Roadless Rule may undermine public opinion Page 24
CONTENTS
On the Cover:
It’s October, and that means Election Day is right around the corner. Although it’s an odd year and there are no congressional or statewide seats on the ballot, there is a number of consequential municipal elections voters should pay attention to. Inside this edition, The Smoky Mountain News focuses on Haywood County with a look at the Waynesville, Clyde and Canton elections. Micah McClure design.
News
Amazon to close Franklin warehouse, open new site in Hayesville......................4 Early voting starts Thursday..............................................................................................5 Canton candidates confront years of crisis..................................................................6 Waynesville incumbents look to steady recovery......................................................8 Clyde candidates consider plans for smart growth................................................10 Gift will help support WCU students in their mental health journey..................12 Imani Perry headlines Pisgah Legal’s justice forum................................................13
Opinion
Don’t be fooled by force, be fueled by power ........................................................14 Letters to the Editor ........................................................................................................14
A&E
‘Our story lives on’: Cherokee exhibition to open at WCU..................................16 HART presents ‘Lizzie’......................................................................................................19
Outdoors
Roadless Rule appears to undermine public opinion............................................24 The Joyful Botanist: Season of the Witch Hobble..................................................26
STAFF
E DITOR /PUBLISHER: Scott McLeod.
ADVERTISING D IRECTOR: Greg Boothroyd.
ART D IRECTOR: Micah McClure.
D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray.
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jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Jack Snyder.
D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Tyler Auffhammer.
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amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com Maddie Woodard.
C LASSIFIEDS: Jamie Cogdillr. .
N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti.
WRITING: Lily Levin.
Cory Vaillancourt.
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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing), Adam Bigelow (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
When Amazon drivers in Franklin showed up for work Oct. 8, they were met not with their usual routine but instead with news that the facility will close on Dec. 10 — right around the time a new one opens 31 miles west in Hayesville. For some, like learning ambassador Nate Crawford, that move might as well be across the country.
“I can’t,” said Crawford, who has been on the job since August 2024. “A two-hour round trip every day plus triple fuel costs. I know a few people are parents and caregivers. People are still processing [the announcement].”
Crawford said about 40 people are employed inside the warehouse with another hundred or so drivers operating under the company’s Flex program — an app-based gig system that has long been both a gateway to quick income and a source of frustration for those trying to make a living in rural Western North Carolina.
The Franklin facility serves as a last-mile delivery station. Workers sort and distribute
packages to Flex drivers who compete through the company’s app for limited “blocks” — three- to four-hour shifts that pay variable rates depending on distance, demand and delivery conditions.
Flex drivers are not Amazon employees. They use their own vehicles and pay their own fuel, maintenance and insurance costs. They also lack tax withholdings, which makes the program attractive for side work but precarious for full-time earners.
“It’s one of the better jobs you can get in Franklin unless you do skilled labor, construction or plumbing,” said a Flex driver who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation by Amazon. “But it’s barely worth it because of the crazy drives.”
staffed exclusively by Flex drivers.
The shift westward could make it harder for existing contractors to access lucrative delivery blocks, especially if out-of-state drivers continue competing for routes in the mountain region.
Amber Plunkett, an Amazon spokesperson, told The Smoky Mountain News that the $638 billion company is doing everything it can to provide opportunities to workers affected by the closing and refuted the claim that the move has anything to do with reducing the head count.
“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, partners and drivers,” Plunkett said. “As we wind down operations at this facility, we’re working closely with all employees to provide the latest information about transfer opportunities to our other facilities in the area.”
The closing comes amid a broader slowdown in e-commerce as inflation, tariffs and weakening consumer sentiment squeeze discretionary spending. In the first quarter of 2025, U.S. consumer spending rose just 1.8% year over year, compared to 4.0% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Over the same period, spending on goods rose only 0.5%, compared to the previous 6.2%, and package volume growth among all carriers rose only 0.4%. The disappointing numbers arose even before the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariff regimes became apparent. In May 2025, consumer spending actually fell 0.1% compared to the prior month, marking the second decline in 2025.
“It’s one of the better jobs you can get in Franklin unless you do skilled labor, construction or plumbing. But it’s barely worth it because of the crazy drives.”
— Anonymous Flex driver
Those drives may soon get even longer and even less profitable for gig workers. The new Hayesville site will reportedly include some of Amazon’s branded “Blue” trucks — operated by employees of businesses that contract with the company under its delivery service partner network — but Franklin was
“They bring in drivers from other states who can’t drive the roads. Sometimes they have their luggage with them,” the driver said. “Sometimes they sleep in their cars. Once they receive their 1,000 packages, they can transfer out back to where they live.”
Crawford said management has offered to transfer Franklin’s warehouse staff to Hayesville.
Across many categories of nonessential goods — electronics, furniture, home décor, sporting — e-commerce purchase rates have declined due to tariff pressure and economic uncertainty, according to a 2025 AlixPartners report based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers. Retailers and logistics operators are feeling the pinch. Adobe Analytics now forecasts U.S. holiday online sales to grow by just 5.3% this season, down from 8.7% last year — a sign that “boom years” may be moderating. UPS, in particular, has already begun cutting costs and reconfiguring its network in response to shrinking profitability in certain sectors. Simultaneously, UPS is reducing the volume of Amazon business it handles — halving its Amazon package load by mid-2026 — and plans to eliminate F
“They’ve extended the offer to us,” Crawford said. “In my opinion, if we reject the offer, it’s to save the company money from paying out unemployment benefits.”
An Amazon spokesperson said the move will not affect customers or their deliveries.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
Early voting starts Thursday
Voters can cast their ballots in person starting Thursday, Oct. 16. Same day, in-person registration is also available at polling locations.
Bring a valid form of photo identification to vote in person — documents like a driver’s license, state identification card, U.S. passport and college or university ID cards. A comprehensive list of acceptable can be found at ncsbe.gov/voting.
Voters should check their polling locations and days/hours of operations through the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
request. The deadline for requests is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with the submission deadline of 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Hours, days and locations may have changed since the last election, so doublecheck and make your plan.
For those unable to vote in person, absentee ballots are available upon
around 20,000 jobs and shutter dozens of facilities in 2025.
Smaller markets are often the first to feel the cuts. Consolidation of delivery networks tends to target low-volume or high-cost areas first, and shifting routes or facilities is a common way for large shippers to prune marginal operations. Plunkett said the move from Franklin to Hayesville would not affect customers or their deliveries, adding that the move doesn’t have to do with macro-economic trends or a need to consolidate, but rather, it addresses a need to move into a newer, “right-sized” facility.
Overseas voters and military members requesting an absentee ballot have different requirements and deadlines. More information can be found at ncsbe.gov/voting/military-and-overseas.
$13.1 billion to the state’s GDP and support more than 26,000 other jobs that rely on the company’s presence.
A 2024 report by the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Center for Urban Economic Development says that most front-line Amazon workers report making between $16 and $20 an hour, and that 45% earn less than $45,000 a year. Consequently, a third of Amazon workers have used one or more publicly funded assistance programs, including 23% who have used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. While Plunkett didn’t address the
“Our new facility has greater capacity to handle more package volume compared to our Franklin location and will allow us to deliver customer orders faster and meet rising customer demand in the region.”
— Amber Plunkett, Amazon spokesperson
“All employees were presented with opportunities to transfer to nearby facilities, including our newest facility which is slated to open before the end of the year,” Plunkett said. “Our new facility has greater capacity to handle more package volume compared to our Franklin location and will allow us to deliver customer orders faster and meet rising customer demand in the region.”
Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $12 billion in North Carolina, including infrastructure and employee compensation across its 13 fulfillment and sorting centers, 14 delivery stations, 16 Whole Foods locations and two Prime fulfillment centers. Amazon also operates a solar farm and a wind farm in the state. All told, the 24,000 full- and part-time jobs provided by Amazon in North Carolina have added
claim the study made about Amazon workers using more publicly funded assistance programs, she took issue with the study, claiming it was inherently flawed. She said Amazon now pays an average wage of $23 per hour and provides benefits like health care.
The Franklin warehouse, located at 322 Industrial Park Road, was built in 1969 and sits on 15.7 acres southwest of downtown. Property records show its owner as MirTek Properties of N.C., Inc, which is owned by Teresa Reis Mira, widow of the late John Knippel. Mira’s father founded TekTone Sound and Signal, where Knippel served as operations manager for 28 years until his retirement in 2016. TekTone’s headquarters is listed as an adjacent building at 324 Industrial Park Road. Mira’s contact info was not immediately available.
File photo
Canton candidates confront years of crisis
mapping, leak repairs and the transition from the old wastewater plant to a new facility with the town’s stability and economic prospects.
“We’ve got major water system challenges. We’ve got pipes that we don’t even know where they’re located. We have them busting and one of the things for us to focus on is those critical upgrades for water infrastructure,” she said. “One of our top priorities is getting the wastewater treatment plant under control that is on the old mill property to building a new one.”
She links that work to a larger principle about running a small town after back-toback disasters.
“Financial sustainability is paramount right now,” she said, noting the need to restructure departments, evaluate fees and protect recreation services while balancing grant rules against local needs.
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
This cycle, Canton’s ballot carries the weight of five hard years. A global pandemic. Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. A mill closure in 2023 that upended municipal finance. Hurricane Helene in 2024. The next four years will test the town’s ability to finish flood recovery, modernize water and sewer, help redevelop the mill site and keep taxes predictable while still paving streets and paying bills.
The job itself pays nothing, but the work has been constant, with governing board members putting in plenty of overtime. In the first 14 months after the mill shutdown was announced in March 2023, Canton’s board spent almost 27 hours in closed session across 24 meetings — more time than in open session — while working on solutions to myriad issues.
Two incumbents, Kristina Proctor and Tim Shepard, have been doing that work all along. Two challengers, Adam Hatton and Neal Swanger, have their own ideas on how Canton should push through the next chapter of the storied riverside town’s history.
Proctor and Shepard emphasize continuity of service through COVID, Fred, the mill closure and Helene — a stretch of history that pulled more hours out of more people for longer than any normal term has a right to demand.
Hatton and Swanger argue that new voices can push old problems forward in different ways with sharper public messaging, broader grant pursuit and a bias toward action when process stalls. They both say respect for the incumbents and their service can coexist with a desire to change pace and reset priorities.
Voters may choose any two of the four candidates.
Proctor runs a small business from her home in Canton and has emphasized water and sewer infrastructure, grant pursuit and support for local entrepreneurs. She entered
office during a period defined by disasters and has worked on flood recovery, the wastewater path forward and navigating grant restrictions.
“I love this town. I love its grit, its people, its heart. Every challenge that we’ve had, we’ve faced head-on, and that showed me that Canton doesn’t quit. That is how I grew up,” said Proctor, a Texas native. We don’t quit, we reassess, we pivot, we focus, we go bold. So I’m running again for a third term not just to finish what we started, but to
ers after finishing third behind longtime incumbents Ralph Hamlett and Gail Mull in 2023, but says he respects the experience of the people he’s challenging.
“I didn’t plan on running until 2027. I was going to run against Ralph and Gail again, just because the people I’m running against are good candidates to what this town needs,” he said of Shepard and Proctor. “I’m running against two candidates that deserve their seat, that can make a difference. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter to
Early voting begins Oct. 16, and the election will take place Nov. 4. Canton’s choice is not between past and future, but between different approaches to the same hard list.
build up our town so our next generation — so my kid — can come back, live here and work here too.”
Shepard has taught for more than two decades in Haywood County schools, including Pisgah High School. A Western Carolina University grad, he moved to Canton after years of working in the community, won an unexpired term in 2019, then a full term, and is now seeking another. He has focused on basic services, infrastructure and steady budgeting.
“One of the things that I would like to really see, and I hope that the town government plays a role in, is bringing jobs into Haywood County in general,” Shepard said. “I don’t want Canton to be a bedroom community. I don’t want it to be someplace where people live and sleep and then they go work somewhere else.”
Hatton owns a towing and recovery company that employs two dozen people. A longtime volunteer firefighter, he has been active in storm response, community projects and charitable work. He entered the race at the request of Republican Party lead-
me on that standpoint as much as what my town needs, and those are two people that our town could really use right now.”
Swanger is an Army veteran and former Canton police officer who now works in the auto parts industry. He says his time inside town government gave him insight into departmental needs and budgets and that he wants to put that to use for residents.
“I’m not running against Tim or Kristina. I’ve got great respect for both of them. I’m not running against Adam,” he said. “I’m running for the town of Canton and its citizens. I’m not saying that they’ve completely gone off the wall and done bad things. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just feel that I can contribute my time, my experiences as a town employee for 15 years.”
Canton arrives at this election with no clean break between past and future. The town is still closing out Fred projects even as Helene claims time and attention. That overlap drives most of the issues that separate or unite the candidates.
Water and sewer sit at the top of everyone’s list. Proctor puts it first, linking line
Shepard’s list begins the same way. He describes wastewater as the through line from the mill closure to flood recovery to economic development.
