Smoky Mountain News | July 28, 2021

July 28-August 3, 2021 Vol. 23 Iss. 09 Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

School boards now responsible for mask mandate Page 4 Smokies to explore paid parking at Laurel Falls Page 30

Bringing Tobacco

www.smokymountainnews.com

Cigar wrappers could be new mountain crop Available at all Ingles Pharmacy Locations.

Get Protected for Yourself, Your Family, & Your Community. Vaccinating All Patients 18+.

Call or Stop By Your Local Ingles Pharmacy. To Register Online,

Visit www.Ingles-Markets.com

CONTENTS On the Cover: The days of farmers growing Burley tobacco in Western North Carolina are a distant memory. However, a new tobacco variety used specifically for cigar wrappers could bring the crop back to the region if a test plot in Haywood County proves successful and lucrative. (Page 6)

News Local school boards now responsible for mask mandate ......................................4 COVID cases continue to rise ........................................................................................5 Swain to support Medicaid expansion ......................................................................10 Bryson City Olympian misses kayaking finals ..........................................................12 Candidate visits show senate race is heating up ..................................................13 Macon approves emergency funds for KIDS Place ..............................................14 Cherokee museum hires new director ......................................................................16 Business News ..................................................................................................................19

Opinion What Covid taught us about infrastructure ..............................................................20 Our epic RV adventure ....................................................................................................21

A&E Sylva restaurant combines Italian, Appalachian cuisine ........................................22 Worlds apart: a look at two very different books......................................................29

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

Smokies to explore paid parking, shuttle service at Laurel Falls ........................30

2

STAFF EDITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN & WEBSITE: DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING SALES:

CLASSIFIEDS: NEWS EDITOR: WRITING:

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

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

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 Copyright 2021 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ Advertising copyright 2021 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person.

Additional copies may be purchased for $1, payable at the Smoky Mountain News office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of The Smoky Mountain News, take more than one copy of each issue.

SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIPTION:

1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

Carver's

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT since 1952

C Passion! atering is Our

We Accept Reservations & Offer Online Ordering

DINE-IN ~~~ TAKE OUT ~~~~~ ORDER ONLINE

We Can Cater Everything from an Intimate Get-Together to a Large, Formal Gathering & Everything In-Between!

828-452-7837 294 N. Haywood Street

Waynesville

Burgers • Wraps • Sandwiches 32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

—————————————————

• Dine-In • Patio Dining • Take-Out with Online Ordering on Weekdays

—————————————————

CityLightsCafe.com 3 E. JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

watamisushinoodles.com · 828.246.6888 33 S. Main St. #101 · Waynesville Serving

Daily Specials: Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

WE OFFER TAKEOUT!

Open Saturday & Sunday 2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

the

t Treats Purr fec u! for yo

serving size : ab out 50 p ag es

MON-SAT 8-3, SUN 9-3

New Party Room Available ~ ~ ~ ~ Book Us for Your Next Event ~ ~

TEMPORARY HOURS: WED.- MON. 4-9 P.M.

Nutrition Facts

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

Gluten Free Options Available

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, & more

Am ount per Serving Calories 0 % Daily Value * Tot al Fat 0g

0%

Reg ional New s

100%

Op inion

100%

Outd oors

100%

Art s

100%

Entert ainm ent

100%

Classified s

100%

* Percent Weekly values b ased on Hayw ood, Jackson, M acon, Sw ain and Buncom b e d iet s.

TOM’S

AT THE

STRAND

D

We Have APPLES!

Guaranteed Fresh

ICE CREAM • GELATO

NEW ORLEANS STYLE SNOWBALLS

LOCAL • NO GMOs Apples • • Corn • Eggs • Amish Butter Tomatoes • • Cucumbers • Onions • Squash • Zucchini • Potatoes

828-476-5002

320 Riverbend • Waynesville

WAYNESVILLE

FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

FRESH WAFFLE CONES

38 North Main Street

828.400.6579

Just below Ingles in Hazelwood Open Mon. Sat. 10:30 a.m.

-

July 28-August 3, 2021

Specializing in Regional Cuisine

FRESH SEAFOOD & MEATS AVAILABLE! Lobster Rolls New England Clam Chowder

142 MILLER STREET · WAYNESVILLE DINE IN, TAKE-OUT & CURBSIDE 11-6 · MON-SAT · 828-476-5020

Temporary Hours

TUES. 11:30-4 • WED & THUR 4-9 FRI & SAT 11:30-9 • SUN & MON CLOSED Dine-In or Carryout Follow Us on Facebook

39 Miller St., Downtown Waynesville

828.456.5559

Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza.

DINE-IN SPECIAL! $2 OFF any large pizza (not combined with any other offers; dine-in only)

Smoky Mountain News

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

172 Sylva Plaza | Sylva

828-477-4931 MONDAY-SATURDAY 11 a.m.-9 p.m. SUNDAY Noon-8 p.m.

3

news

Local school boards now responsible for mask mandate

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER orth Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced new health guidelines for North Carolina public schools on Wednesday. School districts should require masks indoors for all students and staff in grades K-8. In grades 9-12, students and staff who have not been vaccinated should also be required to wear masks indoors.

The new guidelines however, place responsibility in the hands of local school boards to issue and enforce local mask mandates in schools.

With the start to the 2021-22 school year just weeks away, North Carolina Health and Human Services have updated the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit, which provides guidelines for North Carolina Public Schools to operate safely during the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to the latest guidance from CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Because vaccinations are not yet available for students under the age of 12, North Carolina HHS recommends that all schools with grades K-8 require masks indoors for students and staff.

“Masks can save lives, and particularly in children who cannot get a vaccination yet

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

N

4

because they are under 12 years old,” said Cooper. “So it’s important for these school districts to take this step to protect children.

And we want to keep our children in person in school and these protocols can be put in place to help be able to keep children in school.”

According to N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen, only 24 percent of North Carolinians age 12-17 are vaccinated. Therefore the state is recommending that in schools with grades 9-12, all students, staff and visitors who are unvaccinated should be required to wear masks.

“School leaders should continue to consult with local public health officials for input to make local decisions,” said Cohen.

Cohen also noted that while these are baseline guidelines, there may be instances where schools need to implement a universal mask mandate. For instance, institutions where it will be too difficult to ascertain who is vaccinated and who is not.

Guidance on quarantine requirements has also been updated in the new version of the Public Health Toolkit. According to Cohen, anyone who is fully vaccinated, and has no symptoms of COVID-19, does not need to quarantine after having close contact with an infected person. The same is true for

people who have not been vaccinated, as long as the subjects were appropriately and consistently distanced and wearing masks.

Social distancing requirements have been reduced to 3 feet of social distance whenever possible. Testing is being provided free to schools for students and staff with symptoms, as well as for general screening.

“Local school districts should continue to protect students and staff by requiring masks and testing as outlined in the guidance,” said Cooper. “The most important work our state

“The most important work our state will do next month is getting all of our children back into classrooms safely for in-person learning.”

— Gov. Roy Cooper

will do next month is getting all of our children back into classrooms safely for in-person learning. That’s the best way for them to learn, and we want their school days to be as close to normal as possible, especially after the year of disruption they just had.”

Throughout the press conference where these updates were announced, both Cooper and Cohen made it clear that vaccines are the best way to protect against COVID-19. As of Wednesday, 60 percent of North Carolinians over 18 had had at least one dose of a COVID19 vaccine.

“We all need to work together to keep our younger children in the classroom and safe,

Macon Schools plan to start year without masks HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER fter North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced new health guidelines for North Carolina Public Schools, giving local school boards the power to issue and enforce mask mandates, Macon County School board met to discuss the issue.

The Superintendent and public health officials will continue to monitor the situation but based on current COVID-19 transmission rates in Macon County, they plan to start the school year without a mask mandate.

North Carolina Health and Human Services have updated the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit, which provides guidelines for North Carolina Public Schools to operate safely during the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to the latest guidance from CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Because vaccinations are not yet available for students under the age of 12, North Carolina HHS recommends that all schools with grades K-8 require masks indoors for students and staff.

“Masks can save lives, and particularly

A

in children who cannot get a vaccination yet because they are under 12 years old,” said Cooper. “So it’s important for these school districts to take this step to protect children. And we want to keep our children in person in school and these protocols can be put in place to help be able to keep children in school.”

According to N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen, only 24 percent of North Carolinians age 12-17 are vaccinated. Therefore, the state is recommending that in schools with grades 9-12, all students, staff and visitors who are unvaccinated should be required to wear masks.

“School leaders should continue to consult with local public health officials for input to make local decisions,” said Cohen.

However, the new guidelines place responsibility with local school boards to decide what, if any, mask mandates should be in place for schools in their district.

At the Macon County School Board meeting Thursday, July 22, five parents spoke in public comment to express the view that Macon County Schools should not require masks for students during the 2021-22 school year.

The first woman to speak said, “I believe it is in the best interest of the psychological development of our children to get rid of these masks.” She argued that children were scared and that by wearing masks at school they were in greater danger of human trafficking because teachers and staff were not as easily able to identify a child while they are wearing a mask.

Another woman asked that masks be optional for children. She said that children have been involved in sports, summer camp and church opportunities without masks and that they shouldn’t be required to wear them when they head back to school. She also argued that children do not keep their masks clean or well-cared for and they are therefore ineffective. The woman’s husband spoke next, echoing concerns about masks and asking that children not be required to wear them.

“I honor and respect that some people feel like they want to wear a mask, that’s fine. But the other side of that is, the respect has to go both ways,” said another man, imploring the board to make masks optional.

Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin said

one way is to get vaccinated,” said Cooper.

In June, the Haywood County School board publicly opposed the mask mandate in place at the time for North Carolina Public Schools, after first attempting to do away with the requirement for students and staff of Haywood County Public Schools. The board was swayed from their attempt by Board Attorney Pat Smathers, who warned that the move would not be legal. Haywood County School Board held a special called meeting on July 27 to discuss the new guidelines, among other issues.

Jackson County School Board also discussed the new guidelines at a school board meeting on July 27. Swain County Schools will discuss the issue at a special called school board meeting at 6 p.m. July 29.

Macon County School Board met and discussed the new guidelines on July 22.

Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin said that he had discussed the issue with Macon County Public Health Director Kathy McGaha, and that based on the current level of COVID-19 transmission in Macon County, she does not recommend starting the school year off requiring face coverings.

“She and I will continue to monitor the COVID transmission rate in our community, and will also discuss parameters and thresholds regarding what level of transmission within the community, what level of transmission within the schools might lead us to have a temporary face covering requirement at some time,” said Baldwin.

Baldwin said that while he and McGaha would continue to monitor the situation, they were hopeful Macon County Schools would begin the school year without a face covering mandate. The board will discuss the matter further at their Aug. 16 meeting.

that because face coverings would be a local option, according to the new guidance from the state level that will take effect July 30, he has been in regular conversation with Macon County Public Health Director Kathy McGaha about the best course of action moving forward.

“Based on the current level of COVID-19 transmission in our community, she does not recommend starting the school year off requiring face coverings,” said Baldwin.

Baldwin noted that this recommendation is based on current transmission rates, and there are several weeks before school starts.

Baldwin and McGaha will continue to monitor the situation in order to make the safest decision for Macon County Schools.

“She and I will continue to monitor the COVID transmission rate in our community, and will also discuss parameters and thresholds regarding what level of transmission within the community, what level of transmission within the schools might lead us to have a temporary face covering requirement at some time,” said Baldwin.

Baldwin said that while he and McGaha would continue to monitor the situation, they were hopeful Macon County Schools would begin the school year without a facecovering mandate. The board will discuss the matter further at their Aug. 16 meeting.

l

y

Haywood moves back g into ‘orange zone’

A

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about how your local police department functions, then the free Waynesville Police Department’s Civilian Police Academy is for you. Classes are held for eight straight Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Waynesville Police Department beginning August 19, and include lectures from patrol officers, detectives, a K-9 handler and Chief David Adams. Participants can also

schedule a ride-along with an officer. The program is open to Haywood County residents (including part-time residents) age 18 and older. This year, those aged 16 and 17 can also take part if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Since 2011, the WPD CPA has graduated more than 100 people, some of whom go on to become CPA volunteers and help out with Main Street events, festivals and other volunteer opportunities. Applications are available at the WPD office, 9 South Main Street. Questions? Contact Mary Ford, civvol@waynesvillenc.gov.

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Join us for a "Taste of Local" Where: Ingles in Arden - 352 Airport Rd. Thursday, Aug 5th • 3-6pm Who: meet some of our local farmers and food entrepreneurs...

• Annie's Breads • Asheville Pretzel • Biltmore Wines • Biscuit Head • City Bakery • Destination Sauces • Dynamite Roasting • Firewalker Hot Sauce • Highland Brewing • Mimi's Mountain Mixes • New Belgium Brewery • Pete's Granola • Pisgah Roasters • PotPie • Salsa Brava • Sunburst Trout • Sunshine Sammies • Sweeten Creek Brewery • Unicoi Preserves • Vinnie's Sauces • Woogie's Mustards & MORE!

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

Smoky Mountain News

Civilian police academy seeks applicants

HaywoodBuilders.com 100 Charles St. WAYNESVILLE

July 28-August 3, 2021

STAFF R EPORTS fter months of decline, North Carolina is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 spread among those who are unvaccinated.

On July 22, 1,998 cases were reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and 817 people are hospitalized with 132 admitted in the past 24 y hours. There have been 9,053 cases reported l over the past seven days compared to 5,441 cases in the preceding seven days — a 66% l increase — and hospitalizations doubled since July 9 and are at the highest rate they have been since the May 11.

“Unvaccinated North Carolinians are unnecessarily getting sick, being hospitalized and dying,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen. “Don’t wait to vaccinate.

And if you haven’t gotten your shot, you need to wear a mask indoors at all times when you are in public spaces.”

The state’s other key metrics are also increasing, including the number of people going to the emergency department with COVID-like symptoms and the percent of tests that are positive — which has been over 6% for the past week.

In addition, this week’s updated County Alert System has one red county with critical viral spread and 12 orange counties with substantial spread, up from one two weeks ago. Richmond County is red, and Cherokee, Chowan, Cleveland, Cumberland, Graham, Hoke, Lee, Onslow, Pitt, Rutherford and Sampson Counties are orange.

On July 22, Haywood County issued a press release stating that Haywood had moved into the orange zone, indicating significant community spread, well above the levels seen over the past two months.

“As cases in our community rise, we want to encourage you to practice preventative measures that have proven to be effective.

Wash your hands often, try to maintain a safe distance when in group settings, and

wear your mask when you cannot be socially distant,” said Haywood County Public Health Director Sarah Henderson. “If you haven’t been vaccinated or have been on the fence, now is the time. Vaccination protects you and those around you by decreasing transmission and serious illness.”

In the last week, Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 62 new cases of COVID-19. As of 5 p.m. on July 26, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded a total of 4,619 cases in Haywood County since the pandemic began.

People who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to reach out to friends or family that meet the close contact criteria and encourage them to self-quarantine and get tested five to six days after their exposure to the individual who tested positive.

The health department advised that businesses should be mindful that having quarantined employees return to work too quickly could cause a cluster of cases in the workplace. Employees who have been exposed should quarantine for the recommended time frame of 14 days from the date of exposure to help reduce potential spread.

More than 94% of recent North Carolina cases are in people who were not fully vaccinated. People who are unvaccinated are at risk for infection by the more contagious and potentially more dangerous Delta variant. Patients who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk for severe illness should talk to their health care provider to see if monoclonal antibody therapy is an option for them.

To date, 60% of North Carolina adults have received at least one dose and 57% are fully vaccinated. To find a vaccine in your area, use the Find a Vaccine Location tool at myspot.nc.gov or call 888.675.4567. You can also text your zip code to 438829 to find vaccine locations near you.

Vaccination clinic hours are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours at the Haywood County Health Department. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines available now, no appointment is necessary.

FREE

ESTIMATES

news

y f

COVID-19 cases continue to rise

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

5

news

No smoke without buyers Research explores cigar wrapper tobacco as cash crop for mountain farmers

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n a perfectly sunny and gloriously cool July morning, Tucker Worley starts up the John Deere golf cart and takes off down the gravel road.

Air infused with the fresh scents of wildflowers, cut grass and morning dew — and, admittedly, of cow manure — whips past as Worley drives past plots of crops and a barn full of cattle before laying on the brakes where the tobacco grows — 2 acres of green, broad-leaved plants laid out in a grid pattern on the red dirt.

Green mountains rise up from the horizon. Surrounded by the 400 acres of agricultural experiments at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Resources Mountain Research Station office, it’s impossible to tell that Waynesville’s town limits begin just to the east.

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

O

6

Research specialist Tucker Worley cares for an acre of cigar wrapper tobacco plants at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville. Holly Kays photo

The crop before him is both familiar and foreign to Worley’s heritage. While it’s all tobacco, just half of it is the familiar Burley variety, and those Burley plants exist only to fund the research underway on the remaining acre.

That acre is also planted with tobacco, but with varieties optimized for the outsides of cigars, not the insides of cigarettes. It’s part of a research project led by Matthew Vann, an N.C. State University crop and soil sciences assistant professor who hopes to see the farms that once made their money growing Burley someday make a profit growing cigar wrappers.

“We have yet to find a really good replacement for Burley in our traditional Burley area of the state,” said Matthew Vann. “The question was posed: Could we possibly grow cigar wrapper tobacco in those areas?”

The question came from Chad Moody, agriculture research manager at the research station. Moody told Vann he thought cigar wrapper tobacco could be a good fit for smaller farmers that once grew Burley. Vann ran with the idea, and he’s running fast — because the institutional knowledge carried

A tobacco plant blooms in the test plot field.

Holly Kays photo

by Western North Carolina’s aging corps of former tobacco farmers will be a key asset in the effort.

“We look around and we see opportunity where some of these growers that traditionally grew tobacco, they still have the infrastructure,” he said. “They still have tobacco production knowledge.”

THE END OF BURLEY Worley was just 8 or 9 years old when his family farm quit growing tobacco.

“They had close to 40 acres the last couple years of Burley tobacco, which is quite a bit for Burley tobacco production,” he recalled.

“We had greenhouses where we started

plants, and we sold transplants, and that’s probably what I remember the most is playing in the greenhouses as a kid, helping carry trays and stuff like that.”

But as the 21st century approached, the world changed for tobacco farmers. Demand had been declining for years as awareness spread about the negative effects of cigarette use, and in 1998 the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement marked a sea change, with four major tobacco companies agreeing to pay $206 billion over 25 years as well as perpetual payments to states, compensation for the Medicaid costs those states had incurred in treating tobacco-related illnesses.

Then, in 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, which did away with the Depression-era quota system that had long kept prices high for farmers. Prices crashed, and many small farmers — like the Worleys — got out of the tobacco business (see HAYWOOD, pg 7). These days, the 300 acres in Leicester first farmed by Worley’s greatgrandfather produces corn silage, cattle, honeybees and a few vegetable crops.

Now 24, Worley farms the land with his grandfather and his parents. They make enough money to keep the property tax paid off, but not enough to make a living. Worley has a day job. After becoming the first in his family to graduate college, he started work as a horticulture research specialist at the research station.

