Haywood County terminates ‘stay home’ order Page 15
Legislators pass $1.6 billion in COVID-19 relief Page 19
On the Cover:
May 3-9 is designated as National Small Business Week, and small business owners across Western North Carolina could use all the support they can get right now as they determine how to adapt to changes caused by the COVID19 Pandemic. (Page 7) Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center photo
News
Hope remains at Lake Junaluska amid pandemic ....................................................8 COVID-19 death reported in Jackson ........................................................................21
Commissioners terminate Haywood ‘stay home’ order ........................................15 Haywood TDA will be ready to call tourists back ..................................................16 Haywood schools central office finds new home ..................................................18
Legislators pass $1.6 billion in COVID-19 relief measures ................................19 Cherokee plans for budget shortfall ............................................................................22
ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Amanda Singletary. .
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).
Back Then Remembering one of WNC’s biggest melees..........................................................39
S UBSCRIPTIONS
Gratitude.
To the doctors, the nurses, the respiratory therapists, the environmental services workers – to every person working to keep us safe, thank you.
At Mission, we are proud to say we provide the best care with the most care, but in this time of crisis we are also seeing
For your courage and compassion, your dedication, your resilience, we will be forever grateful.
As we move forward healthcare might look different. But at the heart of our care are the same trusted and dedicated healthcare heroes you’ve relied on for all your health needs.
We’re again here to provide a range of healthcare services, from your annual screenings and physicals to quality of life procedures that help you make the most of every moment moving forward.
Our doctors, nurses and entire team are working hard to ensure a safe place of care for you and a healthier community for all of us.
Hard-hit small businesses grapple with ‘new normal’
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
The nation’s annual Small Business Appreciation Week is held around this time each year and, coincidentally, couldn’t have come at a better time this year.
While the true economic fallout from the Coronavirus Pandemic won’t fully be known for months or years, the effect it’s already had on small businesses is readily apparent — as of May 4, more than a million North Carolina workers have experienced pay cuts or layoffs due to social distancing and “stay home” orders.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 99 percent of all businesses are small businesses, totaling around 30 million establishments across the 50 states. They’re your neighborhood bars, bookstores and restaurants. They’re gyms and salons, farms and auto shops, even churches and museums.
In the coming weeks, North Carolina will embark on a three-phase plan designed to gradually reopen many shuttered businesses as various safety metrics are reached. First it will be businesses that sell clothing, sporting goods and housewares. Later, it will be restaurants, bars, gyms, churches and entertainment venues. After that, capacity increases will be allowed until eventually, all returns to normal.
But that “normal” will likely never be the same as preCOVID normal.
Cosmetologists ready to get back to work
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
Melissa Walker opened her salon in Sylva in 2006, which means she’s been able to build a thriving business in a small town for 14 years even through all the challenges, including the 2008 economic recession.
“My answer to hard times has always been to just cut more hair and now I can’t do that. That used to be the answer for everything,” she said.
Shear Images had to shut down March 25 when “non-essential” businesses were forced to close under Gov. Roy Cooper’s State of Emergency stay at home order. That’s more than two months of zero income as utility bills continue to come due. In a salon, the hair stylists are independent contractors that pay the owner a monthly booth rent to help cover salon costs.
Walker said she hasn’t asked her three other stylists to pay their booth rent while they aren’t working. She just couldn’t add another hardship on her employees, who are more like her extended family.
“All of them have been with me for more than three years, most of them have been with me for eight years,” she said. “They all qualified for unemployment but not until April 24 — a whole month after we had to close. They couldn’t even get on the website to apply because it kept kicking them off.”
Macon County EDC to host webinar on reopening
The time to prepare for a post-pandemic business environment is now, according to the Macon County Economic Development Commission. To that end, the Macon County EDC will hold an online virtual town hall designed to help employers navigate complex issues like “stay home” orders, phased re-openings and best practices for when things return to normal. The webinar is free, but registration is required.
• Date: Wednesday, May 6
• Time: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
• Registration: www.bit.ly/scctownhall0506
“I believe that we’ll be taking precautions that we haven’t taken before, similar to businesses that are currently open,” said CeCe Hipps, president of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.
Hipps has already been in consultation with a number of local small businesses and mentioned a number of changes — how debit cards are physically handled, how people await their turns in doctor’s offices, how employees protect them-
Without much guidance from the state, Walker said she’s trying to prepare the best she can for when she can reopen by staying up to date on changes and looking to other states who are farther along in the process, including Georgia and Tennessee.
She’s applied for a Small Business Association loan and grant, but so far all she’s received is an email saying the application is under review. The Payroll Protection Plan is not an option for the salon since the employees are independent contractors. The processes have been tedious and frustrating for many small business owners who’ve never had to apply for assistance.
‘NEW
“I went to the small business meeting they did virtually here in Jackson County to make sure I’m doing everything I can possibly do,” she said. “I’ve always thought if I did the right things and ran a good business and paid my taxes on time, that we could survive anything, but when you’re told you can’t work, that is a different scenario.”
Salons in Georgia began reopening last week with strict guidelines using masks, cleaning requirements and even checking employees’ and clients’ temperatures as they come in for their appointment. While salons are included in phase 2 of North Carolina’s reopening plan, which could start in two more weeks, Walker is already taking steps to get Shear Images ready for when the day comes.
“We’ve already rearranged the shop to keep people six feet apart as much as possible,” she said. “As cosmetologists, we’re trained to use hospital grade disinfectant on everything before all this started and that’s what ticks me off the most because I know my
selves against acquiring or transmitting infectious diseases.
“I really believe people should keep precautions in their minds, if not for themselves then for others,” she said. “It’s about respect for others. This virus needs to scare us and we need to take it seriously, but we also need to reopen our businesses in a safe manner.”
Hipps said she’s working on a reopening guide in conjunction with both the North Carolina and South Carolina chambers of commerce, and hopes to have it available this week.
“The guide will be very industry-specific,” she said. “We’ve used the CDC and local emergency departments as sources. Opening a restaurant is not the same as opening a mechanic’s shop, for example.”
Still to be determined are guidelines pertaining to large gatherings — an important part of the fabric of Western North Carolina’s culture and small business economy.
“We are a festival-driven community. How this affects events like the Apple Festival and the Church Street Art & Craft Show, those are things we won’t know until later on,” she said.
Overall, small businesses in Haywood County are taking a cautious approach even as some of them clamor to reopen.
“From talking to businesses, I have noticed that they don’t want to open up too soon. They want to be careful. They don’t want to be responsible for spreading the virus in their places of business,” said Hipps. “They’re thinking through how they are going to reopen and how to do that safely.”
business is cleaner than Walmart could ever be. As far as us feeling comfortable, I know all my stylists would go back tomorrow if they’d let us.”
When it comes to whether clients will feel comfortable coming back to the salon, Walker said Shear Images will be flexible to ensure people feel comfortable when they reopen. Many of the salon’s loyal clients book their appointments out for a year, so they’ve already missed two appointments.
“They’ll be our first priority and when we’re allowed to open up to guests, we’re
looking at opening during hours when we’d usually be closed if we have concerned guests or for those who are immunocompromised,” she said.
Until that day comes, Walker is at home trying to keep her three sons — ages 7, 11 and 13 — on track with their school work. Her employees also have children at home. The next challenge will be figuring out childcare options when they do go back to work. Walker said many of them will be relying on grandparents or other family members to help them out.
The staff at Shear Images Melissa Walker (from left) Katie Bridges, Ashley Caldwell and Cynthia Laws are ready to get back to work. Donated photo
Keeping the lights on
Hope remains at Lake Junaluska amid pandemic challenges
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
The cross situated over Lake Junaluska has been lit at night for years to give railroad workers some guiding light and inspiration as they rolled through Haywood County.
At the suggestion of the community, the cross has been lit up around the clock since early March to give light and inspiration to everyone during this uncertain time.
“For 107 years, Lake Junaluska has been this beacon of hope and a place of enduring light and that’s been one focus we’ve had since the beginning of this to focus on our mission — to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska Assembly.
“We made an effort in March to turn the cross lights on 24/7 because the world needs that enduring light and hope that comes from faith and that focus has permeated into everything we’ve done as an organization.”
As many treasured places have had to shut their doors completely during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the staff at Lake Junaluska has been working hard to meet federal, state and local State of Emergency restrictions while still trying to meet its mission. The conference center operations began shutting down March 16.
“Because we’re a group-oriented tourist destination, we felt this weeks before many local businesses started to feel the impact. We saw $100,000 worth of cancellations in just one day, so that’s significant right off the bat,” Howle said. “We started making adjustments in late February because we saw what was coming. We came up with a five-step approach around safety and sanitation. The safety of our guests, staff and community have always been our focus. We’re thankful at this time the only impact has been economic.”
The total impact of COVID-19 has yet to be seen and will be difficult to determine moving forward, but Howle said the lake anticipates a $3 million to $4 million loss in 2020. With an annual budget of about $9 million, that’s a significant setback.
Now that the lake has dealt with what it feels like is the initial impact, staff can begin planning for the next 12 to 16 months, which will include adapting to new operational guidelines and procedures. Howle outlined a three-step approach for staff — sweeping changes to minimize chances of exposure to the virus, adapting the organization to provide new services that still align with the mission, and to create confidence for guests by allowing for greater flexibility when booking lodging at the lake.
INNOVATIVE CHANGES
The one thing most people in Haywood County have probably noticed is changes to the walking trail at Lake Junaluska. The lake
implemented a one-way route on the trail and put out signs reminding people to maintain six feet between each other. Since the governor’s order stated that outdoor recreation was still considered essential, Howle said the community felt it was important to keep the trail open to the public. However, due to the governor’s restrictions, the public bathrooms near the pool have to remain locked.
“Closing it without a mandate from local or state officials was also impractical. There are over 20 entrances to Lake Junaluska and we are very different from a state park where there is one entrance and a gate that can be closed,” Howle said.
The Lake Junaluska Golf Course remains open as well while having to adhere to social distancing protocols.
“The manager, Fred Edwards, he’s a poster child for innovative ways of adjusting operations in safe ways. He immediately went to look at the PGA guidelines and adjusted from day one. People appreciate that they can still get out on the course,” Howle said.
The lake’s annual plant sale would also continue, but with some adjustments. People placed their orders online or by phone and staff was prepared to deliver those orders to cars as they pulled up to the greenhouse. Howle said he was pleasantly surprised to find out the number of orders doubled this year compared to previous years.
“This pandemic will bring about a wholesale change in everything we do. For us innovation starts with looking at our mission to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body,’” he said. “In the past, mission fulfillment meant bringing people together for experiences at Lake Junaluska, today this will look different but the same concepts of hospitality, transformation and renewal are still key focal points. Even during a time of social distancing we can still live into our mission.”
When the CDC began recommending that older adults and those with chronic medical conditions stay home and avoid public contact, the lake wanted to assist the community, which contains a large number of residents in that age bracket. Howle said they developed plans for curbside meal service from The Terrace dining room.
“Our hope was that this would help to reduce the time our community needed to spend in grocery stores or other public areas. We’ve served over 1,300 meals to the community,” he said. “We are also planning to change our food service operation to move away from buffets. Picnics and outdoor dining will also be very popular this year. We are working on plans to expand both of these offerings.”
HOW TO HELP
Knowing the pandemic has created a hardship for everyone, Howle said the lake has been extremely grateful for the outpouring of support received in the last six weeks. Staff immediately began communicating the lake’s needs to its extensive database of sup-
Lake Junaluska Executive Director Ken Howle stands at the cross. Melissa Tinsley assists with curbside pickup (below) during the annual plant sale. Lake Junaluska photos
porters to let them know a donation to the Annual Fund was the best way to support the organization during the pandemic. Loyal donors have responded in force by making their Annual Fund donations earlier in the year, giving more than they’ve done before and not restricting their donations to certain projects. The lake has also seen many new donors giving through the website and even the donation box along the walking trail close to the pool has been much fuller than previous years.
“We have past donors giving but we also have a huge number of new donors,” he said. “We usually get about $400,000 a year in the Annual Fund but now it’s coming in earlier than it usually would. The donation box at the pool has seen a lot of dollar bills and even $20 bills — people get it,” said Howle.
Those donations will come in handy to keep the walking trail and other facilities maintained for the next year. Lake Junaluska
is private property, but for the last 60 years the organization has kept the property open to the public. Trail maintenance is dependent on charitable donations.
Gifts may be made online at www.lakejunaluska.com/support . Choose “Lake, Grounds, & Recreation” in the donation dropdown menu to make a gift in support of the Walking Trail. Donors who make a gift of $500 or more to the lake, grounds, and recreation are recognized as members of the Friends of the Lake Circle.
“This is not the first time that Lake Junaluska has faced challenges. Over the past 107 years, we have continued to be a place of enduring light and hope during two world wars, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the Great Depression, bankruptcy (in the 1930s), 9/11 and the 2008 economic downturn. We will overcome whatever challenges are ahead of us, and we will be stronger in the future,” Howle said.
Planning for survival
City Lights refuses PPP money, alters business model to weather dine-in closure
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
City Lights Café has been a fixture in Sylva since first opening its doors in 2011. Those doors are now closed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, but behind them owner Bernadette Peters is working to find new ways to sustain her business even as dine-in eateries like hers are ordered closed.
Unlike many local businesses, Peters received Paycheck Protection Program money in the first round of funding, but she doesn’t expect it to do her any good. In fact, right now she’s planning to send the money back — basically, to refuse the loan.
“We were working so fast to try to apply for it that no one could really think through it, because they thought the money was going to run out and it did,” she said. “In hindsight, if I knew there was going to be another round of funding I would have waited.”
The loan is forgivable only if the business continues to employ all its workers at the same level of compensation for eight weeks after the loan money is received. But City Lights’ 14 pre-pandemic employees were all paid for jobs the business no longer needs to be done. Peters needed carpenters and web designers, not baristas.