“Getting the site, getting the updates to the existing wastewater to make it work better and then eventually building the new wastewater plant so that we’ll have a modern, right-sized, efficient system — that’s one of the biggest issues we’re staring at right now,” he said.
He also cited road work and flood fixes funded with federal help as near-term tasks that must be finished as well, but work at the mill remains the centerpiece.
Parcel owner Eric Spirtas does not have to coordinate with the town, yet he has continued to do so on demolition, wastewater planning and conceptual paths for the parcel. Shepard calls the relationship practical and productive.
“We try to be a good partner with him,” he said, citing the wastewater land deal and pricing negotiations that followed. “He’s worked with us.”
Proctor frames that cooperation as good for business and good for people who built their lives around the site.
“It benefits the community, and it benefits the owner of that property to work with and not against a community,” she said. “We also need to collaborate together when it comes to wastewater. We have mutual things in common.”
Hatton says the town should encourage uses that rebuild the tax base and serve local businesses. Swanger supports recreation in balance with safety, liability and infrastructure and wants the wastewater transition to remain on track.
Outdoor recreation remains part of the picture, not as a cure-all but as a proven revenue stream. Shepard points to Western North Carolina’s regional draw and the economic data around Chestnut Mountain. He says recreation can complement — not replace — manufacturing or other job-creating uses on the mill site.
“It would be a missed opportunity if we didn’t do something like that,” he said, while arguing for a diversified economy that makes things as well as sells experiences.
Proctor places outdoor assets in a small-business context, draw-
The Town of Canton has endured an unusual, seemingly unending string of disasters over the past five years. File photo.
ing on the economic development boost from Chestnut Mountain’s Berm Park.
“Priorities for outdoor recreation moving forward are really about supplementing and enhancing our local economy and figuring out ways that we can utilize our outdoor rec as essentially kind of bookends to bring in people into Canton,” she said.
She cited greenway and river access as ways to support shops and restaurants, alongside quality-of-life benefits for residents.
Challengers do not disagree that wastewater and the mill matter most. They part ways over pace, priorities and how the town communicates urgency to outside agencies. Hatton says Canton cannot wait on distant approvals when storms are forecast and money is stuck in process.
“We’ve been waiting on federal funds for five years,” he said. “If you want to sit here and wait on the government to fix every problem we have, we’re going to be waiting more than five years.”
Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, has traveled to Washington, D.C. multiple times over the past four years, along with other local and regional officials, to lobby for expedited reimbursements that are still slow in coming.
Hatton also faulted the town for not implementing more temporary flood defense measures ahead of Helene and said mitigation gear exists that could have been deployed; however, he didn’t mention how a town with a budget the size of Canton’s might acquire it.
Swanger threads a similar line. He supports using the mill site to serve wastewater needs and wants careful planning around any outdoor amenities. He says simple additions that encourage activity can complement bigger projects, but he also wants the town to revisit underused public lands like the watershed at Rough Creek — a major issue nearly a decade ago, but one that’s been low-priority amid the town’s triple tragedies.
On streets, the candidates split — Canton’s modest vehicle registration fee has helped the town pave more roads each year than Powell Bill money alone would allow. Shepard calls that a visible return for residents.
“It allowed us to have resources to be able to start paving our streets,” he said, noting a program that aims to resurface two streets a year. “We’re fixing some things that needed to be fixed.”
Swanger vigorously opposes the fee and would have voted against it. He says he would seek grants and other options rather than put the burden of that on the townspeople; however, most of those grants aren’t for issues considered “routine maintenance.”
A county-wide property revaluation is coming — delayed but unavoidable. It will land during the next term and will recast the rate-setting conversation in a town with storm costs, rising utility expenses and a tax base recovering from several recent blows. Shepard favors a middle approach once the numbers are known, keeping some increased revenue to cover services without making people feel “hammered,” as he put it when describing earlier rate decisions.
Swanger dislikes the idea of higher bills from any angle. He warns that rising values alone will increase what residents pay even if the rate stays flat. He points to new annexations and housing as sources of additional revenue that could ease pressure.
Hatton’s budget lens is rooted in what floods take out of the system and how long reimbursements can stall. He argues for a more aggressive local stance on mitigation and a readiness to fund stopgaps when outside money lags. He says that mindset must extend beyond storms and into how the town approaches mill redevelopment, recruiting businesses that create year-round revenue rather than simply building more rooftops that stress utilities.
Candidates were also pressed on resiliency. Proctor says Canton now knows exactly what to do in a flood and that some structures once protected will be demolished, reducing future exposure. She wants rebuilt facilities designed to be cleaned and reopened quickly.
“We are working through all those with our partners to make sure that the buildings are put back in a way that is sustainable,” she said, citing practical changes like resilient floors at the armory.
Hatton’s view is that preparedness must look like action before the rain arrives. He says the town had time to set temporary defenses ahead of Helene — which it did, nearly a week prior — and should do more of that in the future.
FEMA delays remain the shared frustration. Swanger says money is still tied up from Fred and that residents across the county need answers. He says his goal would be to press through the red tape with the same tenacity residents have had to show for years.
Public service also came up in practical terms — time at meetings, time after meetings, time reading minutes and agendas and the expectation that the work continues when the room empties. Although Hatton and Swanger both said their presence at town meetings is rare, Swanger says he can make that commitment and intends to do so.
“If I’m making a commitment by running, I’m wanting the support of the citizens of the town of Canton. So, I in turn, if they elect me, I in turn, should be able to devote my time to them,” he said.
Hatton points to the first chaotic days after Helene, when he and his employees used heavy equipment to block roads, lift debris and support responders. He calls that kind of responsiveness a civic obligation, not an exception.
Early voting begins Oct. 16, and the election will take place Nov. 4. Canton’s choice is not between past and future, but between different approaches to the same hard list. Finish wastewater and flood projects. Shape the mill into a tax base and a job creator. Decide how much revaluation revenue to keep. Keep paving. Keep answering latenight calls.
In a town that has lived through a historic string of disasters and decisions, the next board will again be asked to do the work, get home late and then do it all again — without pay, but with consequences that will touch nearly every life in town for generations.
Wreaths Across America returns to Greenhill Cemetery
Greenhill Cemetery will once again take part in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a national observance that began in 1992 and has grown each year as more cemeteries across the country join in the effort to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of American veterans. This year’s wreath laying at Greenhill Cemetery will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13.
The public is invited to attend and help honor local veterans. Wreath sponsorships are $17 and may be made online at wreathsacrossamerica.org or by calling 877.385.9504. Donors should use group fundraising code NC0081 when ordering. The deadline for sponsorships is Nov. 21. The previous option of sponsoring two wreaths with a third provided at no cost is no longer available. For more information, email p31s8@aol.com.
Waynesville incumbents look to steady recovery
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
Waynesville isn’t just another mountain town still recovering from Hurricane Helene — it’s Haywood County’s economic, cultural and governmental hub. Nearly everything that happens in the largest municipality in the state’s western seven counties has ripple effects beyond its borders, from disaster recovery and infrastructure planning to affordable housing and fiscal stability.
Two incumbents, Anthony Sutton and Julia Freeman, are seeking reelection to the Waynesville Town Council, which oversees a town of about 10,000 people and a roughly $40 million annual budget.
If it seems like Freeman and Sutton were just re-elected, well, they were — two years ago, as council finally set up staggered terms to prevent wholesale changes on the board. Previously, all four council members and the mayor ran for election at the same time, but with the short two-year terms nearing their end, the board is now set for staggered four-year terms. Seats held by council members Jon Feichter, Chuck Dickson and Mayor Gary Caldwell will be up again in 2027.
A third candidate seeking a seat declined to be interviewed after requesting questions in advance. Questions are not provided in advance to any candidate. Voters may choose any two candidates.
Sutton was born in Asheville, raised in Leicester and Waynesville and attended college overseas before finishing in the United States. He’s spent 26 years with Biltmore Farms,
where he worked his way up from the front desk of a hotel to director of information systems. His public service record is extensive — former treasurer for REACH, chair of the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, chair of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization and years of service on Waynesville’s planning board before winning election to council.
Freeman’s experience is just as extensive. Born and raised in Waynesville, she spent 32 years leading REACH of Haywood County, a nonprofit that serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. She is a trustee for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, holds a bachelor’s degree in design with a minor in architectural history from the University of Tennessee and a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University. Freeman was first elected to the board in 2011 and has built a reputation as a practical yet persistent advocate for fiscal restraint.
For both Sutton and Freeman, this campaign comes at a defining moment. Waynesville’s infrastructure, economy and people are still recovering from Helene’s destruction, even as the town plans for the next decade of growth. Sutton said his approach remains rooted in long-term planning rather than quick fixes.
“We’ve got a five-year capital improvement plan and a 10year plan, and that’s how we make sure we’re not just fixing what’s broken today but investing for the future,” he said.
Freeman said the same sense of planning guided the board’s decisions on utilities and public works.
“Well, definitely, our major focus was on the rehabilitation and redoing of the wastewater treatment plant,” she said. “That was a huge focus. We’ve been working with our infrastructure throughout the town, seeing what we can do to improve what services we’re offering the community and what we can do to push forward.”
That wastewater plant, delayed for quite some time, will finally open in the coming months, flushing a development moratorium that has stifled growth. Both candidates called it one of the town’s most critical projects not just for Waynesville, but for its neighbors who depend on shared water and sewer capacity. To Sutton, the project represents what he sees as Waynesville’s core strength — the ability to think regionally and act locally.
“It’s been a huge challenge,” Freeman said. “But I will say that the town staff from public works all the way to administration, their dedication and finding funding — that’s the biggest impact. They’ve worked diligently to make this become a reality, and hopefully by December, we’ll have that ribbon cutting.”
Hurricane Helene tested that resiliency. Floods tore through town facilities, damaged streets and destroyed parts of the finance department, delaying major projects and draining reserves. Waynesville learned the hard way how dependent local governments are on federal bureaucracy.
“The local FEMA people have been fantastic to work with, but their authority only goes so far,” Sutton said. “I feel more confident that we’re going to start getting reimbursements after going to Washington, D.C. and actually speaking to FEMA [last month]. At FEMA headquarters, they understand the frustrations, but they’re governed by rules and regulations that they can’t override, so I think it’s going to require changing FEMA fundamentally to help alleviate some of those roadblocks.”
Frustration has become a way of life for local governments trying to recover, according to Freeman.
“It’s been very difficult,” she said. “And I commend our administrative staff in Waynesville. They have beat down every door. They’re begging for us to get some relief here. We look at the Frog Level bridge that had to get done. We’ve received no reimbursement for that.”
Damage to the bridge put it out of commission for months, and in the context of NCDOT work all around the county, commuters desperately wanted the bridge to reopen; the town came out-of-pocket to complete the project because it simply couldn’t wait for FEMA to OK the work. Federal red tape, Freeman said, has left towns like Waynesville paying upfront for work FEMA should have reimbursed months ago.
“One department tells you something, the other department tells you something else, and it goes back and forth,” she said. “But one thing someone once told me is, relentless, gentle pressure is the way to get things done. You never, never give up. Keep asking, keep pounding, and hopefully we’ll get that [$380,000] back.”
Despite that, both candidates said they were proud that the town avoided raising property taxes this year.
“We didn’t put a tax increase on the citizens
Still facing millions in damages from Hurricane Helene, Waynesville continues to move forward. File photo
of Waynesville,” Freeman said. “We’ve relied on our fund balance, which isn’t what we wanted to do, but we did it to make things right and help people move forward.”
Fiscal restraint has been a constant theme in Waynesville politics. Sutton said his philosophy is simple — commit to projects early, pay as you go and avoid debt whenever possible. That conversation looms large as the town considers replacing its aging ladder truck — now more than two decades old — and completing a longplanned second fire station in Hazelwood.
“The longer we wait, the more expensive it’s going to be, so [let’s] lock in a price now and figure out how to pay for it,” he said. “Today, it’s $3 million. As we know with inflation, next year, it may be four.”
Freeman said she shares that philosophy but prefers to see local, state and federal collaboration before committing to large purchases, like the new fire station.
“If we don’t get on this, we’ll start to get dinged by the Insurance Commission, which means our taxpayers’ [fire] insurance rates will go up,” she said. “I’m always kind of in the mindset that you need to have the money in hand before you order something. It’s not a ‘buy now, pay later’ thing for me. I’d rather us see what we can get from Raleigh or Washington, because the need is there and the justification is there.”
Sutton said the fire department’s needs underscore the importance of long-term budgeting and professional management.
Both candidates also spoke about affordable housing and how development might look once the moratorium is lifted.
“I think it’s going to be slow and manageable,” Freeman said. “We’re talking about sustainability and with that comes the fact that we can’t infringe on people’s property rights — nor should we — and if something is already zoned that can take on a new development, we can’t just shut it down. But the biggest demand we’ve got is affordable housing, and that’s going to be our focus.”
