 15 subdivided lots, though the maximum density with PUD status would be 18 lots.

The original schedule for the text amendment allowed the board of aldermen to

However, at the behest of Wood, who expressed his desire to begin development as soon as possible, the schedule was moved up.

The town board will still direct the planning board to investigate and make a recommendation at its regularly scheduled, July 13 meeting. The planning board will discuss the issue at a July 15 meeting. The town board adjusted its calendar to hold the August agenda-setting meeting Aug. 10 and the regularly scheduled board meeting Aug. 17. As long as the planning board is able to make a decision at its July 15 meeting, the town board will be able to vote on a text amendment at its Aug. 17 meeting.

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When adjusting for inflation, most faculty salaries at Western Carolina University have fallen over the past decade. Sean Molholland/WCU graphic

University community hopeful for raise in 2021

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UNC system president visits Cullowhee

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The Cat-Tran then took a loop around campus, passing by active and more recent projects such as Noble Hall, Laverne Hamlin Allen Residence Hall, a 1,000-space parking deck and the construction site for the new steam plant, an expensive project that university representatives spent years lobbying the General Assembly to fund.

UNC System President Peter Hans answers media quesThe final stop was the tions during a July 1 visit to Western Carolina University. Moore Building, which was Holly Kays photo completed in 1924 and is the oldest building on campus. demolished last year. The first of the new “This is the new steam plant,” joked residence buildings is expected to open for one member of the tour, pointing to the Fall 2022. likelihood that the university will soon The next stop was a hardhat tour of the make renovations to the old brick building $110 million Tom Apodaca Science a priority when requesting funding.

Building, which is now nearly complete Moore used to house the university’s and slated to open for the fall semester. health and human sciences program, but it The new building will feature 185,000 has been vacant since 2012, when the new square feet of state-of-the-art lab and classHHS building opened on Little Savannah room space. In August, the old Natural Road. Before that it was home to campus Science Building — which in places stands dining and originally served as a women’s just a few feet away from the newly condormitory. Though old and in need of renostructed building — will be demolished vations, it’s still functional and has “good and remade into a quad area. bones,” university representatives told Hans.

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niversity of North Carolina System President Peter Hans toured institutional improvements at Western Carolina University July 1, marking his first visit to campus since the UNC Board of Governors elected him to the position in June 2020.

“It’s thrilling to see 12,000 students strong here now in (this) N.C. Promise institution,” Hans said. “I think that holds great appeal because of the access and the affordability of the ‘Whee here without sacrificing any of the quality. And I only see onward and upward for Western from here.”

Hans, who was president of the N.C. Community College System from 20182020, has visited WCU multiple times in the past while on the UNC Board of Governors from 2003-2015.

Hans rode the Cat-Tran around campus with Chancellor Kelli R. Brown, several administrative faculty members and members of the press. The tour began with a drive-by of the Lower Campus Residence Halls, which are under construction to replace the Scott and Walker residence halls, a half-century old when they were

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July 7-13, 2021

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith the state’s biennial budget process now nearing its conclusion, Western Carolina University employees are hopeful that they could soon see their first permanent raise in three years.

“It’s time,” said UNC System President Peter Hans in an interview during his July 1

visit to WCU. “It’s a matter of recruitment and retention and morale for incredibly hardworking individuals who saw the university through one of the greatest challenges I hope we ever see over the past year with COVID.” Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a 7.5% raise over two years for university and community college employees, while the N.C. Senate more recently passed a budget that included a 3% raise. The House has yet to pass its version, but Hans anticipates that number will fall somewhere between Cooper’s proposal and the Senate’s. The three parties will then

The salary issue is not new. It’s a perennial topic of discussion at trustees meetings and in budget negotiations, but a March 5 Board of Trustees presentation from Sean Mulholland, a WCU economics professor and associate director of the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, shed new light on just how dire the situation is in Cullowhee.

“By all accounts, productivity at Western is incredible,” said Mulholland, showing how the university’s 58.5% six-year graduation rate is the highest of 12 peer institutions listed for comparison. Earlier in that same meeting, trustees had recognized WCU’s Catherine Brewer Smith Distinguished Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders Billy Ogletree for receiving the UNC system’s 2020 Governor James E. Holshouser Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service, an honor that recognized Ogletree’s 28 years at WCU preparing people in the field or new to it to lead the way in supporting people with speech-language pathologies.

“The reason why we have good people like Professor Ogletree is because of investments in the past,” said Mulholland. “And that is why we are doing so well today.”

Over the 10-year period from 1993-2003, inflation-adjusted salaries at WCU rose by 8%, and while the size of the inflation-adjusted

UPCOMING WYC RETREATS

news

Housing crunch exacerbates WCU’s stagnant salaries

have to meet and settle on a final version.

“I’m going to stay after it,” he said. “I know the Chancellor (Kelli Brown) has been a strong and very vocal advocate, and I believe we’ll be successful.”

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A landscaped terrace in the Tom Apodaca Science Building offers a sweeping view of campus. Holly Kays photo

Smoky Mountain News

July 7-13, 2021

M EETING, CONTINUED FROM 11

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increase declined over subsequent 10-year periods, it remained positive up through the 2001-2010 period, when it just barely peeked over the 0% line. From there, the trend reversed, and ever since the 10-year change has been decisively negative, during the 2010-2019 and 2011-2020 periods reaching past negative 8%, according to Mulholland’s analysis.

Administrators are the only faculty members who have seen a positive change in inflation-adjusted income over the 2009-2018 period, at 2.2 percent when excluding interim appointments. Meanwhile, lecturers have seen a 3.78% decrease in inflation-adjusted income, assistant professors have seen a 8.59% decrease and full professors a 9.76% decrease, with inflation-adjusted income for associate professors and instructors plummeting by 17.08% and 17.55%, respectively.

Those figures are significantly worse than the statistics for universities across the nation and in North Carolina.

“You do not see anywhere near the decline

in real compensation that you witness at Western Carolina University,” Mulholland said.

“That is, Western Carolina University is lagging relative to the higher education industry.”

Meanwhile, 80% of staff who fall under the State Human Resources Act of North Carolina are paid below the median compensation for their job title, a $3 million recurring shortfall, Mulholland said.

At the same time, Western employees receive a lower employer retirement contribution and pay a higher healthcare premium than employees at peer universities nationwide.

‘WHY ISN’T N.C. INVESTING IN ITS FUTURE?’ Later in the March 5 meeting, Faculty Senate Chair Kadie Otto highlighted the urgency of the situation, issuing a plea on behalf of the Faculty Senate to bring back cost-of-living increases now.

“The fact that first-year college students

were just five years old the last time faculty had a COLA is confounding. Why isn’t N.C. investing in its future?” reads the report she submitted to trustees.

A month and a half before the meeting, Otto emailed faculty asking them to share how the lack of COLA has affected them, and in response she received 113 emails spanning 55 single-spaced pages of text, she said. A thematic analysis completed by Assistant Professor of Marketing Heidi Dent revealed that 55% of responses expressed frustration, 19% expressed support, 18% concern, 7% fear and 1% hope.

“When I reflect on the time, energy, and effort faculty have put into surviving this crisis, what saddens me most is knowing what faculty otherwise would’ve been doing and thinking,” she wrote.

HOUSING AT THE CORE Mulholland’s analysis dove deeper into that cost-of-living issue. Compared to peer university cities and UNC system cities, in a typical cost of living analysis Cullowhee comes out as middle-of-the road.

“Why is it that we feel as though it’s expensive to live here, but by the COLA metrics it’s not as expensive to live here?” he asked.

The answer, he said, is housing.

“The median house in Cullowhee is an apartment complex,” he said. “It’s not a single-family home.”

Apartments and mobile homes comprise three-quarters of the housing in Cullowhee.

By comparison, in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Pembroke, Wilmington, Durham, Greensboro, Asheville, Charlotte, WinstonSalem, Fayetteville and Elizabeth City — 11 of the UNC System’s 14 university cities — more than half the inventory is comprised of townhouses or single-family homes.

The median home in Cullowhee may well be less expensive than the median home in

peer communities, but university professors don’t want to live in student apartment complexes. However, a three-bedroom house in Cullowhee runs about $300,000 — the fourth most expensive of the 14 UNC communities, said Mulholland.

Due to low inventory, even people willing to buy a $300,000 three-bedroom might not be able to find a house in Cullowhee. Only about 20% of Cullowhee’s houses have three or four bedrooms, with no five-bedroom houses available. That’s the smallest proportion of the 14 UNC university cities examined. In nine of those cities, more than half of the houses have three or more bedrooms.

“It takes a lot to set me off, but when I get set off I get set off, and this frankly doesn’t hurt me. It makes me angry,” said thenChairman Bryant Kinney in reaction to Mulholland’s presentation.

Provost Richard Starnes said the university has been fighting to raise salaries for years, over the last seven or eight years investing $5.5 million in faculty and staff salaries from its own internal funding. But without help from the state, he said, it’s impossible to fully address the issue.

“We just can’t do it alone,” he said. “This is a situation where we’ll need support from the General Assembly to help rectify this.”

The need for salary increases is a discussion at institutions across the UNC system, but many of the issues in Cullowhee are unique to Cullowhee, as evidenced by Mulholland’s housing cost data.

Hans said he’s open to considering Cullowhee-specific solutions to this Cullowhee-specific problem, and that he and Brown are already discussing the pros and cons of various proposals.

“Actually, the chancellor (Brown) and I were meeting on a few creative approaches to this question earlier,” he said when asked about the possibility July 1, “although I’m not sure we’re prepared to unveil that at the moment.”

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ernadette Peters, owner of City Lights Café, has been hired to lead economic development efforts in downtown Sylva.

The town announced on July 1 that Peters had been selected for the part-time position of Main Street economic development director from a field of six applicants.

Town Manager Paige Dowling made the final decision after a hiring process that featured an interview panel composed of the Main Street Sylva Association President, a downtown business and property owner, and Dowling.

Peters will receive an annual salary of $25,000 from the town’s general fund and work 20 hours per week.

In addition to owning a downtown business for the past decade, Peters has also served at various times as MSSA president, chair of the MSSA Economic Restructuring Committee and attendee at two statewide Main Street conferences. Before owning City Lights, she worked in marketing for 12 years.

“We are very excited to welcome Bernadette as our new MSSA director,” said Dowling.

Peters began her new job on July 5.

According to the posted job description, she’ll be responsible for promoting business, marketing and economic development in downtown and the surrounding areas and will also coordinate several annual events held throughout the year, including the Sylva Christmas Parade.

As director, she’ll also be responsible for administering the Main Street Program, which involves a significant amount of recordkeeping, data management, budget development and other tasks. Peters will manage the downtown revitalization program and will be the public face of the Main Street program, both in the press and before local, state and national leaders.

She’s also tasked with finding, applying for and administering grant opportunities to benefit the town and with serving as a liaison between the town manager, town board and MSSA board.

Man takes plea in fatal DWI case

old Roger Dooley of Lake Wales, Florida, who was driving the vehicle Clark’s truck hit, died seven days later in a Georgia medical center.

Roger Dooley’s wife, Brenda Dooley, was airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville with life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones and a lacerated spleen.

Assistant district attorneys Jason Arnold and Jim Moore prosecuted the case.

“As the court decides the path forward, the victims have come into this court for active consecutive sentences,” Arnold told Judge Coward.

“As this court makes its search for justice in this case, the state of North Carolina (the District Attorney’s Office) can’t see how you could reach any other determination.”

Coward sentenced Clark to a total time of 165 to 232 months for two counts of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle. He ordered Clark to pay $7,840 in court fees, submit a DNA sample and undergo a substance-abuse assessment.

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Bernadette Peters Dowling has served as the town’s Main Street Program coordinator since September 2011, and when she was hired as town manager in 2012, she retained her Main Street duties. However, the board has for years discussed the need to hire a separate person to manage the Main Street Program as both that program and the town’s needs have grown.

“Everything has increased through the years,” Mayor Lynda Sossamon said during a 2019 budget work session. “I’m glad we’re doing all this stuff for the town, but I don’t think she (Dowling) can really keep up with all her work.”

