Smoky Mountain News | July 27, 2022

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

July 27-August 2, 2022 Vol. 24 Iss. 09

Respected Waynesville cop bows out early Page 6 Disaster declaration to help Haywood, Swain Page 17

CONTENTS On the Cover: For cat lovers looking to get away, a Clyde Airbnb may be the perfect destination. At this spot, not only are guests treated to the comforts of home; they get to enjoy all the feline companionship they could ever hope for. (Page 8) A reporter kicks his feet up and embraces the presence of his new furry friends. Cory Vaillancourt photo

News Cherokee wants name change for Clingmans Dome ..............................................4 Violations issued by DEQ for Waynesville Golf project............................................5 Waynesville PD lieutenant leaves law enforcement in his prime ..........................6 Swain bristles at perceived encroachment by Rep. Clampitt ..............................10 Master plan approved for Cherokee Fair Grounds ................................................11 Jackson domestic violence shelter moves forward..................................................12 Sarge’s to host annual dog walk Aug. 6 ....................................................................13 Support personnel get pay raises in Macon schools ............................................14 Retired WCU vice chancellor receives lifetime achievement award..................15 New disaster declaration offers help for Haywood, Swain ..................................17

Opinion Better cops make for better communities ..................................................................20 Don’t forget Hiroshima Day ............................................................................................21

A&E Jackson County venue offers world-class music, food ..........................................22 The boy monk: a review of ‘Monastery Mornings’....................................................29

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

Up Moses Creek: Thrashers make a home on Berry Island ................................30 Rhododendron, showman of the Southern Apps....................................................34

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Cherokee wants name change for Clingmans Dome Council passes resolution requesting return to traditional name, Kuwahi

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ollowing a unanimous vote from the Cherokee Tribal Council July 14, the tribe is expected to petition the federal government to change the name of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s highest mountain, Clingmans Dome, to Kuwahi — the name Cherokee people called it for generations prior to European conquest.

“We see this as an avenue for our younger generation to relearn who and what we are as a people, that Creator placed us here,” Yellowhill resident Mary Crowe told Tribal Council.

Crowe, who submitted the resolution together with Big Cove resident Lavita Hill, said the idea came to her following the May 21 celebration at Kituwah Mound, attended by representatives of the Cherokee Nation and United Band of Keetoowah Indians in addition to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians citizens and elected officials. During the celebration, UKB Principal Chief John Bunch read a proclamation declaring May 21 as Kituwah Mound Day. Crowe recalled the proclamation’s preamble, which states that the UKB received its name when seven wise medicine men climbed Clingmans Dome seeking instruction from the creator.

“The Creator said, ‘Your name will be Kituwah forever,’” said Crowe.

Kuwahi, which means “mulberry place” in the Cherokee language, was a site of special significance to the Cherokee people.

Medicine people went there to pray and seek guidance from the Creator, and Cherokee people seeking to evade removal during the Trail of Tears used it as a refuge.

“It’s a sacred place,” said Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver Johnson, who also serves as Indian Clerk for the Tribal Council.

Clingmans Dome.

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The mountain became known as Clingmans Dome following an 1859 survey from Swiss-born geographer Arnold Guyot.

Guyot named the mountain, which rises 6,643 feet above sea level, after U.S. Senator Thomas L. Clingman.

According to Tennessee Encyclopedia, Clingman’s name became associated with the mountain due to a dispute he had with Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, over which Appalachian peak was the highest. Clingman believed it was the mountain on the Tennessee-North Carolina line, while Mitchell believed it was a peak in the Black Mountains. Guyot completed a survey to settle the dispute and found that the mountain now named after Mitchell was 41 feet higher than the summit that bears Clingman’s name.

Crowe and Hill’s resolution takes issue with the name Clingmans Dome not just because it usurped the much older, longerused name Kuwahi but also because

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Clingman, a supporter of slavery, fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He left his Senate seat in 1861 to join the rebel army, rising to the rank of brigadier general.

“The name Clingman is not derogatory in and of itself, but the history shows the act of changing the name of Kuwahi to Clingman’s Dome was racist and the racist action should be acknowledged and corrected,” the resolution states.

While there was some discussion in Tribal Council as to exactly how the new name should be spelled — the Cherokee language has multiple dialects, with speakers of different dialects rendering the name slightly differently — everybody seated around the horseshoe offered enthusiastic support to the name change concept. Hill and Crowe said they were working with the Cherokee Speakers Council to determine the most correct rendering of the name before making a formal name change application to the federal government.

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The final decision on the matter will rest with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which is under the Department of Interior’s U.S. Geologic Survey. The board, which meets monthly, is comprised of representatives from federal agencies who serve twoyear terms and together share the responsibility of standardizing geographic names with the Secretary of the Interior.

Once the EBCI submits a formal proposal, Board on Geographic Names staff will prepare a case brief summarizing the background of the existing name, reason for the proposed change and any other pertinent details. Before changing a well-established name, the board looks for local acceptance — it will seek input from county governments, federally recognized tribes, the National Park Service, the N.C. Board on Geographic Names and the Tennessee Geographic Names Committee before presenting the proposal for a final decision.

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The SPCA violations may be subject to an initial one-day violation penalty of up to $5,000. If the violations of the SPCA are not corrected within 21 calendar days of receipt of the notice of violation by WGC, WGC could be fined up to $5,000 per day.

The E&SC violations could carry penalties of up to $25,000 per day.

The notice gives WGC 14 days to respond with a date by which corrective actions have been or will be completed, a plan to prevent future violations, a sediment removal plan and reasons why civil penalties should not be assessed.

New land-disturbing activity associated with the project cannot begin until the disturbed area becomes compliant with the conditions outlined in the SPCA and the permit.

A second notice of violation outlines largely similar instances of noncompliance on a 53-acre tract and provides for the same compliance and penalty procedures described in the first notice of violation.

Sediment is bad for a number of reasons,” said Preston Jacobsen, executive director of the Haywood Waterways Association.

Haywood Waterways is a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining and improving surface water quality in the Pigeon River watershed. “As a property owner, you’re losing land. From a water quality or ecosystem perspective, it also does have a number of negative effects.”

Jacobsen said that although sedimentation does occur naturally, but when humans get involved, it’s worse, but it’s easier to spot.

“When we do see this increase in sediment, turbidity and suspended solids, anyone is able to identify, in some form or fashion, that source.”

David Tart, a WGC official named in the violations, has not returned multiple requests for comment from SMN.

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place names on federal lands, and the Board on Geographic Names is scheduled to vote on final replacement names in September.

While Clingmans Dome is the only place name that the tribe is officially asking to see changed, other requests may follow.

“This may be just a stepping stone,” said Johnson, giving the example of the place name “Judaculla.” Recognized in English as the name of the seven-fingered giant who looms large in Cherokee legend, the word’s rendering of the Cherokee name for the giant is “so wrong,” Johnson said. As happened with many other names, white settlers and explorers wrote the words down the way they heard them — “and they didn’t hear it right,” said Johnson.

“I just want to tell you thank you. We appreciate this,” Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy told Hill and Crowe. “I have to agree with what’s been said. There are places in the neighborhood we need to correct the names on. While they may have had it for 70 years we had it, 15, 20 thousand years ago.”

The resolution awaits signature from Principal Chief Richard Sneed.

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“A typical proposal will take around eight months from submission to decision, but given the significance of this geographic feature and the number of parties who may wish to provide input, it could take up to a year or more,” said USGS Spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz.

While renaming Clingmans Dome would be a dramatic shift for the iconic mountain, it would hardly be unprecedented. In 2015, the U.S. government decided to adopt the indigenous name of Denali for the Alaskan mountain previously known as Mount McKinley, and in June the National Park Service announced that Mount Doane in Yellowstone National Park would now be called First Peoples Mountain to honor the many tribes with significant cultural and historical ties to the land.

Last week, the Department of the Interior announced that its recently formed 13-member Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force had concluded its review of more than 660 geographic features whose names include an offensive slur often directed toward indigenous women. The Department of the Interior aims to remove the slur from

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR omplaints by a neighbor about sediment in a creek have resulted in two notices of violation being issued to the new owners of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

The complaint was originally fielded by Town of Waynesville employees.

Development services staff members Olga Grooman and Byron Hickox visited the site, observed turbidity and silt fence issues, and subsequently contacted DEQ. South Carolina-based hospitality company Raines purchased the historic Waynesville Inn for nearly $9 million in early 2021. Raines then embarked on a substantial construction and rehabilitation project to freshen up the accommodations as well as rehab the 27-hole course.

On June 30, DEQ personnel inspected the project at the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club to assess compliance with both the North Carolina Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973 (SPCA) and with the stormwater discharge permit issued pursuant to WGC’s land disturbance activities on a 20-acre tract.

What state inspectors found was that the installation of several protective measures had not been implemented, “resulting in sediment being trafficked offsite onto adjacent roadways and sedimentation being deposited in the receiving stream,” according to the notice of SPCA violation.

Also noted was the failure to maintain a buffer zone protecting the waterways.

Violations of the construction stormwater permit include the failure to develop or adhere to the erosion and sedimentation control (E&SC) plan. Per the notice, “Several sediment basins were not constructed as shown on the approved E&SC pIan.”

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Violations issued by DEQ for Waynesville Golf project

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A new calling Respected Waynesville PD lieutenant leaves law enforcement in his prime

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR mid a tough time for law enforcement when stories about good officers leaving the profession dominate headlines, the Waynesville Police Department is losing one of its most experienced and respected officers. But while many leave law enforcement due to burnout or poor workplace culture, Lt. Tyler Trantham’s exit is different — it’s a matter of faith.

On July 9, Trantham, 41, announced he was going to stop working full-time at the Waynesville Police Department in a social media post. His announcement came as a surprise to many, given his commitment to his chosen profession. Even his boss, Chief David Adams, was caught off guard.

“I was shocked,” Adams said. “I hate to lose somebody of that caliber.”

But Trantham said that after much deliberation and prayer, he knew it was the right choice.

“You know, all I ever wanted to be was a detective … But God’s asked me to lay down something I love,” Trantham said. “After a lot of wrestling with Him, I felt very clear that this is just what He was asking me to do.”

July 27-August 2, 2022

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A DESTINY FULFILLED

Trantham knew he wanted to be in law enforcement throughout his childhood in Haywood County even well before graduating from Tuscola High School in 1999. After an internship with WPD, he got a scholarship through the North Carolina Police Corps under the agreement that he would go to the police academy once he finished college.

Initially, he was hired on at the Jacksonville, North Carolina Police Department. After a couple of years there, an opportunity opened for him to come home.

For Trantham, WPD felt like where he’d always belonged, and he relished the opportunity to serve the community he grew up in.

It was, after all, the whole reason he became a cop.

“There’s obviously challenges. You sometimes have to arrest your neighbors or family,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s any greater reward. To be able to ride around the same streets that you literally rode your bicycle on when you were a kid — it’s been a dream.”

While Trantham was happy to patrol familiar roads, his goal was to become a detective. After just over a year, quicker than many younger officers, he was assigned to the criminal investigative division (CID). In 2012, he was promoted to sergeant and went back to patrol for about two and half years before a CID sergeant position became available. Shortly after that, he was promoted to Lieutenant and headed up the special operations division, which consists of narcotics 6 investigations, the tactical unit and the spe-

Smoky Mountain News

Trantham (right) speaks to demonstrators before a Black Lives Matter march in Waynesville on June 1, 2020. Cory Vaillancourt photo

“I don’t think there’s any greater reward. To be able to ride around the same streets that you literally rode your bicycle on when you were a kid — it’s been a dream.”

— Lt. Tyler Trantham

cial response team. In 2019, amid a command restructuring, he became the lieutenant over CID. When Trantham was growing up, the two things he wanted out of life was to become a detective in his hometown and to start a family. Within about a month after moving back to Haywood County, Trantham met his wife, Rachel. Now, the couple has three kids, and this August they’ll be celebrating their 15th anniversary.

One of the toughest things for anyone to learn as they advance in law enforcement — or any field for that matter — is how to be an effective and fair leader. Trantham said he was fortunate to learn from Bill Hollingsed, his mentor who served as Waynesville Police Chief from 1999 to 2019.

“He always made it an effort to say ‘I’m gonna give you this opportunity to lead and I’m gonna trust you with it,’” Trantham said of Hollingsed. “And whether that means making mistakes or being able to think outside the box about how to address issues, I can’t

help but think that he had a huge influence on my drive to dive into things.”

A NEW DIRECTION A few weeks ago, Trantham gave Chief Adams his notice that he was going to leave his role leading CID. Adams said that as of now, Trantham will remain on part-time status performing certain auxiliary tasks like maintaining the department’s Facebook page.

Trantham said there had a been a “tug” at his heart for a while and that he’d had many conversations with trusted friends and family about the big decision. After much contemplation and a “few conversations with the Almighty,” the time was right.

While Trantham wouldn’t speak specifically to his family’s next step on the record, he did talk about his reason for leaving. He immediately referenced his faith, saying he believed God called him to make this move. But that doesn’t mean it was easy to be obedient.

“We’re in the middle of a recession, and

I’m gonna step away from a salary and a pension,” Trantham said.

Looking back, Trantham said the toughest thing about working specifically in investigations was that he could never really be off the clock. Like other investigators, he took his cases home with him every night.

“You’re thinking about that victim or you’re thinking about how to approach the next day or that interview that’s coming in or how you’re gonna catch this guy,” he said.

While he said it’s true that the job leads to a sort of desensitization when it comes to seeing violence and trauma, there’s one thing that never gets any easier — death notifications — delivering what may be the toughest news a person will ever hear.

“I can think back to specific moments, and almost like I’m there just because it leaves an imprint on you because you see the pain,” he said.

Trantham said the rewards can often make the stress bearable. When asked what cases he remembers and takes the most pride in, he said it’s not the big arrests that bring him the most satisfaction; it’s the appreciation from the community, the card or letter sent from someone he’d helped so long ago that he may have even forgotten all about it.

He said that while sometimes those acts feel routine, they can mean a lot to an individual.

However, whether it’s a big arrest or a small deed that leaves a lasting impact on a

AN EXPERT ON AN UNFORTUNATE TOPIC

Trantham earlier in his career enjoying a moment with his daughter, Abby. Donated photo

A MAJOR LOSS — FOR NOW The praise Trantham expressed for Hollingsed was reciprocated in a Smoky Mountain News interview with the former chief. Hollingsed, who had Trantham in a class at WCU when he was an adjunct professor and Trantham hadn’t even donned a badge, said there have been a number of officers hired on at WPD during his tenure who he had the pleasure of watching develop into fine public servants.

When it comes to Trantham, Hollingsed

talked about a seemingly endless drive to do things the right way.

“He’s a very passionate and driven officer,” Hollingsed said. “Anything he does, he’s going to give it 100%. He sees an issue and tries to solve it in a positive manner. Whether it’s opioid abuse or the homelessness issue, he’s not willing to sit back and be reactive; he wants to be proactive.”

Hollingsed also talked about Trantham’s leadership.

“I think Tyler is a student of history, and he loves to read about leaders throughout history and model his own behavior and actions after historical leaders of the past,” he said. “He never stops trying to learn and model his own way of management after those great leaders.”

Chief Adams talked about Trantham’s ability to engage with the community, including the homeless population. While that effort helps build trust with those the department serves, that kind of connection can also help with cases on a practical level.

“That’s an asset in investigations because he can locate suspects and witnesses,” Adams said.

“It’s hard to replace that institutional knowledge,” he added. “And he grew up in Haywood County. It makes your job much easier when you’re homegrown.”

Now that Trantham has announced his departure, what’s next?

“Obviously some time with my kids, and there’s some writing that I like to do for some reason … I didn’t even know I enjoyed doing that,” he said.

Trantham said he also plans on remaining dedicated to finding ways to improve the mental and emotional health of officers and wants to help tackle the mental health problems they encounter any way he can.

“I’m hoping that that I can serve in some way,” he said. “Even though I’m not full-time at the Waynesville Police Department, my involvement and my passion for these things won’t change. I’m still gonna keep digging into these issues and trying to educate myself and provide what I feel like could be solutions.”

All that said, Trantham hasn’t shut the door on possibly making a return.

“Something may change, and this may just be a break,” he said.

One thing Trantham wanted to make clear was that his departure has nothing to do with issues at WPD or the profession in general, not to say there haven’t been tough times.

“I think we all go through frustration and disappointment … it’s weathering those things and not making a decision from that posture or from that place. It would’ve been a wrong place to make a decision from,” he said. “But it’s true. I think unfortunately there are a lot of people that are leaving this profession because they’re simply tired.”

For Trantham, it’s not about burnout — it’s about a calling, whatever that may be.

While Adams said there’s no certain timeline and he’s not sure who will succeed Trantham, he did say it’ll be an internal promotion. Trantham opined that there is no shortage of qualified candidates in that department to fill his shoes.

