As the world is focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic, The Smoky Mountain News continues to update Western North Carolina residents on what each county is doing to prepare, how local health departments are handling the COVID-19 testing protocols and how businesses have been impacted by closures. (Page 8)
News
Labs backed up with COVID-19 testing ....................................................................8
Waynesville student returns home from Italy amid pandemic ..............................9 Cherokee announces preemptive border closure ..................................................10
Hospitality industry reels from Coronavirus Pandemic ..........................................11
More restrictions placed on Jackson residents, businesses ..............................13
Utilizing online technology helps students through pandemic ............................14
Distillery pivots to produce hand sanitizer ................................................................16 Utility providers ease disconnections due to COVID-19 ....................................17
Runoff between Bennett, Cawthorn postponed ....................................................17
Opinion
Finding our way without a map ....................................................................................18
the concert to your couch ............................................................................20 Books The coronavirus and The Smoky Mountain News..................................................23
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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley, (writing), Hannah McLeod (writing)
We chose Pamela Williams to represent the listing of our historic home and, suffice to say, it was one of the best decisions we've ever made. Pamela's skilled marketing plans and the results she consistently achieves speak for themselves, and she did not fall short of the mark in the presentation of our home. She was punctual, articulate, completely prepared, and knocked the socks off of the competition. Professional photography showcased our property, and her marketing plan was well crafted with considerable time and effort involved. Her dedication paid off handsomely...she produced an acceptable offer within 48 hours of listing. In a transaction that presented numerous challenges, Pamela handled both sides of the transaction with great skill and transparency for all parties involved. Pamela is exemplary of the gold standard reputation of Beverly-Hanks within our local real estate community. We will hire her services again, without hesitation, for our future home sales and purchases." - Mr. Chastain
WNC CAMP GUIDE
H OUNTY
• Camp Henry at Lake Logan. A co-ed, overnight, faith-based camp for second to 12th grade students. Weeklong sessions offered in June and July for different age groups. Cost $395-$705. Financial aid available. www.lakelogan.org or 828.646.0095.
• Youth Environmental Stewardship Camp offered by Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District. Two week camp for rising 8th and 9th graders who are passionate about the environment. Two week long sessions — July 20-23 and July 27-30. The cost is $50. Applications are due on May 1. Visit www.haywoodcountync.gov/682/YESCamp.
• Haywood County Library Summer Reading Programs. Offered at Waynesville and Canton branches. Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org or call 828.452.5169.
• Skyland Camp for Girls. Skyland will not be offering summer camps in 2020 because of construction projects.
• Camp Daniel Boone - Boy Scouts of America. Weeklong sessions offered June and July. Open to female and male campers ages Cost is $375-$550. www.campdanielboone.org or 828.254.6189.
• Summer Enrichment Program at Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. Cost is $500. Scholarships available. Visit www.pcmdc.org or 828.452.7232.
• Laurel Ridge Country Club. June 22 through June 26. Campers will enjoy golfing, swimming, games, crafts and learning with their peers. For ages 6-13. Cost is $145-$300 for the week. Email info@laurelridgegolf.com or call 828.452.0545.
• Youth for Christ Buddy Camp. June 21-27 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Cost ranges $150 to $700. www.outdoormissioncommunity.org or 336.583.9932.
• Camp Folkmoot. A one-day dance and crafts camp Friday, July 24, for kids and teens from 4th through 12th grades. The cost is $30.
www.folkmoot.org/events/camp-folkmoot2020/ or 828.452.2997.
• Smoky Mountain Sk8Way. A nine week day camp program that runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekly sessions are June 8 to Aug. 7 for kids ages 6 to 14. This camp features a variety of activities and strives to keep the whole child active. Cost is $100-$150 a week plus a $60 enrollment fee. Register at smokymountainsk8way.com.
• Waynesville Art School. Weeklong sessions offered June through August. For Ages 5 and older. Cost is $185-$235. www.waynesvilleartschool.com or 828.246.9869.
• Created for a Purpose at Vine of the Mountains Church. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1519. A creativity camp for rising third through eighth graders. Cost is $150. Scholarships available.
www.vineofthemountains.com/cfap.
• Land of Sky Wilderness. Blacksmithing camp. Ages 8 and up. July 4-5. $300 per person. Drone Camp Aug. 2-7. Ages 8-21. Cost is $750. www.lotswild.com/courses or 828.280.0847.
• Piked Antler Project’s Survival Survival Skill Center. Survival Summer Camp. For ages 10-17. June 1-5. June 15-19. Cost is $315. www.survivalskillcenter.com or 828.989.0209.
• Camp Ability. Campers are any child aged 5 to 22 who has a disability or a sibling of a child who has a disability. Two weeklong sessions offered June 29-July 2 or July 6-10. Register at www.campabilitywnc.org/camper.
• Lake Junaluska Youth Events. Weeklong sessions in June and July. Local youth groups offered a special rate of $100 per person for any week. More information about speakers, bands and entertainers is available online at www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth. To register, call 800.222.4930.
• Carolinas Mountain Soccer Club. Weeklong sessions for soccer players of all ages and skill levels, usually in the evenings. Dates are being determined. Be sure to follow CMSC on Facebook and check their website for further information.
• Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church Long’s Chapel is offering a variety of summer camps including sewing, guitar, robotics and amigurumi. These camps run through the months of June and July. Detailed information can be found on the Long’s Chapel Facebook page.
JACKSON COUNTY
• Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society Critter Camp. For 2020, this camp has expanded to cover seven weeks. Each week of camp features fun, immersive and interactive experiences with animals at the no-kill shelter. More information and registration can be found at https://chhumanesociety.org.
• SOAR. Outdoor adventure camps for kids with ADHD / ADD and LD. Weeklong sessions offered in June and July. Cost is $2,000 to $5,600 depending on the camp. Visit www.soarnc.org or call 828.456.3435.
• Fun 4 Kids Day Camp - This is an eight to nine week program during the summer months held at both the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee, and the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center. For K6. Early June to early August. Cost is $700 at the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center and $625 at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. https://www.rec.jacksonnc.org/camps.
• Western Carolina University offers a variety of summer camps for arts, swimming, music, science and more. For more information, visit https://www.wcu.edu/engage/professional-enrichment/camps-and-programsfor-kids/index.aspx
• Cullowhee United Methodist Summer Day Camp. Preschool camp is for children ages 2-5 (not yet attended kindergarten) and Elementary camp is for children who have completed kindergarten-5th grade. Space in both programs is limited. June 8 through July 31. Cost is $75 per child or $100 per family if registering more than one child or $15 per week. $800 for entire summer or $120 per week. www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2020/
• SCC STEM - www.southwesterncc.edu/STEM
MACON COUNTY
• New Vision Training Center. Summer day camp opportunities for gymnastics, ninja training, bouldering, outside play, arts and crafts, games, and much more. Full days and half days. Snacks will be provided. Bring your own lunch. Ages 3-12. www.newvisiontrainingcenter.com or 828.524.1904.
• Macon County Schools Summer Edventure Camp. 8-week day camp. Call Lenora Clifton at 828.524.4414, Ext. 324 or www.macon.k12.nc.us/sec.
• Bascom Art Center in Highlands. Summer art camp for ages 7-14. Sessions begin June 19 through Aug. 14. $175 a week. www.thebascom.org or 828.526.4949.
• Danny Antoine’s Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Franklin. Monday through Friday starting May 28 through Aug. 23. $135 per week. Each child must be sent with a packed lunch, two snacks, and a bottle of water. To register, call 828.332.0418.
• Nantahala Learning Center Summer Program. $25 per day Monday through Friday. Registration fee is $50. All field trip admission, transportation expenses, and materials is budgeted into the registration fee. Call 219.689.3443 for more info.
• Boys and Girls Club in Cashiers Summer Camp. 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily June 3 through July 26. $415 per student/$350 for additional family members. info@bgcplateau.org or 828.743.2775.
• Summer Edventure Camp - F
www.macon.k12.nc.us/sec/ Hours of Operation and Location of Camp. June 8th, 2020 – July 31st, 2020. 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. South Macon Elementary, 855 Addington Bridge Road, Franklin, NC 28734. Ages. 512 years. Tuition, Fees and Payment Plan. Program Activities and Offerings. Arrival and Departure of Children. For information, call Lenora Clifton at 1-828-524-4414 Ext. 324.
SWAIN COUNTY
• YMCA Camp Watia. Weeklong sessions from June 16 through Aug. 4 for ages 7 to 15. Limited space still available. $450$750. Financial assistance available. www.ymcacampwatia.org.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center. Whitewater kayaking camp. Five-day sessions in June and July. For ages 9 to 17. $850 to $1,500. 828.785.4977 or www.noc.com/lessonstraining/paddling-school/kids-kayakingcamp.
• Camp Living Water Christian camp. June 30 through July 12. For ages 13-17. $490 per camper. www.camplivingwater.com or 828.488.6012.
CHEROKEE
• Cherokee Youth Center (Boys and Girls Club). Email Patrick West at pwest9557@yahoo.com or call 828.4973119.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY
• Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association. Weeklong sessions from June to August. For ages 4-14. $135 a week for half days and up to $285 a week for full days. www.abysa.org or call 828.299.7277.
• University of North Carolina-Asheville Weeklong sessions for music, athletics, writing, STEAM, pre-college programs, dance, running and more. For youth of all ages. Cost ranges from $400 to $1,200 a week depending on the program. www.camps.unca.edu or call 828.251.6991.
• Discovery Camp at North Carolina Arboretum. Weeklong sessions from June to August. For Pre-K through 8th grade. Cost is $235 for a week. Visit www.ncarboretum.org or call 828.665.2492 ext. 624.
• Asheville Music School Summer Camps: Offer many different week-long day camps for ages 4-18. Campers learn different styles of music in a fun, team-oriented group setting. Weeklong sessions June through August. Price range: $190-$350. Contact programs@ashevillemusicschool.org. Full details at ashevillemusicschool.org.
• Forest Floor Wilderness Camp. Weeklong sessions June through August. For ages K10. Cost is $295. Full details at www.OnTheForestFloor.org.
• Crossfire Basketball Camps: Basketball camps for children ages 6-19. Camp dates run from mid-June to late July. These camps are great for basketball players of all skill levels. The full brochure can be found at https://crossfireministry.com.
Private Lessons | Bands | Outreach
5 weeks featuring interactive experiences with animals, humane education programs, and exciting guest presentations by wildlife biologists, law enforcement K9’s and animal welfare experts.
Each week is limited to 12 children and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Cost for the entire week is $250 and scholarships are available. To register please see the application at chhumanesociety.org or call 828-743-5752 for more information.
Sports and Activities Camp
CAMP 1: JUNE 22-26
CAMP 2: JULY 27-31
Experience a camp with classic sports education and fun for all ages! Meals included, swimming, Bricks4Kids & WNC Nature Center, and of course sports skills training from professionals.
Labs backed up with COVID-19 testing
NC awaiting more supplies from CDC to catch up
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
The public is struggling to understand the details surrounding protocols for COVID-19 testing and those standards have been changing almost daily.
People want to know why more people aren’t being tested for the virus, where they should go if they think they have symptoms and a host of other questions they want answered to have some small peace of mind during such an uncertain time.
In a press conference Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of N.C.’s Health and Human Services, tried to explain why the testing process has been slowed down.
Cooper said the state laboratory currently has enough testing kits to test 150 people, but the state is still waiting for supplies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are needed to extract DNA from each of the test specimens.
“We’ve been working proactively to prepare for COVID-19 in North Carolina since January and our state lab started testing early last week,” Cohen said. “We made plans based on assurances from the CDC, but we, like many states, haven’t received the supplies to run the tests we need.”
The state is also looking for alternative ways to speed up the testing process, including agreements with UNC and Duke so their labs can begin testing next week. However, the universities’ efforts to test will also be hampered by the shortage of supplies from CDC. Cohen said N.C. has also been in direct contact with the manufacturers to get more testing kits.
“The manufacturer is sending more directly to the state to test 500 people. It’s still less than needed to test everyone to meet the new CDC testing recommendations, but it’s an improvement,” she said. “We will continue to work with the CDC to get more.”
When asked if he had faith in the CDC and the federal government to come through on its promise, Gov. Cooper said, “We have a great working relationship with the CDC, but with this particular issue we haven’t gotten what we need. That’s why we’ve approached private labs and suppliers directly.”
While the state and university labs may be hung up by the CDC, Cohen said private labs like Labcorp, based in Burlington, wouldn’t be impacted because they have their own supplier.
“They will help with the volume (of testing) but it will take time to ramp up,” Cohen said. Labcorp’s turnaround time on test results is currently three to four days. Cohen said the state lab’s turnaround time right now is 24 hours, but local officials said Friday that they’ve been waiting up to a week to get test results back from Raleigh.
“We’ve done 45 tests so far in Haywood County — eight have been negative and we’re waiting on the balance,” Public Health Director Patrick Johnson said last Friday. “Four to five days is the best we’re seeing in getting results.”
By Tuesday morning, that number increased to 75 specimens being collected in Haywood and a total of 24 negative test results.
“To date there have been no positives. We should expect to have our first case in Haywood County soon. The Haywood County Health Department will enforce isolation, perform contact tracing and follow-up for each positive COVID case in order to protect the health of our residents,” Johnson said in an update email Tuesday.
A majority of the testing for coronavirus in WNC is being done by private physician offices and local hospitals. Then those specimens are being sent to the state lab for analysis. Anyone being tested for COVID-19 has to isolate themselves at home while awaiting the results from the lab.
As testing is in high demand and labs are overwhelmed, protocols for testing continue to develop.
“The testing criteria has changed over time as we have moved through various stages of managing this pandemic. Most recently the criteria for testing was fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath in a person that had a negative flu test and no other cause was identified. Or a person could be tested if they had contact to a confirmed case,” said Amber Frost with Swain County Public Health. “Since the United States, including N.C., now has confirmed community transmission (not just travel-related) we are moving toward a model that is more focused on self-isolation of all sick individuals rather than testing.”
ther screening evaluation, that’s going to be at the hospital,” Jaben said. “The trigger point is shortness of breath. In the sense, we’re in a rationing world now where we don’t have access to everything we need — that’s something we’ll have to be adapted to. We’re trying to do the best and the most we can do.”