“We all closed, and we all laid off our employees, and now all of a sudden it’s in your account and your eight-week clock is ticking, and you have to spend it on payroll,” she said. “We could pay them to stay home, but what good does that do the business?”
Including herself, Peters is now paying six people, not 14, and she’s the only one who was part of the original staff. She needed carpenters to reconfigure the space, a web developer to facilitate the business’s new emphasis on online ordering, and a professional cleaner to sanitize the place and help develop processes for reopening.
During the initial days of the closure, City Lights remained open for take-out, but that quickly proved not to be a viable option, for multiple reasons. The space just wasn’t conducive to safely serving customers and welcom-
ing employees, and because the restaurant had already lost about $10,000 worth of perishable food, the uncertainty surrounding demand for takeout was risky. Finally, there was the fact that Peters lives with her parents, who would be at high risk if exposed to the virus.
“I couldn’t personally expose myself, and it’s always the owner who does the work when things are slower, because financially it makes sense,” she said.
‘NEW NORMAL’
So, Peters got innovative. City Lights has launched Café At Home, offering take-andbake meals as well as snacks and drinks. It was like starting a whole new business.
“I felt like I was starting back at square one in 2011 starting City Lights again, because we were running into the same thing — getting the processes down and trying to tweak messaging,” said Peters.
Serving the area between Cullowhee and Whittier, Café At Home offers weekly menus of six two-person meals for $85, available for pick-up at the restaurant or by delivery. Every week, there’s a rice dish, pasta dish, quesadilla meal, soup and bread combo, hearty salad and breakfast casserole, with both meat and vegan options available. Those who don’t want to purchase an entire week’s worth of meals can also buy them individually, but orders must be placed a week ahead of time.
In addition, customers can call one day ahead to order daily items like dips, bagels, desserts, biscuit dough, groceries, wine, beer and coffee. These items are available for pickup after noon Tuesday through Saturday.
“My goal is to pay for our fixed costs with this take-and-bake program,” Peters said. “In an ideal world, that would limit the amount of new debt that we take on, because that is going to be the difference between life and death for every restaurant — the amount of debt they take on in this process.”
With fixed costs hopefully covered with Café At Home sales, Peters aims to receive
Take the Café home
Learn more about City Lights’ Café at Home program and order food at www.citylightscafe.com. Weekly meal orders must be placed by Saturday of each week and picked up or received for delivery on Wednesday. Daily items like specialty groceries, baked goods and beverages must be ordered a day ahead. 828.586.9499.
sufficient grant funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan to cover the cost of preparing to reopen.
While the PPP focuses on an eight-week window, the impact of coronavirus is all but guaranteed to linger longer than that.
Before reopening, City Lights will have an outside pickup window, exit-only and enteronly doors, and a larger employees-only area so that workers can pass each other without
touching. Peters is looking at options for screening panels to separate tables and will install signage encouraging customers to use the contactless ordering system if they’ve traveled abroad or been exposed to COVID19. She also plans to reduce the number of tables in the restaurant to prevent crowding and make way for the outdoor pickup area. Upon clock-in, employees will have their temperature checked and answer screening questions about possible coronavirus exposure. Peters expects that business will be slow upon reopening, and the restaurant will have reduced capacity to seat and feed customers. It’s hard to say what that will mean for Main Street in the long term.
“Nobody’s said definitely that they’re not going to make it, but I think we all have a fear that we won’t, especially during the second wave of infection,” she said. “Most restaurants only have at most a couple weeks’ worth of payroll in their account. Our inventory is all expiring stuff. It’s hard to determine whether you’re going to make it or not.”
Thank
you to
all of those who are meeting our needs in these trying times. We will get through this together.
Carpenters prepare City Lights’ physical space for reopening. Donated photo
Rebuilding, brick by brick: MGC of WNC
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER
Though most of us have acclimated to the idea and implementation of silence in this era of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the sounds of hammers and sawblades have been echoing down McCracken Street in Waynesville as of late.
“People might not realize how big of an industry that construction is in Western North Carolina — it’s right up there with the tourism and health care sectors,” said Patrick Schneider. “And all of us in the construction industry, we’re all in this together. We’re still out here trying to make a living. If we don’t work, we really don’t have any recourse.”
The co-owner of MGC of WNC, a Haywood County-based construction company, Schneider and his crew are in the midst of a complete restoration and renovation of a 1914 cottage on a hill overlooking the corner of McCracken and Oakdale Road.
“This is a pretty extensive project. But, this is what we specialize in, which is bringing these older structures back to life while preserving the character and charm of the building,” Schneider said.
Even with the pandemic closing most companies, MGC of WNC falls under the listing of an “essential” business by the government. With anywhere between four to eight workers on his freelance construction crew (depending on the job at hand), Schneider has felt a drop of about 40 percent in recent business due to the pandemic.
“Winter is always slow, but spring is usually when things pick up and we’re off to the races,” Schneider said. “Where normally we’d be looking at projects months out, we’re now looking at things week-to-week. For the first quarter of this calendar year, we’ve actually gone in the hole financially. But, we’re holding steady at the moment.”
While applying for the Payroll Protection Program through the Small Business Administration, Schneider has felt — and
continues to feel — frustrated by the process of seeking loans and funding to keep his livelihood afloat, a shared sentiment now reverberating through much of the small business community nationwide.
“Our company processes upwards of $800,000 a year through our community bank. We’re good customers, to say the least. And that first day they opened up for PPP applications, they had somewhere around 8,000 responses, and they had to shut down,” Schneider said. “We couldn’t even apply the first time because the bank’s computer system got so overloaded. But, with this second round of government funding, we’ve now got our application in and waiting to hear back on approval for the money.”
When speaking at-length about the pandemic’s effect on the economy, Schneider can’t help but get flashbacks of the recession of 2008.
“You know, you look back at 2008 and 2009, when the bottom fell out in the housing industry. Contractors went out of business, thousands lost their jobs and went bankrupt. Hell, I went bankrupt,” Schneider said. “But, I came back and started from scratch to rebuild a company. And if we have to that again this time around, well, we will. I mean, what else are we going to do?”
But, even with financial obstacles and uncertainty seemingly around every corner, Schneider’s gratitude is running high these days — for his health and for his work.
“Most people have had their lives flipped upside down and had their sense of normalcy taken away from them. I still get to go do the work I love, and to still wake up with that sense of purpose — it makes you appreciate all of the great things in your life,” Schneider said.
Finishing up a quiet lunch from inside the old cottage, Schneider wiped his hands and got up to get back to work. With a stiff mountain breeze rolling through the open windows, Schneider buttoned up his coat and grabbed his tool belt, readying himself for another afternoon of turning the abandoned building back into a home.
“I’m 60 years old. And one thing I know — if you keep putting one front in front of the other, it always gets better. That’s just life,” Schneider said. “So, no matter what we’re facing right now, we’re going to learn how to deal with it. Businesses will be back, people will be back, and we’ll have our lives back. Life doesn’t stop because of the coronavirus — it changes, but it doesn’t stop.”
Matt Gardner and Patrick Schneider, co-owners of MGC of WNC. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
CHARLES W WOLFE,
180 Webster Road
Sylva, NC 28779
Bus: 828-586-4026
charles.w.wolfe.bwll@statefarm.com
Galleries adapt to the struggle of pandemic shutdown
BY HANNAH MCLEOD
C ONTRIBUTING WRITER
Like much of the economy in Western North Carolina, art galleries in the region depend on tourism for survival. Just ask co-owner/manager of Twigs and Leaves, located in downtown Waynesville, Carrie Keith.
“We rely heavily on the tourism industry,” she said. “I am not sure how soon people will be comfortable with traveling, let alone when we are going to welcome them back with open arms. Even most half-timers, and the locals that come in most of the time are coming in because they’re bringing their guests that are visiting.”
Dr. Zella Hannum, co-proprietor of Gallery Zella in Bryson City, said, “I think the pandemic will serve to reduce the number of visitors to Bryson City for the rest of this year, perhaps maybe next year as well.”
While the shutdown has halted all travel and tourism for the time being, Keith expressed fear that the economic fallout from the shutdown would hinder tourism for a long time to come, with effects similar to the 2008 financial crisis.
“We’ve already been down this road one time, with the recession. I hope that it doesn’t last near as long as that did. I hope that we can come back faster. Spending really changed after the recession, the way that people spent. Very cautiously and not as impulsive,” said Keith.
Though galleries have to be closed to the public, many have adapted to processing online and telephone orders.
“The time I spend on sales has shifted to direct sales only. Before the governor’s shutdown order, I made private appointments with clients at the gallery and/or the person’s home or business. During the lockdown, I phone and email clients to facilitate artwork sales; then ship the art directly to our collectors. These custom orders during the pandemic have been a godsend and we are very grateful to our loyal clients” Hannum said.
‘NEW NORMAL’
Of course, it is not only galleries and their staff that are having to adapt during the shutdown. Each gallery hosts and provides a platform for so many artists.
“I have 140 artists that need me to open,” said Keith.
At Gallery Zella, Hannum said that fortunately, none of their artists rely solely on income derived from the gallery.
“We did reach out to two of our best-selling artists who had drastic income drops due to art fair and show cancellations. We decided to purchase what we could to help them out. They really appreciated our loyalty,” she said.
As galleries look toward reopening, possibly within the first phase of the reopening
plan proposed by Gov. Roy Cooper, keeping staff and customers safe is a priority. Keith said Twigs and Leaves would take precautions like masks, sanitizing thoroughly and limiting the number of people allowed in the gallery at one time.
Similarly, Hannum said she would look to successful neighbors in Bryson City like Walgreens and Ace Hardware.
“Encourage six-foot distance between customers, wear our own masks, install a plastic shield at the cash register and touchless credit card transactions. We have also freshened up our showrooms with new artwork,” she said.
Before the pandemic, Hannum said she could rely solely on foot traffic to sustain the gallery. Now, the future of gallery business may look different.
“We shall rely more on our website’s online store, private appointments, and direct selling,” she said.
Hannum said people would be surprised at how many folks have visited the gallery website, taken the virtual tour, and called for phone appointments during the pandemic.
“Passion for art nurtures the soul, especially now. And technology actually helps to keep this passion alive,” she said.
Keith sees bumps in the road for galleries as they move toward more online traffic. “Though we have an extensive website, online is made difficult because each piece of work in the gallery is unique. That is a daunting, full time task to maintain” she said.
These gallery owners are confident that the essential nature of art will ultimately bring their galleries back to life, even if the pace of that return is lacking. “I think the return of business is going to be a slow crawl, especially for galleries,” said Keith.
Gallery Zella has taken this time to slow down and reflect, something Hannum finds rewarding. She said the pandemic had given her a “month of Sundays.”
“I have had the time to analyze the gallery’s strengths and to institute changes that capitalize on these strengths. I have also taken time to strengthen relationships with our loyal collectors and artists. After all, our loyal collectors and artists are our ‘raison d’etre’ (reason to be),” she said.
Twigs and Leaves in Downtown Waynesville is one of many art galleries closed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Donated photo Gallery Zella. Donated photo
Keeping the wheels in motion: Waynesville Tire
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER
Though the front door is locked, the large garage and repair bays of Waynesville Tire are wide open and ready for business.
“The biggest thing we’ve had to do is not let anybody into the office and having people wait outside for their vehicle to be ready — we’re doing everything curbside,” said Jeff McCall, owner of Waynesville Tire. “And, at the end of the day, I still go through and wipe down everything in the office just because the guys are in and out of here throughout the day.”
A locally owned and operated small business since 1966, Waynesville Tire remains busy and bustling, even in uncertain economic times and shelter-in-place orders. In the earliest weeks of the Coronavirus Pandemic, McCall estimated the company lost about 40 percent of its normal business.
“Over the last six weeks, it’s been slower. But, things have picked up lately,” McCall said. “And we’ve also been very blessed to not have to let any of our employees go.”
With eight staff members, Waynesville Tire has been able to keep the lights on and retain its workforce due to being deemed an “essential business” by the state and federal governments.
“As a small business owner, this whole thing has been really distressing, but at least I can keep working and keep the guys working, too,” McCall said. “And I’m thinking about what the ‘new normal’ is going to look like after the restrictions are lifted. Are we
just going to keep it this way and just not let anybody in the office anymore? ‘Hey, you can drop off your car or wait outside.’”
With lost revenue and the daily financial unknowns facing small businesses, Waynesville Tire is currently in the midst of the application process for the Payment Protection Program (PPP), a Small Business Administration loan now offered to keep workforces employed during the COVID-19 crisis.
“The process has been a nightmare, really. My bank told me that I was a small fish and they would be glad to help me, but to not expect much [financial help],” McCall noted. “It’s tough, where I’m responsible for eight people and eight families as a business owner. Every week I’m doing payroll, looking at the numbers and thinking — did we make enough? Did we break even?”
And yet, even amid his own financial struggles and challenges, McCall is grateful to be able to go to work each day. He often thinks about other local businesses and the nearby downtown Waynesville corridor.
“I’m worried about all of the restaurants and other people that have been closed for the last six weeks — what’s going to happen to them?” McCall said. “And right now, everybody is starting to get tired of staying home. People are ready to get back out and get back to doing things again.”
Where before McCall would have a much clearer vision for the long-term future of the Waynesville Tire, he’s now just focused on getting through today, with hopes for a better tomorrow and the same for the day after that.
“It’s day-to-day at this point — either tomorrow we’ll be busy or we’ll be standing around. But, we’ll do what we have to do to survive,” McCall said. “We have such a great group of guys and a lot of loyal customers, people that choose to spend their money here. That means a lot to me as a business owner — it’s humbling.”
www.waynesvilletire.com.