The 2020-21 budget included funding for the town to contract with a firm to serve as Main Street Program Director, and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce had been performing those services since July 1, 2020, under a $20,000 contract effective through June 30. During an Aug. 13, 2020, meeting town commissioners voiced concern over how the hiring process was conducted, saying that the MSSA should have been consulted during the process. Peters’ hire came following a search and selection process similar to the one commissioners said they wanted during that discussion.

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District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said a Haywood County man will serve the maximum sentence possible in prison after entering Alford pleas Friday in Macon County Superior Court to a DWI crash that left two dead.

Suspects who enter Alford pleas do not admit guilt but accept there is sufficient evidence to convict and agree to be treated as guilty.

A blood sample showed Jeremy Michael Clark, 28, of Canton, had used methamphetamine prior to an Oct. 31, 2018, wreck on U.S. 64 near Winding Stairs Gap in Macon County. While heading west, his pickup truck crossed the twolane highway’s center line and smashed headon into a vehicle heading east.

Clark’s girlfriend Megan Lurae James, 26, the mother of their two children and a passenger in the truck, died at the scene. Sixty-year-

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Another Republican out to oust Madison Cawthorn

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR s the second Republican to enter the 2022 Congressional Primary field, Bruce O’Connell is certainly looking at a David versus Goliath scenario, but that’s OK — he’s used to it.

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driveway. A few days after that, he filed suit and won.

“The government allowed not only me to reopen, but every national park,” O’Connell said. “Not only did my hundred employees go back to work, but thousands of employees went back to work across the

Bruce O’Connell, owner of the Pisgah Inn, becomes the latest Republican to challenge Rep. Madison Cawthorn. Donated photo

The Smoky Mountain News: You're a Republican, but you've got a Republican congressman in office already. Why would you run against him?

Bruce O’Connell: I supported Madison Cawthorn. I donated to him and I voted for him, but I really think that I understand better what District 11 needs. My 30 years of experience just makes me better suited to solve the challenges of the district. I've got so much experience with dealing with the federal government that I believe I'm better for the job and I believe Madison has not proven that he really represents me. He's not the kind of guy I want leading me. I feel I could do a better job.

SMN: You’re a supporter of Donald Trump. You voted for Trump twice. You said you’d have voted against Trump’s second impeachment, and against the bi-partisan Jan. 6 Commission. Trump is pretty tight with Cawthorn. How do you plan to convince fellow Trump supporters to turn away from the party’s leader?

BO: First of all, I support the policies of Donald Trump. I agree with common sense approaches to government. It's not about what Madison Cawthorn is doing.

It's about what he hasn't done. He's missed a lot of votes and in my opinion he’s encouraging polarization, which I don't want to do. I want to represent everyone in the district and I believe I can bridge the gap and I'm not afraid to fight.

Madison is a good kid. I won't say anything bad about him, but I believe he's just lacking the wisdom and experience that this job needs.

July 7-13, 2021 Smoky Mountain News 14

Hess, Hendersonville veteran Jay Carey and small business owner Katie Dean.

Born in Detroit and raised in Tampa, O’Connell came to Western North Carolina in 1979, when his parents bought into the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. They managed the Inn until he took over around 1985, but his experience fighting against seemingly unsurmountable odds began almost a decade ago.

“In 2013, they shut down the government. We got a notice up there at Pisgah that said we had to shut down the Inn.” O’Connell said. “I went, ‘Wait, it's October, it's leaf season for God's sake.’ I had a hundred employees, and 50 of them were living on the property. This was the last month of the season and they were all banking on making money so when we close [for the season] they would have money to carry them over and I was being told to close. I just got aggravated, I got disgusted with it and I said, ‘I'm not going to close.’”

The next day, park rangers blocked his

country and thousands of visitors got to go back into the national parks.”

It wasn’t long before O’Connell’s supporters began encouraging him to continue the fight.

“People reached out to me and said, ‘You need to run for office,’ and I said, ‘No, I don't want to be a politician. I just want to do what I do,” he said. “I let it go, but there's been this little fire burning in the sense that says the government is just lacking in common sense and somebody needs to get up there and shake them a little bit and bring common sense back to governments.”

O’Connell becomes the second Republican, after Wendy Nevarez, to enter the race against the freshman rep, but a number of Democrats have already lined up to face the winner, including Buncombe Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara, Mills River veteran Josh Remillard, Asheville social worker Bo

SMN: In addition to Trump, Cawthorn will also have a lot of money behind him.

You’ll also need plenty in order to compete. What’s the plan?

BO: I'm learning as I go. I've got a lot of support. I'm trying to build a team to help me, and I'm going to listen and take advice and I'm hoping that I can convince people that I can do a good job and that they'll support me. I'm willing to make the effort, but I need people to help me any way they can. Most people don't have the time to do this. It's really a brutal, thankless job to be up running for political office. I could easily just live my life out and be happy and content, but I've got two grandkids here and I look at them and they give me the encouragement I need just to sacrifice.

SMN: You sound like a pretty mainline Republican. Is there any part of your political consciousness that it leans more to the left than most Republicans?

BO: I consider myself to be socially liberal on many issues. Being in a national park for 40 years, I see the value of being an environmentalist and I see how that can be blended with being a businessman.

It’s in the best interest of my business to preserve and protect the environment. To me, it's a delicate

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One step closer to affordable housing Southwestern NC HOME Consortium is one step closer to receiving annual allocation to bring more affordable housing to the region.

The Southwestern NC HOME Consortium is a group of governments coming together to receive Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds from HUD. The HOME program is a federal grant program that provides funding for decent, affordable housing for low-income households and to expand the capacity of nonprofit housing providers. HOME funds can be used for new construction, rehabilitation, down

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Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Clay and Graham counties participate in the Consortium. Haywood County acts as the lead entity and will be holding a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. July 19, to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the Consolidated Plan developed to guide The Consortium activities and expenditures. To view the draft Consolidated Plan, click on https://bit.ly/swcconplan.

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views about things, for example, the environment. And for that matter, I've been a substitute teacher. I understand education too. I've been in the classroom. I've been at A-B Tech. I've been a substitute teacher in public schools, and I've seen firsthand what I believe is lacking in public education and that is a liberal issue that I think some of the staunch Republicans maybe don't support.

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SMN: What else can you tell me about how you plan to campaign and win what will certainly be an uphill battle against a locally popular incumbent?

BO: I can tell you that I do not want to If I was to get elected, I will not take a be a politician. I have salary, but in fact, I will take whatever no aspirations of political fame. And if salary that I was going to get and I haven't mentioned it, I don’t want the donate it to some cause in the district money either. If I was that'll help the district. to get elected, I will not take a salary, but — Bruce O’Connell in fact, I will take whatever salary that I was going to get and donate it to some they can't get help. But the next thing I hear cause in the district that'll help the district. from people is the environment, which is I'm not in it for the money. I'm not in it for the reason they all wanted to live in political fame or a political career. I'm in it Western North Carolina, because of the because I want to try to make a difference beauty of the area and the environment. for my grandkids.

I can appeal to some of the more liberal

July 7-13, 2021

balance. I was environmental before it was cool. I drive a car right now that runs on waste vegetable oil. I've been doing it for 15 years. I also have been instrumental in setting up cardboard recycling, solar panels, tankless water heaters, double flush toilets, low energy light bulbs. I did this decades ago before it was cool, all because I realized that there's a delicate balance between economy and environment.

In our district, I've listened to people already and the number one thing I hear right now is the economy — getting jobs and employees. The cost of living is so high,

58 percent rebate of property taxes paid

by Drake over the next five fiscal years.

The incentives are based on the county’s economic development policy, which determines the amount of incentives on a sliding scale commensurate with the number of jobs created, the amount of capital investment, and other factors. Drake offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package. Those wishing to work for Drake Software LLC should visit www.drakesoftware.com or call 828.349.5700, extension 4302. The new Waynesville facility is expected to open in August.

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An economic development venture previously referred to as “Project Duck Call” has been revealed to be a new call center for Drake Software LLC. Located on Depot Street in downtown Waynesville, the expansion will bring 40 jobs within three years, and 20 more within five years.

Drake provides tax preparation software and is one of Western North Carolina’s largest employers. Previously, the company had no footprint in Haywood County.

On July 19, Haywood County commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider granting economic development incentives to Drake that would result in a 48 to

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Smoky Mountain News

July 7-13, 2021

news

Candidates file for municipal seats

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he filing period for candidates seeking municipal governing board seats in November began at noon on Friday, July 2, with several challengers and incumbents already declaring their candidacies.

In Haywood County, elections will be held in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley.

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers and Alderwoman Kristina Smith both filed on July 2, seeking reelection. Alderman Tim Shepard, who was appointed to fill the seat of Alderman James Markey after Markey changed his residency midway through his term, also filed for what will be his first full four-year term if he wins.

Maggie Valley resident John Hinton also filed for a seat on the board of aldermen, but as of press time on July 6, no other candidates had filed in any other Haywood races.

Two seats are up for re-election and those seats are currently held by Twinkle Patel and Clayton Davis.

A total of 16 municipal seats are up for election in Jackson County, but as of press time only two people had filed to run.

Incumbent Sylva Mayor Lynda Sossamon and incumbent Sylva Commissioner Barbara Hamilton are seeking re-election to their existing seats.

The open seats include the mayoral office for all four incorporated towns and all five aldermanic seats in Dillsboro. In Sylva, the board seats held by Hamilton and Mary Gelbaugh are up for election, as are the

T

Webster board seats held by Leigh Anne Young, Allan Grant and Danell Moses. In Forest Hills the seats held by Ron Yount and Jerry Rice will be on the ballot.

In Macon and Jackson counties, Patrick Taylor hopes to be re-elected mayor of Highlands, and Thomas Craig will seek a seat on the Highlands Board of Commissioners.

The Town of Franklin will be getting a new mayor as well as a new town manager this year. Mayor Bob Scott, who has served four consecutive two-year terms as mayor after serving on the town council, will not be seeking another term in office.

“Most politicians bow out saying ‘to spend more time with family,’ which is code for getting out before an indictment or a scandal breaks. Not me. I am just too darn old.

Franklin needs a new mayor,” Scott wrote in a resignation-type letter to the editor.

So far, Jack Horton is the only candidate who has signed up to run for mayor. Horton, 70, is currently serving his first term as a Franklin Town Councilmember, but he’s no stranger to local government. He served as the manager of Macon County from 19851991 and from 2008-2013 and as Haywood County’s manager in between.

“I would have run again, but Council Member Jack Horton has filed to run for mayor. Jack is qualified and well known across the state. I can leave knowing that if elected, Franklin will be in good hands with Jack,” Scott wrote in his letter.

Candidates sign up to run in Canton. Pictured from left are Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, Alderwoman Kristina Smith and Alderman Tim Shepard. Donated photo Councilmember David Culpepper’s seat on the board is up for re-election, but he has not yet signed up to run for another term.

The town board seat left vacant by the death of Councilmember Barbara McRae will also need to be filled this year. No one has signed up to run for the open seat yet.

The Town of Bryson City also has two board position up for election. The seats are currently being held by Ben King and Janine Crisp. King, co-owner of Bryson City Outdoors, is completing his first term on the

board while Crisp is finishing up her second term. Neither had signed up to run for another term as of press time Tuesday.

Western North Carolina’s General Elections will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Voters must be registered 25 days before the election in order to vote. The candidate filing period ends at noon on Friday, July 16.

For up-to-the-minute updates on candidate filings, or to register to vote, visit www.ncsbe.org.

— Staff reports

months in prison, followed by supervised probation upon his release. His co-defendants, Natasha Hinde and Ethan Putnam, pleaded guilty afterward.

On June 8, after jury selection, Jose Ax Sub, 37, of Maggie Valley, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree forcible sexual offense and was sentenced to 120 to 264 months in prison.

That same week, Wendell James McCarty, 60, of Maggie Valley waived his right to a jury trial. Judge Steve Warren convicted McCarty of resisting a public officer and exceeding a safe speed.

On June 24, Arthur Willie Rathbone, 53, of Canton, was found guilty of four counts of assault on a governmental official for fighting with Haywood County Sheriff ’s Deputies while being taken into custody on another matter. He received 18 months of supervised probation.

