A resolution banning Confederate flags and other potentially disruptive materials at sporting events has been passed in Haywood County. Some say it’s about time and that it does not go far enough. (Page 6)
News
Ghost Town property transfers to developers............................................................4 Bills are aimed at hiking room
Limited Medicaid expansion has some GOP support..............................................8 Jackson considers cutting tax rate after revaluation................................................10 Tribe OKs $35 million for Tennessee development................................................12
Tribe devises distribution plan for new casino profits............................................13 New superintendent takes over in Jackson................................................................15 Bill would open personnel records..............................................................................15
Opinion
An opportunity to reduce inmate numbers................................................................16 Emerging from a difficult year of COVID-19..............................................................17 A&E 15 years and counting for Asheville jam band..........................................................18 Book details atrocities
D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray.
ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Shetley.
Amanda Bradley. .
Hylah Birenbaum. . . .
Sophia Burleigh.
C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . . . . . . . . . . .
N EWS E DITOR: Jessi Stone. . .
WRITING: Holly Kays. . .
Hannah McLeod. .
Cory Vaillancourt.
Garret K. Woodward. .
ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Amanda Singletary.
D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. .
jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com
susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com
jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com
hylah@smokymountainnews.com
sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com
classads@smokymountainnews.com
jessi@smokymountainnews.com
holly@smokymountainnews.com
hannah@smokymountainnews.com
cory@smokymountainnews.com
garret@smokymountainnews.com
smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com
classads@smokymountainnews.com
C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing) Boyd Allsbrook (writing)
I NFO & B ILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786
Copyright 2021 by The Smoky Mountain News.™
S UBSCRIPTIONS
Ingles Nutrition Notes
written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath
Q: What are some “keto-friendly” foods that Ingles sells?
A: The type of “keto” diet that most follow is a low carbohydrate diet that has moderate to high amounts of fat and protein. While there are certainly products labeled “keto” or “keto friendly”, it's always best to start by focusing on foods that are naturally lower in carbohydrates rather than packaged snack foods like candy/cookies/ice cream/chips etc. — these are generally expensive and not a great source of nutrition. Some foods that are naturally low(er) in carbohydrates per serving but rich in nutrients:
· non-starchy vegetables - leafy greens, celery, bok choy, brussel sprouts, broccoli, radishes, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini etc.
· certain fruits - like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
· certain dairy products - cheese, cottage cheese
· proteins - like meat, chicken, fish, pork, eggs
· nuts, seeds and nut butters
Bottom Line: Any diet that you pursue for weight loss is only as good as your ability to stick with it. If you feel deprived or are missing nutrients it's not the right way of eating for you and may eventually affect your health!
In another encouraging sign of progress, ownership of the land upon which Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park sits has been transferred to developers, clearing the way for work to begin on the complex, multi-faceted redevelopment project.
The five parcels that make up the bulk of the shuttered amusement park total nearly 250 acres and have an assessed value of more than $5 million. Haywood County land records show that in mid-March, registration was changed to another entity, Ghost Town in the Sky LLC.
Developers have been speaking exclusively with The Smoky Mountain News since October, 2019, about the project, which is estimated to bring more than $200 million in investment to Maggie Valley over the course of the next decade.
Less than a month ago, developers told The Smoky Mountain News about elaborate plans for the much-beloved but long-shuttered amusement park that first opened in the early 1960s.
Those plans include a complete rehabilitation of the town’s iconic Main Street to include niche retail and residential units in the style of Biltmore Village, as well as a new hotel located in the west end of the parking lot at the base of Buck Mountain.
But the concept for the project is much more than a simple facelift of the mountaintop park, where luminaries like Burt Reynolds once performed live-action gunfights in keeping with the park’s western theme.
Developers say there are several affiliated projects currently underway that are intended to support the revitalized Ghost Town, its guests and its 200-person workforce.
A number of affordable housing units are in development elsewhere in Maggie Valley, and a manufacturing facility that will construct modular homes – bringing more jobs –is planned for another site somewhere in the county. Additionally, work is underway to bring restaurants, a grocery store and an urgent care facility to town.
To help with the design, planning and fabrication of the reimagined park, developers have enlisted Storyland Studios, whose chief innovation officer is Matt Ferguson — a Disney alum who owns a home in Maggie Valley.
There’s also another adornment in the works — a large cross, near the top of the mountain.
“I like the idea of the cross because it’s a symbol that I believe in and I think that there’s a lot of people here in this part of North Carolina that are true believers as well,” said one developer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “As a little kid coming up here, I enjoyed Ghost Town and I think that’s something that means a lot to me. We’re already in the engineering part of it and we’re hoping very soon that construction will get started on the cross.”
The cross won’t be the only new addition to the park; developers envision a multi-level experience comprised of separate but related “worlds” for guests to explore as they venture up the mountain.
ENSLEY TIRE SERVICE
To help with the design, planning and fabrication of the reimagined park, developers have enlisted Storyland Studios, whose chief innovation officer is Matt Ferguson — a Disney alum who owns a home in Maggie Valley.
“His business is based around theme parks and design work,” a developer told SMN on March 28. “The company is very well-recognized inside and outside of this country. They really know what they’re doing. I think their company would be one of the best companies to work with, and not just because he’s local and wants to see it happen.”
Ferguson and his family have a long history in Maggie Valley, and he’s a partner in the recently opened Route 19 Inn, not far from the entrance to Ghost Town.
Storyland Studios is a group of former Disney Imagineers, Pixar animators, and other creative professionals that specialize in storytelling through strategic spatial and digital means. Ferguson said they’d been involved with a number of high-profile projects over the years.
“We masterplan theme parks, we design the storylines for those parks and then manage the projects and lead the completion of the parks, bringing together all the different resources we need whether it’s ride engineers or architects or whatever,” Ferguson said.
Previous work by Storyland includes the Hogwarts Express train for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and other projects for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, which owns a number of North American amusement parks including Carowinds, in Charlotte.
“Our plan is to bring back Ghost Town in the Sky as an amusement park, and we want it to have all the good things we remember about it, with better attractions and entertainment than ever,” he said.
Developers plan to breathe new life into Maggie Valley's Ghost Town in the Sky. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Room tax increases proposed for Haywood, Bryson City
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Western North Carolina Republicans have introduced a bill in the General Assembly that would result in substantial changes to the room occupancy tax in Haywood County and the creation of a new tax for Bryson City.
First, in Haywood County, House Bill 412 would no longer exclude “accommodations furnished by nonprofit charitable, educational, benevolent, or religious organizations from the occupancy tax,” according to a bill digest provided by the UNC School of Government.
Haywood County would also see its room occupancy tax jump from 4 percent to 6 percent. However, 100 percent of the revenue derived from the additional two points on the rate would be restricted in that it could only be spent on three things: a sports park, an amphitheater or a convention center.
Rep. Mark Pless, RHaywood, is a primary sponsor of the bill and said he wanted to be specific about how the new revenue stream could be spent.
“They approached me when I was a county commissioner, when I first got in,” Pless said, of the Haywood Tourism Development Authority, the entity charged with administration of the room occupancy tax. “It was one of the first meetings I had and they wanted to know what I thought about this. I have asked for over two and a half years now almost for things that they want to do with the money and I can’t get any response out of the TDA back, so that’s why it’s set up the
way it is.”
Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, also represents a portion of Haywood County and with Pless is a primary sponsor of the bill. Clampitt said he’s supportive of the spending restrictions.
“It’s not a blank check, so to speak, to use the money for whatever projects, just sort of off the cuff,” Clampitt said. “They’ve got to have a plan.”
Clampitt, who’s from Swain County, is also advocating a new, separate room occupancy tax in Bryson City. Under North Carolina law, counties may levy room occupancy taxes, but municipalities also have the option to do so.
“The county has quite a lot of money in theirs, but for whatever reasons there are some sharing issues there,” Clampitt said. “So possibly Bryson City is looking to be able to do their own thing to make Bryson City a more attractive place for people to come and visit and stay and spend their money.”
Although the bill was filed in the General Assembly on March 25, there remains a complicated path to implementation.
As a local bill, H412 would need unanimous support from the local legislative delegation to reach the floor. While the primary sponsors, Clampitt and Pless, obviously support the bill, it would also require the blessing of Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin. Corbin said he’d look at the bill and consider whether or not to support it.
Previous attempts to raise Haywood’s room occupancy tax failed when then-Rep. Michele Presnell blocked such bills from the floor using this “local bill” unanimous support provision.
The Haywood portion of the bill also requires Haywood County commissioners to be the ones to actually levy the tax, just as the Swain County portion requires the Bryson City board of aldermen to establish a TDA of its own to administer the new tax. On March 29, the bill was referred to the Committee on Local Government.
Mark Pless
Mike Clampitt
Bryson City.
Long overdue regulation bans rebel flag in Haywood County Schools
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
J.D. Moore started his first year at Tuscola in 1999. He was an athlete, played football and basketball. He learned pretty quickly the parts of the school that he needed to avoid, parts where the rebel flag was more ubiquitous and racial slurs were directed at him more frequently.
From a young age, 4 or 5 years old, Moore’s mother told him that in this town he would stick out like a sore thumb. She told him the things he should look out for, warned him about going certain places he shouldn’t be, told him he had to be extra careful around girls because chances were their dads may not take kindly to him.
Moore said he dealt with racial slurs at sporting events all the time from other teams, other student sections, other parent groups. Playing through the frustration was something his white friends, the majority of players on his teams, never had to think about dealing with.
He remembers the night one of his friends went to a party down on Jonathan Creek. His friend was black and quarterback of the football team. He was asleep in his car after the party when a few peers dragged him out of his car and beat him to a pulp.
“They beat him up so bad, you could tell what their reasoning was behind it,” said Moore.
For him, seeing the rebel flag creates a heightened sense of awareness. He doesn’t believe that every person he’s ever seen with the flag has malice towards him, but he has to be on alert when interacting with those people, because “you never know.”
“There is a problem with the way the Confederate flag is being used,” said Moore. “The Ku Klux Klan used it, the Confederacy used it. That war was fought to either keep on with slavery on one side, or get rid of slavery on the other. So for somebody to keep on saying that they’re not racist, it’s just Southern heritage, they’re not looking into the depth of what the flag is, who is represented.”
Another Haywood County Schools graduate spoke with the Smoky Mountain News on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. This student started at Tuscola in 2012. He’d been playing football since youth league and had been looking forward to the chance to play for Tuscola High School. But after one semester, he left Tuscola for HCC adult high school where he earned his GED the following year.
“I encountered a lot of racism, racial slurs being thrown around left and right. It got to the point where I started to just walk around with my headphones on so I didn’t have to hear it,” he said.
For him, the racism didn’t end with the school day, it carried over into the locker room. He remembers “Hell Week” for foot-
ball, when the team slept in the school cafeteria and was woken up at 5 a.m. every morning for two to three grueling practices a day. One night someone popped holes in all the air mattresses of players who weren’t white, five players in total. He said some of them had their air mattresses popped again after getting new ones.
This was the same year that four Tuscola students burnt a cross in the yard of a 14-yearold mixed race girl. He remembers a football practice that summer, having to run sprints up and down the field for the entire practice “all because of one players decision to burn a cross in someone’s yard.”
“When I complained to the office, I was told there was no racism at the school. But how would you know if there was any racism when you’re not the target? When I was told that, that’s why I made my decision to leave Tuscola the following week,” he said.
Haywood County Schools has taken its first step in prohibiting the rebel flag on school property and at school related events.
Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte passed “Regulation 5210R-INSD, 5240R-INSD Informal Non-School Displays” on March 10, banning informal nonschool displays at school activities and events. It states “the purpose of this regulation is to foster a positive climate on school property and at school activities and events.” However, the unstated intent of the regulation seems to be to prohibit the use of the rebel flag at school events.
The fight to prohibit use of the flag has been a long-fought battle. Philip Gibbs, vice president of the Haywood NAACP, remembers seeing the rebel flag crop up at football games a couple of years ago.
“The kids were flying rebel flags at the football games at Pisgah and Tuscola, and me looking across the field, I felt it to be so disrespectful because of what the flag stands for. I thought it had no part and no business being on a school ground where it’s not representing everybody,” said Gibbs.
He got together with members of the NAACP and talked about what they could do to change this. The group began discussions with Dr. Nolte in 2017 about banning the flag from school events. Gibbs said the reaction was negative from the start.
“I could tell he didn’t want to do it. He didn’t want to ostracize the parents of the students because he thought that would PO the parents of the students that wanted to fly the flags and that if it wasn’t causing any melee of fighting or anything, there wasn’t really any-
thing they could do about it.”
This made Gibbs feel terrible. It probably was true, he said, that Nolte felt taking any action on the issue would make white parents angry, the parents of the kids flying the rebel flag. It was challenging at that time for Gibbs to bite his tongue, he said, to do what was prudent and not fly off the handle, get too angry and say what was actually on his mind.
“When I complained to the office, I was told there was no racism at the school. But how would you know if there was any racism when you’re not the target?”
— Former Tuscola student
Over the past year, the issue of the rebel flag in public schools has come to the forefront of national consciousness with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. According to data from Civis Analytics, between 15 and 26 million people in the United States participated in demonstrations during June 2020 over the murder of George Floyd and others. That data suggests the protests are the largest movement in U.S. history. This doesn’t include the millions of protesters that took up the Black Lives Matter
mantle around the world.
Several Black Lives Matter marches took place across Western North Carolina during the summer months and most were met with intense counter protests where rebel flags were brandished.
In July 2020, during the peak of the local demonstrations in support of — and opposed to — Black Lives Matter, Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Nolte was temporarily relieved of his duties after posting a controversial meme some called racially insensitive. He was reinstated less than two weeks later. During that time the school board conducted an investigation into Nolte’s work in Haywood County Schools and found no pattern of bias or racism. Also during that time, Dr. Nolte was tasked with developing a plan to bring about healing and set the framework for addressing inequalities moving forward.