Jeff McCall, owner of Waynesville Tire. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
Haywood commissioners push to reopen after terminating ‘stay home’ order
Haywood County commissioners Kevin Ensley (top) and Brandon Rogers wait for a May 4 meeting to begin. Cory Vaillancourt photo
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
STAFF W RITER
Less than five weeks after issuing a “stay home” order and barely three weeks after extending it, Haywood County commissioners approved a resolution May 4 to terminate their countywide order and told Gov. Roy Cooper they hope he’ll do the same with his statewide order when it comes up for possible renewal May 8.
“What this resolution does is put us under the governor’s order,” said Haywood County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Ensley.
During their regular monthly meeting, commissioners opted to terminate several COVID-related proclamations enacted beginning March 26, all of which were set to expire on May 4 anyway.
The restrictions in Haywood’s proclamations were slightly more limiting than the state’s, in that individuals coming to or who
had been out of the county for more than three days would be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
The termination resolution states that the proclamations “are no longer needed in Haywood County.”
“We did right at the time, but as we go further down the road this thing is more predictable,” Commissioner Tommy Long said. “Any good ball coach at half time goes in at halftime to make suggestions to win the game.”
Although small, the case count in Haywood County has more than doubled in the last week from seven confirmed cases on April 28 to 18 on May 4, indicating community spread. However, a drive-up test of 283 front-line workers — from grocery stores, hardware stores and the like — conducted on April 28 by the Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services showed all 283 of them to be virus-free.
Residents of Haywood County and all four
of its municipalities are still subject to the state’s superseding “stay home” order, although some counties like Gaston have now vowed to defy the state’s order, just as some towns like Weaverville have vowed to defy their county’s order.
Haywood Commissioners didn’t go quite that far, but did pass a subsequent resolution urging “the State to allow all current North Carolina Executive Orders restricting the operation of businesses to expire, and to permit Haywood County Government to begin a cautious plan to reopen for business in three measured phases beginning May 8, 2020, in compliance with federal recommendations and in close consultation with Public Health recommendations.”
“Unfortunately, we’re killing our small businesses,” said Commissioner Brandon Rogers. “If we can allow our big box stores, why can’t we do it in our smaller businesses as well?”
The resolution carries no force of law but much like the Second Amendment Sanctuary measures passed across the state this past winter, it does send a clear message to state government about the values in particular communities.
The message, enunciated by a number of speakers during the meeting’s public comment session, was overwhelmingly to reopen earlier, rather than later.
“We’re not saying throw caution to the wind,” Rogers said. “If you don’t feel comfortable going out, stay home.”
The resolution cited guidelines announced by President Donald Trump on April 16 that define the circumstances under which areas of the United States should begin reopening businesses.
Those circumstances include downward trends in both coronavirus symptoms and cases as well as effective testing and contact tracing. The ability to “surge” health care capacity and to communicate effectively with citizenry are also necessary.
North Carolina was still on an upward trajectory in terms of total cases, but on a downward trajectory of new cases. That means either the “stay home” measures work, or they were never necessary in the first place — depending on one’s point of view.
As of May 4, there were 11,771 North Carolinians who had contracted the coronavirus, with 9,529 of those cases still active. More than 430 people have died across the state, but Western North Carolina isn’t exactly the rest of the state.
Figures from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services show 66 total confirmed cases in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties as of May 4 and three deaths.
That translates to 358 cases per million people in the seven-county region, far below the lowest U.S. state, Montana, which has 436 cases per million people. By comparison, the U.S. as a whole has 3,589 cases per million, and North Carolina has 1,156.
“I kinda feel like [Gov. Cooper] is treating us like Mecklenberg and Wake counties. I’d like counties to have flexibility,” Ensley said. “We on the coast and on the mountains have different economies and businesses than Charlotte and Raleigh.”
The county’s original State of Emergency, declared March 15, is unaffected by the termination resolution.
Haywood TDA will be ready to call tourists back
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
Over the past year Haywood County’s tourism industry had been cruising along well above historical averages — until the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in a substantial downturn.
With governments and businesses now poised to take the initial steps toward the resumption of some degree of normalcy, Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority has formulated a plan to let people know that the county’s open for business, once that time indeed comes.
“I feel good about the proposed plan as we move forward with finalizing the details and the timing,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood TDA.
Data provided by the TDA through Feb. 29, 2020, shows that since the current fiscal year began back on July 1, 2019, occupancy tax collections were up 15 percent against projections and 11 percent above the previous year’s collections, with positive growth reported for every single month in that timeframe.
Through February of this year, collections in Clyde were 49 percent over budget. Canton was up 27 percent, followed by Waynesville at 16 percent. Maggie Valley logged an increase of 16 percent, and Lake Junaluska reported growth of 8 percent.
Numbers for March aren’t yet in, but they’ll be low — it was during March that the first in a series of state and local orders restricting travel and limiting lodgers to essential workers began to be issued, meaning most lodging providers were only open part of the month.
Projections issued by the TDA estimate collections will be down by 65 percent versus the average for March, and down by 95 percent for the month of April.
Conservative estimates by the TDA for May and June show projected declines of 85 percent and 75 percent, respectively, but that could change as the state progresses through the three-phase plan offered up by Gov. Roy Cooper that’s intended to move the state toward pre-COVID levels of activity.
Once that happens, the TDA intends to be ready to implement its recovery plan.
The recovery plan identifies three immediate goals: persuading locals that it’s safe to host visitors again, reopening the county’s tourism industry as soon as prudent and convincing travellers who are concerned both about their health and their personal finances that Haywood County should be their preferred destination.
A survey conducted between April 10 and April 12 by San Francisco-based market
intelligence firm Destination Analysts that was cited by the TDA asked more than 1,200 people one simple question — once you’re able, where will you go?
Results show that 38.2 percent will seek out beaches or resorts, 30 percent will visit small towns or rural destinations, 26.6 percent will travel to large cities, while 20.4 percent will head for national parks; 19.7 percent specifically favor mountain destinations and 16.1 percent look forward to experiencing state, county or regional parks.
Collins said those results concur with the sentiments of a group of Western North Carolina TDA professionals she meets with regularly.
“The fact that we’re a drive market and we’re in such a central location regionally, we all are of the same mind that we will fare better because of that,” she said.
Phase one of the TDA’s proposed plan is expected to run through mid-June and will concentrate on building appreciation of the tourism industry in the local community. Phase two seeks to build anticipation among potential visitors and could run though mid-July. Phase three, which could begin in early July, will implore potential visitors to take action.
Projections issued by the TDA estimate collections will be down by 65 percent versus the average for March, and down by 95 percent for the month of April.
Each phase will target an ever-widening geographical circle that begins locally and then expands through the immediate region and then the broader region.
The targeting includes postcard-style digital advertisements with “open, airy visuals,” and “fun, inviting messages” akin to cheesy pickup lines — “Something is wrong with my eyes, because I can’t take them off you,” “Are you a time traveler, because I can see you in my future,” and “Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?”
Elements of the TDA’s recovery plan are dependent on the timing of actions taken by state leaders with regard to existing “stay home” orders. Haywood County terminated its local order on May 4, but as of press time Cooper’s statewide order still banned leisure travel.
“I think there’s still a lot of preparation that needs to be done with all of our industry partners, including guidelines and best practices, which we are working on through state and national associations,” Collins said. “Whatever we’re getting from those groups we’re passing along to the county for them to be able to have their health department people look at, like for instance the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association is developing guidelines — best practices for reopening for restaurants and lodging, so that we’re all on the same page as far as what we need to do to get open.”
In August 2014, Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) was sold to Duke LifePoint Healthcare. HRMC Foundation could no longer legally support the hospital, now a for-profit entity. The Foundation Board made the decision to make the transition in name to Haywood Healthcare Foundation, retaining the same board and expanding our mission to address unmet healthcare needs for individuals and families in Haywood County through partnering with other agencies to achieve maximum impact and sustainability.
The Foundation offers grants annually to Haywood County non-profit organizations, schools and government agencies. Since August 2014, $526,000 was awarded in grants for the following: substance abuse, mental health, nutrition, AEDs (defibrillators), obesity, medical equipment, Base Camp on the Go, dental equipment and care, eye exams and glasses, teen cooking classes and gas cards to cancer patients during their cancer care.
The Foundation has 2 events each year:
· Proceeds from the Annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala goes towards unmet healthcare needs in Haywood County. This event is held the last Thursday in August.
· The Power of Pink event was created in 2007 to provide mammograms for qualifying underserved women and men in Haywood County. Since 2007, the Power of Pink has provided over 1700 mammogram screenings and follow-up procedures to over 900 underserved women and men in Haywood County. This event is held the last Saturday in September.
Haywood County Schools administration finds new home
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
STAFF W RITER
Adecision has finally been made on where to put Haywood County Schools’ central administration office before their lease at the Historic Haywood Hospital runs out at the end of this year, and as it turns out, they won’t have to go far.
“We think it will work,” said Bryant Morehead, Haywood County’s manager. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a great use of our facility.”
Last August, Landmark Asset Services finally qualified for tax credits that would make conversion of the old hospital into housing for veterans and the elderly financially feasible, after three previous unsuccessful attempts.
In doing so, it foreshadowed the end of an era for HCS’ central administration, which had used the drafty, leaky building to house administrators since 1980.
A number of potential destinations for HCS had been bandied about, including the former Central Elementary School in Waynesville, a new $13 million, 40,000 square-foot facility called the “Educational Support Center” proposed by HCS days after the tax credits were announced, or the Annex 2 building across the street from the current offices.
On May 4, Haywood County commissioners voted unanimously to convey the 1.15-acre Annex 2 property to HCS, along with the two-story 14,000 square-foot building now home to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Triangle Club, and the United Way of Haywood County.
The whole situation is a big financial
plus for the county, which had been paying $7,000 a month to maintain the dilapidated old hospital. As a county-owned property since its construction in 1927, it’s never been on the ad-valorem tax rolls.
In ridding itself of the building, the county not only picks up that yearly tax revenue, but also the $225,000 sale price to the developer Landmark. In moving across the street to the county-owned Annex 2 building, the county also saves the cost of constructing, purchasing or leasing another site.
The move, expected by the end of the year, isn’t without cost, however. During the May 4 meeting, commissioners also appropriated $750,000 from fund balance for renovations of the Annex 2 building.
HCS Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte thanked commissioners for their work.
“We think the facility and the renovation funds will be appropriate to make that a building that will last for many decades,” Nolte said.
The move to Annex 2 appears to be a permanent one, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the proposed Educational Support Center is off the table.
“I know you were looking at consolidation of services and we’re be looking at that in the future, too,” said Kevin Ensley, chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners.
As for the existing tenants, they’re expected to be out by soon, and will have to find new spaces of their own.
Landmark Asset Services hasn’t yet begun site work on the old hospital, which is expected to welcome its first residents sometime in 2021.
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Ingles Nutrition Notes
written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath
CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS
Have you walked through an Ingles store and noticed the brown and white gluten-free tags on items? Individuals with celiac disease have to follow a gluten-free diet. This is currently the only way to treat this auto-immune disease. Celiac disease requires a medical diagnosis. The first step is typically a simple blood test that may be followed by an intestinal biopsy. Celiac disease can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies which can affect multiple systems in your body.
If you have one or more of these symptoms please talk to your doctor:
· Frequent Bloating or Stomach Pain
· Chronic Diarrhea
· Constipation
· Gas
· Nausea
Also if you have had or have experienced any of the following please talk to your doctor about being tested for celiac disease:
· Chronic Anemia Unresolved by Iron Supplements
· Osteoporosis, Weak or Brittle Bones
· Infertility or Repeated Miscarriages
· Joint Pain
· Frequent Migraines and Headaches
For more information go to: www.cureceliacdisease.org
The county-owned Annex 2 building at 1233 North Main Street will soon host some new tenants. Cory Vaillancourt photo
NC legislators pass $1.6 billion in COVID-19 relief measures
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER
Workers, businesses, schools and local governments impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic will benefit from a comprehensive, bi-partisan relief plan that appropriates billions in aid while also modifying and clarifying a substantial number of regulations and deadlines rendered untenable by state and local “stay home” orders.
Bills passed in both the Senate and the House late last week were signed by Gov. Roy Cooper on May 4. In short, they propose appropriating almost half of the $3.5 billion allocated to the state as a result of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“That money is federal money, and basically what we decided to do is go ahead and allocate some of it,” said Rep. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, who is also a member of the state’s coronavirus task force. “I voted for it. I was good with it.”
Waynesville Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen’s comments put him in accord with Corbin, and almost every other member of North Carolina’s General Assembly.
“We had a very good process of distributing that,” Queen said. “I thought we had a great week — it was a good model for common-sense budgeting and the kind of collaboration we haven’t seen in many, many weeks in Raleigh.”
The $1.57 billion in appropriations, mostly from the House side, includes $85 million for coronavirus testing, con-
tact tracing and enhanced behavioral health capacity, including $50 million for rural and underserved communities. It also includes $65 million to research institutions like the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Duke University Human Vaccine Institute, Eastern Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and the UNC School of Public Health.
Hospitals will also see two $15 million relief funds established, one for teaching hospitals and one for general hospitals.
Rural hospitals in tier one and tier two counties — defined as the state’s least prosperous — are in line for a $65 million relief fund. While that won’t affect Haywood or Buncombe counties due to their tier three designation, hospitals in the rest of the counties in Corbin’s far-west district are eligible.
Front-line workers will see $50 million spent on enhanced personal protection equipment and sanitation supplies.
Social services organizations that provide basic needs like food, shelter, foster care and childcare are slated for $27.5 million in addition to $10 million for community health centers or charitable clinics and $25 million in support for assisted living facilities. Funding in the amount of $1.5 million is also available for prescriptions for the indigent and uninsured.
