Troxler: raw milk puts human health at risk Page 27
On the Cover:
William Bartram became famous in the 18th century for his travels throughout Western North Carolina, during which he wrote prolifically and created sketches to show people what he encountered. Now, as Bartram’s work continues to inspire generations of nature lovers in and around the Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy is hosting a variety of events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his travels. (Page 24) Micah McClure illustration with images from the American Philosophical Society and wikipedia.org
News
Ken Brown pledges local control, servant leadership in 118th District bid......4 No tax increase proposed for Macon............................................................................6 Budget increases, millage rate decreases in Jackson..............................................7 Haywood County Schools proposes ‘innovative middle school’..........................8 Raccoon Creek Bike Park one step closer to reality ..............................................9 Crane leads the charge to form tribunal for Russian crimes of aggression....10 Meet Revolutionary War general at Haywood County Library............................12
Opinion
Reclaiming the flag on No Kings Day..........................................................................14 Edwards is misguided in praising Trump....................................................................14
A&E
Lonesome wind: Upstream Rebellion to play Folkmoot Center..........................16 Blow the tannery whistle: Bradbury still burns, 72 years later ............................19
Outdoors
Troxler: Raw milk puts human health at risk..............................................................26 Discover the Smokies with new summer and fall public programs....................27
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Ken Brown pledges local control, servant leadership in 118th District bid
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Sales executive Ken Brown says he’ll enter the Republican Primary for North Carolina’s 118th House District, setting up a challenge to incumbent Rep. Mark Pless.
Arelative newcomer to electoral politics but a familiar figure in conservative circles, Brown will campaign on a platform of “servant leadership,” with an emphasis on collaboration, transparency and deference to local governments.
News of Brown’s entry was first reported by The Smoky Mountain News on May 22.
“I’ve been steeped in communication and collaboration and listening for what the problems are,” said Brown, whose corporate background is in “complex sales,” a field that he says involves many stakeholders, many problems and large budgets. “The whole motivation for being here is jurisdictional control, government close to the people, local autonomy. I don’t care if they’re even doing something that I disagree with — if they’re duly elected and the people knew why they voted for these people and what they stood for, who am I to tell them what they ought to do?”
Brown’s comment strikes directly at the heart of what some say is Pless’ indifference to or outright defiance of municipalities in his twocounty district. Although Pless has brought tens of millions of dollars back to his district over the past four years, controversial local bills affecting Maggie Valley, Waynesville and the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority have earned Pless plenty of ire.
In February, Pless filed a bill that would have stripped the TDA of its authority to collect the county’s 4% room occupancy tax, effectively dismantling the organization. But when the bill came out of committee, it looked completely different — authorizing county commissioners to increase the rate to 6% but in doing so reducing the size of the TDA board and eliminating all municipal representation and zip code spending requirements. After overhead, the TDA spends about $3 million a year on tourism-related marketing
and capital projects.
“I like the 6% part of it. I don’t like the strings part of it,” Brown said. “I see the bill as worsening [transparency] by taking municipal representation off of the board.”
Waynesville’s Town Council has been outspoken in opposing many of Pless’ initiatives, including among other things his push for partisan elections and his backing of “Team Waynesville” — Tre Franklin, Stephanie Sutton and Peggy Hannah — which in 2023 attempted but failed to unseat members of the current Council.
Maggie Valley has plenty of beef, too. In 2023, Pless introduced legislation that removed Maggie Valley’s authority to exercise powers in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, effectively eliminating the town’s ability to regulate development in areas just outside its boundaries. This move was seen as retribution for the town’s temporary moratorium on RV parks and campgrounds, which Pless opposed.
Pless argued that the town’s actions infringed on property rights. Jim Owens, a Maggie Valley alderman, said at the time, “A junior representative in Raleigh wants to decide what’s best for Maggie Valley. I don’t think that voters and
“The whole motivation for being here is jurisdictional control, government close to the people, local autonomy. I don’t care if they’re even doing something that I disagree with — if they’re duly elected and the people knew why they voted for these people and what they stood for, who am I to tell them what they ought to do?”
— Ken Brown
the citizens in Maggie Valley appreciate that.”
Most recently, Pless made good on his promise to advocate for Maggie Valley residents seeking, for various reasons, deannexation from the town. The bill remains in the House finance committee.
Districtwide, Pless introduced bills that would remove county control over EMS services and shift certification standards to a national registry. Local EMS officials, including Haywood County’s EMS director, expressed concerns that these changes would lower service quality and reduce local accountability.
The common thread is Pless’ willingness to act in ways he feels are helpful but local officials feel are intrusive.
Brown’s website mentions the phrase “servant leadership” repeatedly. Asked to define it, he broke it down into four components — meet-
Ken Brown has become the first candidate to challenge incumbent Haywood County Republican Rep. Mark Pless in a Primary Election. Ken Brown photo
ing constituent needs, leading with humility and empathy, promoting empowerment and collaborative listening.
“The reality is, it’s about listening and understanding people’s problems, connecting the dots between people’s problems within an organization where there’s lots of stakeholders, and then presenting ideas to solve those problems,” Brown said.
While much of the public attention around Pless has focused on his high-profile disputes with local governments, his work in the General Assembly encompasses a far larger legislative portfolio.
On economic development — especially after Hurricane Helene — Brown stopped short of laying out a detailed plan but said his experience working with large corporations could prove valuable in attracting jobs to the region.
“Those companies are my comfort zone,” he said. “I think I would stand a very good chance of being able to foster those relationships and move that kind of thing forward.”
Brown cited the county’s strong labor pool as a positive however, there are more factors at play. North Carolina has repeatedly been cited as the top state in which to do business but has also been called one of the worst states for workers. The General Assembly’s push to eliminate income taxes altogether over the next few years has excited both businesses and workers, however others caution the state is headed for a massive fiscal cliff or severe cuts to critical services.
“I love the idea of going to zero, as long as the other side of the equal sign gets its offsetting parameters,” Brown said.
never really an issue. It’s something that I would say would be easy for me to be sensitive to but I hate to say without hindsight how I would mitigate that.”
Looking ahead to redistricting following the 2030 census, Brown said if he’s elected and reelected down the road, he hopes to approach the redistricting process with integrity but also acknowledged the political realities.
“I like to do the right thing, and I like to sleep well at night,” he said. “At the same time, it’s difficult to say that I’m totally impervious to the idea of giving myself an advantage. Without seeing what that census data would say out on a map ... what I’d like to see is logical districts.”
Probably the only realistic chance to unseat Pless will come in the Republican Primary Election; first elected to the General Assembly in 2020, Pless has never faced a Primary Election opponent and has only seen light opposition from Democrats in the past three General Elections. Over that time, Pless has never failed to earn at least 60% of the vote.
Then, there’s the Republican-led General Assembly’s conservative social bent, which has helped some members get reelected, again and again, despite real-world financial impact of initiatives like HB2 — the controversial “bathroom bill.”
Apple, along with dozens of other major corporations — including PayPal, Deutsche Bank and the NCAA — publicly condemned the bill. Apple stated at the time, “Apple stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love … our future as Americans should be focused on inclusion and prosperity, and not discrimination in division. We were disappointed to see governor McCrory sign this legislation.”
The broader economic consequences of socially divisive legislation aren’t lost on Brown.
“I’m very sensitive to the fact that Apple has the demographics that they have,” he said. “I’ve worked for San Francisco-based companies most of my career. All of America’s a melting pot. San Francisco is a melting pot within a melting pot. It was just
Haywood County but also Madison County, where he has performed about as well as he has in Haywood County. Madison only contributes about half the amount of votes to the district totals as Haywood does, and but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.
In fact, Madison County connections could matter more in this election than ever before — Pless and Brown are both from Haywood County, and The Smoky Mountain News is aware of unconfirmed reports that three other Republicans, all from Haywood County, are also considering entry into the race.
Splitting the Haywood County vote five ways just might mean that Madison County will have a larger-than-normal impact on the results.
“The group of folks that I’m working with are very conscious of the fact that we need to have Madison County,” he said. “There are things in the works to make sure that happens.”
The candidate filing period for the 2026 General Election begins on Dec. 1. The Primary Election will take place on March 3, 2026. For more information on the 2026 elections, visit ncsbe.gov.
Rep. Mark Pless. File photo
No tax increase proposed for Macon
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER
Macon County’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget maintains the current tax rate, even as county revenues are projected to increase slightly.
“Revenues are slightly higher due to an increase in the taxable value of properties,” said County Manager Warren Cabe in his first ever budget presentation to county commissioners. “Revenues are also slightly higher due to increased quantities of service fees that are collected, building permits, environmental health permits, various things that go through our processes.”
Sales tax revenues are not projected to increase in the coming fiscal year.
“A couple years ago, you had some really big upswings in those and that was very positive for us financially, but one of the things we’ve seen is that basically those are remaining flat, where they were last year,” said Cabe. “So we’re not seeing a really big increase in our sales tax numbers.”
The proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget is $64,711,599, up from $63,074,000 in the current fiscal year.
“What we’re giving you this year is based on the same tax rate that we had last year, so the value of your properties has gone up, so you’re generating a little more money off of those,” said Cabe. “That gives you the ability to tackle some of these projects and some of these endeavors that we have without having to increase that tax.”
The majority of budget revenues, about 56%, comes from tax collections, which are estimated to equal about $36 million in the coming fiscal year. Sales tax money is expected to generate another $14 million.
“You have a lot of things that you can accomplish this year,” Cabe told commissioners.
The biggest portion of expenses in the budget is public safety at 31% of expenditures, and the second largest category is human services at 22%. After that comes education at 19% of expenditures and then general government at 14%.
“Most people, when you say public safety, they think law enforcement, but that also includes your code enforcement folks, so all of that’s under your public safety section there,” said Cabe.
need to have that opportunity to make that decision if they desire to do that.”
The four new positions proposed in the budget include two sheriff’s deputies and one part-time school resource officer. Cabe said he included those positions because the sheriff’s oepartment was able to absorb those positions within their operating budget, so that there was no overall increase to their budget financially.
Cabe also approved one new position for the Department of Social Services due to high volume.
“One of the concerns that we have based on those num-
county could not fund that amount, which would have constituted a $2.2 million increase over the current year funding allotment. Instead, the proposed budget allocated $10,491,774 to the school system, which represents a $400,000 increase over the current year budget.
On the school system’s capital improvement request was the need for a new East Franklin Elementary School, at an estimated $36 million. Cabe recommended the county prepare to apply for the same Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant that supplied $62 million for the new Franklin High School. The award for a new elementary school is capped at $42 million.
The proposed budget includes a 3% cost of living adjustment for Macon County employees.
“I want to remind the board that that’s not a raise, that’s an adjustment based on industry standards that says something that you bought this time last year for a dollar at this point would cost you a dollar and three cents,” Cabe explained. “We do those adjustments to make sure that the purchasing power is the same. It’s not a raise, it’s not necessarily giving them a bump in pay, it’s a calculated adjustment to make sure that they’re making the same amount of money at least that they were last year, that they have the same purchasing power.”
The budget also contains a proposal to help retain and recruit new employees, those who have been with the county between five and 10 years. Employees will be eligible for a longevity payment after five years of working with the county where previously, longevity payments were only given after 10 years of employment.
There were 17 new positions request by different departments in the budget process. Of those, Cabe only approved four to include in his budget proposal.
“One of the difficult things that I have to do is figure out somewhere in the middle there, what we can afford to pay, what our needs are and come up with some sort of a compromise and then present that to you,” said Cabe. “I encourage them to challenge us. If you have the case and you need to come before us in a work session, I challenge them to come do that and make their case. It’s ok if they come up here and say, ‘I know he said no, but we need a yes.’ You all
bers is to make sure we have enough social workers to match the amount of cases that are coming through there,” said Cabe.
The department had requested three additional employees during the budget process.
“I was ok with one of those coming into that position and the reason I put this in the proposal is at least 50% of that position is paid for by North Carolina,” said Cabe. “So, all the positions that I included in here were either absorbed within the organizational budget that we already had or were funded at least partially from some other agency somewhere.”
Emergency services requested five employees during the budget process but did not get approval for any of the positions.
“One management position was converted over to a field tech position for EMS,” said Cabe. “That was the position that I vacated there. We’ve done some reorganization there … I took that one management position that I had and converted it over to a field tech position and split up some of those other duties, so that’s where that position came from.”
Cabe recommended that the county complete a salary study in the coming fiscal year to create a five-year plan. But rather than contracting someone from outside the county to complete the salary study he recommended that staff to the study internally.
Macon County Schools requested an allocation of $12,377,245 for FY 2025-26, but according to Cabe, the
The county has not decided yet whether it will fund $250,000 for the free lunch program, to cover the cost of school meals where students do not receive free meals through the Community Eligibility Program. Last year that money was funded through the county’s unassigned fund bal-
“I’m not gonna argue the benefits either way of the program, I certainly know there are folks that deserve that,” said Cabe. “[Last year] you funded that expense out of your fund balance; it’s supposed to be a one-time expense, that’s usually what you fund with those type funds. My suggestion for you for that would be to wait until July and then address that. Have them come to you.”
