The Eastern hellbender can grow as long as two feet due to their long lifespan. Just nine months ago, the prospects of the ancient species’ survival brightened notably when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally backed the listing of hellbenders as federally endangered. But while the job of finalizing that listing is in the hands of that agency, it is also backing rule changes that environmental advocates say would render this status all but meaningless. (Page 24) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo
News
Vecinos reflects on first few months at Franklin Health Hub ................................4 Fontana library board chair, vice chair resign..............................................................5 District parties search for stability as congressional race looms..........................6 Helene aid hang-ups prompt GOP misinformation, blame game........................9 Eastern Band’s Qualla Enterprises loan to be converted to equity ..................12 Eastern Band elects new tribal council members..................................................13
Opinion
Big Beautiful Bill will be ugly for Jackson County....................................................14 So this is saving democracy? ......................................................................................14
A&E
Longtime friend back again: A conversation with The Wildmans......................16 Bluegrass legend to play Wells Center......................................................................18
Outdoors
Up Moses Creek: Head on a swivel!..........................................................................26 Wildlife agency to hold free National Hunting and Fishing Day events ..........27
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Vecinos reflects on first few months at Franklin Health Hub
BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER
Vecinos, Inc. has humble origins. First founded through the Jackson County Health Department, the nonprofit, which provides “equitable, culturally centered healthcare and wellness services in Western North Carolina,” transitioned in 2004 to providing bilingual healthcare to migrant farmworkers through mobile clinics.
While Vecinos continues to operate these clinics 22 years down the line, the group’s capacity significantly expanded in early May with the opening of its 16,500square-foot Franklin building. Four months into operations at the Franklin Health Hub, Vecinos CEO Marianne Martinez characterized its impact with a single word: “transformational.”
other nonprofits also working with folks who are low income and/or uninsured, including Mountain Projects, Pisgah Legal Services and WNC Alliance. The reasoning behind the colocation, Martinez explained, is that “it facilitates a firm handoff, and it helps people understand that healthcare is not just seeing the doctor.”
The CEO added that, “It also helps our staff understand the resources that are available in the community too, and helps other organizations on the flip side. They can make easier referrals to us.”
Martinez said Vecinos is on the lookout to add more nonprofits to the hub.
On a typical day, she explained, a patient will enter the reception area, where they’ll be greeted by staff — and a fruit stand. “We have set up a stand of free food, fresh produce … from local farms that have donated it for our patients to take home. We have some dried food as well,” Martinez said, noting that there are books and dietary supplements, as well. Patients can take as much as they need; no forms required, and no questions asked.
“The pharmacy is right there [by reception]. So if [patients] need just a pharmacy refill, they can go and be seen at the pharmacy,” she said.
Someone might drop by the Franklin Health Hub to visit a partner agency housed in the building. If they’re seeking services at Vecinos, “they’ll be roomed, they get behavioral health screenings and then they’re seen by the medical provider.” Martinez said. A visit also includes free lab work, regular checkups and an individualized chronic care management plan — all based on a patient’s particular healthcare needs.
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At its new brick-and-mortar office, Vecinos offers integrated, bilingual primary care at no cost to low-income, uninsured residents, which Mountain Area Health Education Center reported is about one out of every six individuals in WNC ages 18–65.
“We do whole diagnostic blood work. We have a pharmacy. We have a team of care providers, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical doctors, health coaches,” said Martinez.
With the addition of the Franklin Health Hub and its expanded hours of service, Vecinos was able to hire another full-time medical provider. Its patient capacity increased from 800 to 5,000 — more than five-fold. Martinez said enrollment numbers are far from the nonprofit’s upper limit, so Vecinos is actively seeking more patients for its Franklin office.
ADDRESSING HEALTH OUTCOMES
The Franklin Health hub fills an urgent and pressing need in the region. According to MAHEC data, North Carolina’s 16 westernmost counties are a healthcare professional shortage areas, but the four counties in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage zone are more considerably impacted than the likes of Henderson and Buncombe, which rank 1 (lowest need) out of 5 (highest need) on the shortage scale. Swain County’s 5 rating is closely trailed by Jackson County’s 4. Macon and Haywood counties both have a score of 3, indicating moderate need.
Vecinos’ services, while labelled as primary care, surpass those typically offered by primary care providers.
“We do chronic care management, individualized care plans, health coaches, exercise classes, nutrition classes, social health support services, food security work,” Martinez explained.
What’s more, the building is home to
Poverty impacts health outcomes by influencing various social determinants of health, such as the ability to buy nutritious food, secure stable housing and live in a toxin-free environment. Latino and Black populations experienced significantly higher levels of poverty than White individuals in their region, as per a WNC Healthy Impact 20182022 survey.
Unfortunately, those most in need of healthcare assistance tend to face considerable barriers to entry. Vecinos is trying to change that.
“Vecinos is really focused on addressing health care for the people that really feel like there’s not a place for them in the health care system,” Martinez said. A fully EnglishSpanish bilingual staff means that Spanishspeaking patients do not have to worry about trying to express themselves in another language.
“And that really impacts health care and impacts, actually, health outcomes,” Martinez added.
SENSE OF BELONGING
While Vecinos serves low income and uninsured individuals regardless of race or ethnicity, Spanish-speaking Latino migrants make up a notable percentage of its patients.
Today’s political climate of mounting hostility toward immigrants has alarmed some of these individuals, Martinez said. “They’re feeling stressed. They’re feeling scared. And we’re seeing that in no show rates … [and] in other ways as well. Behavior, health encounters are reflecting that sentiment.”
There’s a silver lining, however, the Vecinos CEO said — and it’s the community of this region.
“We all know somebody who is low income and uninsured … We all know someone who has been left behind by the health care system,” she said. “In Western North Carolina, we are proud to support one another in that way.”
Martinez said the Vecinos building brings out a sense of belonging in anyone who walks through its doors. On the staff side, it allows for “more effective patient care” as a result of the care team “being in person together.”
As for the patients, Martinez spoke of a moment she’d witnessed on day one at the health hub. A therapist had shown a behavioral health patient around the building, and she asked what he thought of it.
“The patient actually started to have tears in his eyes,” Martinez said. “And he said, ‘the building is just amazing. It’s incredible that it makes me feel validated, it makes me feel seen, it makes me feel like me.’”
“That’s just one example,” she added. “But I can tell you about 15 more.” Vecinos is located at 19 Smoky Mountain Drive in Franklin. It is open Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 828.293.2274 or WhatsApp 828.200.6469 to make an appointment. Visit vecinos.org to make a contribution.
Vecinos provides equitable, culturallycentered healthcare and wellness in Western North Carolina. File photo
Fontana library board chair, vice chair resign
BY KYLE PERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
The Fontana Regional Library board chair and vice chair have both resigned from their leadership positions ahead of the regularly scheduled Sept. 9 meeting.
Former Board Chair Cynthia Womble said that she sent an email to fellow board members on Sunday, Sept. 7, informing them of her decision, and former Vice Chair Tony Monnat sent his resignation email on Monday, Sept. 8. Both Womble and Monnat, who were appointed by Swain County commissioners, will remain on the board as regular voting members. It is likely that Secretary Bill McGaha of Macon County will gavel in the Sept. 9 meeting.
to scrutinize local libraries over the inclusion of LGBTQ content on their shelves and events on their calendars.
Since then, a faction that espouses that ideology has gained a majority on the FRL board, and Jackson County Commissioners voted to pull out of the library system. That decision will cost county taxpayers more money and weakens the overall FRL system that still includes Swain and Macon counties.
Womble mentioned a few reasons why she’d wanted to resign, but the final straw was when the board tapped her “close friend” Lisa Kim Fisher to become the system’s new financial officer following the abrupt resignation of former finance officer
Womble and Monnat had served as chair and vice chair on an acting basis since December and in July were elected by board members to continue in those roles until the end of the scheduled terms in June 2026.
While Monnat confirmed in a text message that he’d resigned from his position as vice chair, he declined to comment. Womble told The Smoky Mountain News that she took her job seriously, and that job was to neutrally conduct meetings. She no longer feels that’s possible.
“I tried to be collaborative and congenial and professional in running meetings and setting up agendas and committees, and I was pretty much thwarted at every turn when I tried to rein board members in,” she said.
The board typically conducted business in an uneventful manner until just a couple of years ago, when a movement swept the nation in which conservative cultural influencers and pundits began calling for people
Lynn Cody. Womble said that once she found out Fisher applied for the job, she recused herself from that hiring process. When Fisher was chosen by the board, Womble said other board members began questioning a conflict that could be caused by their friendship.
“That’s a distraction we don’t need to have in the Fontana Regional Library,” she said.
Womble ultimately didn’t believe she had the trust of her fellow board members, which precludes her from even beginning to do the work she’d set out to do when she joined the board.
“I can be of more use being able to defend and advocate for library staff and headquarters staff and for freedoms and rights I believe in by not being constrained by being the chair anymore,” she said.
The Sept. 9 board meeting was held after press time. Check out the Sept. 17 edition of SMN for a full story.
Former board chair
Cynthia Womble informed the FRL board of her resignation on Sept. 7.
Kyle Perrotti photo
District parties search for stability as congressional race looms
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Both major parties in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District have for years been plagued by political instability.
Chairs come and go, strategies collapse as quickly as they form while rank-and-file party faithful are left scrambling. But as the 2026 General Election draws closer — one in which Democrats believe they have their best shot yet at unseating Republican incumbent Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) — signs point to Democrats finally beginning to steady themselves, even as Republicans appear to be faltering.
The work of a district chair goes far beyond ceremony. Usually, their main job is to hold an annual convention and do the business of the congressional district at that meeting, sometimes electing officers and sometimes electing delegates to the national convention but always keeping voters and volunteers connected and informed.
Beth Jones, a veterinarian who grew up in Asheville and lived in rural Caldwell County but now calls Haywood County home, said she intends to end the cycle of frequent resignations that has defined district Democratic leadership for at least a decade.
“So the first thing I’m going to do is, I’m going to stay,” Jones told The Smoky Mountain News Sept. 4, shortly after she was elected by acclimation to fill the remaining term of the previous chair who resigned in the aftermath of a dispute over the annual NC-11 gala’s keynote speaker.
resident also gives her a different vantage point in a sprawling congressional district that can sometimes struggle to balance the priorities of its largest block of voters in Asheville with those of the rural far west, echoing state party Chair Anderson Clayton’s rural focus.