Sutton said affordable housing isn’t just a planning issue — it’s an economic one, when workers can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
As Waynesville grows, both incumbents said collaboration will continue to define their leadership. Sutton said his relationships with state and federal officials — from Rep. Mark Pless to Congressman Chuck Edwards — have helped keep the town visible in Raleigh and Washington. Freeman said those relationships also depend on credibility built over time.
Sutton said that steady leadership is what Waynesville needs most in uncertain times. Freeman said her motivation hasn’t changed either.
“We are on the right track,” she said. “We’re seeing the finish line in front of us to get this knocked out, and hopefully, we can move forward.”
With recovery unfinished and growth on the horizon, Waynesville’s voters face a choice between continuity and change. For Sutton and Freeman, the campaign isn’t about politics as much as persistence — keeping the town moving forward, one project and one challenge at a time.
Clyde candidates consider plans for smart growth
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR
Clyde is a small town surrounded by bigger ambitions. Tucked between Canton and Waynesville, hemmed in by interstate lanes and the Pigeon River, it is both geographically and economically poised on the edge of growth — an edge that has never been sharper than it is now, in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction and amid mounting pressure to plan for a future that’s already arriving.
Four candidates are vying for two open seats on the town’s Board of Aldermen: Frank Lay, Diane Fore, Cory Nuckolls and Kathy Johnson. Voters will help chart Clyde’s course through recovery and renewal and may choose any two of the four.
Frank Lay and Diane Fore currently serve on the board. Nuckolls and Johnson each ran in the last election and are back for another attempt.
For all four candidates, Clyde’s future hinges on whether it can grow without losing itself; hemmed in by mountains, highways and larger neighbors, the town’s limits are fixed — but the debate over how to use what’s inside them is not.
“Our big issues stem around strategic growth and development,” Nuckolls said. “We’re not a large town by any means, but we are surrounded by these areas that are seeing significant growth, and strategic and smart town planning is not just looking at what’s happening this year or next year, but it’s five, 10, 20 years out.”
That long view comes with tradeoffs. Fore said she’s aware that doing nothing can be as costly as doing too much.
myself there’s still people dealing with this, and I don’t want to forget because they’re going through a lot.”
That awareness, Nuckolls said, must translate into policy that doesn’t wait for the next storm.
“Knowing that future events like the [Tropical Storm] Fred floods and Helene will continue to happen, how do we prepare ourselves, and how do we set aside a nest egg of money to help when those situations arise?” he said. “You’ve got to have a nest egg to get you through until that support actually arrives. I think that’s a big component to keep in mind when you think about the money that it takes for immediate needs and repairs and first response.”
While the emotional weight of Helene lingers, Lay said the town has started turning recovery into progress by moving vital facilities away from danger.
“We’ve got a new location where we’ve got our town shop,” he said. “We’re trying to relocate all of our town facilities out of an area where they’re more likely to be damaged.”
Tiny Clyde, near the center of Haywood County, faces a number of challenges generally and specifically related to Hurricane Helene. File photo
Lay was born in Fayetteville and served briefly in the Army before being medically discharged. He moved to Haywood County nearly 30 years ago and has practiced law ever since, becoming a board-certified specialist in criminal law. He joined the Clyde Board of Aldermen in 2015 and has used his legal training to help interpret statutes and advise fellow board members on complex matters.
Fore grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, and moved to Haywood County in 1989. A corporate banker turned educator, she earned two master’s degrees and national board certification before teaching in Haywood County Schools for 25 years. Fore served 14 years on the town’s planning board before being elected to the board in 2017. She still works part time at Publix — the same company where she held her first job five decades ago.
Nuckolls was born in Houston and raised in Hendersonville, where his parents worked in the hospitality industry. A graduate of Appalachian State University, Nuckolls studied marketing, hospitality and supply chain management. He now serves as director of guest services at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, and also serves on the board of Haywood Waterways Association and as an ambassador for the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.
Kathy Johnson has lived in Clyde since 1971. She retired as manager of First Citizens Bank’s Canton branch, where she spent her career taking banking and management courses through the institution. She’s seen the town evolve through booms and floods, and she wants to see it recover from its latest losses with a renewed focus on growth, resilience and fiscal prudence.
“If we continue with no development, eventually the cost of running the town will override what we’re bringing in,” she said. “Something would have to be done, but I’m hoping that we’re able to ride this out and listen to the people and what they say.”
Johnson, who’s watched Clyde evolve since the early 1970s, said its next phase depends on creativity and cooperation rather than expansion.
“We need to be smarter and more resilient and be more open-minded,” she said. “Look for private partnerships that build neighborhoods, potentially developments, which I know someone is looking at higher ground to develop.”
Lay views the question of growth through the lens of recovery. To him, rebuilding after disaster is not about restoration but reinvention.
“Our goal is not to put it back like it was,” he said. “We want to come out of this in a better position. We want to have learned the lessons from these mistakes.”
Those lessons came hard. When Tropical Storm Fred inundated the town in 2021, it exposed vulnerabilities that Hurricane Helene hit even harder three years later. The Pigeon River, once an afterthought, now shapes nearly every decision Clyde makes, including where Fore drives.
“I take Broad Street, which is what got hit so badly,” Fore said. “I do that to remind
For Johnson, recovery is also personal — a reminder of what was lost, a sign pointing to what still needs replacing and the generational impact of one small business on one small town.
“We need to find someone for Sentelle’s building,” she said, referring to the longtime seafood restaurant that recently closed after years as a community anchor. “That was a big loss for the community. It’s just a big loss.”
Losses like Sentelle’s echo through the town’s budget. When businesses disappear, so do sales taxes and water customers, forcing leaders to rethink how they’ll keep Clyde running in the years ahead.
“I think our large opportunity is getting new business and ensuring the businesses that we have in the town continue,” Nuckolls said. “We’ve recently gotten grant funding. Ensuring those funds are properly used to help encourage new businesses to start in the town will be necessary to really help to see the business side of things continue to grow.”
Lay said the same opportunity exists in housing. New neighborhoods could restore not only the residential stock lost in the floods but also town revenue amid the ongoing affordable housing crisis.
“We’ve had two different developers address some property that sits in our ETJ,” he said. “If either of those developments come through — and I do think that at least one of them will, and possibly both — we would more than cover the ones we’ve lost and potentially double it if both were to go through.”
Fore said that rebuilding effort will work best if it’s shared.
“We’ve worked with Canton, we’ve worked with Waynesville and Maggie Valley,” she said. “It’s always been that feeling of cama-
raderie. It may not be our direct problem, but we’re sympathetic to it, and we’re standing there going, ‘How can we help?’”
But Johnson said geography may prove a tougher obstacle than economics.
“We need to find some businesses to come in,” she said. “But I don’t know where they would be, or [where] you would put them.”
Infrastructure, another recurring theme, ties every part of Clyde’s recovery together. Fixing water and sewer lines isn’t just maintenance — it’s a form of protection, and it will determine how well the town weathers the next flood.
“The infiltration that was coming into our sewer system was costing us unbelievable amounts of money,” Lay said. “We’ve worked really aggressively to get that repaired and fixed. We’re working on fixing the water system.”
Johnson said she wants to build on that cooperation while looking for new ways to make Clyde’s system more secure.
“I know they’re continuing to update the water and sewer lines,” she said. “I know we get our water from Canton, but I don’t know if there is a way — maybe some type of water filtering plant — I don’t know. You’d have to look for grants.”
For Nuckolls, infrastructure isn’t just a local concern. His work with Lake Junaluska’s recovery after Fred gave him a firsthand view of how federal bureaucracy can slow things down.
“It’s definitely a long process, a process that tests your patience,” he said. “It requires good communication.”
The same focus on efficiency led to one of Clyde’s most significant changes — contracting law enforcement through the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, rather than maintaining its own department.
“When I first came on the board, we had three officers, and I pushed to get it up to six,” said Lay, who championed the partnership and serves as the board’s law enforcement liaison. “We could never fully staff it, so we created this con-
tract with the Sheriff’s department. Over that first five-year contract we saved ourselves close to $500,000.”
Those savings didn’t come at the expense of safety, Lay said.
“At any given time, you can drive through our town, and it’s rare not to see two [patrol vehicles],” he said. “We’ve had some excellent results. That high-visibility patrol does more than people realize.”
The change has helped rein in speeding through the town’s narrow corridor, Fore said.
“There used to be a time when I first got here when everybody said, ‘You’ll get your first [traffic] ticket in Clyde,’” she said. “Then it kind of fell off over the years, and traffic has picked up because the traffic on the interstate has picked up, so Clyde becomes a bigger cut-through than usual.”
As the town regains its footing, candidates also see potential in the same river that once brought it to its knees. The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s master plan called Clyde “underutilized” as a recreation destination, and the candidates see that as an opportunity — if the town can afford to take it.
“It is definitely an asset for us,” Nuckolls said of the Pigeon River. “We need to see what kind of experiences that can bring to our local community but also help attract visitors. Our biggest need is to make sure that the plans that get executed and can be kept up in a way that is financially stable for the town, and done safely.”
Fore said residents should play a central role in shaping that future.
“There were a couple of us that said we’d love to form a committee,” she said. “Get residents to come in and talk and say, ‘What do you envision? What do you think we could do?’”
Lay said the idea of turning a liability into an asset isn’t hypothetical — some businesses are already expressing interest, including an outfitter who’s been in the area about 15 years and is eyeing Clyde as a possible business location.
Johnson thinks the appeal of the river lies in its simplicity, not just in profit or tourism.
“A lot of people like floating down the river in the tubes and the kayaks,” she said. “There are sections along the river where people could put in kayaks, tubes, whatever.”
Still, progress costs money, and the countywide property revaluation delayed until 2027 ensures that money — and how much of it to collect — will remain one of the town’s hardest choices. Valuations are expected to come in substantially higher than they are at present.
“The people we put first are our residents,” Fore said. “We’re trying to get the best deal we can get for them, so they’re not hurt so badly by the increases, but then on the other hand, if we suddenly need a dump truck, you know, then that’s going to probably dictate more of what we have to collect.”
Johnson said she doesn’t expect a painless solution.
“It would be good to keep some money and maybe give some back,” she said. “But I really don’t see that happening.”
Lay said the board is already planning for long-term financial pressure tied to infrastructure.
“We’ve got a projected budget of close to $20 million of work to do on our water system,” he said. “I don’t want to be constantly raising the prices of water, so we’re looking to find alternative solutions.”
Nuckolls said those choices will shape whether Clyde continues to stand on its own or falls behind the growth around it.
“We really need to double down on making sure that the growth we’re bringing into our town is growth that’s going to sustain us into the foreseeable future,” he said.
Each candidate brings a different background and personality to the race, but their goals converge on the same idea — that Clyde’s small-town future depends on cooperation, resilience and a willingness to adapt. After years of hardship, voters will decide whether that vision moves from promise to plan.
Gift from alumna will help provide support to WCU students in their mental health journey
BY BILL STUDENC
SPECIAL TO SMN
Universities and colleges across the United States are finding that an ever-increasing number of students are dealing with a variety of mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to thoughts of suicide.
Recent studies and surveys indicate that nearly 45% of college students nationally report symptoms of depression, while almost 40% report experiencing anxiety. Up to 15% of college students have contemplated suicide. U.S. campuses report that approximately 1,100 students take their own lives each year, making suicide the second-leading cause of death among that demographic.
Western Carolina University is not immune from this growing mental health crisis. Thanks to a significant financial contribution from a WCU alumna, the university’s Counseling and Psychology Services Center will increase its evaluation and treatment of students struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
Rebecca Schlosser, a 1973 graduate of WCU and former member of the university’s Board of Trustees, made a transformative gift that will enable the center to enhance services by expanding access, increasing outreach and strengthening its ability to support student well-being.
“For me personally, mental health awareness came to the forefront when my son began struggling with mental health issues in 2007 and 2008 during his junior and senior year in college,” said Schlosser, a resident of Greensboro.
That son, David Edmond Wesley Schlosser, died unexpectedly at the age of 25, just nine days after graduating from Elon University.
“Students need to feel comfortable receiving mental health services,” Schlosser said. “College campuses should prioritize destigmatizing mental health, offering accessible resources and creating a supportive environment. Many times, mental health issues begin in early adulthood, which falls right during the college years. Dealing with the demands of college can add increased anxiety.”
She and her late husband, Greensboro attorney and former Guilford County District Attorney Michael A. Schlosser, made gifts in 2016 to create the David E. W. Schlosser Endowed Scholarship Fund in their son’s memory to provide support for students with demonstrated financial need in WCU’s Brinson Honors College.
They also agreed that they wanted to do something more to provide much-needed resources to WCU to help the university in its efforts to provide services to students strug-
gling with mental health issues, in part to help parents and other family members avoid the heartache that they endured with the loss of their son.
The Schlossers later updated their financial plans to include a commitment to create an endowment to support the work of WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center, a commitment that was fulfilled earlier this year.