Part of that plan included the creation of the Racial Justice Advisory Committee to advise Dr. Nolte on issues of bias and racial justice. According to Nolte, Tammy McDowell was instrumental in putting this committee together. McDowell is assistant director of programming at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, chair of the Haywood County MLK Committee and a member of the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees.
“She was very instrumental in helping find members of the community that represented a pretty broad base in the community,” said Nolte.
“I think that it is necessary to have the committee, because there is work to be done
J.D. Moore graduated Tuscola High School in 2003.
Dr. Bill Nolte
in Haywood County schools, as far as racial and social justice,” said McDowell.
Tara Oloughlin is a teacher at Waynesville Middle School and the president of the Haywood County Association of Educators. She is a member of the Racial Justice Advisory Committee.
“Being part of the RJAC has been an opportunity to highlight the systemic racism in our schools and society as a whole. We have discussed topics including how racism adversely affects all learners and especially our students of color. As we see our nation grapple with how to solve such dilemmas, the same holds true for this com-
loop about the regulation.
“I think it was a well thought out decision,” said Francis. “It takes a lot of things that could be controversial off the table.”
The issue of the rebel flag in Haywood County Schools was discussed among the Racial Justice Advisory Committee, but the regulation was not made in consensus with committee members, several of whom were aiming for a more focused regulation. The regulation does not ban any symbol specifically, but bans all large displays other than the U.S. flag, N.C. flag and authorized school symbols or authorized advertising. It applies only to large displays, not to students’ personal dress, car bumper stickers, license plates, or other personal items.
“The regulation prohibits all third-party displays that are not authorized by School Board Policy, the superintendent, or the principal,” it reads. “The regulation applies to any school-sponsored athletic event or contest, extra-curricular activity, cultural arts event, as well as activities that occur during the school day, such as assemblies and rallies. This regulation applies to all school property, including but not limited to, gymnasiums, stadiums, athletic fields, parking lots, and auditoriums.”
The regulation does not nullify or contradict any existing current rules or regulations of Haywood County Schools. Large displays include, but are not limited to “banners, flags, pennants, signs, and posters that are not otherwise displayed by the school or school system, regardless of any message or viewpoint expressed in or on the display.”
In response to the regulation, schools are expected to address actions, behaviors, or messages that are vulgar, indecent, or obscene; contain libelous statements, personal attacks, or abusive language, such as language defaming a person’s character, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, family status, or disability; cause, or clearly threaten to cause, a material and substantial disruption of a school activity; encourage the commission of unlawful acts; are inappropriate considering the age of the students; or are violations of School Board Policy and Administrative Regulations.
Nolte said the intention of the regulation is to allow any student, as reasonably as possible, to attend a school activity and be able to focus on the activity, to ensure school functions are not a place where third party social or political causes can share their message.
whether school districts can prohibit display of the Confederate flag is unsettled in federal courts, but several school districts have used the Tinker standard for substantial disruption as grounds to ban the flag.
“I believe this regulation was a step forward in addressing symbols of hate without specifically stating such. I would like to see the Confederate flag banned not only at games but also specifically addressed in the dress code and beyond,” said Oloughlin. “I believe as educators it is our job to promote equality for all students and to help them find their path to speaking out on injustice and other forms of hate. The climate today is quite divisive, but there should be nothing divisive about racial and social equality.”
Just this year, Jackson County School Board voted to retire the rebel mascot at Cullowhee Valley School. The rebel mascot had been in use since 1958. School parents, students and community members petitioned the board to retire the rebel mascot, which had been fading in visibility, popularity and usage in recent years. On Jan. 26, the board of education voted to discontinue use of the controversial mascot and allow students at CVS to choose new representation.
J.D.
Moore’s son attends middle school in Haywood County now and will enter high school later this year. The social and political climate has changed a lot since Moore graduated high school in 2003, but, especially in Haywood County, much has remained the same.
Moore has made sure to pass on the importance of awareness to his son. They talk often about why it’s vital to always know their surroundings and why they can’t fully trust that they are safe around people who sport the rebel flag. Moore has instilled in his son the necessity to always be sure of the intentions and feelings of the people he is surrounded by, to know who he is dealing with at all times to avoid being caught off guard.
Just last week, Moore was on video chat with his son and his son’s mother when they all witnessed a truck pull up to Pisgah High School with several rebel flags flying on the back. In many ways, Moore’s son is dealing with the same situations Moore endured in Haywood County Schools.
“Stuff like that. It’s just unacceptable. I mean like why, why, why would you do that? What is your true meaning?” said Moore.
mittee. It seems like real change comes when people are ready to upset the status quo and are willing to make a stand in ways that may make some folks feel uncomfortable and question their own ways of thinking,” said Oloughlin.
After discussions with committee members, community members, board of education members and principals, Nolte decided to implement a regulation banning informal, non-school displays. The regulation is a superintendent regulation and did not have to have the approval of the elected school board. However, School Board Chairman Chuck Francis said the board was kept in the
“The message at the school activity should be the school activity and the focus of the school activities should be the students participating in that activity,” said Nolte.
“This does not fully address the issue, until all the paraphernalia is gone completely. But this is a step in the right direction,” said Gibbs. “You don’t have to sit at a game and watch a big old rebel flag across the field and kids waving it.
As established in the Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), a school district may only regulate student speech if the district can show that the student’s speech would cause “substantial disruption” or interference with school activities. According to the National Law Review, the specific debate over
The regulation banning large displays is a good step forward in Moore’s eyes, though he thinks the rebel flag should be abolished within the schools. He said that minority kids come up knowing constant fear, constant awareness. But, they shouldn’t have to feel that way in school.
“I without a doubt, 110 percent think this should have happened a long time ago,” said the student, who wishes to remain anonymous. “Because ultimately the rebel flag represents hate, and represents a dead ideology. When I see a rebel flag on a shirt or a rebel flag on the back of a truck I instantly think racism, slavery in a time where our country was divided. And I truly believe for us as a people we have to find ways to break down these barriers in order for us to grow as one race, the human race.”
Philip Gibbs (above) is Vice President of Haywood NAACP. Under the new regulation, personal items like license plates (below) can still display the rebel flag.
Sen. Corbin again leads health care push
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
With the support of a bi-partisan panel including commissioners from Macon and Graham counties as well as the head of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, announced he’d soon file a bill intended to close the health insurance coverage gap in North Carolina.
“I think one of the fears among my colleagues is that their base of support might not support this,” Corbin told a small crowd at a listening session at Southwestern Community College on March 25.
Corbin, however, noted that he’d filed a similar bill last session when he was a member of the House, and had run for Senate in 2020 in what he called “one of the most conservative districts in the state” while openly advocating for Medicaid expansion. Voters rewarded Corbin with landslide victories in both the Primary and General elections.
In North Carolina, there’s what’s called a “coverage gap” for people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for a marketplace subsidy.
For example, a person who has a child and earns more than $7,240 a year can’t qualify for Medicaid and isn’t eligible for a subsidy until they earn $17,240. A person with two children who earns more than $9,122 but less than $21,720 is also in the coverage gap, as is a family of four that earns more than $11,004 but less than $26,200. That leaves the most vulnerable citizens of North Carolina — full-time workers who make minimum wage — completely exposed to all manner of malady with no health care coverage.
According to Care4Carolina, an affordable health care advocacy coalition founded in 2014, there are 57,000 food service workers like bartenders, servers and cooks across North Carolina who fall into the coverage gap. Others who work in construction, sales, cleaning and maintenance, transportation, food production, office and administrative support positions, personal care and even health care also fall into the gap.
This time, Corbin has backup from fel-
low Republican Sen. Jim Burgin of Harnett County. Corbin said they’d filed a placeholder bill and will insert language soon that attempts to address the issue.
Corbin also has backup from a wide spectrum of entities representing thousands of people in his sprawling Western North Carolina District.
Casey Cooper, CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, was part of the panel and testified to the adverse effect that failure to close the coverage gap has on rural hospitals, which he said operate on “razorthin” margins due to the amount of uncompensated care they provide to the uninsured.
Cooper also said that the federal government has a legal and moral obligation to deliver health care to Indians, but is only funding that care at the 50 percent level so the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians is making up the difference, to the tune of about $7 million a year.
Dale Wiggins, a Republican commissioner from Graham County, added a personal touch to his commentary on how the failure to close the coverage gap affects his constituents.
“The Medicaid expansion issue to me is not one of statistics,” Wiggins said. “What I try to do is put this on a human level, because that’s what it comes down to – it’s about human beings.”
Wiggins explained that the 38 radiation treatments he endured for his cancer – at $1,400 apiece – would not have been possible without his health insurance. All in all, his treatment would have cost him more than $100,000.
“That was over 13 years ago,” he said. “How much you think that costs today?”
In the seven western counties of the state, there are more than 12,000 people without health insurance. In Graham County, there are more than 600.
Graham County employs 186 people, and Wiggins said that his county’s single largest expenditure is their health insurance, at $1.56 million a year. That equates to 15 cents’ worth of the county’s property tax rate of 65 cents per $100 in assessed value. Only 28 percent of the land in Graham County is taxable.
Ronnie Beale, a Democratic commissioner from Macon County, said that the coverage gap has revealed another effect on his constituents, who have to pay health care costs for inmates – many of whom would be better served in mental health treatment centers.
“From 2017 through 2020 we spent about $1.2 million on medical [care] for our inmates,” Beale said. “Prisons have become our treatment centers for mental health.”
to locate in a particular county, they usually ask about the availability of a workforce first, but right after that, they ask what about the quality of health care service delivery.
Despite the backing, Corbin’s being more pragmatic about crafting a bill that will pass the Republican-dominated legislature.
“We’re not going to do a full Medicaid expansion. I supported that last term in the House, I sponsored the bill,” he said. “I don’t
During the current fiscal year, which began last July 1, Macon County has already spent $400,000 on inmate health care through the end of February. One penny of Macon County’s 37.47-cent property tax rate is worth about $750,000, so residents this year will see just over 2 percent of their property taxes devoted to this expense.
Peg O’Connell, chair of Care4Carolina said that bad health costs employers about $1,685 per year, per employee, in lost productivity. O’Connell also said that private insurance premiums are 11-12 percent lower in the 38 states that have closed the coverage gap because they end up providing less uncompensated care.
Patrick Woodie, president of the N.C. Rural Center, said that when businesses look
think there’s the votes in the House or Senate to get that, but what I think we should do is to take bites out of it.”
One small step specifically mentioned by Corbin is expectant mothers, who can remain on Medicaid for two months postpartum. Corbin thinks that should be two years, and also thinks there should be some educational assistance tied into the expanded health care coverage.
If the bill makes it out of the Senate, Corbin may need to do some convincing in his old House stomping grounds, especially with his fellow western Republicans.
“I still would like to be able to find out more on the funding on that,” said Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City.
The federal government has F
Reps. Clampitt, Pless make big ask for mental health
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Filed in the General Assembly on March 15, House Bill 280 contains only 112 words, but if it gains legislative approval its impact in Western North Carolina would be huge.
“We need a mental health treatment center because of the issues we have in Western North Carolina – Haywood County west – not having any real facility for people to get assistance with mental health,” said Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City.
“Whether that’s mental health having to do with substance abuse, PTSD, short-term, long-term, department of corrections, individuals that are involuntary commitments, we don’t have anywhere in true Western North Carolina to be able to get individuals the real mental health treatment they need.”
The bill, sponsored by Clampitt and fellow Western North Carolina Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, seeks an appropriation from the state’s general fund that would bring $50 million for a badly-needed mental health treatment center. The bill stipulates that the facility be located in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood,
offered to pick up 90 percent of the tab of the expansion population, with states responsible for the other 10 percent. Many conservatives have been wary of expanding Medicaid in any form because there’s no guarantee that Congress will continue funding the expansion population at that level, leaving states holding the bag.
“We got briefed the other day from the governor on that Medicaid expansion information, but I’m not real clear yet,” said Clampitt. “It’s going to be good for five years and then the state will pick up the bill after that. I haven’t had any information validated yet.”
Like Corbin, Rep. Mark Pless, RHaywood, is an insurance industry professional, however Pless suspects other factors
Jackson, Macon or Swain counties.
“The closest facility we have right now is Broughton down in Morganton [more than 80 miles from Waynesville] and that’s just not acceptable,” Pless said. “We spend a lot of time with law enforcement, especially going back and forth on commitments and people that they are taking down to have in there. They spend more time in transport, and if they turn around and they say, ‘No, we’re not going to keep them,’ then we have to go back and get them.”
Bringing such a facility to the far western counties is something both Clampitt and Pless campaigned on back in 2020.
“A lot of people don’t think that I’m for that,” Pless explained. “I am, but you know, it comes with stipulations. It comes with restrictions and it comes with expecting people to behave a certain way in order to help themselves. But we definitely have got to have something like that.”
Co-sponsors on the bill include Concord Republican Rep. Larry Pittman and Rocky Mount Democratic Rep. Shelly Willingham. As of press time, the bill had been referred to the committee on appropriations. Clampitt, Pless, Pittman and Willingham all serve on this committee.
for the health care coverage gap in North Carolina may be at play.
“I’m still not in the know, I guess you could say, to see exactly where the numbers are. I mean, we’re throwing numbers all the time about the people that are uninsured, but with my history in insurance, I think a lot of people are uninsured because they don’t want to pay their portion of the payment for the affordable care that’s out there,” Pless said. “A lot of people who can get it for under a hundred dollars a month, they just don’t want to contribute a hundred dollars a month to it.”
During the listening session, Rep Karl Gillespie, R-Franklin, told the audience the he too was still gathering information before making a decision.
New tax values, fire protection costs drive rate discussion
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
With the 2021 property revaluation now complete, Jackson County’s taxable value will rise nearly 20 percent over the value established during the last valuation in 2016 and 12.1 percent over the value for the current fiscal year, the last using 2016 valuations.
While the tax department is still managing some appeals to those new values, the properties involved account for less than 4 percent total parcels. The upshot is a value increase of more than $1 billion. Without factoring in the outcome of appeals still in progress, the newly assessed value of $10.97 billion would bring in $41.7 million in taxes based on the current rate of 38 cents per $100 of value — a significant hike from the $37.2 million for 2020-21.