Funding is also provided to ensure the continuity of state and local government operations — $300 million to the general maintenance reserve in the Department of Transportation, another $300 million to mit-
igate the impact of decreasing revenue on local governments, $100 million in funding for counties, and $85 million for state government operations.
The nonprofit Golden Leaf Foundation will administer $125 million in funds for loans of up to $50,000 to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, but Corbin said he wasn’t exceptionally pleased with how the funds will be disbursed.
“I would have liked to have seen more of that money be in forgivable grants instead of loans,” he said. “There was a pretty good group of us that wanted to see that, but the feeling was that the federal government already did that, with almost a trillion in forgivable loans like the PPP.”
Like Corbin, Queen didn’t exactly get everything on his wish list; Queen’s been one of the most vocal and visible proponents of Medicaid expansion in the state, for several years.
“If you want to look at the big picture, there’ s not an unemployed or low wage worker in North Carolina that doesn’t need health care now,” he said. “We took the tack that we weren’t going to do anything that wasn’t consensus-driven, but it was a disappointment that this wasn’t a common goal. We send $4 billion in taxes to Washington and don’t get it back. That’s $30 million in my district alone.”
The remaining $2 billion in federal CARES Act allocations to the state must be spent by the end of the year.
HealthPATH
County, its
“The general conversation between legislators that I heard was, ‘Let’s appropriate for immediate needs like colleges and universities,’” said Corbin, who also serves as deputy majority whip in the House. “But at the same time, we realize there will be some residual effects, some fallout we haven’t thought about yet.”
Queen said that moving the tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15 leaves the state without a firm picture of revenue to guide the drafting of a budget.
“What most of that money will be needed for is to fill in revenue gaps for a normal budget,” he said. “There will be a big revenue shortfall.”
The Senate’s bill deals more with regulations than appropriations; over the course of 70 pages, it lays out myriad waivers of and adjustments to everything from professional licensing requirements and unemployment qualifications to sunshine laws and tax payment deadlines.
“I’m pleased we got it through,” said Sen. Jim Davis. “It’s a testament to what you can do when you when you cooperate.”
The economic support section of the bill waives interest accrual on corporate, franchise and individual income taxes and also moves both the filing and payment deadlines from April 15 to July 15.
It also establishes a sunset for some of the coronavirus-related unemployment policies already being practiced by the Department of Employment Security, including abolishment of the waiting period and employer charges. Those changes will end on Dec. 31 of this year, or when Gov. Cooper rescinds the March 10 State of Emergency Declaration, whichever comes first.
There are a number of complicated changes to the status quo in the education section of the bill that affect both the current and the next academic year.
End-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests have been waived this year, as have been diagnostic and formative reading assessments for
Dr. Consky Sylva
Dr. Burgon Waynesville
Dr. Warburton Waynesville
Kevin Corbin
Jim Davis
Joe Sam Queen
grades K through 3 and WorkKeys for students concentrating in technical education. ACT tests will be administered in the fall to students who were in 11th grade this school year but were unable to take the test.
Data from the current school year will not be used to determine low-performing schools or innovative school districts, and units already identified as such will continue to be.
The State Board will not be required to display school report cards for the 2020-21 school year because certain metrics rely on data from previous years. The same goes for teacher performance data, which could be distorted due to disruption during the 20192020 school year.
Additionally, many teacher licensure requirements with deadlines have been pushed back to June 30, 2021.
Nationally standardized tests have been waived for the 2019-20 school year, and University of North Carolina-system students will not accrue interest on past-due accounts from March 13 through Sept. 15.
Perhaps the most notable requirement in the bill is that the governing body of every public school unit in the state must, by July 20, come up with a remote instruction plan for the 2020-21 school year. That includes a survey of internet connectivity for both teachers and students.
“One thing I really pushed for is internet access,” Corbin said. “If you look at a map, my district is really underserved and if you’re talking about distance learning, out here that means somebody’s gotta drive by and throw a book out the window.”
Corbin said that the relief would include $50 million for rural broadband to be spent in grants to providers on the basis of how many customers they could connect per dollar, but he’s also asked appropriations chairs for an additional $90 million. Queen’s also been a big proponent of rural broadband, given the similarities between his district and Corbin’s.
The health care section of the Senate’s bill is by far the most lengthy and includes several provisions focusing on increasing access to medical supplies, creating a strategic stockpile of medical supplies for current and future public health emergencies and streamlining the cumbersome regulatory structure that is modern medicine.
“Any time we can minimize regulations that the medical community is subject to without endangering public health, I think that’s a good thing,” Davis said.
There’s also a provision that limits liability on health care facilities and health care arising from treatment of individuals during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Like Queen and Corbin, Davis does have his own regrets about the aid package as a whole, but still thought highly enough of it to support it.
“I think we spent too much money at this time, but that was the compromise we had to make to get the bill passed,” Davis said. “We’re going to take a $3 to $4 billion hit on [state budget] revenue. But when nobody is happy with the bill and it gets a unanimous vote, that’s really something.”
A special Take-Out menu crafted with love by our chefs will feature her favorites & more!
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ORDER AHEAD! The deadline to call is 5 p.m. Saturday, May 9.
Pick up your meal(s) SERVED HOT on Sunday, May 10 in front of the clubhouse.
To Order, Call 452-0545 x140 49 Cupp Lane Waynesville
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COVID-19 death reported in Jackson
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
Jackson County reported its first coronavirus death on Monday, May 4.
According to the county’s health department, the patient was over the age of 65 and had underlying health conditions. To protect the family’s privacy, the department won’t release any further information about the patient.
The news makes Jackson the third of the seven western counties to report a death from COVID-19 as of press time. Cherokee and Macon counties have each reported one such death, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. However, just to the east 21 deaths have been reported in Henderson County and four in Buncombe.
To date, 837 COVID-19 tests have been administered in Jackson County.
The health department began including the section on diagnoses of non-residents in its daily report after three subcontractors working on the Apodaca Science Building construction project at Western Carolina University — none of whom were county residents — tested positive for the disease. However, Deputy Health Director Melissa McKnight emphasized that the non-resident metric is not directly related to the worksite.
website, health.jacksonnc.org/covid19 or by calling the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center at 828.631.HELP.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
Despite being mostly spared from large numbers of COVID-19 diagnoses, Haywood County's totals have continued to grow slowly in recent days and have more than doubled since April 28.
After adding three new cases on April 29 — bringing the total to 10 — and then adding another five on April 30, yet another confirmed case was announced in a press release issued by the county May 1, bringing the total to 17. As of press time Tuesday, Haywood had confirmed 18 cases. Out of the 18 cases, 13 remain active and five have recovered. As yet there have been no coronavirus-related deaths in Haywood County.
MACON COUNTY
Macon County Public Health received notice on Wednesday, April 29, that a third Macon County resident has tested positive for COVID–19.
The individual is between the ages of 2549, the patient had contact with a known COVID-19 case outside of Macon County. The patient is not experiencing any symptoms and will isolate at home for 14 days. No further information will be released about this individual. Macon County Public Health is working to identify close contacts of the individual.
On April 30, Macon County officials released a press release stating that regulations imposed in Macon County in connection with the COVID-19 Pandemic will be repealed, canceled and ended effective 5 p.m. May 8, while Gov. Cooper’s orders are still valid and remain in full force and effect, including a stay at home order, limits on mass gatherings, and retain social distancing requirements.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this individual.” said Health Director Shelley Carraway. “We also want to reiterate the importance of staying home to slow the spread of COVID-19. Everyone, whether you are a full-time resident, part-time resident or otherwise, should be staying home as much as possible and continuing to practice social distancing when you must go out.”
As of press time Tuesday, May 5, 20 fulltime residents and 2 part-time residents had tested positive for the virus, with Jackson County health providers reporting an additional 19 positive tests from people who do not live in Jackson County. Those figures have increased significantly from Tuesday, April 28, when the county reported 13 full-time residents, two part-time residents and nine nonresidents testing positive.
“Many from the construction site were not from Jackson County and did not get tested for COVID-19 in Jackson County,” said Deputy Health Director Melissa McKnight. “They went to their place of residence — whether that is out-of-county or out-of-state — to be tested. At this time, I don’t have a way to track those individuals.”
There are about 229 workers on the site, according to a spokesperson for contractor Skanska USA. The spokesperson would not answer any further questions specific to the worksite but said that the company has implemented additional health and safety measures to address COVID-19 exposure risks. These include a zero tolerance for working sick policy, providing hand sanitizer and wash stations, increased cleaning and sanitization by third-party specialist cleaning contractors, strengthening glove policy requirements, screening measures at jobsite entry gates, required social distancing and additional PPE requirements where construction activity prevents adequate social distancing.
Jackson County updates are posted on the Jackson County Department of Public Health
“With the number of COVID-19 positive patients having a minimal impact to date on the health care system in Macon County and with provisions available to pause reopening actions or take further actions deemed necessary and appropriate in the future, the regulations so imposed by the Emergency Management Coordinator are deemed no longer necessary as of May 8,” the press release stated.
As of May 4, 137 people in Macon County had been tested. Of the three positive cases, one is considered active, one is in recovery and one died. Fourth tests are still pending.
SWAIN COUNTY
As of press time Tuesday, Swain County had six confirmed cases of COVID-19 after 608 tests have been administered. However, 98 of those tests are still pending. After consideration, Swain County commissioners voted to lift its supplemental restrictions on May 5 due to the low number of cases. Read more on page 24.
A Webster Enterprises employee works to process drapes that will be used to treat COVID-19 patients worldwide. Webster Enterprises photo
Cherokee plans for budget shortfall
No casino reopening date yet announced
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
As Harrah’s Cherokee Casino marks its seventh week of closure due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, leadership for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is planning for the tribe’s financial future in the face of evaporated casino revenues.
Casino profits make up about half of the tribe’s budget, with 51.2 percent of revenues in the current year projected to come from gaming operations. The coronavirus closure caused that revenue stream to stop cold, and even when it does reopen, business is expected to resume at a much lower level.
“The property is optimistic that they can achieve 70 percent,” Secretary of Finance Cory Blankesnhip said in an April 29 video update. “Caesar’s Corporate is saying brace for 30 or 40 (percent).”
Principal Chief Richard Sneed plans to shoot the middle in planning the budget for fiscal year 20202021 — which begins Oct. 1 — basing expenditures on 50 percent of normal casino projections. Currently, the tribal budget is based on 80 percent of casino projections, making it “the most conservative approach to budgeting in the history of the tribal government,” said Blankenship. That approach has put the tribe in a “very fortunate position,” with a financial cushion in place and a healthy level of reserves to sustain operations.
“But just because we can sustain operations doesn’t mean we can not plan for how to get through this particular situation,” said Blankenship.
The tribe will look to its three main categories of expenditures — personnel, contracts and capital expenses — to find reductions while maintaining its employment, workforce and services, Blankenship said.
The crunch will also affect per capita payments — twice-yearly distributions tribal members receive as shareholders in the casino — and result in suspension of the tribe’s per capita loan program, which allows tribal members to receive monthly payments borrowed against their future per capita distributions.
“Now is the time to begin to plan ahead,” said Sneed. “If you can make future rent payments or house payments (with your June distribution), that would be a very wise thing to do.”
Per capita loans will continue to be available for April and May, but after that the
program will be suspended until further notice. Loans are not typically given in June anyway, as that’s when one of the bi-annual per capita payments is issued, but loans will not resume in July as they normally do.
“We felt that it was important to continue that program until that scheduled break in June and then discontinue the program after that until we could see how the distribution from the gaming operations are going to start flowing to the tribe,” said Blankenship.
June per capita payments are based on casino revenues realized from October to March, while the December checks come from profits logged from April through September. Despite being a factor in only one of the six months reflected in June’s check, COVID-19 will leave its mark on the size of that distribution.
The pre-tax distribution will be $5,859, down $450 from $6,309 in June 2019. After taxes, tribal members will receive $4,981.
“I think it’s a very good distribution, all things considered,” said Sneed.
On an annual basis, total per capita payments have increased continuously since 2010. Since 2014, the only time until now when disbursements have decreased from June to June was when payments fell from $5,511 to $5,341 between June 2016 and June 2017. December distributions are
The crunch will also affect per capita payments — twice-yearly distributions tribal members receive as shareholders in the casino — and result in suspension of the tribe’s per capita loan program.
always higher than June distributions because they stem from revenues earned during the busier time of year.
While the reduction between the June 2019 and June 2020 payments is relatively modest, tribal leaders expect the December distribution to suffer even more. The period used to calculate the June payment included only two weeks of the casino’s closure, and none of the slower recovery period expected to follow its eventual reopening. No reopening date has yet been announced.
“Discussions are taking place within the EBCI about how and when the Boundary can reopen for business, but no specific timelines have been announced,” said Brian Saunooke, Harrah’s regional vice president for marketing.
Richard Sneed
We’re In This Together
Trooper Erica Bass has been with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol since 2008; 10 of those years have been here in Haywood County.
Bass said that during this unusual time, the Highway Patrol has remained vigilant in its visibility and enforcement e orts. The one signi cant change to the daily routine is the use of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment while on patrol. The health and safety of the North Carolina public are our number one priority, she said.
“Iʼm grateful that Iʼm able to continue to do my job and serve the community in these uncertain times. Itʼs my hope that our presence can bring a level of comfort to the people of our county. I also want to thank the community for the continued support of all law enforcement,” said Bass.
ABOVE: Trooper Erica Bass, North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Swain County’s COVID-19 restrictions terminated
Short-term rentals have to wait for state
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
Following a two-and-a-half hour meeting on Monday, Swain County commissioners voted to lift their countywide COVID-19 restrictions with the understanding that residents and businesses still must adhere to Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order.
Before commissioners discussed their options moving forward, they heard from several business owners who pleaded with the board to allow short-term rentals to resume operations.