In recognition of the gift establishing a program endowment for the center often referred to as CAPS, the university’s Board of Trustees approved the facility’s renaming to the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, which has a mission of empowering students to engage in and be successful in a range of academic, social and cultural endeavors through fostering psychological wellness. The center provides individual and group counseling to students on a short-term basis at no cost, as well as emergency services when a student is experiencing a mental health crisis. It is located in Suite 225 in the Bird Building and reaches beyond its physical office by offering tele-mental health services and appointments at WCU’s Biltmore Park off-campus instructional site.
The center has consistently offered more than 7,000 appointments to an average of approximately 1,100 individual students annually, said Kim Gorman, associate vice chancellor for health and wellness.
Despite those numbers, the center has not experienced a significant increase in student usage of its services, which is most likely related to a limit in the ability to serve a larger number of students given current staffing restraints, said Caroline Engler, CAPS director. But the center has seen significant increases over the last three years in the severity and complexity of mental health issues presented by student clients, Engler said.
“Our data is consistent with Center for Collegiate Mental Health data in that we continue to see a rise in reported experiences of history of trauma. Additionally, according to CCMH data, WCU students report more frequent and intense experiences with depression, anxiety, eating concerns and suicidal ideation as compared to the national average,” she said.
“Although our students report higher levels of acuity than the national average, our data also indicates that, with treatment, they report more significant declines in experiences of suicidal ideation and overall distress than the CCMH national averages,” Engler said.
An official naming ceremony for the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and
Donor Rebecca Schlosser meets with students during an event at the newly named Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Donated photo
Scholar, author Imani
Perry
headlines Pisgah Legal’s justice forum
Nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services will welcome Imani Perry as its 14th Annual Justice Forum keynote speaker on Oct. 23 in Asheville with a free watch party happening simultaneously in Cullowhee.
The event is free, but registration is required. This event is made possible by presenting sponsors Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow and others generous members of our community.
The local watch party will take place at Western Carolina University’s University Center Theater.
Perry is a celebrated author, legal scholar and cultural critic whose work bridges history, law, literature and the arts to examine the enduring legacies of race and inequality in America.
Psychological Services was held Thursday, Sept. 4. Fittingly, September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
“Renaming CAPS is more than just changing the name,” Rebecca Schlosser said. “I speak also on behalf of my late husband. It was our goal to provide this endowed funding to support WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services and to help to destigmatize the challenges surrounding mental health. Our family wishes to help shine a bright light of hope along this very difficult pathway.”
The Schlosser contribution will enable the center to increase the level of counseling and other psychological services and expand its training program so that additional providers will be able to more adequately address the growing need for mental health services at WCU.
Numerous factors are playing a role in the rise of mental health issues in the United States in recent years, said Engler. The global COVID-19 pandemic is frequently cited as one primary source of the increase in mental health issues among young people, causing uncertainty and fear of the unknown, disrupting social connections and interrupting academic schedules, Engler said.
“However, the pandemic simply intersected with other ongoing social factors including the divisiveness we are seeing in our communities — and in our families. This is having an impact on our sense of community and belongingness, both factors that are essential for good mental health,” she said. “Furthermore, research shows the impact of social media has been problematic and contributing to mental health symptoms. Finally, there is much evidence of the impact of sleep disruption, often caused by excessive cell phone use and gaming, on mental health symptoms for teens.”
The additional services made possible by the Schlosser gift will help a larger number of students receive mental health services they need to be able to stay enrolled and on track to graduate, said Gorman.
A 2023 research project conducted by
A professor at Harvard University and recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, Perry is known for her insightful books, including “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation,” which won the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
The justice forum will begin at 7 p.m. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (Harrah’s Cherokee Center) in downtown Asheville. Livestream will also be available, and free regional watch parties are also planned in Brevard, Cullowhee, Highlands and Spruce Pine.
At the Asheville event, a ticketed pre-event reception will take place in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall, and the Justice Forum will follow in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets to the reception are $125 per person and include food and drink. Advance registration is required at pisgahlegal.org/justiceforum.
Light refreshments will be provided outside the theater before the Forum begins, and doors open at 6 p.m. Questions can be directed to Jessi Stone at jessi@pisgahlegal.org.
Gorman and WCU colleague Kathleen Brennan, professor of sociology, found that students who seek help for their mental health issues are more likely to persist in their educational journey.
“We know that our services are helpful for retention of students as demonstrated by our recent study. The results indicate a higher number of counseling sessions was helpful in retention efforts for all students at the university,” Gorman said. “So, this gift is an investment in our students.”
Gorman and Brennan published the results of their study in a paper titled “More Sessions Make a Difference: University Counseling Centers and Student Retention” in the June 2023 edition of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
Rebecca Schlosser earned her bachelor’s degree in education. While a student at WCU, she was a member of Delta Zeta sorority, spent four years as a majorette with the marching band, and was a member of both Kappa Delta Pi and Alpha Phi Sigma honor societies. The WCU chapter of Phi Delta Kappa named her Most Outstanding Female Student at WCU her senior year.
Mike Schlosser was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and Wake Forest University School of Law. He died in February 2024, 10 years after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and amyloidosis as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Paratrooper Corps serving a tour in South Vietnam.
The naming of the Schlosser Family Center for Counseling and Psychological Services comes as WCU is in the midst of the public phase of its “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.
For more information about the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign or to make a contribution, visit westernsky.wcu.edu, call 828.227.7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
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Don’t be fooled by force, be fueled by power
Force is not the same as power.
Jesus exuded power. Nelson Mandela exuded power. Mother Theresa exuded power. Our current administration is using force, and the reason their efforts aren’t landing is because power and force are polar opposites. To truly understand this distinction will give you some hope and optimism for the future.
In 1995, psychiatrist David R. Hawkins pioneered a study on power and force. By combining the principles of kinesiology (muscle testing), nonlinear dynamics and a “Map of Consciousness” to quantify energetic levels of human emotions and statements, Hawkins asserted that force (coercive, lower-energy states like fear and anger) repels and is fleeting while power (positive, higher-energy states like love and truth) attracts and is enduring.
Power is linked to positive inspiration that motivates willing cooperation, whereas force works to intimidate with the goal of creating opposition, divisiveness and conflict. Force often parades around as power by claiming power’s virtues, but it cannot produce long-lasting results or a legacy like true power can.
To bring this home, think about your own life and inner circle. Are you more attracted to people who force you to do things you don’t agree with or want to do, or are you attracted to people who are authentic, bring good energy and go at life with an open heart? Additionally, think about leaders in your own world who have inspired you (teachers, mentors, principals, bosses, parents). Did they lead by oppression or encouragement?
In my opinion, this study matters for voters on both sides of the political aisle. For those living in a state of fear or anxiety due to inflation, the government shutdown, tariffs, layoffs
Shutdown could affect programs
To the Editor:
Mountain Projects is proud to be a trusted Community Action Agency, serving Haywood and Jackson counties since 1965. Families and individuals rely on our programs each day for support, opportunity, and stability — and our doors must remain open to serve them. Federal funds are woven into the foundation of Mountain Projects, and we’re increasingly concerned about what will happen locally if Congress doesn’t reopen. Some will be surprised to learn how deeply federal programs are connected to the services that help our neighbors every day.
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), founded in 1974, is essential to our operations. It gives us the flexibility and local decision-making we need to prevent poverty and respond to the unique needs of our community. A delay in these funds would directly impact our ability to provide critical assistance to operate GED assistance, workforce training, food assistance and crisis services.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides heating and cooling assistance. It keeps energy costs down for disadvantaged households across our community. Similarly, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps families insulate and
and the list goes on, stay confident that this type of leadership is not sustainable. The level of force and coercion being utilized will implode, although it’s unfortunate that many lives are being affected in the meantime. Conversely, those of you who feel the government is making decisions to “protect” or “preserve,” please beware because anything done by force is ineffective and temporary, at best.
Sociology and psychology studies routinely find that subjects constrict when told what to do. Our sense of true north and intuition are immediately triggered when we’re coerced — especially if it feels hateful, vengeful or punitive. People can be self-silenced for only so long before something must be said or done. For years or even decades, peaceful people have quietly gone about their lives, turning a blind eye to what’s going on politically, but even they are starting to speak up and question current policies. Even they are using their various layers of privilege to protect the vulnerable.
The way that individuals are turning away from social media is a form of collective power. False propaganda, colored both red and blue, is spreading like wildfire on the internet, but the more we choose real life experiences and connections over online content, the more powerful we become.
As social media is increasingly driven by bots and algorithms, our brains are resisting. Our souls crave realness, rawness and feeling fully alive. Maybe it took something this extreme to wake us up and get us off our devices. I know in
LETTERS
ventilate their homes, improving safety and reducing cold-weather heating costs. It’s hard to imagine what winter would look like without LIHEAP and Weatherization.
As a Community Action Agency, we are also uniquely positioned to connect with families and operate programs such as Head Start, which has provided high-quality early childhood education for hard-working families across Haywood and Jackson counties since 1965. Head Start grants are set to lapse on November 1st, and if that happens, there will be serious consequences for the 200 families who depend on our centers for stability and care.
At Mountain Projects we strive to tell stories of our clients participating in these programs because the programs change people's lives. We help alleviate poverty and put many on a course to economic productivity. These programs not only stabilize families, they stabilize schools and entire communities.
Our work doesn’t stop there. Mountain Projects also supports our neighbors through Affordable Health Insurance Counseling, the popular Haywood Senior Services Center, Haywood Public Transit, Section 8 Housing, and Congregate Nutrition, through which we serve more than 20,000 people each year.
Workers who were laid off at the paper mill? Our staff supported retraining for many
my own life, my personal circle and in my community, folks are choosing trivia nights, concerts, storytelling around campfires, meals around a table and novelty, as opposed to being on a phone. Parents of younger children are no longer giving toddlers and young kids devices. Many teachers are moving away from technology and shifting back to reading books and handwriting essays. The pendulum is swinging. I can see it, I can feel it, and it’s wonderful.
I encourage you to read Dr. Hawkins’s full study which is described in detail in his book Power vs. Force. It’s fascinating how our bodies respond with weakness when we’re presented with situations or statements backed by force and our bodies respond with strength when we’re presented with truth and love. Here’s an example that will resonate with many locals. Consider these three famous ACC basketball coaches — Jim Valvano, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith. Did they enlighten and motivate their players or did they belittle and manipulate their players? We all know the answer, and we all know the outcome. Championships, legacies, buildings, domes and statues in their namesakes because they deserved them, not because they paid for them.
While it may appear that many things are out of our control right now, we possess more agency than we realize. Stay alert. Stay aware. Stay curious. And always choose people and circumstances fueled with power over those backed by force. Seeking the enlightened choice becomes addictive, it becomes inspiring, and you’ll be driven to encourage others to do the same. One person at a time, one community at a time, we will get to a better place.
Now more than ever — be bold, be powerful. (Susanna Shetley is a writer who lives in Haywood County. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
who transitioned from mill work to commercial truck driving, medical assisting and other jobs, and we helped mill families secure ongoing health insurance. We step up when we are needed.
The assistance we provide has been long recognized as bipartisan — helping families move forward, strengthening local economies, and building stronger communities. All of this depends on funding. We do our best to ensure that you understand that part of your federal tax dollars support these programs.
We’re hopeful we can continue serving Haywood and Jackson counties, just as we have for six decades. For updates on our programs, please visit us on our social media pages or on our website at mountainprojects.org.
Si Simmons Executive Director Mountain Projects
Stand against Trump tyranny
To the Editor:
On June 14, Indivisible Common Ground WNC and other progressive groups mobilized against the excesses of the Trump regime for “No Kings.” Since then, things have gotten worse. Free speech is being muzzled and the government is targeting immigrant families;
profiling, arresting and detaining people without warrants, threatening to overtake elections and gutting health care and environmental protections. They are rigging maps to silence voters, ignoring mass shootings, and driving up the cost of living while handing out massive tax breaks to billionaires.
President Trump is eroding checks and balances by exercising executive power every way he can. We will not stand idly by as this happens. He may think his rule is absolute, but in America, we don’t do “kings.” Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has operated as if it had a mandate — they don’t, and never did. A functioning democracy must hear its people. Truth doesn’t fear protest; it grows from it.
We stand together against the abuses of power, cruelty and corruption. On Saturday, Oct. 18, we will gather again to remind President Trump that America has No Kings!
If you're outraged by abductions, disappearances, the gutting of essential services, and the assault on free speech, this is your moment.
Join us for “No Kings 2” on October 18 by the fountain on Main Street in Sylva from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to say: No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. This country doesn’t belong to dictators. It belongs to us, the people.
Columnist
Susanna Shetley
‘Our story lives on’
Cherokee exhibition to open at WCU
Recognizing the collaborators and contributors of the “Cherokee Language & Culture Exhibition,” a special reception for the showcase will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
A project supported in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, this new permanent interpretive exhibition to be installed throughout the lobby and Star Atrium of Bardo Arts Center prompts visitors to learn more about the Cherokeeinspired design elements throughout the building, recognize this campus as a Cherokee place and leave with a fuller understanding of the vibrant, living culture of Cherokee people.
A collaboration between WCU and the citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), this bilingual exhibition featuring text in the Cherokee syllabary and English highlights the vitality of the Cherokee language and the creativity of artists and knowledge keepers shaping its future.