He hopes that his work on the research farm in Waynesville will mean that one day,

S EE TOBACCO, PAGE 8

Cory Vaillancourt photo.

d

d

g

d y

Tobacco’s Haywood County heyday

S

B

passed Roosevelt’s Agricultural Adjustment Act, which had the goal of restoring the purchasing power of the American farmer to prewar (1909-1914) levels.

The Act, and subsequent amendments to it, accomplished that in the case of tobacco production through a combination of price supports and production quotas.

“We had grown ‘backer all of our lives because out here in the country, you know, there were no factories or anything around. A ‘backer crop was the only income people here could depend on.”

— Clarine Best

When the Act was signed, tobacco went for 13 cents a pound, on average. A decade later, it had increased by 250 percent to 40 cents, and continued to climb. That made Burley more worthwhile for Western North Carolina farmers like the Bests to grow, but it was a grueling, dirty, year-round ordeal.

“You’d start preparing the seed bed in December,” said Ben. “A lot of people would burn them.”

Burning would help keep weeds down as the tobacco, which would be planted in

Smoky Mountain News

en Best was born into the Great Depression and has lived most of his life with his wife, Clarine, up that winding mountain road in Crabtree.

“Well, Ben’s 92 and we had grown ‘backer all of our lives because out here in the coun-

try, you know, there were no factories or anything around,” Clarine said. “A ‘backer crop was the only income people here could depend on. Beans didn’t bring as much as ‘backer did. And we didn’t know back then that there was any harm in smoking.

Everybody smoked, chewed or dipped snuff.”

A few years after Ben was born, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into office just as the United States entered the depths of the Depression. Prices for basic agricultural commodities like cotton, tobacco and wheat had dropped dramatically, so farmers compensated by producing more to make up for the loss in revenue. That led to huge surpluses, further drops in price and utter impoverishment for millions of Americans, especially farmers.

Ben’s father, born in 1899, also grew tobacco — the flue cured variety, used mainly for cigar wrappers.

“You could build a barn and close the barn up, hang your ‘backer in there, then build you a fire and that heated it,” said Ben. “That’s what they called flue cured. Him and some of the other fellers said you’d grow a whole crop a’ ‘backer and have to take it to Tennessee to sell it.”

Often, the sale price wouldn’t cover the cost of producing and transporting the crop.

“That’s why flue cured never caught on here in the mountains,” Clarine said. “But then that Burley that we’d grow, that grew well here.”

Air cured Burley tobacco is primarily used in cigarettes and benefitted tremendously when Congress, in May of 1933,

July 28-August 3, 2021

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR lowly meandering through Haywood County’s tranquil farmlands, the winding two-lane mountain road rises and falls as behind each bend it reveals rustic panoramas dotted with far-off homesteads.

A torrential summer thunderstorm paused here before moving on, leaving behind pockets of mist playing below distant peaks, the sweet steamy smell of wet grass in the fields so strong it almost becomes a taste. Foals lazily graze, backdropped by disused barns engaged in sort of a slow-motion collapse.

This is the heart of tobacco country. Or at least, it was.

The cultivation of tobacco — here, pronounced ‘backer — was central to the existence of this rural section for generations, until market subsidies went the way of ashtrays on airplanes.

Each day, the legacy of Haywood County’s tobacco industry fades further and further, like wisps of smoke ascending, dissipating, in the thick July air.

Those who remember it, like Ben and Clarine Best, remember it well, and by now have lived long enough to see subsequent generations start to make memories of their own.

February, would grow. Canvas was placed over the rows to ward off killing freezes, and then removed about the last of April or first of May. All summer long, it was a seemingly endless cycle of weeding and trimming; in midseason, the top bloom was cut off, to force more of the plant’s energy into the leaves.

Small shoots, called suckers, would quickly emerge and have to be pruned for the same reason.

“It was the stickiest job you could go through,” said Clarine. “You’d have ‘backer gum all over you.”

Then, there were the pests. Black shank.

Blue mold. Aphids.

“When the ‘backer got about this high,” Ben said, raising his arm to his chest, “you’d get these hornworms.”

A tobacco hornworm ends its life as a Carolina sphinx moth, but it begins as a larva that feeds on the leaves of plants in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, like tobacco.

The larvae grow into plump, vivid green worms, with white diagonal slashes and black dots on their backs. They can reach 3 inches in length.

“If you saw holes in the leaf, you’d look until you found all of ‘em, and then put ‘em on the ground and stomp on ‘em,” said Clarine. “It was a mess. It was so terribly labor intensive.”

Starting in late August, the cutting and spiking would begin. First, using a long-handled knife shaped like a tomahawk, the stalks would be cut near the bottom, and then speared with a metal-tipped wooden stick.

Five or six stalks would fit on each spike.

Sometimes the spikes would be left in the field to let the leaves wilt, but eventually they ended up hanging in a barn for up to two months, or more.

“When your tobacco had hung in the barn until it had cured, then you found a foggy morning or a rainy day, so it would be pliable and not break when you touched it,” Clarine said. “That’s when we’d grade it.”

As the plants grew, they would produce leaves from bottom to top, all with different properties and qualities.

“Down the stalk of ‘backer there, you had five different grades,” said Ben. “You had lugs on the bottom, which was ragged. Then the next up was smokers, which they used for cigarettes. That section of the stalk would have a good leaf on it for cigar wrappin’, but not all tobacco would have it. ‘Wrappers,’ they called it. And then you had a bright red, and then a dark red, and they got darker as you went up.”

With the leaves all separated out, they’d then be put on the back of a truck bound for Asheville, some 30 miles distant. It was a mad rush.

Farmers from across the region all crowded into the market at the same time, eager to present their wares to buyers from Big Tobacco, who would browse the offerings and buy what they wanted, sometimes for cash on the spot.

“When you went to the market, they had the baskets packed in long rows, as far as you can see,” Clarine said. “My daddy took

news

Ben Best (left) sits on the porch with y wife Clarine, who’s holding a spike of the sort used for tobacco harvesting.

S EE HAYWOOD, PAGE 9 7

news

TOBACCO, CONTINUED FROM 6 his work in the family farm in Leicester might translate into a real living — just as it did in the days of Burley tobacco.

CIGAR DEMAND ON THE RISE

for a lot of small farmers in the Southern U.S.,” Vann said.

Because of their high per-pound price, cigar wrappers have the potential to change that, but it’s not a certainty — they’re a difficult, labor-intensive crop to grow.

To grace the exterior of a cigar, the leaf has to be perfect. No holes, no tears, no insect damage. Cigar wrapper leaves are thin, rather than thick and leathery like Burley leaves.

And they can’t be small either — cigar wrappers must be at least 9 inches wide.

“It’s not, strip the leaves off after curing and put it in a hydraulic press and make a big bale of tobacco,” Vann said. “You almost are packing the leaf up almost like a Christmas present.”

On top of that, growers need an aggressive pesticide application program to ensure that insects and disease don’t take out the crop. Most cigar wrapper varieties are open-

picked today isn’t smoked until years later, because fine cigars require aged tobacco.

“It’s very, very difficult for companies to adjust to sharp swings and market conditions,” Savona said.

All that taken together leads Vann to believe that, even once his research is complete and farmers have easy access to best practices for cultivation, cigar wrappers will be a small-acreage crop.

“We don’t anticipate we’ll have growers planting two and 300 acres of this stuff,” he said. “It will probably be in the single-digit acres, especially early on. The inputs are so high right now, particularly on the labor side.

We think this goes really well with a lot of the small farms we have in Western North Carolina.”

A few farmers are already trying it out.

Vann estimates that 25-30 farms — mostly in the eastern portion of the mountain region

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

Unlike cigarettes, cigars are seeing rising demand, said David Savona, who since 2015 has been the executive editor of Cigar Afficionado magazine. More people began smoking during the pandemic, and firstquarter imports for 2021 up were up 47%, putting the year off to a “pretty fast start.”

While the domestic cigar manufacturing industry is extremely limited, he said, the domestic market for cigar tobacco is significantly larger, mostly clustered in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. He thinks there could be room for North Carolina growers to enter it.

Top-grade cigar wrappers fetch triple the price per pound that To be used as cigar wrappers, Burley tobacco does, making the tobacco leaves must be thin crop an eye-catching possibility for and large, without farmers who have for years been imperfections. Holly Kays photo struggling with stagnant crop prices amid ever-heightening input prices.

But it’s not the first time a crop’s been touted as “the next Burley.” A few years ago, everyone was talking about hops. Then it was hemp.

Neither prophecy has proven true.

But Vann believes this crop will be different. For one thing, it’s tobacco. The process might be different for this particular product, but it’s still tobacco, and mountain farmers know how to grow it.

For another, the value and demand for a particular tobacco crop is tied up in its taste and flavor, which is largely determined by the unique geology and climate of the place where it’s grown.

“You’ve really got to look at certain areas for this tobacco to be produced,” he said. “I would probably say that hemp grown for CBD oil in Eastern North Carolina or Western North Carolina is probably the same as hemp grown for CBD oil in the state of Illinois. That “We look around and we see opportunity where some of would be my agronomic guess. But you take these growers that traditionally grew tobacco, they still tobacco to these different regions, and it will all have a different taste profile.” have the infrastructure. They still have tobacco production WNC’s history with Burley tobacco knowledge.” means that it’s already proven itself a region where good-tasting tobacco grows well.

— Chad Moody, agriculture research manager at the N.C. Department “We’ve got a real chance to do something of Agriculture and Consumer Resources Mountain Research Station great for the North Carolina agricultural community,” Vann said. pollinated and have little natural disease and in the piedmont area along the Virginia border — are growing small plots of wrapper resistance, said Worley.

ERFECTION REQUIRED “It’s a pretty intense input system,” said tobacco.

Like Worley, Vann comes from a tobacco Vann.

Cigar wrappers are planted at a slightly farming family. And at 34, he is very much on HE END GAME the younger side of a profession whose aver- lower density per acre, and they’re not The question is whether the cost of inputs age age in the U.S. as of 2017 was 57.5. The allowed to stalk as high, so as to encourage reasons behind the ever-increasing average the plants to put more energy into making — the labor, the pesticides — balances out to age of American farmer are many and com- each leaf large and lovely. They also have a make cigar wrappers a crop worth growing. plex — but the profession’s high financial shorter growing season, with harvest coming That’s what Vann’s trying to determine.

He’s been researching the crop since 2019, risk and limited financial reward is certainly a 70 days after planting instead of the 90 or 100 needed for Burley. when the first plots went in at the test farms significant part of the equation.

In addition, there’s an inherent difficulty in Waynesville and Laurel Springs. It was a “Nothing has walked through our front 8 door that put on the table what tobacco did in predicting the market. Tobacco that’s “real learning curve,” said Vann, a sentiment

P

T

with which Worley agrees.

“The quality was kind of low across the board, but then we were able to learn from that and expand on each, and last year we actually had close to 30% of the wrapper grade, which is the highest grade you can get,” Worley said.

The test farm sells its produce as a means of helping to fund the research that happens there. The remaining 70% of the crop still sold, but at a lower price under a lower grade.

Still, altogether the crop averaged about $4 per pound, which is double what you’d get for burley tobacco.

Now, the test farm is continuing to experiment, trying out different varieties, fertilization rates and handling methods. The goal is to learn those lessons on the research farm so farmers new to the crop don’t have to figure everything out on their own dime.

“We’re kind of coming into this thing with a very broad vision of trying to find things that we can plug into our system, that our growers can do and do successfully on the farm,” Vann said.

Out on the farm in Waynesville, Worley spends his days monitoring rows of cigar wrapper tobacco planted in blocks of plants 30 feet long and four rows wide. Each block represents a different fertilizer regimen. The goal is to find out how many pounds per acre of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen the farmer must apply to get wrappergrade plants without damaging the plants and surrounding environment — not to mention the bottom line — with unnecessary chemicals.

“Our end game is to develop agronomic recommendations like fertilizer recommendations that are financially sustainable and also environmentally sustainable,” said Vann. “We want pesticide application programs that are safe for consumers and safe for the environment.”

That end game is spurred along by a $60,000 grant that Vann’s research team landed from the NCDACS’s New and Emerging Crops Program. In addition to continuing the research in Waynesville and Laurel Springs, this year Vann launched test plots in Oxford and Clayton, both located in the Raleigh area. He expects to continue the research for another two to three years.

It’s exciting from a scientific standpoint, but for the researchers, it’s more than just academic — it’s personal.

“It would mean a whole lot to bring something back in the mountains that could sustain the local family farms again, and make them profitable,” said Worley. “There’s a lot of housing developments going in because when people aren’t willing to farm and it’s sometimes not profitable to farm, that deters a lot of young people, I think, not go in farming and not to keep the land.”

With the right crop, he hopes, that might change.

Staff writer Cory Vaillancourt contributed to this report.

HAYWOOD, CONTINUED FROM 7

Photos from the Bests’ farm (left) hang in the Valley Cigar & Wine Co. Owned by Travis Bramlett, the Valley Cigar & Wine Co. is keeping tobacco’s Haywood County heyday alive. Cory Vaillancourt photos Clarine. “And back then, people just did not go in debt. So he got a job at Champion [paper mill, in nearby Canton] and we grew tobacco on his days off and in the evenings.”

Ben started off at $1.25 an hour at the mill, and Clarine remembers his weekly paychecks in the $40 to $60 range, which works out to a yearly take-home of about $3,000.

Around that time, Ben’s dad took their crop to market because Ben was working the afternoon shift at the mill. Ben’s dad returned home with a check for $1,800.

Clarine signed it, and took it right down to Clyde Savings and Loan to put on their mortgage.

“Ben came home that night,” Clarine remembers, “and he said, ‘Well, where’s the check?’ and I said, ‘Well here’s the stub, I’ve already taken and turned it in at the savings and loan.’ He said, ‘I declare, a man works as hard as I have all year and he don’t even get to see his check!’”

The bank wasn’t as enthusiastic about the rapid progress the Bests were making on their loan, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it.

“We paid the loan off with our tobacco in five years, and we’ve never owed any more money ever since,” she said.

F

currently smokers, down from a high of 43 percent in 1965. Last year, U.S. domestic tobacco production was less than half of what it was in 2004.

While some tobacco farmers let their land go to cattle grazing, others sought substitute crops like sorghum, sugar cane or tomatoes to fill the void. Some are even producing hemp for the state’s burgeoning CBD market.

A recent boom in cigar consumption, however, is forcing farmers to rethink that; a new research project at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville is even exploring the possibility of again growing tobacco suitable for wrappers (see TOBACCO, p.6).

The days of the small-scale Western North Carolina family ‘backer farmer may be over, at least for now, but they’re by no means forgotten.

Haywood County businessman Travis Bramlett, who’s married to Ben and Clarine’s granddaughter, Maggie, is keeping the legacy alive inside his Valley Cigar and Wine Co., located on Soco Road.

Bramlett’s lined the walls with large, colorful reproductions of old photographs from the Bests’ farm, and their children working on it. Spindles on the wooden stairway leading to the upstairs wine bar and BurtReynolds-themed bathroom are made from those same spikes used by Ben and Clarine to clear the fields.

The store offers a walk-in humidor and wide variety of fine cigars as well as a selection of beer and wines, all of which can be enjoyed out on the front porch, not far from that winding two-lane mountain road that leads not only to Ben and Clarine Best’s farm, but also back to a different era — tobacco’s Haywood County heyday.

“They’re the last of the family that’s still left that was doing that kind of farming.

Those tobacco barns are falling down,” Bramlett said. “It kind of ended with them, and no one else is doing it now. They were the greatest generation, and I don’t want anyone to forget them.”

9

Smoky Mountain News

or decades, life pretty much went on in the same seasonal way up that winding road, until the federal policies that gave stability to the tobacco industry and millions of rural farmers like Ben and Clarine Best went up in smoke.

Once the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached in November 1998, it became apparent that America’s relationship with tobacco — dating to colonial times — was about to change.

That year, four major tobacco companies reached a settlement with 46 attorneys general suing for Medicaid costs incurred treating tobacco-related illnesses. The result was $206 billion over 25 years and perpetual payments to states that spawned organizations like North Carolina’s Golden Leaf Foundation.

Health advocacy groups then set to work changing the political landscape of the product, just as cigarette manufacturers looked to cheaper offshore tobaccos sourced in far-off places like Malawi and Brazil.

The price supports remained in place through the first few years of the 21st century until President George W. Bush signed the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004, which also abolished the quota system.

Prices immediately crashed, from $1.99 a pound to $1.64 in 2005. Many small-scale family farmers like the Bests got out of tobacco production at that point, and as domestic cigarette consumption simultaneously plummeted, they stayed out.

“Without those supports, you might grow a whole crop of ‘backer, take it to market, and not get anything for it,” Ben said, echoing his father’s experience in Tennessee a century earlier.

As outlined in a 2005 Congressional Research Service report, more than 12.6 billion pounds of tobacco were produced globally in 2004 — the last year U.S. crops had price support — with China alone accounting for about 4.4 billion pounds.

Brazil and India both produced well over a billion pounds, with the United States weighing in at 788 million pounds, 94 percent of which was for cigarettes.

In total, approximately 57,000 U.S. farms utilized 408,000 acres for tobacco production — an area almost 20 percent larger than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The estimated value of the 2004 domestic crop was $1.7 billion — about $4,100 an acre, or $1.99 a pound.

Kentucky and North Carolina produced a full two-thirds of all domestic tobaccos, with Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia accounting for another 25 percent. In North Carolina, tobacco accounted for a staggering 7.9 percent of all farm commodities.

Today, per capita cigarette consumption is less than 1,100 and only 13.7 percent of Americans over the age of 18 are

July 28-August 3, 2021

me and my brother when we were small to the market one time. People would take their children and set them up on a basket of ‘backer hoping that the buyer would see that the man had children.”

The lugs, at the bottom, went for the lowest price. The smokers, the next level up, garnered the highest price — except for wrappers. Above that, the leaves declined in price, but thanks to the price supports in the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the entire endeavor became somewhat lucrative.

Price supports, however, weren’t solely responsible for the economic sustainability of tobacco production. The Act also introduced restrictions on supply.

“When they first started, you could grow all you wanted at one time,” Ben said. “But after a while, you got an allotment.”

Here, allotments were doled out in 1-acre increments which could be traded or sold to others to form larger tracts.

“And that’s all you could grow,” he said.

“When they set that acre, they had to stop.”

That doesn’t mean some people didn’t try tucking a few more rows up in one of the area’s many hidden hollers, where moonshine stills (and later, marijuana) could sometimes be found.

For a time as a teenager, Ben’s job was to police the allotments to ensure nobody was growing more than they were supposed to grow. Through it all, he said no one ever attempted to bribe him or threaten him into looking the other way.

“You’d have to go to every farm and measure how much acreage he had. And a lot of them would overseed it, they’d get maybe another tenth of an acre. I’d draw a map with measurements on it and I’d go turn it in and they would come out and make the man cut it down,” he said. “I’d say, ‘Now I can turn it in like this, or I’ll just sit here and watch you pull your plants up.’”

According to a 1959 N.C. Department of Agriculture publication, Haywood County ranked third in the state — behind Madison and Buncombe counties, respectively — in Burley tobacco acreage under cultivation, with more than 1,100.

That supply was largely powered by domestic demand for cigarettes that peaked in the mid-1960s at more than 4,100 cigarettes a year for every man, woman and child in the country.