Now it’s budget season, and Jackson County commissioners are considering what tax rate to set for the year ahead.
An increase in valuation means an increase in taxes for homeowners if the rate remains the same. For example, a person who owned a home valued at $200,000 in the 2016 revaluation would have paid $760 in county taxes in 2020. If that home’s value rose at countywide average rate of 19.9 percent, it would be worth $239,800 in 2021 and the tax bill at 38 cents per $100 would be $911.24.
During a March 11 work session, Finance Director Darlene Fox recommended that commissioners consider lowering the tax rate to 34.47 cents per $100 in the upcoming budget. This number would allow for a revenue-neutral levy plus an additional 1.7 percent to account for
average cost increases. Under this proposed tax rate, that same homeowner with a $239,800 house would pay $826.59 in county taxes.
FIRE TAX HIKE REQUESTED IN CASHIERS
The effective tax rate could ultimately end up higher, at least for some Jackson County residents. During that same March 11 work session, commissioners heard from
Cashiers-Glenville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Dillard and Cullowhee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tim Green, both of whom said their departments need more money, and that the funding should come from fire taxes.
Cashiers residents have been paying a fire tax since 2015, when they to place a tax of 2.33 cents per $100 of property value to help the department address aging equipment, growing response times and increasing difficulty attracting volunteers. While the department has held steady for the past six years, a burgeoning influx of visitors and new residents have kept Dillard’s department more than busy. Last year alone, firefighters responded to 712 fire calls and 42 structure fires.
Dillard is asking that the fire tax increased to 2.94 cents per $100. The money will pay for additional firefighters and go toward newly acquired debt payments to fund a fire truck and land for a new station.
“I understand any tax increase is a tax increase, but the numbers are in our favor,” he said.
While the rate hike would represent a 26.18 percent increase over the 2020-21 rate, it is expected to bring in 48.3 percent more than the $1.21 million collected last year, a total of $1.79 million. That’s due to a larger tax base and a higher collection rate, said Fox.
Commissioners responded favorably to the request.
“It’s a changing time in Jackson County as far as the influx of people and population and homes,” said Commissioner Gayle Woody. “It’s probably going to continue, so you’re being proactive and that’s good.”
CULLOWHEE FIRE DEPARTMENT
SEEKS NEW FUNDING
Green’s request for Cullowhee, which does not currently have a fire tax, elicited more discussion.
The department is in dire need of funding to hire paid firefighters, said Green. It currently receives an average of 2.5 calls per day, but response time is long — about 10 minutes. That might not seem like much, but 10
minutes is enough for a fire to go from a constrained blaze surrounding a knocked-over candle to a full-blown inferno capable of completely destroying an entire home.
There’s a simple reason for the lag in response, said Green. The department has only one paid member — everybody else is a volunteer.
“People have to come from home or work to get to possible life or death situations,” he said.
To add to the issue, the department has struggled to recruit newer, younger volunteer members. About a third of the volunteers have been there for more than 20 years, with many approaching 40 and several getting ready to turn 50. Firefighting is a physically demanding job, and young bodies do it better.
“Used to be you’d go up to the firehouse on a Monday night and there would be 30, 40 guys sitting there and they’d all be excited about being there,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, who is also a longtime volunteer at the Balsam-WilletsOchre Hill Volunteer Fire Department.
“You’d have a call, you’d have a big turnout. But today I have literally been on a call where I’ve been the only person on the truck — me, myself and I — because nobody else comes.”
But funding a paid fire staff in Cullowhee will be more difficult to pull off than doing so in Cashiers. In the Cashiers district, 1 cent per $100 to the tax rate pulls in $598,000 based on the new tax values. In Cullowhee, 1 cent per $100 generates $117,000. The Cashiers fire district includes 14,510 taxable parcels, while the Cullowhee fire district has less than half that, with 6,139 taxable parcels.
Funding the $1.2 million in operating expenses Green is requesting would require adding 10.35 cents per $100 to Cullowhee residents’ taxes, or 12.05 cents per $100 to also accommodate $200,000 in annual debt payments on the new fire station. Commissioners were careful to say that the fire tax is not being discussed in order to fund the new station, as that cost was planned for separately. Rather, the fire tax is under discussion as a means to fund salaries for paid positions.
DWA leader announces retirement
Downtown Waynesville Association
Executive Director Buffy Phillips has apparently told members of the DWA executive board that she plans to resign when a replacement can be hired, according to a report in The Mountaineer newspaper.
Phillips and DWA Executive Board Chair Carolyn Brunk, owner of the Oak Park Inn, did not respond to repeated calls and emails from The Smoky Mountain News. When SMN visited the DWA office on the morning of Friday, March 26, it was closed without explanation.
The Mountaineer reported that Phillips informed the executive board at its Tuesday, March 23, meeting of her intent.
Mayor Gary Caldwell and Town Manager Rob Hites both said last week in interviews after the meeting that they had not been informed about Phillips’ plans and did not know she had announced her intent to retire. The DWA executive board would be charged with hiring Phillips’ replacement, but funding for the organization and the executive director’s salary come from property taxes levied by the town on downtown property owners.
A COMPLEX ISSUE
During a follow-up discussion March 16, commissioners agreed that Cullowhee needs the money but also that adding such a large amount to the tax rate is not realistic.
“That’s a huge increase for those people in that community,” said McMahan. “At the same time I want to try to find a way to help them. Personally, I’m not in favor of the fire tax district. I think there are other options.”
Commissioner Tom Stribling, whose district includes Cullowhee, agreed with McMahan, and Woody also said she would not support such a large tax increase for Cullowhee.
Part of Cullowhee’s issue is the fact that its fire department serves tax-exempt Western Carolina University. Because the 600-acre campus is state property, it does not pay county taxes. The state does contribute about $100,000 each year for fire protection, and the WCU Foundation threw in an additional $18,000. That’s not enough, said Green.
“One avenue to try to increase that is to argue to increase the value of that property,” said County Manager Don Adams. “The other argument — and this is probably a better path to take — is to try to get the state to put more money in the pot for fire protection.”
In the meantime, commissioners agreed, they need to find a way to meet Cullowhee’s needs now. McMahan suggested reaching out the county’s five other rural departments to see what their needs are and potentially considering a new, countywide fire tax district. The new district could encompass the
Phillips has been the executive director for 13 years and prior to that served as an assistant to former Executive Director Ron Huelster. She has been part of the DWA during an era in which the downtown district has earned many accolades as one of the most successful Main Street communities in the state.
In recent years, however, there has been dissension among DWA board members about the organization’s leadership and direction. There have been several board resignations, and at least one meeting was held at the former Gateway Club prior to the pandemic where nearly 50 disgruntled business owners discussed whether the DWA as it is currently formed was the best path forward.
The DWA was founded in 1985 to be the administrator of the Town of Waynesville’s municipal service district. The district includes properties along both north and south Main Street. Property owners pay an extra tax on their properties – currently 20 cents per $100 in assessed value – which is collected by the DWA and used to promote revitalization activities within the district. Total yearly expenditures by the DWA are in the neighborhood of $200,000. Phillips’ salary is around $55,000.
— Staff reports
entire county, or it could retain Cashiers as a split-off district. This approach could better distribute the costs and allow the departments to meet their needs without a massive tax increase, McMahan said.
Currently, the county allocates $1.56 million from the general fund and divides it between the six fire departments that do not have a tax district.
While each fire department serves a specific geographical area, in reality the departments are interconnected through a web of mutual aid agreements. So, while a Sylva resident might be miffed at helping to pay for firefighters in Cullowhee, the reality is that if that resident’s house catches on fire, Cullowhee firefighters will respond alongside those from Sylva.
“That’s the only way these (N.C. Department of Insurance) requirements are being met, to have multiple departments responding simultaneously to the same call,” said McMahan. “In some ways we want to support all the departments, because all of the departments have to support each other.”
Following the discussion March 16, County Manager Don Adams said he would work with staff to reach out to the various fire departments and to come up with options to fund the requests. At a minimum, he said, the county has to start working on ways to fund Cullowhee’s needs.
The issue will be discussed further at the next work session on Tuesday, April 13, or potentially during a special-called meeting in early April. Adams is scheduled to present the recommended budget for 2021-22 during the regular meeting on Tuesday, May 18.
Tribe approves $35 million for Sevier County project
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
Tribal Council voted 11-1 this month to allocate an additional $35 million toward a Kituwah LLC development project along Interstate 40 in Sevier County, Tennessee.
“The capital allocation will be used for the purposes of creating various businesses, which are projected to earn rates of return from 14 to 20 percent,” reads the resolution authorizing the allocation.
The day prior to the March 11 Council session, Council member and Kituwah LLC leaders held a closed-door meeting to discuss particulars of the project. During that meeting, Kituwah CEO Mark Hubble reminded Council March 11, they discussed six different projects. The $35 million would provide funding for three or four of those projects.
“On the initial cost of the purchase, the businesses the tribe and Kituwah LLC will own outright or through partnerships will have a value in five years, once stabilized, exceeding 50 million,” the resolution reads.
“The tribe will receive local, state and federal government incentives totaling between $13.5 million and $60 million.”
The resolution seeking the funding was not on the agenda and was instead introduced as an emergency resolution. It was submitted by the Office of the Principal Chief and the Kituwah Economic Development Board.
“The second-largest project on there, we’re having a timing issue and it has to do with an alternate site they’re looking at,” Hubble said. “That’s why we’re asking for this so quickly.”
The company in question has not yet committed to the Sevier County site and is considering another location as well. However, Hubble said, the Sevier County site appears to be superior to the other location
under consideration, and he believes he can get the tenant to commit as long as he can tell them that funding for the project is secure.
The tribe purchased the 200-acre property along the Exit 407 mark of I-40 for $13.5 million following approval from Tribal Council in July 2019, tasking Kituwah LLC
Representatives of tribal, city and county government break ground on the project Tuesday, Nov. 10.
ments of that tradition. Kituwah is working with Knoxville-based OE Experiences to seek out development partners and expects to welcome visitors in 2022.
While no partners have yet been announced publicly, Hubble has been in serious collaboration with multiple entities for some time now.
Some projects under consideration for the Sevier County property could eventually be replicated in Cherokee. A potential inflatable amusement park is an example of that.
with deciding how best to develop it. The tribe also owns 122 acres on the north side of the highway, which it bought in February 2019 for $7.5 million.
In October 2020, Council approved an additional $25 million to help with development costs on the 200-acre property. Ground broke on the project Nov. 10, and Kituwah revealed its vision for the first phase of the project, which includes about 60 acres. Currently referred to as the Roadside District, the section will be developed around the theme of the classic American road trip, including both nostalgic and modern ele-
“Some of those projects, a different version of them, depending on the land, could then be put over here,” he said. “We went and worked out some of the kinks on that site first, because we have the land and it’s flat.”
The property could also be used for crosspromotional purposes. The development might include a visitor center to direct people over the mountain to Cherokee, and the five billboard permits that come with the property could be used to promote activities in Cherokee as well as on the Tennessee property itself.
The measure passed with all Council members save Wolfetown Representative Bo Crowe in favor, and Sneed has ratified it.
The newly unveiled vision for a road trip themed development along Interstate 40 in Sevierville is expected to welcome visitors starting in 2022. Donated rendering
Holly Kays photo
Tribe approves allocation plan for commercial gaming profits
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
By unanimous vote, Tribal Council approved an allocation plan for future revenues from the Southern Indiana Casino during its monthly meeting March 11.
The tribe approved funding in December to purchase gaming operations at the casino for $280 million and expects to close on the deal this summer. The venture is expected to bring in $40 million annually in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and the operation is expected to yield an overall return on investment of 19 to 23 percent. Revenues will go to EBCI Holdings, LLC, the company the tribe set up to handle its new commercial gaming enterprise. Indiana state law allows only 25 percent of annual profits to flow directly back to the tribe, and that portion is expected to fall between $3 and $5 million.
The ordinance, submitted by Principal Chief Richard Sneed, specifies the funds to receive commercial gaming and hospitality revenues. Twenty-five percent will go to the debt service sinking fund, 25 percent to Endowment Fund No. 1, 20 percent to the Higher Education Endowment, 20 percent to the Cherokee Indian Hospital Reserve Account and 10 percent to the Housing Fund.
“What we’re trying to ensure is that we have endowments and funds set up to fund the essential services of the tribe in perpetuity because as I’ve stated repeatedly, two things will continue to happen,” Sneed told Tribal Council. “Our population will continue to grow and the number of people pulling on these services that we have will continue to go up.”
The tribe is still working with Indiana gaming regulators to finalize approval for the LLC and licensure for its board members, but Sneed and Attorney General Mike McConnell both said that the tribe has had an extremely favorable relationship with the regulators and does not expect any issues.
“Natureneverdidbetraytheheartthat loved her.” — William Wordsworth, 1798
As the COVID-19 pandemic swelled and expanded across the globe, the common mantra echoed by governments became: Wash your hands! Practice social distancing! Wear a mask! Responsible citizens have adopted this mantra but, in our efforts to be good citizens and protect each other, we apparently have triggered the law of unintended consequences. Suddenly we find scores of plastic masks floating in our oceans, and waterlogged latex gloves and small bottles of hand sanitizer littering the ocean floor.
The glut of plastic waste in our oceans has been well-documented, along with heart-breaking photos illustrating its threat to marine life. Species such as sea turtles and seabirds have been discovered entangled in plastic fishing line or with stomachs full of plastic waste. Now add disposable mask and gloves to the estimated 14 million tons of plastic pollution currently entering our oceans every year and the situation becomes even more dire. A recent study in the Environment, Science & Technology journal estimates that 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are being used each month. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expects about 75% of used masks to end up in landfills or floating in the oceans. Already masks and gloves are washing up on
beaches around the world, some attributed to carelessness, others apparently carried by wind from land, landfills and ships. This “COVID waste” has an estimated life of about 450 years – a long time to travel the globe, entangling marine life and soiling shores throughout its journeys.