Johnson said Haywood Emergency Management Services is working to develop a central online location where the community can go to get accurate and updated information about the virus, testing and other pressing questions. Until then, people are being advised to visit https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/684/coronavirus-Covid-19Information.
Unless someone is experiencing respiratory issues that require emergency care, the recommendation is for people with symptoms to stay isolated at home.
“All persons with fever and respiratory symptoms, including those with laboratoryconfirmed COVID-19, should isolate themselves. This isolation should be for at least seven days since symptom onset and at least 72 hours after symptom resolution (absence of fever without the use of fever-reducing medication and improvement in respiratory symptoms),” Frost said.
Dr. Mark Jaben, medical director for Haywood County Public Health, said right now the limited number of testing supplies are being prioritized for a certain demographic of people. While it’s not an ideal situation, it’s the best they can do under the circumstances.
“If you have a population of people and you don’t know who in the population is ill or infected, we would love to test everyone, but we don’t have the capacity to do that — we can’t get tests quick enough,” he said. “Testing at this point is being directed at a certain slice of people — those who have trouble breathing and people who need to be in the hospital because of respiratory conditions.”
That’s why it’s so important for those who feel mildly ill to isolate themselves at home regardless of whether they can access a COVID-19 test or not. Call your primary doctor if you have questions and they will instruct you about getting tested if they feel it’s necessary.
“Most testing is being done through local doctor’s offices and hospitals. Physicians are using their clinical judgement regarding whether or not a test is needed,” Frost said.
“The real takeaway message here is if you’ve got a fever and cough, isolate at home. If you have trouble breathing and need fur-
Jackson County said the health department had three collection kits from the N.C. State Laboratory for Public Health with the option to request more when/if needed. As of March 16, Melissa McKnight with Jackson Public Health said they would only consider testing someone if they have a fever or lower respiratory symptoms and have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days or they have a fever and lower respiratory symptoms and a negative rapid flu test and no other more likely diagnosis.
As of March 22, Macon Public Health reported nine tests have been completed in Macon with seven negative test results and two pending results. If a private lab test is confirmed positive, the health department would be notified.
Hospitals in the region are also working to keep up with the changing protocols. As of Tuesday’s presstime, Haywood Regional Medical Center had not evaluated or treated any patients with COVID-19, according to the hospital’s website.
“At this time, tests for COVID-19 require a provider order. Visiting a provider does not necessarily mean you need testing or that you will receive testing. Your provider will work with Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency to follow all appropriate guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to determine if testing is recommended based on your symptoms and recent travel history,” according to the hospital website. Duke LifePoint hospitals — HRMC, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital — have taken measures to prepare in accordance with CDC guidelines. Patients in the ER and inpatient units are screened based on their recent travel history; personal protective equipment is available, including face masks and eye protection; and hygiene products are easily accessible throughout the facility. The hospitals have also implemented a “zero visitor” policy until further notice to protect staff and patients, though some exceptions may be allowed.
For more updates, visit MyHaywoodRegional.com and MyHarrisRegional.com.
Waynesville student returns home from Italy amid pandemic
BY HANNAH MCLEOD C ONTRIBUTING WRITER
Annalise Steele, a college student at Appalachian State and a resident of Waynesville, has had a unique experience in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus.
This semester she was studying abroad in Florence, Italy. What began as the experience of a lifetime ended abruptly when she was forced to leave Italy and return home to quarantine.
Steele flew to Italy on Jan. 27 to begin her study abroad experience. She was traveling to study at Lorenzo de’ Medici University in Florence. At that time the United States had already confirmed its first coronavirus case on Jan. 22 in Washington State. By Jan. 26, Italy confirmed two cases of coronavirus and by Feb. 27, towns were being locked down in response to an outbreak of the virus in the Lombardi region of Northern Italy.
The Smoky Mountain News: When did you first hear about the coronavirus in Italy?
Steele: I remember hearing about China and the coronavirus outbreak through social media, and wasn’t really thinking anything of it, nor was anyone at the time. About a month in, we first started hearing about the outbreak in Northern Italy. I remember thinking it still wasn’t a big deal.
The first thing I heard that made me realize this would impact my experience was when my roommate’s friend, who was attending another university in Florence, was sent home after her school was shut down. I knew then that it would affect Florence as well.
SMN: What were you thinking at that time?
Steele: I was very hopeful. My mindset wasn’t at the point where I thought my university was going to shut down. I was talking to people, talking to my professors, and everyone seemed to be taking it nonchalantly. It seemed like everything was fine. I was set on having that positive mindset. I tried to live in the moment, I kept doing my schoolwork, I kept doing what I was doing.
SMN: When did you receive the news that Appalachian State was sending you home?
Steele: Well I want to say, the day before I got the notification, I went to this small town called Fiesole, and it was one of the best days of my life. It was roaming through this small town, and you really got a grasp of the Italian culture and it was beautiful. We were away from the hectic chaos that was going on in the city, we were out in the rural
countryside and it was incredible. I was with a few of my friends, and we found a grassy spot for a picnic. We had Prosecco and no care in the world.
The very next day, Feb. 24, I was sitting in my cooking class and there were only two people in a class that usually has 20. The professor asked me if I had to return home, and at that point I didn’t know yet. At the very end of the class I got the notification that App (State) had emailed me. It said, “we’re requiring that study abroad students return home immediately.”
I sat there and cried in my cooking class, thanked my professor. The class was held in the Lorenzo Food Market, a huge market in Florence, and as I was leaving, I was taking everything in and realized it was probably the last time I was going to be there, ever. Full of tears, I picked up three bottles of wine and went to my friend’s apartment. We sat there and sobbed.
SMN: How did things develop after you were told you had to return home?
Steele: I remember after finding out, that whole week the city felt different. You could tell it was just this cloud of sorrow hanging over Florence. Everyone knew things felt different and that it was going downhill fast. I lived beside the Duomo, which is such a popular tourist area. I got to walk by it every day on my way to get to class and there were always hundreds of people surrounding it. So, to go out there and see maybe 20 people, it was eerie.
SMN: When did you leave Italy?
Steele: I left Italy late at night on March 6. Me and some friends took a cruise-like ship to Barcelona which ended up being a terrible decision. But the reason we took a ship was to avoid airports. So instead we spent 25 hours on a ship to Barcelona. This was a huge ship, could have held 2,000 people and there were about 60 people on board. We roamed around, and it was fun but now I know cruise ships are not for me. We didn’t have any service on the ship and the wi-fi didn’t work. So, we stuffed our faces with croissants and cappuccinos that were surprisingly good for being on a ship.
SMN: At this time (March 6) there were well documented outbreaks of the virus, what was it like to travel?
Steele: It was almost like it wasn’t a thing. The security just checked us in, it didn’t even seem like they cared. Then when we got off the ship there was nobody to look at our passports when we got into Barcelona. We just got off the ship and that was it. No medical testing or questionnaires. That last
week in Italy, when the city was so empty, there were some tourists wearing masks. Getting to Barcelona was refreshing at the time because there were people in the city, and everybody just seemed to be going on with their day to day routine. It was like normal life again. People were very laid back about it. But I knew there was more to come.
Italy went into lockdown on March 10, just days after Steele left the country. All restaurants and bars were closed, all sporting events were suspended, public gatherings of people were banned and travel within
made it to Spain, and then it became urgent to get out of Spain.
SMN: What was it like to return home?
Steele: When I was in the airport, I did not get tested, people were not wearing masks or gloves, not even the people who work in the airport. I would have assumed the people interacting with all the travelers would have been protected somehow. I went through customs and they asked where I had been, why I was there, why I was returning, and that was it. I arrived Friday, and it was Saturday that the airports apparently started screening people for symptoms. But just on that Friday when I was there the airports were a chaotic mess.
“Growth happens in time. This whole experience has reminded me to be patient and to be grateful for what is around me.”
— Annalise Steele, Waynesville
Italy was severely restricted. At this point, coronavirus cases had been confirmed in all 20 regions of Italy. On March 11, President Trump announced a ban on travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days.
SMN: When did you leave Barcelona, Spain?
Steele: I had been in Barcelona for three days when my parents called me, they seemed really frantic. They told me the president had just released a message that the U.S. would be closing its borders to Europe. So my parents were freaking out a little bit, trying to figure out how to get me home as soon as possible. Soon after the announcement, the White House corrected the statement and we found out that as a U.S. citizen I would be able to re-enter the states. But I still left Spain three days earlier than planned, on March 13. For a moment it had been a relief to get out of Italy, we had finally
My parents picked me up. They drove two cars to the airport. They said hello, welcomed me home from six feet away, and then I got in a separate car and followed them home. That was an upsetting return. But we had to take precautions seriously, my dad works in a hospital and sees older folks every single day. My grandmother lives here in Waynesville too and she has respiratory issues, so we really had to make sure we were careful.
Getting back home was the beginning of my two-week quarantine. My mom is also in quarantine for two weeks. She’s been holding my hand through all of this, without actually holding my hand.
Having the study abroad experience cut short was tough, I had planned to do all of this growing and I had such high hopes and then all of a sudden it was taken away. So coming back here I keep reminding myself I can still grow, you can’t force growth. Growth happens in time. This whole experience has reminded me to be patient and to be grateful for what is around me. I am so appreciative of how loving, caring and understanding my parents have been.
SMN: What have you gained from this difficult experience?
Steele: I’ve been reminded to put your heart into every day. Find what you love, find the little joys. Whether that’s walking outside, opening your window, making a cup of coffee, find that good. Because when you’re able to find the good, life goes a lot more smoothly. Life isn’t always easy, as we know in a time like this. Live each day with your whole heart, a good mindset, and positive outlook. I’ve been grateful to be in the mountains, to have this beautiful place to be outside.
Deadline extended for health grants
Haywood Healthcare Foundation has extended its deadline for Request For Proposals to receive grants relating to unmet healthcare needs in Haywood County. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Grant applications are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2020. The application should include a description of the grant’s direct impact on the improvement of healthcare and well-being of Haywood County residents. The Foundation’s grant program will be providing grants to Haywood County nonprofit organizations, government agencies and schools for healthcare initiatives and educational and leadership programs related to improving healthcare in our county.
Grant applications are available from Marge Stiles at the Haywood Healthcare Foundation Office, 576-1 Leroy George Drive, Clyde or by calling 828.452.8343. Completed grant applications will be accepted by mail at Haywood Healthcare Foundation, 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721, and can be emailed to marge.stiles@haymed.org or faxed to 828.452.8973.
Golden LEAF deploys
$15 million
The Golden LEAF Foundation announces $15 million in funding to launch a rapid recovery loan program in response to economic losses related to coronavirus.
Golden LEAF funding will support the NC COVID19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program by enabling loans to be made to eligible businesses for up to $50,000 with zero interest and no payments for six months. If not repaid in six months, the loan will automatically convert to a term loan.
The NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program is managed by the NC Rural Center, a statewide nonprofit that has been supporting small business owners for more than 30 years. The Rural Center will lead a broad coalition of nonprofit lending partners to directly assist small business owners. Participating Rapid Recovery organizations include Business Expansion Funding Corporation (BEFCOR), Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Mountain BizWorks, Natural Capital Investment Fund, and Thread Capital. Small-business owners affected by coronavirus can learn more about the NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program and apply for a loan at https://ncrapidrecovery.org/ or to speak with someone about this program or other resources available to small businesses contact BLNC at 800.228.8443.
Cherokee announces preemptive border closure
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
As of press time there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Qualla Boundary, but the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians isn’t waiting until the disease arrives to take drastic steps preventing its spread.
A series of executive orders Principal Chief Richard Sneed issued over the past week have closed the Boundary’s borders to non-citizens and non-residents, with some narrow exceptions offered; shut down all non-critical tribal operations and offices for two weeks; ordered all restaurant dining rooms and non-essential businesses closed; issued a stay-at-home order to all residents; prohibited gatherings of 10 or more people and closed public spaces such as trails, playgrounds and picnic areas. Additionally, Sneed issued an order requiring Food Lion to limit purchases of meat, sanitizing products and paper products to two per customer and to dedicate the 7 to 8 a.m. shopping hour to people ages 59 and older. Schools have been closed since March 16.
On March 18, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos began a two-week closure, the first ever in its 23-year history. The casinos in Cherokee and Murphy supply the lion’s share of revenue for the tribal budget and also provide twice-yearly per capita payments to tribal members.
These orders have caused significant disruption in the community, as they have across the nation in other jurisdictions that have taken similar measures to combat the spread of the virus. However, Sneed said he has no doubt the orders are needed and in the community’s best interest.
“The data supports that these measures, although they may seem aggressive, are absolutely necessary,” Sneed said during a videotaped roundtable discussion that also included Cherokee Indian Hospital CEO Casey Cooper and Director of Public Health and Human Services
Vickie Bradley. “At this point there’s no vaccine at all, so social distancing, washing our hands — things that seem like minor things, that seem like how can that really help — that’s our only defense at this point. That and what are deemed as aggressive measures. Looking at the data, the decision was easy to make.”
Perhaps the most aggressive of the new measures is the closure of Cherokee’s borders. All roads into the Qualla Boundary are now closed except for U.S. 441 and U.S. 19. These entry points are controlled by the Cherokee Indian Police Department. Enrolled members, first descendents and Boundary residents will be allowed to come and go but are advised to remain on the Boundary except when it’s necessary to leave for work, groceries or medical services. They will have to show a tribal enrollment card or N.C. drivers license showing residency on the boundary to enter — nonenrolled residents will also have to show an official memo from the EBCI 911 office stating their place of residency.
Entrance will also be provided to nonenrolled employees of essential services and businesses, as well as delivery services. These people will not be permitted to shop for groceries or retail items during their time on the Boundary but may purchase fuel and drive-thru meals. Photo ID and proof of employment or business ownership will also be required.
While no confirmed cases have been documented on Cherokee lands as of now, these preemptive measures are necessary, especially given the hospital’s lack of capacity to deal with an onslaught of COVID-19 cases, said Cooper.
“We have no ICU beds and no ventilators at the Cherokee Hospital, so we will be very dependent on our partners in the region to help us care for the severely ill,” he said.
