As the United States faces the worst public health crisis in a generation, we want you to know we are here for you — and with you.
Whatever happens, whenever it happens, The Smoky Mountain News will be here. We’ll be there to let you know how our community is managing through this crisis — from business to government to the health care system and schools to the drastic impact on individuals and families.
And we’ll be there to let you know about the good
and extraordinary things happening in the midst of this crisis — citizens and nonprofit workers attending to the homeless community, the volunteers bringing food to elderly people who cannot leave their homes, the health care workers putting themselves in harm’s way to care for the sick.
Amidst the sadness and anxiety, there are uplifting moments that remind us of the resilience of the human spirit, and we’ll be there to document those too.
We are here to help you make sense of the situation
and to help you navigate it.
Having fact-based, reliable reporting that provides public scrutiny and oversight is more important than ever. This newspaper and its readers have navigated horrific events — natural disasters, terrorism, financial downturns, periods of extreme political and societal division.
This challenge is greater than any of those, but, rest assured, we’ll be here for you. Let’s stick together, and we will come through this, too.
On the Cover:
Newspaper across the country are joining together to put out a common front page this week, reassuring readers that we are committed to helping the communities we serve through this crisis. We are independent, but we are also a part of the Western North Carolina community and want to be a part of the solution as we get through this pandemic.
News
A Coronavirus Pandemic timeline ..................................................................................5
Democratic candidates call for Medicaid expansion ................................................7
Memphis restaurant delivers meals to Cherokee ......................................................8
Schools adjust to changing COVID-19 orders ..........................................................9
Folkmoot cancels 2020 summer festival ..................................................................10
Waynesville suspends water disconnections ..........................................................11
Dogwood Health Trust responds to COVID-19 ....................................................12
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D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier.
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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Hannah Mcleod (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing).
We have always taken care of one another. We're tough, resilient and ready to roll up our sleeves when needed. This is one of those times.
Only this time, we’re not going to go out and help.
Our friends and neighbors in our grocery stores, hospitals, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and other workers on the front lines of critical response are counting on us.
FROM WUHAN TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA A Coronavirus Pandemic timeline
Darker counties represent more coronavirus cases. Counties in white have no reported cases. Data is as of 2 p.m. on March 31, 2 020. NCDHHS map
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
When the first rumors of a strange new contagious pneumonia-like illness began circulating in China late last fall, few could have imagined that the coronavirus outbreak would grow to become the global pandemic that it is today.
The illness garnered little attention in the United States through January and even much of February, but the pace of its acceleration through March has left many wondering how, exactly, it progressed from Wuhan to Waynesville to Webster and throughout all of Western North Carolina in less than three months.
Almost every newsgathering organization in the world is now reporting on the economic and social disruption caused by the coronavirus, above and beyond the 30,000 deaths associated with it.
Integrating that reporting — global, national, regional, local — into one authoritative, comprehensive sequence shows how far we’ve come, even as we wonder how much further we have to go.
DECEMBER 2019
• Early December 2019: What are now thought to be some of the first known cases of COVID19 appear China. Some are connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, some are not.
• Late December 2019: Chinese physicians begin to suspect something is out of the ordinary as patients continue showing up
with symptoms similar to pneumonia. The Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reports on the outbreak, and the Wuhan’s health service issues warnings on Chinese social media.
JANUARY 2020
• Jan. 3: Chinese scientists identify the virus and name it 2019-nCoV. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Alex Azar learns that a U.S. CDC official has discussed the virus with Chinese doctors.
• Jan. 5: China suspects it has 59 cases.
• Jan. 6: The U.S. CDC issues an advisory, warning travelers to Wuhan to avoid sick people and wash hands frequently.
• Jan. 7: China censors the #WuhanSARS hash tag.
• Jan. 8: A 61-year-old regular customer of the Huanan market becomes the first death attributable to coronavirus.
• Jan. 12: First reported case outside of China, in Thailand.
• Jan. 13: First reported case in Japan.
• Jan. 19: First reported case in South Korea.
• Jan. 20: Coronavirus spreads throughout China, totaling 219 cases.
• Jan. 21: The World Health Organization
issues its first report on the situation. The United States reports its first case, in Washington state.
• Jan. 22: Chinese government suspends public transportation, flights and trains out of Wuhan, orders citizens to wear masks in public. WHO issues its second report on the situation. The virus spreads to Macao, Singapore and Vietnam. President Donald Trump tells CNBC, “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China.”
• Jan. 23: WHO issues its third report on the situation. The virus spreads to France and Nepal.
• Jan. 24: The virus spreads to Australia, Canada and Malaysia.
• Jan. 25: The United States plans to evacuate U.S. citizens from Wuhan. California becomes second U.S. state to confirm a case.
• Jan. 26: Arizona becomes the third U.S. state to confirm a case.
• Jan. 27: WHO declares coronavirus a global risk. Several Asian countries close their borders to Chinese travellers.
• Jan. 28: The virus spreads to Finland and United Arab Emirates.
• Jan. 30: Director-general of WHO declares coronavirus a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” The virus spreads to
Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Russia.
• Jan. 31: More countries close borders with China and prohibit Chinese travellers. Global cases total 11,950 with 259 deaths.
FEBRUARY 2020
• Feb. 1: A total of eight cases are reported in four U.S. states. WHO issues its 12th report on the situation.
• Feb. 2: President Trump tells Sean Hannity, “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China. It’s going to be fine.”
• Feb. 5: American Airlines and United Airlines stop flying to and from Hong Kong.
• Feb. 7: A total of 12 cases are reported in six U.S. states.
• Feb. 11: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper establishes COVID19 task force.
• Feb. 12: Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at six-month high of 29,551.
• Feb. 14: A total of 15 cases are reported in seven U.S. states. Global cases total 67,100 with 1,526 deaths.
• Feb. 15: U.S. passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess are evacuated and quarantined.
• Feb. 18: Iran confirms first case.
• Feb. 21: A total of 30 cases are reported in eight U.S. states.
• Feb. 22: Middle Eastern countries begin closing borders with Iran and halting flights.
• Feb. 23: WHO issues its 34th report on the situation.
• Feb. 24: President Trump tweets, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA… Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”
• Feb. 25: DJIA loses 8.4 percent to close at 27,081. President Trump tells a business roundtable in India, “I think [the coronavirus is] a problem that’s going to go away.”
• Feb. 26: In a press briefing, President Trump says, “We’re going very substantially down, not up.”
• Feb. 27: During a White House reception, President Trump says, “One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
• Feb. 28: A total of 65 cases are reported in 10 U.S. states. After dropping to 25,409 on Feb. 25, the DJIA rebounds to 27,090.
• Feb. 29: The U.S. state of Washington issues the first State of Emergency declaration. Global cases total 86,604 with 2,977 deaths.
MARCH 2020
• March 1: A total of 88 cases are reported in 12 U.S. states. First coronavirus death in United States is reported.
• March 3: North Carolina reports its first case.
• March 6: While touring a CDC facility in Atlanta, President Trump says, “I think we’re doing a really good job in this country at keeping it down… a tremendous job at keeping it down.”
cases total 156,475 with 5,833 deaths. Gov. Cooper closes K-12 public schools.
• March 15: Haywood County declares a State of Emergency.
• March 16: Jackson County declares a State of Emergency. Macon County announces first presumed case of coronavirus from a New York resident.
• March 17: Gov. Cooper ends sit-down service at bars and restaurants, loosens restrictions on unemployment benefits. West Virginia
• March 7: A total of 428 cases and 19 deaths are reported in 32 U.S. states.
• March 8: President Trump tweets, “We have a perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan at the White House for our attack on Coronavirus.”
• March 9: President Trump tweets, “The Fake News media & their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semiconsiderable power to inflame the Coronavirus situation.”
• March 10: N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper declares a state of emergency. President Trump tells reporters on Capitol Hill, “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.” Coachella festival slated for mid-April is postponed to October.
• March 11: The National Basketball Association suspends its season after a player tests positive for coronavirus. Western Carolina University, in conjunction with the entire UNC system, moves all instruction online.
• March 12: Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League both suspend their respective seasons. Buncombe County declares a state of emergency. Asheville’s Connect Beyond festival becomes the first major event to be canceled in WNC. The Asheville Symphony also cancels events.
• March 13: President Trump declares a National Emergency. City of Asheville declares municipal state of emergency. MerleFest 2020, scheduled for April 23, is canceled.
• March 14: A total of 2,898 cases and 57 deaths are reported in 49 U.S. states. Global
• March 25: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports first coronavirus deaths in the state. Buncombe County issues “Stay home, stay safe” order. Town of Highlands issues “Stay home, stay safe” order discouraging visitors and implementing strong self-quarantine requirements for visitors. Principal Chief Richard Sneed issues a curfew order on the Qualla Boundary from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• March 26: DJIA rebounds to 22,552, still 23.7 percent off six-month high. Haywood County issues a “Stay home, stay safe” order valid through April 16. Macon County and the town of Franklin do likewise, although the order does not affect the town of Highlands.
becomes the last U.S. state to report a case. Macon County declares State of Emergency. Town of Highlands declares municipal State of Emergency.
• March 18: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort closes through April 1. That closure is later extended to April 15. Cherokee County (not to be confused with the Qualla Boundary) announces first positive coronavirus test.
• March 19: The media reports that Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, sold 33 stocks worth between $628,033 and $1.7 million in midFebruary following a briefing regarding the coronavirus.
• March 20: Primary election runoff in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District is moved from May 12 to June 23.
• March 21: A total of 24,192 cases and 301 deaths are reported across all 50 U.S. states. Global cases total 304,979 with 13,011 deaths. Buncombe and Henderson counties announce first confirmed cases. Graham County declares State of Emergency.
• March 23: DJIA hits six-month low of 18,591, a decrease of 36.6 percent from six-month high of 29,551 on Feb. 12. Jackson County issues a “Stay home, stay safe” order that also includes Dillsboro, Forest Hills, Sylva and Webster. Jackson County announces first positive case.
• March 24: Gov. Cooper extends school closings to May 15. Waynesville suspends disconnections of water and electric service to municipal customers. Madison County announces “Shelter in place” order. Great Smoky Mountains National Park closes. Waynesville’s Folkmoot issues a statement warning that the 37th annual summer festival could be in jeopardy.
• March 27: Gov. Cooper issues statewide “Stay home” order valid through April 29. The order supersedes county and city orders, which can still be more restrictive than the state’s order, but not less restrictive. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians received notice of its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19. President Trump signs a $2 trillion stimulus package, the largest in U.S. history. Town of Andrews and Cherokee County both enact restrictions on lodging. Henderson County issues “Stay home, stay safe” order.
• March 28: A total of 123,978 cases and 2,220 deaths are reported in 49 U.S. states. Global cases total 663,127 with 30,861 deaths. Henderson County reports first case.
• March 29: Buncombe County announces first coronavirus death.
• March 30: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians confirms first case on the Qualla Boundary Clay County confirms first case. Swain and Jackson counties implement 14-day selfquarantine rules for visitors from out-ofstate or out of the country.
• March 31: Global cases total 802,541, with 592,059 cases reported as active and 30,416 (about 5 percent) reported as serious or critical. Of the 211,482 cases that reported an outcome, 172,438 people (82 percent) had recovered, and 39,044 had died, for a mortality rate among closed cases of 18 percent. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports 1,498 cases in 77 counties, and 8 deaths. More than 23,100 people had been tested, and 157 remain hospitalized. With 84 percent of North Carolina hospitals reporting, 793 ICU beds remain empty out of a total of 3,223. Of the 17,572 inpatient beds reported, 7,024 remain empty.