The proposed budget includes $510,439 in operation funding to Southwestern Community College, a slight increase over the current year allocation. The county will also fund $125,600 for capital expenditures at SCC.
“They actually had a much bigger list than that, including $800,000 for a driving range and some other things that they wanted included, but we were able to include enough funds to replace the roof on a modular unit, do some electrical system repairs, a water heating system replacement, some paint and some railing replacements.”
The county will fund a 3.58% increase to the Fontana Regional Library system for a total allocation of $1,255,634 to operate libraries in Macon County.
Total debt service for the county this year will be $9,554,133. All but $120,000 of the county debt is currently tied to education.
The only fee changes recommended are to the EMS billing rate structure. Macon County typically sets rates based on the allowable Medicare fee structure for rural areas and this has not been adjusted since 2021, which will result in an anticipated increase in service fees of $200,000.
“Macon County is in a strong position to move forward into the future meeting the needs of the current generation and future generations alike,” Cabe wrote in his budget message. “This budget is designed for efficient and effective services generating as much return as possible for the investment.”
Downtown Franklin, NC. Harrison Keely photo
Budget increases, millage rate decreases in Jackson
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
The proposed Jackson County budget for fiscal year 202526 contains a six cent decrease in the millage rate, and yet, for most people in Jackson County, property tax bills will increase significantly.
The county underwent a property revaluation this year which resulted in a massive increase in real property taxable value for Jackson. Prior to the revaluation, real property taxable value stood at about $11.45 billion. As of Jan. 1, that number had increased by almost $7 billion, or 60%, to about $18.4 billion.
“We’re projecting the tax base to grow nearly $7 billion, over 60%, which is a huge amount” Tax Collector Tabitha Ashe said when she presented the information to the board in January. “In 2021 it went up 17%, maybe $1 or $2 billion.”
Following a property revaluation of such scale, the county makes significantly more money from property taxes. Therefore, counties have the option to choose the revenue neutral rate — a lower millage rate that results in the same revenue as was garnered from a higher millage rate prior to revaluation — or to maintain the same tax rate which results in higher property tax revenues for the county.
In this case, for the 2025-26 fiscal year, the revenue neutral rate would have been $0.2691 per $100 of assessed property value. That’s the rate that would have produced the same revenue as property taxes in last year’s budget when the millage rate was $0.38 per $100 of assessed property value.
However, when King presented the budget to the board on May 20, the property tax rate was proposed at $0.32 per $100 of assessed property value. This means that despite a decrease in the tax rate, most people’s property taxes will actually increase because the rate is above the revenue neutral rate.
King said that by his analysis of tax rates in North Carolina, the $0.32 rate will make Jackson County the county with the fourth-lowest property tax rate in the state.
position reclassifications requested for FY 25-26. In the proposed budget King recommended two new full-time real property appraisers; one full-time computer and GIS support tech for elections; two full-time general utility workers for grounds; one full-time lieutenant school resource officer, one full-time evidence technician and two full-time road patrol deputies.
“These are the animal control offers that are going to be utilizing the sheriff’s department for enforcement,” King said of the two full-time road patrol deputies. “It’s a hybrid, so they’re going to be dealing with the enforcement piece from
amount of $3,010,437. It will increase funding for Jackson County Libraries by 2%, allocating $1,415,000 to the Fontana Regional Library system to operate both the Jackson County Library and the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers.
It is proposed that Canada, Savannah and Balsam volunteer fire departments receive a 5% increase in allocation.
Cullowhee Fire Department is being funded at $1,325,550.
“This will enable the department to increase the paid member on staff 24/7,” said King. “Mutual aid is provided to other departments within the county. This proposed funding amount provides enough funding for 11 full-time fire personnel.”
“We’re still meeting all the needs of our citizens and keeping the tax rate as low as possible,” said King.
“The proposed general budget is balanced in accordance with the state law and revenues and expenditures totaling $106,938,560,” King told the board in his budget presentation. “The proposed budget will constitute an approximate increase of 4.46% over the current fiscal year 2025 amended budget. All proposals within the general fund are based upon a budget with a tax rate of 32 cents per $100 of value which is a six-cent decrease.”
The current fiscal year 2024-25 budget was approved at $93.8 million.
Some of the biggest expenditures are public safety at 24.97% of the total budget, education at 21.6%, human services at 18.44% and general government at 17.08%.
The proposed FY 25-26 budget contains several personnel recommendations including a one-step increase on the career path for all employees and a 2% cost of living adjustment.
“It is recommended that all employees move up one step in the current grade and step plan,” said King. “This action is necessary to maintain the career path system and then also the 2% COLA.”
King also recommended that bonus leave be changed from two-and-a-half days to 40 hours per employee per year, to give staff additional time.
According to King, there were several new positions and
Hospitalization and dental insurance premiums will increase by 2%. The employee rates will remain the same. Worker’s compensation insurance and liability insurance will increase by 2%.
Capital needs in the FY 25-26 budget are estimated at $4,070,140. Of that, $1.5 million will go toward equipment, $1.2 million will be spent on vehicles and $1.3 million will be spent on improvements.
The county is proposing an allocation of $10,771,553 to Jackson County Public Schools, which is a 6.6% increase from the current year budget. This includes $8,509,518 for current operations, $928,222 in teacher supplements, $483,813 for counselors, $700,000 for free lunches at all schools and $150,000 for the new JROTC program.
The school system’s capital outlay totals $1,455,700 and includes technology expenses, one-to-one devices for students, maintenance and security.
County staff are also recommending an additional $2,974,901 for public school capital expenditures in FY 2526 out of Articles 40 and 42 sales taxes, as well as $2,889,000 out of the Article 46 sales tax fund to be used for educational purposes.
“These sales tax funds, grants and available lottery proceeds will be part of the funding for the public schools FY 2529 facility capital improvement plan,” said King.
The county will increase its allocation to Southwestern Community College by 3% in the coming fiscal year for an
Slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles
The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program and state and local law enforcement are launching a statewide enforcement campaign to remind drivers of the importance of the Move Over Law.
Qualla Fire Department is being funded at $1,179,993.
“Due to the volume of calls, this will enable the department to have paid members of staff 24/7,” said King. “The district coordinator positions at the department will be eliminated. Mutual aid is provided to other departments within the county. The proposed funding amount provides enough funding for 8 full-time fire personnel.”
The Sylva Fire Department is being funded at $1,187,602.
“This will enable the department to increase the paid member on staff 24/7,” said King. “The proposed funding amount provides enough funding for 10 full-time fire personnel. The Town of Sylva has added one additional personnel with town funds to the operations allowing for 11 full-time personnel.”
The Glenville-Cashiers contract for ambulance service is recommended to increase to $1,550,881. This increase includes a 3% cost of living adjustment and an additional funding for station 2. A debt payment of $350,000 is being recommended for the new GlenvilleCashiers rescue squad facility at a cost of $4,500,000.
Harris EMS contract for ambulance service is recommended to increase to 2,174,023. This allows for three additional employees and a market adjustment for the employees.
The budget proposes that most nonprofits be funded at the current FY 24-25 levels. However, an increase is proposed for AWAKE, Cashiers Chamber of Commerce, Center for Domestic Peace and the HERE program.
New funding has been proposed for Village Green and Vision Cashiers.
Mountain Projects’ request of $1,500,000 for Webster Village Partnership was recommended to be funded over a two-year period. The final $750,000 is included in this proposal.
Changes are being made to the fee schedule for recreation department fees; solid waste availability fee recommendations will remain the same.
“The budget process is never simple or easy,” said King. “It takes time, effort and the necessary ability to make hard choices and sometimes unpopular recommendations. We strive to include all necessary expenditures without the need to increase the tax rate. I would like to thank all county employees, elected officials and organizations who work hard to provide the eservices to the citizens of Jackson County.”
The county was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the budget during its June 3 meeting and is tentatively expected to approve the budget during its June 17 meeting.
erty is damaged.
North Carolina’s Move Over Law requires drivers to move over a lane or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road with flashing blue, red or amber lights. The law protects law enforcement officers, emergency services workers and people working along the roadside with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
People who violate the Move Over Law could face a $250 fine and misdemeanor or felony charges, if someone is injured or prop-
“Slowing down and moving over is a simple way to help protect law enforcement, first responders, and others who work on the roads at all hours of the day,” said Colonel Freddy Johnson Jr., commander of the N.C. State Highway Patrol. “These emergency personnel work in dangerous situations all the time, but drivers really increase that risk for them when they ignore the flashing lights and don’t comply with the law.”
Haywood County Schools proposes ‘innovative middle school’
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
Haywood County Schools is moving ahead with plans for a new “innovative middle school,” aimed at addressing longstanding concerns from families who feel traditional middle school offerings don’t meet every student’s needs.
The proposal, discussed during a June 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, includes a request for up to $900,000 in renovations that would help bring the new concept to life.
Assistant Superintendent Graham Haynes explained the rationale behind the new middle school model.
“Through listen-and-learns, we’ve learned that there are some families that don’t necessarily like our offerings for middle school. Our middle schools are great, but every kid is different, and some aren’t as focused on the social aspects or maybe athletics,” Haynes said. “They really just want to hammer down and learn and have an accelerated curriculum.”
The new middle school, developed in partnership with Haywood Community College, would be academically rigorous and somewhat analogous to Haywood Early College. Though it would not offer college courses — since students are still in middle school — the “innovative middle school” aims to accelerate their learning paths, giving them a head start on future college credit opportunities.
Haynes said the model could include advanced coursework like environmental science, typically taught in ninth grade, introduced as early as seventh grade. This would prepare students to take college-level Career and College Promise dual enrollment courses once they enter high school.
The district plans to house the innovative middle school
in the current Dogwood Building, home to Haywood Early College. That early college program, which serves high school students seeking both diplomas and associate degrees, would relocate to the Poplar Building, the former nursing building on the HCC campus.
“That building hasn’t been used in a while, it just needs some updates, nothing major, but some updates,” said Haynes.
Currently, the Early College enrolls about 160 to 170 students, Haynes said. That figure provides a rough framework for the potential size of the new middle school, but district officials are taking a measured approach.
“If we start with 50 or 60, then we start with 50 or 60, and we’ll grow from there,” Haynes said.
In addition to diversifying student offerings and creating opportunities for accelerated learners, the plan also creates room for growth at the Early College. By moving the Early College to a larger building, Haynes said the program could
expand if the demand is there.
“Hopefully we’ll draw in some more students to Haywood County Schools with this offering. That’s our goal,” he said.
The proposal received support from commissioners, including those with firsthand knowledge of the benefits of dual enrollment.
“That early college option is a fantastic option for the right students, for sure,” said Commissioner Jennifer Best. “It really sets them ahead in their educational journey. As a parent, I can tell you, middle school is not a cake walk. It is tough, and so hopefully this will improve that for some of those kids and parents.”
Legislative support for initiatives like this may also be on the way. Commissioner Tommy Long, who also represents the seven western counties for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, recently reviewed budget proposals in the House that would provide more funding for career education and early colleges.
“There are several things in the House budget that provide more funding for that,” Long said.
Despite the budget request, the district’s ambitions are long-term. Officials see the innovative middle school not as an experimental pilot, but as a new track to address shifting educational needs and augment academic achievement.
“It’s been a very successful program,” Haynes said, referring to the Early College. “I think it’s benefited us. It’s benefited Haywood County. So any more we can do to help along with that and get some students exposed to what HCC can offer and on an accelerated path, I think will be very beneficial.”
For the 2023-24 school year, Haywood County Schools was ranked sixth in the state out of 115 school districts — the highest in history.
File photo
Raccoon Creek Bike Park one step closer to
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
OLITICS E DITOR
Along-anticipated recreation project in Haywood County took a significant step forward on June 2 as commissioners accepted a bid for the construction of Raccoon Creek Bike Park.
McGill & Associates, the county’s engineering consultant, formally recommended Haywood County-based Appalachian Sitework, Inc. for the $1.3 million construction contract, marking a major milestone in the project’s timeline. The bid was the lowest of four received.
The county will use $850,000 in excess interest earnings to cover the remainder of project costs. In addition to the county’s financial contribution, the project is funded by a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, $100,000 from the North Carolina Trails Committee and $150,000 from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.
The bike park, located on the 76-acre site of a former landfill, will support both tourism and quality of life for locals. The 15,000 square-foot pump track features a circular trail with berms and rollers. A pavilion with restrooms will also be built, but a proposed playground is not included in the con-
tract and will be addressed separately at a later date.
The bike park is part of a broader push to boost outdoor infrastructure across Western North Carolina as demand for bike trails and other outdoor recreational activities grows.
Brandon Rogers, Haywood County commissioner and country recreation board member, said the county had worked long and hard on the project and that he was excited about the possibilities it would bring.
“I think it’s a great asset to the county,” Rogers said. “You know, we hear a lot of times that our young folks don’t have a lot to do… not only that, from the events that we can hold at that bike park and bring some dollars into the county, I think it’s a great thing.”
Deputy County Manager Kris Boyd said he was familiar with Appalachian Sitework’s projects and was confident the company would do a good job.