Michael Watson, owner of Deep Creek Lodge and Creekside Tubing, told the board he’s lost the ability to make $65,000 to $80,000 in income this year because of the county and state restrictions. While he understands the reasoning behind the county’s restrictions, he said he didn’t think they were needed any longer given Swain’s low number of cases.
“We know a lot more now. We know it may not be as widespread as we think it is. We’re a lot more educated,” he said.
Every day that he isn’t able to book rentals, he’s losing money just like so many other accommodation owners. While Gov.
Cooper’s reopening plan would allow shortterm rentals in phase two, Watson said Swain should immediately allow rentals to begin booking stays.
“I would open up at phase 2 and if Roy Cooper doesn’t like it, you can tell him to sue us,” he said. “We’re not Raleigh or Charlotte.”
Mike Shaker, owner of Everett Street Diner, agreed that state and county restrictions are meant to flatten the curve, but given the fact Swain has five positive cases and has tested 580 people, those restrictions are no longer needed.
“Our number is less than 1 percent. This whole reaction is about flattening the curve — we don’t have a curve in Swain County,” he said.
Health Director Allison Cochran said the county had tested 580 people but 79 of those tests are still pending.
He said the cabin rental owners had put together a thorough plan about how they can mitigate concerns and submitted it to the county emergency committee for consideration. The plan included occupancy levels, sanitation protocols and more.
Bryson City resident Jesse Shows also addressed the board to express his disapproval of the county’s 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew — one component of the county’s supplemental restrictions.
Shows, who was cited under the county’s
curfew on April 10, filed a federal lawsuit against the sheriff’s office April 13 claiming the county curfew violated his civil rights.
Shows said the county curfew didn’t do anything to protect people against the spread of COVID-19 and should be revoked immediately.
“The curfew makes it a criminal act to go on a walk at 5:30 a.m. or to take a late-night
out-of-state people to quarantine for 14 days and the additional short-term rental restrictions will go away effective May 5.
“Our number is less than 1 percent. This whole reaction is about flattening the curve — we don’t have a curve in Swain County.”
run or to put a baby to sleep by driving around town or going on a grocery run at 10:05 p.m.,” he said.
After much discussion and confusion over what it would mean to lift all of the county’s restrictions, the board voted 3-2 — with Commissioners Danny Burns and Roger Parsons opposed — to terminate all of Swain County’s supplemental restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
County Manager Kevin King said the county’s State of Emergency Declaration will remain in place, but the county’s stay-athome order, the curfew, the requirement for
Noland-Proben Team
However, the state’s stay at home order and restrictions on short-term rentals will remain in place until Gov. Cooper decides to lift them, so hotels, motels and other rentals would still be in violation of the state law if they book accommodations to “non-essential” travelers. Local law enforcement is still responsible for enforcing the state stay at home order.
— Mike Shaker
In a follow-up email to The Smoky Mountain News, Shows said he would not be proceeding with his lawsuit now that the curfew has been dropped — though his charges for breaking the curfew are still pending.
“I had filed suit in federal court to ask for a declaration and injunction against further enforcement of this curfew, as I believe it violates constitutional rights and liberties of the citizens of Swain County,” he said. “As there is no longer an ordinance to be enforced, I will be asking for dismissal of the federal lawsuit. The actual criminal charge against myself is still pending, but I hope for a positive resolution in the weeks to come.”
Look for the best in this new normal
Every May we commemorate National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) to celebrate the value travel holds for our economy, businesses, and personal wellbeing. This year’s NTTW theme is “Spirit of Travel.” As we look at the recent events and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and how it has forever altered communities and lives around the world, it proves difficult to celebrate anything at the moment. However, now more than ever is the time for us to band together in support of the industry that offers so much hope, joy, and inspiration.
Almost one million people in North Carolina are currently unemployed with 75 percent of our hospitality workers jobless. Many of our local Jackson County businesses have shuddered their operations, closed their doors, and are wondering if they can ever afford to reopen. People have lost jobs and their livelihoods. Businesses have to take out loans and dig the hole deeper only to have hope of one day rebounding. Federal funding programs have fallen far short of helping our smallest and most vulnerable businesses. Last month alone, we lost $11.6 million in visitor spending at our local businesses. By the time you add in resident spending, it’s an even deeper cut into our economy. To say these are challenging times is a vast understatement, but with every challenge, comes opportunity … and hope for a brighter future.
In Jackson County, there is an overwhelming sense of pride in the community, and rightfully so. Our county, its citizens, healthcare workers, public safety officials, elected officials, schoolteachers, restaurant owners, small businesses, and others have gone above and beyond to come together and work harder and smarter than ever before. I could not be
Fantasy abounds at Haywood meeting
To the Editor:
In his book, FantasyLand: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History, Kurt Andersen discusses the “strange, post-factual, fake news moment we’re all living through” and how it is not new and has been with us since those trials in Salem.
Fantasy was readily apparent at the May 4 Haywood County Commission meeting during the public comment period on re-opening Haywood County. Speakers ranged from the sincere business owner from Maggie Valley to the DDs (Data Deniers) from around the county, who were often anecdotal and inaccurate in their statements. While not speaking, several were “Amening” others making inaccurate statements. While sitting near the rear, I observed the assorted head shaking and tuttutting from the DDs, as well as muted outbursts as health officials made their presentations( including one off-color name calling by one of the public comment speakers). Since they chose to whisper back and forth (six feet apart and maskless), I heard a number of factually incorrect statements as well as insults directed at the health department speakers.
I am a firm believer in Daniel Moynihan’s quote, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just not their own facts.”
Finally, for those of us who stayed for the entire meeting (the re-opening proclamation
prouder of this community where I grew up and call home. It’s easy to look at this pandemic and focus on the negative effects it has had on our lives, but I encourage you to shift that way of thinking and celebrate every small thing that is going well – your health, your friendships, your family, your faith, our beautiful mountains, and find joy in all of them. Right now, it is a make or break point for many of our small businesses. Many of our restaurants may face difficult challenges of ever reopening. They need your support now more than ever before. I understand that there is some apprehension about getting takeout, but rest assured that we and our Chamber partners have been working with our restaurants and entire industry over the past month to implement enhanced cleaning and safety protocols. If you want your favorite small independent restaurant to be there when this is over, now is the time to support them. Support small businesses that have donated to your child’s fundraisers by buying a gift card for a future trip. Shop local has never meant more than right now.
In the coming weeks and months, visitors will start to slowly return. In neighboring counties and states, this has already begun. Although there may be some apprehension and fear of allowing outsiders back into our close-knit mountain community, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority has been working closely with tourism and health officials to develop a phased approach targeted towards bring-
LETTERS
was the next to last item), we were able to hear the opinions of the board members on the upcoming vote. I found them reasoned and respectful of all citizens. I also noted that only the sincere business owner from Maggie Valley stayed until the vote. The DDs made their speeches, scoffed at the health officials and departed before the discussion of the proclamation. It would probably have conflicted with their “narrative.”
Richard Gould Waynesville
Leadership in the age of Pandemics
To the Editor:
About 58,000 American men and women died in the Vietnam war over a period of 20 years. By the time you read this well over 50,000 Americans will have died of the Covid 19 in a period of less than four months. As a result, the American economy is in freefall. In this time of unprecedented crisis, we need great leadership. Where is our Churchill, FDR, or even Ronald Reagan?
To lead a country in a time of crisis a leader must unify its citizens. From the day of his inauguration, President Trump has made it clear that if you did not vote for him he is not your president.
To rally a country to do the hard things
ing people back. I serve on the State Recovery task force and the Jackson County Recovery task force. We are working on the safest and best way to reopen, and by doing so, stimulate our economy and bring back jobs.
Although the numbers will start to come back slowly and gradually, we along with elected officials, want to make sure when people return, it is in a way that puts the health and safety of our residents and the employees of our businesses first. We’ve been working with the chambers of commerce, economic development, small business centers, Senate leadership, the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association, and the N.C. Tourism Office, and others to ensure our community, its businesses and restaurants are ahead of the curve in being prepared with the best practices to reopen and when the time is right, welcome back travelers. Our role over the last two months has shifted from marketing the destination to supporting the community, its workers, and planning for recovery.
This is a new normal for all of us, and we will all have to navigate it together, but we will come out of it stronger as a community. While it’s easy to find the negative in any situation, let’s take a moment to celebrate the good. Let’s assume the best in people; let’s reconnect with friends over the phone; let’s support our small local businesses who desperately need your help now more than ever; let’s learn new things in our spare time; let’s get outdoors and hike; let’s build our community up; let’s celebrate the beauty that surrounds us every day in this amazing place we are so fortunate to call home. (Nick Breedlove is executive director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority. director@discoverjacksonnc.com)
necessary to overcome a crisis you must tell them the truth. Even President Trump’s most ardent supporters know you cannot trust
what he says. The virus is just a Democratic hoax, it will magically go away, it will be gone by April, are just few of the daily lies coming from the White House.
To lead a county in a crisis the leader must lead. He must take charge of the reins of government, set clear and consistent goals, and explain how we as a country will achieve them. When asked about testing for the virus, the key to any reopening of the economy he said, “I take no responsibility at all” for the lack of coronavirus testing? And he stated the federal government is just a “backup” to the states.
When some Governors said that they
would decide when to reopen their economies, President Trump said “I have the ultimate authority” “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total ... The governors know that ... [They] can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.” A few days later he said that the governors would have to decide for themselves when to open their states for business.
When confronted with the science that the virus would be back next fall and coincide with the flu season, he directly contradicted the head of the CDC. Within minutes he was corrected on live TV by Dr. Fauci, who agreed with the head of the CDC. From one day to the next the only plan we see coming from the White House is to dominate the daily news cycle.
I am proud and grateful to live in Macon County. So far we have seen little of the sickness and death from Covid-19. Our leadership From Mayor Bob Scott of Franklin and other county leaders has unified the county and given us hope we can all come through this together and open up soon. That is real leadership.
Louis Vitale Franklin
Guest Columnist
Nick Breedlove
A heavy heart on Mother’s Day
It’s been said that when a cardinal appears in your yard it’s a visitor from heaven. I’ve been spending a good amount of time on my porch during quarantine. This daily ritual has offered many moments with the birds and trees. I’ve observed limbs acquire leaves and listened to songbirds serenade the neighborhood. And when a cardinal lands on a branch, I feel like it’s my mom visiting from afar.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. It’s not an easy holiday for me. I wish I could focus on my own motherhood instead of grieving my mom, but it’s a challenging feat. I’ve never been good at celebrating my own accomplishments, and Mother’s Day is no different. Although I love being a mother, the day has never been about me. By the time I was born, my mom was 39 years old. She’d been told she could not have children but then got pregnant with my sister and three years later, me. I think because my parents were older, they were fully grateful and allowed their daughters to be the center of their worlds. My sister and I felt this. We knew how much we were adored by both of our parents. They didn’t always have the means to spoil us with material items or gifts, but they spoiled us heavily with love and affection.
My mom and I had a lot of similarities. We loved books, traveling, writing, movies and cooking. We were always the early birds, up early drinking coffee and watching “Good Morning America” while my dad and sister were the night owls who slept in.
The night I had my first son, my mom was with me. When I held my baby after an exhausting labor, she smiled and said, “You did so good.” She then called my dad, who was traveling for work, and left him a long message on his voicemail. I recorded the message from his phone after she passed. It’s one of my most treasured keepsakes. The pride and excitement in her voice is evident.
Trump ignorance a lethal problem
To the Editor:
According to White House staff, since this past January Trump blew off — refused to read, as always — daily briefings in print. He even refused to hear the spoken summaries of daily briefings that his staff tried to give him. He’s done the same throughout
When I had my second son, my mom took care of my older child. I went into labor while teaching at Waynesville Middle School, so the day was more chaotic than I had envisioned. I barely had time to pass off my 3-year-old to my mom before flying to the hospital, my water breaking upon arrival like a scene in a movie. I was not worried about my older child, however. I knew he was in the best hands. I could focus fully on the birth of my youngest.
I miss many things about my mom, but most of all, I miss the feeling of having her here on earth to share joys and sorrows, worries and thoughts. It was second nature to text and call throughout the day to tell her something one of the boys did or said or to ask a question about a recipe or get a suggestion about a book. We saw one another multiple times a week. She was part of my everyday.
As the cancer worsened and her spritely personality faded, she was still my go-to person. That kept her going until the end. Even when I knew her energy didn’t lend well to helping with two young boys, I let her do it because it got her out of bed that day. It gave her purpose.
There is absolutely nothing like having a bond with your mom. The positive is that I understood this while she was still here. I never took our relationship for granted. I appreciated her in every way.
Our last conversation before sepsis took over was about how pretty her toenails looked. After I complimented her, she said, “I got them done with the gift card you gave me for my birthday.” Around that time she drifted off to sleep. Her lungs filled with fluid, her heart failed, her organs shut down one by one, and she never recovered.
You can’t know what your last words will be to those you hold close, but for me, that final conversation makes my heart smile. Those words were symbolic of the happy, easygoing relationship she and I enjoyed throughout my life.
Now, as Mother’s Day approaches, I try to think of all the beautiful memories and the joy she brought everyone around her. I focus on the azaleas blooming. They were one of her favorites. I focus on fresh tomatoes. She loved a good tomato and mayo sandwich. Perhaps most of all, I watch for the cardinals, because when you lose someone you love, any sign they are still with you means everything.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and marketing specialist for SMN, SML and Mountain South Media.
susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)
his occupation of the White House.
But this was far worse because his negligence means people in America are dying: the January 2019 and beyond briefings included dire warnings that the President must take action to avoid a pandemic of COVID-19 in the USA.
If someone you love dearly dies, thank the president and his enablers.