Sources: BBC, China CDC Weekly, Xinhua News Agency, South China Morning Post, CSPAN, worldometers.info, livescience.com, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Agence France Presse, World Health Organization, snopes.com, CNBC, Fox News, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Jackson County government, Franklin Press, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Sylva Herald, Macon County News.
Democratic candidates call for immediate Medicaid expansion
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
As the greatest public health crisis in more than a hundred years continues to ravage both the physical and fiscal health of the world, the nation and the state of North Carolina, a group of 15 Democratic candidates is calling for the immediate expansion of Medicaid.
“It’s been critical for some time, and we have a General Assembly that basically just has refused to act on the issue,” said Brian Caskey, a Mills River Democrat currently running against incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards in the 48th Senate District.
“Medicaid expansion for years has been the decent and moral thing to do, but right now it’s the necessary thing to do.”
North Carolina is one of just 14 states that haven’t taken advantage of the opportunity to expand Medicaid coverage, which was made available via the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.
Beginning in 2014, states could choose to include people in Medicaid who earn up to 133 percent of the poverty level, with the federal government picking up 100 percent of the cost of the expansion population from 2014 through 2016, 95 percent of the cost in 2017, 94 percent in 2018, 93 percent in 2019 and 90 percent in perpetuity thereafter.
North Carolina, like most of the South, declined to participate, citing the potential cost to states if the federal government ever decided to decrease or do away with the 90 percent funding level.
North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has also called for Medicaid expansion — something vehemently opposed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly; in fact, Cooper vetoed the state’s budget last summer over the failure to include Medicaid expansion, and nine months after the law requires a budget to be passed (July 1)
Republicans still haven’t been able to override Cooper’s veto.
A press release issued by the Caskey campaign on March 30 cites the global Coronavirus Pandemic and the “unimaginable stresses” it will place on North Carolina’s health care system as big reasons for the collective call for Medicaid expansion.
Caskey is joined by a host of Western North Carolina Democrats, including Ed Hallyburton of Rutherford County (District 112).
“No matter what we look like, where we live or what’s in our wallets, getting sick reminds us that at our core we’re all just human,” Hallyburton said. “For too long, we’ve allowed a powerful few to profit by
“For too long, we’ve allowed a powerful few to profit by making life and health a product for sale. We must ensure that everyone can access the care that is needed, without fearing bankruptcy.”
— Ed Hallyburton of Rutherford County (District 112)
making life and health a product for sale. We must ensure that everyone can access the care that is needed, without fearing bankruptcy. This is a moment that we must stand with, and for, each other — across our differences and against anything and anyone who seeks to divide us.”
workers in North Carolina, and our low wage worker community is taking the biggest hit,” said Queen. “They need health care. Can you imagine being without both a job and health care? We’ve already paid for it and the legislature is just wasting it. It’s way past time, and now the crisis is upon us.”
Expanding Medicaid would cover more than 400,000 North Carolinians who currently lack access to health care coverage, according to Caskey’s release.
In Western North Carolina, expansion would cover between 600 and 900 people in each of the region’s smallest counties like Clay, Graham and Mitchell.
In mid-sized counties like Avery, Cherokee, Macon, Madison, Polk, Transylvania, Swain and Yancey, that number is between 1,000 and 2,000 in each county.
In larger counties like Burke, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson and Rutherford, between 3,300 and 6,900 people would be covered in each county. In Buncombe County, WNC’s largest county, the number of people who would benefit is estimated to be nearly 17,000.
All in all, that’s almost 56,000 people throughout WNC. The economic growth associated with expansion is estimated by Caskey to be more than half a billion dollars.
“As of [March 30], 44 percent of the COVID19 cases reported are among the working poor, people aged between 25 and 49,” Caskey said. “These are the people who can’t afford to take off work. These are the very people most likely without health insurance and are the very ones bagging your groceries or handling your food in the drive-thru.”
Queen’s November opponent, Bryson City Republican and former Rep. Mike Clampitt, said that in light of the recent federal stimulus package — the largest in American history — as well as uncertainty over the financial impact of the pandemic on tax revenues, he was leery of winding up on the hook for the costs of Medicaid expansion.
“I think it would be a knee-jerk reaction, and with the cost to taxpayers especially in light of the loss of jobs and the tax revenue, we need to be good stewards of what money we do have at the moment and be very thoughtful as we go forward,” Clampitt said. “I’m for health care, but we need to take a step back, be rational, and look at the affordability.”
David Wheeler, Democratic nominee for the Senate seat in Polk, Rutherford, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties (District 47) said that the lack of access to quality health care is “not acceptable in the most powerful country in the world and one of the most prosperous states in the country.”
In addition to Caskey, Hallyburton and Wheeler, N.C. Senate candidates Edward Phifer (Morganton), Julie Mayfield (Asheville) and Victoria Fox (Canton) also signed on to the release.
N.C. House candidates supporting the effort include Ted Remington (Marion) Cecelia Surratt (Morganton), Sam Edney (Brevard), Susan Raye Landis (Murphy), Alan Jones (Canton), Rep. Susan Fisher (Asheville), Rep. John Ager (Asheville) and Rep. Joe Sam Queen of Waynesville, who’s been campaigning on Medicaid expansion for some time now.
“Medicaid expansion is for low-wage
Moe Davis, the Democratic nominee to replace Congressman Mark Meadows, RAsheville, has also indicated support for the demand, even though elected officials on the federal level have no say in the decision.
“Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina is not the solution to our broken health care coverage system, but it would toss a lifeline to thousands of people in this district who were already struggling to tread water before COVID19 broke open the dam,” said Davis. “If we really had ‘the greatest economy ever in the history of the United States’ as [President Donald] Trump said a month ago when he was in India, we should have been paying down our debt then so we had the capacity to incur debt now when we’re in a crisis. The poor and those who now suddenly find themselves out of work should not have to bear the burden for the revenue problem that began with a massive giveaway to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans.”
Davis’ opponent in the N.C. District 11 congressional race has yet to be determined — the runoff between Republicans Lynda Bennett, of Maggie Valley, and Madison Cawthorn, of Hendersonville, was recently moved from May 12 to June 23 as a result of the pandemic.
Bennett didn’t respond to a request for comment on this story, but Cawthorn doesn’t see Medicaid expansion as the right move.
“I don’t think it is,” Cawthorn said. “I don’t think the government does anything efficiently. What they should be doing is introducing more competition and deregulating a lot of the health care industry.”
Caskey’s opponent, Sen. Edwards, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but both Caskey and a quick Google search say that Edwards has been one of the greatest opponents of Medicaid expansion in the General Assembly.
“This is 100 percent of the reason why he’s wrong for North Carolina,” Caskey said. “I’ve been telling people at all my events that Chuck Edwards is simply a Raleigh yes man. He’s simply there to vote for the majority party in Raleigh. November is going to offer voters a choice.”
Brian Caskey
Joe Sam Queen
Moe Davis
Memphis restaurant delivers meals to Cherokee
DreamCatcher Hotels, the Memphisbased hotel developer that brought Memphis the Guest House at Graceland hotel concept, is sending a large, delicious care package to a customer in Cherokee as a way to support their community during the Covid-19 quarantine and scare.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, with whom DreamCatcher is building a new convention center hotel on the Cherokee’s Qualla Boundary reservation, is under selfimposed quarantine and has closed its roads to prevent the virus from entering and spreading through the community. The tribe has 9,600 people living on the Qualla Boundary, many of whom are part of the atrisk older population and students who are no longer receiving school meals.
One of Memphis’ world-famous BBQ restaurants, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, partnered with DreamCatcher to supply 300 family meal packages to feed an average of 1,500 people. The meals are being transported via moving truck across the 500 miles from Memphis to Cherokee today by two contract drivers, who were out of work until DreamCatcher hired them for this job. The delicious arrival has been approved and welcomed by tribal officials, who will distribute the meals on Friday as a way to augment their existing efforts to provide meals to their confined families.
The meal packages, prepared in the Rendezvous’ USDA-inspected kitchen under strict sanitary guidelines, contain the Rendezvous’ famous BBQ pulled pork plus all the fixings: beans, slaw, sauce and Rendezvous popcorn. John Vergos, owner of the Rendezvous, says this care package is the largest take-out order the restaurant has ever received — at a time that is crucial for Memphis’ restaurant employees. Vergos, who has always paid for employee healthcare, has paid his employees’ healthcare through April and hopes to be able to pay it through May. This large DreamCatcher order is critical income for that goal.
“I am so happy that Greg Hnedak and DreamCatcher Hotels thought of the Rendezvous to help them fulfill this care package for those in need residing on the Cherokee Reservation,” said Vergos. “We want them to know that their meals have been made by a Memphis team who is grateful to have this sizable order to prepare during this trying time for the restaurant industry. It is being sent to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from Memphis, with love.”
“Our goal is to provide some much-needed comfort to people in North Carolina who mean a lot to us,” said DreamCatcher Hotels founder Greg Hnedak. “We know the families on the Cherokee reservation are growing weary of coping with these challenging times, as are local restaurant employees. We
hope to give both of them a boost of kindness and connection through the meals we’ve purchased and are donating.”
“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has taken significant steps to protect the health and welfare of our Tribal Citizens,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “One area that we were particularly concerned about was our student population who may
not have access to nutritious meals during the day with our school system closure as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. As Principal Chief, I am extremely grateful to both Dreamcatcher Hotels and The Rendezvous for providing meals to vulnerable segments of our community. This action demonstrates the highest level of caring and compassion by members of the business community and I am both humbled and inspired.”
Staff from Memphis restaurant Charlie Vergos Rendezvous deliver meals to Cherokee residents thanks to DreamCatcher Hotels. Donated photo
Schools adjust to changing COVID-19 orders
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
With the realization that students won’t be returning to school until at least May 15, public school systems in Western North Carolina are adjusting their calendars while continuing to educate and feed their students.
Teachers and administrators have had to be quick on their feet when it comes to responding to the coronavirus and State of Emergency orders from the state and their respective county.
The Haywood County School Board held an emergency meeting March 25 to discuss the school calendar. Spring break — originally scheduled for April 6-10 — will remain in place for students but spring break for faculty and staff will be shifted to span five consecutive Fridays, four in April and one in May. Friday April 3 and 10 will be holidays, and Fridays April 17, 24 and May 1 will be annual leave days.
The new spring break dates for staff were arranged to prevent students going a full week (spring break) without the delivery of meals from Haywood County Schools. The plan now is to either deliver two days’ worth of meals to students each Thursday, prior to the Friday off for staff. Or, to rally volunteers that are available to deliver meals on the Fridays that staff have off.
Though the new calendar won’t please everyone, School Board Chairman Chuck Francis said the goal was to make sure food continued to be delivered.
“We’re doing what I feel like is best for the children in Haywood County, and it was echoed across the state in a conference call I had this morning, that we want to take care of the children first,” said Francis.
The school board also voted to grant Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte emergency powers related to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The purpose of these powers is to expedite Haywood County School’s ability to respond during school closings. The powers include lawful actions to adjust things like the school calendar, staff work schedule, meal delivery, curriculum, limitations to access of School Board property, as well as the ability to enter into contracts related to the COVID-19 emergency situation without board approval.
The powers will last for the duration of the March 14 order by Gov. Roy Cooper and can be rescinded at any time by a two-thirds majority of the board.
“This resolution from the state school boards association will certainly help us expedite things, but I take no pleasure in making decisions that are normally approved by the
board and I want to assure the board that those would be very, very limited,” said Nolte.
As for academics, school administrators went through a lengthy webinar with the N.C. Department of Public Education last Friday to discuss how public education and students will be impacted by the pandemic.