Appalachian Sitework will complete the project with 190 days of the final contract’s execution. Mobilization is expected this month. Boyd said the project likely to have a Spring 2026 opening.
Once complete, Raccoon Creek will be the second major bike park in Haywood County, after Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Park opened in April 2022.
Highway Patrol promotes safe driving
An estimated 45 million Americans are expected to travel domestically this Memorial Day weekend with 87% of those people taking road trips, according to AAA. As the Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol will utilize educational and enforcement efforts to reduce collisions from leading factors such as speeding, impaired and distracted driving, as well as reducing the severity of collisions through the enforcement of restraint laws. Memorial Day also marks the start of the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers as the summer months historically see an increase
in teen driving deaths. Parents and teens are encouraged to strictly adhere to North Carolina graduated driving requirements.
Additionally, the State Highway Patrol will be partnering with the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign. This campaign involves two seven-day enforcement periods, with the first being May 19-25 and the second being May 26-June 1. The campaign emphasis is being placed on seat belt and child restraint violations.
Motorists can report dangerous driving behaviors to the State Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47).
The county is pushing for a Spring 2026 opening. Haywood County photo
Crane leads the charge
Prosecutor wants tribunal to prosecute Russia for crimes of aggression
BY KYLE P ERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
At odd hours of the day and night, Maggie Valley resident David Crane grabs a cup of coffee, meanders to the basement of his mountain cabin and speaks with the members of the high-level international workgroup he chairs. The aim: Establish a court through which to try Vladimir Putin and others for crimes of aggression against Ukraine.
mation of a tribunal.
On the way, Crane and his working group have drafted several white papers making the case against Putin and highlevel associates for multiple crimes of aggression and war crimes. The first white paper came in at 276 pages and was released in April 2022. One appendix in that paper includes a “crime narrative” that lists specific incidents in the first two months of the war and how they are violations of international law. The perpetrator listed for almost every incident is Russia.
“The people of Ukraine are not in this fight alone, and the international system of justice must step up and fulfill its role as a mechanism of accountability,” the first draft
Crane isn’t new to this world. In the early 2000s, he was the chief prosecutor for the Special Court of Sierra Leone, through which he prosecuted the warlord and thenLiberian President Charles Taylor, who committed countless war crimes and crimes against humanity. Crane was the first American to be at the head of a war crimes tribunal since Robert Jackson at Nuremberg after World War II.
When Crane spoke in front of a group shortly after the 2022 invasion, someone in the audience asked what an indictment — which at that point hadn’t yet come to fruition — might tangibly mean for Putin. Would he be able to travel internationally without being arrested? If he just stays in
may be a political circumstance by which Russia would hand Putin over for a fair and open trial like the international community did handing over Charles Taylor to me for a fair and open trial.”
Members of the group Crane chairs have teamed up numerous times over the past four decades, and Crane said they would fly to meet up in Europe for important discussions multiple times per month.
However, now he said he works about 20 hours per week, something made possible by Zoom’s ascension. During the pandemic, out-of-office workers across the country gathered regularly in front of their computer screens to keep their businesses afloat; Crane, from his quaint Maggie Valley abode, discussed how to prosecute one of the world’s most dangerous dictators with people from the United States, Canada, Sweden and South Africa.
“I used to have to fly across the Atlantic,
mission in the days immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In March 2023, Putin was indicted on a war crime related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, after three years of “political maneuvering,” as he called it, a new milestone has been achieved as the international community has signed off on the for-
peril.”
In response to Crane’s work, Putin banned him from traveling to any Russian Federation territories, something he has since worn as a sort of badge of honor.
we never get him into court,” Crane said. “It doesn’t matter; it’s for life. It paints his history. It is the ultimate ash mark on his forehead. The only thing that could be worse for him is he’s brought in the court. And there
when you’re spending so much travel time in the air, you can’t really be productive.”
Crane described that over the last three years, the white papers which have served as guides for their efforts has necessarily been updated to include F
David Crane holds up a copy of his book, ‘Every Living Thing: Facing Down Terrorists, Warlords, and Thugs in West Africa — A Story of Justice.’ Kyle Perrotti photo
new alleged perpetrators and crimes; the fourth edition is set to publish soon. Despite an indictment — something Crane certainly celebrated — there have been and remain plenty of hurdles to clear. Crane is quick to point out that setting into motion this justice mechanism is a political process with critical challenges on multiple fronts; there are numerous relevant parties, each with different interests and concerns regarding each specific element of the process.
The United Nations Security Council normally creates tribunals, but this is the first instance that the alleged perpetrator is a permanent member of the Security Council, so the measure has to go to the U.N. General Assembly and receive favorable votes from two-thirds of the countries. The working group prepared such a resolution while also drafting a statute under which the crimes could be prosecuted that would be signed by the UN and Ukraine.
As of now, 140 countries have signed on.
“[Putin]
because the U.S. is an aggressor,” he said.
While many criticize President Donald Trump for his perceived indifference — or even loyalty — toward Putin, Crane said Trump doesn’t seem to care one way or the other about the formation of the tribunal and has stayed out of the way — a fortunate change, as far as he’s concerned. Instead of encouraging the formation of a tribunal, the United States, under former President Joe Biden, proved its loyalty to Ukraine through sending weapons and funding to defend itself against the Russian incursion.
is an indicted war criminal, even if we never get him into court. It doesn’t matter; it’s for life. It paints his history. It is the ultimate ash mark on his forehead. The only thing that could be worse for him is he’s brought in the court.”
In December, the core group and the Council of Europe tweaked the statute and eventually agreed to language that seemed appropriate. Next, Ukraine had to buy in. The statute went to Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May, and on May 9, Ukraine agreed to move forward.
o Susan H
The force behind Crane’s campaign was strong, but then, on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated terror attack that killed over 1,100 Israelis.
“The political momentum of the whole world shifted from Ukraine to Gaza, and the political interest in creating that tribunal went away,” Crane said.
The working group decided to meet in person in Washington, D.C., to discuss other options. Why not just create a group of UN member states that could come together and create their own tribunal, like at Nuremberg when France, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom came together to create their own tribunal?
“There’s historical and legal precedent to do it … Let’s call it the Multinational Court for the Crime of Aggression,” Crane said.
A “multinational core group,” as crane called it, was formed. Initially, 40 nations signed up; now that number is about 45, although it ebbs and flows. About three-quarters of those nations are European.
— David Crane
Next for Crane and his increasingly large cohort is sorting out logistical details, including hiring the right people to create the court, which likely be held at The Hague in The Netherlands. Crane hopes the actual court will begin its work sometime this upcoming winter. Of course, things can always change and there is much work to be done, but Crane is happy about this latest victory in his quest to prosecute Putin and others.
While Putin could potentially have to be tried in absentia, which produces its own set of challenges, and he may not ever again venture into a country or territory where he’d risk arrest, Crane is intent on carrying on. After all, one never knows what the future holds, and even if Putin is never apprehended, there are several others mentioned in the white papers who have allegedly perpetrated war crimes.
A political foundation was built, but the United States still wouldn’t offer its full support.
“They don’t like the idea of nations coming together and holding another member state of the U.N. accountable for aggression,
Perhaps most importantly, Crane feels that in a time when strongmen are rising to power across the world, it’s important to send the message that crimes of aggression will not be tolerated.
“They’re all watching, and if nothing’s done … that would give them a green light. China takes Taiwan, North Korea takes South Korea, and so on,” he said.
Going forward, Crane said the key to success is to keep the momentum, keep this in the public eye while building the political will among the international community to keep pressing on — but time will tell if justice will be meted out.
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Co. already overspends the most money per capita in all of NC.
The vast majority of libraries in America are managed by autonomous counties.
— Suzanne L. Cruver
Meet Revolutionary War general at Haywood County Library
As part of the multi-year America 250 NC effort, Haywood County’s Sons of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Haywood County America 250 NC team will host a historical presentation by George Washington’s favorite general — sort of. John Meisenheimer, previously honored as the North Carolina Historian of the Year by the N.C. Society of Historians, will appear in person as Gen. Nathanael Greene and tell the story of how Greene and Brigadier General Daniel Morgan outwitted British generals Charles Cornwallis and Banastre Tarleton in the backcountry of North Carolina early in 1781. Many credit Greene and Morgan’s efforts to hassle, impede and otherwise harass Cornwallis’ troops as a major factor in Cornwallis’ eventual surrender to a combined FrancoAmerican force at Yorktown later that year.
The event will take place at the Haywood County Public Library, 678 S. Haywood St.
in Waynesville on Saturday, June 7. Coffee and light refreshments will be available beginning at 10 a.m. Meisenheimer’s program will begin at 10:30 a.m. and continues until noon. Free and open to the public.
Hands off Haywood hosts ‘No kings’ rally
Hands off Haywood will host a rally and speakers beginning at noon on Saturday, June 14 at the Historic Haywood County Court House, 285 Main St. in Waynesville.
In recognition of Flag Day, rally organizers have purchased small American flags to distribute to participants.
Issues to be discussed include the importance of a free press and the threat of Medicaid cuts to Haywood health care facilities and providers.
Carolyn Carlson, a retired AP reporter and past president of the National Society of Professional Journalists, will speak about the importance of a free press to protect our Constitutional interests.
Lisa Leatherwood, the now retired and former owner of Silver Bluff Village, will speak on how proposed Medicaid cuts could impact the elderly in the community as well as to threaten healthcare services in Haywood County.
A letter written by a former federal employee who is afraid to speak publicly will also be read.
Keynote remarks will be delivered by No. 1 New York Times best-selling author and National Book Award winner Andrew Aydin.
An Atlanta native and Henderson County resident, Andrew joined the staff of Congressman John Lewis in 2007, where he served in several capacities, including campaign communications director, digital director and policy advisor until Lewis’ death in 2020.
In addition, Andrew created and co-authored with Lewis the graphic novel series “MARCH” and “RUN” which chronicles the life of Congressman Lewis — a civil rights icon and champion of nonviolent protests. “MARCH” is the first comic work ever to win the National Book Award.
Aydin’s latest effort, The Appalachian Comics Project, will tell the stories of Hurricane Helene Survivors and kicks off with an event at the Pigeon Center on Tuesday, June 3.
Among other pertinent topics included in Andrew’s rally remarks, he will address Representative Lewis’ legendary concept of “good trouble” and how it inspires people to become politically active.
The rally will take place rain or shine.
Haywood GOP sponsors “Spirit of America Celebration”
A “Spirit of America Celebration” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. The theme of the event, sponsored by the Haywood County Republican Party, is “Proud to be an American.”
The event will include a car and truck show with a $10 entry fee that will offer awards in five categories; voting is people’s choice. There will also be live music, raffles, a bake sale, food
trucks and family fun.
Special guests include the Master of Ceremonies, wrestler “Heavy Metal” Ric Savage. The event will feature wrestling matches with “surprise opponents.”
Haywood GOP Treasurer Kim Genova said event organizers welcome everyone to come out. While it will be a GOP-sponsored event, there will be fun for everyone, she said.
“Join us to celebrate the spirit of America on Flag Day,” she said. “Freedom isn’t free, so stop by to honor our veterans with us. There’ll be music, food and fun all day!”
No coolers permitted. Bringing lawn chairs is encouraged.
Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene was said to be George Washington’s favorite.
National Park Service photo
Community Almanac
HRMC launches program to improve maternal health and save lives
Haywood Regional Medical Center is proud to announce the launch of the Special Delivery Program, a new initiative focused on improving postpartum care and reducing maternal mortality. Through this program, postpartum patients will receive wristbands to wear for six weeks after delivery, serving as a visual reminder to remain vigilant about their health and seek timely care if complications arise.
Before leaving the hospital, postpartum patients at HRMC will receive a Special Delivery wristband. This discreet but effective identifier signals to healthcare providers that the patient has recently given birth — helping reduce the risk of misdiagnosis in emergency or outpatient settings.
The wristbands act as a simple but powerful tool — alerting patients, families and healthcare professionals that postpartum monitoring remains essential well beyond the delivery room. In addition, family, friends, and community members are encouraged to check in on postpartum individuals wearing these wristbands. A simple conversation — asking how they feel and encouraging them to seek care if needed — can make a life-saving difference.
Haywood Regional Medical Center invites the community to help raise awareness about postpartum health and support individuals during this vulnerable period. For more information about the Special Delivery Program, including warning signs to watch for, visit myhaywoodregional.com.
‘Wet your whiskers’ at FUR fundraiser
The felines of FUR purr-sonally invite you to “WET YOUR WHISKERS!” Feline Urgent Rescue’s eighth annual wine/beer tasting fundraiser will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. June 7 at Folkmoot Friendship Center’s Queen Auditorium, 112 Virginia Ave. in Waynesville.
The event features an Italian dinner and dessert buffet with wine catered by Bosu’s Wine Shop. Beer is being donated by Boojum and Frog Level Brewing.
The event also includes a silent auction and raffles for items donated by local artists, including a flower quilt by Kaaren Stoner.
Tickets are $75 per individual and grant full access to wine, beer and buffets. Sponsorships are available at $200, $500 and $750, and each comes with its own set of benefits. All proceeds benefit Feline Urgent Rescue of WNC, a local nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of abused, abandoned and neglected cats in Western North Carolina.