“Just being able to go the grocery store and buy what you need and afford your rent or pay your home mortgage, these are just basic things that I think people are very, very concerned about.”
— Beth Jones
metaphor.
“I’ve used the analogy that I feel like sometimes we’re playing Chutes and Ladders and the Republicans are playing rugby,” Jones said. “We tend to be people who care about justice and fairness. I think we’ve got to get tougher, we’ve got to fight the same battle on the same ground that they are. I feel pretty strongly about that. I hope to be playing rugby in this match.”
Her decision to lead again, she said, was motivated by opportunity. “We have the first real chance of winning this seat that we have in a while. And for my community, for my kids, I’m going to do it.”
Jones, who has worked in party politics for decades and served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, explained why stability has been so elusive.
“Part of the issue is that these jobs are big jobs. I mean, there’s a lot of work that goes with it, and it’s unpaid volunteer work. And I think in districts that are as red as ours have been, putting in all that work to not be victorious at election time — I think that’s why it makes it hard to get people in,” she said.
Her perspective as a Haywood County
“I enjoy talking to folks out in the country too,” Jones said. “I feel like they’re my people, and I like them. I’m hoping maybe that will open some doors for us further out in those rural those rural towns.”
As for 2026, Jones pointed to the economy and democracy itself as central concerns. “Just being able to go the grocery store and buy what you need and afford your rent or pay your home mortgage, these are just basic things that I think people are very, very concerned about,” she said. On democracy, she was blunt, sharpening her point with a
Edwards’ legacy through his first two terms has been one of failure; he failed to do anything to prevent the closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in Canton in 2023, failed to advocate for national parks funding — leading to a parking fee for the first time in the park’s nine-decade history — failed to stand up for benefits and medical care owed to seniors and veterans and, most recently, failed to secure adequate recovery funding for a major hurricane that, when it comes to North Carolina, almost solely affected his congressional district. As a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Edwards has sown division by supporting Trump’s culture war F
The candidate filing period for the 2026 General Election begins at noon on Dec. 1 and runs through noon on Dec. 19. Twotwofourtysix Wikipedia map
and has also stood by in silence as Trump’s tariffs increase costs for working families and drive manufacturing jobs out of the country.
As of April 3, the Cook Partisan Voting Index for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District is R+5, indicating it is only 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average in the last two presidential elections. Nonpartisan redistricting website davesredistricting.org puts the district at just 53.8% Republican.
Jones said the key to beating Edwards is not just longevity, but cultivation.
For Jones, the possibility of unseating Edwards is a unifying force. “Flipping this seat helps the entire country, right? So it matters. It really matters.”
With Jones at the helm and Ross seeking to join her, NC-11 Democrats appear to be inching toward the stability that has long evaded them. For Republicans, however, the picture looks far less certain. In April, 11th District Republicans ousted incumbent chair Michele Woodhouse in favor of former Henderson County Republican Party Chair Merry Guy.
“It’s about how you devote your time outside of the party politics and keep focused on those actual electoral wins. How do you change the narrative of the party in your district, if it needs to be changed? And maybe more importantly, are you paying attention to what is actually happening in your district, and are you taking that up to the state party?”
Jesse Ross
“We get a good person on board and then we just kind of work them to death,” she said. “And I think maybe getting some younger people in to kind of apprentice, I’m kind of looking into that possibility as we go forward.”
Haywood County’s Jesse Ross may just be one of those people. After serving in various roles in the party’s young Democrats wing, including as a 2024 Kamala Harris delegate, Ross is running for first vice chair and agreed the party must balance urban and rural voices. So far, he’s unopposed.
“Since Haywood County is kind of booming in attention, both of us being from here know what it’s like not to receive that from the party at large,” Ross said.
Buncombe Democrats, Ross added, must not be neglected but also must recognize their privilege.
“The Buncombe County machine, it’s better set up to do what they need to do, so if they do what they need to do, then it opens up us to focus on the counties that need that moral support,” he said. “In general, I do trust that to happen.”
Ross also spoke directly to the importance of a well-oiled congressional district parties.
“It’s about how you devote your time outside of the party politics and keep focused on those actual electoral wins,” he said. “How do you change the narrative of the party in your district, if it needs to be changed? And maybe more importantly, are you paying attention to what is actually happening in your district, and are you taking that up to the state party? Are you bringing those issues to your congressional candidates, and are you bugging them about those until they give you an answer on how they’re going to address them?”
Woodhouse had previously served as district chair from 2021 until she stepped down to run in the 2022 Republican Congressional Primary Election that saw then-state Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) narrowly beat Congressman Madison Cawthorn. Edwards went on to defeat Buncombe County Democrat Jasmine BeachFerrara in the General Election by more than nine points, and Woodhouse was reelected chair on Dec. 9, 2023. Woodhouse could not have foreseen the challenges ahead, but by most accounts rose to meet them.
While Edwards’ seat wasn’t thought to be at risk in 2024, North Carolina Republicans were working to deliver the state for former president Donald Trump, who’d won North Carolina in 2020 by just 1.34 points, and for Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who was running for governor against then-Attorney General Josh Stein.
They were ultimately successful with Trump and several other important council of state offices, but not with Robinson, Lt. Gov. nominee Hal Weatherman or Attorney General nominee Dan Bishop. Just over a month before the General Election, however, Hurricane Helene not only disrupted lives and livelihoods, it also created significant challenges for voters displaced by the storm and for voters who dodged damage but were left with polling places that had been destroyed.
“Without Western North Carolina, there was no path to victory, not only for [Trump], but also for local races and statewide races,” Woodhouse told The Smoky Mountain News in January, just prior to Trump’s Inauguration. “The 11th Congressional District was the model for the NCGOP on how nothing can stand in the way of getting people to the polls.”
Woodhouse spent a lot of time on the phone with state party leaders, legislators in the General Assembly and county party chairs to ensure voters — all voters — were kept abreast of the changing landscape. In the end, voter turnout actually increased in hard-hit Haywood County.
Although turnout among registered voters was slightly down in even harder-hit Buncombe County, slightly more people voted in that election than did in 2020.
C. Edmund Wright, a longtime political activist and author at Breitbart who’d also written for conservative icon Rush Limbaugh, said that kind of relentless visibility was no accident.
“If you were in a laboratory trying to design someone for that position, Michele [Woodhouse] is what you’d come up with,” Wright said. “She’s very passionate, her understanding of the national media but also understanding the weeds on the ground is pretty phenomenal.”
That combination of energy and savvy, Wright said, created what campaigns call “earned media” — free publicity that can help drive turnout in close contests and shape narratives far beyond the district itself.
“Proactive is everything, and that’s where Michele’s energy and her persistence is so critical,” he said. “She can do an interview at three in the morning. You wake her up one minute later, she’s ready to go. She can make your district relevant or not. Right now, it’s an invisible district. You know, with Michele, it wouldn’t be an invisible district.”
With Woodhouse gone and Guy now at the helm, Republicans face questions about whether they can sustain that level of attention.
ness and more about conversation.
“We should have a business meeting like Michele always had, and we should come up with some plans, some motions or whatsoever, that’s needed to direct District 11 and the counties in District 11,” Sankey said. “I don’t see that hands-on approach with Mary, compared to Michele’s handson approach.”
Sankey added that he felt Guy’s performance could hurt party performance at the polls and that Guy was only elected to satisfy the Henderson County faction of the district party.
“She’s aligning herself with the establishment of the Republican Party in North Carolina, and I’m against the establishment,” Sankey said. “I think if she continues in that mode, that she shouldn’t run again.”
That enthusiasm gap could prove costly, although probably not for Edwards. Despite Democratic assertions to the contrary, Edwards appears to be in the driver’s seat in NC-11, which produces tens of thousands of Republican votes Edwards doesn’t necessarily need to return to Washington every two years. In 2022, that was more than 30,000 votes. In 2024, it was nearly 60,000 votes.
The people who do need those votes, however, are Republicans down east running in statewide races. As Republicans look to 2026 and a Senate race that will likely include Cooper — who has never lost
“[Merry Guy] is aligning herself with the establishment of the Republican Party in North Carolina, and I’m against the establishment. I think if she continues in that mode, that she shouldn’t run again.”
— Harvey Sankey
Guy hasn’t had the presence of Woodhouse and hasn’t returned calls from SMN since her election earlier this year. During the flap over the NC-11 Democratic gala that led to the resignation of the previous Dem chair, one Democrat told SMN at the time that they were glad Woodhouse was no longer running the party at that time because “she would have been all over us.”
Republican leaders in NC-11, speaking on background, chalked up much of Woodhouse’s opposition to a spat over the party plan of organization. Woodhouse, along with others, championed a re-write that would have made the state party more of a bottom-up party rather than a topdown party. One called Guy’s election a “short-sighted coup,” and said it’s led to an “enthusiasm gap” now apparent in meeting attendance and frequency.
Harvey Sankey, a precinct chair in Transylvania County and member of the NC11 GOP executive committee, voiced deep dissatisfaction with current district leadership under Guy. He contrasted her methods with Woodhouse’s, saying that she brought a practical approach that Guy just doesn’t have. As an example, Sankey cited Zoom meetings Guy’s had that are less about busi-
an election — likely GOP nominee Michael Whatley will need every single one of those votes. If NC-11 fails, so does Whatley.
The same goes for 2028, when Republicans will get their first crack at Democratic Gov. Stein and will again attempt to deliver the state for a Republican presidential nominee while also seeking to reclaim a state legislative supermajority, to retain the council of state seats they won and to reclaim the ones they didn’t.
“All those things are so important,” Wright said. “It’s why you need to drive every single message you can out there, because it just may not keep a Republican in NC-11, but by God, you just never know where you’re going to need those other votes.”
Sankey thinks he knows who that messenger should be.
“I think Michele should run again, if she wants to,” he said. “It’s a tough job. It’s a hard job, but I think she’s up to it, and I’ve seen her in action before, and I think she should run again.”
The Primary Election will be held on March 3, 2026, with the General Election taking place on Nov. 3, 2026.
Helene aid hang-ups prompt GOP misinformation, blame game
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
As anger grows over the slow pace of federal recovery funding for Hurricane Helene and Republicans in charge of recovery continue to scramble for political cover, a spokesperson for Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) delivered a long list of false claims relating to Edwards’ role in procuring the help — or not procuring the help — Western North Carolina still so desperately needs.