“In the future, the military, employers, and higher education will automatically understand transcripts from 2019-20 were significantly impacted by COVID-19,” Nolte
“Our biggest challenge is providing instruction that is accessible and equitable for all students. We have tried to design multiple ways to access materials. We are being flexible and focusing on engagement rather than evaluation.”
— Angie Dills, Jackson County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer
said in a press release. “Student grades as of March 13, 2020 will not be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. If grades may be improved, that guidance may come at a later time.”
School systems have not received guidance from the state about what will happen after May 15 or whether students will be able to return to campus. Elementary schools (K5) are directed to “focus on supporting student progress and communicating feedback to students and their families rather than assigning grades.”
For students in grades six through 11, schools may only assign grades for the purpose of evaluating student progress, but those grades can’t negatively impact grades established as of March 13.
High School students in spring semester Career and College Promise (CCP) college courses should finish the courses remotely if possible. Non-seniors will receive a final grade for the completed course or will be assigned an incomplete due to COVID-19. Incompletes may be made up at a later date.
The state board gave particular attention to high school seniors and approved a grading policy to enable them to graduate on time. Seniors may complete the CCP course, but if they don’t, based upon progress
through March 13, will receive a “Pass” or a “Withdrawal.” All high school students in 2019-20 will receive the grades already established for fall 2019.
Seniors are required to meet minimum state requirements of 22 credits for graduation — 16 core credits and 6 state required electives. Seniors will receive a grade of “Pass” or “Pass Withdraw” based on second semester learning as of March 13 in spring courses. If seniors had an “F” grade in a second semester course as of March 13, high schools will provide remote learning opportunities for students to improve to a passing grade.
“All students are encouraged to learn as much as possible during the remainder of 2019-20,” Nolte said. “We should make every reasonable effort to help students progress as much as possible. When we come out of this crisis situation, what you have learned will be more beneficial than grades on your transcript. I recently heard someone say, ‘You can get a lot done in a storm.’ This COVID-19 storm is an opportunity for our students to learn more than other students across the state and nation.”
Jackson County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer Angie Dills said the district is responding to the new state guidance by helping teachers connect with students in ways that are most appropriate for each student’s situation.
“Our biggest challenge is providing instruction that is accessible and equitable for all students,” said Dills. “We have tried to design multiple ways to access materials. We are being flexible and focusing on engage-
ment rather than evaluation.”
JCPS Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Elliott affirmed the actions of the state board and said the district will help all students continue their academic growth.
“We are working diligently to ensure all seniors graduate on time,” said Elliott. “We have engaged in remote learning to complete the final 25 percent of this year’s content, and we will assist any student who is missing assignments or is in need of remediation to be promoted to the next grade level.”
The Swain County Board of Education will be meeting April 2 to discuss its school calendar as well as their budget appropriation request for the Swain County commissioners. All local school boards have been able to live broadcast their board meetings on YouTube or Zoom to maintain social distancing while being as transparent as possible with the public.
Macon and Swain counties also remain dedicated to continuing at-home learning as well as food distribution to students. Macon delivered 4,282 meals on its first day of athome learning March 17.
“Our faculty, staff and administration have been working around the clock to ensure that students are receiving information regarding their at-home learning,” Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin said in a press release. “Please be patient and remember this is a first for all of us, but, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school.”
SMN Contributing Writer Hannah McLeod contributed to this report.
While we’ve had to officially close the studio for now, as your local yoga studio, we’re here to help you find balance during these times.
We’re still offering livestream & video classes, as well as fun challenges and virtual meet ups with our team to lift your heart and ease your mind.
We all need yoga, now more than ever, so join us via remote access. Visit WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com for details.
Tourism shuts down
Folkmoot cancels 2020 summer festival
BY HANNAH MCLEOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Amid the spread of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Folkmoot USA decided this week to cancel its signature international festival.
Each year in late July, Folkmoot hosts a handful of folk dance groups from around the world. The groups stay at the old Hazelwood school — now the Folkmoot Friendship Center — and for two weeks they perform and share their culture around Western North Carolina. The festival is not only an exciting time for locals who get to experience cultures from around the world, it is also a huge draw for tourists.
The Folkmoot International Festival has a yearly impact of $9.2 million on the economies of WNC, according to an economic impact study conducted by Tom Tveidt of SYNEVA Economics in 2013.
COVID-19 and they thought we were going to have to make some decisions as an organization that could affect us bringing international people to the U.S.,” said Folkmoot Executive Director Angie Schwab.
As the virus spread and was dubbed a pandemic, and travel restrictions were put in place, international travel for the foreseeable future became less likely.
“It was around that time where we were starting to hear little bits on the news and started watching the CDC and WHO websites, and the groups that we had been talking to for this year. We began communicating with the directors and started hearing from the regional groups that were planning to travel internationally representing the U.S., and everyone had a lot of concern. While we didn’t really know or understand what we were up against at first, we were taking it seriously from day one,” Schwab said.
and the revenue it provides is extinct for the time being.
Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, said, “this is going to be something we’ve never experienced, as far as the shutdown. We have seen downturns in tourism, but those were unlike anything we’re experiencing right now.”
Shelter-in-place orders mean that residents of Western North Carolina must work from home, unless they are considered essential industry. Restaurants, retail, and many small business employees are out of work completely.
“The loss of jobs in the community is devastating as a result of state and local ordinances in anticipation of Covid-19 arriving… economists say the impact of this pandemic is far more substantial than both the impacts of 9/11 and the 2008 recession combined,” said Nick Breedlove, executive director of the Jackson County TDA.
The TDA in Haywood and Jackson counties have made it clear that local community is their biggest concern during this time.
“Our hospitality industry has suffered losses financially, but as a lifelong resident I am more concerned with our community than our visitors. The citizens of Jackson County are our number one priority right now,” said Breedlove.
In Jackson County, the TDA consolidated all its resources for businesses onto www.lovejacksonnc.com, a website developed specifically to support the community right now.
“The site features restaurants, shopping information, areas with free Wi-Fi for students and those without internet and business resources. We are connecting the dots right now for those who still have to run a business to keep the doors open and don’t have time to search through countless websites on the Internet to find help,” said Breedlove.
Because the ability to promote tourism right now is non-existent, both TDAs are working on consolidating and minimizing their budgets, supporting their communities, and looking to the future while the shutdown continues. Both are working on recovery plans to best assist their communities in rebounding from the shutdown.
Since that time Folkmoot has expanded its reach to become a community gathering place that hosts arts and culture events year around. As such, the orders to stay at home and not gather have hit the organization particularly hard.
Many of the events Folkmoot had intended to host in the coming months have been postponed for later dates. Mootenanny, the music and mountain heritage festival originally scheduled for May 9-10, has been postponed until Oct. 10-11. Folkmalt, Folkmoot’s beer festival, had previously been rescheduled for Sept. 26.
However, due to the complexities of international travel, and the time it takes to organize folk dance groups, and their availability, from several different countries, Folkmoot decided to cancel the international festival.
“In a meeting with the chief health officer of Haywood County over a month ago, he was asking us to pay very close attention to
But Folkmoot is committed to providing cultural opportunities for its community. Folkmoot staff and board members are working on the possibility of a weekend-long festival Aug. 14-16 in Waynesville. The festival would combine Americana music and performances by ethnic folk dance groups from the U.S.
“The goal is to emphasize that the U.S. is a cultural quilt. We wanted to build something that would bring people together after the isolation. We are keenly aware of the tax revenue we generate for the county, so our thought was how can we contribute to that,” Schwab said. “Arts and culture has a power like no other industry to connect with people in a meaningful way, bring them together, and help repair the damage that we’ve experienced. Whether it’s economic, psychic, spiritual — all of those problems we face as a result of being isolated.”
Folkmoot is only one example of how this region is rooted economically in the tourist industry. Greening Up the Mountains, a festival held each April in downtown Sylva, has also been cancelled for 2020. With orders to shelter in place, the possibility of tourism
“We are in the process of developing a recovery plan… I’m going through the budget and plan to have a finance committee meeting later this week to see how much the committee would be willing to put towards that recovery effort. We will also work with our ad agency to put the recovery plan in place, to get advertising out there once restrictions let up. We know there will be a pent-up demand for travel,” said Collins.
The shutdown of all non-essential travel and industry will last at least through April 30, according to a recent announcement by President Trump. From there, the future is uncertain at best.
“We are optimistic about the future and recovery. It will be painful, challenging, and long, but I love the people in this community and this place I call home. We have faced major challenges in the past and will continue to persevere. This community is one that helps one another and lends a hand,” said Breedlove.
Folkmoot performers. Patrick Parton photo
Harrah’s extends casino closure
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
The closure of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resorts will extend an additional two weeks from the initial March 18 through April 1 period, the casino announced March 26. While two weeks from April 1 would put the expected reopening at April 15, a press release announcing the closure extension left the reopening plans vague.
“Harrah’s Cherokee is continually monitoring the situation, and while a reopening date has not yet been established, the company looks forward to welcoming back team members and guests soon,” the release said.
The casino — whose revenues account for the bulk of the tribal budget, as well as for per capita payments issued to tribal members twice per year — had never before shuttered operations in its 23-year history. The closure affects the facilities in both Cherokee and Murphy.
To date, no COVID-19 cases have been confirmed on the Qualla Boundary, and the tribe has been taking extraordinary preemptive steps to prevent its arrival there, espe-
cially in light of the fact that the Cherokee Indian Hospital has no ICU beds or ventilators with which to treat patients. During the extended closure period, as during the initial closure, casino employees will continue to receive pay and benefits.
The original closure announcement came on Monday, March 16, three days after President Donald Trump’s March 13 declaration of a national emergency and five days after the World Health Organization’s March 11 declaration of a global pandemic in response to the worldwide proliferation of COVID-19.
“It has become clear that we must take this extreme action to help contain the virus and protect the safety and well-being of our team members and guests.”
— Tony Rodio, Caesars Entertainment CEO
Harrah’s is not alone. Caesars
Entertainment, of which Harrah’s is a part, has temporarily shut down all its properties in North America.
“It has become clear that we must take this extreme action to help contain the virus and protect the safety and well-being of our
team members and guests,” said Caesars Entertainment CEO Tony Rodio.
Casinos currently operate in 41 of the 50 states. Only five of those states have seen zero casino closures as a result of the coronavirus, according to the latest update from CDC Gaming Reports as of press time. That organization is unrelated to the Centers for Disease Control.
Harrah’s closure is extremely significant, as casino revenues account for the bulk of the tribal budget, as well as for per capita payments issued to tribal members twice per year. The casino does not pub-
licly disclose its profits or revenues, but it’s safe to say that it’s responsible for providing tribal members and tribal government with hundreds of millions of dollars each year. In 2018, the tribe paid out nearly $200 million in per capita checks to tribal members.
The casino has never closed before, though on its opening night in 1997 operations did pause for two hours. Guests were still allowed on the property at that time, however.
In a Zoom call Wednesday, Dogwood Health Trust CEO Antony Chiang announced the foundation has committed $10 million to spend on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic that has now hit Western North Carolina.
DHT, which is the steward of the $1.5 billion in proceeds that resulted when HCA Healthcare purchased Mission Health last year, has the mission of drastically improving the health and wellbeing of people in WNC. While most of the foundation’s work up until this point has been focused on combating the social determinants of health by awarding grant funding to other organizations, now it’s shifting its focus to work on the public health crisis.
Chiang said DHT is putting its efforts to three main things — flattening the curve, preparing for the worst-case scenario and mitigating the social impact this virus will have on WNC communities. As the nation looks to China, Italy and now large U.S. cities to see how the virus is progressing, Chiang says the rural region of WNC has — or perhaps had — a chance to get ahead of it by taking more proactive measures.