Learn more about this annual event or purchase your tickets at furofwnc.org/events/wyw_2025.
WCU to offer ACE CNC machining bootcamps
Western Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology will offer two free America’s Cutting Edge Machining Bootcamps this summer open to students and community members high school age and older. The sessions run July 28 through Aug. 1 and Aug. 4–8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on WCU’s campus in Cullowhee.
The new wristband project will ensure emergency responders and other medical professionals, like those seen here, will know that a patient may be postpartum. Donated photo
ACE is a national Computer Numerical Control machine training program created to help meet the workforce demand for machinists. Managed by the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation through an agreement with the Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, ACE bootcamps introduce participants to the fundamentals of machining and advanced manufacturing, regardless of prior experience.
Each participant will create a working air engine, a small, piston-powered device that spins when air is applied.
To learn more, visit americascuttingedge.org. To register, email WCU engineering faculty member Scott Pierce at rspierce@wcu.edu.
Franklin’s Sleek Web cuts the ribbon
Since 2014, Sleek Web, LLC has been dedicated to helping hundreds of small businesses expand their online presence through professional website design, digital marketing solutions and search engine optimization.
By creating visually appealing and userfriendly websites, Sleek Web ensures that businesses make a strong first impression on potential customers. Their digital marketing strategies are tailored to each client’s unique needs, driving engagement and growth. Additionally, their expert SEO services improve search rankings, making it easier for businesses to be found online.
Sleek Web’s commitment to excellence in website design, digital marketing, and SEO has empowered small businesses to thrive in the digital age. Their personalized approach ensures that each client achieves their online
spanning four days. It all starts with the “One Lap of the Mountains” driving tours on the roads of WNC in carefully curated routes to explore the area’s natural beauty and wonderful mountain roads creating a unique driving experience. Both of this year’s driving events sold out in January, but there is another option for everyone. Ten years of driving tours from past festivals have been packaged into softbound tour books. Look for the “One Lap” and “Second Lap” books on sale yearround at Highlands Hiker on Main Street in Highlands.
Here’s the schedule of events:
• Thursday, June 12: “One Lap of the Mountains-Grande” driving tour 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday June 13: “One Lap of the MountainsSpeciale” driving tour 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Main Street parade of classic cars 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Saturday June 14: “Classics in the Park” invitational judged car show in the KelseyHutchinson Park 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; “Horsepower Charity Gala” Vineyard at High Holly 6-9 p.m.
• Sunday June 15: “High Octane” Social and Car Gathering in Kelsey-Hutchinson Park. 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m.
goals, leading to sustained growth and success.
For additional information or consultation, please contact Sleek Web by emailing david@sleekwebmarketing.com or visit the website at sleekwebmarketing.com.
Highlands hosts motoring festival
Enthusiasts of classic cars travel to museums all over America to see the best of the best. On June 14, some of these museums are sending classic cars to Highlands.
The Highlands Motoring Festival will stage its four-day festival of driving tours, a Main Street parade, two car shows, and a charity Gala during the second week of June.
The scenery and high elevation of WNC along with mountain roads have long attracted enthusiasts. For the past 18 years, Highlands has hosted the Highlands Motoring Festival as it has grown into an important community asset, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to local human needs charities. The all-volunteer team of enthusiasts who stage the event recognize that a town as unique as Highlands deserves a car show of equal uniqueness. Over the past eight years an emphasis has been placed on recruiting the highest quality and most interesting cars and owners resulting in significant national attention. In 2019, the festival was awarded the “Best Concours Event” in the land by Classic Motorsports Magazine. That same year Dennis Gage was on the HMF show field recording an episode of his TV show “My Classic Car”, seen weekly by millions of viewers worldwide.
For 2025, as always, the festival returns on the second weekend of June, with its seven events
The festival is staged by an all-volunteer team of enthusiasts. On the day of the show, it takes more than 50 individuals to carry out the many facets of the festival. Volunteers are needed to help on Saturday, June 14, and can sign-up to volunteer on the group’s website homepage.
Further information can be found highlandsmotoringfestival.com.
WNC Civil War Roundtable to present in Waynesville
The Western NC Civil War Round Table continues its 2025 series of programs at 7 p.m. on June 9 with a presentation by G. Keith Parker. His topic will be Transylvania County in the Civil War from both Unionist and Confederate perspectives. The program will take place at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville; it is free and open to the public.
Parker published the historical fiction novel To Stand on Solid Ground in 2020. Co-written with his daughter Leslie Parker Borhaug, the book tells the story of Transylvania County’s Civil War through the lives of its intertwined families. Based on real events, Parker traces the complicated relationships between Confederate loyalists and Union sympathizers. Parker’s presentation will highlight these stories from Transylvania County and how he used them to create his fictional narrative. He will also draw inferences from that time to discuss the profound need to support community in times of intense polarity.
The WNC Civil War Round Table meetings will continue July 14 with Cliff Roberts speaking about Castle Pinckney and the Confederate Defense of Charleston Harbor. All meetings are free and open to the public. More information about programs and field trips with the Roundtable can be found at wnccwrt.com.
Reclaiming the flag on No Kings Day
To the Editor:
June 14 isn't just another date — it's the day we take back what's ours.
You know what's remarkable? They want you to think the American flag belongs to them now. That somehow the stars and stripes became the exclusive property of MAGA rallies and Trump merchandise tables. When did we let that happen?
The flag was never theirs to begin with.
Our flag stands for the radical idea that no person — not a king, not a strongman, not a self-proclaimed savior — stands above the law. It represents power belonging to the people, not to whoever shouts loudest, tweets craziest or pays the most money. Every stripe represents the audacious belief that ordinary Americans can govern themselves without bowing to anyone.
But look around. What do you see? A movement that worships personality and wealth over principle. A party that abandons its values the moment their leader demands it. People are claiming to love America while dismantling every institution that makes America work.
This isn't conservatism — it's authoritarianism wrapped in patriotic theater.
On June 14 — Flag Day — Americans are gathering for “No Kings Day.” Not because we hate America, but because
Edwards is misguided in praising Trump
To the Editor:
Rep. Chuck Edwards greeted attendees at the Republican Party's 11th Con-gressional District convention with: “Isn't it great to be making America great again?” Was that a question, Congressman Edwards, a prayer or an affidavit? Edwards ended the conclave telling participants he is “proud of what Republicans stand for, what we're accomplishing,” warning that “the work of remaking America in his image (meaning Trump's) is far from complete.”
Allow me, please, to confront the obvious. Is Donald Trump truly the president the Grand Old Party of Lincoln yearns to have our nation remade in the image of? I certainly hope not. Here's why.
Donald Trump incited a riot at the Capitol resulting in the death and maiming of police officers guarding it and our Congress. Individually targeted were the Speaker of the House and his own vice president.
Trump has fired thousands of federal workers unfairly, jailed migrants who have done nothing wrong, without due process (that's illegal and immoral on the surface), while wrongly pardoning approximately 1,500 men and women who pleaded or were found guilty in a court of law of participating in the siege of our Capitol this president provoked in a futile attempt to overturn an election he knew he'd lost.
Trump, twice impeached, was lawfully and rightfully convicted on 34 counts of fraud, he bragged about sexually assaulting women and
we love it too much to watch it slip away. We're carrying flags not as weapons of division, but as symbols of our shared inheritance.
They've spent years telling us that questioning power makes you unpatriotic. That demanding accountability makes you un-American. That expecting leaders to follow the same laws as everyone else makes you the problem.
That's exactly backwards, and they know it.
The founders didn’t risk everything so Americans would kiss the ring of a would-be king. They created a system specifically designed to prevent what we’re watching: power concentrated in someone who believes he's above the law.
Every American carrying a flag on June 14 makes a simple statement: this country belongs to all of us. Not to any party, not to any leader and certainly not to anyone who thinks rules don’t apply to them.
LETTERS
to think patriotism means blind loyalty to whomever’s in charge.
Don’t buy it.
Real patriotism means holding your country to its highest ideals. Real patriotism means defending democracy when it's inconvenient for those in power. We're not taking back the flag — we're reminding everyone it was always ours. June 14. Be there. Bring your flag. Show them what American patriotism actually looks like.
This isn't about left versus right. It’s about democracy versus authoritarianism. Citizens versus subjects. Whether America remains America, or becomes something our founders would have fought a revolution to overthrow. Kingdoms have subjects. Republics have citizens. Which one are you?
The establishment wants you to stay home. They want you
was found civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation. He also paid off another woman to cover up an affair.
He knowingly stole classified documents and hid them from the government, risking national security. He urged Georgia election officials to “find votes” in a state he lost.
He called President Zelenskyy of Ukraine a dictator and tried to extort him to dig up dirt on the Biden family, while aligning with a real dictator (Vladimir Putin), believing Putin’s claims over his own intelligence community.
He mocked a disabled reporter, said that Senator and former Naval aviator and POW John McCain was not a hero, and routinely refers to American war dead as “losers and suckers.”
Trump continually alienates and/or threatens our neighbors and allies with inane propositions (such as wanting to make Canada our 51st state), constantly disrupting world eco-nomic stability and commerce.
Americans: Whatever your race, color, creed or political persuasion, the reality and truth remains and will survive all Trump's attempts to conceal or destroy it.
Donald Trump has done more damage to this country in the first 100 days of this administration than his predecessors did in the last 100 years. He's cruel, he's moronic, he's incomprehensible and he's irrational (among other things). Anyone who still believes Trump is playing with a full deck is short a few cards himself.
As stated by the longtime and gifted journalist, Hal Crowther: "If Trump isn't a psychiatric trainwreck, he's one of the most ambi-
tious actors in history, and the most dangerous actor since John Wilkes Booth." A role model for the United States to emulate? Oh, I don't think so.
David L. Snell Franklin
Trump’s decisions weaken our country
To the Editor:
Since 1945 the world has been more peaceful and prosperous than any other time in history. That is because of American’s leadership role in the world under both Republican and Democratic administrations. We were an America committed to the rule of law at home and a universal mission abroad to constantly work to make the world freer and more democratic, more decent and a healthier place for more people. That is an America that Project 2025 seeks to destroy. What do we have now? We have a president who is the most corrupt person to serve in that role. Of the 25 major holders of his crypto business, 19 holders are from foreign countries who paid $1 million to attend a private dinner at his luxury resort. We will see in the future how he rewards them at the expense of our citizens. The Trump Organization has made major deals with countries headed by dictators to build his properties. His acceptance of the airplane from Qatar is outrageous with an estimated cost of $1 billion to make it secure. These corrupt actions will finally make him a real billionaire.
USAID has been gutted, which will result in millions of deaths saving less than 1% of the
U.S. budget. He continues to want to leave NATO, has bullied our allies, cozied up to dictators and backed Russia rather than Ukraine in a fight for democracy. President Trump wants to deny aliens due process which is clearly stated in our Constitution, and his staff has even floated the idea of suspending habeas corpus. Of course, we must reform our broken immigration system but to violate our Constitution to do it only makes us a weaker country.
President Trump has successfully neutered the House of Representatives and Senate. This branch of government has stood by and watched him fire government employees he had no right to fire, gut agencies and impound funds appropriated by Congress. These actions exceed the powers granted by our Constitution to the President. According to the Wall Street Journal his “big beautiful bill” will increase projected budget deficits by nearly $3 trillion through 2034, “locking in tax cuts and spending increases that outweigh reductions in spending on Medicaid, Medicare, and nutrition assistance.”
Both Ronald Reagan and George Bush insisted — as our president is doing today — that higher economic growth will fill the gap. It did not do that during the Reagan and Bush administrations, both leaving a higher national debt, and it will not do that for the Trump administration either. This bill will definitely worsen the U.S. fiscal picture. When will all Americans wake up to the damage this administration is doing to our country? I hope soon before a once great country is no more.
Walter Cook Franklin
Linda Arnold Highlands
Lonesome wind
Upstream Rebellion to play Folkmoot Center
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
At the recent MerleFest, the nation’s premier Americana/bluegrass festival in Wilkesboro, an emerging act from our region, Upstream Rebellion, not only made its debut at the gathering as part of the band competition, the members also walked away immensely inspired.
What’s new at Folkmoot
A cultural arts beacon of Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina, the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville hosts an array of events, classes and workshops
Upcoming concerts include Upstream Rebellion (June 19), Peter Mawanga Trio (Sept. 18), Free Planet Radio (Oct. 16), Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue (Nov. 13) and Eireann’s Call (Dec. 11).
As well, there will be a book reading featuring Eddie Huffman, author of “Doc Watson: A Life in Music” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. The Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival will be Saturday, June 21 (smokymountainyogafest.com).
In terms of musicians, “World Drum Classes” will be held every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages), with the “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” meeting from 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
For a full schedule of events and activities, visit folkmoot.org.
“The feeling of playing there was fulfilling,” said guitarist Adam Winebarger. “The band competition was really just an excuse for us to come to the place where those who have inspired us spent plenty of time playing music.”