More than 25 cases handled were connected with drug and property crimes, Welch said.

“We want people to be safe in their homes and communities. Districtwide, my office will continue to push for as much court time as we can get in an effort to catch up from the closure of our courts over the past year,” she said.

July 7-13, 2021

Haywood County courts are back in full swing following safety-related case delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are holding jury trials and at a quick pace,” District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said. “With the restrictions lifted from the COVID-19 pandemic, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts was ready to catch up on the back log of cases. My office responded by prosecuting five weeks of court over a six-week span in Haywood County Superior Court.”

Typically, Haywood County has 11 to 12 jury trial sessions a year, and so it was unusual to have trial sessions in back-to-back weeks, Welch said. Her office had requested additional court time, and Judge Letts was able to get permission from authorities to hold more court, she said.

“We disposed of about 72 cases during those court sessions, including jury trials, pleas, probation violations, and other pending matters,” Welch said. “One of the five weeks was administrative court, and the other four weeks were jury sessions. I am grateful to the citizens who heeded the call to return as jurors, as our system of justice cannot work without them.”

On May 27, a jury found Brooke Stites Bushyhead, 39, of Waynesville, guilty of two counts of trafficking in methamphetamine.

After being stopped for a tag-light violation, more than an ounce of methamphetamine was found on her person, along with cash, a set of digital scales and baggies. She was sentenced to 140 to 186 months in prison.

On June 4, a jury found Jon Jeffrey Hinde, 59, of Clyde, guilty of felonious breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods. Hinde and others broke into a cabin and stole various items of property. He was sentenced to six to 17

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Haywood courts back in full swing

Man takes plea in fatal DWI case who was driving the vehicle Clark’s truck hit, died seven days later in a Georgia medical center. Roger Dooley’s wife, Brenda Dooley, was airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville with life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones and a lacerated spleen.

Assistant district attorneys Jason Arnold and Jim Moore prosecuted the case.

“As the court decides the path forward, the victims have come into this court for active consecutive sentences,” Arnold told Judge Coward. “As this court makes its search for justice in this case, the state of North Carolina (the District Attorney’s Office) can’t see how you could reach any other determination.”

Coward sentenced Clark to a total time of 165 to 232 months for two counts of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle. He ordered Clark to pay $7,840 in court fees, submit a DNA sample and undergo a substance-abuse assessment.

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District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said a Haywood County man will serve the maximum sentence possible in prison after entering Alford pleas Friday in Macon County Superior Court to a DWI crash that left two dead.

Suspects who enter Alford pleas do not admit guilt but accept there is sufficient evidence to convict and agree to be treated as guilty.

A blood sample showed Jeremy Michael Clark, 28, of Canton, had used methamphetamine prior to an Oct. 31, 2018, wreck on U.S. 64 near Winding Stairs Gap in Macon County. While heading west, his pickup truck crossed the two-lane highway’s center line and smashed head on into a vehicle heading east.

Clark’s girlfriend Megan Lurae James, 26, the mother of their two children and a passenger in the truck, died at the scene. Sixtyyear-old Roger Dooley of Lake Wales, Florida,

71 North Main Street Waynesville 17

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Smoky Mountain News July 7-13, 2021

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Health

Smoky Mountain News

AMC’s DAISY Award Winners Congratulations to Angel Medical Center’s 2021 DAISY Award recipients Peggy Ramey, RN, CNOR, and DAISY Nurse Leader Award recipient Angie Oates, RN, CEN, CPEN. Peggy serves as a nurse in the hospital’s surgical services department and Angie is a nurse in the Emergency Department. Their awards were presented recently at a ceremony at Angel Medical Center. The DAISY Foundation is a national nonprofit that honors nurses and the amazing care they provide to patients and families.

Health plans now more affordable HealthCare.gov announces new more affordable health insurance eligibility through temporary unemployment provisions within the American Rescue Plan.

As of July 1, households with anyone who received at least one week of unemployment during 2021 are eligible to receive advanced premium tax credits that will qualify them for a $0 to $10 plan on the Marketplace exchange. People qualified for Medicaid (excluding family planning), Medicare, employer-based coverage, and VA benefits are not eligible. The deadline for this enrollment is Aug. 15.

This provision also applies to people in the Medicaid gap and people already eligible for subsidies, but who may want to update their application for a more affordable monthly premium. Apply now and you could have coverage starting Aug. 1.

Free in-person assistance is available in the seven western counties. Information can be found online at getcoveredwnc.org. Mountain Projects can be reached at 828.452.1447.

Preparing for school wellness Harris Pediatric Care and Swain Family Care have partnered with McDonald’s of Sylva and Bryson City to celebrate back-to-school wellness.

McDonald’s is providing a free ice cream cone to children receiving an annual wellness exam at the practices. The ice cream coupon is valid during the month of August 2021. Only one coupon per child under the age of 18 is available for wellness exams.

After a year of remote learning, making an appointment with a pediatrician for an annual check-up or exam ensures a sense of health and safety for the start of the new school year.

tor for Impact Health.

To learn more about employment opportunities or Impact Health, visit Dogwood’s temporary webpage for Impact Health at dogwoodhealthtrust.org/healthy-opportunities.

Call for health project proposals

Peggy Ramey

Angie Oates

When you have a long-term history with your pediatrician, it allows him or her to follow your child’s progress and development over time. It also helps your healthcare provider stay informed of your child’s health history like past illnesses, injuries and immunization records. Yearly checkups are also a great opportunity for parents to ask questions and for providers to help answer any concerns.

Schedule your back-to-school physical today by calling 844.414.DOCS or by scheduling an appointment online on the Find a Doctor page at myharrisregional.com or myswaincommunity.com.

Dogwood forms Impact Health Dogwood Health Trust recently announced the establishment of Impact Health, a new entity formed to manage and oversee the Healthy Opportunities Pilot across Western North Carolina’s 18 counties.

The Healthy Opportunities Pilot is the nation’s first comprehensive program to test evidencebased, non-medical interventions designed to reduce costs and improve the health of Medicaid members. The program will create a systematic approach to integrating and financing services that address housing stability, transportation access, food security and interpersonal safety into the delivery of health care — with a goal of building the evidence base to identify which services are most effective at improving health and lowering health care costs.

Impact Health’s main function will be to provide resources, training and support to a consortium of human services organizations and providers delivering qualifying non-medical services important for improved health outcomes for eligible Medicaid members.

Robyn Hamilton, a seasoned leader with deep organizational and community building experience, has been selected to serve as the executive direc-

SPACE AVAILABLE

Nantahala Health Foundation has announced a call for project proposals from public agencies and nonprofit services providers seeking funding for their innovative plans to strengthen health and wellness outcomes throughout its service area.

The Collaborative Health Innovation Project, or CHIP, grant application window will remain open through Aug. 12. Awards will be capped at $50,000 and will require two or more organizations to work together to meet a regional need.

Successful recipients will demonstrate how their innovative, problem-solving project will improve health and wellness outcomes for individuals living in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Swain, Macon and Jackson counties and the Qualla Boundary.

Three in-person demonstrations have been scheduled for those interested in learning more about the application process related to this grant opportunity. Sessions are set for Tuesday, July 13, in Sylva at Southwestern Community College; Wednesday, July 14, in Murphy at TriCounty Community College; and Thursday, July 14, in Robbinsville at Robbinsville High School.

Registration is required with additional information available at nantahalahealthfoundation.org/grantmaking/ or by calling 828.634.1527.

Hospice House receives grant Hospice House Foundation of WNC was recently honored to be among 27 Western North Carolina nonprofits and public service agencies selected by Nantahala Health Foundation for a 2021 Needs Immediately Met (NIMble) grant.

NHF’s 2021 NIMble grants totaled $204,000, of which HHFWNC received a $10,000 award in support of the purchase of appliances needed for the region’s new Hospice House now under construction in Franklin. The 2021 grant is the fourth grant Hospice House has received from NHF, bringing NHF’s total cumulative support of HHFWNC’s initiative to $82,500, including a $50,000 CHIP grant (Collaborative Health Innovation Project grant) in support of furniture and equipment for SECU Hospice House of WNC. SECU Hospice House of WNC in Franklin will become the only free-standing inpatient hospice facility in North Carolina west of Asheville, serving the six far western counties of North Carolina and the Qualla Boundary, as well as northeast Georgia.

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HCC nurses get pinned The 2021 Region A Nursing Consortium Pinning Ceremony was recently held on the campus of Haywood Community College. Schools in the Consortium are Haywood Community College and Tri-County Community College.

“The pinning ceremony is a significant rite of passage for students, connecting them to the college they attended,” explains Dr. Lorene Putnam, Region A Nursing Consortium Program Director. “In addition, the candle lighting ceremony is symbolic and meaningful. It is the symbolic passing of the professional attributes and knowledge we value and have taught throughout the program that the graduates take out into their own professional practices.”

HCC’s class of 2021 nursing graduates include Madison Rose Brown, Katharine Cecilia Carmichael, Kayla Leigh Cothern, Zebulon Harrison Gentry, Geovanna Jane Lopez, Rebecca Ann Mathis, Carly Elizabeth McDaniel, Savannah Marie McKay, Suzanna Moen, Nicole Nelson, Chasydi Lynne Pressley, Brandon Shane Privett, Analeigh Marielle Pulver, Jessica Leigh Rathbone, Traci Roseanne Sanford, Honey Allyson Thomas, James Ray Trull, Edna Leanne Trull and Erin Joy Warren.

Venture capitalists invest in WNC Hatteras Venture Partners, a North Carolinabased venture capital firm, recently announced the launching of the Pisgah Fund, a $50 million investment fund targeting new and existing high growth, healthcare-related businesses in the 18 counties of Western North Carolina.

The purpose of the Fund is to provide essential capital to help grow companies and create jobs in Western North Carolina. Hatteras closed on the fund in late April. Primary investors in the Pisgah Fund include Dogwood Health Trust and the HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, each with the goal of fueling economic development that in turn improves health and wellness within the region.

WNC native Lauren Pierce Flickinger will serve as the Fund Manager for the Pisgah Fund.

“We are eager to see this fund at work in Western North Carolina,” said John Crumpler, general partner and co-founder of Hatteras. “Our research indicates that this region is poised for post-COVID growth, particularly as individuals and companies move away from high-density regions.

Additionally, Western North Carolina has a rich and diverse mix of businesses and entrepreneurs.

We are excited to leverage that innovative talent and know-how along with the Pisgah Fund’s capital to help catalyze growth in the region.”

Companies interested in learning more about the Pisgah Fund are encouraged to visit www.pisgahfund.com.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

A shared space, a shared responsibility F

Stop destructive timber project To the Editor: I am writing to ask you to act in our behalf to suggest to your readers a modification to the proposed destructive Crossover Timber Project to protect old-growth forests, rare species, backcountry character, and water supplies. Managing for these traits, rather than acting against them, will improve the resilience of Nantahala National Forest and bring local and state agencies into alignment with the values of the broader community.

The destructive Crossover Timber Project as it is currently drafted would log 158 acres of the Ash Cove Backcountry area, 51 acres of North Carolina Natural Heritage Natural Areas and at least 98 acres of existing oldgrowth forests where the conservation organization MountainTrue has documented many trees over 200 years of age. The project would also permanently decommission the western half of the Snowbird Mountain Trail, which should be improved, not decommissioned.

Our local recreation economy should be grown and leveraged for the benefit of surrounding communities.

Unfortunately, this is only the latest project on the Nantahala to disregard the collaborative recommendations of hunters, hikers, anglers, equestrians, timber companies and

and more people are coming to experience what nature has to offer. It makes me happy to see people enjoying the outdoors, but it’s also frightening to see the damage that takes place when people are irresponsible visitors. It’s everyone’s birthright to experience the magic of the natural world. Nature can change people in good ways. If enough people experience the transformative power of it, the world could change for the better. I do what I can to ensure that people have these positive experiences. A positive outdoor experience may unbox a passion that they didn’t know they had. The more people that have Guest Columnist these types of experiences, the more advocates there will be to protect wild places and keep them healthy.