“The challenge here — the challenge for our government officials and for businesses and for Dogwood Health Trust is that the way this virus works — there’s a data lag,” he said. “For every positive case — if you look at the number of people infected that don’t show any symptoms or have mild symptoms or never get tested — very roughly for every case reported there’s about 10 people in the midst of the virus and transmitting the virus (without knowing it).”
Just because a county hasn’t had anyone test positive for the virus doesn’t mean no one in the county has it, yet those are often the statistics leaders use when making decisions on what precautions to take. Several
counties — including Haywood, Buncombe and Swain — have now ordered some version of a shelter-in-place in an effort to slow the transmission so that our rural health care systems won’t be overwhelmed with patients. Chiang said rural hospitals only have so many beds, only so many ventilators and other supplies, and only so many health providers in place to deal with COVID-19.
“We want to keep it under the number of beds and ventilators we have,” he said.
“Don’t stay home because of your lack of symptoms, do it for our first responders and doctors and nurses and seniors who are at the highest risk.”
DHT is partnering with local health departments to increase the number of testing kits available or by sourcing new testing capabilities. More tests mean faster results and better data on community spread.
“The main problem is the global shortage of key supplies — a lack of swabs and reagents — most rural counties have very few tests.”
— Antony Chiang, Dogwood Health Trust CEO
The second big focus is helping the region prepare for a crisis while still hoping a crisis doesn’t come to fruition. Chiang said there is a group working to make face shields for hospitals and several other similar efforts.
“We’re doing as much as we can to plan for the worst-case scenario,” he said.
While $10 million sounds like a lot of money, Chiang said some of these measures
Antony Chiang, CEO of Dogwood Health Trust, recently updated the media on the foundation’s efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 in Western North Carolina. File photo
could be extremely costly. The foundation is looking into the possibility of bringing in quarantine beds if needed, something he said could easily take $500,000 to operate for a couple of months.
“We’re fielding not just dozens but hundreds of these types of issues — it’s a challenge,” he said. “We could spend that just on K-12 or regional health providers trying to increase their reserve of ventilators, which can cost $35,000 to $50,000 each.”
The third focus is to mitigate the social impacts of the virus — something that is
already in progress with businesses closed, people out of work and children out of school. DHT has already funded a large-scale food organization to prepare in advance 150,000 meal kits that could be deployed to high risk populations when needed.
DHT has also partnered with the Community Foundation of WNC to put together an emergency fund for those impacted by the virus.
As for more specifics on where the $10 million would be going, Chiang said DHT is “not publicly sharing
County, its individuals and families.
Dr. Consky Sylva
Dr. Burgon Waynesville
Dr. Warburton Waynesville
Dogwood partners with Kitsbow to make masks
The Board of Directors for Dogwood Health Trust recently approved the allocation of $10 million to address COVID-19 needs throughout the 18 county and Qualla boundary region of Western North Carolina.
Efforts are focused on supporting both the increased access to testing and advocating for social distancing measures; mitigating negative social impacts like food insecurity or educational disparities as well as shoring up regional healthcare resources by investing in the production of additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.
By partnering with recently headquartered McDowell County-based cycling apparel company, Kitsbow, Dogwood has been able to not only help build a strong pipeline for local production and employment opportunities but address one of the vital needs in our region: additional PPE.
“Not only is Kitsbow honored to be serving the community in its new home, but we are humbled by Dogwood Health Trust’s confidence in our crew as they race to make a completely new set of products at scale,” said David Billstrom, CEO of Kitsbow. “We couldn’t do it without the other companies joining up with us for this common goal to protect those who are already protecting others.”
Dogwood team members reached out to Billstrom to see how the Trust could support the company’s efforts to revamp
exactly how we’re investing or deploying that but it’s in those three categories and varies widely.”
Chiang said DHT would be focusing on flattening the curve first before turning to the other issues in hopes it won’t come to that. He said by mid-April the spread of the virus in WNC will have slowed down to a level that won’t overwhelm the system or our health care system will be in crisis and making hard decisions about who will live and die like they’ve seen in Italy.
When asked if WNC had any kind of advantages in dealing with this pandemic, Chiang said there was a silver lining.
“Even though we’re a popular tourism destination, we’re in a low season. It’s been very bad for those sectors, but what it means is the likelihood of transmission from other parts of the country and the state are going to be slower than other regions,” he said.
WNC’s first cases were people traveling here from New York State. The region also isn’t as dense in population as cities like New York City and Seattle where the spread has been much quicker.
Chiang also talked about the lack of testing happening in the region and the shortage of testing supplies in the state.
“The main problem is the global shortage
production from cycling apparel to PPE and as both entities embody an entrepreneurial mindset, quick action led to even quicker production. Kitsbow’s pivot has them producing reusable masks and face shields for paramedics and healthcare workers. The company is currently hiring employees with sewing experience to help meet the growing demand. It was a natural opportunity for Dogwood to align its purpose with Kitsbow’s COVID response in the Asheville region.
“We are grateful to partner with local leaders and innovators such as Kitsbow to bring much needed PPE to our frontline healthcare workers, first responders and service agencies in the region,” said Antony Chiang, CEO for Dogwood Health Trust. “This is an incredible example of a win-win-win. It’s great for companies, for employees, and for the community.”
Chiang hopes that success stories like this one will inspire other manufacturers and makers in the region to reach out and find out how they can be a part of the solution. “We have tremendous opportunity to coordinate as a region, supporting one another in supply channels and coordinating the production of key products so that they’re equitably distributed to our most critical healthcare partners throughout our region.”
Dogwood Health Trust is a North Carolina nonprofit corporation with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities of Western North Carolina.
Dogwood Health Trust became operational upon the sale of Mission Health’s assets to HCA Healthcare and is the recipient of the net proceeds of the sale. To learn more, visit www.dht.org.
of key supplies — a lack of swabs and reagents — most rural counties have very few tests,” he said.
He said there are about a dozen companies coming out with their own tests right now, but since COVID-19 is something the world hasn’t seen before, it’s uncertain whether the tests will work. A few of the companies are working on rapid testing that would decrease the turnaround time for results.
“But then we would need new lab equipment and more staff — it would be very expensive,” he said. “DHT has contacted all these companies and we’re forming relationships with several of them to see if we can establish local production of these tests.”
While DHT has had to shift its priorities to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, Chiang said the foundation still has the goal of allocating $50 million a year to health-related nonprofits and organizations in WNC.
That remains our target, but COVID-19 throws a huge monkey wrench into the effort,” he said. “We will have to assess every week that goes by.”
For more information about DHT and its efforts in WNC, visit www.dogwoodhealthtrust.org.
Waynesville suspends water disconnections
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Following the lead of several other municipalities, corporations and coops, the Town of Waynesville has temporarily suspended billing-related water and electric shutoffs for its residential customers in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“As everybody knows, we’re up against it,” said Alderman Jon Feichter during a town board meeting March 24. “One of the things I’ve seen that companies are doing, for example Duke Energy, my natural gas provider PSNC energy — and I’m sure that there are others — until the economic dust settles on this pandemic, these companies have decided that they are not going to disconnect any of their customers for non-payment.”
Feichter said he’d explored available options with Town Manager Rob Hites and Finance Director Ben Turnmire and came up with a proposal for Waynesville to follow suit.
“If there is one thing that worries me more than the thought of catching the coronavirus it’s the damage this is doing to the pocketbooks of our citizens,” Feichter said.
The concerns voiced by Feichter go handin-hand with recommendations by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people wash their hands thoroughly and frequently to help limit the spread of coronavirus.
Turnmire said that offering such assistance could have a 3 to 5 percent negative impact on the town’s water fund every month the policy remained in effect. He also cautioned that his analysis doesn’t account for the loss of revenue from commercial accounts that aren’t currently using water — like restaurants.
The town’s water fund is an enterprise fund and thus is separate from the general fund. Revenue flows in and expenditures flow out, and the water fund has its own fund balance to cover shortfalls or unexpected expenses. Currently, it’s at more than $2.2 million.
If the water fund incurs a 4 percent loss of revenue each month because of the suspension of disconnections, that would be about $91,200 in lost revenue the fund balance would have to cover each month.
The town’s electric fund is similar in that it’s an enterprise fund separate from the general fund and operates much the same way as the water fund. A March 20 memo from
Turnmire to aldermen estimated the electric fund’s monthly revenue loss at 2 to 4 percent.
The electric fund’s fund balance at the time of the 2019 audit was $3.2 million. If the electric fund incurs a 3 percent loss of revenue each month, that would amount to roughly $24,800 in lost revenue that would need to be covered by the electric fund’s fund balance each month.
But, it’s not really lost revenue — state law prohibits waiving fees or bills, so customers who can’t or won’t pay their bills during the grace period would still have to pay them eventually. Essentially, the water and electric funds are each borrowing from their respective “rainy day” funds with expectations of paying themselves back once the crisis is over.
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Waynesville aldermen addressed a mostly-empty room on March 24. Cory Vaillancourt photo
“If we can take it on the
I think that is going
Feichter said.
Alderman Anthony Sutton — who’d phoned in to the meeting from quarantine due to a recent trip to Spain — said he agreed with offering relief for individuals and stressed the importance of asking residential customers to make payment arrangements in the interim.
“It needs to be very clear that they’re not going to get it for free,” Sutton said. “They do have to pay it eventually.”
Unanimously, aldermen agreed that utility customers who weren’t already delinquent before the March 15 state of emergency declaration by Haywood County would qualify for an initial 60-day reprieve from disconnection.
As the that deadline draws near, Hites and Turnmire will report back to the board on the fiscal impact of the reprieve, so aldermen can consider extending, modifying or abolishing it in light of circumstances at that time.
Waynesville wasn’t the first or the last entity to grant such relief to its customers.
The Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority (TWSA) suspended all disconnections as of March 17 and also allowed customers who’d been disconnected to ask for restoration of service without paying deposits, fees or past due balances.
Bryson City halted sewer and water disconnections and will no longer assess late fees until the pandemic ends. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians adopted a similar policy on March 26.
The Haywood Electric Membership
Corporation (HEMC) won’t disconnect customers who can’t pay their bills due to coronavirus-related circumstances so long as customers contact HEMC to let them know.
HEMC will also consider reconnecting previously disconnected users on a case-by-case
Unanimously,
Waynesville aldermen agreed that utility customers who weren’t already delinquent before the March 15 state of emergency declaration by Haywood County would qualify for an initial 60day reprieve from disconnection.
basis. Duke Energy announced a policy similar to HEMC on March 13.
Waynesville Gas Services (as well as all AmeriGas affiliates) will no longer disconnect customers or lock tanks. Customers facing hardships due to coronavirus can also contact Waynesville Gas to ask about payment plans.
PSNC — also known as Dominion Energy — won’t shut off power or gas, and said it will work with customers who have been disconnected to restore service.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2020
The Catamount School, a school for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Jackson County, is accepting 6th, 7th and 8th grade registrations for the 2020-21 school year. Operated by Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions in cooperation with Jackson County Public Schools, The Catamount School is designed to explore innovative teaching approaches and applied learning opportunities in order to help every student discover his or her full academic potential. The school is a public lab school operated on the campus of Smoky Mountain High School and is free to accepted students and their families.
Rep. Meadows resigns from Congress
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, formally resigned from the House of Representatives on Monday, previously serving North Carolina’s 11th District. Effective immediately, Meadows will begin serving full time as President Trump’s White House Chief of Staff, as previously reported.
share. A 25 percent advance payment will be allowed for repair or replacement of fencing. Producers with damage from such events must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. For more information on ECP, contact the Bryson City USDA Service Center at 828.488.2684, Ext. 2, or visit www.farmers.gov/recover.
