Smoky Mountain News | May 27, 2020

Lady visits GSMNP for re-opening Page 30

Page 21

On the Cover:

For 2020 graduates, the COVID-19 pandemic meant the last few months of their senior year were anything but normal. We talked to students from around the region to get their thoughts on their once-in-a-lifetime graduation experiences. (Pages 4-19)

News

Gov. Cooper announces a moderate phase 2 re-opening..................................20 COVID updates from around the region....................................................................20

Haywood ups the ante on economic development................................................21

Maggie town leaders grapple with lower revenues................................................21

Haywood Public Health’s Dr. Mark Jaben discusses opening protocols..22-23

Opinion

A PHS senior’s take on a COVID-19 graduation....................................................24

Books Of science and religion....................................................................................................29

Outdoors

Second Lady comes to Clingmans Dome for park re-opening..........................30

Back Then The peculiar weather of the Smokies..........................................................................39

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Class of 2020

Less pomp, more circumstance

Western North Carolina’s future leaders graduate amidst pandemic

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

The Class of 2020 will forever be remembered as the “asterisk” class. Whether it be high school, community college or university, the instructional disruption that came about in North Carolina in mid-March as the result of the COVID-19 outbreak will be as much a part of their permanent records as their marks in reading, writing and ‘rithmetic.

That doesn’t mean they’re not ready for their next big steps; to the contrary, the Class of 2020 will also be remembered as the first to live through a global pandemic the likes of which the modern world has never seen.

And they’ve been watching us — their parents, their teachers, their elected officials. They’ve been watching business owners and religious leaders and entertainment idols. They’ve been watching journalists, scientists, conspiracy theorists and trolls.

As The Smoky Mountain News staff set about the task of speaking to recent graduates from across the region, one thing became quickly apparent.

The isolating nature of the pandemic hasn’t distanced this generation of students from each other. It’s actually brought many of them together and fomented a bond forged through adversity.

Much like the defining events of previous generations — the Great Depression, World War II — the pandemic has already taught them life lessons that can be learned in no classroom.

It’s taught them about unpredictability and resiliency. It’s taught them about the great strengths of our nation, and the great weaknesses. It’s taught them that selfless acts of kindness can still take place even amidst selfish acts of hatred. It’s taught

them — far too early, perhaps — about the fragility of human life.

As they’ve watched us, their elders, try to maintain the balance between freedom and security, between liberty and tyranny, their reactions have varied; every student is different, every situation is different and every student has processed the situation in a different way.

Soon will come a time when they’re no longer watching us. Soon, we’ll be watching them. Soon, they’ll be our teachers, our elected officials, our business owners, our religious leaders, our entertainment idols, our journalists, our scientists. Hell, some of them will even become our conspiracy theorists and trolls.

Hopefully, they will question our behavior and our decisions and rather than focus on how and where we’ve helped them focus on how and where we’ve failed them, and each other.

Hopefully, their shared experience as the next “great generation” that had no choice but to persevere when the economy crashed, or when the world went to war, will teach them to lead us in ways better than we’ve led them.

Hopefully, we’ll quickly see that the asterisk doesn’t make the Class of 2020 any less of a class.

Hopefully, it makes them more.

Adoption program makes senior year special for SMHS students

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

The arrival of COVID-19 in the United States caused a storm of cancelations, closures, warnings and fears, but there’s one in particular that hit home for Smoky Mountain High School senior Ryan Holler.

“When I realized it was going to impact me personally was when Robotics Club got put on hold,” said Holler.

Holler and his team had been working hard on their robot, which to compete in the games had to play a basketball-like game with other robots using foam balls. They’d had some pretty huge competitions back in March, and the team was headed to regionals

in hopes of making it all the way to the state competition. Holler thought they had a pretty good chance. But overnight the world changed. It was all canceled.

“I don’t have a car right now or my license, actually, so I’m just stuck inside all the time,” he said. “There’s no real chance to go anywhere. It’s a bummer when you’re sitting in the same house for eight or nine hours on end.”

Ashley Miller, who is a counselor at Fairview Elementary School and mother of an SMHS senior, said the cancelations hit her daughter hard too. She saw her go through the stages of grief, starting off with denial and anger. Miller and Misty Fisher, who has a son

SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL

in the SMHS Class of 2020, decided to do something to help. They organized an AdoptA-Senior program.

The program gives community members the opportunity to “adopt” a 2020 senior, which basically involves sending a care package, a message, a gift — something to let them know that they’re special, and to recognize their accomplishments.