You see, it takes a collaborative effort to protect and conserve wilderness. I can’t do it on my own. With increasing visitation comes increasing impact to the land, and with increasing impact comes the need for more stewardship.

One major realization that I’ve had during my time as a Wilderness Ranger is that more often than not, people don’t have negative intentions in the outdoors. They don’t want to deliberately hurt nature, they are just lacking the awareness of how to minimize their impact. For example, for some people stacking rocks in the stream is a harmless way to relieve some stress and enjoy the water on a sunny summer day. What most people don’t know is that on the bottom of almost every rock in the stream lies the start of the food chain.

Macroinvertebrates such as small nymphs and larva begin

Casey Quarterman

or six years I have been working as a Wilderness Ranger in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. I devote my time, blood, sweat and energy into keeping wild places as wild and natural as possible.

My daily duties often differ, but the objective always stays the same: keep the wilderness wild. I do trail work, pick up trash, pack out abandoned camps, break down fire pits, collect data, monitor invasive species and interact with and educate visitors. Interacting with visitors is a dynamic job duty that is often different with every human encounter, especially over the past two years. More and more people are coming to recreate on public lands all the time. It seems that every weekend brings more people to the woods than the weekend before. Droves of people are coming to experience the many benefits and offerings that nature provides us with.

I can’t blame them, for I am the guiltiest. Nature is everything to me. It has been my passion for as long as I remember.

It’s my playground, church, gym, therapist, stress reliever and office. I am a part of the wild, and the wild a large part of me.

I’ve learned so much from being in the woods, from playing in the creek as a toddler to a 42-day backpacking trip in the rugged Wind River Range of Wyoming as an adult. The beauty, peace, and challenge of being in the natural world has given me some of my best memories as well as some of my biggest challenges and learning experiences of my life. Nature has shaped who I am more than anything or anyone else in this universe. The natural world is so important to me that I’ve devoted my life to protecting it.

The changes I’ve seen in the wilderness areas that I work in have been bittersweet. There has been a booming increase in the amount of visitation in the Pisgah National Forest. More

their lives on the bottom of rocks in streams and rivers. When those rocks are taken out of the water and stacked in the air, or put around a fire pit, those macroinvertebrates die and their vital role to the aquatic ecosystem is never played out.

This is one example of how something that seems harmless to us can actually have a huge negative impact on nature.

The most important thing that people can do to minimize their impact on the land is to be prepared for the area that they are visiting. Whether going on an overnight backpacking trip or just a day hike, be prepared for the unpredictability of nature. Make sure you have your essential items packed. Make sure you know the regulations of the area you are visiting.

Know how to dispose of your waste properly, store food appropriately and how to be respectful of other visitors and their experience. It takes minor preparation to educate yourself on the area you are visiting and how to minimize your impact, but doing this could be the difference between an amazing experience and a terrible experience. You’ll be happy you did, and the forest you’re visiting will be happy you did as well.

We all need to realize that the wilderness is a place where humans are just visitors, but many other forms of life are residents. It is a place where we can get a glimpse of the natural world that is becoming less and less. We can learn so much from observing nature and experiencing the interconnectedness that ties all life forms together. It’s the greatest teacher that we have. If we wish to experience the many benefits the great outdoors provide, we must protect it. Let’s do our part, and keep it wild. Together, we can preserve these natural places so that everyone may enjoy them.

(Casey Quarterman is a Wilderness Ranger in the Pisgah National Forest. caseyquarterman@wildernessstewards.org)

LETTERS other forest users ahead of the release of the next forest management plan. It’s hard not to see this project as an act of hostility towards consensus management by Nantahala National Forest.

There is no reason for this project to be so contentious. We can protect sensitive areas, keep the Snowbird Trail open, and still successfully harvest timber from more than 1,000 acres in the Crossover Timber Project.

Please suggest the removal of old growth, Natural Heritage Areas, and the parts of the forest eligible for backcountry management from this and all future timber projects.

Julian Spain Monroe

In support of clean energy To the Editor: Southwestern North Carolina represents North Carolina’s premier outdoor recreation area. The region hosts one of the largest water recreation playgrounds in the Southeast, as well as two of the nation’s most visited units of the National Park System, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Nantahala National Forest boasts the most visitor recreation user days in

the Eastern U.S. Outdoor recreation drives the regional economy for both tourism and local business development. Recreation-related entrepreneurism abounds and is growing at a record pace annually. Much of this prosperity is a direct result of the abundance of water recreation resources created decades ago by hydro generation. The region is now home to the

largest concentration of whitewater outfitters in the world, and the Nantahala River represents one of the most used rivers in the nation for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. Olympic athletes from all over the world train on the Nantahala, where the Canoe Freestyle World Championships were held in 2013. The Tuckaseegee River has some of the highest concentrations of rainbow,

Cawthorn’s character is highly questionable

brook, and brown trout outside of Montana and Idaho.

Last October, after four years of study, the region was distinguished with designation as the nation’s 85th national water trail: N.C. Smoky Mountain Blueways, consisting of 167 miles of waterways formed by five major rivers, the Little Tennessee, Nantahala, Tuckaseegee, Oconaluftee and Cheoha and the lakes of Fontana, Nantahala, Glenville and Santeetlah including 46 primary access points. The natural landscape of this Little Tennessee River Basin has unparalleled beauty, diverse outdoor recreation opportunities and a strong private and public infrastructure in place for the outdoor recreation enthusiast.

These outdoor water recreation opportunities and the economic benefit they have fed for Southwestern North Carolina are made possible in large part from hydro generation of power and the clean, cost-effective, and reliable energy source it provides.

Duke Energy is a major provider of hydro generation in the region. Smoky Mountain Host of N.C., the region’s destination mar-

keting and tourism development organization, has worked in partnership with Duke Energy for over 30 years to promote the uniqueness of the clean, renewable energy characteristics of hydro power generation and the supplemental water recreation resource it provides to the outdoors enthusiast and tourism economy.

Our region’s quality of life and economic vitality are in large measure dependent on Duke Energy’s continued commitment to a modern and reliable energy grid and the investments required to foster more renewable energy to meet sustainability goals.

Such investments will spur job creation and enhance the region’s environmental and economic future.

We at Smoky Mountain Host look forward to collaborating with Duke Energy and state leaders to encourage prioritization and continued investment and modernization of the energy grid and the benefits they will bring to outdoor recreation in the Southwestern North Carolina.

David Huskins, Managing Director Smoky Mountain Host of N.C.

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Donald Trump — heard 60 different election-related cases, and found no basis for any claims of massive voter fraud in 2020.

And just recently, the Republican-led state Senate leadership in Michigan published a 55-page report on the 2020 election and found no fraud despite cries from Trump for more recounts.

Unfortunately, we must remember that during his campaign for Congress Cawthorn claimed that he didn’t get into the U.S. Naval Academy because of his tragic accident. But once under oath during his court case, he had to admit that he had been rejected before the accident ever happened.

He had claimed at a rally that his friend, Bradley Ledford, “left me for dead,” but under oath admitted that he had “no memory of the accident.”

He claimed that he had been admitted to Harvard college “online,” his exact word.

Harvard doesn’t exist “online.”

He claimed that accusations of sexual harassment against him were lies. But over 150 former students at Patrick Henry College signed an open letter criticizing his improper sexual conduct.

Mr. Cawthorn, show some character or you will be remembered for taking the easy way but not the honest way. Speak out against those still spouting the Big Lie that the election was stolen (if so, then how did you win?). We do not need any more violent uprisings against democracy like January 6, 2021. We need to get on as one people with running the country.

Steve Wall Waynesville

July 7-13, 2021

To the Editor: “Character is destiny.”

Madison Cawthorn hopes to continue to represent Western North Carolina in the U.S. Congress. He has shown himself to be a determined young man. He overcame a terrible car accident and has refused to give in to his medical challenges.

So why do I quote above the 2,500-yearold wisdom of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus? Because Mr. Cawthorn has a long way to go before I and many others can trust his words to be truthful.

It took until January 23, 2021 for Cawthorn to state — live on CNN —that “… now I would say Joe Biden is our President.” Yet he voted against forming a bi-partisan commission to investigate the truth of what happened on Jan. 6. Instead he irresponsibly blamed the violent insurrection at the Capitol on “Democrat agitators strategically placed inside the group.”

A complete fabrication and he surely knows that.

In almost every speech and gathering, he continues to promote the “election was stolen” lie. This even after former Trump Attorney General William Barr admitted that the whole “election was stolen” story was complete “BULLSH….!”

Surely Cawthorn knows that the very conservative Heritage Foundation did a study of over one billion votes cast over the years. They found a minuscule rate of .00013 percent of votes were either fraudulent or even just honest mistakes. The study went back as far as 1948 to find “fraud.”

Ninety judges — many appointed by

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Smoky Mountain News

The Lowe family.

The Southern Porch in downtown Canton.

Setting the tone Beloved Canton restaurant celebrates five years

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR ive years ago, when the Southern Porch opened its doors in Canton, it wasn’t hard to get a parking spot in downtown. Back then, there were plenty of empty buildings on Main Street, too — a time when Nathan and Michaela Lowe decided to take a chance on a business community that seemed to have run out of those long ago.

“We were one of the few [businesses here five years ago], and we’re really proud of that fact, being able to start that trickle effect that’s helped build downtown Canton,” Nathan said.

“And we don’t want to be the only business in town, either. We want this place to grow. We want more people to take a chance — together, we can all succeed.”

Nowadays, a new business pops up along Main Street seemingly every month or so. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a parking spot, where circling the block a couple of times for a space is now the norm.

Housed in the historic former Imperial Hotel (built in 1876), the Southern Porch lies within a structure that’s seen more than its share of economic ups and downs throughout the decades. Crossing into its 150th year, the property faced one of its hardest obstacles just within the last year — the pandemic and shutdown of 2020.

F

“We’ve always been a blue-collar town, where everybody supports each other — that’s what we love about Canton,” Michaela said.

“And people really showed their support for us during the shutdown, all of which justified why we opened this restaurant in the first place.”

During the shutdown, the Southern Porch had to cut its once-robust staff down to a skeleton crew, just enough to keep the lights on — in method to ensure the kitchen was running efficiently, but more so in familiarity to those in passing.

“For most of the folks ordering takeout, we were usually the only other people they saw that day or that week,” Michaela said. “And it meant so much to provide the community with the comfort foods to nourish them in a time of uncertainty and unknowns.”

Before the pandemic, Nathan estimated that the restaurant would go through about 500 wings in a normal week. But, in the midst of the shutdown, that numbered hovered around 2,500 wings per day, and all from takeout.

“It was overwhelming with the number of wings we were selling,” Nathan chuckled. “But, it really put things in perspective that we were doing something not just for us, but for everyone calling in and picking up — it reminded people that we’re here, and here for them.”

With five years now in the rearview mirror, the Lowes can’t help but stop and reflect oncein-a-while, the road from the starting line to the here and now, and everything in-between.

“I can’t say it’s any easier than it was in the beginning, but we’ve figured things out,” Nathan said. “And a lot of that is our incredible staff, there’s no way we could have started this business by ourselves.”

“And with our kids, this is where they’ve grown up,” Michaela added. “One of the biggest things recently was seeing a picture of our girls sitting on the front porch of the restaurant when it first opened, and the picture of us on the same front porch during the pandemic — we’ve seen our kids grow from babies to where they are now. So much of this place has been such a big part of their lives, too.”

Aside from a menu of signature dishes and ever-evolving fare, the Southern Porch will once again bring live music to the patio area.

With that, the establishment has also started weekly dance classes on Tuesday nights in collaboration with The American Ballroom Company (located just down Main Street), where folks can enjoy a meal, a beverage, and learn to dance (free of charge) under the patio lights of the Southern Porch.

“Everyone who’s coming down for the danc-

ing is loving it,” Michaela said. “For us, it’s about partnering with other businesses. It just makes everything more fun when you can join together with others and do something exciting for the town.”

Within a stone’s throw of the Southern Porch are several new businesses also owned by younger folks (Pink Cactus Salon, Papertown Coffee, Wildflower Blue Bakery), each taking another chance for economic strength in a place that’s starting to turn the page on a new, unwritten chapter of the ongoing story of Papertown.