Lake Silver, Edwards’ field representative hired in 2023, spoke at an elected officials reception hosted by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 3, where leaders from municipalities still waiting on recovery funding a year after the storm heard Silver begin his remarks with a broad statement about Edwards’ role in last December’s disaster package, known as the American Relief Act.
“As an appropriator of the legislative branch, he felt he had an obligation to author the $110 billion supplement in a time where funding at the federal level is hotly debated, hotly contested,” Silver said. “Congressman Edwards had absolutely zero bones about asking for
$110 billion for Western North Carolina and the affected areas of Helene.”
The record tells a different story. The $110 billion bill, formally H.R. 10545, was introduced by the House Appropriations Chair, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma). Edwards, a member of the committee, signed on as an original cosponsor but was not the author. Appropriators often take credit for supporting large measures, but authorship belongs to the chair who drafted the legislation.
Silver went further, telling the crowd that the bill’s benefits overwhelmingly flowed mainly to WNC.
“Now $110 billion, I want to be clear about that. That is for the entire disaster. Not only was our local area in Western North Carolina affected, there were some other areas, but the lion’s share of that does go to Western North Carolina,” he said.
That too is false. Division B of the American Relief Act, 2025, known as the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, was written as a national package.
The largest allocations were $30.8 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for disasters in both 2023 and 2024; $29
S EE H ELENE AID HANG-UPS, PAGE 10
Water from Waynesville’s Richland Creek surges through Frog Level on Sept. 27, 2024. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Chuck Edwards.
billion to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund; $12 billion in HUD community development grants for disasters in
Silver’s statement does not match the timeline. FEMA had already begun paying survivors months before the law was signed. By Oct. 9, 2024, FEMA reported $60 million in assistance to households in Western North
wide funding. Farmers in North Carolina may apply, but so may producers in other states affected by 2024 disasters. Suggesting that prefilled applications automatically come from a single law misrepresents the broader system
Carolina has received less than 10% of the money it needs to make businesses, families and local governments whole again.
On Jan. 24, President Donald Trump said he would put then-RNC Chair Michael Whatley “in charge of making sure everything goes well.” Whatley hasn’t been seen in the disaster area since then. On Aug. 21 in hard-hit Chimney Rock, Cooper — who will likely face Whatley in 2026 for retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat — said recovery was “absolutely not” going well, called Whatley “part of the problem” and added that “we should not be playing political games with disaster recovery.”
After Silver spoke, longtime Haywood County Commission Chair Keven Ensley, a Republican, singled out Cooper and Tillis for praise in keeping recovery nonpartisan.
“When politicians would come into our office, we told them. When the governor came with the senator — U.S. senators came — we told them we don’t want politics, we want help. I don’t care what party you’re with, I want help,” Ensley said. “Two top politicians that helped us more than anything was Gov. Cooper — he came here several times, spent a lot of time here — and [Sen.] Thom Tillis.”
“When the governor came with the senator … we told them, we don’t want politics, we want help. I don’t care what party you’re with, I want help.”
Kevin Ensley, chair, Haywood County Board of Commissioners
At the same press event where Trump appointed Whatley as the Helene “recovery czar,” Trump adopted a cooperative tone in saying that “Your new governor [Democrat Josh Stein, who took office Jan. 1], it’s not his fault. He’s brand new to the whole situation. But we’re going to work together with the governor.”
Now, as the clamor over federal funding hang-ups grows louder and outlets like the Washington Post and WRAL report that the Department of Homeland Security has been holding up Helene relief funds, Trump has turned on Stein, who recently requested that promised funding be expedited. Stein’s request prompted Trump last week to say that Stein was “unfit” to run the state.
The one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene will be marked by commemorations in Haywood County and elsewhere, beginning the week of Sept. 22.
Eastern Band’s Qualla Enterprises loan to be converted to equity
BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians during a Sept. 4 tribal council meeting passed resolution 576 nearly unanimously, converting its $50 million loan — made pursuant to a February 2024 promissory note —- into equity in tribal-owned cannabis retailer Qualla Enterprises, LLC.
As EBCI is already the sole shareholder of Qualla Enterprises, the new agreement does not increase tribal stake in the venture. Instead, it changes the funding classification: debt Qualla owes to the Eastern Band becomes equity the tribe has chosen to invest.
Qualla Enterprises, as per the resolution, will revise its own agreement and pay a dividend distribution to EBCI “in an annual amount no less than $5 million per calendar year beginning in 2025” as long as the resolution is in effect. It was clarified during the Sept. 4 meeting that the dividend distribution will be paid in December and take effect for the 2026 budget.
“The Tribe loaned Qualla Enterprises, LLC (“QE”) money pursuant to a written agreement between them (a promissory note). The resolution that Tribal Council passed yesterday authorizes the Tribe and QE to revise the agreement (the promissory note) so that it becomes an equity agreement. This will help QE and the Tribe, and provide a more direct avenue by which the
Tribe can distribute a share of the money received to Tribal members in the form of per capita distributions,” EBCI Attorney General Mike McConnell said in a written comment to The Smoky Mountain News.
The resolution does not dictate how EBCI must use the dividend distributions — that part is left to the discretion of tribal leadership. However, per capita distribution is a large chunk of an annual budget funded by casino — and now, cannabis — revenue.
During the meeting, Principal Chief Michell Hicks expressed the reasoning behind the decision. “I believe this proposal, if I’m understanding this correctly, will help the [2026] budget in a pretty significant way,” Hicks said. “And so again, that’s the avenues that, you know, I’ve been looking for with this particular business, because right now, we haven’t received any distribution.”
But Vice Chairman David Wolfe, the sole voting member to oppose the resolution, objected precisely because of what Hicks used as further reasoning to invest. Qualla hasn’t made its first payment yet, he said, which was due in January.
‘Hey, we’re going to let you pay when you can,’” the vice chairman added.
Wolfe also had questions about operational accountability. Residents of his community, he said before the vote, will have “a bigger question about the whole facility and how things are operating” if the resolution is passed.
invest in a product of the tribe that they believed had been a success so far, even if profits fell short of initial expectations.
Councilmember Adam Wachacha, who spoke in support of the resolution, framed it as a means of supporting the community through business.
“We have 300, 400 [Qualla] employees, and 90-some-percent of those are enrolled [tribal] members,” he said.
Tribal council passed a resolution converting a $50 million loan from EBCI to tribal-owned cannabis retailer into equity. File photo
Vice Chief Alan Ensley emphasized the importance of a workforce where about nine in 10 staff were enrolled members. Ensley said employment at Qualla Enterprises had even brought those who “had been down the wrong road … on the road to recovery.”
The vice chief theorized another variable that could’ve affected the cannabis retailer’s profit margins. “We never fully funded [Qualla], the program. We piecemealed it,” he said.
Hicks didn’t make excuses for the inflated projection of funding first assured to tribal members.
“If you’re 100% owner and you were promised all these revenues, and you’re not going to get them, then you’re just saying,
According to the resolution, Qualla has been “operating at a profit and remains a viable going concern with annual audits demonstrating its best practices and compliance with all applicable standards.”
Other council members were eager to
“Was the mark missed prior? I mean, it’s obvious that it was. But we still got a viable business that, through this vehicle [of tribal expenses], is still paying for itself,” Hicks said in a comment supporting the resolution.
EBCI Sept. 4 tribal council general election unofficial results
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Sept. 4 held its general election for tribal council. Twelve tribal members — two from each community — are elected to tribal council every two years. Turnout hovered at about 30% of eligible voters. Four women were elected to the board, a historic marker.
On the afternoon of Sept. 9, a recount was held to certify the results of the race for the Birdtown at the behest of candidate and former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert, who according to the initial count lost his race by just eight votes. Those results were not ready by press time.
Election results will be certified by the end of the month at the latest. Inauguration is Oct. 6.
Unofficial tribal council results (according to the Cherokee One Feather):
• Kolanvyi (Big Cove) unofficial winners: Lavita Hill (214) and Venita K Wolfe (168).
ners: Sean Michael Stamper (incumbent, 273) and Shannon Swimmer (166); Jeff Thompson (163) within margin for recount.
• Tutiyi/Tsalagi Gadugi (Snowbird/Cherokee County) Unofficial winners: Adam Wachacha (incumbent, 213) and Michael Smoker (185).
The EBCI Tribal Council will have some new members following the election. Holly Kays photo
• Tsisqwohi (Birdtown) unofficial winners: Jim Owle (incumbent, 471) and Boyde Owle (incumbent, 425); Patrick Lambert (417) within margin for recount.
• Aniwodihi (Painttown) unofficial win-
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.
• Wayohi (Wolftown) unofficial winners: Bo Crowe (Incumbent, 505) and Mike Parker (incumbent, 328); Joey Owle (320) within margin for recount.
• Elawodi (Yellowhill): David Wolfe (incumbent, 204) and Shennelle Feather (185).
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.
‘Day of Resilience’ set in Waynesville
The Smoky Mountain Long Term Recovery Group will host a free “Day of Resilience” event on Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 566 S. Haywood St. The gathering marks one year since Hurricane Helene and is designed as both a remembrance and a step toward healing. A licensed counselor will lead a “flood talk,” and disaster preparedness and recovery resources will be available.
The family-friendly afternoon also includes music, art, games, yoga, bouncy houses and food trucks. Organizers say all are welcome, whether attending in grief, reflection or solidarity with the broader community. For more information visit smltrg.org,
Pigeon Center hosts ‘Farm 2 Table’ fundraiser
The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will host its annual “Farm 2 Table” Fundraiser from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. The event promises an evening of dining, dancing, local art, live music and community spirit. The event includes a four-course meal crafted by Chefs Chris, Kathy and Meg LaLonde, along with a silent auction featuring locally made art and gifts. Live entertainment will be provided by Sugah and Thuh Cubes. A cash bar will also be available. Tickets are $50 for general admission, which includes entry, dinner and entertainment. A limited number of $75 VIP tickets are available, offering early entry for hors d’oeuvres and champagne, a special presentation and early access to auction items. Proceeds from the Farm 2 Table event will support the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center’s ongoing programs and initiatives that foster community development, cultural enrichment and educational opportunities. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pcmdc.org.
‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will be ugly for Jackson County
To the Editor:
Last week at the Jackson County commission meeting, we heard some truly disturbing news about the ways the “Big Beautiful Bill” will affect Jackson County. Cris Weatherford, the Director of Department of Social Services, gave a breakdown of federal money our county is about to lose. This is money we use to support our most vulnerable citizens. The county will have to make up the lost money, or people will go without. When the bill takes effect, the 3,000 people in Jackson County who recently benefited from Medicaid expansion will probably lose their insurance. This affects the people themselves, as well as medical offices, therapists and hospitals. At the same time, the county will be required to pay most of the costs for administering the program for those still covered. Until now, the federal government paid the majority of those fees.
So this is saving democracy?
To the Editor:
Recently, Democratic strategist James Carville urged Democrats to add two states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., to give us 52 states when Democrats “get back in power.” He also suggested that the Democrats “pack the Supreme Court” after the 2028 election. He also applauded Texas Democrats fleeing to Illinois to prevent the Republican majority from redistricting Texas in hopes of garnering more Republicans in the House. All these moves are necessary, according to Carville, in order to “save democracy.”
My question is simply this: if the Republicans, who are in control of both houses and the White House, were to add two Republican states, let’s say splitting Texas into an East and West and Alabama into a North and South Alabama, would that be “saving democracy?” How about if Donald Trump decided to add four more Supreme Court seats, and of course filled them with conservatives, would that be “saving democracy?’’ Clearly the answer from Democrats’ point of view, these actions would be considered a “power grab” from an “authoritarian fascist.” Now don’t get me wrong, I am not in favor of either party in power from changing the rules once they are in charge of the game. And once the dominoes start falling, where does it end? California is trying to redistrict to favor even more their Democratic dominance. And now South Carolina is considering redistricting to favor Republicans. Believe it or not, I have the radical view that the two-party system is a good thing, and letting the voters decide which party’s views align best with their own values, is my definition of “true democracy.” And in that vein, I am not in favor of either party gerrymandering their districts into whatever is most beneficial to them. I think the lines should be set by natu-
The energy assistance programs that people rely on to stay warm in the winter look likely to receive zero funding from the government, meaning Jackson County will have to come up with a few hundred thousand dollars, or people will freeze.
SNAP (food stamps) benefits help 4,200 people in our county. The program brings $8 million a year into our county and accounts for 20-40% of the money spent in grocery stores here. The federal government is about to make it more difficult to qualify for the program, increase the administrative costs Jackson County must pay and increase the percentage of food the county itself must pay for. The food increase itself will cost us $2 million a year.
I work with many of the people served by these programs. They are mostly working people, struggling to get by on low wages while paying exorbitant rents. This bill is going to be devastating for them, and in turn, it will harm everyone in the
LETTERS
ral borders and made by an independent agents. But please spare me the hypocrisy of Democrats applauding other Democrats for preventing redistricting in away that is not in their favor, while running to the most gerrymandered state in the union and doing the same thing in states where they are in control. If that is “saving democracy,” then I want nothing to do with it.
David Lawson,
MD Lake Junaluska
Whatley doing nothing for WNC
To the Editor:
Michael Whatley was appointed by the President to lead WNC’s Helene recovery efforts, but as of Aug. 29 — as reported in an article in The Smoky Mountain News on Aug. 27 — he hasn’t been seen in WNC since January. He’s found time to attend just two meetings for his appointed role with FEMA.
Nearly a year after Helene, our federal government is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in relief funding that they’ve already approved for us.
Here we are still trying to recover, repair and rebuild, and where’s Mr. Whatley, who was tasked by the president himself with coming to our rescue?
Oh yeah! Now he’s running for U.S. Senate! He’s found time to mudsling against his opponent Roy Cooper. But he can’t find the time to do his job here in WNC.
Maybe two meetings is all we’re going to get from Mr. Missing Mike Whatley?
Perhaps Mr. Whatley is not aware that real people continue to suffer the hardships brought about from Helene.
All Missing Mike has to do is drive around WNC, get out of his car, and start talking to any random person, and he can learn how far
county as grocery stores and medical providers must get by on less income. Taxes will surely be increased to help cover some of the program losses.
While all of this is headed our way, the commissioners seem determined to continue their withdrawal from the Fontana Regional Library System. This move is estimated to cost the county more than $500,000. At a time when we are facing decreased sales tax revenue, increased property taxes and more citizens are facing severe poverty, this is pure foolishness.
Tell the commissioners that they need to stop their crusade against the library and start making an emergency financial plan for their constituents who will be relying on them for leadership.
we have to go in the rebuilding process and how desperate we are for the federal relief being withheld.
Tom Downing Cullowhee
Don’t disrespect the word ‘faith’
To the Editor:
It is not about policy. It is not about politics. It is not about being a Democrat, Republican or independent. It is not about being progressive, conservative or moderate. It is about faith. As a United Methodist minister with over a half century of experience, I am pretty good at recognizing faith in an individual. Truthfully, I don’t believe this is a “clergy gift,” but most all of us can see those persons who reflect a deep faith and those who do not.
My observation is our present president has established a White House Faith Office and states the Bible is his favorite book. However, my experience tells me that faith is more than establishing a committee and possibly reading from the Bible. It is the struggle of living our faith on a daily basis.
My first question about the present president’s faith is his lack of faithfully participating in worship. All of us know that during that holy time we find peace, strength, forgiveness, renewal and hope as we gather with the “community of believers.” Now, I am aware that one doesn’t have to be in their chosen worship center each week to have faith. Yet, the need and desire to gather for corporate worship would seem a near necessity for one who carries the heavy responsibilities of serving as president of the United States, especially when they claim to be a person of faith. We have all seen past presidents of both major parties attending worship on a frequent basis. In contrast, I question if regularly playing golf on Sunday is a true faith worship
experience.
My second faith question is regarding the president’s name calling. A fifth-grader may call others names. Expectedly, most of our parents have reminded us that to do so is a serious “no-no.” Yet, we hear the president calling people the following: low IQ, sleazebag, lying, horseface, crooked, crazy, shady, slippery, loser, nasty and the list continues. I would like to believe a person of real faith would understand that such name calling is hurtful, childish and unbecoming of the leader of the free world. Isn’t this a poor example of a faith claiming person? Remember, “Do unto others…”
Lastly, I continue to be shocked by the tasteless language the president spouts so often. Using vulgar four and eight-letter words is not acceptable as a trademark of a person of faith. Such words were recently actually spoken by the president at a White House Faith Office gathering. My dear grandmother would have washed my mouth out with soap if I ever displayed such a lack of vocabulary while uttering such profane words. Would it be acceptable for your preacher, priest, rabbi or spiritual leader to speak this way in public or at a worship gathering? How would we feel if our local principals used such verbiage around our children, grandchildren or at a PTA meeting? I would like to believe we would not be pleased if they did so. Thus, the obvious question is, “Why does our president do so and still speak of faith?” Faith is not just a convenient theological term, but a way of life for true followers. Faith is not a word we use lightly, but with commitment, dedication and tireless effort.
Thus, as a person who joins the centuries of believers, I ask our president to practice his personal faith. Please do not disrespect faith by humanizing it as a casual part of his worship practices and daily conversations.
Dr. Mike Cordle United Methodist Minister, retired Highlands
Kim Mason Cullowhee
Longtime friend back again
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
Not far from the tiny town of Floyd, Virginia, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the childhood home of The Wildmans. The sibling duo is currently navigating the release of their debut album, “Longtime Friend,” for New West Records. And today truly feels like a full circle moment.
“It’s surreal. It’s weird,” said Elisha Wildman. “We’re really excited for something to happen, to share our original music. And this feels like a really great jumping point.”
Alongside his sister, Aila, the Americana/indie-folk act have been garnering a lot of attention in recent years, with “Longtime Friend” showcasing their interlacing harmonies and musical virtuosity — the sound itself at the sonic crossroads of Americana, alt-country and folk.
“It feels like we’ve been building up to this, and in the right way,” Elisha said. “Taking our time and setting all the pieces in line to have a good launch.”
“[With ‘Longtime Friend’], we’ve gone more under this indie-folk umbrella,” Aila added. “But, we still are doing these old-time tunes, where we’ve realized it’s an important aspect of music, which ties us to the roots of our musicianship and how we grew up.”
Captured at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, New York, by producer Nicholas Falk, the 12-song LP was cultivated in the midst of Aila and Elisha each finishing school at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
“In a certain way, Woodstock reminded me of Floyd,” Aila said. “It was nice to get out of Boston and be back in the mountains, in the woods, to be part of this artistic experience [at Applehead].”
Growing up in Floyd, Aila and Elisha were immersed in the
rich, vibrant bluegrass and old-time music scenes. As kids, Elisha picked up the guitar and mandolin, while Aila reached for the fiddle. They became enamored with their instruments, which parlayed itself into both winning numerous renowned competitions around Southern Appalachia.
“Floyd holds an important place in our hearts and in our music,” Aila said. “It also has been pretty natural to have all of this happen while we’re here.”
On the surface, “Longtime Friend” is a blend of original melodies, traditional instrumentals and a handful of covers. But, digging deeper, there’s an array of subtle odes to the musical heroes of The Wildmans, including to the late singersongwriter Gram Parsons on “Hot Burrito #2” and “Luxury Liner.”
“[Gram’s] harmonies with Emmylou Harris are really inspiring,” Elisha said. “And also, how he kind of created this genre that’s just unique and really blends a lot of the aspects of music we like together, to create a new thing. His songwriting has always been inspirational.”
“And we’ve taken a lot from listening to [Gram and Emmylou],” Aila added. “It fits well with the way our voices are and the way stuff works between us.”
That collage of sound and scope is at the heart of what it is The Wildmans are aiming to do. It’s taking the essence of their intricate musicality in the bluegrass and old-time realms and sliding that into more contemporary tones of Americana and indie-folk.
“[Bluegrass and old-time] is something natural to our musicianship,” Aila said. “The other natural counterpart of that is growing it and taking it in different directions, which is some-
Want to go?
Rising Americana/indiefolk act The Wildmans will be one of the performers at the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, which will take place Sept. 19-21 in downtown Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia.
Other acts to appear include The Teskey Brothers, Shane Smith & The Saints, Carly Pearce, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, The Band Perry, Joy Oladokun, Futurebirds, Steep Canyon Rangers, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Mountain Grass Unit, Ashley Monroe, Fruition, Sister Sadie and many more.