“There’s plenty of talent and ability there,” he said. “They know what to do. They have some of the best around.”

On that note, Trantham said he’ll miss those people he’s worked with and the bonds they’ve built.

“That’s one of the hardest things,” he said.

“When you spend every day of your life almost with some of these guys and gals, they become family. They know you better than some of your family knows you.”

But ultimately, Trantham said the toughest thing about leaving is severing the connection and access to his community that law enforcement has given him. From being able to ride around and know what’s going on in each neighborhood to having the inherent trust of so many residents and business owners, simply being out of the loop will be a massive change.

But knowing he’s had that opportunity will always be a point of pride.

“It’s been an honor,” Trantham said. “[Waynesville] Mayor [Gavin] Brown used to say Waynesville is the best little town in America. I always said I believed it, but in this moment, it’s the truth. There’s not a better place to be a cop than here. I can’t be thankful enough.”

Smoky Mountain News

Although Trantham is leaving law enforcement for now, that doesn’t mean his interest in the topic will diminish. He said he still has a great passion for learning everything he can about homelessness and addiction.

“Just because this season right now is ending for me, that doesn’t mean I’ll lay this down,” he said. “I still have a great passion for understanding this, and hopefully I can do some good work.”

Trantham (right) addresses a room full of officers along with former Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed. Donated photo

July 27-August 2, 2022

When Trantham leaves, he’ll take with him a wealth of knowledge about the homelessness and drug crises that are as complicated as they are divisive. Having studied those issues for well over a decade as he also encountered them on the streets, other law enforcement has recognized his expertise. For example, in an earlier interview, Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher noted that Trantham has his “finger on the pulse” of the homelessness issue better than anyone else in the community.

For Trantham, that awareness began with noticing a change in the drug trade. He recalled that local law enforcement began “beating the drum” and calling attention to the developing problems as far back as 2007 when officers began seeing more prescription drug abuse.

“Back in 2010, there were moments or days where we were probably looked at as ‘they’re just being cops, they’re paranoid, or they’re being a little overdramatic about what the problem is,’” he said. “But I really feel like we saw this thing coming.”

Now, the drug problem has become as dangerous as ever thanks to the proliferation of a new synthetic opioid far more powerful than anything they’d encountered before.

“Fentanyl is a cheaper way to get opioids, and it’s easier to get,” Trantham said. “And of course, it’s much deadlier than what we’ve seen.”

Trantham said the homelessness crisis has evolved, too. While many earlier in his career may have been homeless, they were sheltered.

Now, Trantham believes the majority are unsheltered, and he estimated those people tend to be 10-15 years younger than they were before.

“I would argue that some of that has to do with the pretrial program where a lot of these individuals are repeat offenders, or they were bouncing house to house and place to place,” he said. “They found themselves just in that continuous cycle out here on the street. Whereas 15 years ago, we were dealing with maybe someone who was suffering from an alcohol issue or an occasional drug issue, I would say now it’s a drug issue 90% of the time.”

Trantham noted that the issue has picked up steam locally over the last few years but

that concerned community members and leaders can look at other cities and states that have dealt with it for longer to see pros and cons of solutions they tried to implement.

“I really think there is a way to solve it,” he said. “It’s just gonna take an effort. People are gonna have to meet in the middle on some things. That’s what this is about, coming to the same table with this common goal to solve the issue.”

When asked how he developed his intellectual approach to viewing the homelessness and drug problems and their potential solutions, Trantham initially hesitated to answer.

“I think if you ask my teachers at Tuscola, they would probably laugh if I said I had an intellectual approach to anything,” he said with a laugh. “But I think you gotta educate yourself on problems, whatever that problem is. We as cops even, it’s important for us to educate ourselves, to figure out the ‘why.’ If you figure out the why, you can start developing an attack.”

Of course, no problem of that magnitude will be easy to solve.

“We want quick fixes,” Trantham said. “I think we live in an instant gratification world.

Even as government, we want quick fixes …

This is not a quick fix. This is something we’re gonna have to dig our heels in and work toward for many, many years.”

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community member, Trantham said there’s never much time for revelry. To quote Gen. George Patton, all glory is fleeting. As soon as a case is wrapped up, no matter how good or bad the result, another one is lying in wait.

The job is never done.

Trantham described how he felt once he took the leap and made the decision to step away from a job that has offered so many highs and lows.

“I’m a passionate guy; that’s kind of been something that’s always fueled me,” he said.

“But in that moment, there was just a lot of peace about it. I think that speaks to where the decision’s coming from. That whole peace beyond understanding is a real thing. I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced it until that moment.”

7

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Relax with cats at an Airbnb in Clyde

July 27-August 2, 2022

Riley the cat sprawls out on the bed in an Airbnb in Clyde. Cory Vaillancourt photo

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

Sometimes, the trip isn’t about the journey — it’s about the destination.

Smoky Mountain News

When visitors come to Western North Carolina, there are scads of available shortterm rentals sure to make any trip unique.

Some have stunning mountain views or access to trout streams. Some are converted barns tucked away in isolated, idyllic coves.

Some are tiny homes. Trailers. Tents. Yurts.

Around here, there are even Airbnbs in the trees.

In Haywood County, there’s one destination where it’s not about the scenery or the fishing or the Instagram glamping scene.

“It’s 100% cat-related,” said Kim Dolan, a California native with the perfect mix of experience in disaster relief, hospitality and veterinary medicine.

Dolan’s rental is a single-room, bright, colorful and clean, well-kept with modern furnishings and featuring a coffee nook, a two-top writing desk and a full bathroom 8 with shower.

It’s booked about 50% of the year.

“The leaf lovers come in droves, because it’s so beautiful here. And it’s close to everything. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Waynesville is 10 minutes, Asheville is 30 minutes,” Dolan said.

As Dolan promised, there’s cat décor everywhere. They’re on the walls, on the curtains, on the big ol’ comfy bed. But it doesn’t stop there.

With the twist of a dial on a small cat door near the front entrance, a steady stream of curious kitties begins flowing into the room.

First, it’s chonky, grumbling Alfie, a blind 7-year-old whose owner recently passed away.

Then it’s 4-year-old Riley, who slinks his way over to the bed and springs atop it in an instant. After them it’s sweet Bella, a 14-yearold who loves guests.

Others come and go, meowing a brief hello and sniffing around the place with indifference until they lose interest.

Behind that small cat door is Dolan’s house, which doubles as Love and Purrs Sanctuary, a nonprofit dedicated to caring for at-risk cats and kittens and finding them forever homes.

“We’re located on a cat sanctuary, so all of

“We’re located on a cat sanctuary, so all of our guests pretty much love cats and they want interactions with cats.”

— Kim Dolan

our guests pretty much love cats and they want interactions with cats,” Dolan said.

“The cats will come into the room if they want them to and sleep with them and snuggle with them. They think it’s a great cause because the money helps support the sanctuary cats here.”

About four years ago, Dolan opened a cat rescue in Nashville, Tennessee.

“When I started, I had a lot of cats there and one of my adopters was like, ‘You should do an Airbnb,’” Dolan laughed. “So I started it, and it flew off the handle.”

Two years ago, she moved near Clyde to be closer to her parents, daughter and grandson and brought her operation here.

“I work full time at the sanctuary and it’s a 100% volunteer organization. Nobody gets paid any money, so I had to think of other avenues to sustain things because rescue is very expensive and we get all of our money from donors and adopters and vet bills are outrageous,” she said. “I’m a pet sitter, and I also do this Airbnb to help sustain the more than 50 cats and kittens in our care right now.”

Dolan’s home, which is off-limits to guests, is neat and tidy despite the presence of her furry friends. Automated litterboxes help keep it that way.

Throughout the sanctuary the cats have plenty of options for sleeping, hiding out or playing with the others, which keeps them healthy and happy. They also embark on regular visits to the vet.

Sequestered in a small side room are the tiniest of kittens. Another small room segregates juveniles. Adult and senior cats roam freely, with access to the outdoors through another cat door, which in turn leads to an outdoor “catio” where guests are welcome.

Cats are free to move from the catio to the large, shady yard thanks to semi-rigid plastic cat fencing that bends inward about seven

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guests that have adopted, just from being guests,” said Dolan, who screens applicants and checks references before placing cats with guests.

If all goes well, it’s pretty likely you could show up catless, test drive a few, and leave cat-laden.

“I keep in contact with all my adopters.

The cats are like my little children. One of my most special adoptions ever was a woman that stayed in the Airbnb in Nashville where we started,” Dolan said. “She stayed for a week and she adopted a little kitten that nobody wanted. Her name was Beauty the Little Kitten. She flew the kitten all the way back with her to California and two years later, she moved from California to Nashville.

I talk to them all the time and get updates.

That kitten went full circle.”

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, there are between 60 and 100 million feral cats living in the United States today. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that 3.4 million cats enter shelters every year. More than 40% are euthanized.

One doesn’t have to adopt to contribute to the mission of Love and Purrs Sanctuary.

Donations are accepted on the sanctuary’s website. Likewise, one doesn’t have to stay at Dolan’s Airbnb to adopt — but it is a smart move.

“It helps if you stay here,” Dolan said, “because I can meet you and see if the cats love you.”

Find Dolan’s rental on Airbnb, along with photos, reviews, rates and more. For additional information on Love and Purrs Sanctuary, visit loveandpurrssanctuary.org.

July 27-August 2, 2022

feet off the ground, keeping the most intrepid of climbers safely confined.

Several seating areas strewn about the yard offer guests the opportunity to gaze upon the profound beauty of nearby mountains, or just engage in a lazy afternoon of some good old-fashioned cat-watchin’.

Guest reviews of the sanctuary on Airbnb are filled with superlatives and support the rental’s stellar 4.96 rating.

“This was my second stay at the cat sanctuary, and I’ll be coming again next year as well,” says Lyle from New York, who stayed with Dolan in July. “The kitties are so amazingly sweet, affectionate and well-behaved!

You’ll get visits from four or five or more each night and hate to say goodbye. Kim is a kind and gracious host who has done a tremendous job of saving these cats and helping them share their love and beauty with the world.”

Dolan remembers the one guest who stayed the longest.

“He stayed for a week. He wrote his grad school thesis here. He said it was one of the best weeks he ever had,” said Dolan. “We get compliments all the time. They always say it’s so relaxing, how unique of a stay it is, how there’s cats everywhere and they’ve never seen anything like it.”

Not only does the rental support the sanctuary, it also exposes guests to cats they may or may not have been planning to adopt.

In fact, there’s an adoption contract included in the welcome book for those who make a connection with one of the resident cats and can’t bear the thought of saying goodbye once their stay is over.

“Because of Airbnb visitors, we’ve had 10

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Swain bristles at perceived encroachment by Rep. Clampitt

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR feud brewing between Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) and the governments of Swain County and Bryson City reached a new level over the last couple of weeks as officials balked at Clampitt’s plea for the two entities to consolidate their emergency services.

In fact, elected town and county leaders made it clear they didn’t even want to hear Clampitt’s arguments, claiming that such a decision should be made from the “bottom up” and not the “top down.” In an email Clampitt sent to town councilmen and county commissioners in May, he outlined his case, saying it’s necessary to get ahead of future growth and tourist traffic in the area in the coming years.

“It is imperative that we all provide the best public safety at the most affordable costs to the citizens of the area,” he wrote in the email.

Clampitt’s plan included building a new joint emergency response facility that could be used by both Bryson City and Swain County emergency response personnel, as well as anyone else that may be called in to deal with any given emergency, such as the forest service or the county rescue squad.

Some features would include a decontamination area, offices, classrooms, emergency operations center, accommodations and a commercial kitchen capable of feeding not only firefighters but also incident command personnel. In the email, Clampitt estimated the cost to be between $3-5 million.

“This may sound extravagant, but in reality it is an investment in the future of our area,” Clampitt wrote in the email.

In an interview with The Smoky Mountain News two weeks ago, Clampitt explained how to pay for the facility.

“As bad as I hate the word,” Clampitt said, “you can call it a fire tax. [Swain County’s] tax base isn’t high enough to fund that adequately on its own.”

To make that possible, county commissioners must call a referendum on the approval of a property tax levy, which will put the proposal in front of voters. Clampitt estimated that would probably come during the 2024 General Election.

“Having a fire tax gives departments a baseline so they would not have to depend on the county,” Clampitt said.

Currently, Graham County is the only county other than Swain west of Asheville that doesn’t have fire taxes on its service districts.

Clampitt scheduled a meeting in Swain County for July 23 and invited media, elected officials and emergency services personnel. However, no elected officials showed up.

Clampitt told SMN that the only attendees were about a dozen or so firefighters and

rescue personnel. Still, he thought the meeting went well and the people who turned out were attentive.

“They had a great interest in this. They were receptive to all the info,” he said.

“There were some questions, but they were addressed by current statutes.”

However, Clampitt was disappointed in the lack of turnout from elected county and city officials.

“The fact that there is a representative from the county in the legislature with knowledge about the legislature concerning finances and funds should interest them,” Clampitt said. “They’re turning their back on a golden opportunity to acquire some of

When asked whether it was worth at least sitting down and listening to Clampitt’s plan, Sutton made his perspective clear.

“We didn’t send him that letter because we wanted to come and think about it,” Sutton said. “I appreciate Mike’s enthusiasm, but we want to have our volunteers onboard for something like that. I was not interested in spending my Saturday afternoon listening to a message that I thought was off the mark.”

Sutton said that after speaking with McGill and Associates, a firm that has built a couple of fire stations in the Buncombe County area, he believes Clampitt’s estimated cost of $3-5 million to be an extremely

Guns and cash stolen amid multiple Haywood County car burglaries

residents to stay vigilant and be consistent about securing their vehicles at night. Most of the recent car thefts in our county have occurred late at night with an unlocked vehicle, stated Cope. Often the best offense is a strong defense, so stay on the defensive by remembering to remove your valuables from your car and most importantly, always remembering to properly secure your firearms.

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office strongly recommends following the following tips to help prevent vehicle break-ins:

• Lock your vehicle and lock your house • Never leave your keys in your vehicle • Do not leave your gun in your vehicle • Do not leave valuable items visible in your car, including your purse or wallet • Be aware of your surroundings and if you see something, say something

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

A

Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are investigating a recent string of car burglaries that resulted in the theft of guns, cash and valuables.

Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Criminal 10 Investigation Division Capt. Tony Cope reminds

those funds by being short sighted, smallminded and uncooperative.”

In a letter to Clampitt signed by Swain County Commission Chair Ben Bushyhead and Bryson City Mayor Tom Sutton, the case against the unification of emergency services is made. Along with saying it would be more cumbersome to consolidate emergency services than Clampitt was letting on, the letter mentions that the Town of Bryson City recently purchased property and “are pursuing their own Fire Station for the Bryson City fire jurisdiction.”

Rep. Clampitt has generated some ire from Swain County and Bryson City officials in his attempt to unify county and city emergency services.

Cory Vaillancourt photo

Park in a well-lit area A well-lit area is a strong deterrent against intruders, said CID Sgt. Heath Justice. The sheriff’s office also recommends considering a home

low estimate. Besides, the town has designs of its own.

“We would like to have a facility where we could locate the police station in the same building,” Sutton said.

Another reason Sutton said he didn’t think such a project was even possible was the ongoing work to bring the problematic wastewater treatment plant and sewer system up to date.

“Our front burner is the wastewater treatment system,” he said.

Sutton ultimately said that he felt such a large-scale solution should come from the “bottom up” and not the “top down.”

“Mike feels like things should be driven from Raleigh down, but we don’t feel that way,” Sutton said.

Clampitt said the notion of overreach from Raleigh in this case is a “total misconception.”

“If they feel like it is a Raleigh overreach and influence that is a total misconception because the city and county have been very difficult to work with and have been less than forthcoming on their needs,” Clampitt said. “Now of all times, wouldn’t it be the best time for the county to engage with the city and compromise for unification.”

As blunt as Sutton was, Bushyhead was perhaps harsher in response to what he perceived as Clampitt’s meddling in local affairs.

“The words from Mike Clampitt on paper don’t mean anything,” he said. “We work together well, the city and the county, and we’ll do what’s right.”

Bushyhead cited another recent example of a time when Clampitt was acting on his own when he submitted H1075, a bill that would have unified the county and city tourism development authorities.

“He submitted that bill without even talking to me as chair of the commissioners or any other commissioner with whom I’ve spoken,” Bushyhead said. “When these bills come up, we have no understanding or knowledge that they’re going to come up.

That makes it extremely difficult to work together.”

Bushyhead echoed Sutton’s criticism about Clampitt trying to leverage his power as a representative on the city and county boards, noting that he’d previously had a chance to win a county commission seat before but lost.

“He tried to run for chair of the county and lost it substantially,” Bushyhead said.

“One of the things I personally say to people who will listen to me is I will not allow Clampitt to run the county from Raleigh. I will not do it.” surveillance system that produces a clear image.