With the COVID-19 crisis affecting communities across the region and country, other area hospitals are also likely to
face shortages, thereby limiting their ability to assist Cherokee. While about 80 percent of people with COVID-19 are able to recover without hospitalization, the remaining 20 percent will be severely ill, said Cooper — there’s really no middle ground.
“Folks that are affected by it will be folks that are more vulnerable, and they will need a very high level of care, meaning ICUs and ventilators,” he said. “All of the forecasts show that if we don’t act aggressively and early and proactively to slow the spread, we will easily exceed the total number of beds and ventilators that are available in Western North Carolina.”
As of Monday morning, March 23, the Cherokee hospital had tested 23 patients total for COVID-19, said Cooper. Nine of the tests have come back negative, with results pending for the remainder. The supply of tests is sufficient as long as the hospital follows Centers for Disease Control guidelines to test only those patients who have symptoms, but that strategy does not help find the asymptomatic patients who are spreading the virus through the community.
While tribal offices are closed, employees who were sent home will still receive pay and those whose services are deemed critical will receive double pay as they continue to work. However, Sneed urges tribal employees who are not working to stay home and avoid the urge to travel.
The closure of tribal operations went into effect March 23 and will continue indefinitely — Sneed said that, while the tribe is fortunate to have the financial resources to continue paying its workforce, that supply is not infinite. Communications Director Chris McCoy, who moderated the roundtable, asked Sneed how long the tribe could continue to pay its employees under current conditions.
“Because of our conservative budgeting, we have a surplus right now that we are able to continue to pay our employees, but again there’s not an infinite supply,” Sneed replied. “Our secretary of the treasury and our finance team continues to forecast, and fortunately for now and for the time being, we’re going to be just fine, so that’s good news.”
Food and beverage industry reels from Coronavirus Pandemic
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
Last Tuesday, on what would normally be a bustling St. Patrick’s Day, owner Dan Elliot sat in his empty Sweet Onion restaurant in the heart of Waynesville’s downtown tourist district just after sharing some difficult news with his staff of 34 employees.
“We told them that we’re going to have to close for an indefinite amount of time and that there’s no longer employment here for them unfortunately,” said Elliot. “I guess they would have to go down and file for unemployment if they can, or do what they can do.”
The announcement by Elliot came just hours after Gov. Roy Cooper directed the state’s bars and restaurants to close by 5 p.m. that day; with that order came devastation to thousands of North Carolinians employed in the industry.
While business owners like Elliot will try to make it through the closures by ramping up take-out, curbside and delivery options, it’s not a viable long-term model for sustainability, according to Elliot.
Elliot stopped short of criticizing the governor’s decision but thinks Cooper may have ultimately made the right move.
“I think he’s in a catch-22, like most other governors,” he said. “I think he could have gave it a little more time, but I understand how he’s pressured to close. I mean, if the things I’ve read, the [coronavirus] projections pan out the way they say they’re going to pan out, then yes, he did. But obviously, that
remain closed to the public for now, but the take-out operations he and many other restaurateurs are now engaging in will do little to help the thousands of bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and servers now unemployed.
The service industry isn’t taking the layoffs lying down, by any means; one of the first things to pop up in Haywood County was a Facebook group called “Waynesville service industry family,” started by a longtime bartender at Waynesville’s most infamous watering hole, the Water’n Hole.
“I wanted to make sure that everybody stayed connected,” said Crystal Gandolfo. “I think that we all feel like we do have a sense of community because the service industry kind of is a community, especially in this town.”
Gandolfo said that people are using the Facebook group as a way to share resources and information as well as to maintain that sense of community through what are sure to be tough times.
“Some people have asked questions about unemployment, how to apply,” she said. “Other people are just sharing their stories of their business closures, lots of memes, lots of people laughing.”
Applying for unemployment wasn’t too difficult, according to Gandolfo, despite heavy volume on the state’s website. She said she’d completed the entire process on her phone but had to set an alarm to wake up at 3:30 a.m. because previous attempts were stymied by the overwhelming volume of applications.
In a normal week, according the N.C.
Apply for unemployment benefits now
On March 17, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper waived a number of requirements in regard to the state’s unemployment assistance program — among them the week-long waiting period for filing, the job search requirement and the in-person application requirement. Additionally, workers who aren’t fully unemployed but have experienced a reduction in hours may also be eligible for benefits, which won’t be counted against employers as they usually are.
Although web traffic and call volumes to the North Carolina Department of Employment Security are understandably high, applying for benefits is relatively quick and easy. Consider applying online, during off-hours, such as late at night or early in the morning. Phone calls are not recommended but may be an option for some. Visit des.nc.gov or call 888.737.0259, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
remains to be seen.”
Elliot’s upscale restaurant is normally one of the centerpieces of Waynesville’s prosperous downtown tourist district, drawing rave reviews and celebrities the likes of Laura Bush and Zack Galifainakis. It will
In a normal week, according the N.C. Department of Employment Security, around 3,500 unemployment claims are filed. The week of Gov. Cooper’s order, more than 100,000 claims were filed.
Department of Employment Security, around 3,500 unemployment claims are filed. The week of Gov. Cooper’s order, more than 100,000 claims were filed.
As of press time, Gandolfo still hadn’t seen any money come her way from NCDES but remained hopeful despite skepticism of promises from Raleigh and from Washington.
“There is no outlook for this,” she said. “Everything’s changing day by day. None of us know. There’s a lot of uncertainty. So I think that the main goal and the main thing is if you work in the service industry, take care of your fellow service industry employee as much as you can. But I have found that sitting on your front porch and drinking a beer is kind of like being at the bar, if that makes it better for anybody.”
Waynesville’s Water’n Hole voluntarily closed in advance of Gov. Cooper’s March 17 order. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Residence halls close at WCU
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
When the spring semester began, Western Carolina University’s residence halls were home to 4,106 students, but those students found themselves required to move out two months early as coronavirus concerns heightened on campus.
“Effective Wednesday, March 18, and until further notice, students who live on campus must either remain at their permanent homes or return to those homes unless an exception is granted by the university,” read a campus-wide letter from Chancellor Kelli. R. Brown sent around noon Tuesday, March 17.
Things moved quickly for the students after that. The March 17 notice stated that everyone had to be out by 11:59 p.m. Saturday, March 21, preferably with their belongings. However, dorms will remain open through 5 p.m. May 8 for students who receive special permission to remain on campus or need to return to pick up the rest of their belongings.
On the afternoon of March 19, junior nursing student Ashlee Owens could be found sitting on the porch of Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro, eating takeout barbecue with her mom, uncle and cousin, who had come up from Charlotte to help with the move-out. Owens didn’t have much to say about the whole experience — for now, she was focused on getting back home to finish up her classes and hopeful that normalcy would resume in the fall.
“I’m sad for her not to be able to finish out the semester,” said her mother Sarah Owens. “I work at a college too, so we’re doing the same thing at home. But I’m definitely glad to have her home though.”
Owens is one of the lucky ones — she has a family to return to, within driving distance and able and willing to come move her out.
WCU granted some exceptions to the dorm closure announcement for students who don’t have that luxury. These exceptions were granted to students who are international students, homeless or experiencing some other hardship related to a lack of permanent off-campus housing, taking academic courses that require meeting in person, or experiencing other extraordinary circumstances, which were reviewed on a case-bycase basis.
At this point, WCU expects that in-person classes won’t resume before the semester ends. In fact, last week the university announced that spring commencement cere-
Jackson bans gatherings of 10 or more, orders lodging and business closures
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
Gatherings of 10 or more people are now banned in Jackson County and closecontact businesses and lodging facilities ordered to close following a supplemental declaration of a local state of emergency County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan issued Monday, March 23. The order became effective Wednesday, March 25. The move came hours after the announcement that a part-time county resident had tested positive for COVID-19 and was isolating in the county. According to a spokesper-
son for the county, the confirmed case did not receive care at Harris Regional Hospital. State and federal privacy laws limit the amount of information local officials can release at this time about the case.
According to a press release from Jackson County Public Health, the patient is in isolation and the household member of the patient is in self-quarantine in Jackson County. Since the patient is a part-time resident of Jackson County, the case will be identified in their home state, not in North Carolina. The case will not show up on the North Carolina map as a Jackson County case.
evaluating how best to consolidate those students while still allowing for proper social distancing. Some students will likely be relocated to different residence halls so that some of the facilities can close down.
Jim Dean, director of the on-campus Homebase Campus Ministry, which focuses on students who don’t have a family support structure, said that he was initially quite worried about how Homebase students would fare as the Coronavirus Pandemic unfolded. But his worst fears went unrealized.
“I think the university has stepped up pretty well for at-risk populations,” he said. So, too, have the students. In past years, anywhere from five to 12 students have stayed at the Homebase building over spring break, often because they don’t have a home to go back to while school is out of session.
“A lot of students just picked up the ball and picked up the slack and said, ‘Hey, come home with me,’” said Dean. “And so we didn’t have anyone stay here over spring break, which is amazing. “
monies originally scheduled for May 8-9 will be postponed, with a rescheduling plan to be announced by April 3. Decisions about summer courses and activities will be announced by that date as well — summer study-abroad programs have already been canceled.
Out of its more than 4,000 residents, the university received 225 requests to remain on campus. Of those, 224 were approved, but 58 were only temporary extensions. Those 58 students will be allowed to remain on campus past the general move-out deadline, but not for the entire semester. Currently, oncampus students remain in their originally assigned rooms, but WCU is in the process of
McMahan’s order requires all rental programs or places where the lease extends for less than a month to close. This requirement does not apply if the lease or accommodation is due to work for business, medical, construction, emergency services or other related services in Jackson County. In this situation, the employee staying at the lodging facility should have their employer provide their work-related identification badge or a letter from the employer stating the purpose of work and expected duration.
It also does not apply to people experiencing homelessness who are being housed through HERE in Jackson County, or to lodging facilities used to assist with the COVID-19 response.
The 10-person gathering limit does not pertain to grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, gas stations or food distribution sites. It also does not include normal operations at airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, shopping malls, offices, factories and childcare centers. Also excluded are food banks and other food distribution sites, farm-
Few Homebase students live on campus to begin with, and this is a prime example of why, said Dean. If you’ve grown up with housing insecurity, the last place you want to live is a dorm building where you’re required to move out at various points every year. So, most Homebase students live off-campus and retain their housing despite the residence hall closure, but that doesn’t mean they’re not suffering hardship. Restaurants are closed, off-campus and on, and the jobs those students depended on to pay the bills have in large part evaporated.
“This week we’ve had 15 students come in for food, and we’ve also had probably 10 students come and leave food,” said Dean on Friday, March 20. “I’ve seen really, really great stories of students who are looking out for their fellow classmates.”
For now, Homebase is switching to an on-call schedule. To pick up or donate food, clothing or hygiene supplies text Dean at 828.508.0035. Students can also contact Dean to find out about availability of emergency housing.
ers markets, retail and hardware operations and rental centers in which the public are not generally in contact with other patrons.
The order also reiterates the mandate Gov. Roy Cooper handed down in Executive Order 120, issued the same day as McMahan’s order. Businesses ordered to close under both orders include bingo parlors, bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, indoor exercise facilities, health clubs, indoor pools, live performance venues, movie theaters, roller skating rinks, spas, sweepstakes lounges, video game arcades and personal care and grooming businesses. These include but are not limited to barber shops, beauty salons, hair salons, manicure/pedicure providers, massage parlors, nail salons and tattoo parlors.
McMahan’s order also applies to the municipal limits of Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Forest Hills following consent from their mayors.
Violation of any of the order’s provisions will result in a Class 2 misdemeanor. The order will remain in effect until rescinded.
Junior nursing student Ashlee Owens (in purple) enjoys some takeout barbecue with her mother, uncle and cousin after an unexpectedly early move-out from Western Carolina University. Holly Kays photo
Learning in quarantine
Online technology helps students through pandemic
BY HANNAH MCLEOD
C ONTRIBUTING W RITER
All North Carolina public schools will be shut down through May 15 after Gov. Roy Cooper signed another executive order Monday.
On March 14, Cooper originally ordered schools to close for a minimum of two weeks — essentially an extended spring break — but as the virus continued to spread across the country, it became clear further measures needed to be taken. While almost every aspect of normal daily life has been impacted by the coronavirus, the closing of schools is an incredible disruption of norms for families across the state.
“We do not have the luxury of a wait-andsee approach. These are hard decisions but they are necessary so we can learn more about the virus,” said Cooper when he announced the school closings. “We do not want any regrets in the rearview mirror, and I am guided by one objective - doing what we must to keep people from getting sick and to make sure that those who do can get excellent care.”
Cooper has appointed an Education and Nutrition Working Group to support families while schools are closed.
“I am standing up this new working group to ensure that children have enough food to eat, families have care in safe places for their young children, and student learning continues,” he said.
LOGISTICS
Beginning Monday, March 16, schools in Western North Carolina and across the state began distance learning full-time. This was a major adjustment for students and a major undertaking for faculty and staff.
Teachers and administration through the high school level used the first two weeks of school closure to move any material and assignments that weren’t already online, to an online format, and review material instead of introducing new topics.
“During this first week of the governor’s executive order our teachers are focusing on reinforcing concepts that have previously been taught,” said Macon County Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin.
Haywood Community College decided to move its spring break to take place last week, March 16 through 20. President Shelley White said moving spring break was intended to “allow us some time to adjust to moving everything online. We got to work with our faculty and our online resource department to assist in getting lessons prepared and getting everything ready for what will likely be a lengthy closure.”
Most schools in the region already have a big online presence. Teachers use tools like Google Classroom, Google Meet and Class Dojo to augment the learning experience. Now, teachers will have to rely almost exclusively on these online tools.
“There are digital educational programs that we have been using all year that are still being utilized during this time, such as EPIC, MobyMax, and STEMScopes,” said Byron Burnette, Principal at Clyde Elementary in Haywood County.
Principal Todd Trantham said Tuscola High School is relying heavily on Google Tools. Some teachers are recording themselves teaching and posting these videos in the Google Classroom, holding virtual office hours, or using Google Meet to have conversations with groups of students.
The regular use of technology within and outside the classroom in this day and age is a benefit to students during this time of online and distance learning.