Queen to host virtual town hall
“Working for the people of Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. There is a season for everything — and while I’ll be serving in a different capacity, the mountains of western NC will always be home. I’ll be forever grateful to the people there for placing their trust in me 8 years ago to be their voice in Congress,” Meadows said in a press release. “Now begins a new chapter. I’m honored, humbled, and excited to begin working alongside President Trump’s team in the White House on behalf of the American people. While our country is in a moment of tremendous adversity with the coronavirus pandemic, make no mistake: as Americans always do, we will rise to the challenge, and we will win. With President Trump at the helm, our country will emerge from this trial better than ever before. I look forward to playing a small part in that story. Let’s get to work.”
Davis to hold virtual town halls
Moe Davis, the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 11th District, will be hosting a series of “Moe Talks” Facebook Live virtual town halls. There will be two events to be held at the same time each week: from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Topics will change week to week. Viewers can submit questions in advance to the @MoeDavisforCongress Facebook Page.
FSA help available to Swain County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program to address damages from flooding in early February in Swain County. ECP signup will continue through Monday, May 11. The approved ECP practices under this authorization include 1) debris removal from farmland; 2) grading, shaping, releveling, or similar measures; and 3) restoring permanent fences. ECP assists producers with the recovery cost to restore the farmland to pre-disaster conditions. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost-
Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, will hold an online town hall meeting for District 119 at 11 a.m. April 4 for the 2020 Short Session. To view the meeting, visit zoom.com or dial 312.626.6799 and enter the pin 177922-853#. To submit questions or concerns for Queen to address, email joesam@joesamqueennc.com or text 910.632.0707.
Fontana Regional extends library closures
All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties will remain closed through April 15. The date of re-opening is not definite but will be guided by ongoing public health advice and evolving state and local regulations.
All due dates for library materials have automatically been extended again, to May 15, and there will be no overdue fines while the library is closed. Please do not return any items at this time.
The public is encouraged to visit www.fontanalib.org for information and resources that are still available, such as eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming video, and other online materials.
If fines blocked the use of your card in the past, please try again now, because limits have been increased so that more people can get to the electronic resources they need. In addition, the library’s eBook collection has been expanded to help meet increased demand. Public Wi-Fi extends around the perimeter of library buildings and can generally be picked up from sections of the parking lots.
Anyone who does not have a library card but needs one to use eBooks or other online content should go to the “about us—contact us” section of the library webpage and request a card. Please include your name, date of birth, and a phone number. You will receive an email with your account number and instructions for using eResources.
Taste of Scotland rescheduled
The committee members of the Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival 2020 have voted to postpone the festival, which is held every year in Franklin, until June 18-20, 2021. Circumstances as they currently are dictate that this is the best course of action for patrons, vendors, entertainers and community. www.tasteofscotlandfest.org.
Mark Meadows
HRMC joins organ donation campaign
Haywood Regional Medical Center has joined other area hospitals, health care organizations, and LifeShare Carolinas to create a donation-friendly community through the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign for organ donation.
This national initiative sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenges health care organizations to educate employees, patients, visitors, and the community about the crucial need for organ, eye, and tissue donation and give them opportunities to sign up as donors. More than 492,000 people have added their names to state registries through this campaign.
“We need your involvement and support to reach our goal of registering new organ, eye, and tissue donors in our state registry between now and April 30, 2020. It’s easy to sign up, and the result is potentially life-saving,” said Sherry King, local LifeShare program coordinator.
Individuals can add their names to North Carolina’s donor registry online at www.donatelifenc.org/register.
Haywood Health Department services
Certain clinics within the Haywood County Health Department will be seeing clients on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only, starting Monday, March 30.
Clients with symptoms of STDs or needing treatment will be seen in the STD clinic. The immunization clinic will only be taking appointments for flu and pneumonia vaccines.
WIC clients can make an appointment upon request, but most appointments will be handled over the phone. Family planning clients will be seen on a case by case basis with the exception of Depo-Provera and pregnancy testing.
Call the health department to be triaged if you are in need of family planning services. Maternal health clinics will see clients as normal, with telephonic visits as needed. Call the health department at 828.452.6675 for further guidance or to schedule an appointment in one of the listed clinics.
Blue Ridge Health offers expanded access
Blue Ridge Health has an expanded network of virtual care opportunities available for all insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the uninsured.
Like all BRH practices, services are universally accessible and available on a sliding fee based on income and household size. Patients with insur-
ance deductibles over $1,000 can qualify for sliding fee discounts as well. Accessing care from the comfort of home is especially important given the spread of COVID-19, but the trend toward virtual care is something BRH has been preparing for over the years.
Register as a patient if not already registered and set up an appointment over the phone, then an email will be sent providing simple instructions and a link. Click the link at your appointment time and your doctor will appear on your screen. If needed, prescriptions are electronically routed to a BRH or other preferred pharmacy. In some cases, BRH pharmacies are even able to deliver.
Patients concerned they may have been exposed to COVID-19, or those experiencing fever, cough or shortness of breath are encouraged to access virtual services as well. Call 828.692.4289 and select option #9 to be connected to our COVID-19 Hotline.
School action team recruiting members
The School Health Advisory Council is an action team through Jackson County Public Schools, made up of school board members, faculty, staff, parents, and students, as well as professionals and individuals in the community.
SHAC’s mission is to support an overall safe and healthy community by providing information and education to children, families, and the community towards the prevention of substance abuse and the promotion of safe and healthy choices. SHAC is seeking interested business leaders,
ry symptoms.
To ensure access to behavioral health, I/DD and specialized therapy providers for vulnerable children and adults in outpatient and residential settings, local management entities/managed care organizations (LME-MCOs) agencies will receive a temporary increase in their rates and can use the funds to address community gaps in services such as purchasing needed teletherapy equipment.
Vaya to serve on disabilities council
Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed Rhonda Cox, chief population health officer at Vaya Health, to the N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities. Vaya, based in Asheville, manages Medicaid and other public funds for mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) services in 22 Western North Carolina counties. At Vaya, Cox is responsible for all complex care management and integrated care functions, member services, provider network operations and utilization management.
youth-serving organizations, religious/fraternal organizations, civic and volunteer groups and any other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse to join the action team. SHAC has been and will continue to target youth alcohol, tobacco (including vaping and electronic cigarettes), and opioid use in the community. In the coming months, SHAC will be applying for a federal grant to secure funding and to create a position to combat substance use with our county’s youth.
For more information, contact Laura Cabe at 828.586.2311 ext. 1936 or lcabe@jcpsmail.org.
Medicaid payments to increase
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will temporarily increase Medicaid payment rates to long-term care providers and facilities to support them in caring for Medicaid beneficiaries who are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
Medicaid will also be temporarily increasing rates to behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disability and specialized therapy providers for vulnerable children and adults in outpatient and residential settings.
This temporary rate increase will allow longterm services providers to implement additional measures to protect the health of those they serve in this time of crisis. Long-term care facilities have been asked to set up isolation space for residents who test positive with COVID-19, proactively monitor staff for symptoms of COVID-19 and provide masks to residents with any type of respirato-
“I believe strongly in supporting persons with disabilities having individual autonomy in making life choices, where they live, what they choose to do and with whom they choose to spend their time both personally and with regards to services,” Cox said. “I also want to design a sustainable service and support system that allows these options and provides real choices and opportunities for individuals and their families.”
Jabaley earns DNP degree
Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers announced that Eden Jabaley, DNP, a nurse practitioner at Peachtree Community Health Center, recently earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with an acute care specialization and lifestyle management focus from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice offers the highest level of nursing training and can be used in either direct patient care or a leadership and administration role. A DNP degree trains nurse practitioners to become leaders in their field, translate research and data into better health care, and improve systems of care to enhance patient outcomes.
Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Jabaley worked for 20 years as a registered nurse in psychiatry, emergency medicine, cardiology, neurology, medical intensive care, critical care transport and health care management.
AMCHC offers patient-centered, financially viable care through a network of six accessible health care centers throughout Western North Carolina. With sites located in Buncombe, Cherokee, Graham, and Jackson counties, AMCHC delivers timely, comprehensive, and quality health services to the area’s most vulnerable and highrisk populations with dignity and respect regardless of a person’s ability to pay. To learn more, visit www.amchc.org.
It’s time to be the hero in your own life
Guys aren’t supposed to sit and wait. Guys are supposed to take action, to get things done.
Yet we seldom get the chance. Most weeks, most months — shoot, most decades — we try to be kind and do what we can. Sully Sullenberger had been flying for domestic airlines for 29 years: dragging his flight case through terminals, sitting in a pilot’s seat that was still warm from the last guy, flying all over the country, all day long, just to end up in Cincinnati. Then on a cold January afternoon, about two minutes after he left LaGuardia for two-hour trip to Charlotte, he had a broken airplane over Manhattan.
This virus is our bird-strike. We’ve got a chance to contribute our talents and brains and energy to get through this. We can do it with courage and class, if we will.
Start today getting past the trash that has accumulated in the garage of your life. Find the place in your household or your neighborhood that needs what you’ve got but never been called to use.
Democrats, media want to blame Trump
To the Editor:
Congratulations to the politicians and the news media! You have been able to take a serious virus situation and enlarge it to a horrible pandemic situation. These scare tactics have further created other situations which have greatly affected our economy.
The solutions the politicians have enforced by quarantine have led to mass unemployment and failure of many small businesses.
To solve this problem, the government has produced and signed a $2.2 trillion bailout program. The money to cover this will be created by the Treasury printing inflationary currency. This inflationary burden is the largest ever perpetrated on our economy.
Since this situation has occurred during President Trump’s administration, he will be blamed by the liberal Democrat politicians!
So, congratulations to Nancy Pelosi. You were unable to impeach President Trump, so instead have inspired the liberal news media to create this pandemic crisis.
Richard Swanson Waynesville
A good time to share hope
To the Editor:
While I applaud the federal government for the passage of their Coronavirus Stimulus Packages to ease the economic impact of the current crisis, I cannot help but wonder if we
We need blood donations to make up for the lack of regular blood drives. We need volunteers now or we are going to need them soon — everywhere. Learn the truth about the virus from reliable sources and pass on reliable information.
Organize a shopping team that can minimize the number of folks who have to be exposed by going to the store. Get up on the Zoom with friends you’ve missed lately.
Download books for free on a Kindle from the public library. Then announce a reading hour over Zoom for the kids of a mom who needs a break at her house. Moms who need a break at your house: reach out, go outside, get some sunshine.
Keep supporting the local businesses that you love — fig-
LETTERS
could not be helping each other a bit more. As workers in many industries are forced out of work and will be relying on government support to feed and house their families, I ask is there any sort of “pay it forward” (or perhaps in this case backward) that might help.
What if manufacturers large and small saw this an opportunity to do the morally correct and patriotic thing by manufacturing the medical supplies and equipment needed at minimal profit margins instead of hiking prices?
What if banks were willing to freeze mortgages for those out of work instead of relying on the government to drastically increase unemployment benefits so their profits continue unabated?
What if landlords would forgive rents for businesses forced to close their doors — and banks would freeze mortgages on these commercial properties in the same manner as for unemployed workers so small businesses would not need to rely on government and/or government backed loans (to be turned into grants) to have a physical place of business to reopen when the need for virus mitigation closures has passed?
What if everyone currently in possession of more than one month’s supply of toilet paper would return it to the store so those who need it could purchase it? Or better yet, SHARE it with their neighbors.