Many of the photos and videos the office receive are poorly lit and grainy, which can make it hard to identify a subject. Also, people should keep a list that contains the serial numbers of all their guns at a friend’s or a relative’s house. That way if their home is burglarized thieves won’t have access to the only log of identification numbers.

Anyone with information about robberies should call the Crimestoppers tip line at 1.877.922.7463 or submit a tip at haywoodncsheriff.com/community-tips-concerns/.

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Master plan approved for Cherokee Fair Grounds Convention center to host 2022 Cherokee Indian Fair

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Cherokee Fair Grounds is in for a complete overhaul over the next couple of years after Tribal Council during its July 14 meeting green-lighted spending to demolish the current facilities and create a comprehensive master plan for the site.

“We have leaky buildings, pest control issues. The facilities and infrastructure are really in bad disarray,” said Secretary of Commerce Chris McCoy. “We’ve got an idea for something that’s really going to be great for our community. I think it’s really going to impress everybody, get everybody excited about what we can do here, and provide another outlet for our people to have nice events.”

McCoy first discussed the project on air during a May 16 Planning Board meeting, after a crack in an amphitheater canopy column on the site led to a consensus that the time was right for a total remodel. The crack was due to an unknown quantity of water sitting in the column, marking the potential for catastrophic failure once below-freezing weather returned to the mountains. Fixing the column would require dissembling the entire structure, creating an opportunity to discuss pursuing even more drastic changes at the dated facility.

The concept McCoy presented in May included a much-expanded exhibit hall; a new, double-sided stage offering the opportunity to use the fairgrounds as lawn seating during large events; a row of new retail spaces and workshops along the left side of the property; and an iconic water fountain

visible from the Council House next door.

The board voted 6-1 to recommend that Tribal Council approve the plan.

Tribal Council’s vote July 14 made $3 million available to start the process — $1 million for demolition and $2 million in soft costs such as design fees. However, McCoy said, those numbers are “guesswork” until the Request for Proposals Process is complete.

“I want to bring you back some money so we can apply that to the build,” he told Council.

Tribal Council was supportive of the project, voting unanimously to approve the funding. However, it will come at a cost of more than just money. Perhaps the Fair Grounds’ most important function is as the site of the annual Cherokee Indian Fair, an exceedingly important event in the community’s cultural calendar. The project is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete, and during that time the fair must be held elsewhere.

While the tribe had originally hoped to host an outdoor fair at the old elementary school site, the event will now be held at the Cherokee Convention Center adjacent to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino — a controversial decision.

“Going to the casino to have a fair, at face value it was horrific,” said Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy. “I didn’t even agree with it. But I do understand going through life that you do have to crack those eggs to get that omelet.”

The new fairgrounds won’t likely be ready in time to host the 2023 fair either, but the project should be complete by 2024.

Then, said Chris McCoy, “We won’t have to mess with this for 30 to 50 years.”

“I think it will be a fantastic product,” he added. “I’m excited about it.”

The resolution awaits signature from Principal Chief Richard Sneed.

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July 27-August 2, 2022

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Jackson domestic violence shelter moves forward

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER Jackson County has approved an architectural contract and laid out a timeline for the construction of its domestic violence shelter, acting on a plan that has been several years in the making.

“This is really the next step in this process of bringing the contract before the board so that we can move forward with the domestic violence shelter process,” said County Manager Don Adams.

The Center for Domestic Peace took over domestic violence services from REACH of Macon County a few years ago, and since then has been sharing office space with REACH. As of July 1, CDP took over sexual assault and human trafficking services from REACH as well, making it completely independent from the Macon organization and allowing REACH of Macon to focus its resources solely on Macon County.

REACH of Macon County had been in charge of domestic violence services in Jackson County since 2012. The Center for Domestic Peace formed in 2013. Since that time, REACH of Macon has helped provide services and staff in Jackson and welcomed Jackson County residents in need of shelter to its facility in Franklin. However, traveling out of county can be a hindrance to those seeking services.

“We are incredibly grateful,” CDP Director Welsey Myers told The Smoky

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

Jackson County Commissioners decided

last year to spend about a quarter of its $8.5 million American Rescue Plan funds on the construction of a domestic violence shelter.

Dogwood Health Trust provided a match of $2.05 million and Mountain Projects donated the 2.2-acre parcel, just off N.C. 107 south of downtown Sylva, for the building.

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In the meantime, CDP will remain in the office space it had previously shared with REACH of Macon County.

“Now that Center for Domestic Peace is taking over all of the space where REACH of Macon County previously occupied, they are asking for a new lease,” County Attorney Heather Baker told the county commission during its July 19 meeting.

The lease would The new domestic violence begin Oct. shelter will be built on a 1, allowing piece of property donated by time for Mountain Projects. Donated photo the mandatory 30-day notice period in case there is input from the public, and last three years and nine months. Because the county is leasing to a nonprofit, the lease can be longer than one year. The notice period began July 19, when commissioners voted unanimously to authorize the publication of the lease arrangement. Commissioners will

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likely see the actual lease agreement at a September meeting.

County Manager Don Adams has signed a short-term lease with CDP to allow time for this lease to move forward. CDP currently operates inside the county building above the library. When the new shelter is completed, a small portion of staff focused on residential services will move to the new location, the rest will remain in current offices.

The architect chosen for the project is Clark Nexsen. The plan is to construct a 7,000-square-foot two-story building. The property will be fenced. Estimated total cost is just over $4 million. The county has three years to spend the grant money from Dogwood.

The approved contract outlines 285 days of programming, design, development and other preparations, and 300 days of construction. The full project is estimated to take around two years to complete. The fee for Clark Nexsen is $330,000, while the estimated actual construction cost is $3.5 million. The rest of the money is being spent on costs associated with the project itself.

“The timeline matches up so hopefully everything moves forward,” said Adams.

“We have a two-year timeline, I’m hoping [CDP] will get out of that lease before three years to be honest with you. Hopefully we’ll get it done in a couple years, but we do have three years to expend the grant money.”

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Additional event shirts can also be purchased: adult sizes $20 and youth large for $15.

Day of event registration begins at 8 a.m.

Aug. 6, or attendees may preregister at sarges.org/event/17th-annual-dog-walk/ or by stopping by Sarge’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive, for a registration form. If using the paper registration form, participants are asked to take it to Sarge’s Adoption Center by Thursday, Aug. 4.

Online ticket sales stop at midnight on Aug. 3, but admission tickets may be purchased at the event.

Those who can’t attend or walk are encouraged to sign up as a ‘virtual walker,’

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Sarge’s to host annual dog walk Aug. 6

Sarge’s 17th Annual Downtown Dog Walk is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, in downtown Waynesville. The scene, always a fun event, is a wonderful blend of tail wagging dogs and smiles, as people and their pets gather on the Historic Haywood County Courthouse lawn.

Join grand marshals Eddie and Amanda Foxx, 99.9 Kiss Country morning personalities, and emcee Jeanne Naber, of Songbug DJ Services, for a morning of fun, contests, music and prizes. The walk begins and ends at the Haywood County Courthouse on Main Street in Waynesville.

Following the dog walk, there Pictured are grand marshals and 99.9 KISS Country perwill be contests, with Eddie and sonalities, Amanda and Eddie Foxx (center), at the start Amanda Foxx as guest judges. of the 2021 Sarge’s Dog Walk. Paul Viau photo Attendees will see dogs compete for prizes for best-dressed dog, best dog trick and best tail-wagging dog. and one of Sarge’s volunteers will walk a Some of Sarge’s many dogs that are avail- Sarge’s dog in the event. Virtual walkers may able for adoption will be at the event. sign up for $25.

This year, there is a simplified pricing Proceeds from the 2022 dog walk will go structure. For $25 per person, attendees will to Sarge’s medical funds. get admission to the Dog Walk for as many For information on Sarge’s, visit dogs as they want to walk. The fee includes sarges.org, “like” Sarge’s Facebook page or an event T-shirt. call 828.246.9050.

Smoky Mountain News

Haywood Community College’s Career Services and Continuing Education Departments and Haywood County NCWorks Career Center will hold an Allied Health Quick Training Programs Career Day Wednesday, Aug. 10, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event will be held at Haywood County NCWorks Career Center, located at 1170 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC 28786.

The purpose of Career Day is for students and the community to learn about and preregister for HCC Allied Health quick training programs, including Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medication Aide and Phlebotomy. Local employers will also be available to speak with participants about available career opportunities now and in the future.

The Nurse Aid Program is a short-term training program that prepares students to work as caregivers in a health care setting such as a nursing home or hospital. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are caregivers who help patients of all ages perform the most basic day-to-day tasks. CNAs work under the supervision of a nurse, and since they have extensive daily contact with each patient, they play a key role in keeping the

nurse up-to-date on vital information about the patient’s conditions.

Medication Aides provide service to patients by giving them guidance and support for their medication needs. Adult Care facilities need these workers to help administer medications according to individual patient needs. This NC Board of Nursing-approved course meets the training requirements to become qualified as a Medication Aide.

Through Phlebotomy courses, students can become an integral part of the healthcare industry by learning valuable skills related to collecting and labeling specimens for testing.

Establishing relationships with donors and patients and ensuring their safety, coupled with the ability to obtain and process samples, are a vital part of a healthcare facility. A phlebotomist plays an important role in healthcare by collecting blood specimens from patients for laboratory testing, which is used in diagnosing and treating disease.

A career as a pharmacy technician prepares students to assist the pharmacist in dispensing medications and advancing patient safety. The HCC Pharmacy Technician Training Program is fully online and prepares students with entry-level pharmacy knowledge in community, compounding, and hospital settings. The Program is a PTCB Recognized Education/Training Program.

For further questions or information, please call 828.627.4669 or email vldevore@haywood.edu.

July 27-August 2, 2022

Allied Health Quick Training Programs Career Day is Aug. 10

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news

Support personnel get pay raises in Macon schools

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ubstitute teachers in Macon County can expect a raise in the coming school year after a vote by the Macon County Board of Education. The board will discuss a plan for bus driver pay next month.

Last year, non-certified substitutes were paid $100 per day and certified substitutes were paid $120 per day. The 2021 state budget required all hourly school employees to get at least $13 per hour last school year and $15 per hour in the coming school year. That means this school year all non-certified substitute teachers must make $120 per day.

“It is our responsibility to make sure that any subs paid out of state funds get that $15 per hour,” said Macon County Schools Finance Officer Angie Cook. “So that would mean that a non-certified [sub] would need to make at least $120 per day. So we need to decide, based on that, where we want to go with our certified sub pay.”

Some substitutes are paid with local funds while others are paid with state funds, but the school system must have one rate to pay all certified and non-certified substitutes. If a teacher is paid by the state, the school system can use state funds to pay for that classroom’s substitute. However, according to Cook, most of the time there is not enough state money.

Board member Hillary Wilkes noted that if the school system followed the current model of paying certified substitutes $3 extra per hour, or 20% more, it would come out to

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

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about $145 a day for certified substitutes.

While teachers are encouraged to seek out certified substitutes prior to non-certified, they are not required to do so.

Principals present at the July 25 meeting noted that it’s difficult for teachers to find available substitutes, especially on Fridays late in the spring semester. If teachers can book substitutes in advance, they have a much higher probability of finding one.

However, in emergency cases like having a sick child, they run into difficulty. One principal noted that schools often have to pull other personnel, like tutors, to fill in for regular academic classroom teachers. Principals also said that experienced substitute teachers will work almost 180 days of the school year.

All board members agreed that substitutes, certified and non-certified, deserved a raise for their work.

“My question is, do we want to make it a nice $150?” asked Wilkes. “They’re earning every penny of it.”

However, increasing substitute pay could substantially increase the amount of local funds that go toward non-instructional support personnel, including custodians, clerical workers and substitutes. Currently, there are enough local funds for part of custodial staff and all clerical and substitutes. During the 2020-21 school year, Macon County schools paid about $1.7 million for non-instructional support personnel. During the 2021-22 school year, it paid $2.1 million for the same personnel; total substitute pay was $593,000.

Baldwin said he hoped that the dramatic increase in substitute pay was due to the pandemic and quarantine requirements for teachers. He expects to see a decline in need during the coming school year.

No more than 20% of the substitutes working in Macon County are certified. Board members noted that the other 80% of non-certified substitutes are mandated to get increased pay.

The choice to increase the pay of the non-certified substitutes, while requiring more funds, would not have as big of an impact on the budget as certified substitute pay.

“It certainly makes sense to encourage those experienced people in the classroom when the teachers are out,” said board member Melissa Evans.

The board voted unanimously to approve increased pay for substitute teachers; $125 per day for non-certified and $150 per day for certified.

Bus drivers are another sector of hourly workers in North Carolina public schools that will see their pay increase to at least $15 per hour. However, all school systems in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area have a bus driver shortage.

“We do have a shortage of bus drivers, as does every other school system in the entire nation it seems,” said Baldwin. “We do have good news from the state, with regard to the minimum hourly rate, which has gone to $15 an hour. That should attract additional folks, but we are currently short two half routes and two full routes. We need to address that prior to Aug. 29.”

Bus driving requires an odd set of hours that is prohibitive to working most other jobs and may not be inviting. Drivers need to be available early in the morning and throughout the late afternoon and evening.

“Anything that we can do to attract additional bus drivers would be helpful,” said Baldwin. “We do have a number of clerical workers, custodians and teachers who drive buses. The issues with clerical workers and custodians that drive buses is that we may have to

get them to overtime and we have done that, pretty significantly in the past. Teachers who drive buses, we don’t have to pay overtime.”

According to Baldwin, that overtime comes out of custodian pay, not bus driver pay, which means it comes from local funds.

Some custodians in Macon County who drive school buses have had their custodial hours reduced to remain within the 40-hour work week while driving a bus and doing custodial work. The problem with this schedule is that a person may drive a school bus in the morning, work as a custodian until lunch, and then be off the clock until they have to come back and drive a bus in the evening.

“That’s a big break in their day. They end up spending money to go home or go somewhere else,” said Baldwin. “They basically have to drive to work twice. It’s not very attractive to staff. Overtime is obviously a better situation for them and better for us because they are more reliable, but it’s more expensive. And we still have a problem attracting bus drivers.”

Baldwin told the board that some school systems are looking at sign-on bonuses; however, he is not in favor of these because it doesn’t reward the drivers who have been with the school system for several years.

Before the state-mandated increase, an inexperienced bus driver would make around $12.84 per hour, while an experienced bus driver may already be making $15 per hour.

With the mandated increase, inexperienced bus drivers will now automatically make $15 per hour, while an experienced bus driver already making that amount will only get a 67-cent hourly increase.

“I’m not in favor of a sign-on bonus for that reason,” said Baldwin. “It’s been a morale issue, not only with bus drivers but with custodians and clerical workers. They saw that beginning rate increase pretty dramatically but then there’s no reward for folks that have been around for a while.”

Board Chairman Jim Breedlove asked that Baldwin bring a proposal for bus driver pay before the board at its next meeting.

Inflation outpaces state budget raises for WCU employees

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he state budget Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law July 11 wasn’t the historic slam dunk for Western Carolina University that the previous budget represented, but the document contains some good news for the university. However, inflation remains a tenacious adversary.

In March, the WCU Board of Trustees received a four-point legislative agenda for the coming budget cycle after the budget enacted in November funded everything on the university’s previous legislative wish list. Salary increases for faculty and staff topped the new list, and the 2022-23 budget allocates a 1% raise on top of the 2.5% increase given in the previous budget, which covered a two-year period. This means that, as of July 1, faculty and staff at WCU have been receiving a 3.5% bump in their paychecks. The General Assembly also

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appropriated a 1% salary reserve for targeted employee retention efforts and critical workforce needs.

“We are thankful for this consideration as inflationary pressures continue to compress salaries and impact our employees and their families,” said WCU Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Mike Byers.

While the raises will somewhat ease the pain of inflation, they will hardly counteract it. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator, $100 in June 2022 had the buying power of just $91.69 in June 2021, or $87 in June 2020.

“Like most employers, WCU is grappling with the effects of inflation on our employees and on the cost of doing business,” Byers said. “And inflation is winning the fight.”

Employees are struggling to cover basic household costs with salaries that are not

keeping pace with inflation, and the university is grappling with supply chain challenges and escalating costs for goods and services.

Another piece of good news in the budget was a shift for the N.C. Promise Tuition Plan from pilot funding status to full recurring funding. N.C. Promise allows undergraduates to get an education at four University of North Carolina schools — including WCU — for the much-reduced tuition of $500 per semester for in-state students and $2,500 for out-of-state students. Though initially nervous about how it would pan out, WCU leaders have been enthusiastic about the program’s success since its implementation in 2018.

WCU’s legislative agenda also calls for $3 million in recurring funding for merit scholarships, $82 million to plan and build a new engineering building and $3.5 million in recurring funding for an expanded

engineering program. Though the budget did not fund any of these items, Byers said WCU is making progress in its lobbying for these requests.