“Our students have grown up using smart phones, tablets and computers for educational and entertainment purposes. Using technology to communicate and stay connected in a variety of ways comes naturally to this generation of learners,” Burnette said.
A transition over the years to using more technology in the classroom means that teachers are well-equipped to handle this sort of situation.
“Students grow more technologically capable with each year, and so do our teachers. In just one week of this crisis I have been impressed with the adaptability of our faculty
and our students. They are comfortable communicating, teaching and learning remotely and/or electronically,” Baldwin said.
The closing of schools is forcing staff to grow those already burgeoning online resources. At HCC, White admitted to the growth that has come out of the coronavirus crisis. The college has worked to create additional resources online that were not available just one week before. These include a library chat where students can communicate questions for library staff online, tutoring services online and test proctoring online.
“What I’ve heard from faculty and staff this week is that although this is a very challenging time, and we recognize that, it’s challenged us and pushed us to engage some things that we perhaps have been wanting to do but we haven’t had the time to do. It’s pushed us to go ahead and put some things in place that we’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s forced us to shift our priorities to support online resources,” she said.
This ability to learn effectively via online sources does not mean that schools are relying solely on technology while closed. Faculty and staff understand the importance of pulling the focus away from screens when possible. Administration at Tuscola is urging teachers to get creative and regularly include learning activities that don’t involve screens.
Things like reading a book, interviewing a parent about a time period in their life, or doing an activity with siblings.
MAKING ONLINE TOOLS ACCESSIBLE
Schools are making it a priority to provide as many resources and options as possible for students that don’t have access to the internet, or other technology necessary to complete online learning activities. By the end of the day Tuesday, March 17, the staff of Haywood County Schools had “distributed hundreds of educational activities in paper and digital form, and loaned students 948 Chromebooks and other devices,” said Superintendent Bill Nolte. Additionally, administration is providing students and parents with ways to access the internet if they don’t have it available at home.
“Part of the resources we’re sending home, we’re including where public Wi-Fi sites are available. We always tell them, you can pull up in our parking lot and catch the Wi-Fi signal from that, and there’s a number of hot spots that are being learned about, like the parking lot of your favorite pizza place,” said Alex Masciarelli, principal at Junaluska Elementary. F
Angela Lunsford, principal of Jackson Community School, helps deliver meals to students this week. She is assisted by JCS senior Ryan Bailey. Donated photo
Schools in Macon County are also opening their parking lots to students to connect to wireless internet during the day from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Although Macon County cannot provide devices for every student at this time, Baldwin said the school system hopes to have this worked out after the initial two-week closure.
“Of course, we will always make paper copies of assignments available to students who need them,” he said.
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
Several teachers and parents have said their children miss school, friends and teachers. These are obvious side effects of the isolation of self-quarantine. Faculty and staff are making every effort to keep up regular communication with students.
“Teachers (at Clyde Elementary) are expected to make communication attempts with every family, every day in some form or another. Our administration is posting on social media, our school website, and we are sending out phone messages in the evenings, giving parents information,” said Burnette.
According to Trantham, Tuscola is advising every teacher to check in on how they can better support students. They hope to use this feedback after the initial two-week closure to provide the most accessible teaching possible.
“Students are very equipped technologically to operate in this environment, but when a young person is beginning to develop their personality and who they are, one of the most important things we can do is create personal connections, face to face contact and engaging conversations. And if you’re not careful, an online environment doesn’t lend itself to that. So we’ve got to put the effort in, to make sure we’re having engaging conversations with young people because those conversations matter,” said Trantham.
Keeping personal contact alive and well during a time when teachers and students are separated physically is a struggle Macon County is trying to defeat in the early stages of school closure, to set the tone in the long run.
“Macon County teachers and teacher assistants have been very proactive in reaching out to families in our district. They understand the burden that this crisis has placed upon families and have communicated their desire to be a resource for students and parents until this event has ended. Our guidance counselors have been particularly focused on touching base with families to help meet emotional needs that might have arisen as a result of the stress that the pandemic has placed on everyone,” Baldwin said.
OTHER EFFORTS
In addition to providing distance learning, school faculty and staff are working to provide students with daily meals, lunch and breakfast. Each day meals are prepared by cafeteria staff and delivered by school bus drivers to the multiple drop-off points around their counties. This effort will help to keep families fed during a time of uncertainty. Administration from around the region have expressed how proud they are of the staff in their districts for all the hard work
they are doing to keep students fed, connected and learning.
Jackson County Schools delivered 921 meals in just one day while Swain County delivered 605 meals to students.
“Please make a note of how awesome our staff is and that they have re-invented what it looks like to teach and learn in an elementary school and that I am very proud of them. I consider it an honor to be the principal at Clyde,” Burnette said.
HCC is working closely with emergency services in Haywood County. If necessary, HCC would make its facilities available for emergency purposes.
“We’re continuing to work with our local emergency personnel on how the college may be able to help respond at this time. We’re working with them on potentially utilizing our facilities for the emergency response,” White said.
“Our students have grown up using smart phones, tablets and computers for educational and entertainment purposes. Using technology to communicate and stay connected in a variety of ways comes naturally to this generation.”
—
Principal Byron Burnette, Clyde Elementary
FUTURE
Haywood County Schools transitioned to essential services operations only on Thursday, March 19. This means that teachers are authorized to work from home without taking accumulated leave. System-level administrators, principals, full-time classified employees and part-time employees are to report to work, or else take accumulated leave.
The announcement that schools will be closed until May 15 means that schools will have to rely on the systems they have put in place over the last week and a half throughout most of the rest of the school year. As with any novel experience, schools, teachers and students will learn how online and distance learning work best as the weeks go by.
“Online learning is not sufficient, but it is better than no instruction at all. I am confident that our instruction will continue to improve for the duration of this event, but I will be extremely happy to see our students walk back through the front door of our schools,” Baldwin said.
On March 23 the state board of education acted to eliminate state and federal standardized testing for this school year. Along with the extended school closure all extra-curricular and similar activities are suspended through May 15. More updates about the logistics of shut down schools will come from the state and federal level.
Ingles Nutrition Notes
written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath
SUBSTITUTE SUGGESTIONS
Have you ever started a recipe and realized you don’t have a key ingredient? Gone to the store and can’t find what you need? Here are some ideas for substitutes.
If there’s no/you don’t have any: Sliced BREAD
• Make your own or use mixes on the grocery aisle.
• Look for rolls, loaves and biscuits in the FROZEN food section.
• Look for refrigerated dough tubes for rolls, biscuits, pizza crust and croissants
• Try using tortillas, flatbreads, wraps, or rice cakes instead.
Milk
• Farmer Jodi DeHate ( @FarmChicJodi) and Dietitian HolleyGrainger recommend using cans of evaporated milk, milk powder or UHT (shelf-stable) milks instead: https://www.holleygrainger.com/whatare-shelf-stable-milks-and-how-can-i-use-them/
Eggs • Look for liquid eggs in the grocery aisle or frozen.
• Young chef @ChefAudreyB says she uses 1/4c plain yogurt to replace eggs in many baking recipes
• Grind 1 TBSP flax seeds, add 3TBSP warm water, whisk & refrigerate for 2 hours” suggests Michelle from @MGFKitchen
Fresh Meat
• Look for frozen meat/chicken/fish
• Canned meat/chicken/fish
• Substitute beans or tofu or meat alternatives/substitutes in recipes
For more great #SubstituteSuggestions former University of NebraskaLIncoln Cooperative Extension agent, Alice Henneman,MS RD; https://food.unl.edu/ingredient-substitutions
#SUBSTITUTESUGGESTIONS
Distillery pivots to produce hand sanitizer
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
Tuesday, March 17 started like almost any other day for Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.
“We were here. I was doing our normal day,” Angel said. “Your world sort of stops when you hear something like that.”
What he heard, like millions of other North Carolinians, was Gov. Roy Cooper’s order closing bars and restaurants except for to-go service. Angel manufactures a variety of spirits, and he instantly knew what that order would do for his now three-year-old company.
“That would be a huge part of any distillery’s business,” he said. “We got into liquor stores, ABC stores here in North Carolina, but most of that will end up in a restaurant.”
Angel said he got some pretty quick assurances from his bank that they could be “creative” in offering his business the help it might need to carry on through the Coronavirus Pandemic, but he also knew he’d need to do something more to ensure the continued existence of Elevated Mountain.
“The federal government sent out a note to all distilleries in America saying, ‘This is how you make hand sanitizer. There will be no penalty for doing that. There’ll be no tax implication or negative consequences for doing this. We need hand sanitizer.’ That was
a wake up call that there’s a bigger thing we can do right now,” said Angel.
Basically, there are two types of permits for distilleries; one, like Angel’s, is for beverage alcohol, but the other is for the production of industrial alcohol.
“As of Wednesday, that was waived that they said anyone that could make alcohol is free to make hand sanitizer,” he said. “The tax implications I normally face, which are really steep, will be waived to make hand sanitizer. They’re encouraging every distillery to do what they can to contribute.”
The transition from making whisky and vodka to hand sanitizer isn’t a severe one, according to Angel — he already has the equipment, the space and many of the ingredients needed.
“The biggest hurdle for me was getting my head around the whole recipe. There’s chemicals I’m not used to dealing with and I’ve had to understand what they are, why they’re used and how to work with them,” he said. “But I’ve gotta say there’s a network of people out here that are helping. There are several distilleries besides myself in North Carolina that are stepping up. H & H in Asheville, they’ve been a great resource to us. Durham distillery on the other end of the state is also stepping up. They were one of the first ones to do it. We’re all sharing with each other what we’re learning. We’re all in this together to make a difference.”
Sanitizer starts out as 96 percent ethanol, which Angel said was basically 192 proof vodka. Angel happens to make an award-winning vodka called Hurricane Creek.
“We have that on hand. We have beverage grade vodka, and that’s the first batch we’re gonna make,” he said. “The rest of our ingredients should be here by Monday or Tuesday and by end of next week we’re hoping to have 200 or 250 gallons of hand sanitizer and it will be Hurricane Creek vodka that’s going into it.”
Those additional ingredients — including glycerin and hydrogen peroxide — are what complete the recipe for hand sanitizer, which ends up being about 160 proof.
“That’s where it needs to be to make sure that it truly kills and sanitizes,” Angel said. “What people are used to drinking is 80 proof vodka or spirits and while that may help, it’s not at the potency it needs to be to truly sanitize.”
Angel has hundreds upon hundreds of empty vodka bottles, so that’s where his sanitizer will end up, for now.
“Our number one customer would be the healthcare industry and the first line responders that are out in the field protecting us,” he said. “We’re working directly with Haywood County Emergency Services. The easiest way to get it to them is to actually work through a distributor to make sure that gets out to those priority customers. What we have left over we’ll make some available here to the public.”
More than just a distiller, Angel has been a big part of Haywood County’s business community and sees a silver lining in all of this.
“Yeah, it’s neat to see the resiliency that people are finding, the courage people are finding to do things different than they’re comfortable with,” he said. “I’ve seen other restaurants quite busy with people who are coming in and staying in their cars, making orders and you know, hopefully, they’re figuring out a way to weather this.”
Utilities respond to COVID-19
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
The public health crisis that is COVID19 quickly became an economic one as governments nationwide took drastic steps to slow the spread of the virus. Bars, restaurants, hotels, airlines and countless other industries have been hit hard, resulting in widespread layoffs and cut hours.
In response, many utility providers in Western North Carolina have announced temporary policies to suspend disconnection of services for customers who can’t pay their bills right now and to reconnect customers who had their lines cut before the crisis hit.
TWSA
The Tuckseigee Water and Sewer Authority board voted Tuesday, March 17, to immediately suspend all disconnections and allow customers who had previously been disconnected to have their service restored without a fee.
Disconnected customers will have to contact TWSA and request to have service re-established. Reconnection fees will be waived, and collection of service deposits, past due balances and late fees will be suspended.
The policy will remain in effect until the State of Emergency from the Jackson County Board of Commissioners is lifted or until the TWSA board otherwise modifies or revokes it. TWSA will then work with customers to create a payment plan to make up any past due balances and late fees once the State of Emergency ends. Service deposits will have to be paid in full at that point.
BRYSON CITY
Water and sewer disconnections have been halted until further notice, and no late payment fees will be assessed until the crisis passes. Restoration of previously disconnected service will be handled on a case-bycase basis.
The policy will remain in effect at least until Swain County lifts its State of Emergency, and maybe longer.
“That still doesn’t mean people are getting paid,” Mayor Tom Sutton said of the State of Emergency’s future lifting. “So we’re looking at some time. I’m not saying
we’d give it a year or anything, but we’d at least try to be reasonable.”
DUKE ENERGY
Duke announced March 13 that it would immediately suspend all disconnections for nonpayment. Additionally, customers who were recently disconnected can contact the company to make arrangements for service restoration.
“We will work closely with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to determine the appropriate timing for resuming our standard billing and payments policies,” said Meredith Archie, lead communication consultant for Duke.
Duke will continue to read meters and issue bills while the policy is in effect. Customers who can continue to make payments are encouraged to do so in order to avoid building up large balances later.
HAYWOOD ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
HEMC will not disconnect customers who are unable to pay their bill due to coronavirus impacts such as illness or job loss. However, customers who fall into this category will need to contact HEMC to let the corporation know that their unpaid bill is the result of COVID-19-induced hardship.
“No one can predict when this is going to end,” said Ken Thomas, manager of marketing and communications. “But when it does end we will work with them to make payments and make it as affordable as we can for them to get out of debt. But there is going to be a day of reckoning when it has to be paid.”
Regarding restoration of previous disconnections, decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, said Thomas. The policy will likely remain in effect at least until Haywood County lifts its State of Emergency declaration, and maybe longer.
HEMC has closed its doors to walk-in traffic but can be contacted at 828.452.2281 or www.haywoodemc.com. Payments can still be made through drop boxes at both locations.
WAYNESVILLE GAS SERVICE
Waynesville Gas Service, along with all AmeriGas affiliates, will not disconnect customers or lock off tanks while the COVID19 crisis continues.