Since then, it’s dropped in each decade, largely due to the increased availability of reliable health information about the dangers of smoking as well as prohibitions on smoking in places where it used to be acceptable — classrooms, elevators, hospitals, restaurants, even television.

Ben and Clarine agreed that even with the help of their boys, growing tobacco was a lot of work and one acre of tobacco was about all one family could handle, anyway — a testament to the small-scale nature of tobacco farming in Western North Carolina.

“When we built our house here in 1957, we had $3,000 saved and in order to complete the house, we had to borrow $10,000, which scared us to death because it looked like a million in this day in time,” said

news

Swain to support Medicaid expansion Cherokee Hospital wants to expand services to non-natives

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR wain County Board of Commissioners plans to pass a resolution showing the county’s support for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina following a presentation from Casey Cooper, CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital.

“In North Carolina, there are 600,000 people who would be eligible for coverage with expansion and Swain is among the highest number of uninsured working adults,” he said.

“Western North Carolina suffers disproportionally. Swain is ninth in the state for highest uninsured working adults. It’s a little startling.

Most people are one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy to be quite honest.”

Cooper told commissioners during a July 8 meeting that closing the Medicaid gap is one of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ No. 1 priorities right now and showing state lawmakers that Western North Carolina counties also support it would be critical as the General Assembly works toward a budget.

In his presentation, Cooper said 23 percent of working adults in Swain County are uninsured and that an estimated 1,100 residents would gain access to coverage with Medicaid expansion, according to data from the Cone Health Foundation.

Expansion would mean new jobs in Swain as well as an estimated $3.9 million in new business spending because of the ripple effect from more health care spending. In Cherokee, another 1,000 people would become eligible for Medicaid and would create another $7 million in revenue for the tribe’s health care system.

“The tribe is already funding this $7 million worth of services, but this care just isn’t being provided elsewhere or the hospitals are absorbing it as unfunded care,” Cooper said.

In his conversations with Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva and Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City, Cooper said closing the health insurance gap would represent $5 million a year in increased revenue for the Swain and Harris health care system.

Cooper also tried to clear up many of the

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

S

10

rumors he’s heard from those who are changing it again would literally take an act of opposed to expanding Medicaid. He said one Congress to amend the act, which is unlikely of the biggest misperceptions is that people to garner enough support from both the who receive Medicaid are unemployed and Senate and the House.

The Cherokee Hospital Authority operunwilling to work.

“About 63 percent of uninsured are work- ates with 800 employees and $100 million in ing adults — these are working poor folks,” gross revenue a year. The authority has seen he told commissioners. “And women repre- substantial growth to the tribe’s health care sent the largest portion of uninsured adults system since taking over management from in business sectors. A lot of times these are the federal government in 2012, Cooper said.

Since the Qualla Boundary is located partsingle moms with a couple of kids that are on Medicaid but they themselves are going with- ly in Jackson and Swain counties, Cooper said out coverage.”

Right now, Cooper said even Cherokee Hospital Authority leadership recently asked health care plans through the Swain County commissioners to support a resolution to Affordable Care Act’s marketexpand Medicaid in North Carolina. Donated Photo place are out of reach for many people. He said if a person makes more than $7,000 a year, they don’t qualify for the ACA subsidies, which makes the ACA marketplace plans unaffordable.

When ACA first passed, the federal government incentivized states to expand Medicaid by promising to pay 100 percent of the state’s cost for the first three years and 90 percent of costs after that. Still, North Carolina and other states chose not to expand because it only makes since for the hospital authority they didn’t trust the federal government to to be able to provide health services for nonnatives in the community as well. Expansion keep that promise in perpetuity.

“At the end of year three, expansion would would make that possible.

“We want to make services available to cost North Carolina $5 billion a year but because of ACA the cost will be matched by non-natives, especially for behavioral health the feds at 90 percent, the state’s match is and substance use, but the challenge is feder$500 million a year,” Cooper said. “People say al regulations requires us to only do that if the that’s still too much but it’s not a bad return service can’t be reasonably available elsefor the match and the hospitals and insur- where in the area,” he said. “The second criteance companies have agreed to fund 90 per- ria is we have to charge the minimum of cost cent of the state match through assessments and finally we have to demonstrate that it so now it’s only $100 million — that’s a $350 doesn’t result in a decline in services for natives. We feel comfortable we can meet million return on investment.”

Cooper added that the latest stimulus those criteria if more people in the communipackage added more incentives for states to ty had health coverage.”

Being able to access the resources on the expand Medicaid, which means North Carolina is eligible to receive an additional boundary would help surrounding county $1.7 billion in the two years following expan- agencies save money and time, especially when it comes to finding a behavioral health sion.

“The feds want us to expand because they bed for someone suffering from a mental health or substance abuse emergency. know closing the gap works,” he said.

Swain County Commission Chairman The question that always gets asked is, “What if the feds change their minds on Ben Bushyhead said law enforcement officers matching?” To that, Cooper told the board are required to sit with someone who has that the matching incentives are written into been involuntarily committed in the emeran amendment of the Social Security Act and gency room until a behavioral health bed can

Vaya Health awarded health plan by N.C. DHHS The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services selected Vaya Health to operate a health care plan for North Carolina residents with mental health needs, substance use disorders or an intellectual or developmental disability.

The Vaya Health Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plan is expected to launch July 1, 2022. As part of the statewide shift to Medicaid managed care, Vaya will serve Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured or underinsured residents of

more than 22 N.C. counties who have significant behavioral health needs, as well as people who receive services through or are on waitlists for the N.C. Innovations and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waivers. Under the new plan, Vaya will also manage members’ physical health care, pharmacy services and long-term services and supports.

Based in Asheville, Vaya currently serves 22 counties in Western North Carolina. Vaya announced on June 1 plans to consolidate with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions, a peer organization serving parts of central North Carolina, and will manage the Tailored Plan in additional counties currently aligned with Cardinal

be found for the patient. Sometimes it can take days for a bed to open up and often that bed can be on the other side of the state. The lack of behavioral health beds in the state has cost local law enforcement agencies a lot of money in recent years.

“That’s been a huge expense for us,” he said.

Commissioner Kenneth Parton asked Cooper if he was worried an expansion of Medicaid would not cause a flooding of people into the Cherokee healthcare system.

“No. We have quite a bit of capacity because we built to future forecast. Also because we anticipated that to have sober healthy communities we knew we’d need extra capacity,” Cooper said. “If there’s paying demand, we could provide more services.”

Swain County Commissioner Kevin King said he wanted to brag on the Cherokee Hospital Authority for how they’ve administered health services for the past several years. What the tribe has done has set an example for the state’s roll out of Medicaid Transformation.

“Cherokee hospital has taken managed care to the next level. What they’ve already done with their members is what the state is trying to do now,” King said. “Cherokee has case managers that walk with a person through the entire process and plugs them into any service they need. The state is basically copying what’s already taken place on the boundary.”

Cooper said he’s hopeful that expansion could happen in North Carolina this year.

While it’s in Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget, expansion isn’t included in the House budget and doesn’t look like it will be in the Senate’s budget either. However, he said he’s heard that when both chambers bring their budgets to conference there will possibly be a negotiation on expansion.

“That’s the rumor so it’s paramount to send a message to the House and the Senate that it’s OK to expand,” Cooper said.

The commissioners voted to draft a resolution to support Medicaid expansion and would present it for approval at the next meeting. The vote passed 4 to 1 with Commissioner Parton opposed.

Innovations upon plan launch.

Under North Carolina’s transition to Medicaid managed care, most Medicaid beneficiaries have already transitioned to one of five Standard Plans or the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Option, which launched July 1, 2021. The state’s Tailored Plans will cover the same services as NC Medicaid Standard Plans and offer additional specialized mental health, substance use, I/DD and TBI services.

At this time, Vaya members will see no changes in the services they receive. Members seeking more information can call 800.849.6127.

news July 28-August 3, 2021

Smoky Mountain News

11

news

Searching for gold Bryson City Olympian misses kayaking finals, aims for canoe medal

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ryson City Olympian Evy Leibfarth, 17, came up short in her quest for an Olympic kayaking medal but will have another shot at the podium in Tokyo when she races in the first-ever Olympic women’s canoe slalom.

Leibfarth easily qualified for the semifinals, which included the top 24 athletes, when she finished 15th in the heats. She came in 20th in the first heat with a time of 125.85 seconds that included two penalty seconds, but she shot up to 14th in the second heat, also accruing two penalty seconds in that race for a total time of 111.7 seconds.

Under Olympic rules, each competitor runs both heats, with the faster time used for qualification purposes. In the semi-finals, each competitor does one run. The top 10 semi-finalists then move on to the final, with

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

B

making waves for years now. In 2019, when she was still 15, she won two medals during a pair of World Cup events held in Europe and ranked in the top 10 in three additional events. Those accomplishments made her the first U.S. woman to medal at any world paddling event since Rebecca Giddens won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics, the youngest athlete of any gender or nationality to win a Canoe Slalom World Cup medal and the first female paddler of any nationality to medal in a World Cup event at age 15, ever.

Also in 2019, Leibfarth became the first woman to win two individual classes at the U.S. Team Trials. When she did it again this May, she tied up her own record. She is the only American competing in the Leibfarth navigates the slalom course during an Olympic heat run. ICF Photography photo Olympic kayak and canoe slalom races.

Born in Sylva and residing in Bryson Germany winning gold with a time of 105.5 medalists determined by the results of that City, Leibfarth cut her teeth on the cool seconds. Spanish athlete Maialen Chourraut single final round. mountain waters of the Nantahala River. She took silver.

The kayak semifinal was held at 1 a.m.

Leibfarth’s chance for a medal is far from learned to paddle as a 4-year-old and entered Eastern Standard Time Tuesday, July 27. her first slalom race at the tender age of 7. over. Heats for the first-ever Olympic This time around, Leibfarth avoided any Leibfarth comes by her passion honestly — women’s canoe slalom competition were penalty seconds, but it cost her in overall her father is a former U.S. national team held after press time at 11:50 p.m. EST time. She finished in 112.73 seconds, 0.97 Tuesday, July 27, and 2 a.m. Wednesday, July coach; her mother is a former raft guide and seconds slower than the 10th-place qualifier kayak instructor.

28. The semi-final will be 1 a.m. Thursday, and 6.88 seconds behind first-place paddler Find Olympic schedules and results at July 29, and the final at 2:55 a.m. July 29.

Jessica Fox of Australia. Fox ultimately took Though she’s only 17, Leibfarth has been results.nbcolympics.com/results. bronze in the final, with Ricarda Funk of

ays og D D Dog Days ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGAGEMENT

Are You An Entrepreneur? Have You Started a Business?

Do You Want to Network with Other Business Owners?

The Haywood Chamber is hosting an entrepreneur engagement event on August 11th from 5-7PM at Boojum Brewing Company.

Join us and meet fellow entrepreneurs and business owners and discuss strategies for business growth in Haywood County.

12

Registration for this event is required and no fees are associated.

of

nd Find a y b e Com reed!

B s g o D Your

Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ith the U.S. Senate under razorthin Democratic control and a rare open seat in North Carolina, candidates on both sides of the aisle are already gearing up for what will likely be a brutal primary season. Although much of the action thus far has been on the Republican

W

54th county on his 100-county tour.

“By the time we hit September, we will have volunteer organizers in every single county in the state, more than a year before the election,” he said.

As of press time, Jackson was one of possibly nine Democrats vying for the party’s nomination in next spring’s Primary Election, although the race to

Democrat Jeff Jackson is looking to move up from the state Senate to the U.S. Senate. Cory Vaillancourt photo

— Jeff Jackson

F I N D

U S

A T :

replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr could come down to just Jackson and Cheri Beasley.

Beasley served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court until losing her 2020 re-election bid to Paul Newby by just 401 votes, out of more than 5.2 million ballots cast. She made stops in Haywood County during that campaign, and recently appeared in Asheville.

If anything, Beasley’s narrow defeat shows the willingness of voters across what Karl Rove called a “purple, purple state” to put a Democrat in Washington; last fall, Tillis won re-election by less than 2 points over Democrat Cal Cunningham, who suffered greatly from a sexting scandal that broke not long before Election Day.

F A C E B O O K . C O M / S M N E W S

Smoky Mountain News

side, Democrats are ramping up their efforts — even in deep-red Western North Carolina.

“We’re making it a true 100 county campaign with open town halls in every single county where anybody can come ask any question,” said Jeff Jackson, Mecklenburg’s senator in the General Assembly. “It’s helping us build an agenda that’s actually going to reflect our state, and it’s also helping us organize in every single county.”

Jackson spoke to a group of about 50 people July 25 in Waynesville, his second campaign appearance in a county that went 59 percent for incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis back in November. It was Jackson’s first event of the day, but the

July 28-August 3, 2021

“You can win a statewide campaign focusing on just a handful of counties, but I think it’s the wrong thing to do.”

Given that candidates like Jackson and Beasley could probably reach more Democratic voters on one block in Mecklenburg County than they could in a full day of events in the west, their presence here, early, suggests the campaign will be hard-fought both in the Primary Election and the General Election.

“You can win a statewide campaign focusing on just a handful of counties, but I think it’s the wrong thing to do,” Jackson said. “I think that what we’re trying to do is use this campaign not just as a gigantic marketing effort, but as actual preparation for the job. If you just want to be a good U.S. senator, rather than just win an election by one or two votes, this is the approach you would take. You’d start with some humility, that you don’t know what’s going on in Haywood, and you better show up and ask.”

Republicans currently look to field as many as 10 candidates in their Primary Election, but as with the Democrats, there is definitely a top tier populated by former Gov. Pat McCrory, former Congressman Mark Walker and current Congressman Ted Budd.

Former President Donald Trump recently weighed in on the race, telling delegates at the NCGOP state convention back in June that he was giving his “complete and total” endorsement to Budd.

“I think the Trump endorsement is probably going to cinch it for him,” Jackson said.

But Trump’s endorsement wasn’t without its intrigues. His daughter-in-law Lara, a North Carolina native, was expected to jump into the race but announced just prior to Trump’s endorsement that she was saying “no for now,” on account of her two young children.

“I’m glad that Lara Trump didn’t run because it would have nationalized the entire campaign,” Jackson said. “What we’re trying to do is localize this campaign and keep it about North Carolina. So the question is going to be, how successful are we going to be able to be in localizing this campaign given that we know the Republican nominee is going to be trying to make it about national outrage politics every day. It’s gonna be my job and the mission of the campaign to keep this thing about North Carolina — rural hospitals, broadband, things like that.”

If the race ends up being between Jackson and Budd, as Jackson thinks, he also thinks he offers voters a clear choice.

“It will be a stark contrast,” Jackson said. “I think he’s going to be trying to make people mad and I’m going to be speaking to people’s daily lives and their families in a practical and honest way.”

news

Candidate visits show senate race is heating up

13

news

Macon approves emergency funds for KIDS Place Nonprofit sees a 67 percent cut in funds

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR acon County commissioners recently approved $55,000 worth of emergency funds to KIDS Place Child Advocacy Center to ensure the nonprofit can continue to offer services to children who’ve experienced trauma.

Executive Director Alisha Ashe came before the board at the July 13 meeting to ask for some assistance to make up for funding cuts being made at the national level. While Ashe said she was told last fall to expect cuts up to 35 percent from the Victims of Crime Act funding, she learned a few weeks ago that the actual cut in funding for KIDS Place would be 67 percent for the coming year.

“In our 30-year history, we’ve never come before this board to make this kind of request. I didn’t anticipate that we would need to,” she told commissioners.

In addition to the cut from the Victims of Crime Act, which is a national pot of money collected from white collar crimes to distribute to those impacted by crimes, Ashe said grants have been harder to come by in recent years.

“We’re working with national partners to get that fixed and they’ll be voting on that

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

M

14

issue soon. There’s widespread support in Washington. It’s not a quick fix though — the trickle down to KIDS Place will be three to four years,” Ashe said.

A competitive grant KIDS Place has received for the last two years to provide additional mental health services and expand medical services that are hard to access in a rural community was also discontinued. Without the grant, KIDS Place wouldn’t have the state-of-the-art equipment it has and more children would have to be sent all the way to Asheville for evaluation.

“The competitive grant was for $171,000 over two years and it was cut,” she said.

“What it meant for us is that our base funding went from $315,000 to $109,000.”

Ashe said she’s been working to cut their budget to “bare bones” and still needs $105,000 to meet that bare bones budget.

She said she was confident the organization could raise $35,000 in the community by reaching out to its loyal donor base.

“But it’s hard because everyone is hurting,” she said. “We’re asking the county to give us $75,000 to help us continue to provide services for these children without cutting our services.”

For the most part, KIDS Place operates fairly quietly, and that is by design, Ashe said, but the organization does provide valuable services for the county.

When a law enforcement officer

F

Highlands Police Officer Tim Broughton, (from left) KIDS Place Executive Director Alisa Ashe, and Franklin Fireman Greg pictures at Safety Day in Downtown Franklin. Donated photo

Webster board race still short a candidate

people eligible to run. Currently, there are 271 registered voters living within Webster’s town limits.

After a weeklong extension of the filing deadline, nobody has signed up to run for the Town of Webster seat currently held by Commissioner Allan Grant, meaning that race will be left up to write-in candidates.

Three seats on the board are up for election this year, as is the mayor’s seat. The incumbents for three of those four seats will seek reelection, but Grant will not, and no other candidate put their name forward on the ballot.

It’s not unusual for small communities like Webster to have difficulty finding candidates to fill their board seats due to the tiny number of

Get prepared for back to school A Back to School Resource Fair will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, at First United Methodist Church parking lot, 566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville.

Drive through the resource fair to pick up free informational packets for community resources, produce and perishables from MANNA Food Bank and backpacks full of school supplies (while supplies last).

Following a two-week trial, a Graham County jury on Friday returned a guilty verdict in 45 minutes against Casey Haney, 39, for repeated sexual assaults of a child, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Haney was found guilty of statutory rape and two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The abuse spanned a number of years. During that time, Haney has lived at various addresses in Graham, Swain and Jackson counties and on Qualla Boundary. His most recent listed address was in Robbinsville.

Haney had threatened to kill family members and the family dog if the child told anyone about the abuse. On Feb. 16, 2018, the child did tell several fellow students about the abuse. Those students told their parents and a school counselor, who reported the information to law enforcement.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward sentenced Haney to serve a minimum prison term of 22 years and seven months up to a maximum term of 31 years and four months.

Coward issued a lifetime no-contact order for the victim and family. Haney must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

• • • • •

Tires Brakes Alignment Road Service Tractor Tires

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance

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

Your health h means every ything.

And you ur heart is at at the center of it all. Chest discomffort, shortness of breat ath or an n irregular heartbeaat could be signs of a heart problem p and should be evalu uat ated by a phy hysician. Don’t mak m e yyoour health wait. T Taake ou o r fr free heart health assessm ment today ay.

How w Healthy Is Yo Your Heart?

Take our free heart health assessment now at

MyHaywoodRegional.com/heart c 6Q ƂPF C JGCNVJ ECTG RTQXKFGT T ECNN

800.424.DOCS (3627)

Smoky Mountain News

Haney convicted of sexual assault

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

July 28-August 3, 2021

a motion to approve $55,000 from the county’s fund balance for a one-time emergency use for KIDS Place.

Commissioner Gary Shields, who serves on the KIDS Place Board of Directors, seconded the motion.