Even more disturbing is the potential toxicity of these used masks. Think of the public health risks from infected used masks drifting in the atmosphere. In addition, disposing of COVID waste through open burning or incineration in waste treatment plants can also release toxins into the environment.
tion. Wash it after every use.
Also, instead of latex gloves, wash your hands frequently. Carry hand sanitizer in reusable containers and refill when necessary. Masks can be made from common materials, such as sheets made of tightly woven cotton. Instructions are easy to find online. Cloth masks should include multiple layers of fabric.
Understand what can happen when we are careless, and exercise the maturity not to create another tragedy out of the current one.
What you can do now: Either buy or make, and always wear a reusable mask that expresses your personality, your beliefs, or your fashion style. Even better—buy or make two or more. Keep a clean mask in your vehicle where you always remember to put it on when you’re in public or with someone who doesn’t live with you. For optimal protection, make sure it’s lined with a non-woven material for optimal protec-
Don't use face masks as a substitute for social distancing. Do both, and keep washing your hands.
Win-win-win: You’re reducing the dangers posed by the coronavirus to others. You’re protecting our oceans and shores simultaneously.
Today’s babies and children can inherit a climate they can survive in.
• Forbes Magazine recommends a number of sources, including designers: www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personalshopper/2020/07/28/heres-where-you-can-
buy-a-face-mask-online-rightnow/#3e198f2b10a9
• For Willie Nelson fans: willienelson.com/products/willie-nelson-classic-songs-face-mask
WHO SAYS—THE EXPERTS:
• From the Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art20485449
• UN News. (July 30, 2020). Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution. news.un.org/en/story/2020/07/1069151
• Giuliani-Hoffman, F. (2020, June 24). Conservationists warn COVID waste may result in ‘more masks than jellyfish’ in the sea. CNN. www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/plastic-pollution-ocean-covid-waste-trnd/index.html
• Prata, J, et.al. (2020, June 12). COVID-19 Pandemic Repercussions on the Use and Management of Plastics. Environmental Science & Technology, 5(13) https://pubs.acs.org/toc/esthag/54/13
• Neva Duncan Tabb is a meteorologist and science educator with an MA in Physical Geography (University of South Florida). She taught science at St. Petersburg College for over 25 years and for the past 15 years has taught physical geography at the University of South Florida. She lives half the year in WNC. • www.wncclimateaction.com
New leadership for Jackson County Schools
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER
Jackson County Schools Board of Education has selected Dr. Dana Ayers as its new superintendent beginning June 1.
Dr. Ayers was previously working for Asheville City Schools as the Chief Academic Officer. Prior to working in Asheville, Ayers was principal of Lincolnton Middle School in Lincoln County. In total, she has 21 years of experience in North Carolina Public Schools serving as principal, assistant principal of instruction and teacher.
Ayers and her family moved to Jackson County a little over two years ago out of love for the area. Even though the commute from Jackson County to Asheville is a long one, Ayers, her husband and her daughter are all educators and are all Catamount alumni, and they knew Jackson was where they needed to be.
Ayers youngest child is in middle school, another reason her family decided to land in Jackson County. When figuring out the best path for her son, the quality of public education in Jackson County was a big draw.
“My youngest son, Truman, is an eighth grader at Fairview,” said Ayers. “He has had a very successful three years here, even amid the pandemic. The teachers in this district have risen to the challenge of teaching through a pandemic and I have been able to see this from the parent lens. I cannot wait to collaborate with our teaching and support staff in JCPS.”
Ayer holds degrees in Elementary Education from Belmont Abbey College, Masters in School Administration from Western Carolina University, an add-on AIG licensure from WCU, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“I believe my experiences, from teaching to the central office role, have prepared me for leading JCPS,” said Ayers. “I have a strong teaching and curricular background. More than anything, what I consider a strength, is my ability to create and promote an inclusive setting for all students and families. Success will come through the collaborative partnerships created with families, students, businesses, the university, community college, and JCPS staff.”
Ayers said that she sees value in having a woman at the helm of Jackson County Schools. She said feels honored to work in a school system where she is not breaking ground, where women have come before her and set the standard for strong female leadership.
“I’m looking forward to taking the time to work with each one of you,” she said while addressing the board. “To listen, listen to the things that are happening here,
to observe what’s going on, because I am a parent and I know great things are happening in Jackson County schools,” said Ayers. “I want to spend a good amount of time listening and observing what’s happening in JCPS.”
While addressing the board, Ayers said it would be interesting to navigate the transition coming in amidst the pandemic, but that she looked forward to the work. She
said she felt very welcomed by Jackson County Schools in the interview process alone, something she was grateful for.
“It is a privilege to be selected as the Superintendent of Jackson County Schools. I look forward to collaborating and building strong relationships with the Board of Education, district leadership, dedicated staff, students, and families. I am eager to serve the community in this capacity and am confident Jackson County Schools will thrive,” Ayers said in a press release. “My family and I moved here to become part of this strong, local community and it has delivered. Thank you to my husband, Phillip, and children, Josh, Emily, and Truman for supporting my educational journey and my desire to lead in western North Carolina. I am both blessed and humbled to be given this opportunity. More importantly, I commit to working diligently for all stakeholders in Jackson County Schools.”
Dr. Tony Tipton had been serving as the interim superintendent for JCPS since Dr. Kim Elliott retired from the position Sept. 1 last year. The board opened the application process for a new superintendent on Nov. 16, 2020, and held interviews on March 1-2. Dr. Ayers was officially selected, from an initial pool of 21 candidates at a special called board meeting Wednesday, March 10.
Transparency efforts underway for cops, teachers, other gov’t employees
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
For the very first time, the North Carolina General Assembly will consider giving the public meaningful access to personnel records that have long been hidden.
“Basically, it’s just for personnel situations,” said Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, who is one of several sponsors of Senate Bill 355. “Right now the way the law is, if a school system or county or police department has a disciplinary action, all that is pretty much closed to the public. The purpose of this bill would be to open that up a little bit. These people are being paid with public funds, and there should be a little more public process.”
As written, the Government Transparency Act of 2021 would not change the prohibition on revealing private information like social security numbers, home addresses or other privileged data, but would modify General Statute 126-23 to require personnel records of state and local government employees to show the reasons for demotions, dismissals, transfers, suspensions or separations.
The disciplinary records of government employees are difficult to access. Often, the only pieces of information available to the public are the employee’s name, pay level, and dates of hire, promotion, demotion or separation. In the case of separation, even for egregious conduct, the public currently has no right to know what led to the dismissal.
That’s problematic especially for educators and law enforcement officers, who can resign from their positions before termination and seek employment elsewhere without disclosing prior bad acts.
Focus on the privacy issue intensified
Mountain Pediatrics
re-opens Canton office
Mountain Pediatric Group’s Canton location, temporarily closed during the pandemic, has now reopened and is accepting new patients.
Anna Mooney, M.D., Traci Lombard, D.O., and Brandi Moziak PA-C will con-
last summer, in the wake of the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The officer currently being tried for the killing of Floyd, Derek Chauvin, had 18 complaints filed against him over his 19-year career — unbeknownst to the general public.
Around that time, Corbin and thenMacon County Commissioner Karl Gillespie — now the House rep for Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties — expressed support for greater transparency, especially in regards to law enforcement. Earlier this year, both reiterated their support for transparency based upon a report issued by Gov. Roy Cooper’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice.
Last week, representatives of the North Carolina Press Association made statements in strong support of the bill.
Regional President of Adams Publishing Group Paul Mauney serves as the president of the NCPA, and Bill Moss, publisher and editor of the Hendersonville Lightning, serves as the chair of the NCPA’s Legislative Committee.
Together, Mauney and Moss expressed appreciation for the bill’s primary sponsors in the Senate — Norman Sanderson, RCarteret, Bill Rabon, R-Bladen and Joyce Krawiec, R-Davie.
“For more than 50 years, transparency of North Carolina government has been badly hindered by the lack of public access to arguably the most important government records, those surrounding the hiring, promotion, suspension, demotion, termination or discipline of state and local government employees. And yet public access to these records — vital to holding public officials from teachers to law enforcement officers accountable— is guaranteed by the law in the states surrounding North Carolina and some 35 others,” they wrote. “Instead of inspiring public confidence in government, blocking public access to government personnel records of this kind simply creates suspicion. And that erodes our public institutions, which are staffed by and large with principled and dedicated people.”
tinue to offer care at both the Canton and Clyde locations.
“We are excited to be able to see patients at both of our office locations for maximum convenience for our patients and their families,” said Neiswonger, practice manager.
Mountain Pediatric Group offers care for infants, children, and adolescents up to age 18. Available pediatric care services include well child checks, vaccinations, management of acute and chronic conditions, sports physicals, and same day sick appointments.
The Canton office is located at 125 Park Street, Canton, N.C., 28716 (behind Kobe Express). Hours at the Canton location are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be made for either office by calling 828.452.8878. For more information visit www.mountainpediatric.com.
Dr. Dana Ayers
Compromise on new jail project urged
BOB CLARK
G UEST C OLUMNIST
The request to the Haywood County commissioners from the Sheriff’s Department for $15 million to expand the county jail helped create a great opportunity for the commissioners. That opportunity arose when a significant, broadbased and factual public response was made questioning whether some of that money wouldn’t be better spent to help people stay out of jail as well as out of our clogged court system.
The focal points of that response can be summarized thusly:
1. Many of the people who present to the county jail have immediate needs for mental health assistance, often based on long-standing issues as well as recent, acute ones.
2. Many have ongoing substance abuse disorders that need to be addressed and treated.
3. Many have poor skills and/or real barriers to seeking and holding employment; difficulties in navigating the web of local charities and governmental assistance programs; many have no meaningful residence.
Sheriff Greg Christopher has poured his heart and mind into ways to keep the jail population low and to slow the rate of people returning to the jail. He has nurtured volunteerism in the jail and has been a dynamic voice in both the creation and expansion of the Pathways organization. He is a trusted
Educational system is in real trouble
To the Editor:
I have often been critical of our educational system for being more enamored of trendy fashions than common sense. Except for specialized fields, a degree from a university may be a net negative for a student. The higher up the prestige ladder one goes, the more this applies.
I consider a graduate of a community college to contribute more to society and have a chance at a happier life than a Harvard graduate because there is less exposure to anthropological errors such as Critical Race Theory and transgenderism. This infection is reaching down from universities into even kindergartens and elementary schools in some areas. With the Biden administration in charge we can expect this trend to accelerate. We cannot afford to be unaware of what is going on. What I want to focus on is Critical Race Theory, which is promoted in such books as How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (born Ibram Henry Rogers) and White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. Want to know where the systemic racism is? There it is. Antiracism is just repackaged racism; don’t fall for it. Institutional racism? It comes from institutions in government, academia, corporations and media that have been corrupted by this societal poison. By their lights, Martin Luther King was a racist because he believed in a colorblind society. MLK believed in equality, integration, and racial harmony and much progress was made along those lines but is now being threatened by the neo-racists and
voice in our community.
I don’t need to talk to any of our county commissioners to know that they would prefer not to spend $15 million taxpayer dollars on a jail. I doubt many citizens want their money spent that way as well.
Boom! We have a situation that cries out for thoughtful discussion and creative thinking that leads to a compromise and it’s right here in front of us, as local as can be. I urge the commissioners and the “mental health first” advocates to recognize that a compromise must be struck and it will take dialogue to do it.
It is also necessary for each side to accept that there will need to be meaningful concessions and that likely, each side will walk away with less than hoped for. That’s how real and lasting deals are made and kept.
I spent 14 years, nine locally, as an assistant district attorney. I spent 10 years as an assistant public defender between stints in Gaston and Buncombe counties. Ten more years as a criminal defense attorney in Waynesville before retiring in 2015.
During those years I heard from and worked with police officers, counselors and therapists, defendants, victims, probation officers and the list goes on. I know the facts are real regarding the composition of jailed people and their mental health issues. I saw that many of my defendants had real
What is so disturbing also is its origin. This anti-intellectual movement was born and developed in what is supposed to be our centers of higher learning. The task of passing on our civilizational inheritance has been abandoned in favor of denigrating our past and rejecting our ancestors’ accomplishments. What is replacing the classical liberal education is a regime in which people are judged on the basis of superficial characteristics, and a hostile work and student life environment ensues as fear, suspicion, intolerance, bullying and unforgiveness abound. It is instructive to read the resignation letter of Jodi Shaw from Smith University that goes into great detail. It is easy to find on the internet.
Math is even considered racist by some as it stresses getting the right answer. It places too much stress on objectivity and it is asking too much to ask students to show their work. This is big time bigotry of low expectations. I used to think that math, science, and engineering would be immune, but even they are being compromised.
What then, I ask, is even the point in education if this is where we are going? Parents, please don’t assume that your children will not be taught things that will destroy or greatly hinder their chances of a flourishing life. Pay attention to what goes on in your school, even down to the kindergarten level. No age level is safe from this toxic totalitarian philosophy. Dare I say religion?
David Parker Sylva
struggles to simply find their way in life. Many of their victims had similar struggles.
I’ve seen our court’s probation officers go from literally: “I will be out in front your house at 9 a.m. and we will go find a job” (Gaston County, 1980) to: “See, my caseload is double, sometimes triple what the national standards say it’s supposed to be.” (probation officer, Waynesville, 2014). That’s the state’s abject failure, but one that impacts us greatly on this issue as well.
There are many tireless, compassionate and knowledgeable people in our county who work hard as employees and/or volunteers. The benefit to all of us from this is tremendous. We have seen many of them give their public reaction to the jail request and they are ready to go to work to help the commissioners to that necessary compromise.
I have been impressed by the reasoned and civil responses from the side of, let’s treat the human needs to keep our jail smaller. I hope the commissioners see that a way forward which gives us the opportunity to create our own compassionate vision based on compromise will do the most public good. It will take face-to-face dialogue, engagement with open, creative minds and a willingness to trust one another. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?