For more information, a full artist lineup and/or to purchase tickets, visit bristolrhythm.com.
The Wildmans is a talented Americana sibling duo. File photo
thing that’s always naturally happened in that music, anyways.” And just like the “Father of Bluegrass,” Bill Monroe, was known to say, “If you can play my music, you can play anything,” so, too, remains this genuine attitude of curiosity, exploration and discovery in the melodic hearts of The Wildmans.
“When you take it in your own hands to write your own music, it’s much easier to meld those influences and make it your own, make it applicable to what you’re doing,” Aila said.
“It feels good to not try to fit into something,” Elisha added. “To just be true to ourselves and kind of let loose.”
Aila emphasized that “going with the flow” approach is the underlying ethos of “Longtime Friend,” this personal and profound joy of simply playing what you want to play in the way you want to play it.
“It’s not, ‘Oh, we’re going to take this old-time tune and make it different,’” Aila said. “It’s, ‘We’re going to take this oldtime tune and rock out, groove with some drums and electric drums.’ That’s what feels good — it’s fun for us.”
With “Longtime Friend” released into the ether, the time for rest and relaxation for The Wildmans in Floyd is fleeting. With a slew of tour dates appearing on the horizon, as are the endless miles along the highways and backroads of America. No matter, for this is what the siblings have yearned for since they were kids wondering just what lies beyond the mountain ridges surrounding their home.
“When you’re siblings — and if you’ve made it as close as we are — you’ve probably been through most of the things that could tear apart people’s relationships,” Aila said. “We’re in it. We’ve been in it.”
This must be the place
‘Honey, we could be in Kansas, by time the snow begins to thaw’
HOT PICKS
1
Country legends The Oak Ridge Boys will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
HInternational equestrian center on the North Carolina/South Carolina border. It’s Monday. Labor Day. And I’ve just spent the last few days attending and covering the annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival. I’m exhausted, but the gratitude remains.
Although summer isn’t technically over for a few more weeks, Labor Day has always been viewed as the beginning of the end of the season. That, and there’s been a slight shift in the night air. It’s got a chill to it, and so have some of the recent mornings, where I walk out the front door in a sweatshirt and boots. Soon my favorite season will arrive, fall.
Thus, I’m tired. Road weary and worn down, but happily. What’s the point of life if you haven’t pushed your body, mind, heart and soul to the brink of adventure and experience, emotions felt and interaction encountered, eh? Why would I want to be fully-rested and never leave my apartment? Why would I want it any other way except for endless treks on the highways and backroads of America? It’s the truth.
The whirlwind that has been my existence since the kickoff to summer (Memorial Day Weekend). As per usual, one can never accurately plan for how the impending summer will unfold. For all you can really ever count on are a few key anchor points of people, places and things scattered about the space between late May and early September. Distant buoys on the high seas of irresponsible enlightenment.
And as the weather person on TV predicts when the foliage will arrive in Western North Carolina, the pumpkin spice lattes return to Starbucks, the advertisements for haunted houses appear on street corners, the posters are plastered up for apple festivals and hayrides in some pumpkin patch, so, too, comes deep, introspective reflection on the summer that is quickly making itself known in the rearview mirror.
A friend, who I hadn’t seen in a while, asked me the other day, “So, how was your summer?” And I replied, honestly, “Well, I hit the road with the intent to put a lot of stuff
The Blue Ridge Mountains. Garret K. Woodward photo
achieved my goal.” I think of how heavy everything has been in my life, both personally and professionally, since last fall. I wanted to put a lot of that to rest, and I did so, most of which during sunsets while cruising around the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Montana.
And yet, the odometer keeps clicking along in my rusty, musty, trusty Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Plans already in motion for trips to Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Bristol over the next few weeks. Music festivals. Industry showcases. As well as watching some football on the weekends with dear friends over cold suds and camaraderie.
The hope is to start to slow down somewhere by mid-October. Fingers crossed and God-willin’, but I know myself well enough, where I say that I’ll let off on the gas pedal for my own sanity, only to immediate get antsy for the open road, the unknowns of beauty in the universe lying around the next corner ready to surprise you at a moment’s notice. It’s all too much to pass up. Maybe by Christmas I’ll tone it down a little bit, get some sleep and stand still for a second. We’ll see.
“Set the gearshift for the high gear of your soul, you’ve got to run like an antelope out of control,” as legendary rock act Phish howls on the tune “Run Like an Antelope.” The melody rings true as I sit here at my writing desk in my quaint apartment in downtown Waynesville. Gazing out onto nearby Walnut Street while thick raindrops fall through the big maple trees in the side yard, another sign of fall moving on in.
Scanning the insides of my humble abode, I notice trinkets from my travels over the past few months. Press credentials from musical gatherings in Colorado, Montana and Utah hanging up on the nearby wall. Used books purchased in dusty shops now sit quietly on the coffee table. T-shirts in my closet acquired along the way. All mementos of a life being lived in real time. Chase after that horizon. Don’t look back.
I look forward to fall. I look forward to hot coffee on cold mornings. I look forward to watching college football with longtime
2
Acclaimed Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage for an intimate performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Wells Events & Reception Center in Waynesville.
3
A special stage production of “A Little Night Music” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12, 19-20, 25-27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 13-14, 21 and 28 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
4
Mountain West Brewfest will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
5
Mary Ricketson and Meghan Harrison will hold a poetry reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
cronies. I look forward to late afternoon trail runs in the mountains as the leaves transform into radiant hues of yellow, orange and red. I look forward to the smell of a roaring fireplace. I look forward to wearing jeans and boots, and gathering mud on those boots amid more fall jaunts.
And as fall gradually makes itself known, I’m thinking back on my favorite moments observed and witnessed this past summer. The trail run I took in the ancient forest just outside of Whitefish, Montana, when the raindrops switched to sunshine by the first mile. That lunch with old friends in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Listening to Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys while motoring through Wyoming.
There was also that delicious Kansas Citystyle barbecue in a cozy restaurant in a small town in Eastern Idaho. The same place I once called home when I was a rookie reporter in 2008. The same place where I reconnected with beloved faces not seen in years over dinner, genuine laughter and hearty conversation ensuing for several hours.
Or that mountain ridge jog on the outskirts of Telluride, the snowy peaks of the Rockies cradling my exact position, the woods silent and all to myself. Or that happenstance conversation with a stranger-turned-fast-friend over a margarita in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport as we both awaited our flight back to Asheville, to which we’re still in cahoots.
Or simply all of those miles traveled, either physical or emotional. Roaring up and down the road of life. My truck tires need to be replaced soon so do the spiritual batteries within my absolute being, switched out for fresh intents and new ideas for fall shenanigans. The mind runs wild pondering the possibilities of tomorrow and the day after that. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
On the wall
• “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. For more information, visit motcp.org.
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May- December) in downtown Waynesville. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.
• WNC Paint Events will host painting sessions throughout the region on select dates. For more information and to sign up, visit wncpaint.events.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Materials for art works are supplied. Participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will
HART presents ‘A Little Night Music’
A special stage production of “A Little Night Music” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12, 19-20, 25-27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 13-14, 21 and 28 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Set in Sweden at the turn of the century, Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” follows a tangled web of romantic entanglements over one magical summer evening, brought to life at HART with a live orchestra.
Tickets start at $19 with seating upgrades and discounts for seniors/students available. For more information, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.
‘A Little Night Music’ will be at HART on select dates.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center (Highlands) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. mountaintheatre.com / 828.526.9047.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
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 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 semiregular arts and crafts workshops. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org.
background layering in an oil painting. This exhibit is all about celebrating the different layers of mediums that artists use to create their masterpieces.
Free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org.
A work by Dori Settles. File photo
‘Youth Arts Festival’
The 15th annual “Youth Arts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Children’s activities, live artisan demonstrations and much more. Food will be available for purchase. Only satellite parking will be available on WBI Drive with a free shuttle available. The event is free and open to the public. For information, call 828.631.0271 or visit jcgep.org.
Artisan demonstrations will be held in Dillsboro Sept. 20. File photo
Abstract art, surrealism showcase
With the exhibit dubbed “Faces of the Unseen,” artwork by Ralph Verano will be on display through the month of September at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Verano’s character-driven art represents his love of abstract art and surrealism with a desire to create something unique and original. His work has evolved over time because of his willingness to experiment
with different techniques, ideas and styles.
Verano has always felt that discovery is the most important element in his work and the need to challenge himself is what maintains his interest in the thing that has been his passion since he was a child. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit rverano.blogspot.com.
On the beat
Ready for Mountain West Brewfest?
The Fuzzy Peppers will play Sylva Sept. 13. Garret K. Woodward photo
Brewfest will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
Onsite, there will be six local breweries pouring fine ales. Live music will be provided by The Fuzzy Peppers (1-2:30 p.m.) and Positive Mental Attitude (3-5 p.m.). There will also be kids’ activities, lawn games and more. As well, you can bring your social district cup or purchase one onsite.
Admission is free, with $5 armbands required to drink. For more information, visit mainstreetsylva.org/mountain-west-brewfest.
Bluegrass legend to play Wells Center
Acclaimed Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage for an intimate performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Wells Events & Reception Center in Waynesville.
A Grammy-nominee and winner of 13 International Bluegrass Music Association awards, Nicholson has taken his own brand of mountain music around the world.
A regular for years on the Grand Ole Opry and a founding member of acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range, Nicholson now spends his time recording, writing new songs and performing as a solo act.
To note, the first set will be audience requests, with the second set an open community jam.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.476.5070 or visit wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.
• 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.
• 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.
• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 / facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host “Open Mic” 8-10 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
ALSO:
• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 / thebluestage.com.
Ready for Highlands Porchfest?
The Highlands-Cashiers Center for Life Enrichment (CLE) will host its annual Highlands Porchfest music festival from 1-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, in Highlands.
With over 40 musicians of various styles and genres performing across 14 venues in the heart of downtown Highlands, this has become a muchanticipated event each year.
Highlands Porchfest is free to attend. This is made possible by the generous contributions of sponsors and volunteers.
For more information about Highlands Porchfest and a full schedule of artists/venues, visit highlandsporchfest.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 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.
• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every first Thursday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host Tricia Ann Band (rock/country) Sept. 12 and Whiskey Envy Sept. 13. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Kelly Morris (singer-songwriter) Sept. 10 and Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jones (Americana) Sept. 17. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, on the front patio of the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, 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.
cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/live-music.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) 7:15 p.m. Sept. 19 ($10 cover). The kitchen and wine bar open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic” at 6 p.m. every second Friday of the month and Whitewater Bluegrass Company (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. Sept. 20 ($15 adults, $7.50 children ages 16 and under). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Martin & Kelly Sept. 10. 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) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages), “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month and Peter Mawanga Trio (world/traditional) 7 p.m. Sept. 18. Free and open to the public. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Friday Night Live Concert Series (Highlands) will host Johnny Webb Band Sept. 12 and Curtis Blackwell & Dixie Bluegrass Boys Sept. 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Alma Russ (Americana/folk) Sept. 10, Milton J. Sept. 12, Ruch Manz Trio (oldies/acoustic) Sept. 13, Patty M. 3 p.m. Sept. 14, Marley’s Chain Sept. 19, Andrew Scotchie (rock/blues) Sept. 20 and Paul Edelman (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 21. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 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 Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) 4 p.m. Sept. 12, Young Mountain Magic Sept. 13, Rock Holler Sept. 19 and Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Sept. 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
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.
Darren Nicholson. File photo
On the beat
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Halestorm & Lindsey Stirling Sept. 12, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (rock/pop) Sept. 13 and Flatland Cavalry (Americana) Sept. 19. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Scott Low (folk/blues) 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and Katie & Ezra (Americana) Sept. 19. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.
• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2200 / highlandsdive.com.
• 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) and the “Salon Series” with Kendall Marvel (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25 ($41.84 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Smokehouse (Highlands) will host live music from 1-3 p.m. Sundays. 828.526.3554 / highlandsmokehouse.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innova-
tion-brewing.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.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Woolybooger (blues/folk) Sept. 13, Bryan & Al (rock) Sept. 19 and Blue Jazz (blues/soul) Sept. 20. 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, Woolybooger (blues/folk) Sept. 12 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/roots) Sept. 19. 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.
Oak Ridge Boys return to Franklin
Franklin Sept. 12. File
Country legends The Oak Ridge Boys will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
The group is one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of country hits and a number one pop smash, earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades.
The string of hits includes the the number one hit “Elvira,” as well as “Bobbie Sue,” “Dream On,” “Thank God For Kids,” “American Made,” “I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes,” “Fancy Free,” “Gonna Take A Lot Of River” and many others.
Tickets start at $39 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host a “Bluegrass Jam” 5-7 p.m. Sundays, Paddle Faster (bluegrass) Sept. 10, Susie Copeland (singer-songwriter) Sept. 11, Ramblin’ Ricky Tate (singer-songwriter) Sept. 13, Amos Jackson (R&B/soul) Sept. 18 and Adrianne Blanks & The Oracles (Americana) Sept. 20. 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, Scott James Stambaugh (singersongwriter) Sept. 12, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 13, Alma Russ (Americana/folk) 5 p.m. Sept. 14, Shane Meade (indie/folk) Sept. 19, Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) Sept. 20 and Frank Lee (Americana/old-time) 5 p.m. Sept. 21. 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.
• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 / orchardcoffeeroasters.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Songwriters Showcase 56” Sept. 13. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Paradise 56 (oldies) Sept. 13. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-onthe-square.html.
• Pinnacle Relief CBD Wellness Lounge (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.508.3018 / facebook.com/pinnaclerelief.
• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 / facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• 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, Michael Kitchens (singer-songwriter) Sept. 13, Joe Munoz (singer-songwriter) Sept. 19 and Ernest Collins (singer-songwriter) Sept. 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All
Oak Ridge Boys play
photo
On the beat
shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host Continental Divide Sept. 13 and Brandon Crocker Trio Sept. 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 / saucedwnc.com.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) Sept. 11, Transcend (rock/pop) 9 p.m. Sept. 13, Holler & Crow (Celtic/folk) 2 p.m. Sept. 14, Ryan Furstenburg (Americana) Sept. 18, Bridget Gossett Trio (blues/rock) Sept. 19 and Trippin’ Up The Stairs (Celtic) 2 p.m. Sept. 21. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.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.
• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music Mondays” with local/regional singer-songwriters. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with Juan (singer-songwriter) Sept. 11 and Melissa McKinney (Americana/soul) Sept. 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Twisted Spoke Food & Tap (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1730 / facebook.com/twistedspokerestaurant.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will Shane Meade (indie/folk) 6 p.m. Sept. 12, Raphael Graves (Americana) 2 p.m. Sept. 14 and Bridget Gossett Trio (blues/rock) 2 p.m. Sept. 21. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 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 host R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 12, Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) Sept. 14, Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 19, Jordan Denton (singer-songwriter) Sept. 21. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 8 p.m. Mondays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays, “Music Bingo” 6-8 p.m. Saturdays, Katie & Ezra (Americana) 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and Christian Jones (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Sept. 19. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host “Country Thursdays” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. Thursdays and Nicholas Edward Williams (singer-songwriter) Sept. 28. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
On the table
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
ALSO:
• 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.
What kind of power does China want?
(Editor’s note: This is the first section of a two-part review. See next week’s SMN for the second part.)
Does China seek to replace the United States in its position as global leader?
This is the question that political scientist Rush Doshi answers in “The Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy to Displace American Order” (Oxford University Press, 2021, 339 pp).
I heard Doshi give an interview recently, and was impressed with his calm, friendly demeanor and with the depth of his knowledge. I assume he is a hard worker. He has collected what his colleagues call an unprecedented array of Chinese language sources and written a book that is informative and interesting. He makes a convincing case that, yes, China wants to replace U.S. world order with its own authoritarian model. Then he lays out practical strategies for maintaining the current liberal one.
testing. The Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989, in which the Chinese government killed demonstrators, changed the relationship immediately. Nothing in China’s recent history has had such a consequential effect. Its leaders were convinced that the U.S. wanted to overthrow the CCP, and began, quietly, to interfere with American influence in Asia. They strengthened their military defenses and began to join regional organizations for the first time, stalling Western attempts to build order based on democratic principles.
Perhaps it is unnecessary to say that by China, political scholars mean the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and not the Chinese people. In fact, that is precisely the point. The CCP is a Leninist institution, founded and run on principles set down by Vladimir Lenin, who maintained that a group of proficient revolutionaries can reshape history if they can keep the power to themselves. Copied from the Soviet Union’s example, the one-party political system of the CCP is capable of “ruthless amorality.”
“Its priority is centralization of power,” Doshi says. Its justification is efficiency. As one of China’s leaders said in the 1980s, “The Soviets can do something after just one Politburo meeting. Can the Americans do that?” Checks and balances? No. The moderating force of public opinion? No.
China and the U.S. were at one time “quasi-allies.” In the 1980s, both were concerned about a powerful Soviet Union and co-operated in monitoring Soviet missile
In 2007, the global financial crisis emboldened China, who saw it as a sign of weakness in the West. Now, in addition to interference, the Party began to work on building influence regionally and once again increased military spending, especially to broaden its naval reach. It began to form, for the first time, its own regional institutions, especially economically based groups. “The Community of Common Destiny” was a phrase used often in speeches given in Asian countries by Chinese officials. The regional infrastructure investment project, Belt and Road Initiative, was begun at this time. It did all this work as quietly as possible, and most Americans involved with foreign policy were “skeptics,” as Doshi calls them, doubting that the CCP had global ambitions.
Doshi gives robust evidence from documents at the time, including sources not examined previously, such as memoirs written by key Chinese officials, to support his argument.
The 2016 Brexit vote by the U.K. to leave the European Union, and the U.S. election of Donald Trump as president, signaled chaos in the West to observers in China. They saw these events as another opportunity for global advancement. The theme of opportunity was emphasized repeatedly in papers and speeches by officials at all levels of the CCP at this time. It was a time of “profound changes in the international balance of forces,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said. In 2020, China sent to Australia a list of 14 demands. Among the 14, China insisted that Australia ease its foreign investment screening, stop condemning foreign human rights situations, stop saying that China instigated cyber attacks, and “constrain the
independent actions of its think tanks, media and local officials that China found distasteful,” as Doshi summarizes. If Australia did not follow these demands, China promised to punish Australia economically.
Taken as a whole, these 14 demands give a picture of what China desires as the way the world should work. This is the world order it would prefer. China sees this way as efficient. The economically stronger country decides. The economically weaker countries fall in line. Otherwise, thinks China, chaos and decadence are inevitable. It is certainly true that democratic ideas threaten the hold of the CCP.
The demands made to Australia, says Doshi, are but one example of the ways China has increased the intensity of its actions since 2016. It has also reneged on its agreements for Hong Kong autonomy, opened concentration camps, killed Indian soldiers in a border dispute and kidnapped a Swedish citizen in Thailand.
Although it can be fairly said that the U.S. is hypocritical, that it falls short of its ideals, others point out that at least Americans have a right to criticize and have political parties to choose from. China has neither. The U.S. attracts criticism “precisely because it holds itself to a higher standard,” says South African journalist Dele Olojode. “No one holds China to that kind of standard.”
Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister, makes a pertinent comment about this book. “The Long Game’ brings what’s been largely missing from debate in USChina relations: historically informed insight into the nature of China’s Leninist system and strategy.”
According to Doshi, “many Americans take features of the international system as granted rather than as products of American power.” The assumption that the rule of law is the healthiest basis for government is partly the product of U.S. willingness to defend that assumption. Respect for borders and for international shipping rules, to give two other examples of such features, are partly products of U.S. willingness to defend these assumptions, “even if Washington’s own adherence to or defense of these norms is imperfect.”
Part ll of this review will look at speculation about what a world based on Leninist principles would look like, and what steps the U.S. could take to ensure the predominance of liberal, as opposed to authoritarian, principles.
(Anne Bevilacqua is a book lover who lives in Haywood County. abev1@yahoo.com.)
Poetry, novel reading at City Lights
Mary Ricketson and Meghan Harrison will give a poetry reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at City Lights
Sylva.
share from her new collection “Tall Flowers and Living Long,” and Harrison from her debut manuscript “Worthy.” Ricketson’s award-winning work draws on nature and healing, while Harrison’s poetry explores embodiment, womanhood, faith and relationships. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.
Bookstore in
Ricketson will
Proposed rules endanger hellbender protections
through their skin,” said Davids, senior southeast representative for the Defenders of Wildlife environmental organization. “They also need large flat rocks for cover and nesting.”