“If we didn’t have KIDS Place, imagine what it would cost us — $75,000 is a drop in the bucket,” Shields said.

Commissioner Josh Young pointed out that the town of Franklin did away with its community funding pool a couple of years ago, suggesting Macon County should do the same.

“We’re asking every nonprofit to come beg us for that money set aside each year,” he said.

On a personal level, Young said he’d be willing to help fundraise for KIDS Place as an individual and through his business, but he couldn’t support taking funds from the county’s fund balance.

Commission Chairman Jim Tate said he had been “riding the fence” on the issue the last few days because he doesn’t want to set a precedent. However, after talking to his wife about the issue — who is a teacher and a preschool leader at church — he said he decided providing the emergency funding was the right thing to do.

“I have to vote my conscience on this issue,” he said.

The motion to approve $55,000 for KIDS Place passed 3 to 2 with Young and Higdon in opposition.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.kidsplacecac.org.

news

answers a call that involves a child in trauma, they know they can call KIDS Place to schedule a forensic interview for the child.

The organization spends $5,000 to train each interviewer on staff to provide that service in the community. Without that service, the county would have to contract it out and pay $1,200 for each forensic interview.

“In six months, we’ve done 43 interviews at the request of DSS and law enforcement and 21 medical exams, which would cost $2,000 a piece if they went somewhere else.

Therapy can cost $120 an hour,” she said.

“From January through June, numbers have doubled — that’s a 30 percent increase in child sex abuse cases.”

Commissioner Paul Higdon said he appreciated what KIDS Place does, but as he has said before when other nonprofits have come before the board for funds, “We need a better protocol for this type of funding.” The county still offers a community funding pool — a pot of $75,000 that is available annually for nonprofit services through an application process.

Higdon has been consistent in his stance that nonprofits should apply for that funding and that commissioners shouldn’t be voting on individual requests from organizations outside of that funding process.

“Do we skip this year’s community funding pool to give KIDS Place the money?”

Higdon said. “I’m elected to manage taxpayers’ dollars and it’s a tough call for me.”

“If we do that, then the other nonprofits suffer. This is an emergency situation,” said Commissioner Ronnie Beale, before making

15

news

Full circle Cherokee’s new museum director seeks to bring tribe’s story to the present

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hroughout her 20-year museum career, Shana Bushyhead Condill had wondered what it might be like to work on the Qualla Boundary, at The Museum of the Cherokee Indian. But when she first saw the Cherokee One Feather ad calling for applicants to the director’s position, she hesitated.

Condill, 44, had an administrative position at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and for the past couple years she’d been working under the leadership of Kaywin Feldmen, who came on as director in 2019. Before Feldman’s arrival, the gallery didn’t display any works by Native American artists, but by the time Condill left, it housed 24.

“The narrative was changing, and it was exciting to be a part of that,” she said.

When faced with the possibility of a move to Cherokee, she had to “really do some thinking about where I could be most effective.”

In reality, said Condill, there was never any real doubt that she’d apply for the director’s job — or that, if offered it, she’d say no.

Now, she’s in her third month leading the institution. Condill succeeds former director Bo Taylor, who left nearly two years ago.

Dawn Arneach, now the museum’s facilities coordinator, filled the director’s position in the interim.

“I couldn’t be any luckier,” she said. “I feel really honored to be here.”

July 28-August 3, 2021

T

MUSEUMS, A MEDIUM FOR CONNECTION

Smoky Mountain News

Though Condill’s parents Ben and Gwen Bushyhead now live in Bryson City, she was born in Montana and “moved around a bit,” during her childhood, eventually choosing Illinois Wesleyan University for her undergraduate degree and then the University of Delaware for her master’s work.

But despite living most of her life in places far from the strong Cherokee community that exists in the Great Smoky Mountains, Condill said that culture was always core to her identity.

“It’s not really about learning more about my culture,” she said. “It’s who I am.”

She learned, though, that in the culture at large most people have little to no understanding of who Native people are today or of how they live. She went to museums with her parents “all the time” as a child, and while she loved them, she also saw that where Native people are concerned, museums were often full of stereotypes and caricatures — generic brown mannequins positioned in 16 1950s-style dioramas, all the interpretation

written in the past tense. But she didn’t realize that her career could contribute to changing that dynamic until college, when she took a history class that prompted her to pursue museum work as a career.

“My undergraduate thesis is about correcting stereotypes and museums as a medium to correcting stereotypes in Native American representation,” she said. “I think it’s a way to get at some of these issues that might be hard to discuss. I think museums are a great way to reach people.”

“Museums traditionally have been about Native people, not by Native people, so taking over that story is super important.”

— Shana Bushyhead Condill

That’s because people who choose to walk through a museum door are by and large looking to learn, she said. Museums create a unique opportunity for connection, and Condill’s eyes light up when she speaks about their power.

“In every museum that’s what each mission is talking about that connection to humanity,” she said. “How do you hit that?

Is it through art? Is it through culture? What is it? Because we all share that thread. Every person on the planet. That’s the goal, to identify it.”

In D.C., she felt like she was making that connection — which is why she found it so hard to leave. Washington is a crossroads for many, including for Native American people. It’s where you go to plead your case, to network, to meet with Congress — whether that be the U.S. Congress or the Congress of American Indians. There was a lot of action.

Things were happening.

BY NATIVE PEOPLE, ABOUT NATIVE PEOPLE But leading Cherokee’s museum offers new challenges, new opportunities, and a feeling of coming full circle. Condill’s first-ever museum job was here, in Cherokee, where she was a summer intern. That was 1998, the same year that the museum installed the permanent exhibit that’s still in place.

“Museums traditionally have been about Native people, not by Native people,” she said, “so taking over that story is super important.”

Shana Bushyhead Condill, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian’s new director, stands before a painting by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians member Joshua Adams displayed in the museum’s contemporary art exhibit. Holly Kays photo Condill is proud of the opportunity that she had to bring a Native American voice to leadership at the National Institute of Art, and of what she was able to accomplish in that role, but it was also exhausting — not to mention impossible — to be in many cases the sole person in the room to give a Native perspective on the issue at hand. She spent a lot of time “laying the table,” giving her listeners a crash course on historical linchpins like the Removal, before she could speak to the meat of the issue. Coming back home, to a place where everybody in the room has that baseline understanding of Cherokee history and culture is a “crazy relief,” she said.

“Now we sit down in a meeting and we’re like, ‘Bam, what’s the issue?’ What are we talking about right now?’” she said.

Condill and her staff of 25 are talking about quite a bit right now, as it turns out.

For one thing, there’s the museum itself. The permanent exhibit is nearly a quarter-century old, and while it was an innovative display back in 1998, said Condill, “I think we can

all agree that 24 years is kind of a good lifespan for an exhibition.” That’s true from an interpretive perspective, but also from a practical one. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find replacement parts for 1990s-era technology.

BRIDGING PAST AND PRESENT The question, then, is what should come next.

Though the museum team is still forming the answer, Condill thinks that at least part of it lies in showing visitors who the Cherokee people are now — not just who they were 300 years ago.

“One of the things that we battle against all the time is being stuck in history,” she said. “One of the things I’ve been thinking a lot about is the representation of Native people in museums and what that looks like.

What’s the image that you see?”

Typically, it’s something along the lines of 1800s-era people on horseback. All American communities have changed the

news

10% off

The museum currently hosts a contemporary art exhibit showcasing a diversity of work from Cherokee artists. Holly Kays photo

“We’re using our language. We’re using the things that we’ve learned from our parents and grandparents. But it’s not really reflected, I don’t think, as well as it could be in our story, what that looks like today.”

all boutique items for the month of August

EXPIRES AUGUST 31, 2021 Offering artisan jewelry, books, local made oils and soaps, fair trade linen clothing, & organic herbal products.

828.944.0288 | MaggieValleyWellness.com 461 MOODY FARM ROAD, MAGGIE VALLEY

— Shana Bushyhead Condill

Curves to Cure What Ails You

Smoky Mountain News

second goal, and Condill said she’s working with Education Director Dakota Brown to build opportunities for youth to engage with museum resources.

Condill says that she’s “a huge fan of what-if,” of big ideas for how to do things differently and, most importantly, to connect the Cherokee story to the larger story of humanity.”

“When I write something down, I always ask myself at the end of it, ‘So what?’ she said. “Is that going to connect with someone? What’s the goal here? If I’m just talking to hear myself talk, nobody cares. There better be a ‘so what.’”

When asked how that question applies to the museum as a whole, Condill had a ready answer.

“I think it’s going to be always that we’re here, we’re innovative, that we’re thriving,” she said. “That we’re not defined by victimhood, I think, is one of those things that’s a challenge, too, when the only thing people know about us is the Trail of Tears.”

It’s important for people to know that it happened, and the truth about how terrible it was, she said. But it’s also important for them to know that the Cherokee people are much more than the worst thing that happened to them.

“Look around,” she said. “The Cherokee people are thriving. I can’t get over it. There is so much going on right now in Indian Country as a whole that’s just fabulous.”

July 28-August 3, 2021

1800s, and Native communities are no exception. Museums should depict that reality, said Condill. She’d like to see the museum weave a stronger thread to contemporary life throughout. For instance, an exhibit discussing historical Cherokee pottery should also talk about how pottery is made today — how that process has changed, and how it’s stayed the same.

That’s why she was overjoyed to see the “phenomenal” contemporary art exhibit that was already well underway in the museum’s changing exhibition space when she arrived.

It currently holds a contemporary art display, showcasing works by Cherokee artists using mediums ranging from traditional basket-weaving materials to computer-generated graphics.

“We use our culture every day,” she said.

“That’s why preservation is so important to us as Cherokee people. We’re using it. We’re using our language. We’re using the things that we’ve learned from our parents and grandparents. But it’s not really reflected, I don’t think, as well as it could be in our story, what that looks like today.”

The museum sees about 83,000 visitors per year, and most of them fall into two categories — tribal member or out-of-town visitor. It has a dual responsibility to tell the Cherokee story in a way that resonates with people who are hearing it for the first time, and to leverage its resources to help the Cherokee people better connect to their own history. Engaging young people is key to that

SUBSCRIBE TODAY USE PROMO CODE RIDE2021 FOR 35% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICE

W W W. b l u e r i d g e m o t o r c y c l i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m

17

18

Smoky Mountain News July 28-August 3, 2021

news

Business

Smoky Mountain News

Final beam placed at new hospital With an eye on the future and supporting healthcare throughout the Western North Carolina region, the final beam was placed at the new 82,500 square foot Angel Medical Center.

Located at One Center Court, Franklin, the new 30-bed facility will be 1.5 miles from the current facility. The new hospital will have three operating rooms, one endoscopy suite, and a 17-bed Emergency Department, that will include three dedicated behavioral health beds.

This new $68 million state-of-the-art healthcare facility offers the most up-to-date clinical services and integrates the latest wireless technology available. It will provide larger rooms, better lighting and healing views, and the capacity to allow for the latest technologies to be incorporated into the hospital.

The new Angel Medical Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022.

Haywood libraries expand hours Beginning Monday, Aug. 2, the Fines Creek and Maggie Valley branches of the Haywood County Public Library will be open an additional day each week.

• Waynesville will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday and Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

• Canton will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

• Fines Creek will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday and Wednesday.

• Maggie Valley will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday.

Access the library’s website at www.haywoodlibrary.org and like the Haywood County Public Library on Facebook for the latest updates regarding hours and services.

Record home sales The Asheville region’s housing market shows no sign of slowing down as summer sales marked yet another month of gains, with 1,296 homes sold across the 13-county area of the western North Carolina mountains, representing a 24.4 percent year-over-year increase over sales in June 2020.

This was a record number of transactions ever for any June, according to data from Canopy MLS. Sales compared to the previous month (May 2021) increased 12.6 percent, while year-to-date figures show sales at midyear pacing 35.9 percent ahead of sales during the first six months of 2020. These are completed transactions that include single family and condo/townhome data only.

Pending sales figures show the region still has plenty of demand, as buyers drove 1,388 properties under contract during the month, an increase of 2.4 percent year-over-year.

Inventory declined 49.8 percent year-over-year, leaving 1,922 homes for sale or 1.5 months of supply at report time.

Prices across the region continued to rise with both the median sales price ($348,000) and the average sales price ($427,218) increasing 24.3 percent and 32.1 percent year-over-year respectively.

The Asheville region includes Burke, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties.

Appointments at Haywood Urgent Care Haywood Urgent Care locations in Canton and Waynesville are now offering convenient appointments by phone. Walk-ins are still always welcome. Both locations are open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week.

To make an appointment at Urgent Care Waynesville, call 828.452.8890. Call 828.648.0282 for Urgent Care – Canton. For more information on both, visit MyHaywoodRegional.com/UrgentCare.

Cut Cocktail Lounge reopens The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador team recently held a grand re-opening ribbon cutting ceremony for The Cut Cocktail Lounge.

Located at 486 West Main Street in Sylva, The Cut offers late night bites, hand crafted cocktails, select beers, wines and non-alcoholic drinks and more. The Cut has indoor and outdoor seating available in an extremely eclectic atmosphere.

They will host live music from time to time as well.

For more information call 828.631.4795, visit them on Facebook or email thecutcocktaillounge@gmail.com.

19

at 230 Old Addington Bridge Rd., and offers full hookups as well as a fire ring and picnic table at each of the 27 sites. Cable and high-speed Wi-Fi internet are also included throughout the campground at no additional cost.

Sites can be booked by phone at 828.349.6200 or through email at info@franklinrvpark.com.

Visit www.FranklinRVPark.com.

Parlier joining Dogwood Health Trust

Support local businesses to win In partnership with 36 small local businesses, a new outreach initiative encourages Haywood County residents to shop local, eat local, promote business on social media and to use the Haywood County Public Library.

Participating businesses are located in Waynesville, Hazelwood, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Canton. Pick up a passport at any participating business, a Haywood County Public Library branch, or print out your own passport from the HCPL website to take part in this event. Passports will be stamped with a special stamp at participating local businesses or the public library.

Stamps can be collected from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30. Each individual is eligible to submit one passport for a chance to win a small business prize pack. All completed passports must be returned to any library branch by Sept. 30 to be eligible for the drawing.

Visit participating businesses and complete the tasks on your passport. Each business can only provide one stamp on your passport and there are six stamps to collect.

For more information contact Haywood County Public Library’s Community Engagement Librarian Deanna Lyles at deanna.lyles@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2509.

New ownership at Franklin campground The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed the new owners of Franklin RV Park Jesus and Victoria Valencia in partnership with Victoria’s parents, Robert and Tracey Moehling, to the Franklin business community.

Franklin RV Park and Campground is located

Dogwood Health Trust recently hired Heather Parlier as Director of Human Resources. She begins her duties on July 12.

Parlier joins Dogwood from UNC Asheville where she has served as Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Institutional Equity, and General Counsel since October 2019. While in this position, she created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program at UNC Asheville. Parlier also served UNC Asheville from 2013 to 2016 as General Counsel and as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor. In those positions, she was the chief legal officer for the institution, oversaw the work of the Office of the Chancellor, and was the lead staff member on the campus’s strategic planning process.

Parlier began her career at UNC Chapel Hill in the Office of University Advancement. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her JD from the City University of New York School of Law. “I have been interested in Dogwood Health Trust since its inception and am thrilled to join the Dogwood team” Parlier said. “And being from rural North Carolina, I see Dogwood as an organization where important changes can be made in small communities.”

Beverly-Hanks a Finalist in HGTV promo HGTV has selected a listing represented by Brent Russell of Beverly-Hanks, Realtors as a finalist in their Ultimate House Hunt 2021.

The Ultimate House Hunt is a month-long online promotion held annually on HGTV.com. The promotion showcases extraordinary homes for sale in eight categories: Amazing Kitchens, Beachfront Homes, Countryside Retreats, Curb Appeal, Downtown Dwellings, Homes with a History, Outdoor Escapes and Waterside Homes.

The Beverly-Hanks listing was selected by HGTV’s editors as a finalist in the Downtown Dwellings category. The extraordinary luxury condo is located at 75 Broadway Street #301 in Asheville.

Consumers can tour the 66 homes selected as finalists by viewing photo galleries on HGTV.com before casting a vote for their favorite properties. A winner will be chosen in each category based on the highest number of votes received, and an overall favorite will be awarded for the listing receiving the most votes. Each winning home will receive editorial exposure on HGTV.com, as well as the prestige of being selected as an HGTV fan favorite.

To view all homes and cast your vote, visit hgtv.com/househunt.

20

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

What Covid taught us about infrastructure

W

Thanks for the quality journalism To the Editor: I would like to thank The Smoky Mountain News for the article “Back to the Blue” (July 14-20, 2021). It told how Haywood County Deputy Eric Batchelor was part of a team summoned to a call for help with a man apparently raving and out of his mind under the influence of fear and possibly hard drugs or alcohol. This could have been a “restrain and calm” operation with little risk and no serious injury — but the man had an assault rifle, and immediately the stakes were raised exponentially. The night ended with the subject of the call being fatally shot and Deputy Batchelor sustaining a severe bodily injury by a bullet from the assault rifle.

Did it have to be that way? This story brings an issue currently under hot debate across the nation down to earth in a small Southern Appalachian community. Is it necessary for assault rifles to be easily available to almost anyone? What are the social benefits of having military-grade weaponry in the hands of a random selection of untrained civilians? What are the dangers and drawbacks? Does owning an assault rifle prevent trouble or bring trouble? These are weighty and important questions, and I found it edifying to see how they played out in Canton.

I greatly appreciated Cory Vaillancourt’s reporting of the story. It was an example of

low-cost housing, schools, or even reverted to green space.

There are many possibilities for positive outcomes.

Living in a diffuse rural area, my daughters do not often get to see their friends outside of school as much as I did in the suburban neighborhood of my youth.

After the onset of remote learning, they faced the possibility of not interacting with friends at all. Through the conduit of simultaneous video chat and online gaming, my daughters were socializing with their friends more during the pandemic than they did before. This was likely not an anomaly as global video game revGuest Columnist enue jumped 35 percent in 2020. In addition to our work lives, our placebased social lives have also found a sustained outlet on the internet.

It is not all good news. If COVID-19 has led us to an era where remote work, remote learning, and online socialization are part of the new normal, then we sit at the precipice of a profound new dimension of social inequality where those without access to reliable broadband and related technologies will be in a situation where their opportunities for success and happiness will be undermined even further than they already were.

According to the Pew Research Center, 23 percent of all U.S. households do not have broadband internet access. As recently as 2018, only 78 percent of households owned a laptop. A U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey found that approxi-

Peter Nieckarz

e seem to be collectively breathing a sigh of relief as the COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out and we move towards a post pandemic state of “normalcy.” While we are grateful to be taking our masks off and gathering with friends and loved ones, it is likely that we will not return to the normalcy we knew before the pandemic.

In 2005, I published an article that speaks to the situation we find ourselves in today: I conducted a case study that suggested that, due to the internet, many social processes no longer require shared geographic space. Additional research also confirmed that the internet was rendering physical proximity less and less relevant. Our internet-dependent adaptations to the pandemic are reflective of this sociological phenomenon.