“Part of our goal was to give them another rite of passage,” said Miller. “This will be different. This will be something memorable so you

can say this is what we did our senior year.” Holler was adopted right off the bat by his uncle, who sent him a Funko pop figure. But then a few days later he got a giant box containing snacks and a $25 gift card — his uncle was not the only person who decided to adopt him.

Brianna Buchanan, also a SMHS senior, had a similar experience. She was upset to miss out on those senior milestones like prom and graduation, but it meant a lot to her to receive gifts and support from so many people in the community.

“I love the support that we’re getting from multiple people that don’t even know us,” Buchanan said.

Class of 2020

“Part of our goal was to give them another rite of passage. This will be different. This will be something memorable so you can say this is what we did our senior year.”

There have been so many touching stories to come out of the adoptions, said Miller. One teen who dealt with severe emotional struggles this year saw his mindset completely shift when he got his first gift. A girl whose mom died this year ended up talking on the phone with her adopter.

“Having that person reach out to her during a situation where you really need your mom — it touched her,” said Miller.

“There’s a lot of kids out there that don’t have a strong network, so having people reach out to them right now has made them realize that I am somebody special, regardless,” she added.

Of the 201 seniors in the class, 170 have been adopted. Some of the 31 remaining seniors haven’t been adopted because Miller wasn’t able to get in touch with them, and some didn’t want to participate. Two have already left to join the military. But participation opportunities are still available — those interested can contact smhadopt2020@gmail.com.

For her own daughter, said Miller, the program did a lot to dispel that anger and disbelief and move the grieving process toward its conclusion.

“She’s pretty much accepted it and is mainly putting her focus on going to college and just working on that process and moving on,” said Miller.

— Ashley Miller, Adopt-A-Senior program

Jackson County Public Schools still plans to have a graduation ceremony but has moved it forward two months to Aug. 2. Prom will be held either July 30 or Aug. 1.

Holler and Buchanan both said they’re looking forward to it, and are even grateful.

Holler has a cousin in Atlanta who won’t get to have a graduation ceremony at all, so he’s glad he goes to a smaller, more rural school where postponement is possible. And Buchanan has a very good reason to be happy that graduation has been moved forward. Her brother is gone for basic training and wouldn’t have been able to make the original date.

“The only thing I would say quarantine did in my favor was pushed it back for my brother to actually be there,” she said.

The Class of 2020 has had a unique experience, to say the least, but senior year is a beginning as well as an end. In the fall, Holler is heading to Southwestern Community College to study robotics, and Buchanan — who as a dual enrollment student already holds a business certificate — will earn her accounting certificate, also from SCC, so that she can join the accounting department of her family’s construction business.

“I think we have to look at it like a loss,” said Miller. “We have to help them through it, and they’ll be fine. They will.”

Class of 2020

Raylen Bark, who will graduate May 28 as valedictorian of Cherokee High School, plans to major in anthropology at Dartmouth College this fall.

Cherokee High School photo

Something to celebrate

Cherokee valedictorian navigates a pandemic

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

As February melted into March, Raylen Bark was so busy she had little time to think about the fact that her senior year at Cherokee High School was coming to an end, and her long-anticipated freshman year at Dartmouth College drawing ever closer. Bark, a multi-sport athlete and National Honor Society member, had also been selected as one of 10 tribal members to represent the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the 2020 Remember the Removal Ride, during which she would pedal a bicycle from Cherokee and along the Trail of Tears into Oklahoma. Her days were full of school, strength training, sports practices and games — basketball season was just ending, and track starting up — and then bicycle training. Remember the Removal riders were required to take genealogy, language and history classes as well, and somewhere in there Bark also had to find the time for homework.

Then, the pandemic hit. Sports were canceled, school was canceled and the Remember the Removal Ride, too, was eventually canceled.

“I was really, really upset about everything, because we had put in so much work and time and effort into training for all these things,” said Bark. “It felt like it was just stripped away from us.”

Bark, like high school seniors worldwide, would not get to end her high school career with rites of passage like dancing at prom, scrawling earnest promises to stay friends forever in the pages of 100 yearbooks, and receiving her diploma before a cheering crowd. She wouldn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to her classmates — nobody knew that last day would mark the end of all normalcy.

Life slowed down, drastically. Bark has been trying to use the time well, spending time with her family and learning more about her culture and its accompanying folk traditions from older family members. Bark has long had an interest in such things — the quarantine has just given her more time to nurture that interest. In college, she plans to study anthropology with the eventual goal of graduating from law school.