And although the group didn’t win the competition, what does remain is this fresh, hungry act eager to make its mark on the storied acoustic scene here in Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia.
“There are countless distractions to get caught up in nowadays, but perhaps the healthiest one to lose yourself in is music,” said guitarist Andrew Bivens.
The band looks at its job onstage as one where the listener and audience at-large get to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, only to immerse themselves in the soothing sounds of live music.
“We as a band want to serve as a beneficial distraction to all our listeners,” Bivens said. “I hope that every time one of our songs come on, it brightens someone’s day.”
Upstream Rebellion is comprised entirely of musicians from WNC. Alongside Winebarger (Trap Hill) and Bivens (Rutherfordton), the ensemble includes banjoist Max Rogers (Waynesville), dobroist Cooper Franklin (Canton), mandolinist Walker Ballance (Waynesville) and bass fiddler Jared Wills (Murphy).
“I think our biggest goal as a band is to show people that bluegrass can be more than what it seems on the surface,” Bivens said.
Formed while students at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, Upstream Rebellion came together by happenstance.
County, they crossed paths with the others through impromptu jam sessions in the dorms.
“After many noise complaints and common room jams later, we stumbled into more pickers on campus,” Ballanace said. “We knew something special was being formed when Adam, Andrew and Jared started joining the jams.”
To note, Rogers was initially not a fan of bluegrass as a kid. But that sentiment quickly shifted when his grandfather handed him a banjo at age 15. The elder told the teenager to try to learn the instrument.
“I was pretty stubborn, so I set out to prove I couldn’t play it,” Rogers said. “But, within a few days, something clicked. It felt natural, like the banjo had been waiting for me. That’s when everything changed. I fell in love with the instrument first, then the music.”
The banjo became a way for Rogers to creatively express himself. Between the rhythm, melody and “this raw character in the tone,” the music spoke to the aspiring musician.
“I’ve learned a lot from players like Jim Mills, Ron Block, Ron Stewart and J.D. Crowe,” Rogers said. “They showed me how deep the banjo can go. Not just technically, but emotionally, too. They’ve set the standard for me, and their playing still shapes the way I approach every note.”
The name of the group comes partly from a can of chewing tobacco. Although already kicking around the idea of having the word “rebellion” somewhere in the moniker, the final piece of the puzzle came when Ballance was reading the label on a can of Kodiak.
“The phrase [on the can] said, ‘Discovery Lies Upstream,’” Balance said.
So, just what is it about the “high, lonesome sound” that continues to captive these young musicians in search of their musical
Want to go?
Rising regional Americana/bluegrass act Upstream Rebellion will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
Hailing from the depths of Western North Carolina, Upstream Rebellion is rooted in the intricate musical traditions of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountain ranges. The ensemble showcases a captivating blend of bluegrass standards and original numbers.
General admission is $25 per person, with a $15 and $5 “pay what you can” options available. Donations are welcome. Doors open at 6 p.m. The 6 Pigs BBQ food truck will also be onsite.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit folkmoot.org. To learn more about Upstream Rebellion, you can search the band’s name on Facebook and “Upstream.Rebellion” on Instagram.
identity?
“The thing that makes bluegrass so special is its authenticity,” Bivens said. “From its lyrics, harmonies and roots to the physical challenge of playing it — it’s all real and people enjoy that down to earth sound.”
As of late, the band has been growing leaps and bounds, from casual jamming to consistent performances around the area. They’ve also added a contemporary element by doing bluegrass renditions of modern songs, including Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon.
“Upstream Rebellion ultimately plans to continue to grow as a band,” Winebarger said. “Most importantly, we each plan to grow as musicians considering the passion and backgrounds that each one of us comes from.”
Just last month, Upstream Rebellion raised more than a few eyebrows when the sextet opened for Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen during “An Evening Under the Arch” in downtown Waynesville. Platt is the Grammy-winning former front man for the Steep Canyon Rangers, with his solo outfit now featuring Buddy Melton, formerly of acclaimed bluegrass band Balsam Range.
“Making more bluegrass lovers is something that drives us, and I think we’re accomplishing that,” Bivens said. “[And] while also, hopefully, paying our respects to the people who started the genre and defined its core.”
Beyond its increasing presence on social media via Instagram and TikTok, Upstream Rebellion will continue to hit the road this summer, with several dates already on the calendar, including a special appearance on June 19 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
“At the end of the day, whether it’s live onstage or through someone’s phone screen, it’s about making honest music that connects,” Rogers said. “That connection is what keeps us moving forward.”
Upstream Rebellion recently performed at MerleFest. Donated photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Porch pickin’ in Waynesville.
‘Down here in the Bardo’s light, in the cycles, days and years’
Tlow over the mountains surrounding downtown Waynesville, covering up the actual height and grandeur of these peaks. The urge to walk out of the newsroom, get into my truck and head for the hills to trail run is deep and real.
For now? Put out the newspaper and kick it out the door to the printer. The words, ideas, sentiments and actions of a modern society in motion. Angry political articles. Feel good features. Numbers and statistics. Letters to the editor. Outdoor stories. News about the arts. All wrapped up nicely in this here publication for your consumption.
Memorial Day Weekend already in the rearview mirror. It’s now June. Good lord, how did we get here so fast? It feels like I just took down the Christmas lights and put away my winter clothes. Now its swimming trunks and old coolers dusted off for the shenanigans of an impending summer. Spring flew by, onward down the calendar.
I didn’t end up doing much for the “unofficial kickoff” to summer. It was a rather quiet and solemn Memorial Day Weekend for yours truly. I had high hopes that someone, somewhere would have a barbecue and/or a boat to cruise some body of water with, and would be oh so kind to invite me to partake in the usual traditions of this time of year. But, my cell phone remained silent. Just crickets. No matter. I found ways to occupy my time. I mean, the news never stops, anyhow, either does the incessant typing of my fingertips across this laptop keyboard. Tap, tap, tap. Put whatever is ricocheting around my mind onto the blank page. Endless words, sentences and paragraphs, all in an effort to make a connection with you dear reader. The intent in doing so remains genuine and true.
I spent the weekend doing a bevy of things that I usually don’t have time to do or I’m out of town so often I just don’t get around to it. It’s crazy how you stand there in your living room and realize how long it has been since you’ve taken inventory of your life at home and what you’ve placed in it. The allure of the
open road will do that to you. Cleaning my humble abode apartment. Rearranging my bookshelf. Playing some vinyl on the record player. Pickin’ my guitar on the front porch. Going for a leisurely four-mile jog around Lake Junaluska. Cruising Main Street with nowhere to be, at my own pace. Enjoying a steak and glass of wine at Singletree Heritage Kitchen.
I even sat down and wrote some poetry. Back in the day, before newspaper deadlines and endless assignments, I’d sit in diners in my native North Country and write poetry alongside journal entries about nothing and everything. Below was a poem I felt inspired to construct the other day while eating breakfast at Waffle House.
The teenage couple bounced Through the door of Waffle House
They quickly were standing next to me
As I sat at the counter next to the register
“Let me order for you. I know what you want.”
The young boy asserted through a smile
“Nooooo.”
The young girl whined playfully
“She’ll have a Texas bacon, egg and cheese melt, hashbrowns smothered.
I’ll have a sausage hashbrown bowl.
And can we have this to go?”
The overworked server smiled
Quickly rushing away to put out other fires
On both sides of the counter
The couple went outside and waited on the curb
I remember the days of young love
Of thinking you had it
All figured out
All nailed down
All planned out
Only to let life itself make itself known
The ticking clock of people, places and things
I remember her, too
She’s somewhere with three kids
And a happy marriage, nice big house
I remember when we’d get breakfast
Some café in the Adirondack Mountains
Teenage love that felt unbreakable
Shit, that was 24 years ago
I don’t even have to think of the math
I see the crow’s feet and grey hair in the mirror
“This is torture.”
The cook jokes from the stove
“Ah, you only have eight hours left.”
The other cook responds in jest
I remember when I worked fast food
Breakfast and lunch at McDonald’s
Along the bustling I-87 corridor
Along the Canadian Border
The only place a kid could work
In a place with few other options
Besides the marina in the summer
Or the local pizza shop year-round
I remember making Egg McMuffins
And endless Big Macs
Alongside my old school bus driver
Who worked there in the summer
All my measly paycheck went to was
Gas, grass or concert tickets
All of which connected, all sought after
Finish up my Waffle House dish
Finish up the last of the watered-down coffee
Finish the last page of this chapter
In this book about Texas, written in 1970
The main character is in Amarillo
I’ve only been there once myself
It was September 2009
En route from Burning Man to New York
Side trips and quests took forever
Driving I-40 across the Panhandle
The middle of the night, only stars high above
A blanket of darkness across the flat prairie
I awoke on a couch in a living-room
Home of the sister of a girl I was once fond of awhile back
Who was now somewhere back there in Phoenix
My mind at that moment thinking of the impending future
This girl waiting back for me in the North Country
This girl I’d figure I’d probably marry someday
I was pretty darn sure that’d be the case
But, she got to me and broke my heart
Before I could afford to purchase the ring
No matter, I was still pretty young, age 24
Sixteen years ago
“You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.”
As Tennessee Ernie Ford once sang It’s Memorial Day, a day of freedom
Especially for teenage couples
With nothing but time on their side
Whereas I’m wishing the
Bank was open to cash a check
Post office was open to mail something
Mechanic shop was open for an oil change
Finish the Amarillo chapter of the Western book
Slide the coffee cup towards the counter edge
To signify the completion of my culinary experience
Pay the bill, head out the door
Put the truck into drive, tap the gas pedal
Those Blue Ridge Mountains cradling us
Are ancient, beautiful and haunting
As are the memories within
HOT PICKS
1
A special concert in memory of late Haywood County banjo great Steve Sutton will be held from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at the Lake Junaluska Conference Center.
2
The annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series will present classic rock/R&B act The V8s at 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
3
A special production of “Next to Normal” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. June 6-7, 12-14 and 2 p.m. June 8 and 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
4
A special reading for a new book, “Stronger Than The Storm: Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina,” will be held from 57 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
5
“Art After Dark” will continue its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 6, in downtown Waynesville.
Garret K. Woodward photo
2,500+ 5-STAR REVIEWS!
Blow the tannery whistle
BY GARY CARDEN · S PECIAL TO SMN
Bradbury still burns, 72 years later
Ifirst read “Fahrenheit 451” around 1953 when we were dealing with the McCarthy era. This country was in the grips of a politician who preached a dangerous message. He said that America was being invaded by communism and he urged everyone to assist him in seeking out and removing anyone who had joined this dangerous movement. He sought to “cleanse” this country of this threat by publicly denouncing members of the Communist Party. Initially, he named approximately 150 people but reduced the number to 80.
Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy launched his campaign at a point in our history when we were still recovering from World War II and many of our leaders were skeptical of Russia’s future intentions. His accusations ruined the lives of a number of people with jobs in government and entertainment.
It is interesting that Ray Bradbury originally titled his novel on book burning, “The Fireman.” The setting of “Fahrenheit 451” is a world that has outlawed libraries. Firemen no longer extinguish fires; they burn books.
Bradbury’s research for “Fahrenheit 451” begins with the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria. This turned into a decline and ruin of the library’s contents which lasted for several centuries. In effect, this massive collection of learning that was destroyed was possibly responsible for the dark ages that followed.
Further, it is interesting to note that Bradbury believes that any attempt to control and regulate libraries is a dangerous mistake. I agree.
The protagonist in “Fahrenheit 451” is a
‘Concerts on the Creek’
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 16th season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series. Classic rock/R&B act The V8s will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
Most of The V8s have been playing in
Fireman named Montag. He spends his time playing cards with other firemen and announces their schedule each day.
“On Wednesday, we burn Whitman; on Friday, we burn Faulkner.”
He is married, but his wife is addicted to television which she watches all day. Indeed, television has become an enormous factor in
the viewers can witness the arrest of the criminals who have hidden stashes of books. There is one scene that reads like a prediction of the future — O.J. Simpson being tracked on the news as he escapes on the interstate.
“It is interesting to note that Bradbury believes that any attempt to control and regulate libraries is a dangerous mistake. I agree.”
— Gary Carden
the lives of viewers who are teased, provoked and rewarded by television. There are even soap operas that allow viewers to become actors and to speak a simple line from home. The nightly news is often programs in which
various bands (often together) since 1975. The outcome is one good-time party band. Classic, danceable tunes delivered from old school musicians with feel.
On any given night, the band will deliver their smokin’ hot versions of songs by artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, Johnny Rivers, Van Morrison and many more.
“Concerts on the Creek” are held every Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, with donations encouraged. Dogs must be on a leash. No smoking, vaping, coolers or tents are allowed. Bring a chair or blanket. There will be food trucks on select nights. For more information, call the chamber at 828.586.2155, visit mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek or go to the “Concerts on the Creek” Facebook page.