The technology that helped us navigate the pandemic may have a permanent impact on our lives. Many people will return to their offices after COVID-19, but it seems likely that working from home will be more common in the future. The National Bureau of Economic Research predicts that the percentage of full workdays that will occur from home will increase from 5 percent before the pandemic to 20 percent after the pandemic.

Indeed, remote work was one of the silver linings of the Pandemic. The Federal Highway Commission estimates that vehicle miles traveled dropped by 13 percent by and carbon emissions by 8 percent. Traffic congestion was down an astounding 73 percent. Major companies like Ford Motor and REI are reducing the amount of office space they maintain as they anticipate a portion of their workforce working remotely, at least part time. These vacated spaces could be repurposed as

mately 13 million — or 25 percent of households with schoolaged children — do not have regular access to the internet.

These facts may explain the three-million U.S. students who “fell off grid,” essentially dropping out of school entirely since the onset of the pandemic.

Aside from those who are missing school altogether, the digital divide impacted student learning in other ways, including the availability of technology in the home, experience with using a computer for schoolwork, and teacher experience and competence with using technology in their instruction. If the internet is involved in improving one’s quality of life and life chances, about one in four Americans are left out in the cold.

Considering these realities, the bipartisan infrastructure deal coming out of Congress becomes even more weighty than it already was. The agreement includes provisions for expanding broadband access for Americans, yet Senate Republicans are signaling they will withhold their support for it. If so, it would continue to underscore how out-of-touch many members of Congress are. Policy regarding equality of opportunity must recognize that the internet and related technologies are endemic to individuals’ life chances. Access to broadband has become an indispensable facet of a basic standard of living and should be viewed as part of the social “safety net.” In short, we must redefine what is necessary for a basic standard of living. It is time for the Senate GOP to step into the 21st century by acknowledging that reality.

(Peter Nieckarz is a Western Carolina University associate professor of sociology. pnieckarz@wcu.edu.

LETTERS journalism with integrity. He gave us the facts of the matter, clearly and thoroughly explained, and left it to his readers to give an interpretation (unlike some news outlets which give an interpretation of a story and leave it to the readership to provide the facts).

Whatever might be wrong with the news media today, the approach that Cory illustrated is the antidote. We are fortunate to have a local publication — and a skilled and community-minded staff — that holds such high standards.

I also want to thank Deputy Batchelor for his service. He said in the article, “That night when I and the rest of those officers were on the way to that call, we were just there to serve,” but I think he served his community equally well when he later spoke of the incident and the shooter without bitterness or rancor: “… I wish to God that he would have just come down and had a conversation.”

That is a brave and forgiving heart.

Daav Wheeler Asheville

Cawthorn’s hypocrisy Is maddening To the Editor: Representative Madison Cawthorn’s latest newsletter is a case study in hypocrisy and misinformation. While extolling the anniver-

sary of the Declaration of Independence, his recent actions were to overthrow the results of a free election. His comments on the so-called Critical Race Theory are nonsense.

The reality is that Cawthorn spoke to the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn a fair and free election.

He continues to promote Trump’s “Big Lie” that the results of the 2020 election were fraudulent. Along with other Republican extremists, Cawthorn is actively seeking to

destroy the very foundation of our country via the right to vote and majority rule.

The other reality is that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a course taught in law schools on the issue of how race influenced the passing and implementation of laws. It has nothing to do with what is taught in grades 1-12 in public schools. Whether students are taught the realities involving slavery or the varnished feel-good version many of us were taught has noth-

F

Our epic RV adventure

ing to do with CRT. CRT has simply become the latest “dog whistle” to distract us from the attempts of Republicans to subvert democracy. CRT is not a rejection of the Martin Luther King Jr. dream that people are judged by their character rather than the color of their skin.

Instead it is considering how race has influenced the law.

Finally, Cawthorn and Republicans started “backing the blue” in words only in response to the protests following the killing of unarmed African-Americans. They certainly weren’t “backing the blue” when the Trumplican seditionists stormed the

Capitol injuring over 150 law enforcement officers who were protecting the Congress.

It was more like “bloody the blue,” which is why Republican leaders don’t want an investigation.

Democrats believe in every eligible voter’s right to vote in honest elections where legislatures do not have the ability to overturn the will of the people. Democrats also believe in fair and equal treatment for all under the law. Cawthorn’s actions and actions of a number of Republicans are not consistent with those principles.

Myrna Campbell Waynesville

Susanna Shetley

T

@SMOKYMOUNTAINNEWS

Become A Member Today!

Contact Membership Director Caitlin Bledsoe for more info — 828-926-4831

1819 Country Club Drive Maggie Valley, NC

M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

We are open to continue providing essential services to our patients in a safe environment. Our staff is following protocol recommended by the CDC and local and state health departments.

Call Us to Make an Appointment Today.

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

Dr. William Banks

Dr. Robert DelBene

Dr. Robert Przynosch

Dr. Brian Carbonell

Dr. Dennis Dawson

Dr. Ma Davis

Smoky Mountain News

at grocery stores, markets and Walmart along the route to resupply fruit, meat and other fresh items.

Before hitting the road, our dining room table and floor were overwhelmed with food items, camping equipment, towels, cooking utensils, board games and a bunch of other stuff. We felt ready, but are you ever really ready to stay in an RV for eight days with seven people?

When Matthew pulled into our neighborhood with the RV, our mouths dropped a little. It looked huge! Everyone has found it interesting that one doesn’t need a CDL to drive such a large vehicle. Nonetheless, Matthew is confident with his driving skills and has been an excellent pilot.

Neither of us has ever lived the RV lifestyle, and we haven’t stayed in a camper since we were kids. Through Google searches, trial and error, and asking neighboring campers, we’ve learned a lot along the way.

I’ve been especially impressed with Matthew’s ability to hook up water, sewer, cable, electric etc. without ever having done it before.

I understand how and why people get addicted to this type of life, why retirees sell their unnecessarily large homes and hit the road in an RV. There’s something simplistic and freeing about a nomadic life. It also makes you consider exactly what you need to survive and relax, helps you weed out all those random possessions you don’t even use much less need.

We’ll need a debriefing session when we get home. Certain aspects of our trip have gone swimmingly and others need a little polishing before we do this again. We’ve also been making a mental list of items, tools and gadgets that would make life on the road more efficient.

But for now, we’re not worried about all that. In fact, I’m signing off to pack it up and hit the road. We’ve got one more amusement park to visit.

Ohio, here we come!

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

July 28-August 3, 2021

his week’s column comes to you from a campground picnic table in Hershey, Pennsylvania. My boyfriend and I are on a weeklong RV adventure with our cumulative seven children. In January, we decided against a yearly beach trip and instead created a plan to visit three different amusement parks via giant recreational vehicle.

Deciding on the amusement parks was the easy part.

We knew we wanted to visit Cedar Point, which is known for its history and thrillColumnist seeker roller coasters. I personally wanted to visit Hershey because I love the story of Milton Hershey. The kids were on board, so Hershey Park was added to the list. The chocolate-themed rides and attractions intrigued them. Lastly, we decided on Kings Dominion as our first stop because it has a couple new coasters and is on the way to Hershey.

Simply planning the trip was a feat unto itself. We had to reserve park tickets and campsites very early, especially with COVID restrictions in place. In fact, when we reserved everything at Cedar Point, all campsites were full at their internal campground. I checked the website every day hoping someone would cancel and a site would open. Luckily, one finally did.

Hershey has its own campground within a mile of the park and when visiting Virginia, we stayed at a KOA next to Kings Dominion.

We also developed an agenda that had us visiting the amusement parks during the week in an attempt to avoid crowds. As a bonus, we made an overnight pit stop at my sister’s house in Great Falls, Virginia.

Meal planning has also been an interesting experience. We planned out every meal so we wouldn’t get stuck with starving children in an amusement park and end up spending an arm and a leg on fried, tasteless food. The fridge in a Class A RV is impressively large, so we are able to store an abundance of provisions. We’ve stopped

smokymountainfootclinic.com MEDICARE PROVIDERS & MOST OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED

21

22

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Want to go?

A blend of Italian and Appalachian fare, Ilda is located at 462 West Main Street in Sylva.

Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m.

Sunday. For more information, click on www.ildainsylva.com or call 828.307.2036.

Antoine Maurice Hodge, (from left) Crystal Pace and Santiago Guzzetti. Pace and Guzzetti own/operate the establishment, with Hodge the bar director. (photos: Garret K. Woodward)

Cosmopolitan country Sylva restaurant combines fine Italian, Appalachian culinary delights

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR or several years, the small building at the corner of Main and Mill streets in downtown Sylva has sat dormant. Once the beloved Meatballs restaurant (from 19832000), the structure has gone through numerous reincarnations, only to once again remain silent — a space of potential and promise awaiting its next chapter.

“A few years ago, we were trying to open our own restaurant in Brooklyn,” said Santiago Guzzetti. “At that time, the three of us were working at a place in Brooklyn. Crystal [Pace] was the lead server, I was the sous chef, and Antoine [Maurice Hodge] was the bar director.

But, we couldn’t make it happen — the timing wasn’t right.”

On a recent afternoon, Guzzetti leans back into a seat in the middle of Ilda, a culinary destination at the intersection of not only Main and Mill streets, but also fine Italian fare and the freshest seasonal ingredients from Western North Carolina.

F

With a slight grin, Guzzetti retells the long, whirlwind path to the here and now, the countless steps taken by himself, his wife, Crystal, and their good friend, Antoine, that ultimately led the trio to Sylva and greater Jackson County.

Opening this spring, Ilda has become the latest culinary sensation to put down roots in a small mountain community quickly becoming a foodie hub in Southern Appalachia.

“There’s a lot of space to grow in a town like Sylva, and this area is so rich in food and culture,” Pace said. “And, for me, I’ve just wanted to be part of all of that again — I always wanted to come home.”

Born and raised in Jackson County, Pace is the daughter of famed local stained-glass artist, Bob Pace, and stepdaughter of Karen Martar, who owned and operated Meatballs. For Crystal, it’s a full circle kind of thing to inhabit the exact property she grew up in, helping her stepmom serve food and bus tables.

Originally from Argentina, Guzzetti learned how to cook and create recipes from

“There’s a lot of space to grow in a town like Sylva, and this area is so rich in food and culture. And, for me, I’ve just wanted to be part of all of that again.”

— Crystal Pace

his Sicilian grandmother. After bouncing between world-class establishments in his native country and Spain, he eventually landed in New York City, ultimately crossing paths with Pace and Hodge amid his culinary travels.

“Santiago and I came down here to visit my family in 2019 and started kicking around the idea of opening a restaurant in Sylva. After we had our son, we wanted to raise him in the mountains like I was,” Pace said. “And this building was available to renovate back into a restaurant. So, everything kind of clicked and started to fall into place after that.”

The buildout of Ilda was expected to finish by Spring 2020. But, with the pandemic and shutdown, a temporary wrench was thrown into the couple’s plans. And yet, it didn’t stop them.

Instead, while awaiting the right moment to launch Ilda, they went next door and befriend the fine folks at The Wine Bar & Cellar. Pace and Guzzetti began serving up small plates of handmade dishes, all to complement the bottles of wine being paired with the meals.

And as the shutdown of 2020 continued, Hodge, hovering up in New York City, kept seeing how busy The Wine Bar & Cellar was through Pace’s Instagram. With the entire culinary industry of The Big Apple closed until further notice, Hodge, a nationally renowned mixologist, reached out to Pace about possibly finding some work opportunities in Sylva.

“My lease was up in New York in December [2020], they were looking for help down here, and it seemed like the perfect time for me to go and do something. All of these signs made sense — I needed to be here,” Hodge smiled.

“I’m inspired by everything and I document everything. I’m always trying new mixtures and ways of approaching classic cocktails. It’s just like with certain chefs, where you go to see the beauty of the plates and experience the delicious food, but with beverages.”

With the impending dinner crowd trickling in, Pace, Guzzetti and Hodge get up from the small table and head for their respective stations at Ilda. Smiles and joyous curiosity reciprocated by both sides of the conversation. The kitchen is in full swing and the bar is buzzing — just another night of culinary magic emerging from the corner of Main and Mill.

“We want to see Sylva grow and grow. We want people to appreciate food for the artisan craft that it is, and share our passion for food with others,” Pace said. “There are so many great things happening in this community, and we hope to be part of that.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Rolling on from town to town, been so many places, still don’t know where I’m bound

ing on what it means to partake in a music festival, why it’s important and why it means so damn much to me, and on so many levels, too — whether practically or intrinsically.

Why do I keep being pulled into this magnetically-charged giant mass of humanity and sound, of backwoods camping and random human interaction, of day-long wandering and discovery?

Well, because the entire thing — the process and purpose of these gatherings — is meant to ultimately bring people and artists together, to find a higher meaning to

W

HOT PICKS The Earl Lanning & Charles Miller tribute weekend will be held on Saturday, July 31, at The Smoky Mountain Heritage Center at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

1

Grammy-winning singersongwriter Graham Sharp (of Steep Canyon Rangers) will perform on Saturday, Aug. 7, on the outdoor stage at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

2

Americana/bluegrass group Ol’ Dirty Bathtub will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

3 4 5

Dog Friendly!

CARRYING SIZES 0-4X

Fine Resale Consignment

LADIE

S

Experience Ellie's Difference

We have something wonderful for you

Roots/jam group The Get Right Band will perform at 7 p.m.

Saturday, July 31, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will Gold Rose (Americana/indie) at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 31.

828-476-5018

CALL NOW!

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY

your

Hometown Bookstore since2007

Three Pines Awaits August 24

Smoky Mountain News

northeast favorites Strangefolk and Gordon Stone Band, etc. Sneak in the contraband in hidden compartments in the minivan. Park along the tree line. Exit the van and soak in the vibrant ambiance swirling around us.

Rollercoaster sets of rock, jam and blues music. Pass the joint around. Sip the cheap beer. Laughter and high-fives in solidarity of the moment. “Can you believe we’re finally seeing Strangefolk? I mean, they’re right there in front of us,” you find yourself saying to your best friend. Shake hands with strangers who became fast friends. More laughter. More high-fives.

The sun soon disappeared behind the Green Mountains. Head over to the drum circle surrounding the bonfire. Sit down on a log together and in awe of being far from home, finally on our own — meandering down life’s path in our own time and direction desired.

Wake up in the minivan. Four adolescent bodies crammed into two front seats and two rows in the back. Emerge from the vehicle. Track down my sandals. Reach for a bottle of water in the cooler. Snack on the last of the beef jerky stash.

Pop open the folding chair and sit down with a slight sigh — flashbacks of wild-n-out moments and haphazard conversations from Friday night running through the mind. This many years later, that deep, genuine sentiment of joy, gratitude and discovery remains within the sacred realm that is the live music festival.

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

162 N. Main St., Waynesville

July 28-August 3, 2021

ith my feet dangling out of the back window of the truck, a cool morning breeze rolled through the Tacoma and woke me up. The first thing I saw was the silent pond below the vehicle, a handful of small tents situated around the Leftover Salmon performs at body of water.

FloydFest. (photo: Garret K. Woodward) It was around 7:30 a.m.

Saturday. A few hundred yards down a rambling dirt road off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Southwestern Virginia, I emerged from the truck and into another day at FloydFest.

Track down my sandals.

Reach for a bottle of water in the cooler. Snack on the last of the beef jerky stash. Pop open the folding chair our daily lives once we pack up our gear on and sit down with a slight sigh — flashbacks Sunday and head “back to reality” come of wild-n-out moments and haphazard conMonday morning. versations from Friday night running It’s that idea of happenstance situations through the mind. of new friends, new ideas, and new music.

FloydFest was the first large music festiTake what you learned while away from val that I’ve been to and covered since the home and apply to your everyday avenues of “before times,” since the entire music induspeople, places, and things. Go forth and try shutdown and its future unknown amid share the good word of songs immortal and uncertain times. Some 11,000 or so music human beings connecting on multiple levels, freaks gathering atop a mountain in the something that’s increasingly rare in this heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. current chapter of the digital revolution and Acts throughout the weekend included seemingly meaningless priorities.

Billy Strings, Goose, The Avett Brothers, My first festival was Garden of Eden in Leftover Salmon, Molly Tuttle, and so on Vermont. September 2001. I was 16 years (and on). Dozens of musicians and groups old. Just got my driver’s license a week earliconverging in a rural setting, this serene, er. The start of 11th grade was just a few wooded property of melodic possibility in an days away as my parents (for some damn era when we need the power of the universal reason) handed me the keys to their new language that is music to bring any and all minivan to pick up three of my riff raff together, once again. cronies and hit the road for unknown melodFor someone like myself who has been ic adventures. immersed in festivals since I was in high It was Ben, Sean, Shannon, and me. school — hundreds of events under my belt Three teenage dudes and our badass friend — the once-familiar landscape of a that was a girl. Come together up in our largescale live music setting felt (at least inismall Canadian Border town and combine tially) foreign in nature, more so this odd resources for the impending festival. One of sense of self and of place after being away us had some weed. Someone had beer and from the beautiful, organized chaos of it all cigarettes. I had money for gas and snacks for so long. from my part-time gig as the breakfast/lunch Throughout the weekend, I kept reflectcook at the nearby McDonalds.

Voted #1 in Haywood County

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Teenagers, but not naïve. Definitely street smart for our age, for good or ill. And yet, we still didn’t know what to expect.

Though we were all die-hard music freaks, none of us had been to a music festival before.

Four of us rolling into the Addison County Fairgrounds for performances from

MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS

428 HAZELWOOD Ave.

Waynesville • 456-6000 MON-FRI 9-5:30 | SAT 9-3

23

arts & entertainment

On the beat Graham Sharp.

Sylva welcomes Grammy winner Presented by Adamas Entertainment, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Graham Sharp (of Steep Canyon Rangers) will perform on Saturday, Aug. 7, on the outdoor stage at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

When not on the road headlining festivals and selling out theaters across the

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

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

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

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Gold Rose (Americana/indie) July 31. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. Ticket price and dinner menu to be announced.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge Park will host Arnold Hill (rock) July 30 and Shane Meade & The Sound Aug. 6. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. www.mountainlovers.com.

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

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.634.0078 or www.curraheebrew.com.

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

24 828.734.1084 or www.elevatedmountain.com.

country with the Rangers, Sharp is currently touring his debut solo album, “Truer Picture,” a blend of Americana, indie, blues and folk music.

There will also be a special late-night performance by rising psychedelic/indie-rock act Pink Beds. Based out of Asheville, the group has been making big waves in Western North Carolina and beyond since forming last year.

Opening the event will be Shane Meade & The Sound (Americana/folk) and cloud_circuit (soul/lounge).

The performance schedule is as follows: Shane Meade & The Sound (2:30 to 4 p.m.), cloud_circuit (4:45 to 6:15 p.m.), Graham Sharp (7 to 8:30 p.m.) and Pink Beds (9:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.).

The show is for all ages. Admission is $20 per person. Cash/credit cards accepted at the door. For more information, go to www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Byrds & Crows July 30 and Foxfire Boys Aug. 6. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host AcousticENVY July 30 and The Get Right Band 7 p.m. July 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

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

ALSO:

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Divas On Tap 8:30 p.m. July 31 and Christina Chandler (singer-songwriter) Aug. 1. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

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

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Brother Smith (Americana/folk) July 30 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) July 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) July 30 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Aug. 6. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

‘A TRIBUTE TO THE KING’ Known as “the world’s best” at portraying a young Elvis Presley in his prime in the 1950s and 1960s, Travis LeDoyt will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 6, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets start at $20 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.smokymountain arts.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aces Down July 30 and The Dirty French Broads July 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Grammy-winner Graham Sharp (of Steep Canyon Rangers), Pink Beds (indie/rock), cloud_circuit (lounge/soul) and Shane Meade & The Sound from 2:30 to 11 p.m. Aug. 6.