What if everyone with a yard put in a victory garden — sharing seeds with their neighbors as a pack of seeds for most vegetables is enough to supply several families?
What if everyone who is not thrown out of
ure out something, there’s suggestions everywhere. Turn loose those nitwits on the Facebook — just blank ‘em out if they are passing on dumb ideas or hateful speech. You’ve got talent and some time and now we all need you. It may seem like the government is taking the lead right now, organizing resources and positioning people for the coming storm. That’s the way it’s supposed to work because we’ve got our own lives to look after. But this virus is going to last for months. Find a mission and a rhythm that you can sustain for months, working for your family and for people you don’t even know.
When this war is over there won’t be any parades or medals. But, if you have contributed to the goodness in our world during this, then you will be your own hero. Get to it, today and tomorrow. Because some day this war will be over.
(Frank G. Queen lives in Waynesville and is the Haywood County Attorney. frank@queenmountainlaw.com)
work by this crisis would donate a portion of their earnings to local food banks, shelters and or their local hospital’s “coronavirus supplies fund”?
I am sure each of you reading this can think of other small and large ideas of ways we can all help each other and share the burdens of this epidemic. Resolve to put into play those within your power to do so.
I know some of my suggestions would require much communication between individuals, businesses and government. One hundred years ago this might have been
impossible, but with today’s technology I believe it would be relatively easy.
We need to recognize that this epidemic is going to cause hardships and temporarily if not permanently change the way we do some things in America. It is time for the American people to learn share not only thoughts and prayers but also resources and hardships but most importantly to share a resolve to get thru hard times by working together and to share hope.
Kaysea Crowe Franklin
Guest Columnist
Frank Queen
The days just drone by, listlessly
Iam thinking of a scene in the movie “Fargo” that captures exactly how I am feeling a couple of weeks into quarantine. The bad guy needs to bury a suitcase full of money somewhere on a long stretch of highway, so he pulls the car over, grabs the suitcase, and walks over to a barbedwire fence that runs along the road as far as the eye can see.
There’s at least a foot of snow on the ground. The bad guy digs a hole, drops the suitcase in it, and then packs it back with dirt and more snow. He looks to his right, fence and snow. Then he looks to his left and sees an identical picture — fence and snow. All that seems to exist in the entire world is the highway, the fence, and the snow.
So, the awful question becomes clear: how will he ever find it again, his suitcase full of money? Finally, he sticks the ice scraper he used to dig the hole in the first place in the ground. Out here in the vast, bewildering sameness, one eight-inch ice scraper is all there is to find one’s way.
And so it is with these days, one after the next after the next after the next, all the very same, at home, nowhere to be, nowhere much to go, no way to see the end of it, and no way to go back. Is it Tuesday, or is it Sunday? Who knows? All of the days look and feel exactly the same.
Back in our old lives, the days had their own personalities, each one as distinct as people we know and love. Monday, that dude is a drag, so slow, so negative, almost toxic, the kind of guy you avoid at parties. Wednesday, solid, but a little boring, never misses a day of work, always brings a covered dish when a neighbor is ill. Friday, fun to be around, eager as a colt, but maybe a little loud, a little much, if you know what I mean, the kind of person whose expectations are usually too high, but you find yourself going along with it, because, you know, it’s Friday, so you make allowances. We know our days like we know our friends — which ones are our favorites, which ones we tolerate, which ones we trust. But not anymore. The days have been robbed of their personalities, their functions. They are no longer useful markers of anything. They are now undifferentiated blocks of time, as generic, bland, and implacable as a shelf of store-brand beans, each can a replica of the one next to it.
Of course, this can be liberating in a way. Once you get over being freaked out by this sense of perpetual floating and face the
existential crisis of what to do about it, you must bear the burden of responsibility to make your life meaningful after bingewatching “The Office” or “West Wing” for the seventh time and eating nothing but barbecue potato chips, ham sandwiches, and three-layer cake for three consecutive days.
All but the craziest among us have already learned to limit time on the Internet. Every single day, the President of the United States says something that is utterly insane, at least one thing, and 45 percent of the population nods with approval. On Feb. 26, he said there were about 15 cases of the Coronavirus and all of them were getting better and that people should treat the virus like they would treat the flu. He downplayed the serious of COVID-19 for weeks.
A week ago, just as the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. was beginning to accelerate, he said he wanted the country back open for business by Easter. Now, he says that if 100,000 Americans die from the Coronavirus, it would be a clear sign of what a great job we’ve done to contain the virus. Mainly, he is very, very pleased with the ratings of his press conferences, which he took to Twitter to express with his characteristic coherence and maturity:
“Because the ‘Ratings’ of my News Conferences etc. are so high, ‘Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers’ according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY.”
Elsewhere, Americans are divided on whether too much is being made of the Coronavirus, or not enough. Should we get back to work and rev up the economy, or should we stay at home until we’ve eaten everything in the house but the wallpaper? Is this the scariest public health crisis of our time, or an exaggerated Democrat-driven charade to bring down the greatest president of all time and destroy the economy at the same time? Should we believe the leading medical experts in the field, or some self-styled pastor/blogger/conspiracy theorist from Rabbit Whiskers, Idaho, who is suddenly trending on right wing media sites?
As we ponder these important questions, we’re also trying to figure out what to wear for our Zoom meetings, how to keep our kids motivated to do their schoolwork with no teacher within 40 miles of them, how to incorporate exercise into our incredibly busy, binge-watching, Facebook obsessing non-days, and what home improvement project we can tackle without having to venture out to Lowes, when any venture at all off of our own property feels like a scene out of Mad Max.
We’re going to have a while to figure all of this out, unless Pastor Rabbit Whiskers gets his way. In my house, we’ll be sticking with science for a while longer, I reckon, and staying at home. And staying at home some more. And defrosting things that have been in the bottom of the freezer for a long, long time.
(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher. jchriscox@live.com)
The Law Offices of Jeffrey W. Norris & Associates, PLLC 828-452-2221
If you have limited mobility, contact us about an in-home visit.
Norris Professional Building
177 North Main St., Waynesville www.norrisandassoc.com www.norriselderservices.com
Ingles Nutrition Notes
written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath
One Dish, Multiple Meals #QuarantineKitchen
Many of us are looking for easy to prepare dishes with multiple uses, and chili is definitely one of them. Whether you make chili at home or you buy a canned version, and whether you make chili with ground beef/pork/chicken or meat-free; there are lots of things you can do with chili beyond just having it in a bowl with cornbread.
• Top a baked or microwaved potato or sweet potato with chili
• Use chili in quesadillas, enchiladas or tacos
• Top your macaroni and cheese with chili for “Chili Mac”
• Make nachos and top your baked chips with scoops of chili, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and salsa.
• Oven baked chili “fries” using potatoes or sweet potatoes. Cut white or sweet potatoes into thin wedges and roast in 450 degree oven on a baking sheet until crispy. Top with chili, cilantro, jalapenos and sour cream.
DO yOu have MOre creative ways tO use chili? let Me KnOw!
Columnist
Chris Cox
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
It’s Saturday evening at The Sweet Onion in downtown Waynesville. Normally during the time of year, the dining room and bar counter would be packed with locals and tourists alike, servers zipping around in every direction, the open-air kitchen buzzing with orders atop a fiery grill.
But, right now, the space is empty. There’s not a server in sight. The room is eerily quiet except for some noise coming from the kitchen. Standing in front of the grill is Doug Weaver, co-owner and executive chef for The Sweet Onion.
“Honestly, it has been surprisingly better than I thought it was going to be,” Weaver said. “Our entire town is stocked up on food and I thought everybody was just going to get so scared that they completely stopped ‘dining out.’”
In the wake of the current coronavirus pandemic, restaurants and bars across the country and around the world have shutdown, closing their doors to the general public and having to layoff massive numbers of staff until government mandates and social distancing guidelines recede.
And in the midst of these widespread changes in not only societal protocol, but also
in respective culinary scenes, the idea of takeout orders has been implemented to somewhat keep restaurants afloat, all while providing folks with a variety of food options.
“What boggles my mind is how quickly people have adapted to these changes,” Weaver said. “In regards to our business, everything now is a ‘to go’ order and our customers have shifted into that mode when it comes to ordering and coming to pick up what we’ll have ready for them.”
Now in its 13th year of operation, The Sweet Onion is a pillar of gourmet food and fine dining for Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina. It’s a bastion for quality dishes and hearty conversation, where Weaver & Co. aim to pack the place and play host to the masses that come through the door looking for a unique culinary experience.
“You’ve got to understand, what I love running is a restaurant, and what I’m a running right now is a to-go business — it’s not the same thing,” Weaver solemnly noted. “I’m in default mode right now. But, everybody in our community is going through their own channels and trying to keep their balance, which is what I’m trying to do, too.”
Looking around The Sweet Onion, it’s pretty much a skeleton crew nowadays. The restaurant had to lay off 33 employees last week,
READY FOR PICKUP
Takeout ordering the new norm for local restaurants
“These are hard times, these are lean times. Letting go of 33 employees, all of which I consider friends, well, that was a hard week.”
— Doug Weaver
many of which have been loyal to the business for several years. What’s left is Weaver, coowner Dan Elliott, a floor manager and Weaver’s wife (a server) who are taking the togo orders and working the impromptu delivery window near the front entrance.
“These are hard times, these are lean times. Letting go of 33 employees, all of which I consider friends, well, that was a hard week,” Weaver said. “And this week has also been hard, where it’s just a few of us here keeping the light on. We’re away from our families every day now and we’re trying to keep the restaurant from sinking.”
Compared to sales this week last year, Weaver estimates the to-go orders only match about 10 percent of what the restaurant would
normally take in. But, even with 90 percent of its business gone, that 10 percent is enough to keep the vultures away. That fraction of incoming money pays the bills and ensures that The Sweet Onion avoids having to take out a bank loan and accrue debt when it reopens with a full staff once again, whenever that may be.
“This is the situation we’ve all been put in and we’re going to the do best that we can like we always have — you’ve got to treat every customer as if it were your last,” Weaver said.
“We’re lucky that we’re in the comfort food category, where right now a lot of people really need some comfort food.”
But, even in the face of adversity and uncertainty, Weaver sees the beauty of Waynesville, this small mountain town that never fails to come together to help each other — this justified sense of neighborly generosity and kindness, something that goes a long way these days.
“My wife and I go to our kid’s school to pick up his lesson packets and there are the teachers standing out there for hours handing them their lessons, then on the other side of the line they have lunches ready for the kids to take home,” Weaver said. “People don’t have to do all of these things, but they do because they care. You’re seeing everything come full circle, not only as a business owner, but as a citizen of this community.”
Doug Weaver, co-owner and executive chef at The Sweet Onion in Waynesville. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Came to pass eyes that lost their vision, learned to see with sturdy intuition
It’s a crazy world out there right now, folks. And yet, it’s always been kind of nuts anyhow, just more so under the current circumstances.
But, I remain optimistic. Shit, what’s the alternative? Freak out and bail on the universe? Nah, not my cup o’tea. As an older millennial, this the second economic recession since I entered the workforce 12 years ago. And through all of that, I’m still (happily and proudly) a writer and journalist.
I vividly remember the winter of 20072008. Fresh out of college, I got my first newspaper gig with the tiny Teton Valley News in Driggs, Idaho. Uprooted my entire life in Upstate New York and headed west. Whatever didn’t fit in the back of my 2001 GMC Sonoma didn’t come with me. The inventory was pretty much this: three garbage bags of clothes, two boxes of vinyl records, three boxes of books and miscellaneous items (cooking gear, lamp, stereo).