“We feel very pleased with legislative conversations to expand the College of Engineering and Technology, although we did not receive funding for that request in the short session,” he said.

The current fiscal year will also be the first chance to try out the new funding formula recently adopted by the UNC Board of Governors. While the decades-old model it replaces looks only at total enrollment to determine funding, the new model considers performance-based measures as well. To ease the transition, this year each university will be able to choose whether to receive funds based on the new or old formula, allowing opportunity for review and possible modifications before the old formula disappears next year.

news July 27-August 2, 2022

Smoky Mountain News

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news

Retired vice chancellor receives lifetime achievement award former Western Carolina University vice chancellor for advancement and external affairs who enjoyed successful careers as a community journalist and as an administrator in the University of North Carolina system is the inaugural recipient of a lifetime achievement award presented by the North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association.

Announced on June 6 as part of the NCRGEA’s Celebration of Public Service Week, the association’s Lifetime Public Service Award is the latest in a long line of accolades bestowed on Clifton Blake Metcalf.

The NCRGEA’s new award will be presented annually to a retired government employee who has made significant contributions as a career public servant in North Carolina and who has continued to support the community in retirement through volunteering, community service efforts and other contributions.

Metcalf retired from service to the state of North Carolina in February 2013, stepping down as vice chancellor for advancement and external affairs at WCU, a position he had held since January 2002.

In that role, he oversaw a WCU division encompassing public relations, marketing, communications, media relations, alumni affairs, creative and design services, governmental affairs and the Mountain Heritage Center Museum. He joined WCU’s senior administrative team in January 2002, arriving at the Cullowhee campus after serving as the UNC system’s senior liaison to the N.C. General Assembly from 1998 to 2002.

Among his most notable accomplishments during his time at WCU were his leadership role in WCU’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which netted more than $51 million in contributions and pledges of private support when completed in October 2009, and his efforts in developing the legislation that permits Western Carolina and other UNC institutions to develop millennial campuses.

Before joining the leadership team at WCU, Metcalf simultaneously served as interim vice president for public affairs for the UNC system and as associate vice chancellor for public affairs at Appalachian State from 1996 until 1998. During his career in higher education, he held several positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including federal and state government liaison, associate vice chancellor

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Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

Clifton Metcalf (right) with his wife, Marie, receives the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association, presented by the group’s president, Van Langston (left).

for university relations and director of news services.

Upon Metcalf ’s retirement from WCU, the university’s Board of Trustees presented him the Trustees’ Award, one of the institution’s highest honors. At the time, Metcalf was only the ninth person in university history selected to receive the award.

He also was presented that year with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Among the highest honors the governor can bestow upon North Carolinians, the Long Leaf Pine award is designed to recognize individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state as exhibited by contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers and many years of service to their organizations.

Metcalf began working at UNC in 1990 after a 30-year career in journalism. He is a former executive editor of The Mountaineer newspaper in Waynesville, where he started as a general assignment reporter in 1961.

During his tenure at The Mountaineer, he served as vice president and partner with a publishing company that also owned sister newspapers The News-Record of Madison County and The Canton Enterprise.

He was founding president of the Haywood County Schools Foundation, founding vice president for the Folkmoot USA international folk festival, and chairman of the Haywood County Public Library Board of Trustees. He served several years on the board of directors for the NCRGEA and as treasurer and chairman of its finance committee.

Metcalf has served on the Mountain Area Health Education Center Board of Directors and the School of Nursing Development Council at WCU. He also was a member of WCU’s advisory council working to improve relationships and foster partnerships with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Metcalf was nominated for the NCRGEA’s Lifetime Public Service Award by resident Zeta Smith, who worked with him as director of special events at WCU and as advertising director at The Mountaineer newspaper.

“Clifton Metcalf has lived a life defined by service — to his country, his community and to others,” Smith wrote in her nomination. “Following retirement from the university, Clifton continued to be involved in community and volunteer activities designed to build community and to positively impact lives.”

A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Metcalf earned his bachelor’s degree in 1959 from UNC-CH, where he was a Morehead Scholar in journalism and a Naval ROTC cadet. He now resides at Lake Junaluska in Haywood County.

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Franklin welcomes new ‘softwash’ business

“Our detergent kills the algae and then we simply rinse it away,” said Bill Hutson. “All of our products are 100% biodegradable and safe for the environment.”

Bill also teaches classes mentoring others interested in starting a pressure washing business. This has been a passion of his for the past 20 years.

H & H Softwash offers discounts to all veterans and first responders. Bill and Pam can be contacted at 828.200.7495, tabletalk617@yahoo.com or by Facebook Messenger at wncwash.

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The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting celebration to welcome H & H Softwash to the Franklin business community.

H & H Softwash is veteran-owned and operated by Bill and Pam Hutson. With 30 years of washing experience, the H & H offers pressure washing of homes, buildings, businesses and roofs using safe low pressure.

$15/Hour starting rate • CDL training provided • Must be 18 years of age • Must have a clean driving record • Holidays, weekends, and summers off!!

HAYWOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS 401 Farmview Dr. Waynesville (828) 456-2421 haywood.k12.nc.us

Smoky Mountain News

Applicants may also be eligible for a 20% increase in loan value if the funding is used for mitigation like storm shelters and safe rooms.

Interest rates on the loans are less than 3% for businesses, less than 2% for nonprofits and less than 1.5% for homeowners or renters.

Only uninsured losses are eligible.

Second homes, personal boats, recreational vehicles and the like are not eligible unless they are used for business purposes. Loans may be used for relocation, but will vary depending on whether the relocation is voluntary or involuntary.

Loan applicants can visit disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ to start the process, using disaster declaration number 17532.

Information and applications can also be obtained at 800.659.2955, the SBA’s customer service center, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

To further aid impacted residents in the disaster area, the U.S. Small Business Administration has also opened an outreach center in Sevierville through Aug. 4. There, customer service representatives can answer questions and help complete applications.

The deadline to apply for assistance with physical property damage is Sept. 19. The deadline for economic injury applications is April 20, 2023.

The Sevier County outreach center is located in the King Family Library, 408 High St., Sevierville, Tennessee 37862. The center will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit SBA.gov.

— Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor

July 27-August 2, 2022

usinesses and residents affected by severe weather, wildfires and winds from March 30 through April 6 of this year are now eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

On March 30, a wind-stoked wildfire in Sevier County, Tennessee burned more than 2,400 acres, affecting at least 300 structures.

That came after another fire on March 26 torched 941 acres, approximately one third of which are in Swain County.

A few days later, a fire on Sheepback Mountain in Maggie Valley took advantage of desert-like relative humidity to climb toward the ridge until it was quickly brought under control.

The disaster declaration, issued at the behest of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, was issued on July 20, and includes the counties of Blount, Cocke, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier in Tennessee, and Swain and Haywood counties in North Carolina.

“Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets,” said SBA’s Tennessee District Director LaTanya Channel.

Small businesses engaged in agriculture or aquaculture, along with most private nonprofits and other small businesses, are eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) regardless of whether a business suffered any actual physical damage.

The loans for damaged or destroyed real estate max out at $200,000, but homeowners are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property.

DRIVERS NEEDED

news

New disaster declaration offers help for Haywood, Swain

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Blue Ridge Vistas | 3BR, 3BA, 1HB $1,500,000 | #3851645

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

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

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 18

Community Almanac

Smoky Mountain News

Inundated with kittens, FUR hosts adoption day Having more than 100 cats in their care isn’t new for Feline Urgent Rescue (FUR) of WNC. What is new, however, is that half of those are now kittens. To help find the loveable furballs homes, FUR will be hosting the Summer of Love Adoption Event.

“It has been a wild kitten season this year,” said Lisa Sanborn, lead volunteer and FUR Board President. “They just keep coming. And some of their stories are simply heartbreaking.”

Take Kari, for instance, who was left outside to fend for herself and her three kittens while she was already pregnant again.

“A good Samaritan tried to take care of her,” Sandborn said, “but Amid a huge rise in knew sweet Kari would need more kittens coming in, FUR is help than they could offer.” hosting an adoption day.

And then there’s Camille, who was dumped, pregnant and in sad condition, at a gas station. “She was only 10 months herself,” said Sandborn. “There was little chance of her kittens surviving in those conditions.”

Meanwhile, five-week-old Chase was found literally thrown away at the dump.

“He was crying his little head off,” Sandborn said. “Fortunately, someone heard his pleas and rescued him. We searched to see if he had any siblings in there, but we didn’t find any.”

FUR is a last-chance sanctuary, whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome the abused, abandoned and neglected cats of WNC. So the volunteers expect each cat to have their own difficult story.

But that doesn’t make it any easier.

“We invest so much into each cat, and I don’t just mean money,” said Melissa Helmer, adoption event co-chair. “We invest time, energy, love and prayers. Every cat that comes through FUR ends up being part of our family. And we can think of no greater reward for our investment than finding the purr-fect, furever home for as many cats as possible.”

The Summer of Love Adoption Event will be held at the FUR Sanctuary, 38 Safe Haven Drive, in Waynesville on Sunday, August 7. The event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and will feature reduced fees, prizes for the first three adopters plus refreshments and cats galore.

All adopted cats get sent to their new homes with a bag of goodies, including a sampling of their favorite food, a few toys, a free vet visit donated by Animal Hospital of Waynesville and a gift card donated by The Dog House. Every cat is also spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before going to their new home.

“When you adopt a cat from FUR,” said Helmer, “you’re helping to save two lives, the one you take home and the one FUR can rescue to fill the open spot. Their second chance really does start with you.”

For more information, visit furofwnc.org or call 844.888.2287.

Swain Genealogical and Historical Society host ‘dowsing’ seminar Marty Cain will be presenting “The Ancient Art of Dowsing” for the Swain Genealogical and Historical Society’s Aug. 4 meeting. Dowsing is the ancient skill of using specific tools such as the Lrods, the traditional forked stick or Y-rod, or others to gather information not perceived by one of our five senses. Dowsing was used by the Ancient Egyptians, by persons in the Middle Ages to find coal deposits, and on down through time. During the United States Colonial period, a dowser was a respected member of their community and thousands of wells were the result of their efforts.

Dowsing has been used by utility companies, by those in archaeological and geological work, and those trying to find unmarked graves and old house sites. In this presentation, Cain will be discussing the ethics of dowsing, how dowsing works, experiences with dowsing and the use of dowsing in historical and genealogical research.

Cain, who learned dowsing from her Lithuanian grandfather, has been dowsing for many decades. Her formal dowsing education began in 1986 when she attended the American Society of Dowser’s school and convention.

Following that, she co-directed the National Convention’s Beginning Dowsing School for six years. Cain is now a member of the Appalachian Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers as well as serving on the board of the Chapter, and a member of the Living Waters Dowsing Chapter in

New Hampshire. She has presented dowsing workshops, has worked as a dowsing consultant, and has written about dowsing. In her work as a dowser, she has traveled extensively and worked in ancient sites and sacred places, such as Stonehenge. She was a founding member of the Labyrinth Society and her labyrinth designs are located across North America, in Brazil and South Africa. Marty is also an artist, having exhibited her work in numerous galleries, created environmental sculptures in state parks and other public places and has taught art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University.

The presentation will be offered on Aug. 4, at 6:30 p.m. Monthly meetings are held at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive, Bryson City. Open to the public and there is no admission charge.

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WNC Alcoholics Anonymous offers regional services Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who have a desire to stop drinking once and for all, one day at a time, who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that anyone who desires may recover from a seemingly hopeless disease. Sobriety is a call or click away by simply making it to your first meeting.

24/7 helpline numbers and websites have listings of the many recurring daily and weekly meeting times, locations and events, in person and via Zoom, throughout our mountain communities.

Members of AA are happily waiting for your call with a kind word or ride to a meeting. See you in the “rooms.”

Come hang with some sober alcoholics for coffee, cookies and a chat.

Find a meeting near you: AAwnc80.com aa.org/meeting-guide-app 24/7 helplines: 828.254.8539 Jackson, Swain, Qualla, Haywood 828.349.HELP Macon County 828.837.4440 Murphy Central Office

Sarge’s hosts spay and neuter event Hippies at heart — enjoy ‘Woofstock’ Aug. 26 to help Haywood animals.

Haywood Spay/Neuter and Boojum Brewing team together for a Woodstock-inspired party.

All are invited to join the fun Woodstockinspired dance and karaoke party — aptly named Woofstock — at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, in the Gem, downstairs at Boojum Brewing.

This feel-good Friday event benefits the work of Haywood Spay/Neuter (HS/N), providing low-cost animal spay/neuter services and animal wellness programs.

Grab some radical threads, maybe some bell bottoms, flowers for the hair and have a freakydeaky time helping Haywood County animals.

Get down with some Karaoke, drink specials, a little free nosh and dancing. It’s going to be outta sight, with delicious hors devours to go with drinks attendees can purchase at the bar. A DJ will be playing tunes for dancing and Karaoke.

The $25 ticket fee goes to HHS/N. Dude, an organization that has been working for the community since 1955.

Come fly your freak flag and support Haywood Spay/Neuter’s work for Haywood animals. Feel free to wear bell-bottoms and tie-dyed shirts. There will be a Boojum gift card for best duds, so attendees are encouraged to try to look really bad.

The Gem at Boojum Brewing is at 50 N. Main St., lower level, Waynesville.

For tickets, visit haywoodspayneuter.org/tikcetsales or stop at the HS/N office, 182 Richland St., Waynesville, during business hours.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Better cops make for better communities I

Conservatives must save our country To the Editor: Three hundred Spartans. The battle of Thermopylae, fought between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 B.C., has gone down in history as one of the most significant last stands of all time.

During the last two full days of battle, 300 Spartans blocked the only road by which the massive Persian army could traverse a narrow pass, providing the bulk of the Greek army time to safely retreat. Despite the fact the “heroes,” the Greek army, walked away from this battle defeated and on the brink of complete destruction, 300 Spartans, unwilling to give up, gave the Greek forces time to reorganize.

Although the Persian Empire was at the peak of its strength, the collective defense then mounted by the Greeks overcame seemingly impossible odds and even succeeded in liberating Greek city-states on the fringe of Persia itself. The Greek triumph ensured the survival of Greek culture and political structures long after the demise of the Persian

the hiring to know if a candidate for a law enforcement job has had problems in the past that could lead to the kind of incidents that have upset so many.

Originally, however, that information was going to be a public record that anyone could access. However, according to the Charlotte Observer, “legislation passed since then has concealed from the public just about everything in the database, including the officers’ names; whether an investigation found use of force justified; and what discipline was received by officers in unjustified shootings.”

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of the criminal justice nonprofit Emancipate NC, had this to say about the bill: “SB300 makes important Editor strides …. but does little else to create much needed equity or advance the level of accountability for law enforcement the people need.”

But we won’t solve all the problems in law enforcement just by creating new laws. What’s needed is training, and that is often hard to come by for small towns and rural counties.

They are often short-staffed and just don’t have the resources available to their urban counterparts.

That’s where organizations like the North Carolina Association of Police Chiefs can help. Its executive director, Bill Hollingsed — former chief of police in Waynesville — is one of the good cops, a man who has spent his career empha-

Scott McLeod

never did buy in to the “defund the police” movement that swept the country a few years ago. Yes, the spate of police shootings and beatings of innocent people or of people accused of minor crimes revealed serious problems in many law enforcement agencies. Those crimes captured on video ignited an important debate.

But to have a society where we can be safe in our homes and can go about our daily lives requires law enforcement.

The reality is that there are bad people out there, people who live by different moral and ethical codes than most of us. And there are those who suffer from mental health problems who can be dangerous to themselves and others. A civil society must have law and order to function.

What those horrible atrocities committed by law enforcement officers revealed was a need for police reform. And there’s evidence that reform is happening, as our local law enforcement officials noted in a story in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News about SB 300, a state bill signed into law last September.

The policing reform measure contains several provisions, but its intention was to increase law enforcement officer accountability, reduce the number of officer-involved “critical incidents,” and increase transparency of policing in North Carolina. The bill has its critics and its supporters, but it’s a good first step in the right direction.

Perhaps the most important reform from the bill was the creation of a database that tracks the use of excessive or deadly force by law enforcement officers. This allows those doing

sizing the need for professionalism and good training for his officers. It was reflected during his tenure in Waynesville by the accolades heaped on his officers.

This is what Hollingsed told our reporter for the story in last week’s edition: “We are fully cognizant that there are people in this profession that don’t need to be. They don’t need to have a badge and a gun. Nobody hates a bad cop worse than a good cop. It affects all of us.”

To help alleviate that issue, his goal is to see all 515 police and sheriff departments in North Carolina earn accreditation: “I don’t care if you’re a six-man agency or a 6,000-man agency, you are utilizing best practices in your policies and procedures to provide the best service to not only your people, but the communities you serve.”