Admission is $20 per person. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” July 30 and Aug. 6, Pioneer Chicken Stand July 31 and Somebody’s Child (Americana) Aug. 7. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host The UpBeats (oldies/variety) July 31 and Frogtown (bluegrass) Aug. 7. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.

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

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held

at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with The Wobblers July 31 and High Five Aug. 7. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Travis LeDoyt (Elvis tribute) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6. Tickets start at $20 per person. www.smokymountainarts.com.

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

828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com.

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

828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

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

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Tricia Ann July 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.

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

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

828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

On the beat

arts & entertainment

Christmas in July!

Concerts on the Creek

2020

Arnold Hill.

July 28-August 3, 2021

The 11th annual season of Concerts on the Creek continues with Arnold Hill from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Held most Fridays from through Labor Day at the Bridge Park, these free, family-friendly events are organized by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva, and the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department.

Bring a chair or blanket. Donations are greatly appreciated. No coolers. No smoking. No alcohol. Well-behaved dogs only. All dogs must be on a leash.

Please observe Covid safe protocols in place by the State of North Carolina and Jackson County. The Jackson County Department of Public Health will offer free COVID-19 vaccines in partnership with the music series, featuring Johnson & Johnson’s Jansen vaccine. Open to all, 18 years and older. These will be available from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

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

Want to learn the dulcimer?

Ol’ Dirty Bathtub.

Sylva gets in the tub

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

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

Submit recipes at www.tastethemountains.com

Smoky Mountain News

Popular Jackson County Americana/bluegrass group Ol’ Dirty Bathtub will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

“We’ve always had energy when playing on someone’s porch, but on several occasions lately we have been able to replicate it live,” said ODB guitarist Jerad Davis. “And that’s what makes this fun — people dancing, rooms getting hot, creating an atmosphere that is as fun for those listening as it is for us onstage. That’s why we do it. And that fuels the passion, the creativity. It’s a double positive feedback loop.”

The show is free and open to the public.

The band’s debut album “Pack Mule” is now available for purchase. For more information, click on www.facebook.com/oldirtybathtub.

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

The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

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

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

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

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

25

On the street arts & entertainment

Heritage program in Maggie Valley

Summer at Lake J

July 28-August 3, 2021

Lake Junaluska’s Summer Activities Program, which offers free and low-cost activities that celebrate faith, recreation, arts and education, is now underway.

The program features special events such as birding tours and guided hikes as well as weekly activities including morning devotions, clogging lessons, community bonfires,

‘Wet Your Whiskers’ fundraiser The Feline Urgent Rescue (FUR) will host the “Wet Your Whiskers” fundraiser and wine tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 31, at the Wells Event Center in Waynesville.

The wine selection and appetizers are by Bosu’s and beer selections are donated by Boojum Brewing. Outside tables are available, weather permitting.

There will be many silent auction and drawing items donated by local businesses, artists and FUR supporters. Tickets are $50

yoga sessions and outdoor movies.

Activities include morning devotions, movie nights on Mondays, game nights on Tuesdays, and community bonfires on Thursdays. Evening yoga sessions on Tuesdays, morning yoga sessions on Wednesdays and clogging lessons on Fridays, all offered outdoors, are $10 per person.

For more information, visit www.lake junaluska.com/summeractivities.

per person for appetizers and unlimited tastings. Tickets are available at Bosu’s, Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery, The Dog House, and at www.furofwnc.org.

Sponsorship tickets are $150 (includes two event tickets, sponsor gift, event recognition and listed in acknowledgement advertisement). You can purchase those tickets at www.furofwnc.org.

Feline Urgent Rescue is a nonprofit, lastchance sanctuary for abandoned, abused and neglected cats located in Waynesville. All event proceeds go for the care of FUR’s felines. www.furofwnc.org or www.facebook.com/furofwnc or call 844.888.CATS.

Earl Lanning and Charles Miller.

In an effort to preserve and perpetuate the heritage arts and lore of the Great Smoky Mountains and greater Southern Appalachia, the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center has now come to fruition at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

Next up will be the Earl Lanning & Charles Miller tribute weekend on Saturday, July 31, which will include a full day of activities and presentations in honor of the beloved artists.

All events will take place in the “Back Porch Pavillon” on the property, an elabo-

rate structure that will serve at the temporary headquarters of the center.

“This place is about a passion for the heritage of this region — art, music, storytelling, the outdoors,” said Bob Plott, general manager of the SMHC and a well-known Appalachian historian/author. “The hope is to start with these initial programs and then move towards building a permanent building to house our events.” www.meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.

Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling

Park in Cherokee.

Sit by a bonfire, alongside a river, and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers. The bonfire is free and open to the public. There will be no bonfire events in September.

For more information, call 800.438.1601 or click on www.visitcherokeenc.com.

The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Sept. 29 at the Oconaluftee Islands

Smoky Mountain News

On the stage

26

HART presents the works of Gershwin A stage production of “S’Wonderful: The Music and Life of George Gershwin” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 29-31 and at 2 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

George Gershwin said it best, “Jazz is the result of the energy stored up in America.” Come dressed in your best 1920s attire and experience that jazzy energy at the grand re-opening of HART’s main stage.

This lively musical takes place in the home of George & Ira Gershwin with a party full

of unbelievable singers and dancers.

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

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

“S’Wonderful is such a great opener after what the world has gone through,”

says Candice Dickinson, managing director at HART, “This musical is a nonstop party, with some of the most talented singers and dancers we’ve had on our stage. It’s a celebration, it’s the ‘Roaring 20s,’ and it seems like exactly what we all need.”

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

‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday

through Aug. 14 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee. There will also be a 10:30 a.m. show all Saturdays in July.

This decades-old acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world — a place based on traditional Cherokee values and modern sensibilities.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.cherokeehistorical.org.

On the table

The Glenville Area Historical Society (GAHS) annual “Ice Cream Social” will be held on Saturday, July 31, at the historic Glenville Wesleyan Church.

This event kicks off the year for the society, where attendees enjoy tasty toppings on delicious ice cream at a historical site.

Attendees, a combination of GAHS members, prospective members and guests, enjoy the treat and will hear Pastor Ralph Campbell tell about the 100-year history of the Glenville Wesleyan Church.

The church, founded in Old Glenville, was moved along with other buildings when the dam was built. The story of the rebuilding in New Glenville involves the historic Wiggins family and various stories of progress to the present day.

The history of Old Glenville — resident life at that time, the building of the dam, and the evolution of present day Glenville — are all featured at the Glenville History Museum located next to Signal Ridge Marina in the heart of Glenville on N.C. 107. The museum is open weekly from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday until October.

For more information about the society and the museum, call the GAHS at 828.850.7022 or email historicalsocietyglenvillearea@yahoo.com.

• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. www.mountainlovers.com.

JustDoOils.com

Book online at:

MassageWaynesville.com 828.456.3585

your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news

Haywood Square | 288 N. Haywood St. | Waynesville

July 28-August 3, 2021

• The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car.

Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more.

For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

arts & entertainment

Do you like ice cream?

ALSO:

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

Smoky Mountain News

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

828.631.3075.

FOLLOW US AT

@SMOKYMOUNTAINNEWS

27

arts & entertainment

MOUNTAIN SOUVENIRS · Bear Poop · Shot Glasses · Bean Shooters · Mountain Music · Postcards · Jams, Jellies & More!

828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

facebook.com/smnews

28

On the wall ‘We Are Still Here’ Cherokee exhibit

Want to paint, sip craft beer?

The Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville has announced July’s exhibition, titled “We Are Still Here: Eastern Band of Cherokee.”

“The show provides an opportunity for Eastern Band of Cherokee artists to share their culture, talents, and skills with our neighbors and our community. It is also a chance to introduce our neighbors to the diversity and uniqueness of the Cherokee people” said artist/show coordinator Jody Bradley Lipscomb.

The exhibition will run through July 31 and feature 10 different artists. Additionally, there will be a live artist demonstration with Jarrett Grey Wildcatt (musician/artist) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the HCAC. www.haywoodarts.org.

The “WNC Paint Night” will return to local breweries in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.

With step-by-step instructions, you will paint yourself a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

This is pure fun to do while you sip on something tasty at the brewery.

Events will be held at the following locations: Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9; and Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 18, Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 22; BearWaters Brewing (Canton) from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5, Sept. 2 and 30, Nov. 12 and Dec. 23.

Space is limited. Reserve your seat by texting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. To learn more, visit the Facebook page @paintwnc or Instagram @wnc_paint_events.

• A showcase of art by Gosia Babcock will be on display in the Meeting Room through the end of August at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Visit to take a closer look, but call ahead to make sure the Meeting Room is open to the public when you plan to visit. 828.524.3600.

Program. The showcase will run through Aug. 22. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828.298.7928. For more information about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828.627.4674 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.

• The Cherokee Gourd Artists Gathering will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 29-Aug. 1 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. Gourd artists from the United States and Canada gather to collaborate on gourd art, which will be for sale. Watch them work carving, painting and sculpting. Classes are available for a fee. www.visitcherokeenc.com or 410.392.0003.

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

ALSO:

• Art by Jackson County author/storyteller Gary Carden will be on display through the end of August at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 828.524.3600.

• “A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art,” an exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian (located in Cherokee), features over 50 works of art in a variety of media by over 30 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and Cherokee Nation artists. The exhibition highlights the use of the written Cherokee language, a syllabary developed by Cherokee innovator Sequoyah (circa 1776–1843). Cherokee syllabary is frequently found in the work of Cherokee artists as a compositional element or the subject matter of the work itself. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee through Oct. 31. Learn more by visiting www.mci.org.

• The Folk Art Center in Asheville has opened its Main Gallery exhibition showcasing the Graduating Class of 2021 of Haywood Community College's Professional Crafts

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV. • Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and a strolling musician. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. Current Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced. 828.488.7857.

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

T

Whitman, both of whom served as nurses in hospitals in Washington, D.C.; the future Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was twice wounded before Fredericksburg and who was suffering so badly from dysentery that he spent the battle in a hospital tent; the Reverend Arthur Fuller, an abolitionist who was decommissioned the day before the battle, put on an

••• Now for something completely different: In The Adventures of Zaza and Zoey: Feral Friends (Palmetto Publishing, 2020, 39 pages), artist, writer, and photographer K.W. Randall introduces us to two feral male cats she and her husband adopted. Feline lovers will enjoy the photographs of these two buddies, the description of the house Randall and her husband built for them — it included a heating pad — and the tender care with which they selected the food for the “boys.”

Just as importantly, through Zaza and Zoey we learn about the importance of taking feral cats to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated. There, unfortunately, the vet discovered that Zoey suffered from feline leukemia, but again we see the need to neuter or spay, as is the case with female cats, these wild felines.

Here is book eminently suited not just for cat fans, but also for the reception rooms in humane societies and veterinarians’ offices.

(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)

WEST ASHVILLE’S LARGEST OPEN AIR MUSIC & FOOD VENUE Outdoor Stage & Dining Live Music | Amazing Eats

Smoky Mountain News

officer’s overcoat, grabbed a musket, and died in the street fighting in Fredericksburg; and the Confederate boy cavalier, John Pelham, who performed brilliantly with his horse artillery, holding up part of the Union advance with two cannons.

By putting these five individuals under the microscope, we learn much about their motivations to commit themselves to a cause and the sacrifices that cause demanded.

Louisa May Alcott, for example, who later wrote the still-popular Little Women, despised slavery and wanted to contribute to the fight against it. She became a nurse as soon as she turned 30, the minimum age for that work, but in that role she suffered both a physical and mental breakdown tending to the horribly wounded soldiers brought back to Washington. In just a few months, Alcott returned home, broken for a time by fevers and terrible hallucinations. She never fully recovered her previous good health.

John Pelham died in battle shortly after Fredericksburg. He’d participated in many earlier actions, including First Manassas, where he wrote home of the terrible scenes he had witnessed that day, but in the same letter added, “I see the horrors of war, but it

was necessary. We are battling for our rights and our homes. Ours is a just war, a holy cause.” Though today we would argue that the cause was in no way holy, John Pelham’s passion, like that of Alcott, helps explain the ferocity with which our American Civil War was fought.

Matteson’s portraits of the poet Walt Whitman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the mysterious Arthur Fuller are equally intriguing.

In A Worse Place Than Hell, Civil War buffs and lovers of history and biography will find both pleasure and education in this wellwritten reconstruction of a terrible battle and those who were associated with it.

Best selling author in Cashiers The Friends of the Albert Carlton Cashiers Library will present USA Today bestselling author Susan Meissner at 3 p.m. Friday, July 30, at The Village Green Commons Hall in Cashiers.

She is the author of several award-winning historical fiction books such as Bright As Heaven, Secrets of a Charmed Life, and Fall of Marigolds.

Her most recent release is The Nature of Fragile Things, highlights a significant moment in San Francisco’s history, the destructive Great Earthquake of 1906 and one woman’s journey of rebuilding in its wake.

These events are by reservation as seating is limited. For reservations, call the Cashiers library at 828.743.0215.

For more information, visit The Village Green website at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

July 28-August 3, 2021

he last four months of 1862 brought blood and slaughter to the armies of the South and the North. Earlier that year, a series of battles led to the September battle of Sharpsburg, also known as Antietam, in Maryland, where in the bloodiest single day of fighting during the war George McClellan’s Union forces turned back Lee’s attempted invasion of that state.

McClellan’s failure that day to crush the Confederates or to pursue them south caused Lincoln to replace the popular general with General Ambrose Burnside, who, doubting his own Writer abilities, was rightly reluctant to assume command. Burnside is the perfect example of the Peter Principle, which occurs when someone rises through various positions until they reach some office where they are no longer competent to do the job.

Burnside’s incompetency manifested itself in December at Fredericksburg, Virginia, when his Army of the Potomac suffered its most severe defeat of the war.

Various regiments were shot to pieces as they first took the city of Fredericksburg, and the day after securing that town, advanced up a slope against masses of Confederate soldiers and artillery. Later, observers called the carnage inflicted during those attacks “butchery” and “a massacre.”

In A Worse Place Than Hell: How the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg Changed a Nation (W.W. Norton & Company, 2021, 510 pages), Pulitzer Prize winner John Matteson not only recreates that battle, but also takes his readers through the events leading up to this Northern catastrophe and its aftermath. He discusses at length, for instance, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which the president issued during this time and which remains one of the most important documents in our history. He also gives us solid mini-biographies of various generals as well as portraits of figures like Confederate cavalry leader Jeb Stuart and Union officer George Whitman, brother to the poet Walt Whitman.

Chiefly, however, Matteson focuses on five Americans who were directly or indirectly involved in the Battle of Fredericksburg: Louisa May Alcott and Walt

arts & entertainment

Worlds apart: a look at two very different books

743 HAYWOOD RD. WEST ASHEVILLE ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

29

30

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

the trail — and, possibly, for other areas as well.

“If you’ve been to this park you know there’s not one size that fits all, and so we want to be able to look at each element of what we’re going to be doing at Laurel Falls to see what makes sense at a place such as Alum Cave,” Cash said.

Alum Cave is another example — though not the only one — of an immensely popular Smokies trail whose designated parking area is overflowing more often than not, with cars parked along shoudlerless Newfound Gap Road for a mile or more on either side of the lot. Not only is the situation physically dangerous in a park where 44 of 101 in-park deaths over the last 13 years have been due to motor vehicle accidents, but repeated roadside parking also degrades the asphalt and damages the environment. In addition, it contributes to unsustainable crowding on the trail.

Crowded conditions are typical at Laurel Falls, which is located 1.3 miles past the trailhead. NPS photo

THE PILOT RULES

Ticket, please Smokies to explore paid parking, shuttle service as crowd control tools

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER s visitor use in the already-crowded Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to climb, for the first time ever the park will try out paid trailhead reservations as a potential answer to overcrowding.

From Sept. 7 through Oct. 2, visitors to Laurel Falls Trailhead — which accesses the most-visited national park’s most-visited trail — will need a shuttle ticket or parking reservation to hike there. If things go well, the system could remain in place long-term.

“The park is in uncharted waters with this

A

It’s not unusual for cars to park along the road for a mile or more near the parking lots. NPS photo

pilot project, so there are some things that we don’t know what we don’t know,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash during a virtual meeting held Thursday, July 22, to discuss the project.

This isn’t the first time the park has used the pilot project approach to try out a new solution and gauge its effectiveness. In 2020, the park implemented a pilot project at Cades Cove in which it closed the road to motorists every Wednesday to give cyclists and pedestrians a better experience. Positive feedback to the pilot spurred the Smokies to make the change permanent, also adding additional parking and shuttle service to better accommodate the volume of visitors.

In a similar manner, the park hopes that observations and written feedback gleaned from the Laurel Falls pilot will help it develop a more permanent management approach to

During the pilot project, parking capacity will be extremely limited compared to what it is now with two parking lots and rampant roadside parking.

However, said Management Assistant Kendra Straub, during much of the year access to the site won’t necessarily be reduced.

“If we look at the numbers for September — they’re not one of our highest months — if the shuttle is full capacity, and our reservations are fully booked, we are not going to decrease capacity much,” she said. “We’re really more spreading use throughout the day.

So, spreading that flow so that the same number of people give or take are able to participate, but they are not having that same crowded experience. Now there are months of the year where the level of crowding of course is beyond the physical facility capacity of the area.”

During the pilot period, traffic barricades and staff presence will prevent roadside parking for Laurel Falls, and one of the two parking lots currently designated to serve the trailhead will be — for the most part, at least —

closed to parking. The closed lot will serve as turnaround space for the twice-hourly shuttle that will run between Gatlinburg and Laurel Falls.

Portable restrooms will be available at the trailhead, as guests won’t be able to stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center on their way in.

Drop-offs will not be allowed.

To be operated by Rocky Top Tours — the same company behind the newly announced shuttle to Cades Cove — the shuttle will cost $5 per person and run daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shuttle parking at the Ober Gatlinburg parking lot in Gatlinburg will be $10 per car, though visitors who are staying in town may be able to walk to the shuttle and avoid that fee.

Visitors will also be able to park at the trailhead, but between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. they will have to reserve a space through the timed reservation system at www.recreation.gov. Parking will cost $12 per car plus a $2 transaction fee for a total of $14.

Parking reservation blocks will open up on a rolling basis in order to allow for both advance planning and spontaneity in using the trailhead, Straub said. A portion of the reservations will go live early on, and a rolling window of tickets will pop up throughout the pilot period.

A LARGER ISSUE The pilot project is a subset of a larger effort to plan a sustainable future for the Laurel Falls area.

By spring 2022, the park hopes to have a completed Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan, and information gathered during the pilot project will be wrapped into that plan.

“Congestion and visitor experience at Laurel Falls is a key issue,” said Chief of Resource Management Lisa McInnis.