And trees, she said, such as the vast stands surrounding the Davidson in the Pisgah National Forest that filter silt and sand from runoff – the greatest threat to the survival of the largest salamanders in North America – and the beech, sycamores and white oaks that formed a green arch over the riffles upstream from where Davids stood.
“Look at the tree cover here. This is great,” she said. “This is keeping the stream cold, shaded.”
But because of changes in federal policy, even this prime, protected hellbender habitat in Pisgah is in danger, environmental advocates say — so much so that this beloved icon of Southern Appalachia is now emerging as a symbol of the unraveling safety net for vulnerable wildlife.
Just nine months ago, the prospects of the ancient species’ survival brightened notably when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) formally backed the listing of hellbenders as federally endangered.
But while the job of finalizing that listing is in the hands of that agency, it is also backing rule changes that environmental advocates say would render this status all but meaningless.
ging sediment — logging and road building — in formerly roadless tracts in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests. The 2023 management plan of the forests already called for a nearly six-fold expansion in the acreage open to timber harvests.
The promotion of logging and other revenuegenerating activity has also been used to justify a proposal carrying an even greater potential threat to endangered wildlife, environmentalists say.
In April, the FWS published a plan to remove habitat destruction from the 1973 Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) definition of “harm” to listed animals, limiting their protection under the law to preventing the direct injuring or killing of animals and their removal from their natural surroundings.
A federal official touted the elimination of the Roadless Rule as “removing absurd obstacles to common-sense management of our natural resources,” and the proposed amendment to the ESA says it is an overdue corrective to a burdensome and inaccurate interpretation of the law.
But habitat loss is the main threat to about 90% of listed plant and animal species, said Ben Prater, the Defenders’ southeast program director. And hellbenders are an especially clear example of a creature dependent on – and representative of – wild areas that humans also hap-
skin. They have these amazing grip pads on their toes that enable them to cling to rocks and survive through catastrophic flooding like [Hurricane] Helene. They also have this really unique facial feature where they look like they’re smiling. They’ve got these tiny, beady eyes and this smirk that just makes them so endearing.”
So does their reproductive behavior, which flips the gendered stereotype embodied by protective mama bears.
“The males are den masters,” Harlan said. “They spend months guarding the fertilized eggs until they hatch, and they are phenomenally committed to that job. They will stay beneath those boulders to protect their eggs for months
Hellbenders are efficient predators and such ruthless competitors that the males’ mating-season battles over territory are a possible source of their names, Prater said on the Tuesday visit to
“They’ll actually lock on each other’s jaws and just swirl around,” he said. “All of a sudden there’s this roiling, boiling hell coming out of the
But for much of the rest of the year, they serve as a powerful reminder of the benefits of living what Hans Lohmeyer, Conserving Carolina’s stewardship manager, called a “docile”
As a grad student, Lohmeyer took part in a study measuring how much the “primarily” nocturnal animals move around at night.
Not all that much, the study found. Even in the darkness, he said, they live protected under large rocks in streambeds, waiting to snag prey such as crayfish carried by currents to the openings of their downstream-facing lairs.
Carolina,” Harlan said. “But now we’re very worried, because the Forest Service is actively pursuing aggressive timber targets that are unprecedented in scale and will directly harm hellbenders.”
THE “ENDEARING” SNOT OTTER
What is it about hellbenders? Why are people so taken with a creature that the Wildlife Service’s Species Status Assessment report described as having “small … lidless” eyes, drab coloration and bodies covered with protective “mucus?”
Why was an animal commonly known as the “snot otter,” recently adopted as the mascot of an Asheville charter school? Why did last weekend’s Hellbender Festival in Spruce Pine draw such throngs of attendees that they cleared out the Defenders’ supply of education material by mid-afternoon?
It’s partly because the physical features described in the assessment report — which formed the scientific basis for the proposal to list the species as endangered — are testament to their ancient origins, Harlan said.
“They’ve been around for tens of millions of years,” he said, “and they look like it.” Hellbenders are primordial,” he said. “They breathe through their wrinkled, folded, flappy
“They weren’t, like, running around everywhere at night when everyone else was sleeping,” he said.
This helps explain both the species’ astonishingly long lifespan — potentially more than 50 years, according to one study cited by the assessment — and their size; because they grow throughout their lives, only the passage of decades allows them to reach lengths of more than two feet.
“When you think of it, kind of like in the sense of a turtle, they’re much more likely to live longer because they’re not exerting life force constantly and forcing their metabolism and heart to continue to keep up with that,” Lohmeyer said. “It’s definitely an evolutionary strategy that makes sense for them.”
HABITAT LOSS, POPULATION DECLINE
Or it did, before logging, road building, water pollution and development began to destroy their habitat.
These required surroundings once extended across parts of 15 states, according to the assessment report, which documented 626 historic populations from northern Alabama to western New York state.
Scientists returning to these locations for the assessment found that F
Ben Prater, Defenders of Wildlife’s Southeast program director, explains why the popular activity of rock stacking harms hellbenders and other aquatic creatures. Katie Linsky Shaw, Asheville Watchdog photo
76% of these communities are “thought to be either extirpated or declining,” the report said.
Only 90 of the remaining populations were classified in the healthiest category, “stable and recruiting,” the report said, and precisely half of those groups, 45, lie within the Tennessee River Valley — most of them, by far, in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
The clear, cool streams of the highest Appalachians were always home to the densest documented populations of hellbender, Harlan said, but their continued health here is largely due to the protection offered by public land ownership and management.
“The Pisgah and Nantahala national forests are home of the most robust populations of hellbenders anywhere on the planet,” Harlan said. “This is where they are doing best and where they have the best chance of surviving.”
Elsewhere in the hellbender’s range, populations have declined or succumbed to what the report lists as the second-greatest threat to their continued survival — “water quality degradation” from sources such as “agricultural runoff, coal mining activities and unpermitted industrial discharges.”
Spills of toxic waste have been directly implicated in hellbender die-offs in heavily industrialized regions of its range, including the drainage basins of the Ohio River and the Kanawha River in West Virginia, the report said.
Waterways running through privately owned land are subject to organic waste contamination from municipal treatment plants and livestock that saps their dissolved oxygen, according to the assessment. And clearing land for development allows direct sun exposure, exacerbating the warming effects of climate change.
ment. None can be finalized until the FWS considers these comments in the context of available scientific data.
An FWS spokesperson contacted by the Asheville Watchdog responded, without allowing the use of her name, that the agency is still pursuing the endangered listing for the hellbender.
For information about the plan to alter the ESA, she provided a link to the published notice on the Register, which says that the interpretation of the law including “habitat modification … runs contrary to the ‘best meaning’ of harm.”
Which is, the notice continues, “to … hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect” protected species.
And in August, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said rescinding the Roadless Rule would remove “burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America.”
vent too much sedimentation.”
Another example is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s post-Helene removal of debris from waterways such as the upper reaches of the French Broad and Little rivers. Lohmeyer, the Conserving Carolina stewardship manager, has previously said the excesses of the process created an “ecological crisis” that included the destruction of hellbender habitat.
Hellbender populations that were diminished (but remarkably, not destroyed) by the storm, were further harmed by cleanup crews that, Prater said, “literally rode machines up and down” hellbender streams.
With the law interpreted as it has been for decades — and the hellbender listed as endangered — Prater said, FEMA would have needed FWS approval for its clearance plans, and “having a listing would have given us additional support to argue against those actions.”
EXTINCTION EVENTS
Development also generates sedimentation, which the report calls the “primary stressor of the Eastern Hellbender.” That’s especially true in the national forests where hellbenders are largely protected from other humancaused threats, said Davids, the Defenders representative, who was able to show the negative impact of clay, silt and sand carried by runoff.
The likely source was Pisgah’s degraded gravel roads, a small portion of the nation’s $8.6 billion backlog of inadequately maintained forest tracts.
With fewer exposed rocks to agitate the water, its dissolved oxygen levels have declined. Sediment blankets the habitat of the crayfish and insects hellbenders prey upon. It seals the openings beneath rocks that the salamanders are able to find, but not dig out, with their short limbs.
They have evolved to cling to rocks, she said. “They aren’t made for excavating.”
UNDERMINING PROTECTION?
The proposals to eliminate the Roadless Rule, change the definition of harm in the ESA and list the hellbender as endangered are running on parallel tracks.
All have been published on the Federal Register, allowing for public review and com-
Though it’s too early to know exactly how the proposed rule changes will play out in Pisgah and Nantahala, Harlan and Prater said, they could greatly curtail current protections.
The new proposed language in the ESA mirrors that of former Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissenting opinion in the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the ESA definition of harm to include destruction of habitat. It would also limit protection to about what the species currently receives under its “relatively toothless” designation as endangered by North Carolina, Harlan said.
On the other hand, if hellbenders are listed federally — far from a certainty, he said, given the agency’s stated opposition to added environmental regulation — the law as currently enforced would require other federal agencies to consult with FWS about plans that potentially impact the species’ habitat.
Take, for example, the expanding logging allowed by the forests’ management plan and potentially allowed by the proposed elimination of the Roadless Rule, he said.
The ESA would mandate the U.S. Forest Service to clear timber harvesting plans with FWS, which wouldn’t prohibit the practice but could restrict logging to certain areas, Harlan said, or “require a 100-foot buffer along a hellbender stream where no logging occurs, to absorb some of the runoff and pre-
But the larger reason for providing full endangered protection to hellbender can be traced to another reason the animals are so cherished by the people of Western North Carolina, Harlan said.
“They’ve become a symbol of Southern Appalachia because they live in our most pristine places, where people love to recreate,” he said.
Where there are hellbenders, there are healthy trout populations, he said; there are clear streams for swimming and kayaking.
“I think they’ve become a source of pride and symbolic of the health and vitality of this region,” he said.
That pride is evident in the public embrace of Defenders’ campaigns to protect hellbenders, such as the one urging visitors to wild areas not to move rocks the animals need for shelter, Davids said.
And considering the species’ long history, this pride should extend to providing enough protection that it doesn’t die out on our watch, she said.
The lineage of the hellbender can be traced back 150 million years, about half as long ago as the formation of the famously ancient Appalachian Mountains. They or their ancestors lived on earth longer before the extinction of the dinosaurs, roughly 66 million years ago, than they have since. And all the threats to their continued survival — climate change, pollution, development and sedimentation — are far more recent and “man-made,” Davids said.