Mary Jane Curry
Haywood County
Columnist
Susanna Shetley
For whatever ales you
Blue Ridge Beer Hub navigates beverage market during pandemic
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER
While society continues to adapt to ongoing shelter-in-place orders, many folks would jump at the chance to be in the presence of endless shelves and coolers filled with craft beer. But, for Marlowe Mager, all he can think about is how to get rid of all the bottles and cans that currently surround him.
“Obviously due to the pandemic, we can’t open the taproom and serve beer,” Mager said. “But, we’ve been able to sell our products online and by phone for curbside pickup. And now that people know we’re doing that, there’s been an increase in orders for craft beer, and for homebrew supplies, too.”
Opening its doors in October 2017 on the street corner of East and Main in downtown Waynesville, the BRBH has become a social haven of sorts for craft beer enthusiasts, locals and visitors alike. With its over 700 selections of craft beer, wine and artisan beverage products, there’s also taproom and homebrew supply shop.
“We called it the Blue Ridge Beer Hub because we wanted to build a sense of community in here, a hub for people who are interested in craft beer,” Mager said. “And it’s been neat to watch people who might have never become friends connecting with each other while sitting at the bar counter or gathering outside at the picnic tables and talking.”
Amid its cozy taproom, there are 16 taps pouring an array of styles and brands, with patrons packing in for a pint or two alongside hearty, jovial conversation.
“This place really does have that European pub feel to it, where it’s almost like a speakeasy with how were tucked into the basement of this old building,” Mager said.
For most of his adult life, Mager has held a sincere passion for craft beer and homebrewing. In his mid-20s, as a birthday gift, Mager was given a small homebrew kit. At the time, Mager and his wife, BRBH co-owner Meagan Karvonen, were living in Charlotte.
“Charlotte has this very large and knowl-
Want to know more?
Located at 21 East Street in downtown Waynesville, The Blue Ridge Beer Hub is open for curbside service until further notice.
For more information, you can click on www.blueridgebeerhub.com, email blueridgebeerhub@gmail.com or text 828.593.9586.
On the website, there’s also an online store where you can browse the product inventory and make an order.
As well, the Blue Ridge Beer Hub will be donating 20 percent of its sales to a different local agency or organization each week that’s helping with the response to COVID-19.
edgeable homebrew store. So, when my first batch of craft beer turned out okay, I went to the store, talked to their homebrew experts, got more equipment and learned how to design my own recipes,” Mager said.
Mager and Karvonen moved to Waynesville some 15 years ago, with Mager taking on a position teaching psychology at Haywood Community College in Clyde. And all the while, the couple continued to explore their passion for craft beer, whether it was experimenting with new flavors or taking excursions to Belgium and Germany with historic breweries as anchor points of the trips.
“I’ve always enjoyed beer with flavor and
I’ve always enjoyed cooking, so homebrewing brings those two things together,” Mager said.
“And my wife loves dark beer, which we couldn’t find at the store back then, so I’ve spent a lot of batches experimenting with different styles of dark ales.”
A few years ago, when the owner of Anastasia’s Ales in Hazelwood decided to move out of the area, Mager began wondering if he should step in and take over the business.
The more he thought about it, the more something within him felt an overwhelming urge to pursue this new career path.
“I mentioned to my wife about Anastasia’s closing one day and she said, ‘I’m surprised you don’t want to try and buy the place,’ and I replied, ‘I’m surprised that you would let me,’” Mager chuckled. “So, when we realized this was something we really could take a stab at, we scrambled and found this spot on East Street. And through some renovations and moving things around, we’re made this place into something special for our customers.”
Aside from its massive selection and taproom, the BRBH is also the headquarters for the Blue Ridge Brewers Guild, a group of around 50 homebrewers and craft beer lovers that meet once a month to try and compare beers constructed and perfected by the members, and also taste what’s newly offered at the store.
“Brewing is both an art and a science. There’s this huge amount of creativity and experimentation that goes into constructing a beer,” Mager said. “And there’s something so great about tasting and enjoying what you’ve created or to simply try and share a new craft ale you found with others — that’s what makes this industry and this hobby so much fun.”
“When we realized this was something we really could take a stab at, we scrambled and found this spot on East Street. And through some renovations and moving things around, we’re made this place into something special for our customers.”
— Marlowe Mager
Blue Ridge Beer Hub in Waynesville has hundreds of different kinds of craft beer, wine and other artisan beverages. Above: Marlowe Mager. (photos: Garret K. Woodward)
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
It’s hard to frown when ukulele music is goin’
down
Stepping into the hotel room, my mother had an odd expression on her face when she looked at me and said, “I got you something for your birthday. If you don’t like it, then you can give it away to someone.”
There I was, in the Waynesville County Club at the end of February. My parents, being the Upstate New York snowbirds that they are, were in the midst of the annual March trip down to St. Augustine, Florida. As per usual, they swung over out of their way to come and visit me in Western North Carolina for a couple days.
And though my birthday is Feb. 5, my mother kept telling me in the weeks leading up to their getaway that she’d purchased something for my birthday. But, she couldn’t give it to me until they rolled into Haywood County.
So, sitting in the country club hotel room, she made me close my eyes and placed this foreign object in my hands. When I opened my eyes, I found myself holding a ukulele. A little unsure of the present, I was grateful nonetheless.
But, I thought to myself: why a ukulele? My mother, seeing my inquisitive gaze, said, “Well, you mentioned how you wanted to
seemed to strike any kind of emotional chord within me.
So, those instruments gathered dust in my closet until my parents sold them at a garage sale to someone who might have better luck. But, the thought of someday trying my hand at playing music was never far from my extensive travels and articles on live music, musicians, and anything music-related.
Bringing the ukulele back to my apartment, I started tinkering with it that first night of ownership. Though the notes radiating from my fingertips sounded more like someone smashing the uke against the wall, I was able to figure out a handful of basic chords, and away I went.
Not even two weeks after the uke appeared in my life, we found ourselves in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Where initially I questioned when I would find the time to learn and play the uke, now I seemingly had all the time in the world, just sitting in my humble abode and strumming along to YouTube tutorials on easy songs for beginners.
And now here we stand in early May. The planet is an entirely different place than it was in late February. Things have changed. We have changed. And, in some small way, I’ve changed, too, with this newfound love and passion for the ukulele.
In the time since I first was handed the uke, I’m constantly playing it, whether it be in passing in my apartment (it sits happily on my couch) or when I’m heading to my buddy’s mountainside cabin for a jam session while we’re grilling out to pass the time during the quarantine.
We know this time might be taking a toll on your mental health and wanted to share some tips on what you can do to make sure you're living well:
• CLEAN 1 THING (a plate, a room, an old box)
• TEND TO SOMETHING LIVING (a person, plant or animal)
• REACH OUT TO SOMEONE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE
• DO SOMETHING TO GET YOUR HEART RATE UP
• GET IN A GOOD LAUGH
• BE MINDFULLY PRESENT TO EXPERIENCE: a sound, vision, taste, or spiritual practice
• AND LASTLY: do one thing that you'll be glad you did later
To support you all during this time, we are offering TWO FREE VIRTUAL YOGA PRACTICES A WEEK ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS and also have a free video library full of different styles of classes. If you are looking to connect with our yoga community, join us every other Friday night for a FREE YOGA + SIP QUARANTINE STREAM.
learn an instrument this year. So, I found this on the Facebook Marketplace back home and thought it might be a good place to start.”
Yes, I did mention a renewed interested in learning an instrument in 2020. This past Christmas, while hanging out in the kitchen at my folks’ farmhouse in the North Country, my mother and I were talking about music. She said she’d love to play piano someday. I concurred and added, “You know, I really want to learn a string instrument. Maybe a mandolin or guitar.”
And yet, I was unsure of what instrument to pursue. As a minimalist, I didn’t want some large and cumbersome thing to lug around. Nor did I want to spend a lot of money on something I might come to find out, well, wasn’t for me. But, the idea of the ukulele never once appeared in my thoughts and possible actions in regards to this topic.
Whether you’re a longtime reader of The Smoky Mountain News or this is your first time coming across this publication, I’d like to reiterate that music is the absolute core of my heart and soul, especially when performed live. I am unabashedly a music freak. It’s an art form that has influenced my writings as much as it has created this life for myself as a journalist.
Thus, not playing an instrument has been one of the great longings of my existence. In ninth grade, I picked up the trumpet, then the saxophone, but neither
I’ve even caught what musicians call G.A.S. (aka: “gear acquisition syndrome”). Though I originally started out with a Donner concert model uke (ideal for beginners), I soon wanted to kick things up a notch, in terms of size and quality. Scouring the internet for a full week, I finally settled on purchasing a Cordoba tenor model uke — I couldn’t be more pleased with the sound and feel of it.
These days, I can’t even imagine not having a ukulele within my grasp. What a weird, surreal thought, eh? I’m constantly thinking about what songs I want to learn on it, and who I’d like to jam with, perhaps picking up a couple tricks of the trade in how to approach and perfect one’s ongoing skillset with the instrument.
But, most importantly, I’ve found this new and awe-inspiring lease on creativity. I never realized how big of a void not learning and playing an instrument was in my life. I’ve come to find out it was something at the core of my evolution as not only a creative soul, but also as a human being aiming to make genuine connections with others, with another outlet now at my disposal.
Each day with these ukuleles is an adventure, and as it should be. Anything worth pursuing in life, whether an instrument or a relationship, should be a constant growth of passion and love. For me, in the here and now, the uke has become my companion during this period of isolation. And I look forward to jamming with more folks once “normalcy” returns and we can gather to pick-n-grin.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
The Donner concert model ukulele. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
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T Taake a hike, visit a waterfall or rediscover your favorite trail
Buy advance tickets to a movie or live theater production
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Play a round of mini gets ice cream
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Buy early holiday gifts owned business
Purchase some locally made soda, beer or spirits
Pickup some food from your favorite restaurant for a picnic
Churchill’s spirit comes through in new biography
Sometimes in a crisis it helps to take a look in the rearview mirror.
In The Splendid And The Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (Crown Publishers, 2020, 546 pages), Eric Larson vividly revives those days when Britain stood alone against Nazi war machine and suffered almost daily aerial attacks on its military bases and cities. The Battle for Britain left 44,652 dead, 5,626 of them children, and wounded 52,370. After watching one of these attacks on a beautiful English night, John Colville, Assistant Private Secretary to Churchill, wrote in his diary “Never was there such a contrast of natural splendor and human vileness.”
but more often we are struck by the bravery of so many people, including Churchill himself. Here, too, were many details about the Churchill family unfamiliar to me. Mary, the Churchill’s 18-year-old daughter, falls in love
When my friend Anne praised this book and suggested I read it, I was reluctant, for I have over the years gone through several biographies of Churchill, with my favorite being The Last Lion, a trilogy by William Manchester completed by Paul Reid after Manchester’s death. Most recently, I dove into Boris Johnson’s The Churchill Factor, more to learn about Johnson, now the British prime minister, than about his predecessor in that office.
Would yet another book about Churchill be worth my time?
Two thumbs up is the answer to that question.
The Splendid And The Vile stands apart from other Churchill biographies for several reasons.
First and foremost of these is its immediacy and vitality. Larson has a wonderful knack for bringing alive the men and women, British, German and American, involved in this struggle to the death. When he describes the night bombings of the Luftwaffe, we feel we are standing alongside the firefighters battling the flames or are seated in one of the many shelters in the city, with the walls reverberating from explosions. The dust from these bombings covered much of London; author Graham Greene wrote of “the purgatorial throng of men and women in dusty torn pajamas with little blood splashes standing in doorways.” Sometimes these details are horrifying — at one point a stray dog runs down the street with a child’s arm in its mouth —
in the worst of the Blitz; through his diaries we listen in on John Colville as he tries to woo a woman who doesn’t love him; we learn of the cruelty of the cold-hearted Joseph Goebbels through his diaries as well.
for the first time, nearly marries, and then breaks the engagement. Addicted to drink and gambling, and always in debt, Churchill’s son Randolph ignores his responsibilities to his young wife Pamela and their infant son; Pamela leaves him and has an affair with American ambassador Averell Harriman, whom she will marry 30 years later.
We meet the talented but temperamental Lord Beaverbrook, whose energy and verve kept alive the ability to produce aircraft even
Finally, of course, there is Churchill himself.
Though familiar with many of the Larson’s anecdotes about the prime minister, The Splendid And The Vile made me realize once again that were it not for Churchill, Britain may well have surrendered to the Nazis. The “Great Man” theory of history is often pronounced dead, but in Churchill’s case we must make an exception. His audacity, his energy, and his example kept alive the country he so loved.
Here is just one small example of his spirit. Churchill was talking to some of his family and told them they must resist the Germans if they invade England.
“If the Germans come, each one of you can take a dead German with you.”
“I don’t know how to fire a gun,” protested daughter-in-law Pamela.
“You could go into the kitchen and get a carving knife.”
She had no doubt that he meant it.
We also find in Churchill a leader whose eccentricities endeared him to his people while alternately baffling and amusing his inner circle. When visiting the White House for the first time, a naked Churchill fresh out of his bath hears a knock at his door, orders it
opened, and finds President Roosevelt in the hallway in a wheelchair. Churchill invites him in, saying “As you can see, I have nothing to hide,” and then strolls naked about the room discussing events with the president. Like some of us, including me, Churchill was also a self-described “blubberer,” shedding tears during movies or openly weeping while visiting the bombed-out sections of London and other cities.
In addition to painting in details these many portraits, Larson has one other great skill as a writer. He ends most of his chapters leaving the reader hanging and wanting more. This use of suspense helps drive the book.