For the better part of 2008, I roamed
With the truck aimed for Plattsburgh, New York, I headed east.
That first night (Sept. 15, 2008), I made it as far as Miles City, Montana. I got a cheap hotel room and a six-pack of beer. I was 23 and anything was possible now. Cracking that first Miller High Life, I turned on the TV. The news across the screen was frantic: Lehman Brothers had collapsed and Wall Street was in a freefall.
The United States economy was headed towards a meltdown and there I was, day one into my “new life” with high hopes of another newspaper gig in New York. Suddenly, all of society seemed like it was cracking before my eyes.
I continued my drive across America, radio on with news reports of more financial institutions collapsing. Somewhere in rural Iowa, I paid $4.47 a gallon for gas. When I got back to the North Country, Wall Street was on fire and the entire country had changed since I left Idaho earlier in the week.
And for the next four years, I struggled and fought to stay in the journalism industry. Newspapers and magazines were disappearing every day. Once promising opportunities had now vanishing. But, I didn’t care. I would figure it out, somehow.
I slept in a guest room in my parent’s house, slept on couches, slept in the back of my truck, slept in rest areas and in truck stops, all while writing freelance articles for $40 a pop. I even did substitute teaching at my old high school to make ends meet. It was terrible, but I never questioned that journalism was what I wanted to do with my time on this planet.
around Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming, writing stories about cattle ranchers, pro skiers, brewers, dog sled champions, blacksmiths, etc. Oh, and an infamous cover story about breakfast toast that caused a community uproar.
Living in my most favorite place in the entire world (Grand Teton Mountains), I was scraping by as a writer: just barely enough of a paycheck for rent, groceries, gas and a bar tab at the nearby Knotty Pine Supper Club.
By the end of the summer of 2008, my head was hitting the ceiling with the small newspaper. I wanted to venture out more, write bigger and more intricate features, and expand my knowledge of the cosmic magic that is everyday life in happenstance situations.
Labor Day 2008. I put in my two-week notice and headed to the Burning Man festival. I returned to Idaho from the Black Rock Desert with a whole new perspective on life — I was not “going” to be a writer, I was a writer. The light switch in my mind flicked on. I never questioned my place in the cosmos again.
Back in Idaho, it was just about midSeptember 2008 when I packed up my things and said goodbye: to my apartment, friends, co-workers and the Knotty Pine.
Then, in June 2012, I got a phone call from Scott McLeod, publisher of The Smoky Mountain News in Waynesville. He liked my work and offered me a dream gig: arts and entertainment editor, which oversaw all of the company’s travel magazines, too. I jumped on it.
Packed up the truck with my garbage bags of clothes, vinyl records and books and drove 1,100 miles to Haywood County. That first week on the job for SMN, I slept underneath my desk in the newsroom. I went broke moving to Carolina and had to wait for my first paycheck to use as a deposit for an apartment.
Thus, here we are, some eight years later. Another economic recession, but for an entirely different and surreal reason. Yes, our newspaper has had to make drastic cuts to stay afloat and navigate correctly through these uncertain times and choppy waters.
But, we remain. And I still have my job, even if it’s going to be extremely tight financially for the foreseeable future. And that’s OK. It is. Those memories of struggle from 2008 through 2012 are never too far from my thoughts.
I didn’t give up then and I won’t give up now. Nor shall any of you out there either that are currently reading this. Keep your head up. Appreciate the small, precious things in life. Remember what you’re made of and use that as fuel for inspiration and determination moving forward.
We’ll get through this. Don’t forget: this ain’t our first rodeo.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
The Big Picture / The Big Payoff
Haywood County has a head start, and one chance – just one chance – to slow the movement of this virus among us.
If we can slow the virus down by the actions we take now, then we will buy the time we need to get our healthcare system ready to deal with the sickness that is coming to us.
If we donʼt take this opportunity, then the uncontrolled spread of the virus will overwhelm our doctors, nurses and hospitals and we will suffer unnecessary deaths to our most vulnerable – the older and the weaker.
Businesses and residents should try to focus on the benefit to our entire community by following these proclamations. None of us wants to be a person responsible for the spread of the virus. These proclamations are based on the bitter experiences of the countries and states who waited too long or took too little action.
We all share the same goal in this crisis: to slow the virus down, to buy our healthcare system the time to get ready. We all want to get over these disruptions in our lives as quickly as possible. We can do that if we look to the spirit of these proclamations and look for every chance to stay home and stay safe.
ABOVE: Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distillery, repurposes his distillery to produce hand sanitizer for Haywood County EMS.
Fire, fire burning bright … the notebooks of Leonard Cohen
In some literary and music circles the debate continues as to whom is the best songwriter of the 20th and current 21st centuries. In circles I travel in, this debate usually comes down to either Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen.
d’. Writing was his reason for being. It was the fire he was tending to, the most significant flame he fueled. It was never extinguished.”
Between the covers of this 277 page book we
literally, and especially for Leonard Cohen fans, something for everyone.
This debate even carries over to the debate as to who is the best poet in relatively recent years. Recently, Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his songwriting lyrics. Leonard Cohen has also won many literary awards including the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Prince of Austurias Award for Literature. Both have written books of poetry, prose and published large tomes of their song lyrics.
So, it would seem to be a dead heat and Dylan and Cohen are running neck and neck. At least that was before Cohen’s posthumous collection The Flame came out a year and a half ago and only a couple years after his death in 2016. (It doesn’t seem that long ago that he came to Asheville as part of his world tour and I saw him in concert at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.)
The Flame was compiled and edited by Leonard Cohen’s son, Adam, who is himself a musician and songwriter who has taken texts from his father’s unpublished journals and notebooks that he was working on when he died. It is essentially, and as the subtitle for the book states, a collection of “Poems, Lyrics, Notebooks and Drawings.” In his Forward to the book, Adam Cohen writes: “My father, before he was anything else, was a poet and regarded this vocation as a ‘mission from G-
not only get some of Cohen’s most reknown and remembered song lyrics, works in progress, unfinished poems, jottings and, if this wasn’t enough, dozens of original drawings, paintings, self-portraits and Kenneth Patchen-like illustrated broadsides. So there is
In The Flame, Cohen’s finely crafted and subtly profound metaphors and lyrics are found everywhere. From the very first page in the poem “Happens To The Heart,” we get to experience the essence of Cohen’s mind and soul in the lines “I was always working steady/But I never called it art/I was funding my depression/Meeting Jesus reading Marx/Sure it failed my little fire/But it’s bright the dying spark/Go tell the young messiah/What happens to the heart.”
From there we get into the more confessional writing from his notebooks and jottings which contain entries like the lines in “Never Gave Nobody Trouble:” “never gave nobody trouble/i’m a law and order man/never gave nobody trouble/but you know damn well i can.”
Or in these more romantic lines from an unfinished piece he’s titled “Antique Song”: “Too old, too old to play the part,/But, oh! The kisses that we kissed,/That swept me to the shore/Of seas where hardly i exist, except to kiss you more.” All these finished and unfinished fragments are reminiscent of Cohen’s more wellknown poems and lyrics in songs such as “Crazy To Love You” and “Come Healing” and let’s not forget “Halleluja,” which is one of the most recorded songs of all time.
Some of the entries in the Notebooks section read like a Christian confessional. This, from September 2008: “You who havenfallen/beneath all contempt/whose pockets are swollen/but you’re living in debt/and dead to the culture/that murdered your pride/you pick through the scriptures/for somewhere to hide.” And then this from an earlier entry on Aug. 11, 2000, and sounding somewhat local to us here in Western North Carolina: “It’s going to be like this/sitting in a bar in Geneva/or is it Zurich/I can never tell which/Carolina, Carolina/I can never tell which.”
From these would-be song lyrics we find ourselves also reading reminiscences such as the one describing a dream about hearing a concert by Tom Waits while sitting in the Green Room in a theatre in Brighton, England. Also, we are exploring notes from Campanille de San Marco, Venice, where he writes: “I just came back to say goodbye/Been raining almost every day/We came here for the sun/We had that earthquake in L.A./It wasn’t that much fun.”
The Flame, with its drawings and photocopies of pages from original notebooks makes this tome seem almost like a personal gift. While unsigned, it comes across as being inscribed and something straight from Leonard Cohen’s personal pen. Perhaps this short entry written on Jan. 3 from Mumbai, India, pretty much says it all and serves as an exclamation point at the end of his posthumous book; as if looking back from above and scratching out in the sky: “We made a little garden/in the middle of L.A./so our hearts/they wouldn’t harden/& our spirits/they could play.” Leonard Cohen loved to play. Loved to play with words. He was a poet. A poet who had a genius for rhyme. I imagine him as being the next songwriter receiving the Nobel Prize ... yet in another time.
(Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor to the Smoky Mountain News. He is the author of several collections of poetry including Radiogenesis and Postcards From Peru. He lives in the Tuckasegee community of Jackson County and can be reached at newnativepress@hotmail.com)
Writer Thomas Crowe
A million little pieces
Research indicates high levels of microplastics in WNC waters
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
Jason Love got interested in microplastics by way of mussels.
A wildlife biologist by education and training, he’d long been interested in the reasons behind the decline of Southern Appalachian mussel species, and in particular that of the federally endangered Appalachian elktoe. He was interested while working in his
previous position as site manager for Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, and he’s interested now in his new position as associate director of the Highlands Biological Station.
“It used to have a stronghold in the Little Tennessee River, but beginning around 2004/2005 the populations just crashed, and they’re possibility extirpated from the Little Tennessee,” Love said. “That motivated me to understand what’s going on.”
In summer 2018, he had a few interns who needed a project to work on. Love saw that, while literature was starting to show that microplastics were showing up everywhere from the Arctic to the oceans, no research had yet been published examining the situation in Southeastern streams. So, with the students’ help, Love set about investigating the issue.
Because the decline in mussel populations had originally spurred his curiosity, Love wanted to look at microplastic concentrations within mussels living in Western North Carolina. He decided to use Asian clams, in invasive exotic now found throughout the United States, since he figured folks wouldn’t object too strenuously to specimens from that particular species being digested in hydrogen peroxide for the sake of science. The team collected samples from the Little Tennessee, the Tuckasegee River and Cartoogechaye Creek.
“We expected to find microplastics, particularly in the streams that had wastewater treatment plants, which is both the Little Tennessee and the Tuckasegee, but Cartoogechaye did not have a wastewater treatment plant,” said Love.
Wastewater treatment plants are great at getting rid of fecal matter, but they’re not designed to filter out microplastics, Love explained. Microfibers are a big contributor to the microplastics load coming from these plants — with every load of laundry, a little bit of fiber works its way out of the clothing and into the water, and many wastewater systems have difficulty capturing those materials.
So, microplastics in the samples taken near wastewater plants were expected. What Love did not expect to find, however, were high amounts of microplastics even in Cartoogechaye, which does not have a wastewater treatment plant.
Just below Lake Emory in Franklin, the team found about 5.8 microplastic particles per mussel, the most of any of the sampling locations. At Cartoogechaye, the average was about 3.8 particles per mussel.
When it’s broken down by gram, though, the ranking shifts. On a per-gram basis, Cartoogechaye had the highest levels of plastic, about 30 particles per gram compared to a low of about 1.7 on the Tuckasegee below Bryson City. Similar research examining the Yangtze River in China came out as Love was conducting his study, and it showed a range of 0.4 to 5.0 microplastics per gram — far fewer than what Love was finding in the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee. However, it’s important to note
Student researcher Olivia Swift stands with an array of digested samples.
Donated photo
Western Carolina University student Connor Stamey collects stoneflies at Coweeta. The stoneflies will then be analyzed for microplastic content.