Part of earning a North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation (NCLEA) is that standards are put in place and then the individual agencies are checked up on to make sure they are adhering to best practices.

“Whenever you have this accreditation process, you also have somebody coming in to check on you to hold you accountable. Everybody needs accountability,” said retiring Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher.

Better training and accountability may the two most fundamental police “reforms” that are needed. If both are indeed happening, that’s good for all the communities in our region and across the state.

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

LETTERS Empire.

Fast forward to 2022 A.D. and the United States of America finds itself in what will become the most famous battle of our time. The battle to save our constitutional republic, being fought between constitutional conservative Republicans and the anti-constitutional socialist Democratic Party, with their Rhino Republican allies, will go down in American history as one of the most significant American political battles of all time. The socialist Democratic Party is at the peak of its strength via their domination of the Congress and Executive branch and are destroying our country through fraud, corruption, dishonesty and deception.

However, the collective defense being mounted by the Convention of States Action movement, national and state election integrity teams, and constitutional conservative Republicans can — and will — overcome what at times seem impossible odds. Together we will succeed in liberating the American citizens from the tyranny being imposed upon us by the current illegal regime.

Our eventual triumph will ensure the sur-

vival of our constitutional republic and the political structure as envisioned by our Founding Fathers long after the demise of the socialist’s Democratic Party. Like the 300 Spartans, we must stand together strong, fear-

less, and determined not to give an inch to their radical agenda. Time and history will document our success and victory.

Le Cossette Waynesville

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

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

Don’t forget Hiroshima Day

Stephen Wall

A

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

ATTENTION HAYWOOD COUNTY! BICYCLISTS ON THE ROADS Saturday morning, AUGUST 6, in the following areas: • Lake Logan • Canton • Clyde • Lake Junaluska • Crabtree/Ironduff • Bethel

BICYCLISTS ON THE ROADS Sunday morning, AUGUST 7, in the following areas:

• Lake Logan • Canton • Bethel

HIGHWAY 215 - BETHEL TO BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

PLEASE USE CAUTION When Approaching and Passing All Cyclists!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

Smoky Mountain News

The U.S. also walked away from the Iran Nuclear treaty, so we really don’t know to what extent the Iranians have restarted their program, but they apparently have, and aggressively. The former President also had a now-forgotten photogenic love affair with the North Korean dictator, who as of this writing is testing new long range missiles but has not given up one ounce of nuclear material (unlike the 24,000 pounds of enriched uranium given up by Iran under the now-abandoned treaty).

The 2010 New Start Treaty — the only remaining tool to verify the Russian nuclear arsenal and maintain consistent communication on nuclear issues — was due to expire in February 2021.

Fortunately the Biden administration has agreed to extend this treaty with Russian agreement until 2026. We are hanging on by a thread.

Current plans are to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal at a potential cost of $2 trillion over the next decade. Russia and China will take note, as will Turkey, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Iran.

If with foolish and shortsighted leadership the U.S. expands its nuclear capabilities, there will be little or no incentive for other countries not to do the same thing.

They may do it anyway.

The authoritative Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has come to the conclusion that both the U.S. and the Russians violated the INF treaty, which did however greatly reduce the danger of a nuclear catastrophe in Europe. The Bulletin calls for the urgent renegotiation and restoration of provisions of this treaty. For an in-depth analysis of the current Nuclear threat see: thebulletin.org/2020/06/the-atomic-titanic-an-excerpt-from-the-button/#.

Nuclear war is unimaginable, yet it is not inconceivable. Arrogance, ignorance and impulsiveness could cause the world to stumble into a catastrophe that would, like the spiraling of events that led to World War I, accelerate out of control. This holds especially true in the era when leadership may have less than 30 minutes to decide if the incoming radar picture is a misplaced socket wrench, a flock of geese (both did happen!) or Russian/Chinese/North Korean missiles.

The memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should give us pause to reflect.

Our leaders must bring wisdom, patience and determination to the negotiating table, and educate the public in the complexities of issues that may decide the fate of all of us and our children.

(Dr. Stephen Wall joined Physicians for Social Responsibility in 1975 and was an active participant in its educational activities in Texas and Michigan before moving to Waynesville.

The 23,000-member PSR shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985 with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Dr. Wall’s opinion are his own and not necessarily those of PSR. swall127@gmail.com.)

July 27-August 2, 2022

t this moment we are all struggling with many critical issues. The war in Ukraine, the increasing disasters of climate change, inflation and growing gun violence are constantly on our minds. But lurking far out of the public’s acottention is a danger so vast and inconceivable that most people just block it out.

The threat — accidentally or intentionally — of unleashing the inconceivable destructive force of nuclear weaponry.

President Putin of Russia has pushed the frightening use of “tactical nuclear weapons” onto the immediate world agenda. Even more are we reminded of Guest Columnist that threat as his armed forces suffer well-deserved and devastating losses in Ukraine.

So as August 6 approaches, a brief review of the nuclear threat is most needed.

It was 77 years ago on August 6, 1945, that the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later another device was detonated over Nagasaki, historically the most Christian of Japanese cities. It is not my purpose here to discuss the morality or necessity of these events. Between 120,000 and 220,000 people were killed, over half in the first few minutes, and the vast majority were noncombatant civilians.

The Hiroshima bomb had the explosive equivalent of 15,000 tons (15 kilotons) of TNT, or 30 millions pounds of explosive.

Today it is considered a rather small weapon by the nuclear community.

At one time the U.S. had 23,317 nuclear weapons and the Soviets had over 40,000.

There have been a number of well-documented near misses — false alarms and near catastrophes, which in general the American (and Russian) public was blissfully unaware of.

The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II signed by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev, in spite of great controversy and accusations of cheating by both sides, led to the reduction of nukes down to the present levels of about 1,500 active weapons in arsenals limited to about 6,000 total weapons on each side. Every American city and military establishment is still multi-targeted for compete obliteration, as are those of the “other side’s.”

Enough to end all civilization as we know it.

Unfortunately, during the Trump administration, the U.S. cancelled the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty with the Russians which through the Carter and Reagan years and up to 2018 kept the nuclear arms race in Europe somewhat under control. That gave a green light for Putin’s nuclear threats.

Dr. Michael Brown 828.456.2828 bodybybtl.com · waynesvilledoctor.com 1088 Brown Ave. | Waynesville

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Go tell it from the mountain

Gathering a handful of investors who also call Bear Lake home, Smith and his group purchased the property and decided to turn it into a full-on wedding and event venue. To note, aside from the numerous “Castle Sessions” already on the calendar, some 88 weddings have been booked to take place at Castle Ladyhawke for 2022.

A lifelong live music aficionado, Smith wanted to put highly-talented artists onstage in the castle, something to complement the surreal and intricate aesthetic of the building.

Atop the musicians standing in front of the microphone, Smith also tapped the shoulders of Santiago Guzzetti, executive chef/co-owner of Ilda; Nicole Dexter, co-owner of Innovation Brewing; and Don Panicko, co-owner of White Moon café/Dark Moon speakeasy.

“Everyone is so well-executed in their craft and art, and we’re all championing each

Want to go?

The “Castle Sessions” are an intimate showcase of renowned performers at the Castle Ladyhawke estate in Tuckasegee. Below: Singer-songwriters Matt Stillwell, Gary J. Hannan and John Wiggins. (photos: Alanah Lucas, SilverWolf Studios)

Jackson County venue offers world-class music, food

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR ot far from the intersection of N.C. 107/281, just down Shook Cove Road in the heart of Tuckasegee, a large driveway soon appears to the right. On a recent evening, the massive entry gate is wide open to the public, all in anticipation of the evening’s impending performance.

“With Castle Ladyhawke, we’re able to bring in incredible musical artists right here to our backyard in Jackson County — this place is so unique,” said Craig Smith, president and CEO of Tembo Hospitality Group. “When you come here, you’re celebrating the arts and culture of this area, whether it’s music, food, drink or simply the beauty of the mountains surrounding us.”

Dubbed the “Castle Sessions,” the performances are held once-a-month on the back patio of the massive 11,000-square-foot structure amid the 64-acre property. Capped at around 50 tickets, attendees are treated to an evening of fine dining and world-class entertainment, all with a serene backdrop of the ancient mountains of Western North Carolina.

Last week’s showcase featured acclaimed singer-songwriters Gary J. Hannan and John Wiggins (who hails from Waynesville), with the session hosted by Nashville artist and Sylva

N

native Matt Stillwell. The seamless round robin style concert offered up several radio smashes, including Wiggins’ #1 hits “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off ” and “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.”

“This is, by far, one of the nicest places I’ve ever done a show — first class all the way,” Wiggins said backstage after the concert. “I don’t care where you go, I’ve never been treated any better than this, and that’s the truth. But, to be able to do it in Western North Carolina, in these mountains where I’m from? It’s a great experience.”

“The biggest thing for me is being able to bring what I love about Nashville back to my hometown,” Stillwell added. “And where you’re up here at the castle or in these mountains, you’re continually inspired, whether you’re a

songwriter or chef or simply visiting the area.”

Initially, Castle Ladyhawke was a private residence, this dream home modeled after a Scottish fortress, one filled with authentic European antiques and architecture, where old wood and stained glass was actually reclaimed from across the Atlantic Ocean. With the owner having to leave the area several years ago due to health issues, the property sat somewhat dormant, only really being used for a handful of weddings and special events.

But, it was during the pandemic and shutdown of 2020 when the gears began to shift on the potential and future outlook of the castle.

Smith, who lives in Bear Lake Reserve next door, got a spark of an idea when he saw Castle Ladyhawke come onto the real estate market a couple years ago.

The next installment of the “Castle Sessions” will feature country duo Thompson Square on Aug. 25 and singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard Sept. 22, with another showcase on Oct. 13 (artist to be announced).

Held at Castle Ladyhawke, all sessions will begin with a cocktail hour alongside heavy hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m. with the concert to follow thereafter. Tickets are $200 per person, which includes an array of food and beverage options, atop the concert admission.

For more information on the performances and/or to purchase tickets, click on castlesessions.com or email info@castlesessions.com. To learn about Castle Ladyhawke at Bear Lake Reserve, go to castleladyhawke.com.

other,” Guzzetti said. “For me, I really like the creativity of what’s seasonal right now.

Normally, I’ll decide the day of or the day before on what I’m going to present for food at the sessions — what’s fresh right now, what can we find an abundance of and see what we can put together?”

“These sessions are drawing attention to our community, to the eclectic talent and artists we have to offer here in Sylva and in greater Jackson County,” Panicko added.

With Hannan, Wiggins and Stillwell taking the stage, Smith steps to the side and leans against the stone walls of Castle Ladyhawke.

The sun is falling behind the Great Smoky Mountains as drinks are sipped with gusto.

Another installment of the Castle Sessions is now underway, the seamless magic of natural beauty and melodic brilliance once again crossing paths.

“I literally get goosebumps when I’m here at one of these events. We’re pinching ourselves.

We can’t believe we’re even part of this,” Smith said. “To see this stunning building — that once sat here empty — come back to life? It’s something we’re excited about and proud of.”

HOT PICKS

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

There is no other way, and there never was

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1

A special evening of entertainment and food with the J. Creek Cloggers will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center on the property of the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

2

A stage production of “The Music Man” at 7:30 p.m. July 28-30 and at 2 p.m. July 31 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

3 4 5

“Watermelon Bash” will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” live music series will host Aubrey Eisenman & The Clydes (Americana) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30.

DOWNTOWN DOG WALK

AUGUST 6 AT THE

WAYNESVILLE COURTHOUSE LAWN REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 8 AM OR PRE-REGISTER AT WWW.SARGES.ORG DOG WALK BEGINS AT 9 AM THE $25.00 REGISTATION FEE INCLUDES A T-SHIRT ALL PROCEEDS GO TO SARGE’S MEDICAL FUND

BOOK SIGNING with author

Robert Stretcher, III Signing his book

A Fortnight with Ben Waynesville native, Stretcher leans on his Southern Appalachian roots and draws readers into our rich heritage, exploring various issues in modern & historical perspectives.

FRIDAY, JULY 29 10AM-3PM & SATURDAY JULY 30 10AM-12PM

Smoky Mountain News

wrote a couple stories on the fly to see if I could handle the news beat and vibe of this fine publication. When that weekend ended, I was offered the job. I accepted and said I’d be back in a little over a week. I had to say goodbye to my family who were vacationing up in Maine. And I had to head back to New York to pack up with truck, only to circle back another whirlwind 1,100 miles to Haywood County.

The first week I lived in Waynesville I slept under my desk at the old Smoky Mountain News office, which is now the Church Street Depot. My old desk is now where the register sits. I slept under the desk until I got that first paycheck, which would cover rent for the first and last month of an apartment that I still reside in all these years later.

Back then, at age 27, I had $33 in my bank account when I laid down on the newsroom floor in my sleeping bag and two musty

pillows, wondering what adventures awaited me in the coming days, weeks and months ahead in my unknown future. A decade later, I can’t even begin to scratch the surface of the people, places and things that I’ve been able to cross paths with — as a curious journalist, but more so a curious human being — either on purpose or by happenstance (which are the best kind of interactions).

Back then, I had only planned on living in Western North Carolina for a year. The plan was to save up enough money to get myself back to the West, back to the Grand Teton Mountains and Eastern Idaho, just over the ridge from Jackson, Wyoming (my most favorite place on this planet). Ten years later, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else besides the ancient Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains.

Ah, the simple and intricate nature of nothing and everything, and then some.

Nothing matters in this universe besides treating others with kindness, with empathy, and with endless curiosity. There are billions of people in this world. Each cosmic entity of flesh and blood has a story, each as fascinating and wondrous as the next. And the goal remains within me to tell as many of those tales as I can — to meet, interact and dive deep into the endless depths of the human condition and the human experience.

I remain curious. I remain hopeful for whatever lies just around the corner, ready to surprise me at a moment’s notice, whether it be friendship, love or an adventure (or all three at once). Whatever is out there, I will always run towards the unknown horizon in a reckless abandon, a grin from ear to ear, the winds of change forever blowing through my hair and swirling around my body in motion, and in real time.

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

17th Annual

July 27-August 2, 2022

aybe it’s the espresso or maybe it’s the rush of blood to my heart from thinking about the faces and places that have led to this point. This week will mark 10 years since I first stepped foot in Waynesville and decided to call Western North Carolina home.

July 2012 and I had my back against the wall. With freelance writing gigs drying up in my native North Country, I sent out dozens and dozens of resumes all around America in hopes of full-time work again. Resumes to small newspapers in Nebraska, Nevada, Michigan and points in between. For the love of god, someone hire me.

Dammit.

That spring of 2012, I almost took a gig on the coast of Maine. I remember borrowing my mother’s car to make the six-hour trek from Upstate New York to Damariscotta. I remember the cold and sterile newsroom. I remember the editor who told me from across his second-floor desk that if I worked for him, then I’d have to wear a shirt and tie every day while on assignment. And I remember the pungent odor of ink from the printing press downstairs.

I drove back to New York with the job offer in-hand. Six hours later, I handed my mother her car keys back and told her I wasn’t going to take the job. Something just didn’t feel right about it. Honestly, I felt there was something better waiting for me just around the corner. All I had to do was hold out a little bit longer. My friends and other loved ones thought I was crazy to turn down the Maine gig.

Nah, I knew better — always (always) follow your intuition. It’ll never lead you astray.

I’d rather starve to death in pursuit of a dream than be cozy and warm and miserable existing in some life I dreaded waking up and walking into. I’d rather stroll down a rugged path of passion than drive down a paved road of complacency.

Two months later, I got a call from The Smoky Mountain News. They liked my resume and the clips of old articles I’d sent along. After another two rounds of interviews, I was asked by my publisher, Scott McLeod, to come down to Haywood County for a final onsite and in-person interview. I told him I didn’t have enough money to drive down in hopes of a job. He gave me some gas

money. I said I’d see him in a few days.

Jumping into my beat up 2001 GMC Sonoma, I made the 1,100-mile trek in record time. Driving some 16+ hours nonstop, I only stopped for gas and a quick cat nap at a Virginia rest area along Interstate 81. I slept in the bed of the truck underneath the camper shell. A simple sleeping bag and two musty pillows. I could hear the tractortrailers zooming by the rest area to destinations unknown. I couldn’t sleep, for tomorrow might be the start of a whole new life.

And it was. I arrived in Waynesville on Friday afternoon and did the interview. I

Concerts On The Creek will continue with Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

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arts & entertainment

On the beat Marianna goes Americana As part of a summer series of music, the Marianna Black Library will present the traditional music and storytelling of Lee Knight at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, in Bryson City.

Knight works as a folk singer, storyteller and outdoor leader, performing at concerts, workshops, Elderhostels, festivals, camps and schools. He leads hikes, canoe trips and guides whitewater rafts. He plays various instruments, including the fretless five-string banjo, various guitars, the Appalachian dulcimer, the mouth bow, the Cherokee flute and the Cherokee rattle, as well as the Native American drum.