The BAC opened in 2005 with bilingual signage in Cherokee syllabary and English throughout the building. The building’s original Cherokee syllabary, translated by Myrtle Driver, Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was the seed that inspired this project.
“It’s critical that we have accurate and authentic informa-
Want to go?
The reception for the “Cherokee Language & Culture Exhibition” will be held from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Star Atrium at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
In regards to the reception, welcome remarks will be at 4:45 p.m. Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
Standard BAC hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you have any questions, please call 828.227.ARTS.
For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/language-culture.
tion written and created from a Cherokee perspective,” said BAC Executive Director Denise Drury Homewood. “That helps people understand why this bilingual signage in Cherokee syllabary and English and Cherokee inspired design elements are featured throughout the building.”
Recognizing the deep cultural significance of this syllabary and the other Cherokee-inspired design elements in the building, Homewood invited a group of individuals to consider the creation of an exhibition to more visibly explain these concepts to the public.
“As someone who is not a Native American, I felt it was critical to reach out and connect with experts and culture keepers who are citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” Haywood noted. “To make sure their voices were heard and feedback was incorporated in the creation of this project early on. Sky Sampson, Brett Riggs and Sara Snyder Hopkins on our project team helped us connect with these experts.”
Members included citizens of the EBCI, faculty and staff from WCU and other community leaders. The team reached out to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, which provided an initial planning grant to begin shaping the project. During the planning process, the team contracted with HW Exhibits, a firm experienced in permanent exhibitions with Tribal Nations, to facilitate a concept plan for the exhibition.
Bardo Arts Center
A bastion of arts and culture in Western North Carolina, the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee will host the following events this fall:
• “Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Strings, Stories & Songs” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the BAC Performance Hall.
This soulful celebration brings the Smokies to life through the spirited tunes of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) and Sylva Old Time Jam Band, the captivating stories of Cherokee storyteller Kathi Littlejohn and the harmonies of the Cherokee Language Repertory Choir.
The evening crescendos with the powerful voice of Grammy-nominated artist and East Tennessee native Amythyst Kiah, whose music bridges tradition and modern roots.
For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/echoes-25.
• “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition 2025” will be on display Nov. 4 through Dec. 5.
The showcase highlights students’ comprehensive course of study at Western Carolina University and serves as a preface to their forthcoming careers as professional artists. The studio art portion of this exhibition can be viewed inside the WCU Fine Art Museum.
The exhibition will include works from Tyler Carlson, Kylie Chatham, Robin Delp, Sally Drumheller, Casey Earnhart, Chey Ellis, Riley Elaine, Jonah Gillen, Morgan Harshaw, Natasha Lambert, Diana Limbo, AJ Martin, Charleston Reagan, Lyn Rivenbark, Mac Smith, Emma Swanson and Daniel Velazquez Perez.
A special reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. This event will include a gallery talk, along with light appetizers and beverages. Free parking is available.
The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/bfa-25.
Through these conversations, EBCI citizens emphasized that the project should expand beyond the original translations to include additional information sharing, cultural practices and traditions related to the arts. In response to this feedback, the project broadened in scope and the final exhibition includes content from EBCI authors, highlights the work of EBCI artists and is translated into Cherokee syllabary. The design, fabrication and installation of the exhibition project is supported in part through a large grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
This project is the culmination of several years of collaboration between WCU and citizens of the EBCI. Support for this exhibition comes from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts, Bardo Arts Center and the WCU Office of the Chancellor.
“Through the work of dozens of people across our communities over eight years, and with the foundational support of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and WCU,” Homewood said. “We’ve been able to incorporate Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voices into content development and physical design of the exhibition to ensure these voices are permanently and prominently represented in this space.”
Image of a panel in the CLCE. Basket weave design by Ramona Lossie.
Mock-up of panels in the CLCE at the Bardo Arts Center. Courtesy of WCU.
Amythyst Kiah. Kevin King photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘Electric lizard, catching the flies, off the walls of this honky-
tonk, my disguise’
The title of this week’s column is a lyric from a song by rising singer-songwriter Angela Autumn. The melody, “Electric Lizard,” is an incredibly haunting number, especially the solo rendition (just her and guitar) on the EP under the verbiage “Live from NYC.”
The tune was especially (and beautifully) haunting while I found myself meandering around the Great Smoky Mountain National Park this past week, either on some assignment or merely rambling around the backroads and backwoods of Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia. Roll the truck windows down. Breathe deeply. Crank up the stereo. Hit repeat.
It was Wednesday afternoon when I took off from my humble abode one-bedroom apartment in downtown Waynesville. The nose of my truck aimed for Knoxville. Merge onto Interstate 40 West. Meander the s-curve route, headlong into the high peaks. Stay the night at my best friend’s house in West Knoxville, onward to Townsend for an assignment the next morning.
But, not before getting off I-40 at Exit 451, smack dab on the Tennessee/North Carolina border, amid a bevy of ongoing construction post-Hurricane Helene along the highway and buffering Pigeon River. One year later and the deep hurt remains, either physically atop the landscape or emotionally within the hearts of those who call this place home, who’ll never forget the tragedy.
Pulling into the parking lot of Big Creek, I pretty much had the whole place to myself. Lacing up my running shoes, I shut the truck tailgate and started trotting towards the trailhead, soon disappearing into the depths of Mother Nature. Sunshine piercing through the tree canopy overhead. A slight breeze rolling down the trail, swirling around my body in motion, in gratitude.
A mile and a half up the trail to Midnight Hole. It’s changed a lot since Hurricane Helene. The big, old tree at the waterline is long gone, uprooted and tossed like firewood down the creek. There’s even kind of a beach thing going on now. Odd to see and witness in person. You can jump off the big rocks and swim in the lagoon, but, like anything in this universe, time changes everything. You can’t go home again, as they say.
Nonetheless, toss some cold mountain water on my face and raise my head into the sunshine. Give thanks to being able to run to this sacred, ancient place. Give thanks for being able to live here and be surrounded by such mesmerizing natural beauty. Give
into the rusty, musty, trusty pickup truck. Onward to Townsend.
Conduct the interviews. Shake the hands. Finish the assignment. Bid farewell. Take the scenic route back to Waynesville through the national park. Take the even longer route along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fall is here. Foliage bursting in every direction. Bright red, yellow and orange. Reminiscent of my native Adirondack Mountains. A sense of home sickness wafts through the vehicle. Tune up the stereo and put on some Tragically Hip. A grin of time and place overtakes my current position.
Return to the quaint apartment in Waynesville, the sun hanging low now over Balsam Gap. Back to the newsroom in the morning. Until then? Some playoff baseball at my neighborhood bar. Saddle up on the barstool and get handed a cold beer before I even have to ask the bartender what I want. She knows. She’s a good’un, too. More hearty conversations with old friends and strangers alike, now fast friends over a mutual love of baseball and Coors Light.
thanks to be able to simply appreciate nothing and everything surrounding you at any given moment.
Back down I-40 West to Knoxville. Assignment in Townsend come morning. For now? Swing into my best friend’s house in West Knoxville. We met 12 years ago when he was living and working in Waynesville. Skip ahead a decade and two years, his home is inhabited by an incredible wife and two young daughters. Time flies when you’re having fun. Time flies when you’re in search of your truth.
After they put the kids to bed, the three of us found ourselves in their living room.
Swapping old tales of years long gone, memories dusty on the shelves of our collective minds, still held close to our hearts by those who never forgot all of the wild-n-out times that unfolded in the name of irresponsible enlightenment. Hearty laughter and kindred spirits remain.
I found myself momentarily in awe of how fast everything has happened. One day you’re 27 years old and relocating to Western North Carolina sight unseen to start this gig at the newspaper. Next thing you know, you’re looking into the mirror at a 40-year-old staring right back at you. Black hair has transitioned to a head of grey. Slightly receding hairline, but thankful to still be able to get haircuts and comb what’s left in the way I prefer.
Wake up in silence in the basement guest room. The sounds of the kids running around upstairs. Emerge from the depths of the house and into the family zone. Organized chaos and countless toys strewn all across the living room floor. Entertain the youth, all while seeking a strong cup of coffee. Maybe two. Say goodbye to the joyous family. Hop
Circle back to the apartment. Start to unwind. Thoughts of when I can jump the Mason-Dixon Line and head back to the North Country to see my parents. Right now, my mother is probably watching the news in the living room. My father tending to the fireplace in the back den. The last of the leaves now fallen outside. Winter quickly rolling in, fogging up the windows of the farmhouse.
It’s now midnight. Nearby Russ Avenue is quiet, a far cry from the incessant construction over the last year and a half. Silence. Beautiful silence. Everyone else in this neighborhood is asleep or soon to be. I remain awake, listening to the sounds of John Prine and later on Tony Joe White. “A Rainy Night in Georgia” echoes throughout the apartment. Silence elsewhere. The gratitude remains, always and in good time.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
HOT PICKS
1
Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Waynesville.
2
The 29th annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Franklin.
3
A special stage production of “Lizzie” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and 2 p.m. Oct. 19, 26 and Nov. 2 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
4
Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 17-18 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville..
5
A “Community Contra Dance” will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
Big Creek entrance to the national park. Garret K. Woodward photo
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On the street Ready for Apple Harvest Festival?
PumpkinFest rolls into Franklin
The 29th annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Franklin.
The centerpiece event of PumpkinFest is the “World Famous PumpkinRoll.” Who can roll a pumpkin the greatest distance down Phillips Street and vying for bragging rights? One past winner rolled 1,021 feet.
Sign up for the “Pumpkin Roll” is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the actual “roll” from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pumpkins will be available for purchase at the event
or bring your own.
The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Waynesville.
Hailed as one of the “10 Best Fall Harvest Festivals in the Nation,” the annual festival is a celebration of the autumn harvest and Haywood County’s agricultural heritage, attracting upwards of 20,000 attendees throughout the day.
The event features handmade arts and crafts, locally grown apples and apple products for sale. In addition, the festival will feature food vendors, educational and information booths, authentic mountain music, dance groups and a children’s fun area.
Hosted by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, the festival is free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodchamber.com and click on the “Events” tab.
Other highlights of the day include a costume parade and contest, pumpkin pie eating contest, along with dozens of vendors featuring arts and crafts, festival food and more.
This event is rain or shine. PumpkinFest is sponsored by the Town of Franklin. For more information, visit townoffranklinnc.com or facebook.com/pumpkinfestfranklin or call Franklin Town Hall at 828.524.2516.
Stecoah Harvest Festival
The annual Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 17-18 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.
Featuring a full-day full of family fun — including music, dancing, food, heritage demonstrations, arts/craft vendors, quilt show, pie contest, live animals and more — the festival celebrates community and gratitude.
The SVCAC is a nonprofit corporation that serves the people of Stecoah and greater Graham County through programs and services that benefit all members of the community.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information and a full schedule of activities, visit stecoahvalleycenter.com or call 828.479.3364.
Maggie Valley Fall Arts & Crafts Show
The 34th annual Maggie Valley Fall Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18-19 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Maggie Valley’s largest gathering of artisans and crafters come together to sell their handmade treasures. Artisans from all over the Southeast will be in attendance.
Chainsaw art demonstrations and lots of festival food. Seasonal items, yard art, paintings, photography, pottery, wooden bowls, furniture, jewelry, goat milk soaps and more will be featured at the event.
On the beat
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, on the front patio of the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fid-
On the stage
‘Lizzie’ will be at HART on select dates. Donated photo
“There really is something for everyone, from the most affordable handicrafts, to the more expensive museum quality items,” said Teresa Smith, executive director of the Maggie Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
Food trucks and beverage vendors will also be onsite. The event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter. Parking is free. aFor more information, call the MVACC at 828.926.1686 or visit maggievalley.org.
dle, dulcimer or anything unplugged is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in, or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.
The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or
learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. For more information, call 828.488.3030.
A special stage production of “Lizzie” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and 2 p.m. Oct. 19, 26 and Nov. 2 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
“Lizzie” tells the darkly thrilling story of Lizzie Borden and the women around her through powerful storytelling and live rock music.
In the heat of late summer 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife are found murdered in their home. The main suspect? Andrew’s youngest daughter from a previous marriage: Lizzie Borden.
Experience the dark and electrifying retelling of Lizzie’s story from strained relationships with her family, her rebellion against societal norms and the backdrop of sensationalized media coverage and public fascination that followed the murders.
With its edgy score and gripping narrative, “Lizzie” offers a powerful portrayal of one woman’s struggle against the constraints of her time and the creation of a new American myth.
Tickets start at $29 per person. Seating upgrades and discounts available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Comedy Night” with Laugh Til You Cry Studio on Wednesday, Oct. 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host a production of “Stage Fright: Scribes Onstage” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
Stecoah Harvest Festival will be Oct. 17-18 Donated photo
The ‘Pumpkin Roll’ is a beloved PumpkinFest tradition. File photo
Apple Harvest will hit Waynesville Oct. 18. File photo
On the beat
Folkmoot welcomes Free Planet Radio
Free Planet Radio will play Waynesville Oct. 16. File photo
Acclaimed regional duo Free Planet Radio will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
FPR is a dynamic and genre-defying Asheville-based act that blends elements of jazz, world music and improvisation into an intricate, exciting musical experience.