Reading The Splendid And The Vile during the coronavirus epidemic, with its closure of so many schools, churches and businesses, its stay-at-home orders and its pandemic of fear, prompted me to compare the spirit of Britain during those dark and terrible days to our own present emergency. Whatever we may believe about the lockdown — Is it effective? Is it making the epidemic worse? Will our small businesses, those of them that survive, recover? — our mainstream media often seem more intent on spreading panic than offering hope. The consequences have been dire: We have seen businesses fail, phone calls to suicide help centers skyrocket, and have lost — temporarily, we must hope — many of our First Amendment rights.
In the middle of the Blitz, women like Pamela and Mary were going to dances and restaurants, people picnicked in the parks, banks stayed open, and workers showed up at their jobs.
Let’s turn our eyes to that rearview mirror one more time and look back at the late 1960s. The Vietnam War was raging, there were protests, political rallies and conventions were in full swing, and 1969 was the year of Woodstock. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Flu was sweeping through the country, eventually killing around 100,000 Americans, most of them over the age of 65, at a time when the United States had more than 100 million fewer people than it does today. Despite this epidemic, schools, churches, and businesses remained open. In 1969 we landed a man on the moon, an event I watched in an auditorium packed with 1,200 other cadets.
Are we more easily alarmed now than were the British in 1940 or Americans in 1968? If so, why?
(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)
Writer Jeff Minick
‘I have to survive’
Outdoor industry looks to the future amid coronavirus closures
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER
Just a few short months ago, Western North Carolina’s outdoor industry was on a seemingly unstoppable hot streak with new shops and guiding services popping up on a regular basis to serve a growing influx of visitors.
But COVID-19 — and in particular statemandated closures of “nonessential” businesses — has slapped the industry sideways. Now that the conversation has turned to reopening, local outfitters are all asking the same questions: where do we go from here, and will we survive the trip?
MAKING THE BEST OF IT
“I have to survive,” said Georganna Seamon, who opened Black Balsam Outdoors in Sylva with her husband Logan in 2018. “I have to pay my loan, and I’m in a five-year contract with my landlord. I don’t really have a choice.”
For now, Seamon is lying low in Georgia, where she and Logan operate the outfitter Mountain Crossings at Neels Gap on the Appalachian Trail. Because that store offers food, fuel and postal services it’s been deemed
enhanced its online store and is offering discounts on products that were intended for sale in late winter or early spring. The outfitter is also offering online versions of as many wilderness education programs as possible to ensure a prepared workforce this summer.
It’s been a hard spring, and it will be a hard summer, but NOC President William Irving believes NOC will pull through. What really has him worried, however, is the possibility of a second wave of closures resulting in a summer season that falls short of what’s needed to get through the coming winter.
“It’s always the fear of the what ifs,” said Irving. “What if we have to close down again for some reason? That impact will be great. That would be one that would be very difficult to manage if it was for a long period of time like this one.”
AT THE BIKE SHOP
Not all outdoor retailers are created equal under Gov. Cooper’s order requiring nonessential businesses to close. Motion Makers Bicycle Shop was designated as an essential business, because bicycles are used for transportation as well as for recreation.
“Financially, our business fell off a cliff in late March, which is traditionally some of our busiest time with spring sales and events,” said owner Kent Cranford. “As we entered into April and got our operations model figured out, the sales came back and we finished April very strong.”
employed 22 people across three stores, and Cranford hasn’t had to make cuts. That situation is now solidified by the fact that Motion Makers will receive a PPP loan. He applied in the first round, as soon as the application was available, but didn’t receive anything. However, last week he got word that he’d been selected for the second round of funding. While his business hasn’t been hit as hard as most, Cranford said he plans to accept the money. Things are too uncertain not to, and he’s been told that the loans he usually relies on to make expensive inventory purchases this time each year won’t be available.
“I need to have the ability to take care of my staff if things change on a moment’s notice,” he said. “I keep thinking about where we were only a short eight weeks ago.”
Like Motion Makers, Tuckaseigee Fly Shop was allowed to operate during the statewide stay-at-home order, but nevertheless both the Bryson City and Sylva locations closed.
“Most fly shops closed at some point only because of folks coming from other states and ‘hot spots’ ignoring quarantine requirements of the county orders,” said co-owner Dale Collins. “Most traditional ‘bait and tackle shops’ didn’t close at all.”
PLANNING FOR SUMMER
essential and allowed to stay open, but business has been slow. She’s applied for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan money but has yet to receive any assistance.
For Franklin-based Outdoor 76 — which also has locations in both North Carolina and Georgia and also caters to A.T. hikers — this would normally be the busiest time of the year. Instead, both stores are closed and have been since March 30.
“We have always tried to be a fiscally responsible business, but this is on a completely different level,” said co-owner Cory McCall. “Regardless of how stable our business has been over the last 10 years, it is impossible to operate without cash.”
Before COVID-19, the business had 12 employees. Now it has none at all, with applications to the PPP and EIDL so far unsuccessful. The store has been working to enhance its online store, now offering 20 percent off, a 24hour turnaround time and free shipping on all orders.
The online emphasis is a common theme among outfitters whose brick-and-mortar stores have been shuttered by the crisis. As it plans for an eventual re-opening, Mast General Store is operating exclusively as an online business. Meanwhile, with the exception of the general manager, all 35 people who worked at its Waynesville location are furloughed. The company did not apply for a PPP loan.
Likewise, Nantahala Outdoor Center has
Nevertheless, Motion Makers — which has locations in Sylva, Cherokee and Asheville — made some significant operational changes. The stores are now locked, with staff opening the doors to help customers one at a time. When dropping bikes off for repairs, customers can use an online form to fill out the details of requested repairs and then scan a QR code upon making the drop-off, negating the need for contact with staff.
Prior to COVID-19, Motion Makers
Things are coming back to life at the Tuckaseigee Fly Shop, with the Sylva location reopening May 1 and guided wading trips resuming May 2. Float trips will resume after the statewide stay-at-home order is lifted.
The shop has made some notable changes from the pre-COVID-19 days. A Plexiglas barrier has been installed over the checkout counter, with 6-foot intervals marked in tape. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available for all guided fishing trips. For now, hours are limited — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday — but Collins expects to lengthen those once lodging restrictions are lifted.
Shannon Messer adjusts the new shield installed at Tuckaseigee Fly Shop’s checkout counter. Donated photo
Outdoor 76 co-owner Rob Gasbarro helps a customer during the pre-COVID-19 era. Holly Kays photo
Forest plan webinars offered
Learn more about the issues involved in the draft Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan with a series of webinars offered by MountainTrue.
Each session will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last one hour, including time for questions and answers. Participants will be able to submit questions to the speakers in advance upon registration.
Sessions will include: n Management Areas, hosted by Josh Kelly on Tuesday, May 19
“I’m very optimistic that it will rebound quickly,” Collins said. “I don’t know that it will be what it was before, but I think we’re going to see a growth in the staycations, the day trips that people can make.”
A PPP loan is bolstering Collins’ optimism.
“We were able to bring back our fulltime staff. We got back in here and did a
n Invasive Species, hosted by Bob Gale on Tuesday, June 2 n Recreation Panel Discussion, Tuesday, June 16
A draft forest management plan was released in February and will govern management of Western North Carolina’s 1 million acre of national forest for the next generation. Public comment is now open and was supposed to end on May 14. However, that comment period has been extended due to the COVID-19 crisis, and no new deadline has been announced.
A session on water quality was held April 28. Signup for these and other MountainTrue events is available at www.mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar.
for them as well,” said Irving. “That’s how it’s going to work this year. People are going to be asked to do more than normal.”
The NOC experience will look a lot different this year than most. All guides will wear masks, and guests will be asked to do the same. Before the workday begins, staff will have their temperatures taken and answer screening questions. Buses will operate at half capacity, which means it will take more staff to accommodate fewer guests.
Outdoor 76 tentatively plans to reopen on May 11, with McCall and Gasbarro working to review in-store protocol and communicate with others in the Franklin and Clayton business communities about common practices to promote a safe shopping experience.
Parkway announces paving projects
The Blue Ridge Parkway will resurface more than 100 miles of its 469-mile length this year.
In North Carolina, this includes about 25 miles in the Asheville area, between mileposts 365 and 392. The road is being resurfaced with thin-lift asphalt, and visitors can expect full, twolane night closures and single-lane day closures and delays through the project’s scheduled completion in September. The project does not include the section between mileposts 388.8 and 392 due to ongoing bridge construction on Interstate 26.
Get out and bike
Night work can take place from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, between milepost 382.6 just south of the Tunnel Road and U.S. 70 ramps and milepost 393.7, just north of the N.C. 191/Brevard Road ramp. Day work will occur between 30 minutes past sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset throughout the project area.
More than 80 miles in Virginia will also be resurfaced this year, with work taking place from mid-May to November and no work scheduled during October. Work locations within scheduled project areas will change weekly and visitors in active work zones should expect singlelane closures and delays. Work will occur between mileposts 0 and 27, 37 and 65 and 175 and 200.
Bike to School Day is going virtual this year, with the Safe Routes to School Program in Western North Carolina suggesting daily celebratory activities.
n Wednesday, May 6: Go out for a walk or ride with your family while maintaining social distance from other trail users. Share a photo of your family on the move using the hashtag #BikeToSchoolWNC
n Thursday, May 7: Learn about the resources available to help you with safety concerns related to walking and biking in your neighborhood at www.pedbikeinfo.org/archive/community/whocanhelp.cfm.
n Friday, May 8: Hold a five-minute interview with family members about their experiences with walking or biking.
Learn more about Bike to School Day at www.btsdwnc.weebly.com.
deep cleaning of the shop and reorganizing and rebranding stuff, whatever this new normal’s going to look like,” he said. “We’re calling it Tuck Fly Shop 2.0.”
NOC also received a PPP loan, and plans to use most of the money for payroll and training. Any leftovers will go toward a loan to help the business make it through what promises to be a lean winter.
Normally, NOC would carry about 175 employees this time of year and add about 100 seasonal employees each month in the ramp-up to the summer season. However, the company had to furlough all but 55 of its year-round staff and is now planning a massive hiring blitz in preparation for summer. By the end of May, Irving expects to be at 550 employees and then up to 750 or 800 before July.
“My HR team is feeling a little overwhelmed, but we’re getting some more help
Mast, meanwhile, is still considering multiple courses of action and has yet to set a reopening date and start training its employees in the new normal that is to come.
“It will be really different than it was before for both employees and customers,” said Mast spokesperson Sheri Moretz. “It will likely require a little more grace and understanding on both sides of the counter, but we hope to maintain the same caring, informed and welcoming atmosphere that people love and expect when they visit Mast Store.”
The challenges are many, but Irving believes that if anyone is able to handle them, it’s the outdoors industry.
“The outdoors industry is one that is used to managing risk,” he said, “and I think we are the best set to handle something like this.”
Black Balsam Outdoors celebrates its ribbon-cutting ceremony less than two years ago, in December 2018. Kelly Donaldson photo
Th k haannk h an You
Explore nature from home
A new online activity program from the Kids in Parks program aims to keep kids connected to nature while earning prizes during the COVID-19 closures.
Called e-Adventures, the program allows kids and families to use a smartphone, tablet or other electronic device to complete a series of scavenger hunt-style activities in yards, neighborhoods or green spaces that they feel safe exploring.
Adventures include:
n Hide and Seek — finding elements of nature like birds, trees, flowers and animal tracks.
n Animal Athletes — encouraging children to mimic animal motions to stay active.
n Flower Power — helping children explore nature’s color palette through flowers and learning about flower anatomy.
n Forest Bathing — using nature to relieve stress.
Smokies to partially reopen May 9
A young explorer uses her smartphone to learn more about the woods in her
Over time, Kids in Parks plans to add more e-Adventures to its online catalog. As with all Kids in Parks adventures, children can log their participation to earn a series of prizes. Learn more at www.kidsinparks.com/e- adventures.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park plans to reopen many of its roads and trails beginning Saturday, May 9. Campgrounds, picnic pavilions, visitor centers and many secondary roads will remain closed during the first reopening phase, which is expected to last for at least two weeks.
The reopening follows guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities. Nationwide, the National Park Service is using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
“We recognize this closure has been extremely difficult for our local residents — as well as park visitors from across the country — who seek the park as a special place for healing, exercise, recreation and inspiration,” said Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We are approaching this phased reopening with that in mind, as we balance our responsibility to protect park resources and the health and safety of everyone.”
Park managers will examine each facility and service to ensure operations comply with current public health guidance, and these operations will be regularly monitored. Managers will also continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health to ensure public and employee spaces are safe and clean.
including disinfectant fogging operations for restrooms and public buildings, installation of Plexiglas shields at visitor centers, personal protective equipment requirements for maintenance workers, new safety protocols for emergency services staff and reduced group size limits.
A return to full operations will occur in phases, and services may be limited. Between May and October, the park typically has more than 1 million visitors each month who travel from across the country. In light of the current crisis, it’s more important than ever for the public to avoid crowding, avoid high-risk activities, practice Leave No Trace principles and follow local health orders when visiting the park. Park managers will monitor the situation to ensure that visitor adhere to CDC guidance and take any additional steps necessary to protect the health of visitors, volunteers and employees.
NOC changes cancellation policy for 2020
The Nantahala Outdoor Center has loosened its cancellation and rebooking policies in response to uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NOC has instituted the 2020 Flexible Adventure Booking Period, which covers trip departures starting before May 24 and reservations paid between March 13 and May 24 that are scheduled to travel between May 24 and Aug. 31. Rebooking will be allowed within the current year if the trip is rescheduled at least 48 hours before trip departure, and full booking vouchers valid for one year from the original trip departure date will be given if the trip is postponed or cancelled at least 48 hours before departure.
For more information, visit www.noc.com/about/covid19.
Collect trash for trees
North Carolinians are encouraged to help protect wildlife and get trees planted during a statewide trash cleanup project May 11-17 hosted by the N. C. Wildlife Federation.