“We are proactively reaching out to our customers to assess their needs and will continue to take steps to serve our customers and employees,” said Justine Staub, director of workforce development for AmeriGas. Payment programs are available on a case-by-case basis. Waynesville Gas customers can call 828.456.8312 to discuss billing challenges.
smokymountainnews.com
Runoff between Bennett, Cawthorn postponed
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
The Republican Second Primary Election between Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn in the 11th Congressional District will now be held six weeks later than originally scheduled.
“Exercising her emergency powers on [March 20], State Board of Elections
Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell rescheduled the Republican second primary in the 11th Congressional District to Tuesday, June 23,” reads a press release issued that same day by Patrick Gannon, public information officer at the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The contest between Republican candidates Bennett and Cawthorn, the top two vote-getters in the March 3 primary, will now take place on Tuesday, May 12.
The eventual winner, Bennett or Cawthorn, will face Asheville Democrat Moe Davis in the Nov. 3 General Election. The seat is currently held by Asheville Republican Mark Meadows, who hasn’t yet resigned from the seat to start his new job as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.
The release cites the global Coronavirus Pandemic as the reason for the change.
“Brinson Bell’s decision came after consultation with state emergency officials, Republican Party leaders and elections officials in the counties that make up the 11th District,” reads the release. “All agreed that moving the second primary to a later date was the right decision in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
Bell said that the health and safety of North Carolina voters, election staff and poll workers was a top priority.
Blood donations critically low
Concerns about COVID-19 are negatively impacting blood donations, according to The Blood Connection and the American Red Cross.
Blood centers across the nation are pleading for anyone who is feeling healthy to do their part and donate. As the Coronavirus Pandemic has grown, blood drive cancellations have grown at an alarming rate.
The Red Cross has implemented new measures to ensure blood drives and donation centers are even safer for our donors and staff, including:
• Checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
• Spacing beds, where possible, to follow social distancing practices between blood donors.
“State and county elections officials are working hard on plans to ensure voters can cast ballots safely in all future elections, even if the threat from COVID-19 persists,” she said.
The order will also allow the 17 counties (16 and half of Rutherford County, actually) that make up the 11th Congressional District to move or consolidate voting precincts if necessary but only with Bell’s approval and only for this contest. Such a move would ensure that polling places are both available and adequately staffed for in-person voting.
Additionally, a task force for COVID-19 response was formed by Bell, consisting of around 20 state and county officials.
Bell and the board also want North Carolinians to know that all voters can vote by mail — not just now, but in every election — and that no excuse or reason is needed to do so. Bell’s task force is exploring ways to make that process easier, as well as ways to protect voters that do show up in person to cast their ballots.
“It’s times like this when some of the most innovative ideas come to be,” Bell said.
Bennett bested a field of 11 Republican candidates back in March, but only came away with 22.7 percent of the vote. In North Carolina, the leading candidate must come away with more than 30 percent of all ballots cast, or the second place finisher, in this case Cawthorn, has the option to call for a runoff. He did so just days after the results were issued.
For more information on measures being taken by the NCSBE in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, visit www.ncsbe.gov/coronavirus or follow the NCSBE on social media.
• Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
There is no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus including this coronavirus worldwide.
Blood Connection ensures that all donors are healthy through wellness screenings prior to their donation and the organization is taking extra precautionary measures to ensure that all donor centers and mobiles are clean and safe places to donate blood. Blood Connection has an internal incident command team that monitors collection and inventory levels and meets to discuss and prepare for different scenarios regarding COVID-19.
To make an appointment, visit thebloodconnection.org or call 864.255.5000. Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood with the Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 800.RED.CROSS.
Gap cured meats, Sunburst Trout Farm salad and
UCB shifts to limited services
In an effort to serve customers, protect employees and support our communities amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, all United Community Bank branches shifted to a drive-thru and appointment-only service model, effective Tuesday, March 24.
In-branch services such as loan closings, access to safe deposit boxes and wire transfers will be available via a scheduled in-person appointment, and customers are encouraged to call their local branch to schedule a convenient time during normal business hours.
United encourages customers to utilize the variety of digital banking options available, which can be found on ucbi.com and using the United Mobile App.
Democrat conventions postponed
In response to the current health crisis and the statewide State of Emergency declared by Gov. Roy Cooper, the N.C. Democratic Party has postponed the county conventions originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28, and moved the convention formats to a virtual platform to be conducted using NCDP telecommunications tools.
Pending approval by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the new date for
the Haywood County Democratic Convention is Saturday, April 25. Time to be determined. The 11th Congressional District Convention will also be conducted using a virtual format and the new date for it is Saturday, May 16. Time to be determined.
Haywood County Democratic Party Chair Myrna Campbell said she will be updating all county convention delegates about technology requirements as the NCDP develops their virtual platform plan. Party members and delegates can also receive current information at www.haywooddemocrats.org, by emailing haywooddemocrats@gmail.com or calling 828.452.9607.
MountainTrue to host online session
In an effort to reduce public exposure to the COVID-19 virus, regional conservation group MountainTrue canceled its previously scheduled series of in-person comment parties and events and moved them online. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. April 7, MountainTrue will host a online info session during which Josh Kelly, MountainTrue’s public lands biologist, will present the organization’s analysis of the draft management plan and the environmental impact statement for the NantahalaPisgah National Forests, answer questions from online attendees and give tips on how to craft effective comments.
RSVP at mountaintrue.org/event/videopresentation-and-discussion-of-the-draftnantahala-pisgah-forest-plan/.
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The helplessness is the thing that’s making all of us so uneasy. Like being pushed along by a wave that you know is big and that you know could hurt you, but in that second before it crashes it’s too late to do anything but ride it out.
A couple of years ago I flipped my truck going down my mountain. The temperature inversion got the best of me, and while the road in front of my house had snow but no ice, a quarter mile down the mountain it was a sheet of ice.
As the truck gathered speed down what we call Suicide Hill and my pumping of the brakes did nothing, I knew I was going to wreck. I had played this out in my head dozens of times. I turned left into the ditch, knowing I’d damage the truck but walk away unhurt. Surprisingly, I was going so fast the truck bounced out, caromed across the road and went off the side with a cliff.
As the truck flipped and went skidding on its top, the roof started closing in on me and the angle of my neck was going from 45 degrees to something closer to 90. Time froze in that second or two, and as the roof pushed down on my head I wondered if this was it? There was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
A tree stopped the truck, and I was left sitting upside down, seatbelt on, all my weight on my neck and head, which was turned at a potentially gruesome angle. Fortunately, I was
Like a virus, emotions are contagious
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a new executive order stating schools would remain closed through May 15 due to COVID-19. I watched the press briefing in a different room from my boys and when it was over, I quietly closed my laptop and sat for a moment trying to process.
The U.S. public school system is a well-oiled machine that has been functioning nonstop for generations. And to see the entire institution come to a screeching halt, as the result of a virus, is surreal. When I told the boys about the new executive order, they said nothing in response. They just looked at me with solemn faces. They truly thought they’d be going back to school in two weeks like the original order indicated. My boys love their school and, like most American school children, they are struggling. Missing school for snow or summer vacation feels much different than missing school because of a pandemic.
able to unclasp the belt and crawl out the passenger side window with a few scrapes and glass cuts and a nasty crick in my neck.
This feels something like that moment when I was upside down, where we are all close to crossing that blurred line between minor upheaval and major tragedy. For now, though, like everyone else I’m floating along, wondering where we’ll land, when we’ll find solid footing again.
Editor Scott McLeod
One time Lori and I were sailing on her father’s 32-foot Bayfield. We were in a heavy chop in a narrow channel between Beaufort, North Carolina, and the Atlantic. It’s a notoriously frenetic little passage, where the waves tend to come from one direction, the wind from another, and the current adding one more factor into the frothing mix.
The swells were six feet or so, nothing too serious but enough to get your attention. We were under motor and after fighting our way through rough seas for some time decided to turn around and head back to Beaufort and try the channel when things had calmed.
With this illness primarily affecting adults (physically, economically, and logistically), we sometimes forget children’s thoughts and emotions are also entangled. After Gov. Cooper’s press briefing, I asked each boy some questions to see what they really knew about COVID-19. I also called my 4-year-old niece to get her perspective.
BROOKS, AGE 11:
Q) What is the coronavirus?
A) It’s a sickness, kind of like the flu. It just popped up out of nowhere and now it’s a horrible problem.
Q) How has life in general changed?
A) A lot of things have closed. People seem really worried, especially as we get further into it. But that’s good because they need to realize this is not a little thing. People are dying.
Q) How has your life changed?
A) We can’t go to school anymore. My soccer season and all my school trips were canceled. Restaurants are takeout only. We’re eating at home a lot more.
Q) Can you think of anything good that’s come of this?
A) It seems like I have more time to play outside. We’ve played a lot of cards and board games. We may plant a garden this week.
Q) How should people protect themselves?
A) Stay six feet away from other people, don’t go to many public places, be aware, wash your hands a lot and don’t touch your face.
Q) Does all of this make you scared?
A) I’m scared for my grandparents, but I’m not scared for myself.
As we were making the 180-degree turn, a large wave came seemingly out of nowhere and caught us broadside, picking the boat up and turning it on its side so the mast was parallel to the sea and its top clipped the crest of one of the waves. It happened in an instant, and again it seemed that time slowed. In a second we were upright, me still at the wheel and Lori holding to the lifelines, the waves behind us. A full-on dose of adrenaline-infused fear surged through me, and after a stream-of-consciousness release of some choice words, we looked at each other and started smiling and laughing almost uncontrollably.
Now is one of those moments, one of those epochs for all of us going through it. We’re all on the edge, wondering if we’ll go over or if the ship will right itself?
Who does well in a crisis? You often read about great people who made the right decisions in a seemingly pivotal moment or over weeks and months as they confronted untold challenges. Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln come to mind.
Together in a crisis, we try to keep our sanity, keep our families safe, and keep our businesses solvent. We’re going fewer places, finding new ways to spend time or finally spending enough time doing those things we always knew we should.
I remember my father-in-law — a wise soul if ever there was one — saying that we prepare our whole lives for a crisis by how we live each moment leading up to it. For a whole lot of people the world over, that crisis is now.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)
CASE, AGE 8:
Q) What is the coronavirus?
A) A type of sickness.
Q) What does it do to a person?
A) I’m not really sure because I’ve never had it.
Q) How has life changed?
A) School is closed, which makes me sad because I don’t get to see my friends. Some of my friends I only see at school. I don’t even know where they live.
Q) How do you think doctors should treat this virus?
A) Very seriously. They should give the patients a shot like a flu shot. And they should give them medicine.
Q) How should people protect themselves?
A) Wearing masks, staying at home a lot, using more hand sanitizer and washing hands. And only Face Time with your grandparents.
Q) Does all this make you scared?
A) Yes, a little.
MADDIE, AGE 4:
Q) What are you doing every day?
A) My pre-school was canceled because my teachers were sick. They had a big bad fever and then they got the flu. Now I go to a daycare. I made a new friend at my daycare and I learn Spanish.
Q) What should doctors do when people get sick?
A) I think there is a lot of bad sickness everywhere.
Q) How do you think people can get better?
A) Maybe give them a shot. Put a mask on.
Q) How can you protect yourself?
A) I think I can wait and see who gets it and then I can figure out what to do. If I don’t go near the sick people, I won’t get sick. You always should wash your hands, always.
Q) If people get sick, what can make them feel better?
A) I think watching “Frozen.” Elsa and Anna will make the sick people feel better.
Every day of this public health crisis feels like Pandora’s box. I wake up having no idea what the news will say or what curve balls the day will throw. Right now it feels like the end is eons away. I look forward to the day when we can look back on the COVID-19 pandemic as a historic event, not a crippling nightmare. The experts have offered several tips to parents in terms of easing the anxiety for children. They suggest offering the facts in simple terms, not allowing children to watch the news, answering kids’ questions and maintaining a sense of routine.
Most importantly, the adults need to keep their own emotions in check. Like a virus, emotions are contagious, so we have to be careful not to infect young minds. I wake up and set an emotional intention for the day. I do this not only for me but also for my children. When everything else feels out of control, the one thing I can manage is my own outlook.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital marketing specialist for Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnnews.com)
Columnist
Susanna Shetley
Bringing the concert to your couch
Local musicians turn to live streaming for performances
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER
It’s the hottest show in town, but nobody is allowed in.
Tucked in the depths of The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville, J. Rex & The Gem Rats took the stage for a bluegrass jam last Wednesday evening.
Normally, there would be a packed house for the weekly hootenanny. But, due to the recent Coronavirus Pandemic, all live music gatherings have been canceled until further notice in the state and around the country.
Standing in front of the microphones onstage, The Gem Rats gazed out onto an empty room. And situated in the middle of that desolate space was a webcam, with numerous viewers from Western North Carolina and beyond tuning in through Facebook Live.
“I’ve never played a live show like this before. It’s weird because we know people are watching online, but the energy on the stage still felt pretty good,” said singer/guitarist Jerad Davis (aka: J. Rex). “When I play with my eyes closed, it feels like a normal gig. But, I open them and it’s this empty room — it’s a strange feeling.”
Though The Gem Rats performance was free to view, there was also a suggested donation. Proceeds from the live stream went to employees of Boojum Brewing who may have fallen on hard times due to the coronavirus’ effects on the business.
“Our thoughts right now are with everyone who works full-time in the music and craft beer industry — all these people who are now struggling,” Davis said.
With The Gem Rats being a one-time ensemble of local musicians put together for the online concert, Davis and two others onstage (bassist Adam Bigelow and dobroist Carter Giegerich) are part of Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, a popular Western North Carolina string act.
“We’ve been on cusp of this technology being viable to musicians for a while now,” Giegerich said. “And with everybody now staying home due to the coronavirus, you’re going to wind up seeing more people buying into it.”
And buying into it is something music freaks and the general public have done in recent days and weeks. While seeking out new and innovative avenues to entertain themselves during the pandemic, musicians and fans are finding new ways to connect.
“The coronavirus crisis that has gutted the arts and music industry has now created the potential to explore these new ways to share
Want to watch?
With the recent Coronavirus Pandemic, many of your favorite local, regional and national musicians/bands are now hosting live concerts online.