Tickets start at $15 per person. For more information, call 828.452.2997 or visit folkmoot.org.
Mountain Layers goes Americana
A regional Americana/bluegrass act, Granny’s Mason Jar will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Mountain Layer Brewing in Bryson City.
Following in the footsteps of Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Clarence White and Tony Rice, Granny’s Mason Jar brings together the talents of Jared “Blue” Smith (The Blue Revue, Bluegrass Lumber Company) and Aaron Plantenberg (Commonfolk, Big House Radio) to continue the tradition of flatpicking, travis picking and other traditional acoustic guitar styles.
Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.538.0115 or visit mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
‘Community Contra Dance’ in Franklin
A “Community Contra Dance” will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
Contra dance is a form of social folk dancing from which square dancing evolved, so it shares many of the same movements. As always, no partner is necessary, generations mix. All are welcome, including beginners. No dance experience or fancy clothing are necessary. Those who would like to come out just to listen to the music are welcome, too.
Musicians Larry Unger and Jenny Monfore will make a stop in Franklin during their East Coast tour to give our contra dance an evening of world-class music. This month’s dance-caller is Warren Doyle. For the uninitiated, the caller walks the dancers through the steps of the upcoming dance for a few minutes and then continues to call the moves in time to the music, so the dancers know what to do next. Dances will
• 4118 Kitchen & Bar (Highlands) will host live music 6-8 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public 828.526.5002 or 4118kitchenbar.toast.site.
ALSO:
• Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library (Cashiers) will host “Community Jam Sessions” from 2-4 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Informal jamming. All skill levels are welcome. Free and open to the public. 828.743.0215 / fontanalib.org/cashiers.
• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host “Open Mic” 8-10 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Picking on the Porch” (open community jam) 6 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Wednesdays and “Three Friends” with Ed Snodderly, Adam Wright & Thomm Jutz (Americana) 7 p.m. Oct. 17 (tickets are $75 per person, which includes dinner). 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays, DJ Burr Oct. 17, Carolina Drifters Oct. 18 and “Trivia After Dark” (followed by DJ Dominion) 7 p.m. Oct. 24. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month (free) and Free Planet Radio (world/jazz) 7 p.m. Oct. 16 (tickets start at $15 per person). 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, The Stairwells Oct. 15, Couldn’t Be Happier Oct. 16, Frances Eliza (singer-songwriter) Oct. 17, The Dirty French Broads (Americana) Oct. 18, Jim Cook (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Oct. 19, Laura Thurston (singer-songwriter) Oct. 23, Bridget Gossett Trio (Americana) Oct. 24, Local Chapter & Hidden Cabins Oct. 25 and Paul Edelman (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Oct. 26. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Corey Stevenson (singer-songwriter) Oct. 8, Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) Oct. 10, Rock Holler Oct. 11, Dillon & Company Oct. 17, Rock Holler Oct. 18, Corey Stevenson (singer-songwriter) Oct. 22, Doug Ramsay (singer-songwriter) Oct. 24 and The Alamo Band Oct. 25. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Little River Band (classic rock) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and Clint Black (country) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
include contras, squares, mixers and perhaps a few other types of folk dances appropriate to the level of the dancers in attendance.
Beginners are strongly encouraged to arrive by 2:30 p.m. for the instruction. Experienced dancers are quite willing to help those new to contra dance get started with the movements.
A suggested donation of $10 per person goes to pay the band and caller. Kids age 14 and under are free. Children over age 8, who are game to participate or sit and watch with an adult, may also attend.
The next dance in the fall series will be Thursday, Nov 20, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Dances will be on hiatus this winter and will resume in March. Bring a closed water container and a snack if you wish. Smooth-soled shoes work best for dancing on wood floors. Please do not wear perfume or other scents to the dances.
For more information, visit facebook.com/franklincontra for photos and details about upcoming dances or email contradancefranklinnc@gmail.com.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host Rock Holler From The Edge Oct. 17 and Johnny Blackwell Oct. 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana) Oct. 15 and Kelly Morris (singer-songwriter) Oct. 22. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Team Trivia” Mondays and R.A. Nightingale (singersongwriter) 6 p.m. Oct. 18. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” on select dates. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $50 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchard-sessions.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults, free) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages, free), “Waynesville Acoustic
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 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), “Oyster Roast & Bluegrass” with Flat Bridge String Band 3 p.m. Oct. 18 ($50 per person) and the “Salon Series” on select dates. 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Smokehouse (Highlands) will host live music from 1-3 p.m. Sundays. 828.526.3554 / highlandsmokehouse.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678 / innovationbrewing.com.
• John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown) will host a “Community Jam” 7 p.m. Thursdays at the nearby Crown Restaurant and semi-regular live music on the weekends. folkschool.org.
• J.R. Chophouse (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.369.3663 / jrchophouse.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Bryan
On the beat
& Al (R&B/pop) Oct. 17, Canon Tyler (country/bluegrass) Oct. 18 and Cody Marlowe (Americana) Oct. 25. 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, Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) Oct. 17 and Cody Marlowe (Americana) Oct. 24. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host an “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.
• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host The Vagabonds (Americana) at 2 p.m. the first and third Monday and a “Song Circle” open jam from 3-6 p.m. the first Tuesday each month. Free and open to the public. 828.524.3600 or fontanalib.org/franklin.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host a “Bluegrass Jam” 5-7 p.m. Sundays, Len Graham (Americana/folk) Oct. 18 and Chris Morel (singer-songwriter) Oct. 25. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) Oct. 17, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana/bluegrass) Oct. 18, Frank Lee (Americana/old-time) 5 p.m. Oct. 19, Somebody’s Child (Americana) Oct. 24, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Oct. 25 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) 5 p.m. Oct. 26. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Old Edwards Inn (Highlands) will host live music in the Hummingbird Lounge at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Free and open to the public. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Songwriters Showcase 57” Oct. 18 and Johnny Folsom 4 (Johnny Cash tribute) Oct. 24. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays, R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Wild Mountain Time (Americana) Oct. 17, Michael Kitchens (singer-songwriter) Oct. 18, Jamie Russo (singer-songwriter) Oct. 21 and Fred Kopp (singer-songwriter) Oct. 25. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / face-
book.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic” first Wednesday of every month, Phil Thomas (indie/jam) Oct. 16, Murphy Campbell (singersongwriter) Oct. 17, Holler & Crow (Celtic/folk) Oct. 19, Kid Billy (Americana/folk) Oct. 23 and Trippin’ Up The Stairs (Celtic) 2 p.m. Oct. 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Trout Fishing In America (Americana/folk) 7 p.m. Oct. 25. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Smoky Mountain Dog Bar (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0726 / smokymountaindogbakery.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with Melissa McKinney (Americana/soul) Oct. 16 and Remedy 58 (blues/soul) Oct. 23. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host Kid Billy (Americana) 6 p.m. Oct. 17 and J.R. Williams (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Oct. 26. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 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” Wednesdays and Breakcutter Oct. 17 and Brothers Rathbone Oct. 24. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.
• Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 5202 (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.9356 / vfw5202.org.
• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Oct. 17, Rail Town (Americana) Oct. 19, Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) 3 pm. Oct. 24 and Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) Oct. 26. 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 Tuxedo Junction (oldies/rock) 7 p.m. Oct. 24. 828.476.5070 / wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.
• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays, “Music Bingo” 6-8 p.m. Saturdays, Katie & Ezra (Americana/folk) 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Christian Jones (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. Oct. 19 and Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Oct. 24. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
641 North Main Street, WAYNESVILLE, NC (3/10 Mile North of the Courthouse) 828-456-HAUS (4287) 641 North Main Street, WAYNESVILLE, NC (3/10 Mile North of the Courthouse) 828-456-HAUS (4287)
Leaf Lookers Gemboree returns to Franklin Oct. 17-19. File photo
• “North Carolina Glass 2025” showcase will run through Friday, Dec. 5, in the John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Discover the glass medium through the work of today’s visionary glass artists. “North Carolina Glass 2025” brings together 30 established and emerging creators from across the state, showcasing a broad spectrum of contemporary glasswork. For more information, visit wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) “Layers” exhibit is now on display through Monday, Oct. 27, at the HCAC in downtown Waynesville. Art is all about layers — of ink in a relief print, layers of batting and fabric in a quilt and background layering in an oil painting. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org.
• “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
Leaf Lookers Gemboree
The annual Leaf Lookers Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 17-18 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Macon County Community Building just south of Franklin along U.S. 441. Gem and mineral dealers from across the country will be displaying and selling their products against the backdrop of spectacular fall color.
The Gemboree will feature a wide variety of items including fine finished jewelry, rough/cut gems, lapidary equipment, minerals, fossils and collectibles. Dealers will also be available to custom make pieces.
For more information, contact the Franklin Chamber of Commerce at 828.524.3161 or visit franklin-chamber.com.
Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop. For more information, visit motcp.org.
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.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio. 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 nonprofit 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/scc-locations/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.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
ALSO:
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
A Baby Beat poet finds his voice
“Power Spots” (Edgework Press, 2025) by Ron Myers is a first press-published book of his poetry by someone who is of the “boomer” generation. In that sense, as now a book-published poet, you could say that he’s a “late bloomer,” or a “late boomer.”
Kerouac, Lew Welch, Kenneth Rexroth, and Philip Whalen. On his poetic walk while on Mt. Tamalpias he writes:
“The silence deepens, secrets reveal themselves to the long list of bards converging over the years.”
But this would be misleading, as he’s been writing since his college days at Indiana University in the 1970s and has gone on to write poems that have appeared in such publications as Beatdom #24 and a dozen anthologies in the U.S., England, France and Italy. In a single short phrase, Ron Myers is the real deal. Trying “to find the right words to better say what can’t be said,” as he puts it.
Even with this late start in terms of books of his own work being published, he has worked his way into the pantheon of those that have been labeled “The Baby Beats” (a term that I coined during my years in San Francsico during the 1970s). “The cafes and living rooms where he once workshopped and loved have become ethereal, sacred sites, animated now by memory, stitched together like layers of soft shale by the pressure and patience of the word,” writes Geoffrey Callahan in his Afterword to the book.
And if that weren’t enough, Myers has been honored with the title of California Beat Poet Laureate for 2024-2026. He drew his poetic fire from many of the Beat Generation poets he knew in San Francisco and his poems resonate with that literary style and those legendary voices, with poems dedicated to mentors such as Gregory Corso, Harold Norse, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Neeli Cherkovski — all poets I knew during my years in San Francisco. In his book “Power Spots,” he brings the Beat voice into a modern present tense with subject matter appropriate for the present day.
One of the important aspects of this book, then, is his connection in life and on paper with the Beat poets in poems such as “Tales of Mt. Tamalpias,” “Sea Surge,” and “Short Fuse.” Another important aspect is his obvious connection to nature and the natural world in such poems as “Pascua Florida,” “Light Pollution” and “The Scapegoat.”
In “Tales of Mt. Tamalpias,” Myers names other Beat poets — Gary Snyder, Jack
In “Sea Surge” he ruminates: “A knowing poet, a gnostic/initiate into ancient mysteries/like trees of knowledge growing/out of the chap book/in his back pocket.” Then in nature mode, Myers writes in his poem “Light Pollution,” “.... on the Olympic peninsula of Washington:/the road encroached by rain forests in/vast mossy valleys reasserting dominance of Nature –/the vast fungal networks all abuzz/with cryptid rumors ...”
And in “The Scapegoat,” Myers muses “In the vast Martian desert of southern Utah,/the way to Moab is sculpted by red formations,/chiseled down by wind and rain/to reveal their true inner form/over such a long timeline.” These are but a few examples of his binary focus for this book. Or, as he defines his title for the book: “Often sacred or natural places, power spots can be any place you feel a sense of wonder and connectedness with self and other beings. It could be a place of profound beauty or sacred to indigenous cultures. It could also be a funky bookstore, a corner dive bar, a good conversation — or the promise of the open highway.”
Even with all the natural and indigenous
references in his book, Myers keeps pulling me back to literary San Francisco and his poignant observations and insights into the last 50 years there. “Your dining room an askew gallery/with vivid black-and-white photos/with all nine gray zones in between:/Bukowski, Corso, Ferlinghetti,” he writes in the poem “The Salon” about his good friend Neeli Cherkovski.
But this book is not only fun and games, Myers is also a realist and tells it like it is. “If we go extinct as a species,/it will be by our own hand,/not by asteroids tumbling like dice:/end of our shelf-life reached prematurely/despite the added plasticines/and preservatives of immortality,” he writes in the poem “The Crowning Race.” Or in his eco-poems like “Landfall,” he writes “How many bird species/nested in those burly trees/have gone extinct?/The God Bird of the southern bayous,/for One./It made great plumage/for some grand Victorian hats— /until they were gone.”