This program is free and open to the public. The library is located in downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector.

For more information or driving directions, call the library at 828.488.3030 or visit fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

July 27-August 2, 2022

Chamber music returns to Waynesville The Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas (CMSC), formerly the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival, returns to Waynesville after a two-year absence. The next concert will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 31 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Works by Beethoven, Haydn, Dvorak, Mozart, Chopin and modern artists will all be featured. The society has been a premier chamber music festival in the Carolinas for 45

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

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

Smoky Mountain News

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

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Brother Fat (rock/jam) Aug. 6. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) July 29 and The Super 60s Band (oldies/hits) Aug. 5 at Bridge Park in Sylva. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged.

828.586.2155 or mountainlovers.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Tickets are $15 for adults, 24

years. Internationally acclaimed musicians from all over the world have come to the mountains of North Carolina each year.

In past seasons, performers included the winner of the gold medal at the International Van Cliburn competition in Dallas, a silver medalist of the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow, Grammy Award winners and Grammy-nominated ensembles.

Taking place in small venues, the festival creates an intimate interaction between performers and audiences. The Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas is a program of Warren Wilson College.

Admission is $30. Tickets are available online or at the church. Students will be admitted with no charge.

For more information, click on cmscarolina.com, email chamber@warren-wilson.edu or call 828.400.6465.

‘An Appalachian Evening’

Concerts On The Creek The 13th season of Concerts On The Creek will continue with Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

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. Food trucks will also be available.

These concerts are organized and produced 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 mountainlovers.com or Concerts On The Creek’s Facebook page.

$7.50 for children. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org/music.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Amongst The Trees (Americana) 7 p.m. July 30. Free and open to the public.

828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

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

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host Erick Baker (Americana/folk) 6 p.m. July 27.

Admission is $40 per person, which includes light bites. A cash bar is available. To purchase tickets, click on oldedwardshospitality.com/ orchardsessions.

• Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host Sarah Williams (singer-songwriter) July 30. Free and open to the public.

800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Byrds & Crows (bluegrass/traditional) July 29 and

Aubrey Eisenman.

The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

The annual summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass, folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists — quality entertainment for the entire family. Rich in cultural heritage, the series continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. All concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.

Performers include Aubrey Eisenman & The Clydes July 30, The Wildmans Aug. 6, NuBlu Aug. 13, Pretty Little Goat Aug. 20 and The Kruger Brothers Aug. 27 For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or click on stecoahvalleycenter.com.

Kettle (Americana/folk) Aug. 5 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host June Star July 26, Pam Taylor July 29, Shane Meade & The Soul (rock/soul) July 30 and Syrrup 3 p.m. July 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

“Miss 1980s Something Pageant” 7:30 p.m.

July 30 and “Totally Awesome 80s Party” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and Woolybooger (blues/folk) July 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host an Open Mic Night every Wednesday and Paul Edelman (singer-songwriter) July 28. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host Lee Knight (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m.

July 28 and a Community Jam 6 p.m. Aug. 4.

Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” with Hibiscus Sunshine every Wednesday and Phil Thomas (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. July 31. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Open Mic Night with Ivor Sparks every Wednesday, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) July 29, Steve Heffker July 30 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana/folk) 5 p.m. July 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

On the beat • SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host The Get Right Band (rock/soul) Aug. 11. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Brian Hill (singer-songwriter) July 29, The Log Noggins (rock/roots) July 30, Christina Chandler & Brian Hill (Americana) Aug. 5 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/roots) Aug. 6. All shows behind at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. noc.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Tickets start at $18 per person. smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.

• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Tickets available for purchase at the shop.

828.246.9264 or orchardcoffeeroasters.com.

• Pickin’ In The Park (Canton) will host Hill Country July 29 and Rewind & Green Valley Aug. 5. Shows are 6 to 9 p.m. at the Canton Rec Park located at 77 Penland St. Free and open to the public. cantonnc.com.

ALSO:

• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host The Caribbean Cowboys (beach/variety) Aug. 6. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.

• Salty Dogs Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

828.926.9105.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Carter Giegerich Trio (Celtic/bluegrass) from 2 to 5 p.m. every Sunday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” live music series will include Aubrey Eisenman & The Clydes July 30, The Wildmans Aug. 6, Nu-Blu Aug. 13, Pretty Little Goat Aug. 20 and The Kruger Brothers Aug. 27. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or click on stecoahvalleycenter.com.

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

828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

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

828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.2488.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m.

July 31. Free and open to the public.

828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Two Armadillos July 28, ALR Trio July 30, Catz In Pajamas 3 p.m. July 31 and Skies Of Avalon 3 p.m. Aug. 7. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

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

828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.

• Yonder (Franklin) will host “Songwriter Sundays” with Hannah Kaminer 2 p.m. July 31. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.200.2169 or eatrealfoodinc.com.

@SMOKYMOUNTAINNEWS

Smoky Mountain News

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host Bill Mattocks (blues/rock) July 30 and Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues/soul) Aug. 6 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

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

828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

July 27-August 2, 2022

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

arts & entertainment

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

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arts & entertainment

On the stage

‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. nightly throughout the summer at the Cherokee Mountainside Theatre.

For more information on show dates and/or to purchase tickets, go to visitcherokeenc.com and click on the “Events” tab.

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

HART presents ‘The Music Man’ There will be a special stage production of “The Music Man” at 7:30 p.m. July 28-30 and at 2 p.m. July 31 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The audience will be transported to River City, Iowa, where you’ll meet a slew of incredible characters, from a School Board

turned Barbershop Quartet to the Gossiping Pick-a-Little Ladies to an All Boys Marching Band.

“The Music Man” would be nothing without the Music Man himself: Professor Harold Hill, played at HART by Dominic Michael Aquilino. Hill is a traveling salesman who promises to save your town from the big trouble it’s in by forming a Boys Marching Band.

The only trouble is, “Professor” Hill knows nothing about music and the local Librarian, Marian Paroo, played at HART

by Emily Dake, has a library full of reference books and a great knowledge of music that could expose him.

Tickets range from $14 to $36 per person. You can purchase tickets by clicking on harttheatre.org or calling HART’s Box Office at 828.456.6322.

• “Comedy Night” will resume at 8 p.m.

Friday, July 29, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom in Waynesville. Stand-up sets from Jason Scholder, Marlene Thompson, Moira Goree and Josh Merrell. Must be 18 to enter.

Admission is $5 at the door. 828.246.9249.

• A stage production of the beloved tale “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company that will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the spring season. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland.

J. Creek Cloggers dinner, dance A special evening of entertainment and food with the J. Creek Cloggers will be held at 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 30, at the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center on the property of the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

Kicking off with a barbecue dinner, there will then be a performance by the J. Creek Cloggers, which will include TikTok star Zeb Ross.

There will also be a talk and presentation about the history and artform that is clogging.

Admission is free for motel guests and Heritage Club members.

Cost is $20 for the general public. Reservations are required.

828.926.1717 or meadowlarkmotel.com.

ALSO:

Zeb Ross.

On the wall • Lake Junaluska Artists in Residence (AIR) will host the Associates Art Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 30, on the porch of the Kern Building. Showcasing 12 local artists from the AIR group, there will also be a silent auction, with proceeds designated for art projects at the lake. Lake Junaluska musicians will also be a part of the event. Free and open to the public.

• The “Cultivating Collections” exhibit will be showcased through July 29 in the Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. This year’s exhibition highlights three areas of the collection — vitreographs, glass, and works by Black artists. The pieces on view convey the stories of bold innovators and speak to the importance of Western North Carolina in the history of glass and printmaking. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and until 7 p.m. on Thursday. 828.227.ARTS or 26 bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

ALSO:

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of adult workshops, including “Sew A Journal Book” 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, “Screenwriting Class” 6 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 3, “Oil Painting Workshop” 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, and “Printmaking Class” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 6. southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors. Dates include Aug. 5, Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2. facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty.

• WNC Paint Events brings you “Paint & Sip.” This is a two-hour event, and you leave with your painting. Anyone 21 and up are welcome. Events will be held at the following

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

Special events will be held when scheduled.

Mountainmakersmarket.com.

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

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

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

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

• 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 live music. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event.

828.488.7857.

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

For more information, click on wncpaint.events.

arts & entertainment

July 28 July 29 July 30

Ukraine Venezuela Ireland Liberia Puerto Rico The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians United States

Smoky Mountain News

July 30 July 31

Kickoff Fundraising Gala and “SummerFeast” Dinner Folkmoot Friendship Center Live Ticketed Events ~ 2pm & 7pm Folkmoot Summerfest International Day Street Festival Downtown Waynesville ~ 10am-5pm Maggie Valley Festival Grounds Live Ticketed Event ~ 7pm Maggie Valley Festival Grounds Live Ticketed Event ~ 2pm

July 27-August 2, 2022

NORTH CAROLINA’S International Festival

More Info @ FOLKMOOT.ORG All ticket proceeds benefit year-long programing at the Folkmoot Friendship Center 27

On the street arts & entertainment

bounce houses, food trucks, and photo opportunities in the sunflower field. For more information, email hotheadevents@gmail.com.

Folkmoot returns to WNC Patrick Parton photo

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

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

828.631.3075.

Ready for the Gemboree?

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

The 54th annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

July 29-30 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 31 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin.

Rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, supplies, beads, door prizes, dealers, exhibits, demonstrations, and more.

Daily admission is $3 and free for ages 12 and under. For more information, call 828.524.3161. Sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Macon County Gem & Mineral Society. franklin-chamber.com.

• “Sunflower Hippie Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. The day will include a large variety of unique craft vendors, a tie dye station, bubble gardens, live music, performance artist, face painting,

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines.

Educational classes and other events are also available. For more information, call 828.538.0420.

ALSO:

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

• “Watermelon Bash” will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Food trucks, live music, vendors, bounce houses, kids activities, watermelon eating contests, karaoke, and more. For more information, email hotheadevents@gmail.com.

Folkmoot, North Carolina’s Official International Folk Festival, returns to hosting programs and events beginning with its “Summerfest” scheduled from Thursday, July 28, to Sunday, July 31.

The festival will be located at Folkmoot Friendship Center in the Hazelwood district of Waynesville (July 28-29), with performances also in downtown Waynesville (July 30) and the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds (July 30-31).

The “Folkmoot Summerfest” is focused on celebrating American Cultural Diversity.

Performers from around the United States will gather in Haywood County to represent many of the ethnicities and traditions that make up our nation’s mosaic of people.

• Folkmoot will build off of its decades of international festival experience by promoting cultural understanding and acceptance while providing an exceptional experi-

55th Annual Macon County

July 29-31 • Fri-Sat: 10-6 • Sun: 10-4

Gold, Silver, Gem Stones, Minerals & More Present this ad for

$1.00 off

Door Prizes • Jewelry Repair • Demonstrations

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ence to witness a fusion of unique traditions.

• Folkmoot is set to present an assortment of traditional and contemporary dances along with well-acclaimed musical performances.

• Folkmoot, located in the historic Hazelwood School, continues a legacy of education within its facility. As a place that welcomes diversity and advocates understanding, every opportunity someone gets to witness a Folkmoot event is an opportunity to learn and witness a unique perspective.

For a full schedule of events, visit folkmoot.org.

Folkmoot is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that fosters the vibrancy of many cultures into one community. Folkmoot programs are based on cultural exchange and designed to build global relationships, foster cultural understanding, and develop community prosperity.

admission

828.524.3161 • www.visitfranklinnc.com Robert C Carpenter Community Building • 1288 Georgia Rd. Franklin, NC

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

The legacy of Wilma Dykeman The Jackson County Public Library will be hosting a book talk featuring members of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, in the Community Room at the library in Sylva.

Jim Stokely, president of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy, and Jo Ann Thomas Croom, will discuss

Kay was a devout Catholic as well as a woman in need of spiritual comfort, and soon she and her children were making this drive, often several times a week, to attend liturgy, to go to the monastery’s bookstore, and to enjoy the tranquility of the church and the well-tended grounds. Mostly, however, they came to visit the monks.

In “Monastery Mornings,” O’Brien gives us a bit of history about the Cistercian Order, blends in the story of how that order came to plant an abbey in the middle of Mormon country, and offers side tours into Catholic and monastical practices ranging from the strict schedule of prayer and work (Ora et Labora) followed by the brothers to the meaning of their vows.

For the most part, however, O’Brien focuses his attention on the men he befriended during the years before he left home to attend the University of Notre Dame. He tells us many fond and often humorous stories about these mentors, who had set themselves apart to pray for the world and who supported that endeavor by the sweat of their labor, tending gardens, raising cows, and selling bread, honey, eggs, and books and gifts.

Brother Edward Eick, for example, like some of the others a veteran of World War II, “would softly hum and bounce on his feet when he talked with you.” He encouraged O’Brien to write and gave him his first typewriter. Brother Boniface — Brother Bon — sometimes put O’Brien and his mother to Croom’s book, “No Work in the Grave: Life in the Toe River Valley.”

The book presents the history of a watershed in Western North Carolina as told from the perspective of one extraordinary mountain family.

Jo Ann Thomas Croom, her father Walter Thomas, and her uncle Monroe Thomas focus on the first half of the 20th century, a time when new technologies and educational opportunities changed life in the valley forever.

work in the bookshop while he greeted and chatted with visitors, brought his helpers treats, including the delicious “monk bread,” and dispensed advice as well.

As the months and years passed, the O’Briens and several of the monks came close to being a family.

Many other outsiders also visited the abbey. Some came out of curiosity or to purchase gifts or jars of honey while others sought counsel and a brief respite from troubled lives. “When I think about these people now,” O’Brien writes, “I see many breaking or broken people — like us — all searching for hope and healing. The monks took us all in ….”

The most striking takeaway from this memoir is the joy with which these men lived out their vows. Some of them experienced personal difficulties — one abandons the religious life to marry a woman he’d met when she began visiting the abbey — but the predominant mood shared by these men, at least as remembered by O’Brien, is happiness. This comes across in their zest for life, the attention they shower on visitors, and their sense of humor. (One typical monastic jest: Anyone can make holy water.

You just put some water on the stove and boil the hell out of it.)

In 1983, after graduating from Notre Dame and before entering law school at the University of Utah, O’Brien made an overnight retreat at the monastery. He describes that time of farewell with the monks in some detail, then concludes with these thoughts: “Thanks to my mother, I first came to the abbey in 1972 at age eleven, uncertain of whether I had a father. More than ten years later, I left the monastery as a grown man with at least a dozen of them. My past, my present, and my future were shaped, forever and for the better, by my decade as a boy monk. I drove home as night fell.”

“Monastery Mornings” offers all readers, whatever their religious persuasion, a retreat as well, the opportunity to pause and to remember the vital importance of peace, charity, and happiness.

(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.)

The Wilma Dykeman Legacy is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to sustain and promote Wilma Dykeman’s values by sponsoring diverse workshops, events, and other programs.

The book talk is free and open to the public.

City Lights Bookstore will sell copies of the book at the event.

For information, please call the library at 828.586.2016.

RETAIL HOURS MON-SAT 10-6

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Smoky Mountain News

“I think Mom was looking for a particular book that day, so she turned to Brother Felix

and started to ask, ‘Do you know what I am looking for…?’ Before she finished her thought, he politely interrupted and said, “Yes, I do know, you are looking for the same thing as the rest of us — peace.’ His words were not profound, poetic, or prophetic, and the only thing they managed to do was to change our lives.”

July 27-August 2, 2022

To be human is to suffer.

In the case of third-grader Michael O’Brien, that meant watching the apparent disintegration of his family: a father who left home and divorced his wife, a series of moves that eventually led to making a home in Utah, and the struggles of his mom as she tried to pay her bills and raise her four children, of whom Michael was the youngest.

When we’re in that pit of discord where everything seems tangled up, or hopeless, and we’re Writer bone-weary and battered, sometimes a light shines in that darkness. It might be the kindness of a friend or a family member, or a sudden reversal in fortunes, some event great or small that gives us a candle, a compass, and a path forward.

For Michael O’Brien and his mother, the flame that lit their way was the Abby of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity.

In “Monastery Mornings: My Unusual Boyhood Among the Saints and Monks” (Paraclete Press, 2021, 192 pages), O’Brien gives us his true story of growing up mentored and loved by a group of Trappist monks cloistered in a monastery near the small town of Huntsville, Utah.

This relationship began in the spring of 1972, when his mom, Kay, took her son and one of her daughters, Karen, on a Saturday morning car ride and accidentally wound up at the monastery.

From that first visit, O’Brien remembers one special moment in the abbey’s giftshop:

arts & entertainment

The boy monk: a review of ‘Monastery Mornings’

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Like the mockingbird, the brown thrasher, seen here, mimics the songs of other birds.