The Trees4Trash volunteer cleanup effort aims to help protect wildlife from trash ingestion, strangulation and entrapment while giving residents a chance to get outdoors while practicing safe social distancing. Participants should wear gloves and a mask and use a trash grabber to pick up trash safely.
NCWF will plant a tree for each bag of trash collected. Each bag is estimated to hold 25 pounds of trash and will contribute toward the organization’s goal of collecting 5,000 pounds during the challenge. Participants are also encouraged to ask friends and family to sponsor their cleanup efforts so that NCWF can meet its fundraising goal of $25,000. An anonymous donor will match anything raised up to that amount.
Share photos tagging NCWF on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or by emailing tara@ncwf.org. Register at https://conta.cc/2vuasud.
Fishing license scam reported
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is issuing a warning about a scam in which private online websites falsely claim to sell N.C. fishing licenses.
The Commission does not contract or partner with any other online vendors to sell licenses, so any purchases made through fraudulent websites could potentially result in financial losses and compromised personal data.
Licenses are available online only when purchased at www.ncwildlife.org. They are also available by calling the commission’s license department at 888.248.6834 or in person from local wildlife service agents, with contacts listed at www.ncalvin.org/wildlifeserviceagentmvc.
These efforts will be supported by the implementation of new safety measures,
Updates will be posted at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.ht m, and park rangers are available to answer questions during business hours at 828.506.8629 or grsm_smokies_information@nps.gov.
backyard. Donated photo
Funding available for WNC farms
Grants and loans to help small and midscale farmers in Western North Carolina navigate the COVID-19 crisis are now available from EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems, an initiative of the Center of Environmental Farming Systems.
The program serves North Carolina’s seven western counties and has already started to make an impact among early recipients. One of the obstacles to business growth for farmers during the pandemic is access to affordable financing for infrastructure investments. Fines Creek resident Amber Ferguson was able to jump that hurdle using a grant that allowed her to purchase the equipment and materials she needed to start and grow an apiary.
EMFS is up to more than just offering grants and loans, focusing on several priority areas over the next two years. These include promoting job creation and infrastructure development, providing business
Haywood Waterways names new officers
Suzanne Klimek has been named the new president of Haywood Waterways Association.
A member of the Board of Directors since 2016, Klimek has been coming to Haywood County since the age of 8, attending summer camp in Clyde annually through her early 20s. As an adult, she’s pursued a career in water quality with the state of North Carolina.
“Working for the state I became familiar with water bodies from Manteo to Murphy and developed a strong appreciation for what we have here in Haywood County,” said Klimek. “As president I look forward to continuing our work to make sure that we can all benefit from and enjoy our waters.”
Klimek replaces outgoing President Timothy Petrea, who served from 2018 to 2019 but resigned to take a job in Wyoming. Jesse Fowler, who works as town
development and training, and growing local food entrepreneurs and community leadership.
In addition to funding farm improvements, the project has an apprenticeship program. While apprentices were slated to work on farms throughout the region this summer, apprentices will now support these farms remotely. Seven farms and organizations are seeking apprentices to help them launch online sales programs and increase their presence on social media. Apprentices receive $12 an hour. Apprenticeship applications are available at jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/131950. For information about EMFS funding for farmers and food businesses, contact Katy Gould, director for the Haywood Community College Small Business Center, at 828.627.4512. EMFS is funded by N.C. State University, Appalachian Regional Commission and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
planner for Waynesville, will serve alongside Kilmek as vice president. He replaces outgoing Vice President Yvonne Kolomechuk.
Suzanne Klimek. Donated photo
Amber Ferguson. Donated photo
PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELED BEFORE TRAVELING TO AN EVENT LISTED BELOW.
• The ASPCA will hold a clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva to provide a box truck full of free cat/dog food for anyone who may be in need. They will be handing this food out at the ARF location.
• The Smoky Mountains Event Center (Haywood County Fairgrounds) will have a board meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, May 11, in the Apple Orchard Building at the fairgrounds.
• North Shore Cemetery Association announced the cancellation of all North Shore Cemetery Decorations through June 15. At present, all group activities within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are suspended through June 15 and this may change in the future given the complexity and unknown factors concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society is once again canceling its next scheduled meeting for May 7. The program, “Parson’s Branch Road” has been tentatively re-scheduled for the June 4.
• Bardo Arts Center has a new webpage dedicated to virtual opportunities at arts.wcu.edu/virtual. Highlights include a series of Thursday lunchtime webinar presentations, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as through the arts.wcu.edu/virtual website. The Thursday webinar series opens with a theatrical talkback, followed by three webinars related to WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions.
• All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties will remain closed until further notice.
• 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.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• A free “Prepare for Reopening” webinar for businesses will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. May 6. Register at https://bit.ly.SCCtownhall0506.
• Haywood Community College’s registration for summer classes is now open. Most summer semester classes will begin Monday, June 8. Visit haywood.edu or contact us at hcc-advising@haywood.edu or 828.627.2821 to start the registration process.
• Western Carolina University’s annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival will be shifting from the big screen to small screen this spring. The festival will be streamed Friday, May 8, beginning with a red-carpet event at 7:30 p.m. on WCU’s social channels, followed by the full festival at the Controlled Chaos website, controlledchaos.wcu.edu.
• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
• Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, will hold a concealed carry class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16. Call 828.356.5454 for details. Visit www.wecancarry.com.
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com
VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS
• The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events. Alongside help for events and gatherings, the organization is also seeking a docent, gift shop attendee, data entry person, landscaper, handyperson, and other positions.
• Haywood Vocational Opportunities is seeking donations of goods, services, time and support for the second annual “HVO Stans Up to PTSD Veteran Community Resource, Education and Job Fair,” which will be held on June 27. 454.6857.
• Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287).
• Cat adoption hours are from noon-5 p.m. on Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays at 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Adoption fee: $10 for cats one-year and older. Check out available cats at www.petharbor.com. 452.1329 or 550.3662.
Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov or 497.1914.
• Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.
• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County. 828.400.4940.
• Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center and get started sharing your talents. 356.2833.
• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.
K IDS & FAMILIES
• The Kathryn Byer Memorial Poetry Contest celebrates our mountains and our connection to them in our everyday lives. It is open to all Jackson County students, K12. The poets are divided into three categories: K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade, and 9-12th. Three winners, in addition to Honorable Mentions, will be chosen in each category. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, but can be much shorter, of course. Poems should be submitted to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, either in person, mail or by email to more@citylightsnc.com by April 10. Please include “Poetry Contest” in the subject line.
The winners in each category will receive gift certificates to City Lights Bookstore and will be invited to read at Greening up the Mountains at 3 p.m. April 25 at City Lights Bookstore. Winners will be announced by April 20. 586.9499.
• The Sylva Art + Design Committee is pleased to announce a unique pop-up gallery event that will feature the artistic creations of children ages 5-18 in the Western North Carolina region. “Nature Through A Child’s Eye” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Viva Arts Studio in downtown Sylva. If you have a child that you think may want to be a participant ages of 5-18 apply by emailing sylvaartdesign@gmail.com or vivaartsstudio@gmail.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/sylvapublicart or on Instagram @sylvaarts. All submissions will be available for purchase and can be picked up after the completion of the exhibition. All money raised will be equally distributed between SADC and the Sylva Community Garden in order to further the betterment of the community through arts, education, and environmental awareness.
• Registration is underway for the Challenger International Soccer Camp, which will be offered to ages 3-14 from July 20-24 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Costs vary based on age group from $90-197. Separate goalkeeper and scorer program is $25 for ages 6-14 from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Register: challengersports.com. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.
• Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old. Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register.
• Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.
Ongoing
H EALTH MATTERS
• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.
• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.
VOLUNTEERING
• The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed.
• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston
Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n Complete listings of local music scene n Regional festivals n Art gallery events and openings n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings
Station, Bryson City.
• The Community Kitchen in Canton is in need of volunteers. Opportunities range from planning a meal updating their webpage. 648.0014.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is now accepting applications for boys and girls within the Haywood County area between the ages of 6 and 14 who could benefit from an approved adult mentor/role model. No cost to the family. 356.2148.
• Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, Route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.
• The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center has many new openings for volunteers throughout the region. Learn about a wide-range of volunteer opportunities with a variety of non-profit agencies, including respite work, domestic violence hotline volunteers, meal delivery drivers, court mediators, Habitat for Humanity house building, foster grandparenting, charity thrift shops, the Elk Bugle Corps for the Great Smokies National Park and many more. 356.2833.
• Community Care Clinic of Franklin needs volunteers for a variety of tasks including nursing/clinical, clerical and administrative and communications and marketing. 349.2085.
• Catman2 Shelter in Jackson County needs volunteers for morning feeding and general shelter chores. 293.0892 or hsims@catman2.org.
• The Volunteer Water Inventory Network (VWIN) is looking for people to work one to two hours a month taking water samples from local creeks and streams. Fill up empty bottles, collect water samples, and return full bottles. 926.1308 or www.haywoodwaterways.org.
• The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains a museum located in the historical courthouse in room 308. The HCHGS is seeking articles and objects of historical value to Haywood County that anyone would like to share. 456.3923.
• REACH of Haywood County is looking for volunteers who would like to assist in its newly expanded resale store. 456 Hazelwood Avenue. 456.7898.
Market PLACE WNC
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.
• Free — Lost or found pet ads.
• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*
• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE
• Legal N otices — 25¢ per word
• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)
• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4
• Boost in Print
• Add Photo $6
• Bold ad $2
• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4
• Border $4
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
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Remembering one of WNC’s biggest melees
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in a May 2005 issue of The Smoky Mountain News
In 1913, Western North Carolina historian John Preston Arthur described John Denton of Graham County as “the most picturesque mountaineer in this section.” The description is inadequate. The record indicates that Denton was also one of the most ferocious men who ever got into a take-no-prisoners brawl. We'll revisit the epic donnybrook in which he whipped 20 other men using his fists, scale weights, stove wood, and rocks. First, however, let's quickly review his life — the sort of story from which mythic legends are fabricated.
BACK THEN
passing through Deal's Gap into North Carolina. When he reached a likely spot situated in the present-day Joyce Kilmer National Forest near Robbinsville, he told his horse "Whoa!" and said to his wife, Albertine, “We'll settle here.” By 1886, they had a family of five boys and four girls.
About 1907, while cutting timber on West Buffalo Creek, part of a tree fell, breaking Denton's left leg. It healed crooked, leaving him a cripple. Gaunt and pale, with his beard and pigtails flowing and using two walking sticks, he would slowly make his way through the woods and over the ridges to visit old friends in Robbinsville, Andrews and Murphy. He and Albertine are reportedly buried, along with other family members, in the Denton Cemetery on Little Snowbird Creek.
where Denton had been leaning up against the store counter as he and other men talked. Bob McElroy, sheriff or clerk of court, approached and demanded that Denton pay his poll tax, a $2 tax to be paid by each adult male citizen. Denton replied that it had already been paid, and he had the receipt at home. McElroy called Denton a liar, whereupon, Denton knocked McElroy to the floor with his fist. McElroy jumped up, and with one swoop of his Bowie knife, slashed off Denton's long beard, just below his chin. Denton fumbled behind him for something with which to hit McElroy, got hold of a heavy cast iron scale weight, the center of which was filled with lead, and hit McElroy in the chest, knocking him cold.
missing his head by a hair. The rock hit the front of the store with such force it busted the weather boarding and bounced back, hitting justice of the peace Nathan Green Phillips, an old Confederate army captain, just where his suspenders, or gallowses, crossed.
“Capt. Phillips had been shouting, ‘Peace, men, peace, men,’ and waving his arms in an effort to stop the fighting. Phillips, now injured, fell to the ground and, unable to rise, had to crawl home on his hands and knees. Many times afterward, John Denton expressed regrets that his friend Capt. Phillips had been injured.
According to various descriptions, John Hamilton Chasteen Denton (1840-1913) was a rough-and-tumble fighting man who stood six feet five and one-half inches, had hands like hams, was strong enough to wrestle a bull, wore a long beard, and kept his hair — which came down over his shoulders — braided in pigtails.
A Confederate veteran of the first Battle of Bull Run and the Seige of Vicksburg, Denton came out of Tennessee after the war,
Now, we turn to what is perhaps the most impressive non-military fight in this region’s history. Long a staple in the oral tradition, it was delineated in print by Bob Barker, a lawyer turned historian, in “The Andrews Journal” (July 5, 1972). This account is online at: www.dentongenealogy.org/john%20hamilton%20chasteen%20de nton.htm.
“Sometime after 1890, John Denton … whipped some 20 men in front of the old courthouse at Robbinsville, NC … The fight started in the George Walker General Store,
“Others in the store took up the fight, and it spilled out onto the porch, at one end of which was a neat stack of oak stove wood. Denton grabbed stick after stick, busting heads like a madman. Others came running from the courthouse, either to join in the fray or watch as Denton fought two, three, or four men at one time. The courthouse square was not paved, and there was a plentiful supply of rocks weighing three or four pounds each.
“Now out of stove wood, off the porch and down on the ground, Denton, who never used a rifle to kill a turkey or pheasant, made use of his favorite ammunition, rocks. He threw a rock at John G. (Pird) Tatham,
“Rona Tatham said she saw Uncle Pird Tatham heading for the house, obviously to get his pistol which was hanging on the back porch, and knowing what would happen, she got there first and hid the pistol in the wood pile. The fighting subsided and the crowd melted away, but for years afterwards, the citizens of Robbinsville and vicinity had a healthy respect for John Denton, and no Graham County official was ever again known to try to collect a poll tax from him twice.”
Note: Additional sources for this account are These Storied Mountains (1972) by John Parris and the biographical sketch of Denton by Bill Millsaps in Graham County Heritage (1992). (George Ellison is a writer and naturalist who lives in Bryson City. info@georgeellison.com.)