So, how far are we from Bradbury’s dystopian world of book burners? Is it possible to see the beginning of “Fahrenheit 451” in the awkward attempt to control what books are allowed in the library? Isn’t that the same thing as telling me what I can read? You are depriving me of that wonderful thing, discovery! The joy of finding a book to love. I am also distressed that we may have a president who promotes ideas that are much worse than Joe McCarthy! I have intentionally failed to discuss the plot of this novel. If you haven’t read it, please do. There is also a French movie that does a wonderful job of recreating the conclusion of “Fahrenheit 451” and I have watched it several times. It filled me with the belief that even book burners and book banners can be overcome.
(Born in 1935, Gary Carden is one of Southern Appalachia’s most revered literary figures, earning significant recognition for his books and plays over decades — including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012. Carden also holds an honorary doctorate from Western Carolina University for his work in storytelling and folklore. His 2024 book, “Stories I lived to tell,” is available at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva or online through uncpress.org.)
Country, rock at The Scotsman
Regional country/rock artist Jon Cox will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. The Asheville singer-songwriter rolls through an array of classic country gold and rock melodies. Known as “high-energy outlaw music,” Cox is a rising voice in Western North Carolina. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.
Jon Cox. Wayne Ebinger photo
The V8s will play Sylva June 6. File photo
On the beat Steve Sutton Memorial Festival
There will be a special concert in memory of late Haywood County banjo great Steve Sutton from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at the Lake Junaluska Conference Center. Performers will include No Joke Jimmy’s, Whitewater Bluegrass Co., Mike Compton & Laura Boosinger, Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM, Mountain Tradition Cloggers and more.
This event is a benefit for the Steve Sutton Memorial Charitable Trust. The trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to continue Sutton’s legacy of sharing joy and helping others through music. Proceeds from this event will benefit local music scholarships, as well as the International Bluegrass Music Association Trust Fund.
A longtime member of The Darren Nicholson Band and Whitewater Bluegrass Company, Sutton was 60 years old when he passed away in his sleep on May 13, 2017, one day shy of his 61st birthday.
“I basically owe my musical career to him,” said mandolinist Darren Nicholson, formerly of International Bluegrass Music Association “Entertainer of the Year” bluegrass act Balsam Range, who was Sutton’s best friend and longtime collaborator. “He got me my first professional job, which led to all the relationships that are still relevant in my current career. Steve believed in me so much that he took me to Strains of Music in Waynesville and paid cash for a Gibson mandolin. Steve was kind to everyone he met and helped countless people — he just had a good heart.”
A Grammy-nominated, multiple IBMA award-winner himself, Sutton graduated from Tuscola High School in Waynesville. Upon graduation, he was simultaneously offered gigs with the “Godfather of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe and bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin.
“But, Jimmy offered me something like $10 more a week, so I took it,” Sutton chuckled in a 2015 interview with The Smoky Mountain News.
In 1974, Sutton joined Martin on the road, kicking off a career that took him across the globe, ultimately gracing the Grand Ole Opry stage numerous times. Sutton also had stints with Alecia Nugent and Rhonda Vincent. And through his lifelong pursuit of bluegrass and mountain music, Sutton also remembered where it all began, alongside late banjo great and Bluegrass Hall of Famer Raymond Fairchild.
“[Steve’s] talent and free-flowing sense of humor constantly fed that professional effort to the highest levels,” said Marc Pruett, Grammy-winning banjoist of Balsam Range. “Steve was a valued, respected member of a heritage-schooled, living culture. He was ‘the real deal,’ and his warm smile and larger-than-life talent leaves a void in our mountains that can’t be filled.”
Tickets are $25 per person. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free. Food trucks will also be onsite.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit stevesuttonfest.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Paul Koptak (singer-songwriter) June 14 and Doug & Lisa June 21. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host Blackwater Station (southern rock/country) June 7 and Second Chance June 14. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Helena Rose & Joey Brown (Americana/bluegrass) June 4, A. Lee Edwards (Americana/ indiefolk) June 11, Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana) 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 15 and Marc & Anita Pruett (Americana/ bluegrass) June 18. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/live-music.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Ron Lee (Frank Sinatra/Rat Pack tribute) 7:15 p.m. June 21. Dinner and live music is $70 per person (includes tax and gratuity). Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Andrew Wooten (singer-songwriter) June 11. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $50 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and
• Friday Night Live Concert Series (Highlands) will host Foxfire Boys (Americana/bluegrass) June 6 and Southern Highland Band June 13. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host The Beach Boys (pop/oldies) 7:30 p.m. June 6, Brantley Gilbert (country) 7:30 p.m. June 7 and Wynonna Judd (country) 7:30 p.m. June 14. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with Fancy Hagood (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. June 27 (tickets are $39.19 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays, Andrew Danner (singer-songwriter) June 7 and Dillon Campbell (singersongwriter) June 14. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678/ innovation-brewing.com.
13 and Long Way Ramblers June 14. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host Paula Hanke & Peggy Ratusz June 7 and Boogitherapi June 14. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Jon Cox (country/Americana) June 5, Lori & The Freightshakers (classic rock/country gold) June 6, “Evening Under the Arch” beer garden 5:309 p.m. June 7 and Raphael Graves Duo (altcountry) June 12. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Blue (Americana) 5 p.m. June 7 and Jennifer Alvarado (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. June 8. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host “The Coalminers Present: Always Loretta” (Loretta Lynn tribute) 7:30 p.m. June 6. Tickets start at $22 per person, with seating upgrades available. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with David Cheatham (Americana/ folk) June 5 and Remedy 58 (blues/soul) June 12. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Grizzly Mammoth (psychedelic/rock) June 6, Troy Underwood (Americana/folk) June 7, The V8s (oldies/rock) June 13 and “Lazy Hiker 10th Anniversary Party” noon to 10 p.m. June 14 (live music/food trucks). All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Village Creek Band (classic rock) June 6 and Bryan & Al (soft rock/pop) June 13. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Listening Room (Franklin) will host Rod MacDonald (singer-songwriter) 2:30 p.m. June 7. Suggested donation $20. Located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Ryan B. Jazz Trio (jazz) 5 p.m. June 6, Daniel Shearin (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. June 7, The Lefties 5 p.m. June 7 and Blue (Americana) 2 p.m. June 8. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” every Monday, Bridget Gossett (Americana) June 6, Rich Manz Trio (oldies/acoustic) June 7, Daniel Pounds June
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. June 6 and Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. June 14. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Judy Sabella Band June 6 and Tuxedo Junction 4 p.m. June 15. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.
• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) June 8 and Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) June 15. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.
• Wells Events & Reception Center (Waynesville) will host Two Armadillos (classic rock) 7 p.m. June 6. Doors at 6 p.m. Admission is $20. 828.476.5070 / wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Isaiah Breedlove (Americana) June 6, “Seventh Anniversary Celebration” all day June 7, Angela Easterling (singer-songwriter) June 13 and Hammock Theory June 14. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
Steve Sutton. File photo
‘Art & Yoga’ workshop series
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will present “Art & Yoga: Embodiment & Creative Expression,” a new class series designed to nourish both body and soul.
This unique program merges the grounding flow of yoga with the expressive freedom of art-making. The first session will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Yoga DiVita, located at 225 Church St. in Waynesville.
Led by longtime yoga instructor Dawn DiVita and abstract artist Lindsay Keeling, this two-hour workshop invites participants to explore the connection between movement and creativity in a welcoming, beginner-friendly environment. No prior yoga or art experience is necessary, just a willingness to move, create and be present.
“We begin with yoga to tune into awareness, breath, and the subtle sensations that nurture creativity,” said DiVita, who brings over 20 years of experience in yoga and Ayurveda. “When a challenge rises, smile and breathe. Pause to feel and be open to the possibilities.”
Following the gentle yoga session, participants will enjoy a handcrafted lemonade from Roll Up Herbal Bar before diving into an intuitive art experience with Keeling.
“Art and yoga are both great ways to reduce stress,” Keeling said. “This new series pairs the two in a way that will help you feel calm and confident in expressing yourself.”
Attendees will explore acrylic painting techniques including color mixing, mark making and expressive gestures on both paper and canvas. All materials are provided. Participants will leave with a completed piece of artwork and a sense of renewal.
The cost is $55 per person, which includes all materials and refreshments. Ages 16 and up.
This class is ideal for anyone looking to relax, break through creative blocks and connect with themselves in a deeper way. Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.
To register and/or learn more, visit haywoodarts.org/art-yoga-series.
Waynesville art walk, live music
A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 6, in downtown Waynesville.
Each first Friday of the month (May-December), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit downtownwaynesville.com.
ALSO:
• WNC Paint Events will host painting sessions throughout the region on select dates. For more information and/or to sign up, visit wncpaint.events.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a non-
profit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. The club welcomes photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.452.0593 / haywoodarts.org.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.631.0271 / jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. 828.339.4000 / southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. 828.586.2248 / dogwoodcrafters.com.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org.
Jo Ridge Kelley is a featured artisan at ‘Art After Dark.’ File photo
Dawn DiVita is a Waynesville yoga instructor. Donated photo
On the wall Haywood Arts to showcase ‘Form’
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is now presenting “Form,” its newest themed exhibit on display at the Haywood Handmade Gallery, located at the HCAC in downtown Waynesville.
This engaging show features work from local artist members and explores the concept of form — how artists use shape, volume and physical presence to express ideas across a variety of mediums.
From sculpture and ceramics to painting and photography, “Form” highlights how artists across a variety of media interpret structure, depth and volume. The exhibit invites viewers to consider the many ways form shapes their experience of art, both literally and emotionally.
“The feel of clay in my hands, and the expanse of what can be done with it, continues to inspire me. I love that clay allows me to use form and texture to make functional, useful, and sculptural objects,” said ceramic artist Janie Alexander. “I especially enjoy its versatility and responsiveness in capturing a memory of a dearly loved companion. If I can bring about a smile or positive emotion with my art — that is the best I can do.”
An opening reception will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 6, at the HCAC as part of Waynesville’s monthly “Art After Dark” celebration. Guests can enjoy complimentary refreshments and a chance to meet some of the artists whose work is featured in the “Form” exhibit.
The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information about the showcase and/or other events at the HCAC, visit haywoodarts.org.
Cherokee pottery exhibition
A special showcase, “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.
On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop.
Renowned for her pottery, McCoy began making crafts at 12 years old. She honed her skills while taking arts and crafts classes with Alyne Stamper (EBCI) and has won numerous awards at the Cherokee Fall Festival and at Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market.
Today, she shares her knowledge with others. Designed to increase and uplift pottery making among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, McCoy’s workshop uses a hands-on approach, empowering first-time potters to bring their own personal style to ancestral techniques and methods.
“The Didanisisgi Gadagwatli pottery workshop is an example of how museums can support and uplift great work already happening in the community,” says MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (EBCI).
“Tara’s dedication to gadugi (community working together for the common good) and intensive approach to teaching has been hugely successful and is a powerful example of reconnections and resurgence. Connection and practice to our material culture is a continuation of our shared Cherokee identity and perpetuates Cherokee pride.”
For more information, visit motcp.org.
On the street
Taste of Scotland Festival
The 26th annual Taste of Scotland Festival will be held June 13-15 at a variety of locations around Franklin.
The festival is a celebration of the heritage brought to these mountains, that of the Scots and Scots-Irish, along with celebrating the historic relationships with the Cherokee. Scottish foods, music, clan parade, vendors/crafters, Highland Games competition, herding dog demonstrations and more.
For a full schedule of events, visit tasteofscotland.org.
On the stage
HART presents ‘Next to Normal’
A special production of “Next to Normal” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. June 6-7, 12-14 and 2 p.m. June 8 and 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
A powerful rock musical about a mother’s struggle with mental illness and its impact on her family, “Next to Normal” is an unflinching, deeply moving journey through love, loss and healing.
Tickets start at $19 per person, with other seating options available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.
ALSO:
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular comedians on the weekends. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing
Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
The Taste of Scotland rolls into Franklin June 13-15. File photo
A work by Janice Alexander. Donated photo
A comic read that defies pigeon-holing
In the course of human events, there does come a time when comedy is in order. Such was a time last month for me. I was choosing a book to read and I needed comedy.
“Morte D’Urban,” a novel by J. F. Powers (Doubleday, 1962), had been recommended by a trusted friend. It is brilliantly funny and, how wonderful, much more than that.
Father Urban is a middle-aged, handsome, confident Catholic priest, a committed member of the Order of St. Clement. The Clementines, as they are known, “were unique in that they were noted for nothing at all.” It was said that they “never recovered from the French Revolution.”
Urban is determined to change that, to attract the talent and money that will invigorate the order. Working out of Chicago, he is a sought after speaker at retreats and has the people-engaging talents of a successful politician. His ambition is thwarted, however, when he is taken off the speaker circuit and assigned to the order’s “latest white elephant,” an abandoned mansion in rural Minnesota. He is to serve under Father Wilf, who is not talented in either organization or home repair skills, who enjoys leading meetings more than he should, who gets defensive easily, and who envisions the cold and leaky mansion as a successful retreat center, somehow, sometime in the future. It’s enough to drive a competent man like Father Urban crazy.
dogma. We don’t see Father Urban perform mass or take confessions. The play between humans — and the moral decisions often required in our reactions — these things happen in any friendship, any group, any family, any business. An atheist who appreciates good writing and believes in moral choice should have no problem here.