(Bob Clark practiced law in Haywood County and is now retired. bobclarklaw@gmail.com.)
Our republic’s future depends on virtue
To the Editor:
I’m beginning to understand what Benjamin Franklin meant when encountering a woman on the street following the constitutional convention. “Mr. Franklin, what have you bequeathed us?” His reply: “A republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”
Let us be united in interpreting what we’re talking about. A republic (according to the dictionary) is “a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.” Similarly, a democracy is “government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.”
We have, over time, developed and made work a republican (small “r”) form of government. Remarkably, a handful of men, in a country of less than four million people, had the skills, wisdom and insight to debate and create a system with the capacity to lead the world.
Underneath it all, what Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and others instinctively realized and what prompted Franklin’s remark was the belief that the ultimate success of their new republic rested on the willingness of its people to do the right thing.
A key element of the framer’s conviction was that virtue had to be part and parcel of republican government. More than just good moral standing, honesty and integrity, they further believed virtue involved (as expressed
by former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton) “a sense of civic self-sacrifice and the ability to overcome self-interest and act for the benefit of the broader community.” The early framers unequivocally expected that extraordinary level of virtue and not just in political leaders but in citizens themselves. These principled and unconditional doctrines allowed the framers (without doubts or misgivings) and “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence,” to “mutually pledge to each other their Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor.”
As incongruous as it may seem, they made that solemn pledge with the clear understanding and recognition that the whole thing would undoubtedly fail if the people lacked the capacity to make it work.
Many Americans appear to have lost trust in government and in one another. If we regard the violent, deadly, shameless attack on our Capitol on Jan. 6 by our own people a measure of our ability to make our republic work, I would say we have fallen significantly short of the framer’s expectations.
Is it too far-fetched to conclude therefore, that if the framers were alive today, having witnessed recent events (including the shameful participation of a president), that they would look upon many of our choices of leaders as conspicuously not in the best interests of preserving our democracy or republic but indisputably endangering both?
It is imperative we look back and remember that everything depends on us; our children’s future, our way of life, our survival ... everything.
David L. Snell
Emerging from a difficult year of COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis is winding down. This time last year we were thrust into panic, social distancing, masking, and hopelessness. Today, another crisis is revealed, namely mental health problems that will be felt for years after the pandemic is over. Many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness and isolation.
COVID-19 has been stressful for all of us. Each of us reacts to stress differently and coping with it can be difficult. The way each of us has responded to the pandemic depends on our backgrounds, health histories, politics and worldview.
Unemployment, economic loss, deaths of loved ones and friends, grief, loneliness, isolation, and quarantine stress can have extreme emotional and psychological consequences. Working and schooling from home adds to the stress equation, and those with less opportunity to work from home feel more exposed to the virus. Our schools have dealt with closures and disparities in digital access. Already stressed-out working parents have had to take on homeschooling.
This is not to mention that we have increases in domestic violence and child abuse that will result in stress-related issues like PTSD. Increases in alcohol abuse are another common response to stress. The pandemic began as the U.S. was grappling with a growing opioid crisis, and it will soon be back on the front pages as COVID19 news subsides in intensity. Family funerals have been restricted or denied due to isolation ordinances and the risk of becoming infected, so we have watched our loved ones pass away on Facetime and Zoom.
People who respond more acutely to the stress of a crisis include older people and folks with chronic diseases. Those with mental health concerns before the pandemic are apt to see their symptoms increase and need to continue their mental health treatment despite issues with obtaining psychological care during the pandemic. Unfortunately, stigma due to race, ethnicity, and age also spreads throughout our communities.
Threats, both real and perceived, increase our stress, fear, and worry, but in the context of the virus, these responses can seem normal. Responding to the pandemic can take an emotional toll on all of us — we can even experience secondary traumatic stress resulting from exposure to our family’s and friends’ COVID-19 traumas.
Covid-19 was tailor-made to push us out of our comfort zones. So, how do we move forward in these unparalleled stressful times? First, it is important for us to maintain positive emotional health. This can include limiting watching, reading, or listening to COVID-19 news since this can cause many of us to feel more anxiety or depressed mood. We need the facts, but only at regular intervals. Good information reduces our worries about the virus and misinformation can be dangerous.
By supporting others, we also help ourselves. Psychologists call this altruism. By using our phones and social media we can check in on our neighbors who are isolated and might need assistance. Working together can help us create solidarity as we navigate our collective trauma during the pandemic. Essentially, altruism helps us to feel good by doing something good for someone else. For example, I took food to a rural family that could not grocery shop due to being health-compromised. I felt good about helping, and they received essential assistance.
Psychologically, we can effectively deal with our anxiety by taking time to relax and connect with friends and family on a regular basis. It is stressful for us to constantly social distance, wear a mask and repeatedly wash our hands. Although stock piling toilet paper is something we can do to help us feel more in control, awareness of how we feel and doing something about it will be more useful. Faced with new realities associated with the pandemic, it is important that we take a look at and do something about our mental health. It is OK to reach out to family, friends, clergy, and mental health professionals if you need help.
In conclusion, we also will have emotional reactions as we begin to come out of the pandemic. Although relieved, we will still have fears and worries about getting the vaccine, continuing to monitor our environments for signs of illness, and dealing with our frustrations, sadness and even anger regarding our past years’ experience. Some of us might even experience guilt because we managed the pandemic without losing our jobs, not becoming infected and not losing any loved ones. We need to keep our aperture wide open and be aware of psychological and emotional issues that might arise as the spring and summer reveal our post-pandemic futures. It is critical to ask for help if you are feeling concerned or overwhelmed that COVID-19 is affecting your ability to care for yourself or your family.
(Dr. J. Scott Hinkle is a Waynesville psychologist (jscotthinkle@gmail.com)
Guest Columnist
Dr.
J. Scott Hinkle
Just like the days
Papadosio celebrates milestone with Haywood drive-in show
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
In its 15 years together, Papadosio has remained on a steady, upward trajectory as one of the premier jam-bands currently roaming the innovative and ever-evolving live music scene.
Formed while college students in Ohio, the entire quintet pulled up its stakes those many years ago and headed for Western North Carolina on a whim. In search of fresh start, the ensemble eventually put down deep roots in Asheville, personally and professionally.
A heady blend of jam-rock and electronicfusion, the melodies contain very intricate and free-flowing soundscapes, these sonic peaks and valleys that transform the listener (from wherever they’re standing and whatever they’re pondering) into new realms of thoughts and emotions, and interactions with others who seek new and ancient truths alike
— especially in the midst of a live performance, something signature to the Papadosio brand of gyration and improvisation.
If anything, the band is a celebration of what it means to truly be alive and in the moment, to connect with strangers of the night who become lifelong friends, and what it feels like to chase after your dreams in real time — a deeply-held sentiment and long-term vision not lost on Papadosio keyboardist Billy Brouse.
Smoky Mountain News: When you look back — from the beginning to where you’re at right now — what do you think about the idea of 15 years of touring, creating and wandering?
Billy Brouse: It sounds weird, but it does feel like yesterday. And when people say time is a flat circle, it feels like it’s still happening. It’s been so many years that it’s hard to talk about.
It’s hard to quantify how much we’ve done, because it never stopped until this [past] year [with the shutdown]. I’m grateful that we’re able to do it for that long.
And I can’t explain it to anyone [about] what that’s like, unless they’ve done it. It’s kind of like trying to explain how you felt at your summer camp when you were 10 — you went for the first time, and you didn’t want to go
SMN: It feels like time is all one moment, you know? It’s a combination of everything, just one big image of something.
BB: That’s exactly what it is. It’s all happened, all at once to me now. A lot of times when I think back, I can see really bright lights, which is kind of cool, but kind of confusing. It’s been a big blinking, flashing stage all over the world pretty much.
SMN: What do you remember most from those early days? What really sticks out when you think about those first couple of years?
BB: I remember how gung-ho we were about it — no matter what the outcome.
Sometimes you tell people you’re in a band and you’re going to do this full-time, and they [don’t seem to take you seriously]. And I would try to say, “No, this is what we’re doing. You don’t understand.”
From the very beginning we were like that. You just go, you just live [that life of a musician] a hundred percent [to achieve your dreams] — there’s nothing else happening.
In those early years, you have to do everything, even if it’s playing at an Indian restaurant at 130 BPM (beats per minute), dance music to a crowd of people who didn’t necessarily want to hear it. Or when we played St. Patrick’s Day at this packed bar and they ran out of Jameson early into the show — that crowd was not stoked in that moment. [Laughs].
Want to go?
Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, the 2021 drive-in concert series will kick off with a special two-night performance by Papadosio (jam/fusion) at 6 p.m. April 9-10 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center (aka: Haywood County Fairgrounds) in Waynesville.
The show will celebrate not only the 15th anniversary of the inception of Papadosio, but also the 10th anniversary of the Asheville Music Hall.
One- and two-day car passes are now available for purchase. These performances will follow any and all local/state Covid-19 safety standards. All concerts adhere to social distancing protocols.
For more information on this show and others in the drive-in series (and to buy tickets), please go to www.ashevillemusichall.com and click on the “Live Music Calendar” tab.
home, but you did want to go home. You know what I mean?
It’s this weird, magical place that only a few people have — and that’s a cool bond to have. Looking back on it, it’s this really action packed [thing], almost like a movie trailer in my mind of all the crazy stuff, all we’ve done and been through. And we’re proud of that.
But, you know what? You’re up there “doing it” now. Sometimes that made us new fans. And if it didn’t, it definitely made us stronger because we have those moments where we remember what it was like in the beginning [to now playing to large, enthusiastic audiences].
SMN: It’s one of those things where you, at some point early on, probably had a conversation with yourself — whether consciously or subconsciously — that hell or high water, this is what you’re going to do. And everything else is just details.
BB: Oh yeah. We sat down and had that conversation. That’s probably the only serious moment I had at college. I graduated from college, but that was the moment when we sat down and talked about [doing this] — it was more serious than any term paper I had.
I can’t believe it, but we’re still going. And there was never a question [that we wouldn’t do this]. I never thought for a minute about [doing another job]. My brain doesn’t work that way.
SMN: Persistence and determination makes all the difference. That’s why you’re still in the band 15 years later.
BB: Right. I’ve had plenty of people ask me, “What do you do when you go on tour?” And I’d tell them that it’s a contest in being uncomfortable. And if you can be uncomfortable for 10 years — and sometimes it’s longer — then it will pay off depending on how long you’re uncomfortable and grinding it out. You’re not delusional. You’re going “after it.” You just need a little bit of that [discomfort] and then it’ll work out — you’ve just got to go after it, man.
Papadosio.
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Look in the mirror, who do you see? Someone familiar, surely not me
The sound of thunder and a heavy rain awoke me from a deep slumber.
Opening my eyes, I relaxed into the king-sized bed and stared up at the 19th century moldings on the ceiling. Looking out the large bedroom window, I could see a transit bus parked below and a Starbucks sign on the building at the corner.
For a moment or two, I didn’t know where I was or if I was still dreaming. But, I quickly collected my thoughts and remembered I was at an AirBnb in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, and that I was in town for my dear friend’s birthday shenanigans.
I’m hungover from the adventures of Friday night. And yet, there’s still Saturday evening ahead of us. Atop the nightstand is a mess of dollar bills that used to be $20s and receipts from bars scattered around Market Square and Gay Street. My clothes smell like cigarettes from the atmosphere of the Preservation Pub. My head throbbing from the nightcap of Proper Twelve Irish whiskey at Clancy’s Tavern.
Now it’s Saturday afternoon. Lazy and dreary. My good buddy (the birthday boy) is sprawled out on the couch watching golf on a giant TV. I’m on the laptop at this enormous dining room table, once again trying to make sense of this weekend and these situations that I find myself in at seemingly every turn along the road of life.
The AirBnB (aka: “The Shamrock Suite”) is right above Clancy’s and next door to the majestic Tennessee Theatre. Gay Street is bustling with locals, tourists and college kids from the nearby University of Tennessee. In the nine years or so that I’ve called Western
• Open call for artists to sell their work in the Carriage House Gift Shop at the historic Shelton House in Waynesville. 757.894.2293.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Russ Wilson & Hank Bones (jazz/acoustic) April 1. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.
North Carolina home, I’ve also been roaming the main drags and side streets of this wildn-out city.
My best friend went to college here at UT. His family and all of his friends live here. When he used to live in Waynesville, we’d head over the mountains to Knoxville on the weekends and rage downtown with his friends, maybe even raid the fridge at his parents’ house. Eventually, he returned to Knoxville, which he now calls home with his wife and daughter.
Back then, we were all in our late 20s and early 30s. All single and running around in search of whatever anyone else our age was seeking: cheap drink specials, mischief and, if we were lucky, perhaps the love of a significant other. Some of us were luckier than others, and others either faded into the background of your existence or are still on the top of your daily text message conversations.
Back then, it was tailgating at UT football games, bouncing between bars along Central Street, maybe even some karaoke if the mood was right. Concerts at the Bijou Theatre, The Mill & Mine and at the Thompson-Boling Arena. Run around the college haunts surrounding campus, Cool Beans or some fraternity party at a once nice-looking house — now just a shell of empty beer cans and seemingly bad decisions made in blurry haste of trying to impress your peers in the midst of the midnight showcase of alcohol tolerance.
Right now, the cheap futons, couches and floors that I used to wake up on have been traded in for an AirBnb that costs more per night than my rent (and bills included) for one month. The cheap drink specials and Taco Bell runs after the bars closed have been swapped out for bottles of fine wine and farm-to-table dinners at places where dress codes are enforced (sorry, no UT jerseys or band T-shirts in here, sir).
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Eric Alan Barker (classic rock) April 3 and Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. April 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Arnold Hill (rock/indie) 8 p.m. April 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Chris Pressley w/Arnold Hill (Americana/rock) April 2-3, Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) April 9
Right now, those beloved faces that used to belly up to the pub counter with me, used to scream at the UT football games with me, are still around, still living their respective lives and such. But, it seems all we are these days are a bunch of text messages over state lines — either answered in a timely fashion or forgotten and gathering dust, only to fall down your text conversation scroll into the depths of conversational purgatory.