Tim Carstens photo

Up Moses Creek Thrashers make a home on Berry Island

BY B URT KORNEGAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER he sight of a fox standing in the yard would not have made my eyes open any wider that morning than the two brown thrashers did when I saw them out the window.

Not that brown thrashers are uncommon.

There are about as many of them around as there are mockingbirds, and like mockingbirds, they loudly mimic the songs of other birds. But, fox-like, they are hard to see. A mockingbird will perch in full view on a lamppost to sing, but usually all I see of a thrasher is a brown blur shooting between thickets.

Thrashers are bigger than mockingbirds too, with dark-streaked breasts, sharp, down-curving beaks, a very long tail, and piercing yellow eyes.

But right there outside my study window that morning was a pair of thrashers standing in the grass, with twigs in their beaks. Then they flew into a nearby clump of holly bushes and started building a nest. The hollies are part of a tangle of blueberry, blackberry, beautyberry, pokeberry and chokeberry growing in our yard. We call it Berry Island. And the nest they were making was just five feet off the ground. I quietly called Becky to join me.

It was June 17, and we had a bird’s eye view from the start.

T

For three days we watched the thrashers build the nest, using twigs and rootlets and fibrous bark. Picture a football cut in half and lodged in branches with the point stuck down. That was the size and shape of the nest.

They stuck a few dead leaves on the finished product for camouflage, then the female settled in to lay her eggs. We rarely saw her after that until early in July, when she began to forage in the yard for insects to feed her young.

The chicks stayed out of sight, but we knew what greeted the mother when she returned with a grub or caterpillar in her beak—a nest full of gaping red mouths.

One morning, hearing a clamor in the hollies, I looked out to see titmice and chickadees in a tizzy. It was the kind of ruckus that says “snake.” In years past when we’ve heard these birds gather to scold like that, there’s often been a black rat snake climbing toward a nest.

Burt Kornegay.

Donated photo

I’d catch the reptile and release it in the woods, but not before giving it a lecture: “Eat other birds if you have to, but not ours.”

The thrasher parents came immediately, their eyes piercing the undergrowth, ready to strike at any predator. Thrashers are even known to draw blood from humans who come near their young. Then suddenly the noise stopped, and the small yard birds left.

Maybe they were simply testing their version of an early warning system. Or they might have been crying wolf just for the fun of it—

the way humans sometimes do. Or perhaps it was the copperhead they were harassing. It lives in Berry Island too, but it doesn’t tend to climb. Whatever the reason, the thrashers calmed down and went back to feeding their young.

Three days ago, both parents started flying continuously back and forth from the nest. The time for fledging must be near!

They were so intent on finding insects that if we walked past, they kept right on foraging. I bet we looked at Berry Island a hundred times a day.

Then, late on the afternoon of July 11, while I was canoeing on the Tuckaseegee and Becky was at a concert in Cashiers — the only three hours this week the two of us have been gone from home at the same time — it happened. Whether by coincidence or cunning, in those few hours the thrashers seem to have nudged their young into flight.

We didn’t know it had happened, but the next morning, mist still hanging on the ridge, I noticed how still Berry Island was, the stillest I’d seen it in 26 days. The hollies did flare into life when the wren family showed up, the young’ns hopping from branch to branch, while the female chided and the male gave his bugle call, “We’re here.”

And later, the thrasher pair appeared.

Maybe we’d see the chicks fledge after all. But it must have been Empty Nest Syndrome that drew them back for one last look at the old haunt. They had youngsters to guard and feed. In a minute they were gone. It’s not just humans who “can’t go home again.”

Finally, the sun rose high above the ridge and shined into my window so hot I had to move. Feeling the old, familiar avian anticipation inside me turning into Empty Yard Syndrome, I walked out with Becky to Berry Island. We eased our way in, parted the branches, and looked into an empty nest.

Thrasher’s nest: For three days, Burt Kornegay watched the thrashers build their nest, which is seen empty in this picture. Burt Kornegay photo

Hot air balloon festival returns

The Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival will return for its fifth year.

Haywood County recreation programs Hiking ■ Aug. 3 will be a continuation of the

Visitors are cautioned to avoid hikes that involve unbridged river crossings until high waters subside. For more information about temporary road closures across the park, please visit the park website at nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.ht m.

Hickory Nut Gorge. Guides will be Phyllis Woollen and Lisa Cook.

■ Aug. 24 will be the Kephart Prong to the shelter and back. This is a moderate 4-mile hike with an elevation gain of 833 feet. Guides will be Vickey Watson and Phyllis Woollen.

■ Aug. 31 is yoga and a hike led by Tara Scarborough and Kathy Odvody. This is an easy to moderate 4.4-mile hike, elevation gain of 617 feet and an optional 45-minute gentle yoga class, appropriate for someone who has never done yoga. Please bring your own towel/mat.

Birding ■ Aug. 3 will be a trip to Max Patch led by Howard Browers. The trip will involve traveling to Max Patch bald parking area, about 20 miles, stopping to bird at several places along the way. We will do a moderate hike to the top of Max Patch bald, 1.5 miles round trip. Total walking distance for the trip will be about 2 miles.

Please contact Jean Dilley, jdilley@haywoodchamber.com, for more information regarding participating in this year's class

■ Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be a navi-

Smoky Mountain News

Mountains to Sea Trail series with an out-andback 6.4-mile hike from Highway 215 to Silvermine Bald. Elevation gain is around 800 feet. This is considered a moderate hike. Hike will be led by Kathy Odvody and Steve Szczepanski.

■ Aug. 7 will be the Haywood Gap and Buckeye Gap loop. This is an 8-mile difficult hike and is recommended for experienced hikers only. This is a technical hike with a steep descent and water crossings. Guides will be Tara Scarborough and Steve Szczepanski.

■ Aug. 13 is the rescheduled Hemphill Bald hike. This is a challenging 9.8-mile hike with an elevation gain of 2000 feet. Hike goes from Hemphill Bald to Polls Gap and will be led by Lisa Cook and Phyllis Woollen.

■ Aug. 14 is an easy hike on the Oconoluftee Creek Trail. Elevation gain is minimal and distance is 3 miles. The guide on this hike is Kathy Odvody.

■ Aug. 17 is a moderate to strenuous 5-mile hike to Wildcat Rock in the Hickory Nut Gorge.

There will be stair climbing, a waterfall and great views. Guides for this hike are Phyllis Woollen and Jamie Shackleford.

■ Aug. 20 will be a moderate to easy 5-mile hike at the Florence Nature Preserve in the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have closed the Greenbrier area to all use due to additional road damage caused by an estimated three inches of rain occurring during the early morning hours on Thursday, July 21. Roads were further damaged by floodwaters that rose above riverbanks and also from overland waterflow from above the roadways.

The overland waterflow caused a slide both above and below a steep road section between the Greenbrier Ranger Station and the Greenbrier Picnic Area. Water is now flowing below the road surface which has undermined the stability of the road.

The road is unstable and is not safe for motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists to travel across. Engineers will be assessing road stability over the next several days and making recommendations for repair options. The area will remain closed to all use until further notice.

The temporary closure continues to include

Ramsey Prong Road, Porters Creek Road, Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, Greenbrier Picnic Area, Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion, and Backcountry Campsites 31, 32, and 33. Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails remain open, but hikers must access them from parking lots near the Greenbrier entrance or from other areas on the park.

Across the park, rainfall was estimated between one and three inches overnight.

July 27-August 2, 2022

During the festival, numerous professional balloonists will soar through the sky under a Smoky Mountain sunset.

The Aug. 20 main event will take place at Townsend Visitor Center 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway from 4 to 9 p.m. The day will include live entertainment, crafters demonstrating and selling their artwork and a food truck court and beer tent.

Little Arrow Outdoor CEO and festival organizer Carmen Simpher, expressed excitement over the event.

“The Hot Air Balloon Festival is such a visually stunning backdrop of mountains and hot air balloons. It is a mesmerizing

Flooding causes full Greenbrier closure

outdoors

On Friday, Aug. 19, the Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival will kick off its fifth year with unique experiences for its VIPs. The next day, Aug. 20, is the main event and will feature a variety of family-friendly activities.

display, and I am happy that we are having this festival in Townsend another year. I think people who come out will be very happy they did,” Simpher said.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per guest with advance parking costing $20.

Parking passes are offered on the website (gsmballoonfest.com) under tickets. Day of Festival parking is $25 at the gate and guests who park in private lots or are dropped off will pay a $5 admission fee.

Tethered balloon rides are also now available for pre-sale orders. Tickets are $25 per rider. No riders under 8 years of age are permitted to ride the balloons. Weather permitting, rides will begin at 6 p.m.

Additionally, the enchanted VIP August 19 event will take place in the same location from 5 to 10 p.m. That evening offers a private and intimate experience with music, food and a tethered balloon ride. Funds raised from VIP ticket sales go to the Townsend/Cades Cove Gateway Alliance nonprofit.

VIP lift off is new this year and is limited to only 300 participants at $200 per person.

The package includes parking, tented seating for shade and balloon viewing, commemorative swag, attendee choice of CJ’s Tacos or B’s Bites, tickets for adult beverages and unlimited non-alcoholic drinks.

The package also gives VIPs the chance to chat with the balloonists, enjoy a peaceful balloon ride and have countless photo opportunities. VIP wristband can be used for reentry on Saturday, Aug. 20 for the main event.

For more information on the Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival, visit gsmballoonfest.com.

gation course led by Steve Kuni. This course provides instruction in the fundamentals of traditional map and compass land navigation and applies those fundamentals to modern cell phone navigation.

Please visit the Haywood County Recreation webpage to sign up for all listed activities secure.rec1.com/nc/haywood-county-nc/catalog.

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Navigation

outdoors

Highlands Biological Foundation offers lecture on fireflies The Highlands Biological Foundation’s annual Zahner Conservation Lecture series continues at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4 for its next installment featuring Dr. Luiz Felipe Lima da Silveira, Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University, as he presents “The ‘Lit’

Fireflies. GSMNP/Radim Schreiber photo

Smoky Mountain News

July 27-August 2, 2022

Lives of Dark Fireflies”.

Fireflies are usually known for their light signals, which can be readily seen in our region as the summer approaches. Male and female fireflies may use light signals to find and choose partners. However, many — if not most — firefly species do not rely on light signals for reproduction. Instead, the socalled dark fireflies rely more heavily on air-

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borne chemicals called pheromones. Yet, the lack of light signals does not mean that their sex lives are less “lit”. On the contrary, dark fireflies display an amazing array of reproductive strategies which are mirrored in their diverse male and female morphologies. In this talk, Dr. Silveira will present basic aspects of firefly reproduction, with emphasis on putative cases of sexually selected traits of dark fireflies.

Dr. Silveira studies the patterns and processes that drive biodiversity. His research combines old-school natural history with modern phylogenetic methods and statistical analysis to understand the diversity, ecology and evolution of insects, especially fireflies. He has described over 30 new species and six genera of beetles, particularly fireflies, and provided tools to facilitate their identification and conservation across the Americas.

Dr. Silveira completed his Ph.D. in ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in 2018 and was a postdoc for a year at the University of Georgia. Since 2019, he has worked as an Assistant Professor of Invertebrate Zoology at Western Carolina University and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature specialist group for fireflies.

Economic development program launches in WNC The WNC: MADE X MTNS Partnership is launching a new outdoor-driven community economic development initiative, Building Outdoor Communities, spanning 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary. Building Outdoor Communities focuses on capacity building, technical assistance, training, connectivity and education for communities seeking to advance their outdoor economy goals. The program begins with a community open house series in August, and will formally launch with a workshop in Boone on Sept.

19-20. Program applications are already open and will close on Aug. 26. The schedule of events, application details and event registration are all available on the MADE X MTNS Building Outdoor Communities webpage.

The WNC: MADE X MTNS Building Outdoor Communities Program is funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) initiative, with support from Mountain BizWorks and the Dogwood Health Trust, as well as numerous regional stakeholders.

“Overwhelmingly, rural community leaders see the value and importance of leveraging and caring for their outdoor assets. This program will provide them with targeted assistance to assess, analyze and

prioritize outdoor infrastructure investments, grow their outdoor economies, and truly take WNC to the next level as the Outdoor Industry Hub of the East,” said Noah Wilson, Mountain BizWorks Director of Sector Development.

In partnership with Appalachian State University’s Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis, six regional Councils of Government, and West Virginia University’s Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, the Building Outdoor Communities program team will coordinate with local Community Working Groups to strategically assess and prioritize outdoor infrastructure and economic development goals and forge pathways to implementation. The team will create an outdoor economic impact toolkit, so community leaders can be equipped with data to leverage future project investments. Community Working Groups that successfully complete the capacity building portion of the program are eligible for technical assistance funds to advance their community’s top priorities.

The Sept. 19-20 program Launch Event & Workshop is open to WNC stakeholders seeking to engage in Community Working Groups throughout the duration of the program. To stay in the know about program updates, key events, and major milestones, join the Building Outdoor Communities Mailing List.

Fish available for ‘adoption’ ahead of trout race Trout are available for adoption for $10 apiece ahead of Haywood Waterways’ Sept. 10 trout race.

This year, the trout race is hosted by BearWaters Brewery in Canton, which sits right on the Pigeon River.

Trout adoptions will be limited to 400, and there will be at least six winners. Prizes include a restored bamboo flyrod by Thomas Custom Rods valued at $1,500, Publix gift cards and more.

The trout race helps to support Haywood Waterways work that includes river clean-ups, assessing streambank damage and finding the technical and resources to fix the issues caused by these floods.

It also supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County to help the youth of Haywood County reach their potential.

For more details, visit troutrace.com, call 828.476.4667 or email info@haywoodwaterways.org.

ASAP’s farm tour returns Manager. “This year we’ve also created themed lists to help you narrow down your choices and tailor your tour to match your interests.”

Advance passes are on sale now for $35

55th annual Macon County Gemboree

by the Gem & Mineral Society. Hourly door prizes will also be given away throughout the run of the event.

New this year will be presentations about the minerals NASA is finding on Mars presented by Ken Brandt. Brandt is the director of the Robeson Planetarium and Science Center in Lumberton. He is a U.S. Navy veteran, a former high school teacher and is Nationally Board Certified. In addition to his duties at the planetarium, he is also an astronomy lecturer at USC Beaufort. He will be doing two presentations about the many Minerals of Mars and will be giving free materials to the attendees on Mars exploration. His presentations will take place at 3 p.m. July 29, and again at 11 a.m. on July 30.

The programs are suitable for all ages.

The 55th annual Macon County Gemboree will run from July 29-31. Hours for the event are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Daily admission is $3 for adults with those ages 12 and under admitted for free. Cards good for $1 off admission are available at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum. Watch for the ad in local papers for a $1 off coupon.

For more information on the 55th Annual Macon County Gemboree, contact the Franklin Chamber of Commerce at 828.524.3161.

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at asapconnections.org/farmtour. One pass admits a carload of visitors to all farms both days. Pending availability, passes purchased the weekend of the tour will be $45.

Volunteers who work one day of the tour, welcoming visitors at participating farms, may tour for free on the other day. Sign up to volunteer at asapconnections.org/farmtour.

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Rockhounds from all across the United States will be in Franklin for the 55th annual Macon County Gemboree, which opens Friday, July 29, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building just off U.S. 23/441 South. The gem & mineral show is the second oldest event of its kind in the Southeast.

The event is a joint effort of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Gem & Mineral Society of Franklin.

“We’ve had a great partnership over the years and that has led to the success of this show,” said Linda Harbuck, Executive Director of the Franklin Chamber. “Many of our long-standing vendors and some new vendors are joining us this year. These dealers will have a tremendous variety of items for sale. We’ll be utilizing every available space at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building for the Gemboree.”

This year, the Faceter’s Frolic will be held at the Factory.

Those attending this year’s Gemboree will find an unmatched selection of rough and cut gems and minerals, fine jewelry, lapidary equipment, fossils and will even be able to observe the fine art of faceting stones and more through demonstrations

Get to know

outdoors

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project announced 19 farms participating in the 2022 Farm Tour, held from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 17–18. These farms showcase the diversity of agriculture in the region, from vegetables to livestock, orchards to creameries, and are all located within an hour of Asheville.

Tourgoers can experience working farms through guided and self-guided tours, demonstrations, interacting with farm animals, u-pick produce and flowers, local food tastings and more. The tour is appropriate for attendees of all ages and abilities.

The tour features four geographic clusters to help visitors maximize their time at farms. Tourgoers should select two to four farms to visit each day, spending around an hour at each.

Descriptions of each farm’s offerings, plus a map, driving directions and tour tips, are available at asapconnections.org/farmtour.

A free printed guide will be available at community locations in mid-August. Ten farms, noted with an asterisk, are new to the tour in 2022.