What was genius to me, besides the perfect sentences, was the lack of condemnation. With a few exceptions, notably the
Joining these two men is Father Jack, who is confident only in checkers, and the extremely capable and pleasant Brother Harold. We don’t see much of Brother Harold. He is doing all the cooking and cleaning. The comedy lies in the situation and the characters and in the sentences.
Powers never lets the dry comic tone falter. There are masterpiece scenes, including the disagreement over the nativity display and Father Urban’s performance as guest speaker at the ecumenical Poinsettia Smorgasbord. The tone changes only towards the end of the book when a few things happen that are not funny.
Powers resisted the label “Catholic writer” as much as he could. “This country is decidedly a specialist’s country and I think it’s happening to me. I know that sounds like I’m a gall-bladder man, but it does happen.”
I am on his side in this. Labeling him a Catholic writer is superficial. There is no
‘Stronger Than The Storm’
did his checkers. Jack could have been a big success in life — and not a very nice person to know. He certainly got back at the world in checkers.” This is not entirely true, as we soon find out, but the thought fits where it is.
The ending was perplexing to me, and it took me a reading of the introduction to get someone else’s opinion, and a re-reading of the ending, before my own ideas formed. This is subtle writing. In my copy’s introduction, novelist Elizabeth Hardwick says that “Morte D’Urban” is “a sad morality drama,” because of the ending. I completely disagree. I believe that Hardwick rushed her reading. I believe that the ending is a triumph for Urban. He learned what he needed to learn. Powers was an extremely careful writer. He did not have another income, he was not prolific, and he skirted a life of poverty. After disappointing sales of “D’Urban,” he wrote to his friend Katherine Anne Porter: “People told me in New York that I was lucky to have done as well as I had with the book. Well, if so, I don’t know how to look the future in the face.” Not every careful writer is a good writer, but I believe Powers hit it right with this novel, and that a thoughtful reading of the ending will reward a reader with inspiration as opposed to sadness.
three villains toward the end, Powers holds affection for his characters. If not obvious affection, then understanding. With the exceptions, the three who act without mercy, he has them play their parts, but he doesn’t spend any time trying to get us to understand them. Incidentally, I could find a bit of myself in every one of his characters. That’s impressive, especially in a comedy.
There is teaching, there is Powers’ point of view, there are exemplary actions, but nothing comes across as manipulative. Sometimes we hear, in Father Urban’s thoughts, thoughts that must belong to the author. When Urban is reluctantly playing checkers with Father Jack (no one else will!), “Jack, of course, showed him no mercy. Father Urban sniffed. It occurred to him that Jack would have been an entirely different sort of person if he’d handled himself as he
A reading for “Stronger Than The Storm: Hurricane Helene in Western
Bookstore in Sylva. The collection features work from over two dozen contributors
efforts.
“Morte D’Urban” won the National Book Award in 1963. Flannery O’Connor and the Catholic monk Thomas Merton were fans, as was the atheist Phillip Roth, who went so far as to call himself “anti-religious.” Contemporary novelist Donna Tartt is a fan.
Here is a book which explores some of the crucial questions of humanity. How do we make our decisions in life? Where is home? It is a novel that is both challenging and fun to read. I have read it twice already. This is what I am calling a good friend of a book. By the end, we know everything we need to know about Father Urban, and nothing we don’t need to know. It is complete. And who doesn’t need to laugh? I would have loved to have known author J. F. Powers, never a priest, by the way, but knowing Father Urban is a fine substitute.
(Anne Bevilacqua is a book lover who lives in Haywood County. abev1@yahoo.com.)
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.
The flower hunter’s legacy
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
More than two centuries after William Bartram explored the Southern Appalachian foothills, his words, like his footsteps, still echo through the ridgelines and river valleys he once traversed.
“How cheerful and gay all nature appears! Hark! The musical savanna cranes, ere the chirping sparrow flirts from his grassy couch, or the glorious sun gilds the tops of
ing that Bartram’s passion for the natural world continues.
“I tell people sometimes that he’s the only 18th century American that still has groupies,” said Brent Martin, executive director of the Conservancy. “He was not like most Americans of his day by any stretch. I think anyone who’s interested in the botanical world and what’s been lost — the type of wholesale clearing we’ve done, the bad ecological practices — anyone who’s drawn to art and nature and science, I think they’re just going to be intrigued by the guy.”
were his illustrations and the poetic context he wove around the wild places he walked. “Dewy evening now came on; the animating breezes, which cooled and tempered the meridian hours of this sultry season, now gently ceased,” Bartram wrote. “The glorious sovereign of the day, calling in his bright beaming emanations, left us in his absence to the milder government and protection of the silver queen of night, attended by millions of brilliant luminaries.”
Bartram’s writings were later compiled into his 1791 book — a rare work of both
the pines, spread their expansive wings, leave their lofty roosts, and repair to the ample plains,” Bartram wrote in his landmark 1791 book, “Bartram’s Travels.”
True then as now, Bartram’s astute observations remain foundational to modern understandings of biodiversity and cultural heritage in the Southeast; a botanist, explorer and chronicler of both nature and Native American cultures, his legacy endures not only in libraries and botanical gardens but also in the once-remote places he once roamed — preserved and promoted by the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, a group committed to ensur-
Born in Philadelphia in 1739 to Quaker botanist John Bartram, young William was surrounded by science from an early age. John, appointed Royal Botanist for North America by King George III, nurtured his son’s interest in nature.
After failed attempts at business, William devoted himself to exploration. Traveling mostly alone by foot, horseback and boat, his four-year expedition from 1773 to 1777 traced earlier routes he had taken with his father and documented plant and animal species — some previously unknown to Western science.
Perhaps his most important contributions
Together, John and William Bartram identified more than 200 native plant species, including Franklinia alatamaha, named after their friend Benjamin Franklin. The Bartram legacy lives on at his preserved Philadelphia homestead, home to America’s oldest botanical garden. Visited by such Colonial-era luminaries as Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the site remains open to the public and continues to inspire appreciation for the natural world.
The Conservancy — originally called the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society — was established by a group of visionaries in 1977. Early contributors included J. Dan Pittillo, a Western Carolina University botanist.
“Dan introduced me to the Bartram Trail Society and the trail by taking me on some trail-building work days with him,” said Burt Kornegay, longtime Western North Carolina Resident and author of a monthly column in The Smoky Mountain News called “Up Moses Creek.”
Kornegay would go on to serve as president of the Society for a total of 12 years over two stints. The organization’s primary achievement has been the creation and ongoing maintenance of a 112-mile trail tracing Bartram’s original route through North Georgia and Western North Carolina. The trail largely traverses the Nantahala National Forest.
Now with over 200 members, the Conservancy draws support from individuals across the U.S. and abroad. Governed by a volunteer board representing a wide array of professions, the group’s members share a commitment to sustaining the spirit of Bartram, whom the Seminole called “Puc Puggy,” meaning “flower hunter.”
Bartram also recorded detailed observations of Native American culture, offering a rare ethnographic account of the era.
beauty and brilliance that influenced Romantic thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson. In his 1815 poem, “Ruth,” William Wordsworth even cited Bartram’s description of flowers that “cover a hundred leagues and seem to set the hills on fire.”
“I think Bartram was America’s first creative nonfiction writer,” Martin said. “His writings are really weird in the sense that he kind of goes between Linnaean scientific nomenclature and being very specific and scientific in how he describes things, and then the very next paragraph he would just kind of go totally rhapsodic on whatever it is he’s seeing.”
“He did not see the Cherokee, for instance, as being subhuman or savage. He admired them, in many ways, more than the Whites. He thought they were more upright and more moral and treated each other better and treated the White man better than they were getting treated,” Kornegay said. “This is one way he was odd — he thought the Indians of the southeast were human.”
This week, a slew of events will give visitors the chance to learn more about Bartram, whether they’ve been lifelong fans or are just getting to know Bartram and his work.
The Bartram 250th anniversary celebration kicks off June 4 with a commemorative beer release and trivia night at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin. The following days offer a blend of outdoor exploration and scientific inquiry, including stream biomonitoring on Tellico Creek, birding along the Little Tennessee River Greenway and multiple guided hikes across historically significant routes like the
Naturalist William Bartram traveled extensively throughout North Georgia and Western North Carolina. Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy photo
Want to go?
The Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy will host a variety of events commemorating the 250th anniversary of artist, naturalist and writer William Bartram’s journey through the area in 1775. Most events are free, but a few have varying costs. For more information or to RSVP, visit blueridgebartram.org/bartram250.
• June 4
6:30 p.m. Bartram 250 beer release and Bartram Trivia, Lazy Hiker Brewing, Franklin
• June 5
8 a.m. Stream biomonitoring on Tellico Creek
8 a.m. Birding the Little Tennessee River Greenway
9 a.m. Chattooga to Foothills Trail hike
9 a.m. Warwoman Dell to Courthouse Gap hike
1 p.m. Wayah Bald botany
4 p.m. Bartram Base Camp happy hour, Lazy Hiker Brewing, Franklin
7 p.m. Mander Meander, Wallace Branch
• June 6
7:30 a.m. Birding Alarka Laurel
9 a.m. Interpreting local wildlife through tracking and signs
9 a.m. Standing Indian: Park Ridge and Park Creek Trail
10 a.m. Jones Gap to Whiterock Mountain on the Bartram Trail
10 a.m. Scaly Mountain botany
1 p.m. Magnolia, Franklinia and Stewartia garden tour
1 p.m. Little Tennessee River trip with Alarka Expeditions
4 p.m. Bartram Base Camp happy hour with Grizzly Mammoth and WoolyBooger, Lazy Hiker, Franklin
• June 7
9 a.m. Watercolor botanical studies with Carol Conti
9 a.m. Tellico Valley — Ramsey Trail hike
10 a.m. Nature as kin: deepening our relationship with the natural world
Noon Bartram 250 luncheon, Cowee School
1 p.m. Art and nature symposium — artist panel — nature and art in the 21st century
2:30 p.m. Art and Nature symposium — literary panel — nature writing in the 21st century
3:30 p.m. “Paradise” screening dir. by Garrett Martin
5:30 p.m. Bartram Base Camp happy hour, Lazy Hiker, Franklin
Chattooga and Warwoman Dell.
Afternoon programs such as botany walks on Wayah Bald and happy hour socials at Lazy Hiker provide a relaxed setting to connect with fellow enthusiasts.
As the events continue through June 7, attendees can expect a deepening engagement with Bartram’s legacy through interdisciplinary activities including garden tours and boat trips on the Little Tennessee River.
A salute to Bartram’s artistic talents takes center stage on the final day, with watercolor botanical workshops, a literary panel exploring nature’s role in 21stcentury art and a screening of Garrett Martin’s “Paradise,” a documentary about a man who lived off the grid for five decades. The celebration concludes with a community luncheon at the historic Cowee School and one last toast at the Bartram Base Camp happy hour.
DEQ accepting comments on wastewater treatment plan for Helene-affected areas
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting comments until June 30, 2025, on a draft Intended Use Plan (IUP) and Priority Rating System for funding assistance for decentralized wastewater treatment systems in Hurricane Helene-affected areas. Funding assistance will be administered through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) using the state’s allotment of $22,510,000 from a one-time federal appropriation in the American Relief Act, 2025.
The Intended Use Plan addresses the administration of the federal funds to improve, repair or replace decentralized wastewater treatment systems while reducing vulnerability to floods, or to connect properties to centralized wastewater systems in Hurricane Helene-impacted communities. The Intended Use Plan includes a proposed Priority Rating System that will be used by the State Water Infrastructure Authority to prioritize projects for funding assistance from the CWSRF Helene Decentralized funds.
Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the draft Intended Use Plan (available on the NCDEQ website) by 5 p.m. on June 30, 2025. Comments can be submitted by email to dwi.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov, with the subject line: Comments on Draft IUP for CWSRF Helene Decentralized, or by mail to Cathy Akroyd, Division of Water Infrastructure, 1633 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1633.
Join Franklin Bird Club for Macon County walks
The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the Greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane.
The public is welcome. All walks are weather dependent. Additional information, including directions to each location and a bird club check list can be found at littletennessee.org/franklin-bird-club.
Schedule for upcoming walks:
• June 4, meet at Big Bear parking lot
• June 11, meet at Saladi Lane parking lot
• June 18, meet at the Macon County Library parking lot
• June 25, meet at Big Bear parking lot
intricate natural and cultural landscape Bartram once explored, they all seek to inspire environmental stewardship and ensure the preservation of these resources so future generations will still be able to experience the feelings — and follow in the footsteps — of Bartram.
Financial support for the Conservancy comes through memberships and occasional board-authored grants, with all donations tax-deductible. Members often share interests in camping, hiking and studying the native biodiversity of the region. By fostering an appreciation for the
“That takes us out of our little tiny lives, which tend to make us kind of mouse-like — our little tiny focus is on getting and spending, and when you go out into the big world of nature, it opens us up to a wider world and to a kind of a wildness in us,” Kornegay said. “We are more than just those things — getting and spending.”
Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy photo
Troxler: Raw milk puts human health at risk
From childhood, we have learned that milk is a foundational food, growing strong bones and a healthy body.