The 4-mile trail is located on Fighting Creek Gap Road about 5.5 miles from the Gatlinburg entrance and attracts about 350,000 visitors each year, most of whom walk only the 1.3 miles of paved trail to access 80-foot Laurel Falls. The less-used Sugarland Mountain Trail starts right across the road. Over the last four years, an average of nearly 40,000 people visited the Laurel Falls Trail in July, the busiest month, while the slowest month, February, still saw about 8,000 visitors. During busy days, hikers often have to wait in line to view the falls upon reaching them.

The plan will focus on the 1.3-mile segment between the trailhead and the falls, aiming to rehabilitate the trail surface and infrastructure; address crowding issues; improve pedestrian flow and reduce safety risk; enhance opportunities to view and enjoy the falls; reduce resource impacts related to usercreated trails and roadside parking; address traffic safety concerns; and overall protect park resources and improve the visitor experience.

Park staff have been preparing for the effort since spring 2020,

Be heard

STAFFING A CHALLENGE Brian K. Noland & Catherine Proben BROKER ASSOCIATES

Brian: (828) 734-5201 Catherine: (828) 734-9157 See all of our listings at: beverly-hanks.com/agents/noland-proben

Noland-Proben Team | The #1 Beverly-Hanks Team 2018 • 2019 • 2020

FEATURED LISTINGS

6XJDUEXVK /DQH &DQWRQ _ 8QGHU &RQWUDFW MLS# 3747225 | $1,699,000 | 3 BR | 3.5 BA

%UHDWKWDNLQJ DFUH PRXQWDLQ HVWDWH ZLWK HQGOHVV GHJUHH SDVWRUDO PRXQWDLQ YLHZV $ PDLQ KRXVH JXHVW KRXVH DQG 6) FRWWDJH DUH ORFDWHG RQ WKLV SURSHUW\

702 Jonathan Creek Road, Waynesville

*ROGȴQFK /DQH &O\GH

MLS# 3763518 | $725,000 | 3 BR | 2 BA

MLS# 3763308 | $599,000 | 3 BR | 3 BA

This amazing property features two homes: a spacious two-story home, plus a 900 SF KRPH ZLWK DQ RSHQ ȵRRUSODQ /RFDWHG DERXW PLOHV WR 0DLQ 6WUHHW :D\QHVYLOOH

0RGHUQ IDUPKRXVH ZLWK LQFUHGLEOH \HDU URXQG PRXQWDLQ YLHZV VLWHG RQ DQ DFUH 7KLV KRPH R΍HUV PDQ\ FXVWRP IHDWXUHV D ODUJH FRYHUHG IURQW SRUFK DQG RSHQ ȵRRUSODQ

39 Autumn Breeze Drive, Clyde

MLS# 3756353 | $370,000 | 2 BR | 3 BA

MLS# 3762802 | $292,000 | 3 BR | 2 BA

' /RJ KRPH QHVWOHG LQ WKH :1& PRXQWDLQV ZLWK DPD]LQJ \HDU URXQG YLHZV 7KLV KRPH KDV D QHZ PHWDO URRI DQG FRQYHQLHQWO\ ORFDWHG EHWZHHQ $VKHYLOOH DQG :D\QHVYLOOH

6LQJOH OHYHO OLYLQJ ZLWK DQ RSHQ ȵRRUSODQ FRYHUHG IURQW SRUFK DQG VWDLQOHVV VWHHO DSSOLDQFHV FORVH WR +D\ZRRG &RXQWU\ &OXE DQG /DNH -XQDOXVND

Smoky Mountain News

1414 Beaverdam Street, Canton

July 28-August 3, 2021

Over the last decade, park visitation has exploded even as staffing has decreased, leaving park leaders scrambling to find solutions that protect the natural resources they’re charged with preserving while also allowing as many people as possible to experience the beauty of America’s public lands.

Unlike most other large national parks, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn’t charge an entrance fee. If it did, the park would have millions more for maintenance and visitor services.

The reason it’s free stems from the 1951 legislation transferring Little River and Newfound Gap Roads from the State of Tennessee to the federal government. As a condition of the transfer, the state required that the federal government never impose any toll or license fee for use of the roads. A 1992 federal law further tied the park’s hands, prohibiting the park from charging entrance fees for other roads unless it also when they began community stakeholder charged fees for entrance on the main road. engagement to better understand the state However, the fees to be collected in the of the park and how congestion was impactpilot project are legal, said Cash, because ing visitor experience. Last fall, the park folthey are for use of an “expanded recreationlowed up by hosting a series of virtual pubal amenity” — not for access to the roads. lic meetings designed as workshops to furThe park already charges fees for various ther discuss those issues. Using this input, activities, including backcountry camping, picnic pavilion rental and campsites.

Over the last decade, park visitation has increased from 9.4 million in 2000 to 12.1 million in 2020, and all indicators point toward a continued increase in demand. In June alone, the park recorded 1.66 million recreation visitors, a figure that significantly exceeds both the 1.54 million who visited in June 2020 and the 1.47 million who came in pre-pandemic June 2019.

But even as park visitation has shot upward, staffing has decreased. Over More than 350,000 people use the Laurel Falls Trail each year. the last decade, staffing has fallen by more than 10 perNPS graph cent alongside a 32 percent staff completed a site analysis of Laurel increase in visitation.

Falls, with an interdisciplinary team comThat means that staffing requirements pleting a deep dive into the issue in June. associated with the pilot project could be Ongoing natural and cultural resource surkey to determining the long-term viability veys, as well as a review of existing data of the approach. For the duration of the sources, seek to gather further information pilot, Cash said, he expects it to be an “all about the project’s potential impact. hands on deck” staffing situation.

After the pilot project ends Oct. 2, park “For this pilot we’re using the staffing staff will begin working on a draft managethat we have to see how this will work or ment plan for Laurel Falls that takes into what doesn’t make sense,” he said. “From a account comments received up through long-term standpoint, we would need to that time. A public scoping process this fall look at that information again to see if we’re will include a public meeting and discusmeeting the objectives, but most importantsion of draft management alternatives to be ly, to see if it makes a good business case, to included in an Environmental Assessment. see if this did become permanent, will we The EA will be completed this winter, have enough staff to be able to sustain that spurring a formal public comment period, over a long period of time.”

outdoors

The park is seeking public input as it formulates long-range management plans for Laurel Falls Trail.

Two public comment portals are open through Aug. 7. n Laurel Falls Management Trail Plan.

Members of the public should share their observations, concerns and ideas for solving the issues facing Laurel Falls Trail. The park wants to achieve a number of objectives, including addressing issues associated with congestion and safety, enhancing opportunities to view and enjoy the falls and protecting park resources. Comments will be used to refine the concepts and alternatives under consideration, identify issues and ensure the park has the information it needs to move forward in the process. Comment at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/laurelfalls. n Laurel Falls Pilot Plan. The public is invited to share any feedback on the upcoming congestion management pilot plan at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/laurelfallspilot.

with a final management decision expected in spring 2022.

31

outdoors

Smokey Bear turns 77 this year, and a celebration 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Cradle of Forestry in America will mark the event with party stations, storybook reading, silly songs — and an appearance

by Smokey himself.

At 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Laura Sperry Gardner will read and sign her new counting book, Blue Ridge Babies 1,2,3 — the book will be for sale — and at 2 p.m. visitors can parade with Smokey Bear from the amphitheater to the historic School House for photos. Throughout the day, games and crafts will be set up along the Forest Festival Trail, pond, train and homestead.

Free with regular admission of $3 for youth 5-12 and $6 for adults. Children 4 and under are free. The Cradle of Forestry is located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard.

Bills aim to fund wildlife conservation Bipartisan legislation aiming to fund local efforts to support struggling wildlife is now under consideration in both houses of Congress following introduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act July 20 in the Senate.

Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico, and Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, co-sponsored the bill. A similar version was introduced in the House this April, co-sponsored by Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, and Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican from Nebraska.

“We’re facing a looming wildlife crisis, and this historic, bipartisan bill is by far the most important piece of wildlife legislation we’ve seen in the past half-century,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. “Scientists estimate that roughly one-third of America’s wildlife species are at an elevated risk of extinction.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will allow us to get ahead of the problem by stepping in to help at-risk wildlife early with collaborative, voluntary measures across every state, territory and tribal nation.”

More than 100 North Carolina businesses and organizations have signed a letter urging Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis to support the bill, Gestwicki said.

Under the Senate bill, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would distribute $25 million each year to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to implement the

ONLY $18.99* PER YEAR! Subscribe at smliv.com and use promo code 2021WOW for

35

%

Smoky Mountain News

July 28-August 3, 2021

Wish Smokey Bear a happy birthday

OFF

NEWSSTAND PRICE

FIND US ON

*Offer expires 7/31/2021 Amazon, Kindle and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

32

MAGAZINE

N.C. Wildlife Action Plan to bolster the state’s 500 species of concern. Partnering organizations would then be eligible to apply for funding for existing plans that directly benefit at-risk wildlife.

Nationwide, the legislation would dedicate $1.4 billion in annual funding for locally led wildlife restoration efforts. Tribal nations such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians would share an annual $97.5 million for their wildlife conservation efforts. Currently, the EBCI is part of the nation’s first Native Fish Conservation Partnership and is working collaboratively

to boost populations of the rare sicklefin redhorse fish.

North Carolina contains about 1,500 species of wildlife and 6,000 plants. Of those, nearly 500 have been identified by the Wildlife Commission as in need of conservation action.

Neither bill has progressed far in the legislative process. The House bill was introduced April 22 and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources the same day, with no action since. No action has been taken on the Senate bill since its introduction.

Learn how to boost a farm business A free seminar for agritourism providers and partners will come to Waynesville on Monday, Aug. 9.

During the workshop, participants will learn strategies to increase funding, and how to use storytelling skills to market their business’s best assets. They’ll receive encouragement to collaborate with local agencies to build exciting brands and enjoy a catered lunch and farm visit.

Free, with events from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Haywood County Extension Office on Raccoon Road. Register at www.bit.ly/3ws87cg.

Candidates wanted for Haywood FSA committee Nominate candidates for the Haywood County Farm Service Agency Committee by Aug. 2 in order to have their names considered in the upcoming election.

This year, Haywood County is accepting nominations for the LAA 1 area that includes Crabtree, Fines Creek, Jonathan Creek and Ironduff. Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in a U.S. Department of Agriculture program and reside in the area are eligible to run. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their operation to the FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits.

Committee members play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the FSA and are vital to how it carries out disaster, conservation, commodity and price support programs. Nationwide, more than 7,700 people serve on FSA county committees, which are made up of three to 11 members serving three-year terms. Ballots will be mailed out beginning Nov. 1.

To get involved, contact the Haywood County FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.

July 28-August 3, 2021

forces beyond their control. But by committing to simple changes in our own gardens and communities, we can nurture other species by improving the environment we all share. The presentation will discuss how native plants support native species of insects, A pair of native birds and other wildlife, pipevine swallowtails and how individual pracdrink from a tices in a backyard garden coneflower. Donated photo can lead to big changes.

Carpenter and her husband Canty Worley co-own a landscape company based in Highlands that is dedicated to creating and maintaining gardens in balance with the natural world. She was HBF’s director for nine years and is now helping the Foundation manage its north campus improvement project.

Carpenter is president of the Highlands Plateau Greenway and the Highlands Bee City coordinator.

Zahner lectures are held Thursdays Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at 6 through Sept. 9. Free thanks to sponsorship p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Highlands from Dollie Swanson. Reception to follow.

Community Building. www.highlandsbiological.org or Over the past year, people across the 828.526.2221. world have seen their lives disrupted due to Former Highlands Biological Foundation Director Sonya Carpenter will speak on simple changes people can make to nurture life in their gardens and communities during the next installment of the

Empowering Mountain Food Systems will be highlighting the stories, personalities and passions of Western North Carolina farmers through its new marketing campaign, #FriendyourFarmer.

Join the campaign by using the hashtag #FriendyourFarmer. Snap photos of yourself with a local farmer or enjoying locally grown food. And most importantly, take time this growing season to build relationships with those who grow local food. According to the USDA Census of Agriculture, between 2012 and 2017, farmers in N.C.’s westernmost seven counties reported a 23% increase in direct consumer sales, or $3.6 million. That figure does not include Cherokee County.

EMFS is a three-year project focused on expanding opportunities and capacity to food

and farm businesses across the Southwestern N.C. region.

outdoors

Support native species in your backyard

Friend your farmer

Annual litter collection exceeds 8 million pounds More than 8 million pounds of litter has been collected from North Carolina roadsides this year according to N.C. Department of Transportation totals, putting the state on pace to break the 10.5 million pound litter collection record set in 2019.

The NCDOT implores travelers to secure their loads before driving, throw away trash in garbage bins, recycle when possible and encourage friends and family to do the same.

The 2021 Fall Litter Sweep will be held Sept. 11-25 and will likely boost those totals.

Individuals and teams statewide are encouraged to attend. Sign up at www.bit.ly/3eI0NmA.

Clean up Allens Creek

Tree seedlings for sale Seedlings are available for sale from the N.C. Forest Service Nursery Program, with specimens offering superior growth, form and disease resistance due to solid nursery research and production experience.

The NCFS produces millions of quality seedlings for nearly 50 tree species each year, as well as understory species.

Hardwoods and conifers alike are sold in quantities ranging from 10 to 100. The pro-

gram is popular, so those interested in buying trees should make their orders as soon as possible. Seedlings will be distributed from December through April and can be shipped to one of 12 distribution centers statewide.

Catalogs are available at local NCFS offices and at www.ncforestservice.gov.

Order online at www.buynctrees.com, call 1.888.628.7337 or mail an order form to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

Great Smokies

STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com 434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786

Smoky Mountain News

Help clean up Allens Creek 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, in Waynesville.

Organized by Haywood Waterways Association, the group will meet at the far end of the PetSmart parking lot and clean up trash along the stream bank, parking lot and railroad tracks.

Supplies will be provided, but volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and long pants that can get dirty and wet. A towel may be handy.

RSVP by July 29 to Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

33

outdoors

CUSTOMER SERVICE REP The Print Haus Waynesville Customer Service & or Graphic Design Experience

Full Time/Part Time, Benefits Apply in person or e-mail your resume to Chris@ThePrintHaus.com

July 28-August 3, 2021

OCA LO AL, LIK KE Y YO OU And like you, we remain on the front lines.

Your newspaperr is reporting the local stories of COVID-19 Yo and providiing vital information to our co ommunity.

o the long term.

Despite the many disruptions, we’re in this for We invite you to partne er with us so trusted local journalism can prosper.

In return, eturn you won on’tt find a anyone who cares more abou ut your success than us. us Let’s work together on solutions. s We’ve got the enga aged audience to share nd ready to help. your advertising messages. Our ad staff stan Give us a chance. We will impress.

We’re Local. Like Y We Yo ou u!

NEW WSPAPER POWER R.

Smoky Mountain News

P i t Di Print, Digital it l & Social S i lS Solutions l ti ffor our ad d dvertisers. ti

34

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

Mountain Wildlife Days director to step down The event was held July 16-17 in Sapphire, featuring chances to hike and bird, meet live animals and experience a musiA presentation from cal, wildlife-inspired the North Georgia program. Funds raised Zoo allowed at the event go toward participants to see the Wildlife Days wildlife up close. Western North Carolina Wildlife Outreach Donated photo Program, which in 2019 reached 1,400 people with wildlife and outdoor education events across the region.

“Although I will continue to be a 'wild lives’ and ‘wild places’ advocate, this will be my final year as director and organizer of Mountain Wildlife Days,” Edwards said. “However, I will help provide wildlife presentations for schools and other organizations in Western NC during the upcomthis month, but it will be the last year for ing year.” the popular event if nobody steps forward www.highsouthadventures.com/mounto take over from longtime director John tain-wildlife-days.html Edwards.

More than 450 people participated in the 17th annual Mountain Wildlife Days

Explore the Parkway A two-part educational series will allow participants to explore Blue Ridge Parkway trails while also learning about the Parkway’s history, features and trailheads in Haywood County. n At 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, an easy 2-mile hike will explore Soco Gap and the Soco Gap Overlook with guides Kathy Odvody and Lisa Cook. n At 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11, an easy 2.2-mile hike at Balsam Gap will trek from Grassy Ridge Mine to Licklog Overlook with Kathy Odvody.

Hikes are organized through Haywood County Recreation and Parks. Cost is $10 paid at registration. Sign up at 828.452.6789.

Triathlon races to take over Lake Logan The 15th annual Lake Logan Multisport Festival is coming up in Haywood County next week, and it’s not too late to sign up for one of the three tri-sport events scheduled Aug. 7-8.

The weekend will kick off Saturday, Aug. 7, with a half-ironman race that includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1mile run. Then, Sunday, Aug. 8, will offer an international triathlon race — a 1,500meter swim, 24-mile bike ride and 10-kilometer run — as well as the shorter sprint triathlon, featuring a 500-meter swim, 12mile bike ride and 5-kilometer run. All events include aquabike and relay categories as well.

If you’re not competing, get up early to watch the athletes swim across the mountain lake before switching into biking and running gear. Anyone driving N.C. 215 and the Bethel area that weekend should plan

for delays as they share the route with racers.

Learn more or sign up at www.gloryhoundevents.com/event/lake-logan-multisport-festival.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Glenville Area Historical Society Annual Ice Cream Social will take place Saturday, July 31, at the Historic Glenville Wesleyan Church. For more information, call 828 850.7022 or email historicalsocietyglenvillearea@yahoo.com.

• The next monthly meeting of the NAACP will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Gladys Knight Recreation Field at Reynold High Schools Community Center.

• Join area emergency services agencies for National Night Out from 6-9 p.m. Aug. 3, at the Canton Recreation Park, 77 Penland Street, for a special evening of food, fun and fellowship. For more information, visit natw.org.

• Live Forgiven Church food ministry will host a curbside grocery giveaway on from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 8, 45 Crown Ridge Road in Sylva. Email Chris or Crystal at FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life for more information.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Join CFNC Representative Devon McCarthy-James at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 3 at the Waynesville Library to learn how to find scholarships, apply for financial aid and avoid common mistakes that can cost time and money. No registration required.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Saturday, Aug. 7 there will be fundraising events for SEASCAT.org at Lifeway Church on Allen Street in Sylva.

SEASCAT.org is a local organization dedicated to helping survivors of child abuse. Email seascat@gmail.com or call 828.506.6141.

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com • First Baptist Church will host its annual Vacation Bible School, Aug. 2-6. A child-friendly meal will be served at 5:30 p.m. followed by Vacation Bible School activities 6-8 p.m. Visit www.fbcwaynesville.org for online registration or stop by the church office located at 100 South Main Street to complete a registration form.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St., Sylva. Enter at front of church through the door to the left of the sanctuary; meeting is first door on the right. The Church requests that you wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

• Narcotics Anonymous meetings are back "live" in-person after a year of being on Zoom only. Local meetings are 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at Sylva First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva. Entrance at back of building.

Also Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Cullowhee Methodist Church and Saturdays 6 p.m. at Cullowhee Methodist Church. Meetings in Haywood County, Macon County and Swain County have re-opened as well. For more details visit ncmountainna.org.

A&E

• Feline Urgent Rescue of WNC (FUR) will hold its fourth annual “Wet Your Whiskers” wine tasting event 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday July 31, at Wells Event Center in Waynesville. Tickets are $50 per person or $150 for a sponsorship ticket. Purchase at www.furofwnc.org. furofwnc.org or facebook.com/FURofWNC.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Gold Rose (Americana/indie) July 31. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.