By simply going to the respective Facebook or Instagram profiles (or websites) for each group, you can find more information on what time these performances will take place.
Most concerts are free to view, with many asking for a suggested donation. But, remember, the well-being of these talented artists relies on financial survival through these uncertain times. Any and all donations are appreciated.
music — making people more receptive to things like live streaming,” Giegerich said.
With any and all live music canceled for the foreseeable future, seemingly every touring musician and band has set up live music streams (with suggested donations or ticket purchases to online performances) — from
“The coronavirus crisis that has gutted the arts and music industry has now created the potential to explore these new ways to share music — making people more receptive to things like live streaming.”
— Carter Giegerich, dobroist
private homes, studios, venue stages or outside in some bucolic setting.
Even ODB has had to eliminate many wellpaying shows, of which the band members had looked forward to — artistically and financially.
“We have a really great gig down in Atlanta at the end of May with the Rumpke Mountain Boys, this national touring band. And we’ll be pretty bummed if it gets canceled,” Davis said. “But, this is happening to all of our musician friends, many of which are professionals whose entire income has just vanished.”
Luckily, like the rest of the ODB members, Davis has a day job, which for him is being a private attorney who also does court appointed work for Haywood and Jackson counties.
“Even though the courts are closed for the next 30 days, I still have a bit of work to do for other clients,” Davis said. “And I think all of us in the band are thankful that we have these other sources of income.”
Boojum Brewing co-owner Ben Baker, who was running sound and lights for The Gem Rats show, said the venue will be open for other local acts looking to do live streams. He welcomes those musicians to contact the business about putting something together.
“Live music is a big part of who we are and what we’re all about here,” Baker said. “We’re ready to host and help out in any way we can to all of these incredible bands who have been part of the Boojum family since we opened [five years ago].”
J. Rex & The Gem Rats.
(photo: Garret K. Woodward)
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore?
So, here we are, eh?
What a difference a day makes, where now each morning we seemingly wake up into another new normal in the fight against the coronavirus. It’s this existence of being stuck at home for the sake of society’s health and well-being — all dressed up and nowhere to go now taking on an entirely different meaning.
Hell, it was only earlier this month when most of us first caught wind of what the coronavirus was, this highly-infectious sickness roaming through China and Southeast Asia. At the time, the concern was — literally and figuratively — an ocean away. I think of the old Mad magazine tagline “What, me worry?” and cringe at the lack of initial response compared to where we currently (and are projected to) stand in all of “this.”
But, while this virus quickly made its way to American soil, so have the rules set forth
traveled, I found myself rocketing down the highway with ease. The usual traffic through Asheville, Columbia, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, had disappeared. The masses were (finally) adhering to state and national guidelines as seen on blinking signs above the interstate: “Stay Home.”
Initially, I was hesitant to head down to St. Augustine, to take the chance of travel and put myself in close quarters with my folks, who, though healthy, are both in their 70s. But, amid their concerns of being alone in Florida with the rest of our family back in the North Country, I decided to roll down and take care of whatever they needed.
Today (Tuesday morning) is my fifth day in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States (founded 1565). My parents and I have been laying low. Quiet mornings sitting on the front porch over coffee.
Watching the news and keeping track of the latest developments. A quick afternoon excursion to the beach for some fresh air and sunshine. Homemade meals or takeout for dinner, all while watching classic films on TCM with my mom or old boxing matches with my dad.
Things are calm, with a sense of calculated rhythm that keeps us at bay with our wandering thoughts. For someone like myself, it’s odd to not be so busy, to not be constantly traveling or writing, two things that have dominated my existence for as far back as I can remember. It’s weird to sit still for once, where you start to realize how much time there actually is in a day.
Over the weekend, I went for a jog through the downtown corridor of St. Augustine. Passing by the old Spanish ruins, I stopped at what was once the north entrance gate built in 1739. By the time that gate was built, the Spanish had already been there for almost 175 years.
Laurel Ridge To Go
Laurel Ridge wants to do our part to help our community still enjoy dining in Haywood County. Our chefs have crafted a To Go menu that is available for all, four days a week, beginning today.
Orders will be taken Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. by phone, 828-452-0545 x140 and can be picked up under the clubhouse portico (no need to come inside!).
49 Cupp Lane • Waynesville
by local, state and federal officials in trying to cope with a global pandemic. Within the last week, our entire region of Western North Carolina has pretty much shut down, this eerie post-apocalyptic scene now familiar all over the United States and the rest of our planet.
And here I sit at a kitchen table in a small bungalow a few blocks from downtown St. Augustine, Florida. Normally, the streets are buzzing with tourists and locals alike, all soaking in that signature sunshine with a slight breeze coming off the nearby Atlantic Ocean. As I type this, the streets are silent, businesses closed until further notice, but the sunshine and slight breeze remain, thankfully.
Last Thursday, I took off for The Sunshine State to keep an eye on my parents before they venture back home to Upstate New York. Spending every March in St. Augustine, they’re eager to get on the road and return to the old farmhouse, which, at last check, is now covered with a fresh blanket of snow.
It was I-40 to I-26 to I-95 to get here. Whereas these routes are known to be heavily
I thought of all the things that gate had witnessed: bad weather, brutal conflicts, rampant sickness, but also joyous celebrations, promising sunrises and sacred sunsets. I jogged away with one notion rolling through my mind — nothing is the same, everything is the same. I remain optimistic, always have and always will. Sure, it may prove difficult in the long-haul, but we will overcome and succeed together.
For instance, when “this” is all over and done, we may start thinking about — and perhaps taking more proactive measures — towards: locally grown produce, being more self-reliant, seeing the true value of artists and live music, conservation of natural resources, embracing the beauty of our natural surroundings, appreciation of your neighbors, realizing the good aspects of your community, and realizing the things needing to change in your community.
But, most importantly, this whole thing has truly brought to the forefront the importance of time and “moments,” and of spending time with loved ones. Everything has slowed down in our fast-paced world, if but for this crossroads of modern times, which means we can strip away all the noise and distraction — finally seeing what is essential and nonessential in our daily lives moving forward.
News, A&E, Outdoors coverage and more each week in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. Visit www.smokymountainnews.com to read, comment and search over 10 years of archives.
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The Coronavirus and The Smoky Mountain News
No book review today.
But please read this column.
First, you need some pertinent facts.
I ran a bed-and-breakfast and a bookstore in Waynesville for 20 years, and with some overlap, taught literature, history, and Latin in Asheville for another 20 years. I am now a freelance writer.
For the last 20 years, I have written book reviews for The Smoky Mountain News, but I am not on staff at the paper.
In other words, I have only a small stake in what I am asking here.
Now to the subject literally at hand, namely the newspaper you are reading.
Community is a word often misused, but when we live in a community, sooner or later we recognize that fact. We build communities when we face common problems or share similar interests. We hit the soccer field at 8 on a Saturday morning, coffee in hand, and visit with other parents while our kids run around chasing a ball on the dew-sprinkled grass. That’s community. We shop in our local stores on Main Street instead of online, wanting to help our neighbors and keep our tax dollars local. That’s community. That guy who gets up before dawn after a major snowstorm to plow his neighborhood’s streets without pay: Yep, that’s community.
The tighter the bonds between us, the stronger we are as a community.
And one of those bonds linking us together for 20 years has been The Smoky Mountain News, the paper you hold in your fingers as you read these words.
Every week The Smoky Mountain News reports on local politics, touts regional events and entertainment, and introduces us to our
talented neighbors. Just last week alone the paper brought us stories about our local schools coping with the coronavirus, the debate over the construction of a pool in
has brought our community closer together, letting us become better acquainted, alerting us to the major issues of the day in our mountains, giving us reviews of music, arts, litera-
ask business owners, professionals, and other readers to consider advertising in the paper. To do so, please contact Greg Boothroyd at 828-506-4112 or at ads@smokymountainnews.com.
Jackson County, the enormous economic damage done to Main Street businesses by the virus, the Cold Mountain Music Festival, an art exhibit at Western Carolina University, a cleanup of trash at Lake Junaluska, and much more.
Think of the good done by such a paper as The Smoky Mountain News. Locals and tourists in our area snatch up these papers from a rack outside a bakery, have a bagel and tea, and plan their day based on what they find in these pages. In communities lacking a local newspaper — and there are more and more such communities across the country — these events often go unnoticed, issues like swimming pools and business health are ignored, and local taxes tend to go up because of the lack of a watchdog press.
For 20 years, The Smoky Mountain News
To keep the paper alive, for the first time in our history we are also asking readers to send contributions to the paper. No amount is too small. Please endorse your checks to Smoky Mountain News and mail them to this address: Smoky Mountain News/P.O. Box 629/Waynesville NC 28786.
If you prefer to use PayPal or a credit card, you can go to smokymountainnews.com. On the right side of the “Home Page” you will find a box labeled “Support The Smoky Mountain News.” Click there and follow the directions.
Many of you have seen the film “It’s A Wonderful Life.” At the end of that film, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) realizes the importance of family, friends, and neighbors, but still faces financial ruin. Those same friends and neighbors, led by George’s wife Mary (Donna Reed), come to his rescue with their donations.
ture, and performances, and providing a calendar of upcoming events.
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But now advertising, which was already down, has plummeted because of the coronavirus and because so many closures related to the epidemic have rightfully panicked our advertisers.
If things don’t turn around, you won’t get the paper free anymore. You won’t get the paper at all. Because the doors are swinging shut and the lights are going off.
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We who love The Smoky Mountain News
I never thought a guy my age and with my decrepit looks would play Mary in It’s A Wonderful Life, but here I am asking for your help.
I know that many in these mountains are struggling to make ends meet right now with the coronavirus and the shutdowns we’ve faced. I know that many of you may be hardpressed to keep your businesses open or to pay your mortgages. As a former small business owner always one foot shy of going down the tubes, I understand.
But most of us surely hope to come out of this crisis with our community as intact as possible. This newspaper, our newspaper, is a part of that community.
If you are able to do so, please send a contribution to The Smoky Mountain News. (Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com.)
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Writer Jeff Minick
Downtown Waynesville. A Shot Above Photo
names are Aura and Kisses, respectively.
“If we start freaking out, we’re going to lose our heads,” Cote. “You have to be really clear-headed out here to know how to survive and what your next step is. We’re just trying not to get swept up in it.”
She paused for a moment.
“Plus, I worked three jobs last year to pay for this, so I’m not just going to give up 100 miles in,” she said. “We worked so hard and saved for so long for this.”
Besides, the two said, they’d already planned a type of hike that seems to make even more sense now that there’s COVID-19 to worry about — as many trail days and as few zero days as possible.
“We’re really serious about being out here,” said Cote. “This is what we came out here to do.”
A.T. dreams meet COVID-19 crisis
Some hikers leave the trail as others press on toward Maine
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
In the last two weeks, the world has changed. From darkened downtown windows to packed-full parking lots at Ingles and WalMart, the evidence is everywhere, impossible to ignore.
But with each step on the Appalachian Trail as it unfolds south from Winding Stair Gap in Macon County, the topsy-turvy world down below fades just a bit. About a mile from the trailhead, the path reaches the ridge, which in this leafless season offers a sweeping view of the valley roads leading to Franklin and the line of mountains rising up from its opposite side. Despite all that’s changed since then, the view looks just as it did last time I saw it, in early November — just with a lot less red and orange.
The COVID-19 pandemic exploded simultaneously with the beginning of thru-hiker season on the A.T., a yearly migration from Springer Mountain, Georgia, north to Mount Katahdin, Maine, in which people the world over seek solace and solitude from a sixmonth backpacking adventure through the Appalachian Mountains. The solitude part of that equation has been harder to come by in recent years, with thousands of people
embarking from Springer Mountain each year and shelter areas — especially in the southern regions of the trail — often drawing dozens of people each night at peak season.
As of March 16, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy had registered 1,229 thru-hikers in Georgia, about 78 more than the same time last year. But hikers say the trail’s been emptying out following the ATC’s March 17 request that all hikers planning a section or thru-hike this year postpone their excursion until the COVID-19 crisis passes. On March 20, the ATC suspended all new registrations. On March 23 — after this story was reported March 19 — it asked day hikers and backpackers alike to stay off the trail until further notice.
‘WE
STILL FEEL THE SAFEST OUT HERE’
Some hikers have cleared out as a result of the edict. While there is often a significant amount of attrition in the first hundred miles or so, hikers and community members alike say that the drop-off has seemed especially sharp over the past week, likely due to the virus.
But other hikers remain undeterred as they cling to their A.T. dreams.
“We still feel the safest out here,” said Greg Boului, a 32-year-old from Bridgeton, Maine, who goes by the trail name Stone Man. He’s hiking with his girlfriend Cricket Cote, also 32, and their dog Roux, whose trail
For Eric Daudet, 47, the coronavirus crisis is just confirmation that the Appalachian Trail is exactly the right place to be. The A.T. is just one stop in what he plans to be a new normal of off-the-grid life, something he’d planned long before “social distancing” and “viral load” became common household terms. He moved out of his rented house in Covington, Georgia, got his affairs in order, and hit the trail. He’s planning to walk as far as Tennessee or Virginia and then go on to some other adventure, perhaps the Continental Divide Trail. Really, the main way COVID-19 has affected his plans is by prompting him to carry a heavier pack than he otherwise would — with so many businesses shuttered and grocery store shelves cleared out, resupply opportunities are an open question.
“I didn’t expect to have to pack so heavy,” said Daudet. “It’s killing me.”
TIME FOR TRAIL MAGIC
In addition to resupplies at grocery stores and outposts, thru-hikers rely on kindness and encouragement from “trail angels” to spur them along when the going gets hard. Trail angels have long been a fixture of the A.T., volunteers who station themselves along the trail’s length to offer snacks, drinks, rides to town and even home-cooked meals. Some groups are opting to skip the goodies this year as the pandemic ramps up. The Nantahala Hiking Club, for example, canceled its annual Thru-Hiker Chow-Down and Easter on the Trail events in response to guidance from the ATC.
But others remain unfazed.
“I don’t feel like God would have called me out here to do this if he was going to call me to die,” said Lisa Rogers, 54, who is known as Buttercup on the trail.