“It can be overwhelming to decide which farms to visit, so we recommend using the guide or website in advance,” said Sarah Hart, ASAP Communications

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Notes from a Plant Nerd

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

hroughout Southern Appalachia, rhododendrons can be found growing and blooming. And what a show they put on. With flower colors running from white, to pink, to purple with large and small flowers, rhododendrons are among the most iconic flowers in all of Western North Carolina and can be found growing in most of the many and varied ecosystems in these mountains.

Rhododendrons are a woody shrub in the heath/heather family of plants, aka Ericaceae. Other plants that are in the heather family include sourwood trees (Oxydendron arboretum), blueberry and cranberry (Vaccinium sp.), pipsissewa (Chimaphala maculata), and even the odd and surprising ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora). Plants in this family have a tendency towards thriving in acidic soil conditions, which is great since so many of the soils in these mountains fall on the acidic side due to the underlying geology. When it comes to growing a vegetable garden, acidic soils are not ideal and are often mitigated with limestone. There is no need to amend most soils around us here, if you are growing Rhododendrons or other Ericaceous plants, as they love growing in acidic soil.

Depending on where you look, and what authority you follow, there are anywhere from three to five species of rhodies, as they are affectionately called, that live in and around these southern mountains. I tend to follow the botanical work of Dr. Alan Weakley of the UNC Chapel Hill Herbarium when it comes to species accounts and botanical names. And, according to Weakley the five rhodies that live in WNC are the rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) with light pink to whiteish flowers and large leaves; Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) that mostly live at higher elevations and have purple flowers and large leaves; Carolina rhododendron (Rhododendron carolinianum) also found at high elevations and having smaller leaves and pink to whiteish flowers; piedmont rhododendron (Rhododendron minus) also with small leaves and pink to whiteish flowers but found growing at lower elevations, including outside of the mountains; and one of the newest to be classified and given a name, the rare Smoky Mountains rhododendron (Rhododendron smokianum) with deep purple flowers that can found only at the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Rhododendrons have some mountain lore associated with them. During drought, or deep freezes in the winter, rhodies will curl their leaves inwards to create a micro-

T

climate as a form of protection. In drought, the inward curl helps to trap and funnel moisture while decreasing surface area exposed to the sun. In winter, at temperatures below the mid-twenties, the leaves are curled to hold heat and protect from freezing.

Mountain folk referred to rhododendrons as “laurels” and called mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) “ivy” so that place names around the mountains like Ivy Creek or the Big Ivy are referring to mountain laurel, while Laurel Knob, Laurel Valley and Laurel Creek are all referring to rhododendrons. Common names like ivy and laurel can be confusing, as many plants can share the same common name, or a plant can have many different common names.

To avoid confusion, plants also have scientific, or botanical, names that are written in a form of Latin that is called the binomial system of classification. There are rules to writing botanical names that include always capitalizing the genus name, and never capitalizing the specific epithet. These two names together are the species name. Also, botanical Latin should be written in italics, or underlined. You can see examples of this throughout this article. Other conventions you will find in botanical Latin is the use of “sp.” for “species” or “spp.” when referring to more than one type species.

Many people are intimidated by botanical Latin, not realizing how important and helpful it can be to learn these names for plants. In fact, as you can see from this article, you already know some botanical Latin.

The genus of rhododendron is Rhododendron. Where things can be confusing, however, is when we learn that the plants we refer to as azaleas are also in the Rhododendron genus. We will learn more about azaleas in a future column.

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

• The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists. Buffalo Kings will play July 30, Shain Weston Lyles will play Aug. 6, Wooly Booger will play Aug. 13, Balsam Hot Club will play Aug. 20, Taylor Knighton will play Aug. 27.

• Cowee School Farmer’s Market will be held from Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.

• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May-December) in downtown Waynesville. For more information, go to facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty.

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

KIDS & FAMILIES

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com take place July 30, at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center. Free for motel guests and Heritage Club Members, $20 per person for guests. RSVP required for BBQ dinner. Call 828.926.1717.

• Live Music with Steve “Piano Man” Whiddon will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center. Admission is free, with a BBQ dinner available for $12. For more information call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Cherokee Heritage Day with Davy Arch will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center. Admission is free for motel guests and Heritage Club members, $20 per person for all others. Call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Songwriters Camp will take place Aug. 12 and 13, at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, with Darren Nicholson, Clay Mills, Jim Lauderdale, Charles R Humphrey III and Charlie Chamberlain. Admission is free for motel guests and Heritage Club members, $20 per person for guests. For tickets call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Cherokee Heritage Day with Mary Bottchenbaugh will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center. Class is limited to 15 students at $65 each. Special price of $25 each for motel guests and Heritage Club members. All materials will be included in cost. For more information call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

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

A&E

• Appalachian Button Jamboree Show will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 17, at The National Guard Armory in Hendersonville. For more information call Julie McMahon at 616.634.8823 or email jmcmahon8@hotmail.com.

• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m.

To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events.

Registration is required, $45.

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

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

• A free, monthly summer concert series continues with “Rainbows End” from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, July 31, on the deck at the Wayfarers Chapel in Dillard, Georgia. For more information call Jennifer Utley at 901.581.2404.

• Mountain Street Dances will be held July 8, July 22, Aug.12 and Sept. 30 in downtown Waynesville.

• Dinner and dancing with the J. Creek Cloggers will

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host Erick Baker (Americana/folk) 6 p.m. July 27. Admission is $40 per person, which includes light bites. A cash bar is available. To purchase tickets, click on oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.

• Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host Sarah Williams (singer-songwriter) July 30. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host Lee Knight (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. July 28 and a Community Jam 6 p.m. Aug. 4. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host The Get Right Band (rock/soul) Aug. 11. All shows begin at 6 p.m.

Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. July 31. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Yonder (Franklin) will host “Songwriter Sundays” with Hannah Kaminer 2 p.m. July 31. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.200.2169 or eatrealfoodinc.com.

• “G&LW Wholesale Gem Show” will be held July 29-31 at the Watauga Festival Center on 6295 Sylva Road in Franklin. The trade shows are produced in many major trade centers across the United States for the convenience of wholesale buyers. franklin-chamber.com.

Smoky Mountain News

FOOD AND DRINK • BBQ and Live Music takes place at 6 p.m. every Saturday at the Meadowlark Motel. Call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

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

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

• Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420.

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

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “Comedy Night” will resume at 8 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Mad Anthony’s Taproom in Waynesville. Stand-up sets from Jason Scholder, Marlene Thompson, Moira Goree and Josh Merrell. Must be 18 to enter. Admission is $5 at the door. 828.246.9249.

• The Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday July 31, at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Season and individual tickets are available online or at the church. For more information visit cmscarolina.com or call 828.400.6465.

• A stage production of the beloved tale “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • A class for intermediate woodturning with John Tagliarini will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 27-29 at The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts. Register at thebascom.org.

• Creative Writing Group will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For More information, contact Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• NCWORKS Job Search Assistance will take place from 1:15-4:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Waynesville Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. For more information call 828.456.6061 or visit ncworks.gov.

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Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n Complete listings of local music scene n Regional festivals n Art gallery events and openings n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings on Saturday, July 30, on the Kern Center porch.

Musicians from the lake will also be there to entertain.

• Western Carolina Photo Exhibit will take place Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. The community’s assistance is needed to identify th epeople and places pictured. Pictures depict the region during the first half of the 20th century. For more information, contact Kathy at kathleen.olsen@haywoodcountync.gov or 828.356.2507.

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin.

Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.

• The exhibit “Like No Other Place” is open July 16 through Dec. 31, in the Joel Gallery at the The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts. For more information visit thebascom.org.

• KidStuff will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday, July 30, as part of Summerfest 2922’s International Day programming in downtown Waynesville. For more information visit folkmoot.org.

• The exhibit “Members Challenge: Place” is open July 30 through Sept. 10, in the Thompson Gallery at The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts. For more information visit thebascom.org.

FILM & SCREEN • A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016.

Outdoors

• North Carolina Museum of Art Take and Make kits will be available Aug. 15, at all Haywood County Library locations. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or 828.356.2511.

• Nature and Nurture: The Voorhees Family Artistic Legacy will be on display at the Baker Visitors Center through Sept. 5. For more information call 828.665.2492 or visit ncarboretum.org.

• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.

• ArborEvenings take place from 5:30-8 p.m. at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, Thursday and Friday evenings through Sept. 30. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Artists in Residence at Lake Junaluska will host the second annual Associates Art Show from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

• The annual Zahner Conservation Lectures will take place at 6 p.m. Thursdays from July 7 to Sept. 1. To view the full lecture lineup, visit highlandsbiological.org.

• The Southeaster Permaculture Gathering will take place Aug. 5-7, in Celo, North Carolina. For more information visit skutheasternpermaculture.org.

• “Sunflower Hippie Festival” will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. For more information, email hotheadevents@gmail.com.

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

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

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

36

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July 27-August 2, 2022

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CASTILLO Tree Service, Etc, Inc. • Dangerous Tree Removal • Pruning • Creating Views

FREE ESTIMATES • INSURED

828-342-3024

saulcastillo7212@gmail.com

Lost & Found

Jerry Powell Cell: 828.508.2002

jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

74 N. Main St., Waynesville CASH REWARD FOR LOST DOG 0\ VHUYLFH GRJ 2OLYLD GLVDSSHDUHG RII +HQVRQ &RYH 5G QHDU WKH &HQWHU 3LJHRQ )LUH 'HSW LQ &DQWRQ DQG KDVQ¶W EHHQ VHHQ VLQFH 6KH¶V D \HDU ROG SLWEXOO WDQ ZLWK ZKLWH FKHVW WRHV VDJ JLQJ QLSSOHV IURP SULRU EUHHGLQJ D FKURQLF UHDU OHJ OLPS 6SD\HG PLFURFKLSSHG )ULHQGO\ WR SHRSOH EXW VNLWWLVK +DV D JUD\ UXEEHU FROODU ZLWK KHU QDPH FRQWDFW LQIR &$6+ UHZDUG LI IRXQG VDIHO\ UHWXUQHG QR TXHVWLRQV DVNHG 3OHDVH KHOS XV ¿QG KHU NDLWO\QVHDVWHU#JPDLO FRP

828.452.5809

Hansen & Hansen Mary Roger (828)

400-1346

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400-1345

The Strength of Teamwork The Reputation for Results

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • • • •

Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436 Steve Mauldin - 828-734-4864 Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty 71 N. Main St., Waynesville (828) 564-9393

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com • Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

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

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

Real Experience.

Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727

KITTENS! Asheville Humane Society is RYHUÀRZLQJ ZLWK kittens ready for adoption! All 2-6 months old; variety of colors and cute as can be! (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevilleKXPDQH RUJ

www.TheRealTeamNC.com

www.wncmarketplace.com

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

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Pets

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

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Emerson Group - emersongroupus.com • George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com • Chuck Brown - chuck@emersongroupus.com

Medical DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? $S SHDO ,I \RX¶UH ¿OHG 66' DQG GHQLHG RXU DW WRUQH\V FDQ KHOS :LQ RU 3D\ 1RWKLQJ 6WURQJ UH FHQW ZRUN KLVWRU\ QHHGHG >6WHSSDFK HU /DZ 2I¿FHV //& 3ULQ FLSDO 2I¿FH $GDPV $YH 6FUDQWRQ 3$ @

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

71 N. Main Street Waynesville

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

Rob Roland Realty

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 71 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

July 27-August 2, 2022

• Rob Roland - 828-400-1923

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

37

SUPER

CROSSWORD

ALMOST INDIVISIBLE ACROSS 1 Compositions of a classical tradition 9 Financial: Abbr.

13 Toddler girl, to Scots 20 16th-century Spanish explorer 21 Wind quintet instrument 22 Ancient French region 23 Low-value red card 25 Dangerous current 26 20-ounce Starbucks drink 27 Body design, for short 28 Transmission repair chain 30 Adult fellows 31 Witches in "Macbeth" 37 Apple choice 41 Sculling item 42 Suffix with Midwest 43 Rose petal oil 44 1992 Tony nominee for Best Musical 48 Seniors' org.

52 Tricky pitch 53 Big fad 54 Pet allergy source 56 From days of yore 57 Luggage screeners' org.

59 Univ. dorm overseers 62 Listerine competitor 63 Oedipus-themed Aeschylus play 69 A-E linkup 72 Docs' gp.

73 Herr's "one" 74 Hanks of "Big" 75 Raised trains 76 Instrument players gifted in a Christmas song 83 Log house 84 Bullring shout 85 Some RNs work in them

86 Make ecstatic 90 Figure skater Yamaguchi 92 "Jack Sprat could -- fat" 96 Aquarium bed material 97 Fabled snow beast 98 Virginia and Georgia were part of them 103 Pried (around) 105 Meal crumb 106 Raw metal 107 Title for Judi Dench 108 Hearst bimonthly with beauty and dating tips 114 Former U.K. record co.

115 Fake 116 Muhammad of the ring 117 Feudal lord 122 Be averse to 124 What the starts of the longest answers in this puzzle are?

129 One making modifications 130 Helper 131 Homer with nobody on 132 Straightens up 133 Red-ink entry 134 Upper layers of fertile earth DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Shakespeare play ending T. -- Price Disney sci-fi film of 1982 Not worth debating Not qualified Feeling blue Cruel Amin People painting, e.g.

Shoes and boots Arabic for "son of" Lay turf on Romero of "Batman"

13 Grows fond of 14 Drew forth 15 Wife, to Juan 16 Back muscle, for short 17 "One Day at --" (sitcom) 18 Supply- -- (certain economist) 19 Camille Saint- -24 Alluring West 29 Eve's partner 32 60 minutes 33 Solar beam 34 Witty Bombeck 35 Don Juan's mother 36 Seance state 37 "In case that's true ..."

38 Place for grist 39 Rah-rah 40 Surrenders 45 Heredity unit 46 University sports org.

47 Actress Laura 49 Casa brick 50 Drive away 51 The "P" of AP 55 Hearth refuse 57 Score speed 58 Escargot 60 Moving 61 Doesn't go on 64 Moving truck 65 Grand opening?

66 Inspired stuff 67 Electees, e.g.

68 "Eww, no more!," in a text message 69 Mark Twain's Thatcher 70 Writer -- Boothe Luce 71 Red-ink entry 77 Brand for sore eyes 78 Doc using an otoscope 79 Look intently 80 Menial worker

81 Detective Wolfe 82 Thyroid, e.g.

87 Sports shoe brand 88 Overbrim 89 Otherwise 91 "Someone's already claimed that seat" 93 Proton holder 94 Prefix with byte 95 Tennis, volleyball and badminton 96 Narrow valley 99 Dogs closely following their owners 100 15th of the month, maybe 101 Most snug 102 "... -- quit!" (threat ender) 104 Blazing 108 Roomy auto 109 Novelist Zola 110 Lookout view 111 Kathmandu's nation 112 Heady drink 113 "Tickle Me" dolls 118 -- facto 119 K thru 12 120 Earth science subj.

121 Guesses on costs: Abbr.

123 Allow to 125 Grande opening?

126 Age-verifying docs.

127 Failing tic-tac-toe row 128 Lofty peak

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

PUPPIES, FEISTS (BARGERSTOCK), %251 1.& UHJistered. Love people, (especially children), H[HUFLVH FKDVLQJ varmints, and are reQRZQ KXQWLQJ WUHHLQJ GRJV 9DULRXV FRORUV ZLWK ZKLWH PDUNLQJV $500.00. (248) 6402313

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STORAGE SHEDS WHY RENT WHEN YOU CAN OWN FOR LESS?

828.633.0043

Since

1997

From $150/mo.

2011 Smokey Park Hwy. Candler, NC 28715 1 mile east of exit 37 I-40 on left at stop light

All Buildings (Sheds) ARE NOT the Same Compare Before You Buy An Educated Buyer Is Our Best Customer w w w.WarrensShe dsAndCar por ts.com

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

38

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Yard Sales MOVING SALE 3 CHAD CIRCLE 6\OYD 6DW -XO WK IURP $0 30 +RXVHKROG LWHPV &ROOHFWDEOHV /LQHQV IXUQLWXUH VSDGHV UDNHV VKRYHOV ZKHHOEDUURZ ¶ H[WHQVLRQ ODGGHU KDQG WRROV VROLG ZRRG VWRUDJH XQLWV ´[ ´ ZLWK DGMXVWDEOH VKHOYHV GLVDVVHPEOHG IRU WUDQVSRUW KDQG WRROV PRUH 5DLQ RU VKLQH GRFVRFZNU# \DKRR FRP ST. MARY’S CHURCH YARD SALE )UL -XO WK IURP $0 30 6DW -XO WK IURP $0 30 +XJH ,QGRRU 2XWGRRU <DUG 6DOH DW 6W 0DU\¶V &DWKROLF &KXUFK %DUWOHWW 6WUHHW 6\OYD 1& 5DLQ RU 6KLQH

July 27-August 2, 2022

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39

40

Smoky Mountain News July 27-August 2, 2022