“A lot of people used to see a ghost town when they rolled through Canton, now more people are seeing opportunity,” Nathan said.

“It’s exciting to hear people say, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great if we had ‘this’ or ‘that’ here.’ People are curious, and they’re hopeful, too — this is a great place to call home.”

The ‘Canton Club’ sandwich.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Ode to Cousin Nate, ode to sharing the love of music

to many deep and sincere friendships. If you were ever around Nate, you either watched his antics in complete awe or couldn’t pass up the opportunity to partake in the magnificent madness unfolding before your eyes (Nate also had the most beautiful green eyes).

At the core of Nate’s life was music, whether performed live or cranked to “vol-

N

HOT PICKS “Concerts on the Creek” continues with a special performance by the Darren Nicholson Band from 7 to 9 p.m.

Friday, July 9, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

1

The Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show will be held July 10-11 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

2 3 4 5

“An Appalachian Evening” will host The Jeff Little Trio at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 10, the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Russ Wilson & Hank Bones (jazz/swing) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 10.

Author Ron Rash will host a special reading and signing from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

And most importantly, always listen to good music, for it is nourishment for the heart and soul, especially that of The Grateful Dead, Phish, Tragically Hip, Guster, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, and Elton John, all favorites of Nate’s that were constantly in rotation.

At Nate’s request many years ago, “Keep Me in Your Heart” by Warren Zevon will be played at his service, “Sometimes when you’re doin’/simple things around the house/Maybe you’ll think of me and smile/You know I’m tied to you like the buttons on your blouse/Keep me in your heart for a while/Hold me in your thoughts/Take me to your dreams/Touch me as I fall into view/When the winter comes/Keep the fires lit/And I will be right next to you.”

July 7-13, 2021

athan Manuel Arruda, age 42, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 28, at his place of residence in Rouses Point, New York.

Born on Oct. 21, 1978, in Plattsburgh, New York, Nate came out of the womb a wild, wondrous and mischievous soul, something that was never lost on him or on all who crossed paths with him throughout his short, vibrant life.

Aside from stints as a kid in Virginia Beach, Virginia, San Pedro, California, and Swampscott, Massachusetts, Nate and s his mother, Chrissy, called t their native Rouses Point n home for most of his existence. Later in life, he also lived in Alburgh, Vermont, Cousin Nate. n and Charlotte, North (photo: Kate Woodward Trombley) d Carolina. Most recently, he was in Bozeman, Montana, before relocating once again to Rouses Point ume 11” on the stereo. He never passed up a chance to go to a concert and always had a c this spring. booklet of his favorite CDs within reach. e Following instruction at Northeastern Clinton Central School in Champlain, New Nate’s incredible knowledge and passion York, and also Swampscott, Nate furthered for music was something that rubbed off on his younger cousins, all of which looked to n his education at SUNY Canton, at first as a e vet tech student, then as a mechanic. He had him as “an older brother they never had.” He an unrelenting zest for engineering and elec- took great joy in sitting his cousins down and throwing some form of melodic magic t tronics, as seen by his constant tinkering on his bedroom stereo or during a lazy aftere with his vehicles over the years. He still noon cruise in his car, eager to change your a talked about his enthusiasm for all things Volkswagen all the way to the end. life and outlook on the world with a simple A wild-n-out, sometimes-misunderstood song. We will never forget those car rides, human being with a completely unique especially when it was a one-on-one experisense of humor (and infectious laugh), it ence of hearty conversation with the winwas those exact characteristics that led Nate dows rolled down.

New York, with a donation link at www.elmorespca.org.

For any and all reading this, always tell those you care about that you love them, and do so often. Cheer for the Boston Red Sox. If you see poutine on the menu, order it and eat it with gusto. Hug any and all kind souls, even the not-so-kind ones, too.

Acknowledge and pet all dogs, even the notso-kind ones, too.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Of his many cherished live music experiences, there were a few key ones, including Elton John (twice, most notably during a torrential downpour at SPAC) with his cousin, Kate Woodward Trombley, Guster at Higher Ground with his best friend, Simone Shay, and Dave Matthews Band at SPAC with his cousin, Garret K. Woodward (now a contributing writer for Rolling Stone magazine, something that wouldn’t have materialized without his older cousin’s influence early on).

A lifelong, die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, Nate finally made it to Fenway Park on April 8, 2011 (the Sox/New York Yankees home opener), with Simone, a moment he never forgot. The same could be said about the 2004 season, when the Sox finally broke the “Curse of the Bambino” and won its first World Series Championship since 1918.

Whenever it was the holidays, like clockwork, Nate was in the kitchen, prepping the Thanksgiving turkey or a signature Christmas dish for hours (and hours), excited to finally reveal the culinary delights to all sitting down for another family meal, happily together.

Whenever he would venture out and about, Nate would constantly head for a nearby shoreline (somewhere, anywhere), setting his rod and reel, casting a line into the watery depths — it didn’t matter if he caught anything, it was the solitude and time to ponder nothing and everything that mattered most.

He is survived by his mother, Christine Kavanaugh of Bozeman, Montana, his father, Richard “Dick” Arruda of Plattsburgh, New York, his brother, Jeffrey Barnaby of Bozeman, Montana, his sister, Denise (Arruda) Decker and her husband, Matt, of Waxhaw, North Carolina. A longtime, faithful companion, his dog Chico hasn’t stopped howling since his passing.

As well, he is survived by endless aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. There are also countless friends from around the world that he considered family (the feeling was mutual) that are very saddened by the loss of their beloved “Natey Poo.” A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m.

Friday, July 9, at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Rouses Point. A celebration of life will be held thereafter at the nearby American Legion Post 912. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Elmore SPCA in Peru,

Smoky Mountain News 23

arts & entertainment

Christmas in July!

On the beat

2020

Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road.

‘An Appalachian Evening’

July 7-13, 2021

The “An Appalachian Evening” series will return to the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

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). Shows will be live streamed at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube, with a link available at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com prior to the concert.

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

Bluegrass legend to play Sylva

Smoky Mountain News

We are gearing up for our second annual HOLIAY COOKBOOK and we need your recipes!

You can submit your own recipe, cite a cookbook or website, or submit a recipe in honor of someone.

Submit recipes at www.tastethemountains.com

If you’re a business who would like to advertise in our cookbook, please reach out to your sales rep or if you've never advertised with us, email greg@smokymountainnews.com.

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The 11th season of “Concerts on the Creek” continues with a special performance by the Darren Nicholson Band from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 9, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Nicholson is a Jackson County native and founding member of the nationally-known, award-winning Western North Carolina bluegrass group Balsam Range.

He is a Grammy award nominee (2006) and a recipient of numerous International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards with Balsam Range, including “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017) and “Song of the Year” (2011, 2015).

Nicholson has appeared countless times on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry, at the Ryman Auditorium, and many of the world’s most famous venues and networks.

Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. Dogs must be on a leash. No alcohol, smoking or coolers are allowed in the park. It is suggested that everyone observe Covid-19 safe suggestions in place by North Carolina and Jackson County at the time of the event.

These concerts are organized and pro-

duced by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information, call the chamber at 828.586.2155, visit www.mountainlovers.com or Concerts on the Creek’s Facebook page.

Americana, indie at Nantahala

The Maggie Valley Band will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

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.

The show is free and open to the public.

For more information, click on www.themaggievalleyband.com.

On the beat

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Isaiah Breedlove & The Old Pines July 17 and Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The Cashiers Village Crawl will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. July 16. Live music from Nitrograss at the Commons and Spalding McIntosh & The Lionhearts at the Gazebo.

Both shows are from 6 to 8 p.m. Wine tasting and food trucks will also be onsite. Free and open to the public.

. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will

host The Appalucians (bluegrass/folk) July 17. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. Ticket price and dinner menu to be announced. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will f host semi-regular live music on the weeke ends. 828.369.4080 or n www.coweeschool.org.

t • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semim regular live music on the weekends.

828.634.0078 or www.curraheebrew.com.

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

828.734.1084 or www.elevatedmountain.com.

l • Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host r Gin Mill Pickers 5 p.m. July 13, Shane Meade Trio 6:30 p.m. July 16, The Mug Band July 17 - and Mary Kenyon 3 p.m. July 18. All shows - begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free e and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or g www.froglevelbrewing.com.

-

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host the “Divas On Tap” drag show 8:30 p.m. July 10, Shane Meade July 11 and Phibian July 18. All

events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovationbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host Sundown (rock/soul) July 10 and Dirty Dave & Pony Express July 17. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

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

828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Jason Lyles (singer-songwriter) July 16. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Kurt Thomas Band July 10 and Shane Meade & The Sound July 17. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

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

828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” series will host The

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host High Strangeness July 9, Mile High Band July 10 and Blackjack Country July 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public.

828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Ricky Gunter 6 p.m. July 10 and Twisted Trail 3 p.m. July 11. 828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke on Thursday nights and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 3 p.m. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Yard Karaoke 7 p.m. July 9, Crossfire July 10 and “Ingles Down Home Concert Series” w/Joe Lasher Jr. & Kaitlyn Baker (country/rock) July 17. 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 Karaoke in the Smokies (live instruments backing the singers) July 16, Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) July 23 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) July 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Shane Meade July 9, Scott Stambaugh July 10 and Aly Jordan July 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

Daily Bar Service SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY: · Lunch ·

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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.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazz Night” from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. July 24. Free and open to the public.

828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala

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

Smoky Mountain News

8 g • Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. a Southern Highlands July 9 and Johnny Webb d Band July 16. Free and open to the public. y www.highlandschamber.org.

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

The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music.

The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

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

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

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.

July 7-13, 2021

• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge Park will host the Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/country) July 9 and The Rewind House Band (oldies) July 16. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. www.mountainlovers.com.

Want to learn the dulcimer?

Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” July 9 and 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.

arts & entertainment

• 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.

25

arts & entertainment

On the street

New heritage center launches in Maggie Valley Want to go?

Meadowlark Motel.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR n an effort to preserve and perpetuate the heritage arts and lore of the Great Smoky Mountains and greater Southern Appalachia, the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center has now come to fruition at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

“This place is about a passion for the heritage of this region — art, music, storytelling,

Smoky Mountain News

July 7-13, 2021

I

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the outdoors,” said Bob Plott, general manager of the SMHC and a well-known Appalachian historian/author. “The hope is to start with these initial programs and then move towards building a permanent building to house our events.”

Kicking off this weekend with a PlottFest reunion, upcoming indoor/outdoor events include the Darren Nicholson Bluegrass Band Camp and concert (July 17) and the Earl

The Darren Nicholson Bluegrass Band Camp and performance will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Maggie Valley.

Nicholson is a bonafide bluegrass legend, a Grammy-nominated musician and winner of numerous International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards alongside his group, Haywood County’s Balsam Range.

Admission to the concert is $20. Each workshop (band, songwriting, instrumental) is $40. For all three workshops and the show, the cost is $108.

For more information on the heritage center and a full schedule of upcoming events, go on and click on the “Events” tab or call 828.926.1717.

Lanning & Charles Miller tribute weekend (July 31). All events will take place in the “Back Porch Pavillon” on the property, an elaborate structure that will serve at the temporary headquarters of the center.

“We’re walking distance from pretty much everything in Maggie Valley, and we hope to serve as a home base for visitors who

stay at the motel. Explore our beautiful backyard that is the Smokies, only to then take in a program at the center,” Plott said.

The idea for the center came about when Plott was a guest on the “Gateway to the Smokies” podcast earlier this year, which is hosted by the longtime owner of the motel, Joseph Franklyn McElroy. Kindred spirits and aficionados on all things Southern Appalachia, the duo put into motion the initial plans for the center.

“We also want to use this place to promote other things, too. We want this to be a collaborative effort, not just for Maggie Valley, but for the surrounding communities, as well,” Plott said. “Whenever there is an event, concert or festival in our area, we want to work with everyone who’s also passionate about the history and art of this region.”

The need for the center came from a deep sense of urgency felt by Plott, something shared with McElroy.