People likely remember the slogan “Milk, It Does a Body Good” and our meals being served with a glass of milk. Milk is a staple of childhood and a product families can confidently serve their kids.
Grade A Milk is one of the safest food products available because food science, specifically pasteurization, has made it that way. The development of pasteurization has proven effective in killing bacteria in milk that caused tuberculosis, Q fever, diphtheria, severe streptococcal infections, typhoid fever and other foodborne illnesses. In 1938, 25% of disease outbreaks due to contaminated food and water were milk related. Today, thanks to pasteurization, it is less than 1%. Of that 1%, it should be noted that 70% of today’s milk-related numbers are linked to raw milk.
Recently, raw milk has been in the news being touted as a “natural or healthier” choice, but without the science to support that claim. In fact, study after study has shown that raw milk puts human health at risk with the FDA and CDC advising against drinking raw milk.
Some people have argued that the similar food-borne pathogens are present in raw meats like chicken or beef, but the difference is those foods are cooked, which has the same effect as pasteurization.
Science says raw milk is not safe. Raw milk is 150 times more likely to cause an outbreak than pasteurized milk. Even with our best efforts and diligent work, foodborne illnesses, stillbirths and miscarriages will occur if we allow the retail sale of raw milk.
I hope to clear up some dangerous and incorrect information that is being shared in the debate around sales of raw milk and “pet milk” in North Carolina. I want people to understand the public health implications that are behind my concern over raw milk sales in North Carolina.
First, let’s go ahead and acknowledge that “pet milk” is being purchased for human consumption in North Carolina. It is a not-so-well-kept secret that this loophole provides access to a completely untested and minimally regulated product that people are consuming and giving to their children.
With regulatory responsibility over food safety, Grade A milk and even the safety of animal feed falling to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, I cannot turn a blind eye to what we know is going on with the sales of raw milk, especially since children are involved.
Food safety is a responsibility that I take seriously, especially having seen firsthand the lifelong impacts to children who developed serious health issues from E. coli exposure and the recorded cases of stillbirths that resulted from Listeria in cheese made from raw milk.
These are not hypothetical cases. In 2001, our Food and Drug Protection Division investigation found 11 pregnant women in North Carolina became infected with Listeria from illegal, homemade raw milk cheese.
In those cases, five babies were stillborn, three were delivered prematurely and three were born infected with the pathogen.
In 2016, we investigated an outbreak of Campylobacter, which was traced back to raw milk consumption. A 9-yearold child and a parent became ill.
In 2018 in Tennessee, 10 children were sickened with E. coli after consuming raw milk. Nine of them were hospitalized and seven developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure.
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention article in 2022 noted that from 2013-2018 nearly half of food-borne illnesses associated with raw milk involved children from infant age to 19 years old.
This same article also noted that 78% of outbreaks linked to raw milk occurred in states that allow retail sales of raw
Puzzles can be found on page 30
milk.
Children cannot make choices for themselves and feeding “pet milk” to a child is a risk that is just too great to allow. If we can reduce the risk of life altering complications for children and stillbirths in pregnant women, why wouldn’t we? Drinking raw milk is like playing Russian roulette with two loaded chambers.
The issue of raw milk sales has come up before in the legislature, but this time I believe there is an even greater sense of urgency due to the recent discovery of high pathogenic avian influenza in milk.
This is a game changer because it adds yet another pathogen that further increases the risks associated with raw milk. With the current H5N1 outbreak of high path avian influenza across the United States, there have been 70 confirmed human cases and one death.
We know pasteurizing raw milk to 161 degrees for 15 seconds will kill HPAI, plus E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and other harmful pathogens and render milk safe. Raw milk offers no scientifically proven safeguards.
The department also oversees animal feed. There have been documented cases of pet cats becoming ill or dying from consuming raw pet food and unpasteurized milk contaminated by highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The adaptability of the virus and expansion of its host range seems to lend support to scientists’ theories that HPAI could lead to the next pandemic and points to the need for caution with the virus and humans.
The risk of consuming raw milk far outweighs any perceived health benefits being claimed. The bacteria found in raw milk are not probiotics. Research by the FDA and CDC has shown that there is no meaningful difference between the nutrient content of pasteurized and unpasteurized milk.
Farming is a tough business, and I am sympathetic to trying to develop new opportunities for sales, but selling raw milk carries big financial and legal risks if someone is seriously injured. Most farms don’t have limited liability insurance that would cover raw milk injuries. One outbreak and farmers could lose the farm.
Many are trying to suggest this measure is only about small farms being able to sell raw milk locally, but we have been contacted by out-of-state companies, some as far away as California, about selling raw milk in North Carolina in retail locations as pet food.
As I have looked over the data and information, the science shows me raw milk presents a significant public health risk particularly to children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly. Having seen the impacts of food-borne illnesses and being charged with food safety for humans and pets, my conscious leads me to push for changes to legislation that will protect the most vulnerable among us — our children.
Steve Troxler is North Carolina’s Secretary of Agriculture.
Steve Troxler, N.C. Secretary of Agriculture. File photo
Discover the Smokies with new public programs
This summer and fall, visitors can enjoy family-friendly programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting June 7. Visitors are invited to take a hike with a ranger, learn about mountain life, meet some of the creatures that call the Smokies’ home, trek into the dark and much more.
The full schedule of programs, with details about locations, topics and how to arrive prepared can be found on the park’s online event calendar and will be published in the summer edition of the Smokies Guide newspaper.
Additionally, one day each month, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and students from the University of Tennessee and Maryville College will collaborate with park staff to present programs. Funding for these programs was provided by the National Park Foundation. ASL-interpreted programs will include:
• Saturday, June 28: Portraits from the Past (9 a.m. at John Oliver parking area in Cades Cove); Drop-In History (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cable Mill Historic Area).
• Sunday, July 20: Kuwohi Guided Hike (9 a.m. at Kuwohi parking area); Mingus Mill program (2 p.m. at Mingus Mill).
• Sunday, Aug. 17: Walker Sisters Hike (11 a.m. at Little Greenbrier School); Stream Splashers (2 p.m. at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area).
• Friday, Sept. 12: Bear Aware Drop In (1-3 p.m. at Cades Cove Orientation Shelter); Cove After Dark Walk (8 p.m. at the Cades Cove Orientation Shelter).
• Tuesday, Oct. 7: History of Daisytown (11 a.m. at Jakes Creek parking area); Hiking 101 (1 p.m. at Little River Trailhead).
• Friday, Nov. 7: Down on the Farm drop-in (10 a.m. to noon at the Mountain Farm Museum, Oconaluftee); Wild About the Smokies (3 p.m. at Oconaluftee Visitor Center). Programs are family-friendly and open to all park visitors. Visitors are welcome to participate on as many days as they choose and may opt to attend one or both programs on each day. No reservations are required.
Spring road maintenance planned in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The National Park Service will complete important maintenance along popular roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this June. This will require temporary partial closures of Little River Road and single-lane closures along the Spur to allow park staff to safely and efficiently complete this work.
Little River Road closures:
• On June 4, the park will close Townsend Wye to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road (US 321) between Townsend and Line Springs Road as a detour.
• On June 5, the park will close Metcalf Bottoms to Elkmont Junction from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road between Line Springs Road and Pigeon Forge as a detour.
Motor homes, buses and vans longer than 25 feet, as well as any passenger vehicles towing a trailer, are prohibited on Wear Cove Gap Road from the park boundary to and including the Metcalf Bottoms bridge.
Popular sites including Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms and Cades Cove will remain accessible during this closure but may require detours. Visitors should plan for increased travel time.
Spur single-lane closures:
• From June 9-12, the park will implement temporary single-lane closures along the north and southbound Spur from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitor may see some traffic delays.
During this time, crews will complete needed roadside work including mowing and pruning, ditch and culvert cleaning, shoulder drop off repair and hazard tree mitigation.
Last year, the park implemented temporary partial closures of Little River Road for the first time to complete deferred road maintenance. During these short closures (totaling less than 10 hours), park staff completed the following work:
• Mowed and string trimmed 24 miles along roadsides.
• Pulled and cleaned 8.5 miles of roadside ditches.
• Repaired 27 damaged road shoulder areas.
• Side armed 12 miles of roadside banks.
Lee Ann Ratledge photo
File photo
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!
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
• $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
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The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is seeking bids for upcoming 2025 FRRCSI grant projects. Timbers to be delivered July/Aug. 2025. 358 total railroad switch timbers varying in sizes from 9’ to 16’ in length. All Materials must include delivery to GSMR Rail Yard 973 Haywood Road, Dillsboro NC 28725. Evaluation Criteria: Partial bids for materials are accepted and may be awarded. This is a formal sealed bidding process. Bids must comply with domestic steel and Buy America
be supplied to GSMR by vendor) WBE/MBE participation is highly encouraged. Projects will be awarded at GSMR’s sole discretion to the supplier or suppliers who’s proposal offers the best value. GSMR reserves
the right to reject any and all bids. Contact for a full inventory of quantities and sizes needed for the bid. Proposal is due no later than 2:00pm deadline on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Formal Public Bid Opening Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 2PM. All Proposals may be submitted to the following: GSMR Attention Kim Albritton. PO Box 1490. 225 Everett Street Bryson City, NC 28713. Kim Albritton, VP & GM kimalbritton@gsmr.com 828-488-7008
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000273-430
JAMES WARREN STE-
as the EXECUTOR of the Estate of JAMES RANDY STEVENS of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 14 2025, or
this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
EXECUTOR
C/O JOHN R. SUTTON, Jr. PO BOX 145 CANDLER, NC 28715
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000164-490
Holly Alichia McKoy and Selena Druscilla McK-
the Co-Administrators of the Estate of Tanya Leah McKoy of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 21 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Co-Administrators c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000318-430
Kelly Clifford Russell,
Executor of the Estate of Samuel Clifford Russell of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 21 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor
134 Barn Loop Lane Waynesville, NC 28786
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25-E-50
Wayne Dean Monteith,
Ancillary Executor of the Estate of Jean Privette Monteith of York County, South Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 28 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Wayne Dean Monteith, Ancillary Executor c/o Mullen Holland & Cooper, PA 301 S. York Street Gastonia, NC 28052
their own business. Call 24/7: 1-833-426-0086
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Auction
PUBLIC AUCTION
Saturday, June 7th @10am. 201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC. Motor Home, Late Model RV’s, 2023 Sea Doo Boat, 4Wheelers, SideXSides, Guns, Coins, Motorcycles, Late Model Cars / Trucks, Jet Skis, Tools. www. ClassicAuctions.com 704-791-8825 NCAF5479
Automobiles
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Farm & Garden
NURSERY CONTAINERS Kord pots. Brand new, all sizes. 12” plastic hanging baskets w/4 wire. Also have inserts and -
Land For Sale
TINY HOME LOTS FOR SALE $50k-$77k/ea. Each lot comes with water & power run to each lot, and septic. Located in Franklin, NC. Visit our website for directions & more info. www.TinyMountainEstates.com
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Medical
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Miscellaneous
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WATER DAMAGE
CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! Call 24/7: 1-833-928-1861. Have zip code of service location ready when you call!
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Musical Instruments
WE BUY VINTAGE GUITARS! Looking for 19201980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6624
Liz Buys Houses: 1-888247-1189
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Services
Construction/ Remodeling
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! For a FREE ESTIMATE, call 24/7: 1-833-880-7762
AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-833-889-1843
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MAZZOTTI BACKHOE
$3000.00. Sits on a B9200 Kubota tractor and 3 point hitch. Leave mes-
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Real Estate Announcements
WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling
Entertainment
GET DISH SATELLITE
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ron@ronbreese.com
MIXED-UP SINGERS
1 Fuel dispenser
8 Lord's home
14 Made untidy
20 The Beatles' Rigby
21 Coated with gunky stuff
22 Box up
23 "Sk8er Boi" singer making an exit?
25 Stir to action
26 Go kaput
27 Italia's capital
28 Very sad tune from the "Sir Duke" singer?
30 Stephen of the screen
32 Very big bird
34 Seattle-to-L.A. dir.
35 Jaded
36 Hazard encountered by the "Thank U, Next" singer?
42 By birth
44 Diatribe deliverers
45 Many a stencil user
48 Dog in "The Thin Man"
52 Consent (to)
53 "Lean on Me" singer makes twisting movements?
55 Pub potable 56 Unit of petrol
57 "@" signs
58 Total up 59 Cambodian money unit
61 Part of QED
63 Actor Carroll O'--
64 "Grease" singer's big country home?
69 Subway system named after the "Careless Hands" singer?
72 UFO crew
73 Czech-German river
Infirmity-free
Leah's father, in the Bible
Ellipsis part
"That's someone -problem!"
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
Home Improvement
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Wanted to Buy
TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson
Yard Sales
LARGE YARD SALE
Sat
Jun 7, 2025 from 7:00 AM-1:00 PM at Maggie Valley UMC, 4192 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC. Items include furniture, tools, clothing, home decor, and much more! Donuts and hotdogs for sale too. We look forward to seeing you there! Ben-
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, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