Harkening back to the past, he gives homage to our North American precursors: “The sage-like trees—/our wiser sisters and brothers—/were only felled for the common good/of villages and sacred ceremonies/of the indigenous Woodland peoples.” Myers then ends the book in an inspired and humble meditation and tribute to Indigenous peoples in poems like “Nowhere, New Mexico” where he autobiographically writes:“... gingerly navigated through stick figures, spirit birds and/sun wheels pecked into the varnished stone — enigmatic/messages shot like arrows across the coiled serpent of time;” The same admiration holds true for the younger generation(s) coming on and emerging: “... heralding a new era of inspired oracles/from the Great Beyond. Where do you come from,/so fully formed and adorable,/eyes wide with all human experience/way before your time—/as if you’ve tasted all of this feast before.”
Poetry, memoir reading at City Lights
And, therein, is the denouement of Myers’ vision of the future that reinforces the idea that his poetry doesn’t mourn so much as it testifies and that he carries the echoes of Beat mentors not as stylistic costume, but as ethical inheritance. This book is full of “power spots” and one feels when reading as if positioned on or in a sacred site.
(Thomas Rain Crowe is an internationally published and recognized author of more than 30 books, including the multi-award winning nonfiction nature memoir “Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods.”)
Poets Pat Riviere-Seel and Barbara Presnell will give a reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Riviere-Seel will share her new collection, “Because I Did Not Drown,” and Presnell will read from her memoir, “Otherwise, I'm Fine.” Riviere-Seel, author of “The Serial Killer’s Daughter,” has taught in UNC-Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and served as North Carolina Poetry Society’s Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet. Presnell, a UNC-Greensboro MFA graduate and two-time N.C. Arts Council Fellow, is the author of two award-winning poetry books and has held residencies at Willapa Bay AiR, Hambidge Center and Wildacres.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.
Writer
Thomas Crowe
Roadless Rule appears to undermine public opinion
BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER
The National Forest Service, housed under the United States Department of Agriculture, plans to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule instated by President Bill Clinton to protect national forests’ roadless acres.
Drawing opposition from 99% of public commenters, this recission is part of a series of opaque federal actions and policies instituted in the face of significant public outcry.
Before the Roadless Rule made its way into the national conversation, Western North Carolina conservationists battled a 2023 proposal to increase logging. The Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, would expand timber production in the region by 500%. The CBD release went on to state that “the plan has been deluged by widespread public opposition … more than 23,000 people have spoken out.”
In a statement to The Smoky Mountain News, a USDA representative wrote that “currently, timber harvests in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests average about 800 acres per year — less than one-tenth of one percent of the forest.”
Nonetheless, the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of four other conservation groups, sued the Forest Service in March for its 2023 proposal on the grounds of wildlife endangerment and violation of federal law.
Evans chalked up the quota itself to “a small but influential political constituency that is able to steer the public conversation about what the Forest Service needs to be doing … and turn that into something that benefits a particular industry.”
Once the second Trump Administration took office, this “political constituency” had its eyes on a bigger fish: the National Environmental Policy Act first implemented in 1970, also known as the “Magna Carta” of environmental law. Trump had attempted to redefine NEPA at the end of his first term, but the changes were reversed in 2022 by Biden.
Clues the new administration would overhaul NEPA, however, were present as quickly as March. According to The Asheville Watchdog, an NFS press release declared the agency’s intention to “pursue salvage projects on about 2,200 acres of the Pisgah National Forest.”
final rule will not have substantial direct effects on Indian Tribes,” therefore “consultation and coordination with Indian Tribal governments is not required.”
Kelly explained NEPA’s impact on logging projects in Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest.
“Going forward, the Forest Service will decide about the project and then tell the public what they’ve decided, and that will be the end of it,” Kelly said.
As a result, “there’s less opportunity for the public to influence how their public lands are being stewarded,” he said.
In short, 2025 reinterpretation of NEPA — preceded by recent NFS actions — cleared the way for the Roadless Rule recission, including its historically short public comment period and a foundation critics allege is not based in science.
MountainTrue’s Josh Kelly explained that “it’s flexible enough to allow for cutting of small diameter trees, and in very limited emergencies, temporary road construction.”
In other words, the Roadless Rule already allows fuel reduction to take place.
The real danger of axing the 2001 regulation is the threat logging poses to both North Carolina’s diverse range of endangered wildlife — and to its residents.
“2 million people in North Carolina can trace their drinking water directly back to a roadless area that would lose protection,” Evans said.
Kelly added that while the 2023 Forest Service Nantahala-Pisgah management plan designated roadless lands as “backcountry,” thereby discouraging timber harvest, he doesn’t think it “is going to be a protection for many of these areas.”
Sam Evans, SELC senior attorney and leader of the national forests and parks program, told SMN that the federal agency’s motivation to increase timber production is driven by a national timber quota.
MountainTrue Resilient Forests Director Josh Kelly explained that the Trump administration is “calling on the Forest Service to increase timber harvest by 25% annually for the next 10 years,” despite what Kelly claimed was ample historical evidence of the poor economic outcomes of logging and roadbuilding in remote areas.
Evans added that quotas increased under President Biden, too, and have been “higher than is sustainable for almost 10 years.”
And while he said theoretically, timber volume is a measurable marker of how well the NFS is doing its job, it should be encouraged as a target, not a quota.
“If the Forest Service did more hazardous fuels reduction and removed more small diameter fuels from western forests and did more restoration … timber volume would increase,” the SELC lawyer explained.
But that’s not what’s happening under a nationwide quota.
Instead, he said, the Forest Service “is cutting more timber in the South and the Pacific Northwest — the places where the biggest trees grew,” including the Pisgah and Nantahala forests.
The agency did not seek public input, nor did it detail the exact location of the projects. The Watchdog reported that this decision was permissible under the grounds of a “public safety emergency” — fallen trees destroyed by Hurricane Helene — allowing the Forest Service to fast-track a lengthy NEPA-mandated process.
While the Forest Service used Hurricane Helene to justify harvesting timber without public input, SELC in its March 2025 lawsuit cited widespread damage from Helene as yet another reason the agency should not implement its 2023 increased logging proposal.
Then, in July, the United States Department of Agriculture made it easier for the Forest Service expedite its work — even without a natural disaster attached.
The interim Trump-era NEPA, which applies to all USDA-supervised departments, included a 30-day comment period, during which it received nearly 155,000 comments. A large majority expressed significant concern for revised legislation, criticizing its potential to constrain public participation and encroach on tribal sovereignty, among other things.
The revised NEPA removed a specific clause outlining “American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites” as “extraordinary circumstances” that mandate the adoption of specific environmental analyses to determine potential impacts of any project.
Yet, the legislation also stated that “interim
LOGISTICS OF THE LEGISLATION
The 2001 Roadless Rule, issued after a threeyear Forest Service planning process and involving an 18-month road construction moratorium, prohibits road-building and commercial logging in designated ‘roadless’ areas.
In North Carolina, these areas span more than 170,000 acres — about 14% of statewide national forest but less than 1% of the nation’s roadless land mass.
The recission was marketed by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins as a means of “reducing wildfire risk, protecting infrastructure, and keeping forests healthy,” but Evans spoke to the contrary.
“Roadless areas are one of the best defenses we have against uncharacteristic wildfires,” he said, adding that “the number one risk for wildfire ignition is proximity to roads.”
When SMN reached out to the USDA for a comment on the recission, a spokesperson wrote that “there is a large body of research — including a recent intensive review of over 40 case studies — showing that fuel reduction activities can change how fires burn and reduce fire severity by more than 60 percent.”
Indeed, the importance of fuel reduction is supported by extensive scientific analysis. But while the Roadless Rule protects 58.5 million acres of forested land nationwide,
According to the USDA spokesperson, however, the backcountry management practice “limits road construction and allows timber harvest only for specific purposes, such as protecting endangered species … roadbuilding in these areas is generally impractical, so the impact of rescinding the Roadless Rule is expected to be minimal.”
Evans noted that even existing North Carolina mountain roads are in poor condition and create “the biggest risk of erosion, water quality, damage and landslides.”
He chalked it up to the Forest Service’s lack of funding — about 13% of what’s necessary to conduct ongoing maintenance.
PUBLIC INPUT SEEMINGLY DISCOURAGED
Like the administration’s NEPA revision, the roadless recission deeply impacts tribes — many of whom have sacred sites in protected roadless areas — while excluding indigenous voices from the equation.
In response to Rollins’ notice, a statement from the Tlingit & Haida peoples of Alaska affirmed that the tribal nation does “not recognize the validity of federal actions impacting our traditional homelands when undertaken without meaningful government-to-government consultation, as required by law and respect for our inherent sovereignty.”
In addition to forcing key stakeholders out of the decision-making process, some Roadless Rule advocates were frustrated by what they interpreted as an attempt to dissuade public opinion.
Rollins announced the rescission on Aug. 28 — the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. But data analyst Nick Holshouser, who conducted the 2025 Roadless Rule comment analytics study, surmised that many didn’t see the notification until Tuesday, Sept. 2.
His theory aligned with the numbers: based on the comment analyt- F
The roadless rule may have a significant impact on the national forests in Western North Carolina. File photo
NCDA&CS seeks proposals for agricultural research programs
The deadline to apply for the $1 million grant program is Nov. 14
With $1 million in grant funding available, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer services requests proposals for research that advances agriculture and the agricultural economy in the state. Proposed research projects should be limited to $100,000 each and fit into any of the following programs:
• Innovations to Advance the Agricultural Economy: This program that the N.C. General Assembly approved in 2024 aims to address needs of the evolving agricultural economy with a broad range of innovative research.
• Bioenergy Research Initiative: Approved in 2013, this program supports the research and development of agricultural and forestry-based feedstocks for bioenergy production, agribusiness
ics study of 223,726 online comments, daily submissions between Aug. 28 and Sept. 1 averaged at 3,654, but reached 10,203 on Sept. 2.
The comment period closed on Sept. 18, a little over two weeks later.
“This is the shortest period that the Forest Service has ever offered for anything having to do with the roadless rule,” Evans said, adding that the second Bush administration, upon a proposal to weaken the act, eventually allowed a four-month window for public comment.
development and cooperative research for biofuels production within the state.
• New and Emerging Crops: The mission of this program is to identify potential new crops and value-added products and then provide the agricultural research, marketing support and grower education needed to make these crops commercially viable options for North Carolina growers. Funding for this program was first allocated by the General Assembly in 2018.The programs are organized under the NCDA&CS Research Stations Division. While not a requirement, research projects funded through these programs can be supported by one or more of the research stations and field laboratories strategically located across the state.
Additional details, copies of the official request for proposals, grant applications and forms are online at www.ncagr.gov/divisions/research-stations/BRI/NECP/IAAE. Applications must be postmarked by Nov. 14. Questions about each program should be directed to Hunter Barrier at 910.592.7839. For more information on the application process, contact Allison Medlin, at allison.medlin@ncagr.gov or at 919.693.2483.
more and more than we could possibly stuff envelopes for, so we delivered them in boxes,” Evans said.
In the end, SELC delivered around 8,000 submissions. The legal nonprofit’s contribution is part of the reason why, in addition to the federal register’s 223,726 initial online count, the agency received 625,930 total comments.
Part of Holshouser’s analysis involved grouping original and campaign-generated
The 2001 Roadless Rule, issued after a three-year Forest Service planning process and involving an 18-month road construction moratorium, prohibits road-building and commercial logging in designated ‘roadless’ areas.
The explanation behind the nontraditional length of public comment, once again, comes right back to NEPA. Notably, the revision of the National Environmental Policy Act terminated the Council on Environmental Quality — and the public participation it solicited.
According to a GT Law alert, “the statutory language … does not explicitly require public review of and comment on draft NEPA documents.” Alhough, agencies are still required to solicit public comment on draft EIS notices, the notice of intent for the recission included.
“The administration is having a comment period because they’re required by law,” Kelly said.
But Evans noted that the agency made it difficult for people to comment.
“They disconnected the API for the regulations.gov portal so that you couldn’t go to somebody else’s web page, submit your comment and then have it pushed into their system. You had to go and navigate through the regulations.gov portal yourself, which is … not very user friendly at all,” he explained.
In response to these “anti-public comment” tactics, SELC began allowing people to give them comments, which the organization physically took to the Forest Service.
“We mailed thousands … we kept getting
comments. When only accounting for the first group, the opposition-to-supporting ratio drops from 99% and 1% to 97% and 1.8%, with some neutral submissions. That’s “still overwhelming support by people who took the time to actually write” the comments, Holshouser noted.
But the difference in ratios could point to something a bit more insidious: logging corporations and enthusiasts aren’t investing in campaigns of public comment. Holshouser described their thought process as, “we don’t want to make a big deal out of this, because we already know what [the Trump Administration is] going to do” — and it’s on the side of timber production.
After all, “this isn’t about what the public wants. This is about industry and it’s about ideology,” Kelly said.
But Evans was quick to underscore that SELC and other likeminded groups aren’t going anywhere.