“The heritage of this area is slowly dying, and we must preserve what’s left of it for future generations,” Plott said. “When I got interested in these things, I was a young kid.

Now? I’m the older guy trying to get the younger folks interested — it’s important that we keep this history and these traditions alive and vibrant for years to come.”

On the stage

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arts & entertainment

• • • • •

HART presents the works of Gershwin

FISH DAY!

FISH WAGON To Place an Order Call 1-800-643-8439 www.fishwagon.com

July 7-13, 2021

A stage production of “S’Wonderful: The Music and Life of George Gershwin” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 9-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 and at 2 p.m. July 11, 18, 25 and Aug. 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

George Gershwin said it best, “Jazz is the result of the energy stored up in America.”

Come dressed in your best 1920s attire and experience that jazzy energy at the grand reopening of HART’s main stage. This lively musical takes place in the home of George & Ira Gershwin with a party full of unbelievable singers and dancers.

“S’Wonderful” features the music of Gershwin performed by John Crawley and his band. You may remember the incredible talents of the Crawley band in HART’s 2019 production of “Stardust.”

You’ll hear all of your Gershwin favorites such as “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Strike Up The Band,” “Rhapsody In Blue,” “S’Wonderful,” and many more. Glenn Arnette directs this star studded cast of Western North Carolina’s finest opera singers, folk singers, tap and ballroom dancers, and actors.

Tickets are on sale now. 828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

On the table

ALSO:

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

828.631.3075.

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

EXPLORE JOBS. AND DREAMS.

If your dream job includes a hiring bonus up to $3,000 and a highly competitive starting wage, explore our hiring event. It’s July 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in our Hotel Ballroom. Learn more at HarrahsCherokeeJobs.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• “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. www.mountainlovers.com.

Select positions eligible for hiring bonus. Restrictions apply. Please see Talent Acquisition department for details. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid photo ID. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos value diversity and inclusion, and are equal opportunity employers. ©2021, Caesars License Company, LLC.

27

On the wall arts & entertainment

Want to learn how to cartoon?

Readers of all ages are learning about “Tails & Tales”this summer as the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City continues this year’s Summer Learning Program.

The summer theme “Tails and Tales” will be celebrating all things animals and books.

The 2021 Summer Learning Program is open and free to kids of all ages 0-17 with programs, prizes, story times, and more.

The next program, “Cartooning is Fun” with Paul Merklein, will be held at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 15.

Join cartoonist Merklein when he virtu-

ally visits the Fontana Regional Library. He will show you how to draw famous cartoon characters. Cartooning is fast, fun and easy.

Anyone can do it, including you. Merklein visits libraries and schools, inspiring kids, teens and adults to have fun cartooning.

This program is open to all-ages, but is limited to 25 people, so arrive early.

If you haven’t registered to participate in the Summer Learning Program, it’s not too late. Stop by the library to get your reading log and register, or register yourself at mariannablacklibrary.readsquared.com and then start logging each day that you have read at least 20 minutes.

For more information, call the library at 828.488.3030.

A work by Lee James Pantas.

Smoky Mountain News

July 7-13, 2021

Front Street Arts & Crafts The sixth annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will showcase some of the best regional artisans from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 17, in downtown Dillsboro.

Over 40 booths will display and have for your perusal the handmade craftsmanship of regional fine artists and crafters intermingled with the sounds of family entertainment.

Vendors will line Front Street offering a choice of many handmade items, including soaps, baskets, pottery, jewelry, bird houses, and much more. There will also be a performance by the J. Creek Cloggers, as well as live music from singer-songwriter Anna Victoria and acoustic duo Twelfth Fret.

The arts and crafts show is free and open to the public, with a small parking fee that includes a shuttle from Monteith Park directly to the festival itself. You can even bring your dog (on a leash).

For more information, call 828.506.8331 or click on www.visitdillsboro.com.

• The “Voices in the Laurel” kid’s music and art camp (rising grades K-5, 6-12) will be held July 19-23 at Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Register online at registrations.planningcenteronline.com/signups/848310. For more information, email kids@longschapel.com or voicesinthelaurel@gmail.com.

ALSO:

• “A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art,” an exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian (located in Cherokee), features over 50 works of art in a variety of media by over 30 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and Cherokee Nation artists. The exhibition highlights the use of the written Cherokee language, a 28 syllabary developed by Cherokee innovator

Sequoyah (circa 1776–1843). Cherokee syllabary is frequently found in the work of Cherokee artists as a compositional element or the subject matter of the work itself. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee through Oct. 31. Learn more by visiting www.mci.org.

• The Folk Art Center in Asheville has opened its Main Gallery exhibition showcasing the Graduating Class of 2021 of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program. The showcase will run through Aug. 22. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828.298.7928. For more information about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828.627.4674 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.

Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show The Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show will be held July 10-11 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

Maggie Valley’s largest gathering of artisans and crafters come together to sell their handmade treasures. Artisans from all over the Southeast will be in attendance.

Chainsaw art demonstrations and lots of festival food. Seasonal items, yard art, paintings, photography, pottery, wooden bowls, furniture, jewelry, goat milk soaps and more will be featured at the event.

“There really is something for everyone, from the most affordable handicrafts, to the more expensive museum quality items,” said Teresa Smith, promoter of the event. www.maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.com.

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

• 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, 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 are welcome. Outdoor event. Current Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced.

828.488.7857.

Book Signing

Perhaps we all need to laugh a little more

GEORGE B. THOMPSON, JR

Jeff Minick

“It’s at this moment when we all say to ourselves, ‘Never again.’ And then you drag around all day, trying to hydrate and popping Advil, all the while feeling like crap but happy with your decision to take at least a night off. And then five o’clock rolls around and without even thinking about it, you find yourself ordering a drink

And sometimes, as I now know, I need more laughter.

(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)

Papa kicks off most of his chapters with questions like these “Have you ever fallen asleep during the news and woken up to a horror movie and you couldn’t tell the difference? I have …” “Have you ever taken a break while hiking and sat on a log with fire ants? My wife has …” “Have you ever gotten so drunk on tequila that you and your friends attacked a Taco Bell and tried to free the burritos? I have …”

Along with his humor Papa offers encouragement. In his chapter on hardworking Americans, he observes that unlike Europeans: “We don’t even have hours. We have jobs to do. Jobs that need to get done no matter what, no matter how long it takes or how many latenight emails and phone calls we have to make.

In America you get it done or get out.

“We wake up in the dark and work through the night. We do early-morning hours, overnight hours, and overtime…We take the bus, the train, and commuter jets that are held together with duct tape flown by exhausted pilots and the oldest flight attendants working anywhere in the world.

“No wonder we’re so damned tired.”

Behind Papa’s humor is reassurance. He advises us to avoid being so tough on ourselves all the time. Here are his concluding paragraphs to You’re Doing Great!: “Sure, sometimes you’re weird, confused, have crumbs on your shirt, but that’s okay.

Nobody’s perfect. Do the best you can, and if that’s not good enough, grab a snack and try something else.

“You’re doing great. Really.”

“Nobody’s perfect.” Most of us probably need to hear that message.

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An afternoon with Ron Rash Beloved bestselling Southern Appalachian author Ron Rash will host a special reading and signing from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

Rash will be reading from his work In The Valley, which is now in paperback. Admission $5. Tickets include a 10 percent coupon for any Rash books in stock. Seating is limited.

To RSVP, call 828.456.6000.

Signing for new cat book Artist/author Emily Eve Weinstein will host a book signing for her Cat Book from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 11, at the American Museum of the House Cat, 5063 Highway 441 South in Sylva.

The signing will also be a benefit for the Catman2 Shelter, a nonprofit cat shelter and sanctuary in Cullowhee. The museum will be open for tours during this event and Weinstein will do a live demonstration on how she creates a monoprint.

Tickets to the museum are $7.50. For more information, call 828.293.0892 or email kaleb@catman2.org.

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Smoky Mountain News

at the bar or mixing a martini in the kitchen.”

July 7-13, 2021

Recently I realized I needed to laugh more often.

I do laugh when I’m on the phone with one of my children or a friend, and occasionally if I watch some YouTube video. But I live alone, and though I talk to myself throughout the day, I don’t walk around the house laughing to myself. Talking to myself, as I’ve discovered from others who live mostly in solitude, is fairly norWriter mal behavior, but bursting out into guffaws of laughter for no apparent reason would surely be a sign I was coming unhinged.

So anyway, I was browsing the new books section at the public library, looking for something to review, and picked up what I thought was a self-help book, Tom Papa’s You’re Doing Great! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive (St. Martin’s Press, 2020, 291 pages). The blurbs on the back of the book promised hilarity and humor, and so I took a chance and carried the book home.

Late that afternoon, that time of day when the afternoon sun finally reaches beneath the eaves of the front porch, I carried the book and a glass of wine outside, sat, and commenced to read.

My first outburst of laughter probably sounded like an engine that hadn’t been started since Bill Clinton was president. The next nearly caused me to spill wine from the glass I’d brought to my lips. By the time I got to page 25, I was laughing and chortling pretty much non-stop, which caused the neigh-

bor walking his dogs down the street to cast a look at me, as if to say, “It’s the crazy old guy again. Should I call the police?”

At that point I abandoned the porch, and toted the book, the wine, and my hilarity inside.

Here’s this guy, this comedian, who I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never heard of, and he’s written a book so funny and in some ways so observant and so wise, that he’s forcing me to laugh at his stories and at myself.

As a result, my body felt as charged as if someone had just downloaded a pallet of vitamins into my system. Google “Laughter is the best medicine,” and you’ll see the science behind what I am saying.

Tom Papa takes rare lateral look at certain topics.

You’re overweight? So what? You think you’re ugly? Welcome to the party. You’re middle-aged, haven’t been to the doctor since you were in sixth grade, and cure your heart pains by hitting yourself in the chest? Hey, if it works, go with it.

Here, for example, are some of Papa’s thoughts on eating, an activity he loves.

After admitting “I can’t stop eating. I don’t stop eating. You can’t make me stop eating,” he writes: “I may have a tapeworm. If I find out that I do, I won’t have him removed, I’ll give him a nickname and call him my friend.”

Papa also points out that “we love to do things that are bad for us.” After a vivid description of a night when he drank too much, he gives us an aftermath that many will recognize as true:

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

About 130 tents dot the top of Max Patch in a viral photo taken by Mike Wurman on Saturday, Sept. 19. Mike Wurman photo

A NEW CHAPTER FOR MAX PATCH Forest Service issues two-year camping ban for iconic bald

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ollowing an explosion of use at Max Patch, the U.S. Forest Service is prohibiting camping and fires on the iconic site, among other new restrictions now in effect for the next two years.

From now on, the area around Max Patch will close an hour after sundown and reopen an hour before sunrise, with visitors prohibited in the area overnight. No groups larger than 10 people, drones or fireworks will be permitted, and aircraft are not allowed to land, drop or pick up anything in the area.

Dogs and other animals must be on a leash 6 feet long or shorter, or else in a crate or cage. Horses and other pack animals may not be ridden, hitched, tethered or hobbled in the area. Visitors must stay on designated trails, and bikes are allowed only on roads.

“We’ve been working with partners to achieve sustainable recreation at Max Patch because of the impacts due to a significant increase in visitors over the past decade,” said Appalachian District Ranger Jen Barnhart.

“Unfortunately, the level of use is causing a public safety hazard as well as serious damage to wildlife habitat.”

Over the next two years, Forest Service personnel will monitor and address visitor use and impacts in the area before determin-

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ing the site’s longer-term future.

The new rules represent a significant tightening of restrictions for a place that has long been a favorite spot to camp, watch the stars or enjoy a picnic lunch with a four-legged friend or two. Before the regulations were announced July 1, camping was allowed on the bald for up to 14 days so long as the site was 200 feet away from the Appalachian Trail and half a mile from the trailhead.

However, the reaction from local people and conservation organizations has been overwhelmingly positive. An initial post about the change on The Smoky Mountain News’ Facebook page July 1 had generated 26 comments as of press time, nearly all expressing support for the decision along with regret that visitor volume and behavior had made it necessary.