Rogers is helping out some 30 hikers, who she met at Springer Mountain when hiking season began. She’d originally contemplated a thru-hike herself but decided against it. God called her to instead be a support for those who are hiking the trail, she said. She outfitted her van with solar power and set it up so that she could live in it full-time for the next six months, and now she spends her days
driving along the trail to give her passel of hikers rides to town or meet them with resupply boxes at appointed locations. She’s not scared, she said, but she does clean her van a lot.
Hickory resident Eric Wilson, 66, isn’t letting COVID-19 deter him from his trail angel tradition either. Every year on March 19, he drives to Winding Stair Gap and hands out goodies to passing thru-hikers, commemorating the start date of his own thru-hike back in 1997, when he went by the trail name Lone Chair.
“I didn’t know how well I would be received,” he said. “I didn’t know how many people would show up, but I knew that I had 62 people in one day come here last year, all of them thru hikers. I thought, ‘I’m going to have to plan on that.’ So I planned on having that number of people come through. So far I’ve had only half of it.”
Still, it was only about 2 p.m., and Wilson would remain at his station until dark fell six hours later. He wasn’t ignoring the threat — a bottle of hand sanitizer sat on the hood of his car alongside the clementines and cookies, and he maintained the recommended 6-foot distance throughout the course of the conversation.
ONE STEP AHEAD
For newlyweds Jonathan Hall, 36, and Ali Eagle, 33, COVID-19 has been a shadow that’s stalked them for the past month but has so far failed to catch up. They moved out of their apartment in Brooklyn, New York, on Leap Day and got married March 2. After a two-day mini honeymoon in Vermont, they started packing for the A.T. and stepped off from Springer Mountain on March 9.
“We’ve been one step ahead of the virus,” said Hall.
In more ways than one. The coronavirus pandemic is an economic crisis as well as a public health one, but Hall and Eagle had already prepared to be unemployed for an extended period of time while they hiked the trail, and the worries many thru-hikers have about the availability of resupply points along the trail don’t apply to them. They’d pre-prepared boxes of food and supplies to send to themselves at various post offices along the way, so they’re not relying on grocery stores. Instead, they’re relying on Hall’s parents to be able to get to the post office.
“If the USPS shuts down, then we’re really in trouble,” said Hall.
Off-trail life moves at the speed of internet, and that’s never been so true as during the last couple of weeks, when the news metastasizes into something new and foreign seemingly every hour. Hall and Eagle have been spared that constant influx, but they had to catch up sometime. After about two headlineless weeks, they spent a night at Enota Mountain Retreat in Hiawassee one week into their hike. An employee turned the news on for them, which featured shots of Manhattan’s streets, empty. Those F
Thru-hikers Greg Boului and Cricket Cote wait for a shuttle at Winding Stair Gap with their dog Roux. Holly Kays photo
normal when you’re not talking about it.”
QUIET IN FRANKLIN
But once you leave the trail, that illusion quickly fades. For Rob Gasbarro, co-owner of outfitter Outdoor 76, March and April should be the busiest time of the year. After 100 miles on the trail, thru-hikers flock to Gasbarro’s shop to switch out their boots or buy fuel or get their equipment repaired or just ask for advice about what lies ahead.
“If you were here March 19 last year, I wouldn’t have time to talk to you,” said Gasbarro.
streets were familiar to Hall and Eagle, but the emptiness was shocking, as was the news overall.
“We’re not seeing it hour by hour,” said Hall. “So two weeks’ worth in 15 minutes really blew us away.”
“In 101 Dalmatians there’s that one dog who sits in front of the screen all the time,” said Eagle. “And I felt like that was us with the news.”
But this year is different. The store was nearly empty of customers. Gasbarro and his dog Heidi had plenty of time to sit on the bench outside the store and talk to The Smoky Mountain News. At the moment, sales figures were pretty close to what they had been at the same point in 2019, but the last week in March together with the first two weeks in April typically comprise a disproportionate amount of Outdoor 76’s revenue for the
Still, once they returned to the trail they found that feeling easy to leave behind.
“It took us half a day walking away from that retreat we stayed at to have it out of our minds. We’re not really thinking about it at all,” said Hall. “Everything just seems
COVID-conscious farmers market to open in Asheville
An interim farmers market will operate in Asheville amid the coronavirus crises, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project organized the market, located on the campus of A-B Tech, in response to COVID-19related farmers market closures. This new market is designed to protect shoppers and vendors by maintaining social distances and mitigating potential virus transmission points.
“We’ve got hundreds of farmers and vendors and thousands of community members that rely on these markets for livelihood and healthy fresh food,” said ASAP Executive Director Charlie Jackson. “We’ve got to be able to continue to produce food here and farmers have to get paid. This market creates the new model that will let us continue to have a robust and sustaining food system even in the most trying of times.”
The number of shoppers in the market area at one time will be tightly controlled. Staff will
People are dropping out of the trail, or not starting it at all. In the coming weeks, Gasbarro expects to see sales drop precipitously from the norm for that time of year.
“It hasn’t come to a screeching halt, but if you told me last week that this is what we’d be talking about on Thursday of this week, I would have said you’re crazy,” he said. “That has me concerned about next week. How is next Thursday going to look in comparison to this? Is this the new status quo? Is it only going to get worse? I have no idea.”
direct shoppers to queue inside their vehicles until it’s their turn to enter the market. Vendors will remain at least 6 feet from shoppers and other vendors at all times. Customers will select pre-packaged or bunched items and will not handle other products on vendor tables. No vendor or shopper who is experiencing illness or exhibiting flu-like symptoms of any kind will be allowed to enter the market.
To minimize potential virus transmission points, purchases must be paid online at asapconnections.org after shopping, based on an honor system. All pre-bagged or bunched products will have prices clearly marked. SNAP/EBT will be accepted via voucher forms, available at the market. Double SNAP will not be offered at this time. ASAP will cover the risk for honor system payments, and farmers will be paid in full for all product sold. Customers will have the option to donate toward operational costs and shortages.
“We’re relying on the honesty and generosity of shoppers to make this work,” said Jackson. The market will operate for as long as necessary, possibly expanding to other locations and days of the week as opportunity and demand allows. Farmers interested in participating may apply at www.asap.org.
Eric Daudet was already in the process of transitioning to an off-grid life when the COVID-19 crisis hit. Holly Kays photo
Chris Caldwell
COVID-19 impacts outdoors offerings
Coronavirus concerns have prompted a slew of operational and scheduling changes for outdoors-oriented agencies and organizations across the region.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK:
n Except for the Foothills Parkway and the Spur, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now closed through Monday, April 6. All campgrounds, picnic areas and restrooms will be closed through April 30. Sugarlands, Oconaluftee and Cades Cove visitor centers are closed until further notice.
n The Great Smoky Mountains Association has suspended its bookstore, orientation shelter and historical demonstration operations in visitor centers throughout the park.
n Reservations are suspended for gatherings through April 30 at Appalachian Clubhouse, Spence Cabin, Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church, Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church, Cades Cove Methodist Church and Smokemont Baptist Church. All requests for reservation cancellations will be honored with a full refund and no penalty.
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
n Miles 455 through 469 are closed.
n All restrooms are closed.
n A 10-person maximum is in effect at all backcountry camping locations, and no more than six people are allowed to occupy any one campsite. Some specific locations, including Johns River Road, Basin Cove and CCC Camp, have additional occupancy limits. Permits can be acquired by phone from the district office closest to the desired backcountry site location.
n The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 383 in Asheville is closed until further notice.
n Roads and trails will remain open where not otherwise closed due to weather.
n Decisions regarding planned seasonal openings such as park campgrounds and visitor centers will be made at a later date.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
n All campgrounds are closed on national forest lands in North Carolina as of Monday, March 23, extending through at least May 15. The closure includes campgrounds operated by concessionaires and any day-use areas associated with those campgrounds.
n Ranger district offices are closed to walk-in traffic. Visitors are asked to call ahead to obtain entrance, which may include setting up an appointment. However, visitors are asked not to
request a visit if: they or somebody they have been in frequent contact with has had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19; they in the last 14 days traveled through or had contact with someone who traveled through a Centers for Disease Control Level 2 or 3 country or a State Department Level 3 or 4 country; or they have or in the last 24 hours had any cold or flu symptoms.
n Scheduled open houses for the Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan Revision have been canceled. Information and presentations from the canceled meetings will be provided online at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.
The public comment period will be extended from the original May 14 deadline.
n The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is asking all thru-hikers and section hikers to cancel or postpone their hikes. ATC visitor centers are closed until further notice, and volunteers have been recalled from the trail for the next two weeks.
n Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail advises against planning a thru-hike at this time and has canceled the Gathering of Friends planned for Surf City this month.
n The Highlands Biological Station office is closed through the end of March and the Nature Center will remain closed through May 8. All Nature Center programs have been canceled through April 30.
n At the N.C. Arboretum, the gift shop, exhibit hall and greenhouse in the Baker
n Prescribed fire activity on national forest lands is suspended in the southern states until further notice in order to support social distancing for fire crews and protect community members from respiratory irritation from smoke.
OTHER UPDATES:
n The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has suspended thru-hiking registrations and is asking day hikers and backpackers alike to stay off the trail until further notice.
n In Cherokee, the Fire Mountain Trails, Soco Falls, Mingo Falls, Oconaluftee Island Park, the skate park, Wolfetown Soccer Field, Big Cove Stickball Field, Birdtown Batting Cages, Yellowhill and Soco Open-Air Basketball Court, all playgrounds and all picnic areas are closed until further notice.
n Most operations are suspended at Nantahala Outdoor Center through March 29, and the Wildwater World Championships in April have been canceled. However, the Nantahala General Store will remain open to support Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.
Exhibit Center are closed, as are the Education Center and Bistro. All programming, classes and events are canceled through April 30.
n Cataloochee Trout Unlimited has canceled planned trout stockings and meetings this spring. The next meeting will not be held until September.
n Mainspring Conservation Trust is canceling all volunteer workdays until further notice, and offices are closed to the public. Staff members are available via phone or email.
n Recreation centers in Cullowhee, Cashiers and Waynesville are closed.
n The Nantahala Hiking Club has canceled all hikes and events through April 17, at which time the club will review the situation.
n Carolina Mountain Club has canceled all hikes and events until further notice.
n Haywood Waterways Association has canceled all events until further notice.
n The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center is closed, but agents are still available by phone and email.
n Landmark Learning has canceled all NOLS Wilderness Medicine coursework through April 23.
Walk with the wildflowers
A wildflower hike in search of early ephemerals will be offered 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Balsam Mountain Trust.
The adventure will begin with a brief overview of common species and how to use a field guide, and then the group will hit the trail for an easy-to-moderate hike searching for the spring beauties that
make the Southern Blue Ridge so special. The hike is free, but donations are appreciated and registration is required by March 27 with Rose Wall, education@bmtrust.org or 828.631.1061. Because the hike is capped at 15 people and held outdoors, Balsam Mountain is comfortable offering it as of press time but will cancel the program if public health requires it.
Trout waters to reopen
About 900 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters will open to anglers at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 4.
The waters closed Feb. 29 for stocking, and stocking will continue in certain streams through August. Over that six-month period, nearly 767,000 trout will be added to the water, 96 percent of which will average 10 inches in length. The other 4 percent exceed 14 inches.
Anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restriction. While all Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are open to public fishing, many of those miles are privately owned. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission urges anglers to respect the property they are fishing on, as landowners can take away access if they feel their property is being misused.
To help anglers plan fishing trips in advance, the full stocking schedule is posted at www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/fishing/documents/2019fishingdocuments/trout-schedule-2020.pdf
Linville River project wraps up
A major restoration project has been completed along the Linville River.
The N.C. Forest Service and partnering agencies have restored 2,450 feet of the river channel through Gill State Forest and beyond Crossnore Mountain Training Facility and Linville River Nursery. Additionally, the NCFS has enhanced 500 feet of an unnamed stream that discharges to the river by planting understory growth that will eventually shade the stream.
The next phase of the project, to be completed this spring, will involve tree seedling planting and trout stocking. Additional stocking will occur during the summer months.
For fishing and hiking enthusiasts, visitor parking is available just off Linville Falls Highway, adjacent to the high-water bridge. This summer, a river trail and self-interpretation kiosks will be established to inform forest visitors about the many benefits of river restoration.
PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELED BEFORE TRAVELING TO AN EVENT LISTED BELOW.
COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The Jackson County Department of Public Health is seeking input from residents who’ve used the department’s services and residents who have thoughts on the health needs of Jackson County. http://health.jacksonnc.org/surveys. Info: 587.8288.
• Cashiers Area Chamber is seeking feedback to improve visitors’ experiences to the area. Take the survey at: tinyurl.com/y6w4uqyo.
Fontana Regional Library now offers anyone with a library card free access to eMagazines, for reading on any mobile device or computer. This new service joins our popular eBooks and digital audiobook`s selection — all available 24/7 from the library’s digital collection. To get started enjoying digital magazines as well as eBooks and audiobooks, visit e-inc.overdrive.com or download the Libby reading app. www.fontanalib.org.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• Registration is underway for “How to Find Your Customers,” a seminar that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:308:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, in Clyde. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.
• Submissions are being accepted for Southwestern Community College’s Cultural Fusion art/literature contest, which will be featured during the Cultural Fusion Festival on Wednesday, April 15, on the college’s Jackson Campus. Submissions accepted through April 1 in “Artwork or Photography” or “Literature (poetry, short stories, prose).” Info: 339.4325, tknott@southwesterncc.edu or SouthwesternCC.edu.
• Registration is underway for “Basics of Bookkeeping,” a seminar that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, in Clyde. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.
• Registration is underway for “Your Small Business Taxes,” a seminar that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21, in Clyde. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.
• Registration is underway for several session of a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician program through Landmark Learning. Upcoming sessions include May 23-June 19, July 11-Aug. 7 and Oct. 3-30. www.landmarklearning.org.
• Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department is offering a wide variety of courses. For a complete listing: www.haywood.edu. Info: 627.4669.
• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
FUNDRAISERS AND B ENEFITS
• Tickets are on sale for the inaugural Great Smokies Eco Adventure, a multifaceted fundraising event for Discover Life in America set for April 19-21 near Gatlinburg, Tenn. Includes glamping at A Walk in the Woods’ luxurious off-grid camp near Cosby, gourmet food and drink, guided nature hikes and live music. Cost: $1,500. Proceeds support DLiA, which coordinates
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com
the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in the park. Tickets: www.dlia.org.
• Stonehouse Pottery (Waynesville) will be doing an Open Studio Tour and Sale the first Sunday of each month to help support our local nonprofits. Each month highlights a different artist and that artists chooses his or her nonprofit. Stonehouse Pottery and the artist then give a portion of the proceeds as a donation to that nonprofit.
VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS
• There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 23rd annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through March 15. greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.
• The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events. Alongside help for events and gatherings, the organization is also seeking a docent, gift shop attendee, data entry person, landscaper, handyperson, and other positions.
• Haywood Vocational Opportunities is seeking donations of goods, services, time and support for the second annual “HVO Stans Up to PTSD Veteran Community Resource, Education and Job Fair,” which will be held on June 27. 454.6857.
• Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287).
• Cat adoption hours are from noon-5 p.m. on Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays at 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Adoption fee: $10 for cats one-year and older. Check out available cats at www.petharbor.com. 452.1329 or 550.3662.
Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov or 497.1914.
• Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.
• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County. 828.400.4940.
• Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center and get started sharing your talents. 356.2833.
• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.
H EALTH MATTERS
• “Yoga for Back Care” will be offered from noon-1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at Waynesville Yoga Center. Cost: $15. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. Classes will be streamed online.
• “Wheels of Life: Deep Dive into the Chakra System” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at Waynesville Yoga Center. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. Classes will be streamed online.
• “Inspiring Confidence in Yoga Teaching: Learn Trauma-Informed Adjustments” will be offered from 23:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, at Waynesville Yoga Center. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. Classes will be streamed online.
• Waynesville Yoga Center will offer “Everyday Inner Ease within the Whirlwind of Life: Yoga for Trauma and Anxiety” from noon-1 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, in Waynesville. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. Classes will be streamed online.
• Waynesville Yoga Center will offer “Yoga for Hip Health” from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, in Waynesville. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. Classes will be streamed online.
• Haywood County Health & Human Services Agency will hold a monthly night clinic from 4:30-6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at 157 Paragon Parkway in Clyde next to Tractor Supply. Annual exams, birth control, child health, lab testing, immunizations, STI/STD exams and counseling. Appointments: 452.6675.
R ECREATION AND FITNESS
• Registration is underway for “The Artist’s Way” – a three-hour paddle trip on the Cullasaja ending below Currahee Brewing. Trip is set for April 23. Cost: $58 to rent a kayak or $35 if you bring your own. Register and get more info: www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcomingevents.
K IDS & FAMILIES
• The Kathryn Byer Memorial Poetry Contest celebrates our mountains and our connection to them in our everyday lives. It is open to all Jackson County students, K12. The poets are divided into three categories: K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade, and 9-12th. Three winners, in addition to Honorable Mentions, will be chosen in each category. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, but can be much shorter, of course. Poems should be submitted to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, either in person, mail or by email to more@citylightsnc.com by April 10. Please include “Poetry Contest” in the subject line. The winners in each category will receive gift certificates to City Lights Bookstore and will be invited to read at Greening up the Mountains at 3 p.m. April 25 at City Lights Bookstore. Winners will be announced by April 20. 586.9499.
• The Sylva Art + Design Committee is pleased to announce a unique pop-up gallery event that will feature the artistic creations of children ages 5-18 in the Western North Carolina region. “Nature Through A Child’s Eye” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Viva Arts Studio in downtown Sylva. If you have a child that you think may want to be a participant ages of 5-18 apply by emailing sylvaartdesign@gmail.com or vivaartsstudio@gmail.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/sylvapublicart or on Instagram
Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:
n Complete listings of local music scene
n Regional festivals
n Art gallery events and openings
n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers
n Civic and social club gatherings
@sylvaarts. All submissions will be available for purchase and can be picked up after the completion of the exhibition. All money raised will be equally distributed between SADC and the Sylva Community Garden in order to further the betterment of the community through arts, education, and environmental awareness.
• Registration is underway for the Challenger International Soccer Camp, which will be offered to ages 3-14 from July 20-24 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Costs vary based on age group from $90-197. Separate goalkeeper and scorer program is $25 for ages 6-14 from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Register: challengersports.com. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.
• Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old. Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register.
• Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.
Ongoing
H EALTH MATTERS
• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.
• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.
VOLUNTEERING
• The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed. Info: Jeanne Naber, Meals on Wheels Program Coordinator, 356.2442.
• Dogs and cats are available for adoption from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays as well as Saturdays at Sarge’s Adoption Center in Waynesville. The public may also adopt Sarge’s cats from PetSmart in Waynesville. For information or to donate or volunteer, visit www.sargeandfriends.org or call 246.9050.
• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.
• Free — Lost or found pet ads.
• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*
• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE
• Legal N otices — 25¢ per word
• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)
• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4
• Boost in Print
• Add Photo $6
• Bold ad $2
• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4
• Border $4
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, highend, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 1-866-508-8362.
Automobiles
2000 ACURA INTEGRA Reduced! $600 She was my daily driver for 5 years. Needs some work to run. Great for mechanically inclined person or use for spare parts. Clean title. 263,000 miles. Must pick up. West Waynesville. More pics on wncmarketplace. com. Call or text. 828.246.8092. Leave message if no answer.
Business Opportunities
NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your own book. FREE author submission kit! Limited offer! Why wait? Call now: 888-910-2201
MAKE $1,000 DAILY Returning Phone Calls! Find out how! Call Our 24/7 MESSAGE hotline: (518) 530-1204 Need More Information? Go to: http://allcashmoney.com/ No Experience Needed.
BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
Publications sold at all major secular & specialty Christian bookstores. CALL Christian Faith Publishing for your FREE author submission kit. 1-877-4844025
Employment
FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Associate Vice President for Curriculum Programs. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/ Human Resourc-
678-7342. Internet: www.faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer
AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial
- Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-441-6890.
FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Accounting Technician - Curriculum and Continuing Education. Instructional Lab Technician (Fitness Center). For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: faytechcc. peopleadmin.com/ Hu-
Phone: (910) 678-7342. Internet: www.faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer
FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Department Chair for College and Career Readiness/ AHS Senior Secretary - Corporate and Industry Training. PartTime Student Athletics Technician Department Chair - Medical Laboratory Technology. Department Chair for Mammography and Radiography Instructor. Funeral Service Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/ Human Resourc-
678-7342 Internet: www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer
ADMINISTRATOR NATURALIST
BALSAM MOUNTAIN TRUST Great opportunity for candidate who: is organized, has strong work ethic,tion experience and who has experience with, or interest in, the care of native wildlife. Candidate will also be outgoing, articulate and enjoy engaging our members and the general public. Email Michael Skinner @ mskinner@bmtrust.org for a job description. mskinner@bmtrust.org
CANTON RESTAURANT HIRING! South Philly Italian Pasta & Subs in Canton, N.C. is hiring for several positions! No experience necessary; we offer full training. Dependable applicants only. Excellent working atmosphere. (828) 593-3580. (828) 593-3580
LPN NEEDED PHYSICIAN OFFICE Full time LPN position available in Western North Carolina. Oncology experience preferred. M-F, 8-5. Competitive salary with excellent corporate resume to: resumes@ ioa.com
WORK FROM ANYWHERE You have an internet connection? 13 positions available.
Start as soon as today. As simple as checking your email. Complete online training provided. Visit for details: https://bit.ly/2yewvor
BROWN TRUCKING
Is looking for Company Drivers & Owner Operators. Brown requires: CDL-A, 2yrs of tractor trailer exp. OTR or Regional in last 3yrs, good MVR & PSP. Apply: driverforbrown.com
MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING.
New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. Call 833-990-0354
Medical
HOSPITAL BED & RIDING SCOOTER
For Sale New Hospital Bed- with new interspring mattress for $450. New Riding Scooter, purchased for $620 selling for $475! Call 828-246-9991 or (828) 246-7368
DENTAL INSURANCE
From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. Call 1-844-496-8601 for details. www.dental50plus.com/ncpress 6118-0219
PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR
May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-727-9628
TORTOISESHELL
CAT, “BABY” About 9 years old, friendly gal and total lovebug! Enjoy being petted; cooperative with bath and brushing at the shelter. (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org
PIT BULL TERRIER MIX, B&W,CAUSHA 3-yr old sweet girl, loves petting. Not that interested in toys but enjoy walks, exploring. Easy to handle. (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org
Real Estate Announcements
SAVE YOUR HOME!
Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? De-tion? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! FREE CONSULTATION 844359-4330
GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866309-1507 BaseCampLeasing.com
Rentals
OCEAN ISLE BEACH - “Unspoiled and Unparalleled” Island Getaway, White Sand Awaits You. Mention this ad for an extra $50.00 off your vacation reservation. BOOK NOW. 1-800-NCBEACH
ATTENTION TIMESHARE OWNERS!
Were you victim to dishonest sales tactics? Overpromised?! Overpaid?! We’ll legally resolve your timeshare nightmare and stop the payments! CALL Timeshare Compliance FREE CONSULTATION!919 -324 - 0167
Entertainment
EARTHLINK HIGH
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Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-866887-0237
Home Improvement
IS YOUR HOME
SMART YET? Get a FREE quote from Vivint, the #1 Home-Automation Company! Fast & Affordable! $100 VISA giftcard w/installation! Restrictions Apply. Call 855-589-7053
LEAF FILTER Elimnate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off
those who qualify. Call 1-888-927-8649
Legal, Financial and Tax
TAX PROBLEMS- Behind 10k or More on Your Taxes? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & -
G&H TREE SERVICE & EXCAVATING Your Total Tree Service Company. Removals, View Pruning, Chipping, Cabling, Stump Grinding, Lightning Protection and PHC Program 421-0067
This and That
OVER $10K IN DEBT? Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay a fraction of what you owe. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief 844-314-8819.
SUDOKU
Here’s How It Works:
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
SPY NOVEL - Anti-terrorist Chris Hodge hunts the bad guys worldwide in this new thriller “Relevant” inspired by true events. Purchase at RelevantTheBook.com. Search on Amazon
MILITARY SURPLUS FOR SALE BDU
Pants/Shirts, Boots, M65 Field Jackets, Gortex Parkas, Field Gear, Sleeping Bags, MRE’s, Packs&Bags, Gloves, Socks, Web Belts. MUCH MORE ! 828-349-3140 (828) 349-3140 bandmsurplus@gmail.com
Wanted to Buy
U.S. & FOREIGN COINS Wanted to Buy! Free Appraisals, Call Dan 828-421-1616
SUPER CROSSWORD
SOUL RESCUER
ACROSS
1Sop up
7Liquor
14Spins
20"Amen to that!"
21Actress Hudgens
22Abate
23Start of a riddle
25Batter's miss
26Do wrong
27Pol with a six-yr. post
28Me, to Michel
29Riddle, part 2
31Pinchpenny
33Sue Grafton's "- for Noose"
35Steak order
36Riddle, part 3
42Food holder
46Goddess with a cow's head
47McCartney of fashion
48Kailua Bay locale
50Scam
51Agree (with)
54"Yoo- -!" ("Hey!")
55Paintball need
57Circus clown - Kelly
59Riddle, part 4
63Big-top star
64DiFranco of folk rock
65More spiteful
66"We need assistance!"
69Used a daggerlike weapon on
73B followers
74Wife of Mark Antony
78Consented to 79"Nick and -'s Infinite
Playlist" (2008 film)
83Riddle, part 5
89Wasp variety
90Suffering
91Capote, to his buddies
92With 77-Down, does thorough research on
94Freezer trayful
95TV's Spelling
97Camera lens settings
100Exec's benefit
101Ohio tire city
103Riddle, part 6
107Sitarist Shankar
109Org. for teachers
110Coin toss call
111End of the riddle
115Lucy of "Kill Bill: Vol. 1"
118- League college
119Toward a boat's back
122Makes glad
123Riddle's answer
127Declare under oath
128Source of licoriceflavored oil
129More prying
130Sports team letdowns
131Red - (many Republicans)
132Modus operandi
DOWN
1"Even - speak ..."
2Atom studier Niels
3Movie draw
4Meal leftover
5Putin's land
6Command
7"Law & Order: -"
8Hand part
9- -European languages
10Another name for vitamin
A
11Suffix with fool or owl
12Fearsome fly
13"Don't - didn't warn you!"
14Inventor Nikola
15Radiator hoses may lead to them
16Haifa's land
17Harness part
18Leia's twin
19Spurt out
24"No - to blame"
30"- little kindness"
31Capital of Oman
32Alternative to a 401(k) or a Keogh
34Envision
36[not my error]
37"Time - the essence"
38Rake part
39Inert element
40Pipe problem
41Ringing sound
43- acid (vinegar flavorer)
44Added (up)
45Not broken
49Zeus' sister and wife
52Stage actress Hagen
53Pirate's quaff
56Syllabus segment
58Gym floor covering
60Put in a different sack
61Mortgage-issuing inst.
62Ewoks' forest moon
66"El Cid" co-star Loren
67Five - shadow
68Person eyeballing
70Pirate chant starter
71Artist Georgia
72Ultimately reach
75Author Rand
76From Hanoi
77See 92-Across
80Lightning -
81Heady drink
82"We need assistance!"
84Small branch
85Ending for major
86Yankees slugger, to fans
87It's often preheated
88Nonflowering plant
93Sun setting
96Sortie, say
98Most musty
99Fishtank pest
102Speaks bombastically
104Recite ritually, as a spell
105Large sofas
106Air Force pilot, in slang
108Three-piece pieces
111Ringing sound
112Choir range
113Slum vermin
114"Pretty - pretty does"
116Notion, to Jean-Luc
117"Deutschland - alles"
119Landed (on)
120Cut and run
121Time in office
124By the agency of
125Football field units: Abbr.
126Letter for Superman
but f ling as close a
Far er Apart, f ling as close as ever
Nature’s mountain It’s som
s beauty is all around us, and there is reason for optimism as the ainspring ishappening. No one and nothing will take that away. omething we all can share no matter the distance between us.