• Sarge’s 16th annual Downtown Dog Walk will take place at 9 a.m. Aug. 7 at the Waynesville Courthouse Lawn. The $30 registration fee includes a T-shirt and dog bandana. www.sarges.org

• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge Park will host Arnold Hill (rock) July 30 and Shane Meade & The Sound Aug. 6. All shows begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlovers.com.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • There will be an information session with John Chicoine, SHIIP Counselor held at 2 p.m. Friday, July 30, at the Waynesville Library. No registration is required.

For more information, contact John at 828.356.2800

GROUPS AND MEETINGS • Jim Casada, of Swain County, will be presenting his most recent book “A Smoky Mountain Boyhood: Memories, Musings & More” at the Aug. 5 meeting of Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society. The meeting will take place at 6:30 at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center. Open to the public.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Maple Grove United Methodist Church will be celebrating Homecoming at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1, all are welcome to attend. After the service there will be a covered dish lunch in the fellowship hall.

• Vacation Bible School in Spanish for both children and adults is offered by Waynesville Free Methodist Church starting at 7 p.m. Aug. 2, at 75 Oak Street, Waynesville.

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Byrds & Crows July 30 and Foxfire Boys Aug. 6. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host AcousticENVY July 30 and The Get Right Band 7 p.m.

July 31.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Divas On Tap 8:30 p.m. July 31 and Christina Chandler (singer-songwriter) Aug. 1. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Brother Smith (Americana/folk) July 30 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) July 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) July 30 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Aug. 6. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Aces Down July 30 and The Dirty French Broads July 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Grammy-winner Graham Sharp (of Steep Canyon Rangers), Pink Beds (indie/rock), cloud circuit (lounge/soul) and Shane Meade & The Sound from 2:30 to 11 p.m. Aug. 6.

Admission is $20 per person. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” July 30 and Aug. 6, Pioneer Chicken Stand July 31 and Somebody’s Child (Americana) Aug. 7. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.

• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host The UpBeats (oldies/variety) July 31 and Frogtown (bluegrass) Aug. 7. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklinchamber.com.

• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with The Wobblers July 31 and High Five Aug. 7. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Travis LeDoyt (Elvis tribute) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6. Tickets start at $20 per person. www.smokymountainarts.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Tricia Ann July 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

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

• Bryson City Wine Market will host weekly wine flight tasting events from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The market will also serve wine by the glass from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

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

Outdoors

• Former Highlands Biological Foundation Director Sonya Carpenter will speak on simple changes people can make to nurture life in their gardens and communities during the next installment of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Highlands Community Building. Zahner lectures are held Thursdays through Sept. 9. Free thanks to sponsorship from Dollie Swanson. Reception to follow. www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.

• Help clean up Allens Creek 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, in Waynesville. RSVP by July 29 to Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

• Smokey Bear turns 77 this year, and a celebration 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Cradle of Forestry in America will mark the event with party stations, storybook reading, silly songs — and an appearance by Smokey himself. Free with regular admission of $3 for youth 5-12 and $6 for adults. Children 4 and under are free. The Cradle of Forestry is located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will hold its

35

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings biggest fundraiser of the year with its annual summer soiree, 6 p.m. through dark Monday, Aug. 2, atop Satulah Mountain in Highlands. Parking is limited, and shuttle service will be provided. Tickets are $250 and available at www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.

• The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is taking input on a forthcoming management plan for the Laurel Falls Trail, with public comment accepted through Aug. 7 with a virtual public meeting planned for 5 p.m.

Thursday, July 22. Submit comments or learn more about the project at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/laurelfalls.

• Littles in the River, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at Fines Creek Community Center. Join Base Camp on the Go and Haywood Waterways for a fun day of games and activities during this drop-in event.

• Littles in the River, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 29, at Junaluska Elementary School in Waynesville. Join Base Camp on the Go and Haywood Waterways for a fun day of games and activities during this drop-in event.

• Streambank Stabilization Tour, 1-3 p.m. Thursday, July 29, at Vance Street Park in Waynesville. During this drop-in event, take a guided tour of the Shelton Branch Stream Restoration Project with Haywood Waterways Association Executive Director Eric Romaniszyn.

• Rain Barrel Workshop, 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, July 29, in Haywood County. All materials will be provided for attendees to make their own upcycled rain barrel for home use. Space limited. RSVP by July 27 to Mia McDowell at miamcdowell11@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 12.

• Creek Cleanup, 9-10 a.m. Friday, July 30, at Haywood Community College. All equipment will be provided for this pickup along HCC’s waterways. Space limited.

RSVP by July 28 to Mia McDowell at miamcdowell11@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 12.

• A family campout will take place Aug. 4-6 at Cataloochee Valley in Haywood County. Equipment — including tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear — will be provided, as will meals and activities. Space limited.

Text 336.583.9932 to sign up.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a hike along Big Creek at 9:30 a.m. July 28. Hikes are $10 per person, paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a Fly Fishing expedition at 8 a.m. July 31, at Richland Creek.

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

• Haywood County Parks and Recreation will guide a hike on Flat Laurel Creek Loop at 8 a.m. July 31. The hike will be led by Vickey Watson and Phyllis Woollen.

Hikes are $10 per person, paid at registration. Contact Haywood Parks and Rec to register at 828.452.6789 or Ian.smith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Registration is now open for the Lake Logan Multisport Festival, which will return for the 15th year Aug. 7-8 at Lake Logan in Haywood County. Learn more or sign up at www.gloryhoundevents.com/event/lakelogan-multisport-festival.

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County.

Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Auction

AUCTION- 681+/-ACRES Divided of Commercial, Agricultural & Residential Tracts, Online Only w/ Bid Center Auction, Fairmont, NC, Bid Center at Southeastern NC Agricultural Events Center, 1027 US 74 Alt. Lumberton, NC, Begins Closing 8/19 at 3pm, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936

Rates: • • • •

• •

• • • • • •

$15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

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

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

Employment WORK FROM ANYWHERE You have an internet connection? 13 positions available. Start as soon as today. As simple as checking your email.

Complete online training provided. Visit for details: https://bit.ly/2yewvor MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. 833-990-0354 ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY/MILITARY Veterans Begin a new career

www.smokymountainnews.com

FRONT DESK AGENT PT/FT Waynesville motel looking for a front desk agent. Duties includes taking guest reservations, check-in guests, assisting with guest needs and ensuring a high quality experience.

Apply in person at 79 Liner Cove Road, Waynesville, NC 28786. daysinnmanager@ outlook.com

Servers · Bussers · Cooks · Dishwashers

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

36

OFFICE POSITION WANTED Hi, I’m Katherine. I’m looking IRU D ORQJ WHUP RI¿FH admin position. I have DQ $6 LQ 2I¿FH $GPLQ & a BS in Management.

I’m currently working for a Town Hall w/a busy building dept (permitting) for the last 2.5yrs. I’m also interested in working for a home builder/ contractor. I’m relocating to your area after a long search for an area that shares my values. (727) 494-5435 kath3387@ protonmail.com

now hiring

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.

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

and earn your degree at CTI. Online computer & medical training available for veterans & families! To learn more call 833-9703466

DILLSBORO, NC

Our employees earn top wages and we are ranked the #1 Steakhouse by Trip Advisor in the Carolina Mountains.

BOOTS STEAKHOUSE IN DILLSBORO Boots Steakhouse in Dillsboro is now hiring Servers, Bussers, Cooks and Dishwashers. Our employees earn top wages and we are ranked the #1 Steakhouse by Trip Advisor in the Carolina Mountains. Please apply to: bootssteakhouse@gmail.com to schedule an in person interview. You can also call 828-631-9713 and view our website: www. bootssteakhouse.com

FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Coordinator for Military Business Center. Carpentry Instructor

(10 month). For detailed information and to apply please visit our employment portal at: faytechcc. peopleadmin.com Human Resources Ph: 910-6787342, www.faytechcc.edu EOE THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for a Processing Assistant III. Duties will include reception, answering the telephone, FRS\LQJ ¿OLQJ VFDQQLQJ receiving and providing information to the public, data entry, and other related clerical tasks. Applicants should have excellent customer service skills, good computer skills, the ability to communicate effectively in

Old Edwards Hospitality Group Highlands NC NOW RECRUITING FOR: Graphic Design & Layout Professional, P/T Marketing Asst/Print Production, Catering Manager, Sales Manager, Assistant F&B Manager, Banquet Captain, Banquet Supervisor, Host, Server, Breakfast Server, Server Assistant, Bartender, AM Sous Chef, Breakfast Cook, Cook, Assistant Pastry Chef, Dishwasher, Reservations Specialist, Front Desk Supervisor, Front Desk Agent, Bellman, Room Attendant, Houseman, 2nd Shift Laundry, Retail Associate, Fitness Manager, Spa Concierge, Spa Attendant, Massage Therapist, Spin Instructor.

SPECIAL RETENTION BONUS, $1000 Full Time / $500 Part time, FOR THESE LICENSED POSITIONS: COSMETOLOGIST · HAIR STYLIST · MAKEUP ARTIST · NAIL TECH

Benefits & PTO for FULL TIME Apply online at oldedwardsinn.com/careers

Apply at bootssteakhouse@gmail.com to schedule an in person interview or call 828-631-9713 www.bootssteakhouse.com July 28-August 3, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

person and by telephone, a general knowledge of RI¿FH SURFHGXUHV DQG the ability to learn and apply a variety of guidelines. The starting salary is $25,847.02 depending upon experience. Applicants must have completed high school and have at least one year of clerical experience or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

The application is available online at: http://www. jcdss.org. Please submit your application to the Jackson County Department of Social Services, *ULI¿Q 6WUHHW 6\OYD NC 28779 or NC Works Career Center. Applications will be taken until July 30, 2021.

THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for an Income Maintenance Caseworker. This position is responsible for intake, application processing and review functions in determining eligibility for Family and Children’s Medicaid.

Above average communication, computer and work organizational skills are required. Work involves direct contact with the public. Applicants should have one year of Income Maintenance Casework experience.

Applicants will also be considered who have an Associate’s Degree in human services, business or clerical related ¿HOG RU JUDGXDWLRQ IURP high school and an equivalent combination of training and experience.

The starting salary is $28,496.34 – $31,417.21 depending on education and experience. The application for employment is available online at: www.jcdss.org or www. jacksonnc.org and should be submitted to the Jackson County Department of Social Services *ULI¿Q 6WUHHW 6\OYD NC 28779 or the Sylva branch of the NC Works Career Center. Applications will be taken until July 30, 2021.

ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY/MILITARY Veterans Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI. Online computer & medical training available for veterans & families! To learn more call 833-9703466 ELIGIBILITY/OUTREACH SPECIALISTHAYWOOD CO– PT Eligibility Specialist recruits, screens for eligibility, and conducts intake services for low-income individuals and families for the purpose of educating

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

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

R E A DY T O B U Y O R S E L L?

C A L L T O DAY !

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

Jeanne Forrest

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

828-571-0515

• Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436

BROKER

jeannesellswnc@gmail.com

• Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com

EXP Realty • Jeanne Forrest - ashevillerealeat8@gmail.com

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

Hansen & Hansen Mary Roger (828)

400-1346

(828)

A Top Listing Agent & A Top Producer

Ready to Serve You

400-1345

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

The Strength of Teamwork The Reputation for Results

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com

71 N. Main St., Waynesville (828) 564-9393

Phyllis Robinson OWNER/BROKER

(828) 712-5578

lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate 91 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070

www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com Conveniently located in the Bethea Welcome Center

Call for FREE HOME VALUE EVALUATION

Pamela P Williams

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com

SUPER

CROSSWORD

A TEN FROM A HEN ACROSS 1 Cookout rod 5 Long wedge-shaped inlet 8 Dermal drawing 14 Alfalfa's girl in "Our Gang" 19 Lacking a permanent shelter 21 Sponge up 22 Hawke of the screen 23 Get closer 24 Gated water channel 25 Blue-footed bird 26 Start of a riddle 29 Sippy cup part 30 "-- yellow ribbon round ..."

31 "Little" actress Issa 32 Web page visitor's directory 36 With 53-Across, walks across 39 World power until '91 41 New title for a bride 43 Italian cardinal Borgia 44 Riddle, part 2 48 "-- a son gout" ("Each to one's own taste") 51 Big-billed bird 52 Actress Novak 53 See 36-Across 54 Violin master Hilary 55 Big-billed bird 58 Increase 61 Belief set 62 Just slightly 64 Insects in forest trails 65 E. African country 67 Riddle, part 3 74 River in Switzerland

75 Real heels 76 More like heaven's gates?

77 In the company of 81 19th-century German industrialist Alfred 83 Roman 2,505 84 Sphere 85 Root used to make poi 86 Darjeeling, e.g.

87 Singer Ocasek of the Cars 89 Like the firstborn child 91 End of the riddle 97 Soprano Auger or actress Sorkin 98 Soccer's Hamm 99 West African land 100 Big name in baseball cards 104 Put on anew, as a play 106 "Lili" studio 108 Done, in France 110 Liquid in la Seine 111 Riddle's answer 116 Major port in Japan 119 Terrarium creature 120 Like firefighters and cyclists 121 Swanky watch 122 Like single-guy bands 123 Extensive essay 124 Megaphone noise 125 Mole zappers 126 Former JFK jet 127 Behaves DOWN 1 Some afghans 2 #1 Billboard song, often 3 Hamper

4 Arctic diver 5 Say "Ouch!," say 6 Pelvic-base bone 7 Least ruddy 8 Piece of work 9 More skilled 10 Big wave 11 Hard-working people 12 Whale variety 13 Is compliant 14 Formal arguer 15 Redresses 16 17th Greek letter 17 R&D site 18 A single one 20 Mauna -27 Exchanges for bills 28 "Attack, Rover!"

33 "Tara Road" novelist Binchy 34 Curved 35 -- -Canada (oil giant) 37 Many a meal on a blanket 38 Beatles' bud Sutcliffe 40 Fleecy male 42 Noted Fifth Ave. store 45 Puzzlement 46 Started a play-for-pay career 47 Drunk, slangily 48 Cartoonist Addams, for short 49 Padlock part 50 "Alas" 56 Frat party dispenser 57 Place to stay the night 59 Off-road trucks, briefly 60 British verb suffix 61 Singer of the hit "Believe" 63 Neither hor. nor vert.

64 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 77 78 79 80 often 82 83 86 88 90 92 93 94 95 96 101 102 103 105 107 109 112 113 114 115 116 117 118

Take -- (doze) Go on a trip Hosp. part Tach abbr.

"My pleasure!"

Suffix with multimillion Roger of "Cheers" "Darn it all!"

In a conflict Skiing gold medalist Phil Tough tests Student at a lecture, Chicago mayor Emanuel Golden Arches java chain Faint trace Suffix of elements Drunk, slangily Cleaver Musical tone qualities "I dunno!"

Detrains, e.g.

Dawdles Relating to digestion Least ruddy High-end leathers Rave about Cheek tooth Speck in the sea Sushi staple Some male dolls Doc bloc Prefix with tarsal Sphere Fa-la link -- mode

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

those families about availability of resources to meet their needs. Data entry, complete reports, DQG PDLQWDLQV ¿OHV 0XVW be able to work with diverse populations. Associates degree in human service preferred but not required. Experience in 0LFURVRIW RI¿FH VWURQJ customer service skills required. To be considered please apply at www.mountainprojects. org AA/EOE MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available. 833-990-0354

Livestock BRING YOUR HORSES TO HIGHLANDS NC. 4 STALLS IN FIRST CLASS BARN FOR RENT. TWO PASTURES. TRAILER PARKING. SERVICES PROVIDED. ACCESS TO MILES OF FOREST TRAILS IN BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC HORSE COVE. TXT 828.200.3217

ATTENTION SENIORS AGES 40-85 Great Deal!

Low Cost Life Insurance to help pay for funeral cost and more! Everyone 4XDOL¿HV $SSO\ 7RGD\ DW 407-960-4782

Personal

Medical

Home Goods

GUARANTEED LIFE INSURANCE! (Ages 50 to 80). No medical exam. Affordable premiums never LQFUHDVH %HQH¿WV QHYHU decrease. Policy will only be cancelled for non-payment. 833-380-1218

GENERAC STANDBY GENERATORS Don’t Wait! The weather is increasingly unpredictable.

Be. prepared for power outages. FREE 7-yr ext. warranty ($695 value!)

Schedule your Free InHome assessment today.

1-833-953-0224, special ¿QDQFLQJ IRU TXDOL¿HG customers.

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

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

WANTED I’m looking for someone to write. Someone to be my friend! I’m a wonderful artist - I do tattoos. I’ve been down a long dark road, but I won’t OHW P\ IDLOXUHV GH¿QH PH For good conversation look me up: Robert Martin NCDOC # 0837702, 2OG /DQG¿OO 5G Taylorsville, NC 28681.

Serious inquiries only.

Pets USE THE PATENTED FLEA BEACON To control Fleas in the home without toxic aerosols or

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

38

www.smokymountainnews.com

July 28-August 3, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

expensive exterminators.

Results Overnight! N.C. Clampitt Hardware, 4882782, www.kennelvax. com PITBULL TERRIER MIX- JUDD black & white, 7 years old.

Low-key guy. Love sunbathing, playing in water or with toys.

Love being petted.

(828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org BROWN & WHITE TABBY CAT,NOODLE 1 year old handsome guy; likes to sleep, watch birds. Independent but friendly; enjoy people without being clingy. (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE QUOTES! Call: 855-8212782 FOR SALE 11,000 sq foot commercial building on Main Street, Sylva.

9,000 sq feet heated, zoned general merchandise. $64/sq ft. Call for more info. Serious inquiries only. (828) 226-8572 PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex,

CASTILLO

Tree Service, Etc, Inc.

• Dangerous Tree Removal • Pruning • Creating Views

FREE ESTIMATES • INSURED

828-342-3024

saulcastillo7212@gmail.com

handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’.

Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

at once in your home.

HBO Max FREE for 1 yr (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) Call for more details today! (some restrictions apply) Call IVS 1-855-548-9839

Rentals

Home Improvement

TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS. Wesley Financial Group, LLC. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019.

Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare!

Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844-213-6711

Automotive A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR, RUNNING OR NOT!! FAST FREE PICKUP. Maximum tax deduction. Support United Breast Cancer Fdn programs. Your car donation could save a life. 888641-9690

Entertainment AT&T TV - The Best of Live & On-Demand On All Your Favorite Screens.

CHOICE Package, $84.99/mo for 12months.

Stream on 20 devices

CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN? Switch to DIRECTV & Save + get $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply, call now! 1-888-5202338

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

Professional installation.

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

Ask about our specials!

Legal, Financial and Tax CREDIT CARD DEBT RELIEF! Reduce payment by up to 50%! Get one LOW affordable payment/month. Reduce interest. Stop calls. FREE no-obligation consultation Call 888-841-0674

gold city storage call 800 713 7767 goldcitystorage.com 5 Acres of Outside Storage 10 Units of Inside Storage Electronic Access 9410 Sylva RD HWY 441 franklin, NC

www.wncmarketplace.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

July 28-August 3, 2021

WNC MarketPlace

39

40

Smoky Mountain News July 28-August 3, 2021