“A great day for CMC, the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy), and the Forest Service!” read a July 1 post on the Carolina Mountain Club’s Facebook page.

“We have been working towards this for three years.”

Overuse at Max Patch has been a building issue over the past decade. Officially added to the Pisgah National Forest in 1983, Max Patch was for years a secret spot for locals and a hidden gem for Appalachian Trail hikers, the sweeping views spreading from the grassy bald accessible only by driving miles up a winding, rutted mountain road to reach the trailhead.

Even as recently as 2014, when Asheville resident Mike Wurman first ventured to the scenic spot near the Haywood-Madison County line, hiking Max Patch was a quiet, solitary kind of experience.

But in the years since, use increased and then exploded as Max Patch found its way onto countless “best hikes” lists. Various local tourism organizations tout it as a must-see, and it’s appeared on multiple magazine covers over the last several years.

On Instagram, #maxpatch has more than 40,000 posts — up from 37,000 in September 2020, when Max Patch’s overcrowding issues gained new prominence in the public eye after Wurman took an aerial photo showing a veritable tent city covering the bald the evening of Sept. 19.

The image quickly went viral, the birds-eye view showing about 130 tents, not to mention picnic blankets. When Wurman left the trailhead around 9 p.m., even more people were arriving.

That was the night after Harriman, Tennessee, resident Benny Braden of Plug It In Hikes camped out at Max Patch, where the sounds of loud music and partying cut through the canvas walls of his tent until the wee hours of the night. He woke up to a trash heap, enlisting the help of a few friends to gather 82 gallons worth of waste, along with four pillows, three blan-

Practice Leave No Trace The new restrictions apply to the entire bald known as Max Patch. USFS map

Learn more about the seven principles at www.lnt.org/why/7-principles.

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The annual Zahner Conservation Lecture tradition will continue this summer, with speakers discussing a wide range of topics every Thursday at 6 p.m., July 15 through Sept. 9, in Highlands.

Author and English professor Rose McLarney will kick off the series July 15 with a virtual presentation titled “A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia: A Conversation with the Editor.” McLarney is the co-editor of A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia, a collection that includes artistic renderings and poems representing the vast biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians.

McLarney is an associate professor of creative writing at Auburn University and has won the National Poetry Series, the Chaffin Award for Achievement in Appalachian Writing and the Fellowship of Southern Writers’ New Writing Award for Poetry, among other prizes.

The 2021 Zahner series will include virtual

outdoors

Zahner Conservation Lecture Series returns

lectures as well as in-person events at the Highlands Biological Station and the Highlands Community Building. All lectures are free, though registration is required for virtual sessions.

See the full schedule or sign up for McLarney’s program at www.highlandsbiological.org/foundation/events/zahner-conservationlecture-series-2021.

Meet Macon’s butterflies

aren’t experienced hikers familiar with Leave No Trace principles and outdoor etiquette. Trailhead signs and trail ambassadors are both used to help visitors understand how to use the area sustainably.

The seven principles for sustainable use of outdoor spaces promoted by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics are to plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; and be considerate of other visitors.

In Braden’s view, there’s another important consideration that outdoor visitors should keep in mind, one that could have made a big difference in the case of Max Patch: think before you geotag. Geotagging social media posts and other online publications makes it very easy — too easy, some would say — for others to navigate to the exact location where a particularly beautiful photo was taken.

“Before geotagging a location,” Braden wrote in a June 28 social media post, “consider the following: (1) Does the current infrastructure support an additional amount of visitors? (2) Are there adequate parking, roads and restrooms that can handle more visitors? And consider the possible human and environmental impact that could be placed on that location....”

Smoky Mountain News

kets and one wagon abandoned on the bald.

“I’ve personally been advocating for this since September 2020,” Braden wrote on social media in response to the newly announced restrictions. “I’ve personally with the help of many others removed over six truckloads of trash and abandoned camping equipment from Max Patch from September to November 2020. I’m excited to see the USDA (Forest Service) was able to come up with a decision on this and a plan for this iconic location to begin rehabilitation and healing from all the overcrowding and abuse that’s been done to it in the last couple of years.”

Wurman’s viral photo came as a relief to land and trail managers who for years had been trying to get the public to understand to severity of the issues facing Max Patch.

Since 2018, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Club and U.S. Forest Service have been working on a plan to address growing popularity in the area. The newly announced restrictions are a product of that work.

While all the organizations involved agree that increased restrictions like the ones recently announced are needed to accommodate the barrage of use at Max Patch, they also acknowledge that visitor education will be key to addressing the problem. Many people who visit the area

July 7-13, 2021

Learn about the butterflies of Macon County during the Nantahala Hiking Club’s first post-pandemic face-to-face meeting, 7 p.m. Friday, July 9, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Jason Love, a student of butterflies for more than 20 years, will speak on the basics of butterfly biology, highlight the common and rare species of the region and discuss ways to help with butterfly conservation by landscaping with native plants. Macon County is home to 105 butterfly species, several of which are quite rare.

Love holds a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries resources, spent 11 years as the site manager for the Coweeta Long-Term Ecological Research Program and is currently associate director at the Highlands Biological Station.

Free and open to non-members.

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outdoors

Help out at Cades Cove Volunteers are needed to help manage Vehicle-Free Wednesdays in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Volunteers help direct visitor flow, provide orientation and safety information, and monitor visitor use. Training and a uniform will be provided to all selected volunteers.

To be considered, volunteers must be available from 6:45 a.m. through early afternoon each Wednesday through Sept. 1. Sign up at www.tinyurl.com/grsmccvfd.

Get in the water with the Pisgah Center The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard is offering a full slate of classes this month, ranging from on-the-water fly fishing tutorials to stream snorkeling.

On the schedule are:

July 7-13, 2021

• Nature Nuts: Stream Investigation, 9-11 a.m. Friday, July 9, for ages 5-11.

• Raising Hatchery Trout, 2-3 p.m. Saturday, July 10, for all ages.

• On the Water: West Fork of Pigeon River, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 15, for ages 12 and up.

• Kid’s Introduction to Fly Fishing, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 16, for ages 8-15.

• Fly Fishing Expo, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, July 21, for all ages.

• Women’s Fly Fishing School, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, July 23, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 24, for ages 12 and up.

• Introduction to Fly Fishing, 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, July 27, for ages 12 and up.

• Kid’s Snorkeling in the Stream, 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, July 28, for ages 8-16.

• Adult Snorkeling in the Stream, 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 29, for ages 16 and up.

• Nature Nuts: Bears, 1-3 p.m. Friday, July 30, for ages 5-11.

Events are free, with registration required.

Sign up at www.ncwildlife.org/learning/education-centers/pisgah/eventregistration/pageid/calendar.

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Learn the tricks to avoid Parkway crowds guides, Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway and Best Easy Day Hikes of the Parkway. He started Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry program in the 1970s, and when the Parkway was completed in that area during the 1980s, he helped create the trail system still in place today. He’s the task force leader for the Mountain-to-Sea Trail from Grandfather Mountain to Rhododendrons bloom along the Blowing Rock and Blue Ridge Parkway at Craggy wrote the awardGardens. Donated photo winning book Grandfather Mountain: The History and Guide to an Parkway” at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 13.

Appalachian Icon.

Randy Johnson, a bestselling hiking Free, and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway guide author, will present the half-hour proFoundation’s monthly webinar series highgram via Zoom. He’ll deliver his best stratelighting the Foundation’s projects and ways gies and locations along the Parkway for to enjoy the Parkway. Register at www.brpescaping the crowds. foundation.org/events.

Johnson is the author of two Falcon As hikers take to the trails this summer, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is hosting a webinar titled “Hiking the Blue Ridge

Take your camera skills to the next level at Grandfather Mountain Registration is now open for Grandfather Mountain Photography Weekend, slated for the weekend of Aug. 14-15 at Grandfather Mountain in Linville.

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One of Grandfather Mountain’s resident bald eagles was the subject of an award-winning photo from the 2019 Grandfather Mountain Nature Photography Weekend.

Smoky Mountain News

Ken Barrett/Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation photo

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Due to COVID-19 and ongoing renovation to the Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum, the nonprofit nature park’s annual Nature Photography Weekend and Camera Clinic have been combined into one event for 2021.

Participants will be able to participate in a series of interactive field courses presented by professional photographers, includ-

ing Vinny Colucci, Kyle Cook, Jamie Davidson, Bill Fortney, Melissa Southern, Tony Sweet and Tommy White, while photographing spectacular scenery and native animals before and after regular business hours, meaning opportunities for sunrise and sunset photography will also be offered. The annual Nature Photography Weekend photo contest will also return.

Participants are invited to camp Friday and Saturday nights at the Woods Walk Picnic Area during the weekend, taking advantage of one of the few opportunities to stay overnight inside the park.

Admission costs $100 and covers three-day admission to the park, entry to all field courses, camping and optional participation in the photo contest. Family members and guests of participants may visit the mountain at a discounted rate during the weekend if registered in advance.

Register at www.grandfather.com/event/grandfathermountain-photography-weekend. Contact frank@grandfather.com for more information.

No more ginseng permits

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER here are now too few ginseng plants in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests to allow for sustainable harvesting, leading the U.S. Forest Service to announce that it will not issue any harvesting permits this year.

“Every year we’ve seen fewer ginseng plants and the danger is that they’ll completely disappear from this area,” said Forest Service botanist Gary Kauffman.

“We need to pause the harvest now to help ensure that these plants will be available in future years and for our grandkids and their kids.”

Until 2013, anybody could harvest ginseng on national forests lands between Sept. 1-30, so long as they obtained a permit. At that time, permits were $40 per wet pound of ginseng harvested, with a maximum allowable collection of 3 pounds.

But in 2013 the Forest Service

announced that due to declining populations it would cut the number of permits issued by 75 percent to 136, with recipients

T

to be determined through a lottery system, and halve the harvest season to cover only two weeks in September.

Coveted for its myriad medicinal uses, ginseng harvesting is an Appalachian tradition stretching back through generations. The plant’s root is said to have a wide variety of medical benefits — includ-

ing boosting the immune system, improving concentration and learning, and treating a spectrum of medical conditions — though not all purported uses are substantiated through scientific studies.

American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, is native throughout the Appalachian Mountains and in states as far west as Minnesota.

However, the plant’s almost mythic place in the world of herbal medicine — and its high-dollar market value — has led to widespread poaching and population declines.

Commercial harvesting of wild ginseng has been occurring for the past 250 years. Declines are attributed to long-term harvesting, overharvesting in recent years, out-of-season harvest, and the taking of mature plants without planting the seeds for future crops.

Removing wild ginseng plants or plant parts on national forest land without a permit is a federal crime that carries a sentence of up to $5,000 in fines, a six-month prison sentence or both.

Mountain turkey harvest flags amid high statewide numbers

N.C. logs record bear harvest in 2020

harvest, which was up 13% in 2020 with the highest harvest sex ratio since 1998.

A total of 41% of successful bear hunters reported they used still hunting to harvest their bear in 2020, the highest percent since the Commission started requesting this information in 2009. Preliminary data show that 45% of successful hunters participated in the N.C. Bear Cooperator Program, a 3% decrease from the year prior that is likely related to COVID restrictions. The program lets hunters directly participate with the Commission in monitoring the bear population when they voluntarily submit the premolar teeth from their harvested bear.

Annual harvest summaries are posted at www.ncwildlife.org/learning/species/mammals/black-bear.

Smooth coneflower recovery spurs downlisting proposal Due to continually strengthening populations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to downlist the smooth coneflower from an endangered species to a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The plant is a close relative to but distinct from the commercially available purple coneflower. Its range includes parts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Its North Carolina range includes Mecklenburg, Granville and Durham counties.

The proposed downlisting is another example of the power of conservation partnerships between federal, state and private stakeholders under the ESA, according to a press release from the USFWS. When the smooth coneflower was listed as an endangered species in 1992, 39 populations had disappeared and the remaining 21 populations were vulnerable or unstable. Today, 44 distinct populations of smooth coneflower exist, including six in North Carolina, and 16 of them are considered healthy and occur within protected national forests and nature preserves where threats from habitat modification have been reduced.