Donated photo
that the clams in the Cartoogechaye were smaller, contributing to their higher pergram levels.
There are a few caveats to this finding, however. First of all, even filters that acted as controls for the study had some microplastics in them; about 1.7 fibers per sample — likely the result of contamination in the air — and the results are still preliminary and unpublished. The numbers Love has so far come from looking under a scope and counting the blue fibers, assuming they’re plastics. The next step is to run the samples through a spectrometer, which will confirm whether the materials are plastics and show what kind of plastics they are. However, he’s still trying to find the specialized equipment necessary to take this necessary next step.
Love also has questions about the mus-
Microplastics are an emerging issue that science has only just begun to understand. The term itself wasn’t coined until 2004. According to the National Ocean Service, microplastics are small plastic pieces that measure less than 5 millimeters long, and they can be harmful to aquatic life. However, we don’t yet know exactly how and at what threshold that harm occurs.
“We’re inhaling it, we’re ingesting it — it’s hard to know the effects if you have something that’s everywhere,” Love said. “People shouldn’t be panicking, but people should be concerned, and we as scientists need to start really looking at what those impacts could be.”
How do microplastics impact people, and at what threshold? What about wildlife, and how does that impact magnify as you move up the food chain? We know that microplastics can attract other toxins and bacteria to stick to their surface as they float through the water — how big of an issue are these clusters?
sels themselves. For instance, does a small juvenile mussel filter the same amount of water as an adult mussel, and how would the answer to that question impact the findings?
“There’s still a lot we don’t know,” he said.
However, Love isn’t the only person to have announced preliminary findings that show high levels of microplastics in the South.
In 2017, scientist Andreas Fath, a professor in Furtwangen University’s Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences in Germany, completed a 34-day, 652-mile swim of the Tennessee River to collect microplastics data. When he visited the Tennessee Aquarium in 2018, he reported that he’d found microplastic concentrations that were 8,000 percent higher than what he’d previously found in the Rhine River and that the levels were 80 percent higher than in China’s Yangtze River, according to a blog post from the aquarium.
That information came out just as Love was getting some initial results from his study.
“Right after we shared our results to colleagues at Coweeta and in the community, we were a little cautious,” said Love. “We were just very surprised by the results, but his (Fath’s) study found 16 particles per liter in the Tennessee River, which is the highest ever recorded in a freshwater system, so that made us feel a little better about our results.”
Be safe outside
The past week has seen multiple public parks and forests announce closures of outdoor areas in response to overcrowding deemed unsafe by land managers in light of coronavirus concerns.
On March 24, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed all of its roads and trails to visitation after a weekend in which more than 30,000 people visited the park daily, often converging on popular locations. Dupont State Recreation Forest followed suit following a similarly busy weekend. The Blue Ridge Parkway closed the southernmost portion of its length, and the National Forests in North Carolina announced closure of all OHV trails.
Outdoor recreation is a great way to get out of the house during quarantine time, but here are some rules of thumb to keep your day in the sunshine from causing the virus to spread or prompting more public lands closures.
the outdoors instead.
n Enjoy the outdoors in small groups of just two or three people, and preferably limit the group to the people in your immediate household.
n Maintain at least six feet of distance between yourself and others.
n If you feel sick — even a little bit — don’t go out. Stay home until you’re back to 100 percent.
Love said this work has changed his attitude toward litter in general and plastic in particular.
“We need to start thinking about plastic not just as trash that’s unsightly, but as low-level toxic waste that needs to be dealt with,” he said.
Love is still finalizing his first round of research with the mussels, but he’s already working with students on additional research surrounding the microplastics issue. This time, they’re focusing on headwater streams, measuring microplastic concentrations based on water samples and predatory stoneflies. The results should indicate how much of the problem is due to local sources like litter and wastewater and how much is due to more difficult-to-trace sources, like atmospheric deposition.
“When you’re talking about the headwater streams, these are all forested watersheds, maybe 30 or 40 acres in size, so there is no on-ground source for microplastics,” he said. “If we’re finding them, the only explanation is they’re coming in from the atmosphere and being deposited and accumulating in the streams. But again, we don’t have any results, so this is just speculation that that’s likely where they would come from.”
Luckily, these kinds of questions seem to be gaining more traction in the scientific community. A microplastics workshop for researchers was scheduled for April 2-3 to help these scientists think big about the work that’s needed to better understand where the particles are coming from. However, like much else these days, the event was canceled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Sixty people were signed up for the workshop, said Love, revealing a growing interest in the topic.
“Science is trying to catch up,” said Love.
n Particularly if you’ve found yourself out of a job, it might be tempting to make hiking part of your daily routine, but try to dial back the frequency from what you’d prefer in order to avoid contributing to overcrowding. Try running or walking in your own neighborhood whenever possible.
n Avoid areas you know to be popular and well known. If you arrive at a trailhead only to find that it’s full of cars, leave. Seek out a lesser-used area to enjoy
n Wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you get home, and bring hand sanitizer to use while you’re out, especially before eating. Avoid touching your face.
n Don’t pet other visitors’ dogs or let other visitors pet your dog.
n Services are reduced in many areas, so it’s more important than ever to practice “Leave No Trace” principles. Pack in all the food or equipment you’ll need for your outing, and pack it out when you leave, including any and all waste.
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3533 US 441 North, Whittier, NC
497-6211
Plastic fragments are easily visible when magnified to 30 times their actual size. Donated photo
Turkey season starts in April
The statewide turkey season will open April 11 through May 9, but a youth-only season will precede it April 4-10.
The daily limit is one turkey, with a season limit of two turkeys per hunter. Only one may be taken during youth season.
Youth season is open only to hunters younger than 18, but hunters ages 16 and 17 must be properly licensed. Hunters younger than 16 do not need a license but must be accompanied by a licensed adult. Youth who are properly licensed or have obtained a hunter education certificate do not need supervision.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, hunter education classes have been canceled through April 30 but are available online. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has voted to temporarily waive the field day requirement, so a hunter education card can be printed and a hunting license purchased upon completion of the online course at www.ncwildlife.org/huntered.
National forest closes recreation sites, trails
All recreation sites in the National Forests in North Carolina — including the Pisgah and Nantahala — are now temporarily shut down. No end date has been announced for the policy.
The decision covers picnic pavilions, shooting ranges and all restrooms, including those at trailheads and other recreation sites.
Also shut down last week were off-highway vehicle trail systems. That closure will remain in effect through May 15 in order to reduce impact on emergency responders and limit the spread of COVID-19. This policy applies to the Brown Mountain OHV Area in the Pisgah National Forest, the Wayehutta OHV Area in the Nantahala National Forest, and areas of the Croatan and Uwharrie national forests.
Campgrounds, several large developed day use areas and visitor centers are also shut down to prevent the spread of COVID19. Nonmotorized travel and dispersed camping are still allowed, provided visitors
follow social distancing guidelines. It’s important to follow these guidelines in order to prevent the need for further closures.
“We realize our communities and our visitors place high value on the recreation opportunities the Forest has to offer,” said Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas. “A lot of discussion and consideration went into this decision.”
For a list of facilities on the National Forests in North Carolina that are temporarily shut down, visit www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/newsevents/?cid=FSEPRD715959.
Dupont closed due to COVID-19
Dupont State Recreation Forest and neighboring Holmes Educational State Forest closed March 24 in response to the COVID-19 crisis following a visitor-heavy weekend that made social distancing guidelines difficult to follow.
All trails, trailheads and forest facilities are closed until further notice. Parking
areas, both designated and roadside, are barricaded in the interest of public safety. The closure follows similar announcements in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway.
For updated information about public access to North Carolina State Forests during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.ncforestservice.gov/covid19.htm or follow NCFS on Facebook.
State recommends a temporary halt to debris burning
Citizens are asked to reconsider burning yard debris through the end of May, which historically marks the end of spring wildfire season in North Carolina. Most wildfires are caused by human action and careless debris burning, said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. During the COVID-19 crisis, minimizing the number of debris burns will also minimize the number of escaped fires, allowing first responders to limit close-contact interactions and maintain social distance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the N.C. Forest Service continues mission critical work such as wildfire suppression and other emergency response functions.
It’s farmers market time
While COVID-19 has caused cancellations and closures aplenty, many area farmers markets will open as normal this spring.
According to guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, farmers markets fall under the same classification as grocery stores and are considered an important source of food for local communities.
Farmers markets that stay open during the outbreak should follow the same state and federal mandates as grocery stores regarding social distancing and crowd size. In keeping with Executive Order 118, they also may not offer any kind of dine-in service.
Here’s a roundup of the markets that have confirmed their intent to open. This list will be updated as more responses are received.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
Haywood Historic Farmers Market, Waynesville
Getting there: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, April 18 through Oct. 31, at 250 Pigeon Street in the parking lot of the HART Theatre.
What’s happening: Local produce; meats, eggs, honey, dairy, value-added products, heritage crafts and more for sale by 50 vendors at the height of the season, all of whom produce their wares in Haywood or an adjacent county. Ways to pay: Credit and debit card, SNAP/EBT benefits, cash.
Contact: haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Online at www.waynesvillefarmersmarket.com or www.facebook.com/haywoodhistoricfarmersmarket.
JACKSON COUNTY
Jackson County Farmers Market, Sylva
Getting there: Market held year-round at Bridge Park. Hours are: April to October, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, and Wednesdays, 4 to 7 p.m.; November to March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays only.
What’s happening: A variety of locally produced vegetables, meats, honey, plants and crafts. Plant starts, native plants, mushrooms, greens and other in-season veggies, spices, eggs, baked goods, occasional brick-oven fired pizza, goat cheese, flowers and local crafts such as pottery, soaps, jewelry, journals, toys, candles, bird feeders, note cards and more for sale by 30-35 vendors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors will be spaced further apart and customers moved through to avoid congregating. Tokens will be sanitized, a handwashing station will be available and a doctor will be on hand to assist and even take temperatures.
Ways to pay: Cash, credit, debit and SNAP benefits accepted. Double Up Food Bucks for SNAP recipients available.
Contact: Lisa McBride, 828.393.5236 or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Online at www.facebook.com/thegloriousjacksoncountyfarmersmarket, or www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.
MACON COUNTY
Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market
Getting there: 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays during April, and then 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays May through the end of October, on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software.
What’s happening: Variety of homegrown products, including fruits and vegetables, cheese, plants, eggs, trout, preserves, honey and artisan breads sold by an average of 25-30 vendors. Ways to pay: Cash/check.
Contact: Christy Bredenkamp, 828.349.2049 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.
www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.
SWAIN COUNTY
Swain County Farmers Market, Bryson City
Getting there: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fridays May 1 through October 30, at the barn on Island Street in Bryson City.
What’s happening: Local produce, nursery plants, herbs, trout, eggs, honey and artisan crafts such as jewelry, wood carvings and gourds sold by anywhere from eight to 15 vendors.
Ways to pay: Cash/check.
Contact: Rob Hawk, 828.488.3848 or rjhawk@ncsu.edu. www.facebook.com/swaincountyfarmersmarket.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY
In response to the closure of some farmers markets in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project has organized an interim market designed to protect shoppers and vendors from virus transmission.
The market meets 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays in parking lots A2, A3 and A7 at A-B Tech in Asheville. The number of shoppers in the market area at one time will be tightly controlled, customers will select pre-packaged items without handling other products, and purchases will be paid online using the honor system. Anybody exhibiting signs of illness will not be allowed in the market.
The market will operate as long as necessary and may expand to others locations and days of the week as opportunity and demand allow. www.asapconnections.org.
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