“Hellbenders survived the last extinction event,” she said. “Whether or not they survive the next one remains to be seen.”
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Dan DeWitt is The Watchdog’s deputy managing editor/senior reporter. Email: ddewitt@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s local reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication.
File photo
Up Moses Creek
BY B URT KORNEGAY
Head on a swivel!
It was the yard birds that alerted Becky, “a crowd of them,” as she put it; chickadees, titmice and wrens all scolding their heads off at something under the fringe tree. And when she looked out the back door, there the thing was. “Rattlesnake!” I heard her call. And not just any rattlesnake, but one we both took to be Cinnamon Bun, the name Becky had given our female yard rattler the summer before. (See “Cinnamon Bun eats out” in The Smoky Mountain News, Dec. 11, 2024.) She was sliding along toward the same flowerbed at the back door where she’d spent most of last summer, tucked inside a hollow railroad tie.
Right above the rattlesnake, we also thought we recognized a chickadee that demands food from Becky. When Becky steps out, he’ll hover near her for a fluttering second, then wait in the fringe tree until she comes back out with sunflower seeds. Then he lands on her fingertips and picks out the plumpest seed to eat.
It looked like this same bold chickadee was at the forefront of the bird cacophony in the tree. Becky went into chickadee imitation mode: “Better watch your step, rattlesnake. You think you got big pecs? Wait’ll you feel my pecks on your head!” But bold chickadee, we noticed, stayed in the tree with all the other birds. He turned out to be more of a choir director than Beowulf with his thanes battling scaly monsters.
The birds stayed in the tree, but we didn’t stay in the house. The previous summer, Cinnamon Bun had shown up in early July, but here it was mid-August and we’d about lost hope that we were going to see her.
On close inspection, however, this rattler didn’t quite add up to Cinnamon Bun. It did have the same toasty brown banding, but it did not have as many rattles. And when I laid a yardstick beside it — gingerly — the snake came out shorter than Cinnamon Bun’s 42 inches. Also, the bold chickadee
a row of well-defined flesh running down each side of the snake’s back, giving it a square-shoulder look. Cinnamon Bun’s back was rounded.
Becky contacted a herpetologist we’d gotten to know from last summer and sent him a photograph. Listening to her description of the reptile and examining the picture she sent, he surmised that the “pecs “ on the snake’s back indicated that it was “a very well-fed, robust male.” And, since midAugust is prime mating season for timber rattlers, he suggested that a receptive female might have been in the yard and that this male was looking for her.
Our back screen door used to close tight, but over the years it’s started to hang slackly on its hinges. It’s a lackadaisical door. As we went back inside, I noticed that Becky pulled it closed, latched it. “I don’t like that crack.”
We didn’t really think the snake would come in after us. Timber rattlers mind their own business. And besides mating, their business is to eat chipmunks and other rodents and to bask in the sun. You’ve usually got to stick your nose into a rattlesnake’s business by messing with it or by accidentally stepping on it to trigger a strike. One reason why more than a few men show up “snake bit” in emergency rooms every year is because someone dared them to pick a rattler up. A few of these fellows are even bitten on the lips because they were egged on to kiss it.
to medical treatment and antivenin.
After Cinnamon Bun showed up the previous summer, Becky, who’s a retired librarian, checked out of the library at Western Carolina University a stack of rattlesnake literature, and there she discovered the writings of W. H. “Marty” Martin. Martin was said to know more about timber rattlers than any living man. It’s reported that when just a young boy in Virginia, he found a den of timber rattlers and was stricken with love at first sight. Learning about rattlesnakes and saving them from destruction became his lifelong pursuit. Becky was impressed with Martin’s detailed observations about these much-maligned creatures. Wanting to send him a thank you note, she looked for his address, only to discover that in August of 2022 he had been struck by a timber rattler at home and died. He was 80.
heard buzzing in the middle of our campsite. It was a western timber rattler. I worried that if I scooted the snake out of camp, it might come back at night, when people would be getting out of their tents to look at the stars or to pee. So, I decided to kill it. Keeping my eye on the snake, I asked for someone to bring me a stick—and was handed a twig! I said, “How about something bigger?" I looked up just in time to see one of the men running towards us (the snake and me) with a log raised high and unsteady over his head. Luckily he missed me, and he missed the snake too—which then coiled up on a hair trigger. When you’re in a tight spot, there’s nothing so helpful as macho in a panic. I went and got a canoe paddle.
In no way do I mean to make light of rattlesnake bites! A snake bite is serious, and the only effective treatment is a set of car keys and a trip to the nearest emergency room. Besides great swelling and pain from the venom, the risks of tissue death, infections and permanent limb damage are great.
A few people have anaphylactic reactions. Still, on average only around five to six Americans die yearly from strikes by all types of venomous snakes. This is partly due
In spite of the danger to us from their venom, when it comes to sheer existence, it is rattlesnakes, and all other snakes, for that matter, that are the ones put to it. They die by our outright killing of them or by being run over or by having their habitat bulldozed, and in a dozen other ways. It would take a long string of zeros after the number 1 to add up the annual deaths.
I confess to having done my part once, 25 years ago. I was leading a group on a canoe trip down a remote river in Oregon, and we’d set up tents for the night when we
That unpleasantness done with, I skinned and dressed the snake, and sliced the meat into little pork chops. Battered and fried, it made a tasty hors d’oeuvre. And, yes, everyone partook. Keep in mind, the group had been eating my cooking for days, so battered and fried bark would have been a treat. Coming back to this August: Becky heard the yard birds launch into another scolding fit the next morning, and we watched as the muscular rattler emerged from Cinnamon Bun’s old flowerbed. He slid across the yard slowly, looking this way and that, his black tongue flicking out to taste the air. He was on the hunt all right, but maybe not for chipmunks. A roundbacked and ready female was on his mind. On he went into the woods and disappeared. Becky christened him Cinnamon Bum. DIY. Want to have your own yard rattler? Here are four easy steps. Step one: hang out bird feeders. Chipmunks will come to eat the spilled seed on the ground. Step two: build drystack rock walls for the chipmunks to hide in. Once they are well-fed and feel safe, the chipmunks themselves will take care of step three: they’ll multiply. That will draw the serpent. Step four is what Becky now says when she steps out the back door, “Head on a swivel!”
(Burt and Becky Kornegay live in Jackson County. “Up Moses Creek” comes out the second week of each month.)
The bold chickadee in our yard selects sunflower seeds to eat out of Becky’s hand. Donated photo
$221 million USDA disaster relief grant announced
Falling for a Cleaner North Carolina
The N.C. Department of Transportation is calling on volunteers to help clean up roadsides during the 2025 Fall Litter Sweep, scheduled for Sept. 13-27. The statewide cleanup, held each spring and fall, brings together neighbors, civic groups and businesses to remove litter from North Carolina roadsides.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed a $221 million federal block grant agreement that targets aid to North Carolina farmers who sustained losses and damages from Hurricane Helene in 2024.
The North Carolina Disaster Block Grant for Helene is for production losses not covered by USDA programs or crop insurance. The program will cover four categories of eligible losses: infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses and timber losses. It will apply to the 39 counties that received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Helene.
To receive funding, certain producers may have to agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years for market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture and aquaculture claims.
“We are currently creating the program work plan and application in coordination with USDA. Once we have approval for the plan, we will work as quickly as possible to distribute this money to impacted farmers,” Troxler said. “As more information about the program is available, it will be posted on our website at ncagr.gov/agdisaster. In the meantime, I encourage those in the eligible counties to gather documentation of losses to assist in the application process.”
NCDOT maintenance crews will also dedicate one week to collecting litter and trash bags filled by volunteers. Gloves, safety vests and bags are available at local NCDOT county maintenance offices.
This year’s Fall Litter Sweep also serves as a lead-up to the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest ever community improvement initiative. Volunteers will join Keep North Carolina Beautiful and local Keep America Beautiful affiliates in cleanup efforts across the state in October.
Join Franklin Bird club for Macon County walks
The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the Greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane. The public is welcome. All walks are weather dependent. Additional information, including directions to each location and a bird club check list can be found at littletennessee.org/franklinbird-club.
Wildlife agency to hold free National Hunting and Fishing Day events
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation.
An event will be held at the John Lentz Hunter Education Complex Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., located at 1017 Millstone Road in Ellerbe. There will be an array of outdoor activities for all ages. Attendees may explore interactive, wildlife-related exhibits and demonstrations. Activities will include fishing, shooting ranges, archery, safety demonstrations and a question-and-answer booth with a wildlife law enforcement officer. Registration is not required for this event.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate conservation successes of hunters and anglers.
Another event co-hosted by NCWRC and Haywood Community College will be held at the college, 185 Freedlander Drive, in Clyde, on the same day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Activities include archery, fishing, falconry, kids activities, food trucks, interactive demonstrations and more.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate conservation successes of hunters and anglers.
NCWRC photo
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD, LLC REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSM) is seeking bids for the upcoming 2026 FRRCSI grant projects. New #136 Rail. 10,032 track feet / 20,064 linear feet. (455 net tons) 80 foot lengths. Drill Pattern: 3-½” X 6” X 6”. Hole size: 1”;13,622 DS Plan 10 - 6” base tie plates; 33,640 new track spikes; 13,622 new 132RE/136RE knock on Rail Anchors 6” base; 253 PAIRS of RELAY #136 Joint Bars for 3-1/2” x 6”x 6” Pattern; 1516 pieces or 56 kegs Track bolts, nuts, washers 1” x 6”; 280 - 12” Hex Head Drive Screws for crossing timbers; 250 non-insulated gauge rods; 2 Pair (100 – 136) Step Down Comp Bars;
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NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000283-490
Randall Dean Penrod,
Executor of the Estate of Orville Ray Penrod of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 03 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler
705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000414-430
Pamela Smathers, havingecutor and Lou Ann
the Co-Executor, of the Estate of Charles Ray Blaylock of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Nov 20 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Co-Executor 375 Robinson Farm Rd Canton, NC 28716
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000479-430
Peggy S. Bolden, havingistrator of the Estate of Randy Lee Bolden of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 10 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Administrator c/o Ann Hines Davis 95 Depot Street Waynesville, NC 28786
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