A 60-day public comment period on the proposed downlisting ends Aug. 23. To comment, search for docket number FWS–R4–ES–2020–0063 at www.regulations.gov. Learn more about the plant at www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/plants/smooth-coneflower.

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Hunters harvested a record 3,748 black bears in North Carolina last year, an 8% increase over the previous season.

That total included record-breaking harvests in the coastal and piedmont areas, as well as the second-highest recorded harvest in the 25-county area that comprises the mountain management area, with 1,429 bears harvested there. The majority of the bear harvest occurred in the Coastal Bear Management Unit, at 60%, followed by the Mountain BMU at 38% and Piedmont BMU at 2%. This is a trend that has stayed the course since the mid-1990s.

“The increase in harvest likely reflects the ‘COVID effect’ that several states, including North Carolina, have experienced,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, black bear and furbearer biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “During 2020, many North Carolinians reconnected with the outdoors, including participating in regulated hunting. We set a record for the number of bear e-stamps issued, 88,411, which was also an 8% increase.”

Hunting seasons are highly regulated and play a key role managing bear populations, resolving agricultural damage, providing wild game meat and helping to enforce a bear’s natural fear of people.

Wildlife Commission staff closely monitor trends in the harvest, including the female

Dog Friendly!

July 7-13, 2021

This year’s North Carolina turkey hunting season yielded the second-highest harvest on record, second only to the record-breaking 2020 harvest — but harvest in the mountain region were down compared to the three-year average.

Hunters statewide harvested 21,974 birds this year, slightly down from the 23,341 harvested last year. Overall, the statewide harvest was 10.7% higher than the average harvest of the last three years, including a 23% higher harvest in the coastal region. However, harvest in the mountains was 2.6% lower than the three-year average.

“This year’s high harvest may be partly due to the ongoing pandemic, but it also likely resulted in part from 2019’s hatch that produced an abundance of turkeys across the state,” said Chris Kreh, the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission’s upland game bird biologist.

outdoors

Population too small for sustainable harvest

Voted #1 in Haywood County

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

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outdoors

Outdoor Industry program offers new study track A third track is now available within Western Carolina University’s Professional Outdoor Industry Certificate.

The Trailblazer track now joins the High Impact Outdoor Leadership and

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Andy Coburn. WCU photo Entrepreneurial Strategy Tracks in the certificate program that launched this spring.

“The Trailblazer track allows participants to customize their certificate by choosing workshops that best fit their personal and professional goals and help them advance their career in the outdoor industry,” said Andy Coburn, WCU faculty liaison to the outdoor industry and one of the

instructors for the certificate program.

All three tracks will start with the required Introduction to the Outdoor Industry workshop, an online course starting Sept. 8 that is taught by Coburn and Steven Reinhold, director of Adventure for Black Folks Camp Too and Backpacker Magazine Gear ambassador. The leadership and entrepreneurship tracks have six core workshops and two electives. In the trailblazer track, participants take the introductory course and then choose the remaining seven workshops based on their needs.

Workshops are offered in both the spring and fall. The full certificate is $825, or $129 per training to register for workshops individually. Sign up at learn.wcu.edu/outdoor-certificate or contact Jill Thompson at jcthompson@wcu.edu.

800.424.DOCS (3627)

Cook out with OMC Check out what’s happening at Outdoor Mission Community with the Take-a-Peak Community Cookout 2-5 p.m. Sunday, July 18, in Maggie Valley.

All partners and volunteers — as well as anyone curious to find out more about what OMC is up to — are invited to come share a meal, hear from board members and see who OMC’s partners are and what they do. Bring family, friends and side dishes.

OMC is an independent nonprofit that functions as a support organization, helping equip other groups and organizations to provide wilderness experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds.

The cookout will be held at The OMC GearHouse between First Baptist Church Maggie Valley and Elevated Mountain Distillery. Caley, 919.257.1579

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

Hearing planned for proposed water quality standard revisions A public hearing on proposed revisions to state regulations on surface water quality standards and classifications will be held online at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, with written comments accepted through Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The proposed changes include updates to standards for cadmium, cyanide, Selenium, 1,4-Dioxane and technical corrections.

Comments are also being accepted on water quality standard variances, the fiscal note prepared for this proposal, and other

water quality standard topics not addressed by this action such as adoption of recreational E. coli standards statewide and adoption of other published EPA National Recommended Water Quality Criteria.

The revisions are the result of federal and state requirements for the Environmental Management Commission to review North Carolina’s surface water quality standards every three years.

For logon information and a link to the proposed rules, visit https://bit.ly/3xh2ZbL. Send written comments to 15ancac02b_swtrirev_comments_2021@ncdenr.gov, or mail them to Christopher Ventaloro, NC DEQ-DWR Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Glance Family Reunion will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, at the Beaverdam Community Center. Covered dish lunch, bring something to share.

Drinks and serving ware provided. All Glance related families are welcome. On Facebook at Glance Family Genealogy. Contacts: Linda Glance Kier 615.419.4815 or lgkier@charter.net, Johnny Glance 828.593.9897 or ke4myw@yahoo.com.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The lecture series, “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” has resumed. The next program will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 19, at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center in Macon County and will continue the third Monday of each month thereafter. The program will last approximately one hour.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host The Appalucians (bluegrass/folk) July 17. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. Ticket price and dinner menu to be announced. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge Park will host the Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/country) July 9 and The Rewind House Band (oldies) July 16. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. www.mountainlovers.com.

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Southern Highlands July 9 and Johnny Webb Band July 16. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Live Forgiven Church food ministry will host a curbside grocery giveaway from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Sunday, July 11, at 45 Crown Ridge Road Sylva. Shelf stable foods, produce and eggs will be available and safely provided to the community. Simply drive up. For more information, contact foodministry@liveforgiven.life.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Gin Mill Pickers 5 p.m. July 13, Shane Meade Trio 6:30 p.m. July 16, The Mug Band July 17 and Mary Kenyon 3 p.m. July 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

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

• The Parish Fair at Grace Church in the Mountains will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 24.

Intake of donations begins Monday, July 5 at the church, 394 N. Haywood Street, Waynesville.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host the “Divas On Tap” drag show 8:30 p.m. July 10, Shane Meade July 11 and Phibian July 18. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovationbrewing.com.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Waynesville Yoga Center will host Yoga at Inspiration Point this summer. On Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Amber Russo will teach mixed level flow and on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Amber Kleid will teach gentle yoga.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Blue Ridge Books and News will host author Ron Rash from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, July 17. Tickets are $5 and include a 10 percent off coupon towards all Ron Rash books in stock. Limited seating, call 828.456.6000 to reserve a seat.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Voices in the Laurel will host Music & Art Camp July 19-32 at Long’s Chapel. Cost is free, register at https://registrations.planningcenteronline.com/signups/ 848310. Contact kids@longschapel.com or voicesinthelaurel@gmail.com.

A&E

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Isaiah Breedlove & The Old Pines July 17 and Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Cashiers Village Crawl will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. July 16. Live music from Nitrograss at the Commons and Spalding McIntosh & The Lionhearts at the Gazebo. Both shows are from 6 to 8 p.m. Wine tasting and food trucks will also be onsite. Free and open to the public.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Yard Karaoke 7 p.m. July 9, Crossfire July 10 and “Ingles Down Home Concert Series” w/Joe Lasher Jr. & Kaitlyn Baker (country/rock) July 17. 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 Karaoke in the Smokies (live instruments backing the singers) July 16, Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) July 23 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) July 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Shane Meade July 9, Scott Stambaugh July 10 and Aly Jordan July 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazz Night” from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. July 24. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” July 9 and 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host Sundown (rock/soul) July 10 and Dirty Dave & Pony Express July 17. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” series will host 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 High Strangeness July 9, Mile High Band July 10 and Blackjack Country July 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Ricky Gunter 6 p.m. July 10 and Twisted Trail 3 p.m. July 11.

828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.

FOOD AND DRINK • “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.

• 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 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

• The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Montford Park Players presents world premiere of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Produced by Montford Park Players at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre. The show will run June 25 through July 31, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at montfordparkplayers.org and are free.

• The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday from May 19 through Aug. 14 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee. There will also be a 10:30 a.m. all Saturdays in July. For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.cherokeehistorical.org.

Outdoors

• The annual Zahner Conservation Lecture tradition will continue this summer, with speakers discussing a wide range of topics every Thursday at 6 p.m., July 15 through Sept. 9, in Highlands. See the full schedule or sign up for McLarney’s program at www.highlandsbiological.org/foundation/events/zahner-conservation-lecture-series-2021.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Jason Lyles (singer-songwriter) July 16. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Learn about the butterflies of Macon County during the Nantahala Hiking Club’s first post-pandemic faceto-face meeting, 7 p.m. Friday, July 9, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Free and open to nonmembers.

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Kurt Thomas Band July 10 and Shane Meade & The Sound July 17. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a birding tour at Lake Junaluska at 7:30 a.m. July 10. The tour will be led by Kevin Burke. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

35

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings • Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a Fly Fishing expedition at 8 a.m. July 10, at Sorrells Creek.

All expeditions are $10 paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Haywood Waterways Association will host a familyfriendly float on Lake Junaluska from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 11. Learn about the lake's history and ongoing efforts to improve water quality while leisurely paddling along the shoreline. 828.258.8737 ext. 201 outings@mountaintrue.org.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a hike on Big East Fork Trail at 1 p.m. July 11. The hike will be led by Kathy Odvody and Lisa Cook. Hikes are $10 per person, paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is hosting a webinar titled “Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway” at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 13. Randy Johnson will deliver his best strategies and locations along the Parkway for escaping the crowds. Free, and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s monthly webinar series highlighting the Foundation’s projects and ways to enjoy the Parkway. Register at www.BRPFoundation.org/events • Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a hike from Fork Ridge Overlook to Waterrock Knob at 8 a.m. July 14. The hike will be led by Phyllis Woolen & Vickey Watson. Hikes are $10 per person, paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Learn to be safe on the water with a free certification course in boat safety, 6-9 p.m. July 14-15, at Haywood Community College. No age limit, but students must be able to take a written exam. Pre-registration required at www.ncwildlife.org.

• Registration is now open for a basketball camp in Haywood County offering sessions for elementary and middle school students. Camp will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. each day, with elementary sessions offered July 19-21 and Aug. 2-4, and middle school sessions July 12-14 and July 26-28. Locations will vary, and attendance is capped at 30 players per session. Cost is $20, or free for those attending summer school. Offered by Haywood County Parks and Recreation. Sign up by calling 828.452.6789.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a birding tour along Buck Spring Trail at 8 a.m. July 14.

The tour will be led by Kevin Burke. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• The Highland Brewing Night Flight 4.5-mile race will return on Saturday, July 17. Runners will step off at 7:30 p.m. A post-race party and awards ceremony will be held at the Meadow. Cost is $43. Register at www.iamathlete.com.

• Mountain Wildlife Days will return to Sapphire Valley July 16-17. Cost is $5 for the Friday evening event and $8 for all-day admission Saturday, and kids are admitted free. All events take place at the Sapphire Valley Resort Community Center. www.mountainwildlifedays.com or 828.743.7663.

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www.smokymountainnews.com

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SUPER

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THREE OF A...

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32 THREE OF A FIND 39 -- awkward position 40 Broadcast 41 Severe spasm 42 Chicken, e.g.

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53 THREE OF A HIND 57 Pro at alterations 59 Way out 60 British title 61 Green tract 62 Put lube in 63 Deny, as a statement 66 Blue-skinned race in "Avatar" 69 THREE OF A BIND 75 Wry comic Mort 76 Bitter complainers 77 Troll's cousin 78 Famed coach Parseghian 81 Edmonton's prov.

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

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July 7-13, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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

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

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July 7-13, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

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July 7-13, 2021 Smoky Mountain News

UPCOMING SH HOWS:

AUGUST 13

A AUGUST 15

SEPTEMBER R4

SEPTE TEMBER 10-11

1028 Georgiia Rd • Frankklin, lli NC • Locall 828.524.

828 524 1598 • T To ollll Free 86 866.273.4615 66 273 4615 40

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