I’ve returned to Knoxville for the weekend, but it feels like this town is deserted. My phone calls and messages to the Knoxville crew are all for nothing. They have dinner plans with their wives. They’re watching their kids. They’re too tired from work all week to want to come out and play. They’re doing lawn work Saturday afternoon and “might be able to meet up later.”
and Isaac Corbitt (soul/acoustic) April 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Advocates for Animals of WNC will host an Easter photo shoot for pets and children (or both) from noon to 6 p.m. April 3 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Plenty of outdoor activities throughout the day, too. Music by Kim Smith. Small raffle items will also be offered.
• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held on April 2-3 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.
What happened to all those oncerowdy faces? I can’t be the only one left that still aims to tame the night, whether it be in the realm of live music or running away from that ticking clock towards the unknown horizon. When did we all become so responsible, and with calendars filled up? When did we stop answering phone calls and returning messages? I refuse to let any and all faces familiar and beloved slip between my fingertips like the sands of time in an hourglass.
I suppose when you spend your life on the road, those left behind keep moving along in their own ways and means. You circle back from time to time to see those faces familiar and beloved, where everything has changed ever so slightly. Several years pass and the entire landscape, physically and emotionally, has shifted to where you’re still “you,” but feel like a stranger in a strange land.
The sound of thunder and a heavy rain awoke me from a deep slumber. For a moment or two, I didn’t know where I was or if I was still dreaming. I’m hungover from the adventures of Friday night. And yet, there’s still Saturday evening ahead of us — running away from that ticking clock towards the unknown horizon.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
• The Rootless Kitchen has opened inside the 828 Market on Main in Waynesville. The menu is inspired by travels that the owner has taken over the years. The menu offers sandwiches and wraps, with many options for vegetarians. www.facebook.com/828marketonmain or Instagram @828MarketOnMain.
• There will be a free wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.
Preservation Pub, Knoxville. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
On the street
‘Lookout’ by Mel Bennett.
Haywood ‘Juried Artist Exhibit’
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host an upcoming exhibition featuring original art from 12 local artists.
The 2021 “Juried Artist Exhibit” opens on April 2 and will run through May 1. Each of the exhibiting artists went through an extensive jury process and they’re are delighted to have their work in the gallery.
Artists included in this exhibit: Joan Bazzel, Mel Bennett, Linda Blount, Barbara Brook, Melba Cooper, Wendelyn Cordwell, Mary Decker, Peggy Duncan, Gayle Haynie, Alice Herring, Ilene Kay, Jo Ridge Kelley, Betsy Meyer, Deb Parmele, Amy
Lake Junaluska
Easter festivities
All are welcome to celebrate Easter with an outdoor sunrise service at the Lake Junaluska Cross and a contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro on Sunday, April 4, at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.
The sunrise service will begin at 7 a.m. at the outdoor amphitheater below the Lake Junaluska Cross and is open to the public for in-person worship. The service also will be streamed live on Lake Junaluska’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakejunaluska.
A brass quintet will provide music and the speaker will be the Rev. Gina Gilland Campbell. Campbell is an ordained United Methodist clergywoman and an adjunct faculty member at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she teaches classes in worship, preaching, pastoral leadership and the
Shahparast, Jennifer Sharkey, Debbie Skelly, Cheryl Summey, and Lisa Townsend.
The HCAC believes that original art by local artisans can be both affordable and collectable. For more information about the HCAC, visit www.haywoodarts.org.
‘Airing of the Quilts’
It’s time for the annual “Airing of the Quilts” at the Appalachian Women’s Museum (AWM) in Dillsboro. In the interest of safety, the “Airing of the Quilts” will be virtual this year except for one drive-by hanging quilt show.
“Airing of the Quilts” will be a monthlong event with various types of materials released online. Content will be available on www.appwomen.org and release of the content will be announced on Facebook.
An airing of the Monteith sisters’ quilts will take place Saturday, April 3, which will be a drive-by only event. Mark your calendars to drive past the Monteith House (100 West Hometown Place, Dillsboro) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to see their quilts and those of the AWM board members airing on the porch and balcony of the house.
You may choose to view the quilts from the parking lot across the street. They will not be allowing visitors to the house per COVID-19 restrictions.
Please participate in April’s airing by sharing photos of your quilts, old or new, made by you or someone else. Exhibitors hoping to show their quilts in next year’s inperson “Airing of the Quilts” may send in a photo this year as a preview.
You can send your photo in two different ways: upload your photo to their Google Drive Folder or email your photo to events@appwomen.org.
When you upload or email your quilt photo, please include a short history of the quilt. The photos and histories will be compiled and posted to the AWM website.
formation of Christian leaders in an increasingly interfaith world. She has a strong personal connection to Lake Junaluska and serves as a member of Lake Junaluska’s Board of Trustees.
Service attendees are encouraged to dress warmly for cool mountain morning temperatures, and are asked to bring masks and observe social distancing. In the event of rain, the service will be held at Memorial Chapel. Check lakejunaluska.com/easter for possible schedule changes.
Following the service, Lake Junaluska also will host a sumptuous contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro inside The Terrace Hotel from 7:30 a.m to 10 a.m.
The menu features crustless quiche, Southern chicken and Belgian waffles, carved honey glazed ham, French toast, Applewood smoked bacon, sausage, Southern biscuits and gravy, homestyle grits and more. The cost is $32 per adult, $16 per child age 4 to 12, and free for children age 3
Interested in metal art?
A new grant from the Center for Craft is supporting an effort to share traditional metal working techniques with the western North Carolina community.
The grant was awarded to William Rogers of Rogers Metals and two Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians enrolled members who have been working with him for the past six years.
James Wolfe, from Big Cove, and Snowbird resident Nathan Bush met Rogers when he was teaching hammered copper on the Qualla Boundary. Now both former students will have a chance to extend their own experience to teaching.
The grant provides funding for a series of introductory workshops available to the community at no cost. The three-hour workshop courses will begin in late April and extend through May.
Each workshop is open to anyone interested in learning more about hammered copper or blacksmithing. Class openings are limited due to COVID protocols. A prospective student will work one-on-one to learn techniques of working either copper or steel from Wolfe and Bush, who will teach at Rogers Metals studio in Cullowhee.
Class space is extremely limited and will be filled on a first-come/first-serve basis. To sign up for a class, contact rogersmetals@gmail.com.
and younger. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 828.454.6662.
After the holiday breakfast, the Lakeside Bistro will reopen from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the regular menu of modern Southern cuisine and special Sunday brunch items.
For more information about Lake Junaluska programs and events, visit www.lakejunaluska.com.
Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade
The famous Easter Hat Parade will return to the streets of downtown Dillsboro at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3.
Bring your finest Easter bonnet and dress up the smiles on everyone’s face by joining in and walking in the parade. In keeping with the times and the pandemic, participants should plan to wear a mask.
And if you do not participate in the parade, you can simply do as hundreds of others do: come to Dillsboro and watch the array of folks strolling “down the avenue” in their finery.
Registration for the parade starts at 11 a.m. Brenda Anders, coordinator for the event for the last 30 years, has taken the joy of Easter just a little further.
“The first couple of years, the number of participants in the parade were less than 24,” Anders said. “But, the event has grown, to where we have had over 200 hat contest entries in our parades through the years.”
The prizes for the hat contest are simple and mostly handmade. The categories are ever-changing, but include the largest, smallest, most outrageous, best use of fresh flowers, hat that traveled the farthest, youngest and, of course, best dog.
The Easter Bunny will also be onsite for photos. 828.506.8331 or www.visitdillsboro.com.
William Rogers (far left).
Book details atrocities in Chinese factories
Historically, and presently, the women at Masanjia experienced worse torture and degradation than men. The guards would jam and twist toothbrushes up women’s vaginas, pour chili powder onto their genitals, and shock their breasts with electric batons. Then they gangraped their victims, who often vomited blood afterwards.
That passage comes from Amelia Pang’s Made In China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2021, 278 pages).
For decades now, our corporations and our government have practiced globalism and “free trade.”
Believing that closer economic connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would lead to greater freedoms for the Chinese people, American politicians and corporate heads invested heavily in that nation, exporting manufacturing from our country to China and importing cheap goods into the United States.
It didn’t work out as planned.
In addition to destroying much of our manufacturing base, our China policies have enriched some American entrepreneurs while also giving rise to a major military and economic rival that laughs at us.
And that’s not the worst of our offensives.
By our consumerism we have not only increased the wealth of the CCP and its supporters, but we have also abetted a wicked system of oppression, torture, and murder.
In Made In China, Amelia Pang pulls the curtain back from these Chinese atrocities. She details the forced labor and the prison manufacturing of cheap goods in that country, the persecution of religious groups and minorities, the executions, the organ harvesting in which hearts, kidneys, and livers are forcibly removed from prisoners for sale to those needing organ replacements, the lies and deceptive practices that allow all these crimes against humanity to continue.
Throughout Made In China, we follow Sun Yi, a practitioner of Falun Gong, a spiri-
Calling all Macon County authors
The Arts Council of Macon County is creating a literary publication to showcase the talents of Macon County’s many published authors. It will be released this summer, free for distribution and available in print and digital form.
To be included, submit one excerpt from your favorite published work (may be fiction or nonfic-
tual group banned by the CCP, who spends years in prisons and labor camps. At one point, when he and others are manufacturing foam tombstones for American Halloween parties, Sun begins secretly inserting notes into this product just before it’s wrapped in cellophane, cries for help to anyone buying the product. In 2012, Julie Keith of Damascus, Oregon, found one of these notes and reported it to the press and the government.
One rare survivor who managed to emigrate from China, Mihrigul Tursun, a mother of triplets, was only released because her children were not Chinese nationals. She reported her internment once she had reached the safety of the United States: “At night, they listened with fear. They could hear men screaming nearby and the rattling of chains, which made terrible grating noises when the guards dragged bodies away. ‘The thought that these men could be our fathers or brothers was unbearable,’ she said.”
As more evidence confirmed the existence of these labor camps, where inmates often work 15 hours a day in terrible conditions with little or no pay, the West also received credible reports of organ harvesting in these camps.
As Pang tells us, the CCP has changed some of its tactics in recent years, moving “from free labor and the silencing of dissent. But China’s Xinjiang camps have a new goal: to erase an entire racial identity.”
By this, Pang means the ongoing assault on the Muslim Uyghurs living in China. The CCP runs political reeducation camps, where Uyghur inmates are indoctrinated or even tortured until they reject their culture and religious beliefs.
tion, from a book, magazine or newspaper), with a 500-word minimum and approximately 1,000word maximum. Provide the work’s name, publication date, and publisher.
Include your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number, plus a 200-word bio. Deadline is May 15, 2021. Send hard copy submissions to The Art Council, PO Box 726, Franklin, NC 28744, and electronic submissions to arts4all@dnet.net. There is no entry fee.The Arts Council intends this to be an ongoing publi-
Near the end of Made In China, Pang writes, “Mihrigul Tursun lives with the knowledge that she has more than likely killed her parents by testifying about the reeducation camps in Xinjiang. It is an unspeakable guilt that she carries with her every day.”
And what of our guilt?
What of all the Halloween and Christmas decorations made in China, the ceramics, the electronics, all those cheap products we can pick up for a song at our big box stores or from online companies? Were they manufactured by workers in regular factories or by forced laborers who worked endless hours, were tortured if they dissented, and lived in abysmal and dangerous conditions?
Pang ends her book with a chapter title “What We Can Do,” in which she makes suggestions for American companies and for individual consumers. As she writes, “… we can use our spending power to limit how much an authoritarian government will profit from the abuse of prisoners of conscience and ethnic minorities.”
Agreed.
Beside my desk is a standing lamp I bought years ago. Affixed to the lamp pole is a “Made in China” sticker. Though for years I have tried to avoid products manufactured overseas, that sticker will remind me every day of Pang’s book and the prisoners living in a Chinese hellhole. And every time I go shopping, I will continue to refuse to buy any product “Made in China.”
(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make the Man minick0301@gmail.com)
cation, in the same vein as The Wayah Review, a compilation of essays, poems, and visual arts works published by the Council from 1980 until 1992, edited by Barbara McRae.
While poets aren’t included in the 2021 publication, future editions will focus on different art forms, from poetry to visual arts to oral history and beyond.
If you have questions about this exciting project, contact the Arts Council, art4all@dnet.net or 828.524.ARTS.
Writer Jeff Minick
Podcast series explores Black Appalachian music
Asix-part podcast mini-series exploring the intersection of Black history and Southern Appalachian music through the Great Smoky Mountains Association is now launching.
“Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music” is hosted by Dr. William Turner and Ted Olson, surveying the many Black roots and branches of Southern Appalachian music by sharing research, listening to recordings and interviewing contemporary Black musicians and experts in music history.
A special interview with the co-hosts is now available on “Smoky Mountain Air” — GSMA’s existing podcast that will distribute “Sepia Tones.”
The first episode of the miniseries, premiering in late March, will focus on neglected Black contributions to Appalachian music with an emphasis on country and blues. Featured guests include Loyal Jones, James Leva, and Sparky Rucker. The remaining five episodes will be released throughout 2021 and cover topics such as the complex history of Black music in East Tennessee, Black sacred
music, Black women musicians, and the diverse landscape of music communities in Southern Appalachia.
“One of the things I noticed quickly, conspicuously, when we started down a path of trying to learn about Black history and cul-
ture in the mountains of the South is the absence of a body of literature that deals specifically with the music of Blacks in the South,” said Dr. Turner. “I was inspired to get
Read through the woods
Storybook Trail promotes literacy and nature
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park hopes to help visitors experience the Smokies story in a new way thanks to a partnership with the University of Tennessee Extension Institute of Agriculture and the Great Smoky Mountains Association.