“There’s no way we are going to stand by and let the most important conservation rule for public lands of a generation be taken away over the objections of what comes to as close as to unanimity as you can find in a democracy,” he said. “We will not stand for that, and we will not be alone.”
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Whether you’re navigating change, craving clarity, or simply seeking soul nourishment, this evening offers a powerful pause to realign and remember your inner truth!
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The Joyful Botanist
BY ADAM BIGELOW
Season of the Witch Hobble
4,500 feet.
In autumn, large trees like maples (Acer spp.), hickories (Carya spp.) and Oaks (Quercus spp.) get all the attention for their vivid fall leaf color. And that esteem is well deserved, along with smaller trees like flowering dogwood (Benthamidia florida), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) and sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum), these colorful trees bring the tourists and their cameras each fall.
It has an arching and spreading growth form, and branches will root if they are bent down in contact with the soil. This habit is what makes it one of the hobble bushes, like doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana).
Shrubs, too, can be beautiful at the end of the year and are often planted in landscapes just for their fall color. Three shrubs native to Southern Appalachia that have striking foliage as the air turns cooler and the nights grow longer also have a bit of a supernatural connection. Since it’s now the spooky season, we might as well call these shrubs the witches three: witch-alder, witch-hazel and witch hobble.
In springtime, witch hobble produces large and fancy flower clusters that bloom white and creamy. There is a ring of showy sterile florets that surround the small fertile flowers in the middle. These sterile flowers serve to help attract insects to the plant to aid in pollination. In horticultural terms, the flowers are in a form called lacecaps and are similar to cultivated hydrangeas which are selected for this display.
aka witch-alder is a native shrub that grows to 10 feet tall and upwards of 12 feet wide. Adam Bigelow photo
Found in both wild places and more frequently in designed landscapes and at retail plant nurseries, Fothergilla major, a.k.a. witch-alder, is a native shrub that grows to 10 feet tall and upward of 12 feet wide. In late spring to early summer, the branch tips are covered in creamy yellow flowers that form a bottlebrush shape. The beauty of these flowers is eclipsed only by the stunning and bright fall coloration. Their leaves turn various hues of red, orange and gold.
The flowers emerge at the same time as the leaves begin to unfurl from their dormant winter buds. Witch hobble leaf buds are not covered in any protective scales or leaves but remain uncovered or “naked” on the stem all winter long. Their “prayer hand” appearance can be diagnostic for identification in wintertime.
The next witch to stir the pot is the witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) whose tale I told back in November 2022 (SMN Notes from a plant nerd Witch-Hazel — Nov. 2, 2022). While the fall flowers are often the story spoke of this shrub, this witchy plant’s leaves turn a bright yellow that often obscure the yellow stringy flower petals. A spring blooming species of witchhazel lives in the Ozarks and also has beautiful fall color. However, its flowers bloom in spring and come in a variety of reds and oranges. This is the Ozark witch-hazel (Hamamelis vernalis).
The final witch in this coven of color is a shrub that is mostly found in the south at the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge, called witch hobble (Viburnum lantanoides). A common northern species that grows in abundance in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada also thrives in Southern Appalachia at or above
The leaves are large and rounded (Ovate) with a heart shape (Cordate) and serrated edges like sawteeth. Emerging leaves are coppery and quickly turn dark green for their photosynthetic summer job. When the temperatures start to drop and the nights get longer as fall approaches, the witch hobble really puts on a show.
Their fall coloration is variable and hard to describe. The hues are dominated by deep red and purple with splotches of yellow and some of the cells holding onto green. The look is a bit like a tie-dye, as if a preppy tennis player went to a Grateful Dead show. Beautiful.
If you spot a colorful shrub on a fall hike around the end of October, there may just be some witchcraft brewing in the Appalachian woods around you. Ahh, but which hobble is it? Which hazel or which alder, for that matter?
(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
Fothergilla major
94 acres conserved in Panthertown Valley
Thanks to a collaboration among local conservation partners, Mainspring Conservation Trust has acquired a critical 94acre inholding within Panthertown Valley that is now on track to be permanently protected.
One of Western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the “Yosemite of the East.” The 6,300 acres stretch along the Eastern Continental Divide, offering more than 25 miles of trails that wind through granite domes, mountain bogs, trout streams and waterfalls.
One of western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the ‘Yosemite of the East.’ Donated photo
When the U.S. Forest Service acquired Panthertown Valley and the surrounding Roy Taylor Memorial Forest in the 1980s, one parcel — now known as the Slickens Creek
State provides tips to prevent spread of Bird Flu
This time of year, new cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) begin to emerge due to the high numbers of migratory waterfowl that pass through or congregate in North Carolina. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) monitors HPAI in wildlife populations across the state, with an emphasis on birds.
New cases of avian influenza emerge in the fall and winter months particularly along the Outer Banks and other coastal areas.
Influenza viruses are typically cold-hardy and are therefore able to proliferate more easily during the cold winter months. The birds most likely to be found with HPAI are waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, although cases may less frequently occur in songbirds and wild mammal species.
tract — remained privately owned. Surrounded entirely by national forest, the property includes more than 2,800 feet of wild trout waters and provides critical early successional habitat for species such as Golden-winged Warblers and Ruffed Grouse. The tract also lies within the Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed and links two popular trails: the Rattlesnake Knob and Turkey Knob trails.
The Slickens Creek acquisition builds on other conservation projects with the land trust and Panthertown. In 2017, Mainspring purchased a 15.9-acre tract at the Salt Rock Gap trailhead — transforming a pinch point into a welcoming public entrance before transferring it to the Forest Service.
Symptoms of HPAI in wild birds may vary, including ocular and/or nasal discharge, coughing, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of coordination, walking or swimming in circles, head and neck twisting/wobbling, paralysis, swollen and/or discolored neck, head, and feet and death.
The public can help reduce the spread of HPAI by following these suggestions:
• Do not approach any animals that appear sick or are behaving unusually.
• Do not allow pets to interact with any sick or dead animals.
• If a dead bird needs to be removed from a location where pets or people could come into contact with it:
• Use disposable gloves, a plastic bag or some other protective layer over your hands or use a shovel to pick up the animal and place it into a garbage bag. Consider wearing a face mask and eye protection if additional protection seems warranted.
FROG FAIR comes to Franklin
Friends of the Greenway will host the 12th FROG FAIR, an arts and crafts, music and food fundraiser event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters at 573 E. Main St. in Franklin.
• Double-bag the carcass before putting it in the trash. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of any animal carcass.
Currently, there are no changes to any game bird seasons due to HPAI. Hunters are advised not to harvest or handle game birds that are obviously sick. Hunters should wear gloves when handling and dressing any harvested birds, and inedible parts should be buried where they were harvested or placed in a trash bag and disposed of in the trash. Wash hands and tools with soap and water or disinfectant wipes. Cook all game meat thoroughly prior to consumption.
To report dead wild animals suspected of contracting HPAI, especially six or more dead wild birds in one area within a period of one to two weeks, contact the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866.318.2401 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or email hwi@ncwildlife.gov.
Market PLACE WNC
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
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
NOTICE TO PREQUALIFY: Jackson County Multiple Projects
BIDDER PREQUALIFICATION
REQUEST: Vannoy Construction has been selected as the Construction Manager at Risk by Jackson County and is seeking to prequalify Contractors to submit bids for furnishing labor, materials, tools & equipment for the related projects located throughout Jackson County, North Carolina.
PROJECT DESCRIP-
TION:tion process will cover several renovation and expansion projects within Jackson County, including but not limited to:
• Fairview Elementary School Kitchen and Cafeteria Expansion in Sylva, NC. – $5M to $10M
Schedule – Bidding December 2025, Construction Start April 2026
• Smoky Mountain High School Athletics Improvements in Sylva, NC. –$2M to $5M
Schedule – Bidding November 2025, Construction Start March 2026
• New Jackson County Administration Building in Sylva, NC. – $15M to $20M
Schedule – Bidding November 2025, Construction Start March 2026
• Jackson County Jail Expansion in Sylva, NC.
– $5M to $10M
Schedule – Bidding February 2026, Construction Start July 2026
• Blue Ridge School Ex-
pansion and Renovation in Cashiers, NC. – $10M to $20M
Schedule – Bidding Q3 2026, Construction Start Q4 2026
• Canada Fire Department Expansion in Tuckasegee, NC. – $1M to $3M
Schedule – Bidding Q3 2026, Construction Start Q4 2026
• JCPS Replacement Bus Garage in Sylva, NC. – $2M to $5M
Schedule – Bidding Q3 2026, Construction Start Q4 2026
• Jackson County Courthouse Renovations in Sylva, NC. – $5M to $10M
Schedule – Bidding Q2 2027, Construction Start Q3 2027
The Scope, Magnitude, and Schedule for each project are approximate and based on currently available information.
Project scope, values, and schedules are subject to change.
TENTATIVE BID PACKAGES:
BP-0222 Selective Demolition
BP-0300 Turnkey Concrete
BP-0400 Turnkey Masonry
BP-0512 Turnkey Structural Steel
BP-0640 Finish Carpentry and Casework
and Sealants
BP-0724 EIFS and Stucco
BP-0811 Doors, Frames, and Hardware
BP-0840 Glass and Glazing
BP-0920 Metal Studs,
Drywall, and Insulation
BP-0930 Hard Tile
Flooring
BP-0951 ACT and Interior Ceilings
BP-0965 Resilient Flooring
BP-0990 Painting and Coatings
BP-1000 Specialties
BP-1014 Signage
BP-1073 Protective Covers
BP-1140 Food Service Equipment
BP-1198 Detention Equipment
BP-1221 Window Treatments
BP-1334 Fabricated Structures/PEMBs
BP-1420 Elevators
BP-2100 Fire Protection Systems
BP-2200 Plumbing Systems
BP-2300 Mechanical Systems
BP-2600 Electrical Systems
BP-3100 Turnkey Site Development
BP-3166 Special Foundations
BP-3218 Athletic Surfacing
Additional Packages may be added and/or deleted at the discretion of the Construction Manager. Historically underutilized business participation is encouraged.
PRE-QUALIFICATION
CUTOFF DATE: Friday, October 24, 2025, at 5:00PM EST
PREQUALFICATION
FORMS CAN BE OBTAINED from Brent McCann at brenton.mccann@jrvannoy.com.
Interested contractors shall submit their com-
submittals to: brenton. mccann@jrvannoy.com
PUBLIC NOTICE
Mountain Projects Inc. is planning to submit a proposal to the North Carolina Department of Health and Humannomic Opportunity for a one-year grant under the Community Services Block Grant program. Public input is requested to utilize funding.
The public hearings will be held at the Mountain Asheville Road, Waynesville on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 10:00am to 11:00am and Sylva at 154B Medical Park Loop, Sylva on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 1:30 pm to 2:30pm.
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Medical
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1 Boots up again
9 Spill-cleaning implement
15 Manages OK
20 Nontraditional protagonist
21 "Interview With History" author Fallaci
22 -- -garde
23 Kamala Harris is his veep
24 Guys in the petroleum industry
25 San Diego major leaguer
26 Clearasil may clear it up
27 Hands-on program for law students
30 Highest point
31 Vowel sound in
68 Restoration to factory defaults 69 "Yes, I'm 100% for it!" 70 They may follow right jabs 73 Deterrents to auto thefts
74 Balcony cry from Juliet
"The Scarlet Letter" protagonist Hester 76 Early 1940s, politically 82 Draws a bead on
Part of i.e.
88 Bulbs controlled with phone apps 91 Acronym comparable to "carpe diem"
Irritated
Storm into
Dog food brand
Less original
Full of life
al.
Apt to vote Republican
It has limbs
Aria, e.g.
Like sheep
Many bathroom
58 Locale of Hudson Bay
Don of TV announcing 61 Legendary Rhine siren
63 Single-wheel load carriers
64 Peel that changes from green to yellow 66 Sprinted, e.g. 67 Polenta grain 68 WWW page code 69 Calendar box 70 Decreased 71 Tending to cause wear 72 New Jersey city opposite Manhattan
73 Jagged cliff
75 Meddling sorts
77 Sect in "Witness"
78 Made a dash for 79 1991 Daytona 500 winner Ernie
80 Novelist Calvino
81 Earlier-born
83 Avian mimics
84 Part of ESE
85 "The Sandbox" dramatist Edward
86 Some tadpoles, in time
89 Hat's place
90 Sushi staple
93 Drop the ball
94 Coloring stuff
97 Buddy, in Burgundy
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
Recreational Vehicles
PARK MODELSLIGHTLY USED Lightly used Park Models for sale in a 55+ year-round RV Village near Hayesville, NC. Come stay in this park like community that offers peace, quiet and tranquility. Unit asking prices range from $45,000-$64,000. To see more about these units, go to www.sundowerrvvillage.net or give us a call at 828-389-3241 to schedule a tour of the units we have to offer.
(828) 389-3241 joyce@ sundownerrvvillage.net
Construction/ Remodeling
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Entertainment
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Home Improvement
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SUDOKU
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