The Storybook Trail of the Smokies, an initiative to promote literacy in nature, will be open to visitors from April 3 to May 30. As they walk the 1-mile Cosby Nature Trail near Cosby Campground, visitors will read a Smokies-themed book via trailside activities and on-the-trail story pages displayed for them to read along the way.
“We are excited to have this opportunity to offer a new, immersive approach for young readers to experience the stories of the Smokies in a way that brings them to life on the trail,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash.
interested in this type of music, and in this podcast in particular, because we are filling a void. The general public does not know much about Black Appalachian music.”
ies scholar who first rose to prominence as coeditor of Blacks in Appalachia (1985) and as a research assistant to Roots author Alex Haley. Olson is a professor of Appalachian studies at East Tennessee State University and the author of many books, articles, reviews, encyclopedia entries, and oral histories. He has produced and compiled several documentary
“One of the things I noticed quickly, conspicuously, when we started down a path of trying to learn about Black history and culture in the mountains of the South is the absence of a body of literature that deals specifically with the music of Blacks in the South.”
Hosts Turner and Olson bring a wealth of knowledge to the podcast series. Turner is a longtime African American stud-
albums of traditional Appalachian music, for which he has received numerous awards, including seven Grammy Award nominations.
“Sepia Tones” is funded through the African American Experience in the Smokies project in collaboration with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Find it through GSMA’s existing podcast “Smoky Mountain Air.”
“Through this partnership we are excited to provide an opportunity for families, teachers and students to explore, learn and meet their curricular goals while having fun in our national park,” said Jessica Gardner, UT-TSU Extension-Cocke County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent. “It is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy nature, get some exercise, enjoy a story written by our talented local authors and learn something new.”
The spring book lineup includes We’re Going to the Mountains by Steve Kemp, April 3-16; The Salamander Ball by Lisa Horstman, April 17-30; Singing Creek by Morgan Simmons, May 1-14; and The Troublesome Cub by Lisa Horstman, May 15-30. On the first Saturday of each book’s rotation, the author will visit the trailhead to interact with participants.
Storybook Trail of the Smokies is funded through a Juanita H. Fasola Foundation Inc. grant secured by the UT Extension Office. The four books scheduled for this spring are pub-
Every two weeks during the eight-week period, a new book will appear along the nature trail, and two more books are planned for the fall. Educational prompts to encourage interaction with the trail will accompany each book, and books will aim to reach a variety of reading levels. Teachers and homeschool groups are invited to use the storybook trail and its corresponding standards-based activities for classroom or virtual learning opportunities.
Dr. William Turner
Ted Olson
— Dr. William Turner
The Storybook Trail of the Smokies will wind against a backdrop of peaceful forest and rushing waterways. NPS photos
Trout waters open this weekend
Hatchery Supported Trout Waters will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 3, with the season running through Feb. 28 of next year.
Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are marked by green-andwhite signs and have been closed for the past month so that N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission staff can stock them with trout. Staff will continue stocking certain streams through August — some monthly, and some heavily fished waters more frequently.
These waters are open to public fishing, but the land around them is often privately owned. The Wildlife Commission encourages anglers to respect the property they’re fishing on and remember that landowners
Over the next six months, staff will stock nearly 787,000 trout — 96 percent averaging 10 inches in length and 4 percent exceeding 14 inches.
Gear up for coon hunting
can take away access if they feel their property is being misused.
For a stocking schedule, visit www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/fishing/documents/2021/trout-schedule-2021.pdf.
The Jackson County Coon Hunters Association will host a day full of trade opportunities and field events on Saturday, April 3, in Sylva.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., trade or sell hunting and camping supplies such as dog boxes, tracking systems, collars and apparel. There’s a place for dogs to hang out, and good stories are welcome. Field events will begin after 2 p.m.
The group will meet at 44 Oak Hill Drive. Matthew Bryson, 828.508.6465.
Revamped Bryson City market to start in May
The farmers market in Bryson City is growing, with Swain County Cooperative Extension and the Swain County Tourism Development Authority collaborating to plan an expanded and enhanced market this season.
The Smoky Mountain Farmers & Artisans Market will be held two days per week this year, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays May through October at the 117 Island Street on the grounds of the Appalachian Rivers Aquarium, which is open Thursday through Saturday with no admission fee. In addition to vendor tables, the market will feature food trucks, live music and a riverside location that will encourage people to stay longer and maybe even enjoy a meal at one of the picnic tables.
“We are excited about the increased
exposure and sales opportunities for our growers and artisans with this new format,” said Horticulture Extension Agent Katie Ashley.
The area is dog-friendly for leashed pets and features a fishing pier and Tuckasegee River access. Current COVID safety protocols will be observed. Food truck hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There is no vendor fee, and Extension is actively recruiting farmers, growers and artisans. Sign up online at explorebrysoncity.com/vendors or pick up an application at the Extension office or the Visitor Center and Heritage Museum in Bryson City. Call 828.488.3848 with vendor-related questions.
In addition, the TDA is hiring acoustic artists to entertain at the market various mountain music styles. Musicians will stroll throughout the market to help with social distancing. To be considered for selection, contact Rita Jones at 828.788.3563 or manager@explorebrysoncity.com.
Nominations for wildlife committee
Nominations are being accepted through April 30 for four open seats on the Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
This board of North Carolina citizens provides advice to the Commission on nongame wildlife conservation issues across the state. Nominations are needed for expert and atlarge seats. Nominees for expert seats must have extensive biological, regional, academic, scientific and/or habitat expertise and experience in matters regarding nongame wildlife conservation in North Carolina. Nominees for at-large seats should be from organizations that provide a stakeholder voice in wildlife resource conservation — including land trusts, federal natural resource agencies, conservation nonprofits and industries that impact wildlife — and should have comprehensive knowledge of nongame wildlife conservation in North Carolina.
The 19-member committee meets four times each year, usually in Raleigh. The Wildlife Commission will appoint new members in July.
Submit the nomination form, found at https://bit.ly/3eO6MXM, to Shauna Glover at shauna.glover@ncwildlife.org or by mail to Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee, Attn: Shauna Glover, Wildlife Management Division, MSC 1721, Raleigh, N.C., 27699.
Road closures extended in Greenbrier
Ramsey Prong Bridge is in need of replacement, but supply delays are extending the project’s timeline.
A delay in supplies for the Ramsey Prong Bridge replacement project is causing an extended closure for Ramsey Prong Road and Greenbrier Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The roads closed in January and were expected to reopen March 26. However, there has been a delay in the availability of steel beams needed to complete the project. The closure pertains to pedestrians as well as to motorists.
“With the spring wildflower season
upon us, we understand that many people will be disappointed in this delayed opening,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “For the safety of pedestrians and efficiency of operations, we cannot allow visitors to walk through the construction zone to access the popular trails in this area. The crews are working hard to have the site reopened in time for people to still enjoy the area later this spring.”
The Greenbrier Picnic Area will remain open throughout the closure period.
Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, and Backcountry Campsite 31 will also remain closed through April 23 due to lack of access to these trailheads. Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails will continue to be open, but hikers cannot access these trails from the Greenbrier area during the closure and should plan their routes carefully.
Closure updates are posted at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm.
NPS photo
Clean up the creek
Volunteers are wanted to help clean up Allens Creek in Waynesville on Saturday, April 3.
The group will gather at the far end of the PetSmart parking lot at 9 a.m. and work until 10:30 a.m. to pick up as much trash as possible along the stream banks, parking lot and railroad tracks. Haywood
Waterways Association will provide gloves, trash bags, trash grabbers and vests.
Wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and come prepared to get wet. Sign up with Christine O’Brien by April 1 at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.
Get ready for spring pruning
Learn about tree and shrub pruning from an expert during a two-hour class beginning 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 13, via Zoom.
Haywood County Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agent Sam Marshall will lead the class, to cover general pruning guidelines, pruning tools, cut types, pruning methods, trees, shrubs and hydrangeas.
Cost is $10, with signup required by April 10 at https://bit.ly/31jPYjy.
Even as a drive-thru, Winter Lights drew high attendance
The first-ever drive-thru Winter Lights experience at the N.C. Arboretum brought record numbers of people to see the bright holiday display, though the event netted fewer proceeds than previous years that used the traditional walking format.
An estimated 105,215 people experienced the 2020 show from the safety of the more than 30,000 vehicles that passed through the Arboretum’s gates between November and January. By comparison, the 2019 show drew just shy of 45,000 atten-
dees. However, the $260,000 in net revenue the 2020 show raised is considerably lower than the $384,000 the 2019 show brought in.
“We consider that an incredible success in a year where organizations in our position struggled across the board,” reads a statement on the arboretum’s website. “We attribute that difference in our position to you, our faithful supporters.”
In addition to attending Winter Lights, arboretum supporters contributed to the Staff Support Fund created during the early days of the pandemic and gave generously to The Path Forward fundraising campaign.
A webinar at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 6, will explore the ways that camera traps are used to study wildlife along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
These devices operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and help researchers around the world gather a large amount of information about often hard-to-find wildlife species, capturing amazing photos in the process.
During this 30-minute presentation,
Prescribed burns announced for Transylvania, Burke
Recently announced prescribed burns in the Pisgah National Forest will impact areas of Transylvania and Burke counties in the coming months.
n Over the next month, the U.S. Forest Service plans a 2,000-acre burn at Otter Hole and a 1,000-acre burn at Funneltop, both in Transylvania County.
n In the coming weeks, a 1,688-acre burn on the Grandfather Ranger District in Burke County will take place at Old Way Ridge, directly south of the tri-
Check out Parkway camera traps
Parkway Biologist Tom Davis will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at how park staff use camera traps to study wildlife. The webinar will include image and videos of bears, white-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, raccoon, opossum, skunks and even birds captured on the park’s many camera traps.
Free. Part of a monthly series offered by the Insider Report at 11 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. Register at www.brpfoundation.org/events.
announced for other areas of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. These low- to medium-intensity burns prevent wildfires and create healthier, more diverse and more resilient forests that can better support wildlife.
Burn dates and actual acreage will depend on weather conditions. Crews will conduct the burns when weather conditions
A camera trap captures a curious bear cub. Donated photo
WNC Calendar
COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Dillsboro will hold its Easter Hat Parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, in downtown Dillsboro. For more information, call 828-506-8331, or go to the website visitdillsboro.com.
• Lake Junaluska will celebrate Easter with an outdoor sunrise service at the Lake Junaluska Cross and a contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro on Sunday, April 4. The sunrise service will begin at 7 a.m. at the outdoor amphitheater below the Lake Junaluska cross and is open to the public for in-person worship. The service also will be streamed live on Lake Junaluska’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakejunaluska. For more information, to check updates for weather-related schedule changes or see the full menu for the Lakeside Bistro’s contactless Easter breakfast buffet, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/easter.
• Opening Day of the Waynesville Farmer’s Market & Shelton House Easter Candy Give Away will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 3. The Easter Bunny's helpers from Shelton House will be at the opening of the Famer's Market to pass out Easter Candy to all children. The Farmer’s Market will take place every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through Dec. 18 in the HART Theatre parking lot.
• Waynesville Art School will hold an all-school exhibition to showcase studentmartwork and the first of its kind Dragons-over-Waynesville installation from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 3 and 11. See the school, get to know the faculty, learn about the classes and programs and register for summer camps. Masks are required as the school follows Covid-19 safety protocols. For more information call 828 246-9869, or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com
• Live Forgiven Church will host a curbside grocery giveaway from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Sunday, April 11. Prepacked groceries and some fresh foods will be available to anyone who could use a little extra support. Simply drive up to the parking lot at the church (45 Crown Ridge Road, Sylva) to participate. For questions, contact Chris or Crystal at FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life
• Family Day at the Greenway will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 17 from at the Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee. Everyone is invited to walk the Greenway and enjoy various activities located around the trail. Some of the events include rock painting, yard games, and an ecology scavenger hunt. Harris EMS, PT Solutions, and Harris Pediatrics will all have tents set up for park-goers to interact with and learn more about their services. For more information, please visit the “Events” tab of Harris Regional Hospital’s Facebook page or go to https://fb.me/e/5bsISXP9D
• The Shelton House Museum, Barn and Gift Shop will hold Opening Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. The Shelton house will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, withe tours offered on the hour.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College, in coordination with Small Business Centers in the WNC Region, will offer a free three-part Small Business Tax virtual learning series featuring representatives from the North Carolina Department of Revenue. The Small Business Tax series will be held on Tuesdays, April 6, April 20 and May 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register today.
• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College is offering a free "Empowering Mountain Food Systems - Agribusiness" webinar series. The four-part
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com
series is designed to address the unique needs of current and prospective agribusinesses. Upcoming classes include Agritourism to be held 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 28. Interested current and prospective agriculturebased businesses and entrepreneurs are welcome to register for a single session or all four. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register today.
VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS
• The annual Adopt-A-Highway Spring Litter Sweep is coming up April 10 to 24, and volunteers are needed to help the N.C. Department of Transportation remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers will receive cleanup supplies such as trash bags, gloves and safety vests and are encouraged to follow COVID-19 safety guidance while out and about. Sign up at bit.ly/3c7vtez or call 919.707.297.
H EALTH AND WELLNESS
• Gibbins Advisors is scheduling an informational online meeting open to all communities in Western North Carolina served by Mission Health. The webinar will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. In the webinar, the IM team will discuss its role, provide an update on its work, and present the opportunity to ask questions. Those interested in participating can register at the following link: https://www.independentmonitormhs.com/register
A&E
• The “Inspired by Nature” clay stamp class with Jan Kolenda will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Cost is $45 per person. Please bring cash or a check in the amount of $45. Checks must be made payable to Jan Kolenda. To RSVP, call 828.452.0593. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Russ Wilson & Hank Bones (jazz/acoustic) April 1. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Eric Alan Barker (classic rock) April 3 and Shane Meade (singersongwriter) 8 p.m. April 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Arnold Hill (rock/indie) 8 p.m. April 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Chris Pressley w/Arnold Hill (Americana/rock) April 2-3, Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) April 9 and Isaac Corbitt (soul/acoustic) April 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• Advocates for Animals of WNC will host an Easter photo shoot for pets and children (or both) from noon to 6 p.m. April 3 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Plenty of outdoor activities throughout the day, too.
Music by Kim Smith. Small raffle items will also be offered.
• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held on April 3 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
• The annual “Airing of the Quilts” at the Appalachian Women’s Museum (AWM) in Dillsboro will be virtual this year, except for one drive-by hanging quilt show. During the month-long event, various types of materials will be released online throughout the month. Content will be available on www.appwomen.org and release of the content will be announced on Facebook. An airing of the Monteith sisters’ quilts will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at 100 West Hometown Place Dillsboro, which will be a drive-by only event.
F OOD AND D RINK
• There will be a free wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES
• A “Call for Artwork” by the Haywood County Arts Council is currently underway. In May, the HCAC will be showcasing our beautiful native wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and trees in the exhibit: “Celebrating the Flora of the Smoky Mountains.” Contracts are due April 9. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org/callfor-artists or pick up a copy at the HCAC in Waynesville. Email completed contract to gallerygifts@haywoodarts.org.
• Open call for artists to sell their work in the Carriage House Gift Shop at the historic Shelton House in Waynesville. For details, call 757.894.2293.
•The “2021 Juried Artist Exhibit,” hosted by Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), opens on April 2 and will run through May 1. The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, click on www.haywoodarts.org.
• “Connecting Legacies: A First Look at the Dreier Black Mountain College Archive” features archival objects from the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection presented alongside artworks from the Asheville Art Museum’s Black Mountain College (BMC) Collection to explore the connections between artworks and ephemera.
Outdoors
• The new Cashiers Greenway Ramble StoryWalk is now complete, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, April 2, set to coincide with International Children’s Book Day and a socially distanced visit from the Easter Bunny planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 3. Register at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/event/visit-with-theeaster-bunny.
• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting proposed migratory bird hunting seasons for 2021-2022
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
through its online comment portal at www.ncpaws.org/paws/wrc/publiccomments/publiccomments.aspx. These regulations will apply to waterfowl, webless and extended falconry. Commissioners will review the comments and set season dates April 22. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/proposedregulations/migratory-birds.
• A series of horticulture classes aimed at home gardeners will be offered in the New Year through Haywood County Cooperative Extension. Upcoming sessions are April 13, Pruning Trees & Shrubs. Classes, taught by extension agents and experienced Master Gardener volunteers, will last for approximately two hours and be held via Zoom until face-to-face training is possible. Sign up by emailing mgarticles@charter.net. Cost is $10 per class.
• The inaugural Running of the Goats 5K and Nature Walk will take place at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville on Sunday, April 25. Registration is limited, and rolling starts with waves between 7:30 and 9 a.m. will allow for distancing. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the WNC Nature Center and support programs throughout the park. Register at www.wildwnc.org/runwild
• Go on a virtual wildflower hike with Olympian Missy Kane during an upcoming series on Wednesdays in April. Registration is full for the limited in-person attendance option, but the virtual option is still available. All participants will receive hike swag, including wildflower-themed items and the opportunity to meet Kane. Learn more at www.friendsofthesmokies.org/getonthetrail.
• Registration is now open for Discovery Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.
Camps will be offered weekly from Jun 7 through July 2 and July 19 through Aug. 13. They’re open to rising second through seventh graders, who will spend the week exploring the great outdoors in the 434-acre Arboretum campus. Learn more or sign up at www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/discoverycamp.
H IKING CLUBS
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will hike an easy-to moderate 5-mile hike on Friday, April 2. The club will meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 10 a.m.
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 7.7 mile hike on Saturday, April 3, on Thompson Loop at Tsali Recreation Area on Fontana Lake. The club will meet at Bi-Lo in Franklin at 8:30 am, drive 90 miles round trip. Call leader Laura Lauffer, 919-444-1478, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy 1.5 mile hike for novice meditators on the Rufus Morgan Trail on Wednesday, April 7. The club will meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 10 a.m. Call leader Deborah Gregory, 421-0008, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a strenuous 9.5 mile hike on Saturday, April 10. The club will meet at Cowee School at 8:30 a.m. Call leader Larry Barnett, 828-226-9123, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.
Market PLACE WNC
Auction
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
Thomas Timber Inc., Live & Online Bidding, 3344 NC Hwy 210 E. Harrells, NC 28444. See Website for list of items, ironhorseauction.com, 800-9972248, NCAL#3936
Building Materials
BUYING POPLAR
BARK SIDING Buying poplar bark siding. Call for details, ask for Sid or Hannah. (828) 264-2464 hannah@hctfmw.com
Business Opportunities
ARE YOU LOOKING For a job or business opportunity? Roof Coatings manufacture looking for Sales team members and Installers, in NC & SC. Call LaVern Zook 740-656-0177.
Employment
BUILDING & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
SUPERVISOR – Residential Living #003673 Western Carolina University is accepting applications for a permanent full-time Building & Environmental Services Supervisor (#003673) with the Department of Residential Living. This position will act as a working supervisor with daily housekeeping duties and management responsibilities. This team leader will be the daily supervisor of a house-
keeping team working in one or more assigned areas within the WCU Residential Living facilities. Duties include but are not limited to: performing staff training in coordination with the Housekeeping Supervisor; tracking team members’ attendance and recording for timekeeping purposes; Assessing Team members’ requests for time off and approving or denying requests as appropriate; Responsible for setting clear expectations and instructions and supporting all team members in the successful pursuit of step disciplinary action in the form of informal verbal discussion with and correction of employee when expectations are not being met; Daily visual inspection of team’s assigned housekeeping areas. If requested by Housekeeping Supervisor or Housekeeping Manager, Team Leader will also complete written inspection of assigned work area(s); acting as a communication liaison between Housekeeping Supervisor/Housekeeping Manager and Housekeepers. This is a physically demanding job that requires constant standing, squatting, walking, pushing/pulling, and the ability to lift up to 50lbs on a regularcations for this position are: Graduation from High School or possession of a GED, and one year of experience in the area assigned; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Management prefers
candidates with at least 2 years supervisory experience in a housekeeping setting. Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/Ac-
Pro-Disabled & pro-Veteran Employer. Apply at https://jobs.wcu.edu/ postings/15285
OWNER OPERATORS AND DRIVERS NEEDED
Dedicated, roundtrip OTR lanes with regular home time. 800-832-7036 x 1626
AIRLINES ARE HIRINGGet FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Fi-
students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-441-6890.
NOW HIRING: Looking to hire individuals interested in a career in the landscape industry. Group beneis based on knowledge and experience
Benefits offered after 90 days employment. Apply online at oldedwardsinn.com/careers
HOUSEKEEPING –
HOURLY, 2ND SHIFT, Residential Living #T00942 Western Carolina University is accepting applications for multiple 2nd shift housekeeping positions (#T00942) with the Department of Residential Living. The work schedule for this position is Monday-Friday, from 3pm to 11:30pm, with some rotational weekend work required. This temporary position will lapse a maximum of 11 months after start date and may end sooner, depending on the needs of the department. Successful hourly employees will be eligible for rehire, subject to the needs of the department. This position will perform a variety of duties in the care, cleaning, and disinfection of Residential Living facilities. Duties include physical activities such as moving furniture, operating cleaning equipment, carrying trash, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, walls, windows and
maintenance. Related tasks may be assigned as needed. Minimum
position are: Some knowledge of cleaning procedures, the ability to
follow instructions and to perform medium to heavy physical work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Western Carolina University is an Equal Oppor-
Action/Pro-Disabled & pro-Veteran Employer. Apply at https://jobs.wcu. edu/postings/15112
HOUSEKEEPING –HOURLY,
RESIDENTIAL
LIVING #T00942 Western Carolina University is accepting applications for multiple housekeeping positions (#T00942) with the Department of Residential Living. This position will perform a variety of duties in the care and cleaning of Residential Living facilities. Duties include physical activities such as moving furniture, operating cleaning equipment, carrying trash, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, walls, windows
minor maintenance and other related tasks. Min-
this position are: Some knowledge of cleaning procedures, the ability to follow instructions and to perform medium to heavy physical work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
115Old ad question that's apt for this puzzle's theme
119Colonist, e.g.
120Russia and Turkey's place
121Good odor
in French
55Tokyo sash
56TV's "Warrior Princess"
57With 77-Across, has a connection with
58"Ad -- per aspera"
59Resting atop
60Twilight
64Liaison
68Excited, with "up"
69Wipes away
70Single bullet, say
122Own
123Distributing
124Benefactor
DOWN
1NFL officials
2Fanning of "Maleficent"
3Have a slant
4Quaint hotels
5Dessert items on sticks
6Colorful card game
7Covers with blacktop
8Hearty dish
9Noon, e.g.
10"Hail, Cato!"
11High mil. rank
12Founded, on city signs
13"Enter"
14Like many short plays
15Buddy
16Safeguards
17Language of India
18Limerick writer Nash
19Strike heavily and loudly
24Mazda roadster
29Ordinance
32Belgrade's land
33Vatican City surrounder
34Suffix with Wyoming
35Retained
36Grand -- (race event)
37Uncouth
38Premonition
39Film-rating gp.
40Mall stall
41Home to Hanoi, briefly
44Mortgage claim
45Quick bite
47Kachina doll carvers
48Dry as --
49Birds flap them
53Prior to, to bards
54Get for less
57ENT part
58Abbr. at the top of a 111Down
59Actress O'Connor or Merkel
60Comic Caesar
61"Jeepers!"
62Pot-au- -- (French dish)
63Suffix with 93-Down
64Popular typeface
65Actress Jane
66Portable bed
67Year, in Rio de Janeiro
71-- diavolo (pasta sauce)
72Unpaid debts
73Steenburgen of "Ink"
74Peruvians of old
75Crawl (with)
76Chemical "I"
80Tubular pasta
81Actress Falco
82"I" problems
83Email status
85Lustrous fabric
86Service costs
87Wood splitter
88Editorial page feature
90Consents to
92Film director Roth
93Missouri-to-Iowa direction
95Licoricelike seeds
96People using lassos
99Bracelet part
100Baseball's -- Nomo
101Army squads
102Used oars
103Sink part
106-- Sea (shrinking Asian lake)
107Arnaz of 1950s TV
109Long Spanish river
110Spinks of boxing
111Office note
112Not nearby
114Bullfight cry
116-- and cry
117Noted period
118Present label
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
Western Carolina University is an Equal Oppor-
Action/Pro-Disabled & pro-Veteran Employer. Apply at https://jobs.wcu. edu/postings/12618
FULL-TIME ASSISTANT TEACHER CHILDCARE M-F, 9 am-5 pm dependent on classroom ratios, $10-11/hr. Reply with resume to: Belinda.Marr@ LongsChapel.com
PART-TIME CHILDCARE FLOATER POSITION M-F, 11 am-6 pm, $9-$10/hr. Reply with resume by email to: Belinda.Marr@ LongsChapel.com
PART-TIME AFTERNOON CHILDCARE WORKER M-F, 3-6 pm, begin $9/hr. Reply with resume. Belinda.Marr@ LongsChapel.com
FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Senior Secretary - Corporate & Industry Training. Data Management Technician - Instructional Design & Quality
Assurance. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https:// faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/ Human Resources
7342 Internet:http://www. faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer.
FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: College and Career Readiness Instructor - Adult High School English. Senior Grounds Technician. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://
faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/Human Resources
7342 Internet: http://www. faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer
COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certainplicants. Call CTI for details! Call 833-990-0354. (M-F 8am-6pm ET)
ATTENTION ACTIVE
DUTY/MILITARY Veterans Begin a new career and earn your degree at CTI. Online computer & medical training available for veterans & families! To learn more call 833-9703466
MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. Financial Aid Available for those who qualify. Call 833-9900354
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!
WORK FROM ANY-
WHERE 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
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/NATURAL-
IST - SEASONAL The Balsam Mountain Trust, a small conservation
opportunity for someone who is adept at knows their way aroundtic customer service skills and would also like to work around and with a captive collection of animal ambassadors. For a complete job description email Michael Skinner at mskinner@bmtrust. org. mskinner@bmtrust.org
Home Goods
GENERAC STANDBY GENERATORS Don’t Wait! The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be. prepared for power outages. FREE 7-yr ext. warranty ($695 value!)
Schedule your Free InHome assessment today. 1-833-953-0224, special customers.
Medical
LIFE ALERT. 24/7. One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar. Even if you can’t reach a phone! FREE Brochure. CALL 844-9022362
OXYGEN - Don’t Wait! Anytime anywhere. Noeries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! Free info kit 888-9123728
GET YOUR COPY Don’t Wait! The best book of herbal remedies probably ever written. For more details email James at: j ames.floyd@floydjackson.com
DENTAL INSURANCE
From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. Call 1-844496-8601 for details. www.dental50plus.com/ ncpress 6118-0219
Real Estate Announcements
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.
SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! FREE CONSULTATION 844-359-4330
GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 BaseCampLeasing.com
Entertainment
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. We instantly compare speed, pricing, service for your needs. Starting at $39.99/month! Quickly compare offers from top providers. Call 1-866-925-1505
Home Improvement
JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING-PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all needs & more. Specializing in Removal of Carpenter Bees-New product Guaranteed Success! Call/Text for Free Estimate at 828508-9727
NEVER PAY FOR Covered Home Repairs Again! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE Months! 866-501-1596
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call:833-987-0207
ENERGY SAVING NEW WINDOWS! Beautify your home! Save on monthly energy bills with NEW WINDOWS from 1800Remodel! Up to 18 months no interest. Restrictions apply. 1-877-287-8229
Legal, Financial and Tax
TAX PROBLEMS- Behind 10k or More on Your Taxes? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unissues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 855-828-0617
Wanted to Buy
LAND ROVERS Whole or Parts - Especially interested in series Rovers sold from Harrell’s Motor Sales in Waynesville Wanted to restore to keep local. 828-506-5733 (828) 506-5733
Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.