“I just want to study native law and come back and help the tribe, whether it’s as an attorney or a judge,” said Bark. “I just want to give back to my tribe.”

First, though, comes high school graduation, and Bark will play a unique role in guiding the Class of 2020 through this unprece-

“I just want to study native law and come back and help the tribe, whether it’s as an attorney or a judge. I just want to give back to my tribe.”

—

Raylen Bark, Cherokee High School valedictorian

CHEROKEE CENTRAL

SCHOOLS

dented time. On May 13, she learned that she would graduate as valedictorian of her class. Cherokee Central Schools made the announcement in a video published to its Facebook page. In the video, mask-wearing teachers sit in the gym holding pieces of paper that on one side have letters spelling out the words “salutatorian” or “valedictorian,” with the letters printed on the opposite side spelling out the names of the seniors who would now bear those titles. When they flipped the sheets, the news was out — Tierney Bradley would be salutatorian and Bark, valedictorian. Bark watched the video surrounded by family.

“We were all nervous, I guess, watching the video. And then I was announced. We were all super happy,” she said.

Graduation — which will take place on Thursday, May 28 — will look quite a bit different than in years past. At 4 p.m., a parade of cars bearing the seniors and their guests — limited to nine apiece — will begin at the Exxon station at Whitewater Drive and progress to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, up Aquoni Road and then to the school. Community members are encouraged to come out and show their support as the parade goes by, though masks and social distancing are required. Once at the school, each senior, along with their guests — all masked — will get out of the car, walk across the stage, and receive their diploma. Instead of giving her speech with her entire class seated in front of her, Bark will make a video of herself reading it, and that video will be broadcast on Cherokee Central Schools’ Facebook page, along with the rest of the graduation proceedings.

As she spoke to The Smoky Mountain News, Bark was still working on her speech. She said she planned to revisit some of the good memories her class had made together and then to offer some encouraging words about the present.

“We’ve really had to persevere through all these situations,” said Bark. “Especially these past months. That’s something that really deserves to be celebrated. I’m extremely proud of how everyone’s been handling it.”

Class of 2020

Franklin senior misses chance at starting lineup

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Trey Woodard has been playing baseball as long as he can remember and was looking forward to being a part of the starting lineup for Franklin High School’s varsity team this spring.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was able to throw a ball. My dad played as a kid and taught me how to play. There’s just some aspect of the game I love and can’t get enough of. We were 4-and-0 and then all this happened,” he said. “I’ve never been able to start a game before — not even in middle school — I thought my senior year I’d have a chance but also I’m fine just to be part of the team.”

Trey’s mom, Alisha Woodard, said he hasn’t been too bummed out about missing a graduation ceremony or prom, but not being able to fulfill his dream of being the starting second baseman was his biggest disappointment due to the pandemic.

“For him, this was his year to shine

FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL

in baseball. That’s his sport and he’s worked his way up to that position, but he got to play three games and that was it. It’s been bittersweet for him,” she said. “Also, I think another hard thing for him has been missing his friends. We were really stringent the first six weeks or so but after that we started allowing him to visit a friend if we knew they were in the clear and allowing him to have visits at home so that helped a bit.”

But on a positive note, Alisha said Trey’s been fortunate that the pandemic hasn’t left him with too much free time on his hands to sit around at home bored. He’s been working with his dad doing construction jobs and learning the trade in addition to completing his school work.

“Yeah, I’ve been working every day doing construction, carpentry, masonry and anything else my dad is working on,” Trey said. “He’s got plenty of

work and is staying busy.”

Seeing his dad’s ability to maintain a career when so many people are out of work is part of the reason he decided to pursue a degree in welding at Southwestern Community College this fall. It’s also a new aspect of construction that he hasn’t learned yet since he never took welding at Franklin High.

“It’s something new for me and there’s always good money in welding, especially during times like this,” he said.

For now he plans to stay at home while attending SCC for two years and then will probably transfer to a larger school or move out in order to enter the workforce. He wants to travel while doing underwater drilling on an oil rig.

He has received a $1,000 Vietnam Veterans scholarship because his grandfather served in the war, and Alisha said he’s waiting to hear back about several other scholarship opportunities as well.

“It will be $500 a semester but that will really help me out a lot,” he said.

Grad looks toward career in nursing

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

For years, Stephanie Morton had focused her daily energy on homeschooling her four kids, but as the children grew into teenagers and young adults, Morton started thinking about her own education. Two years ago, she enrolled in the nursing program at Southwestern Community College.

Morton, 43, had no way of knowing that graduation would coincide with the explosion of a pandemic in which her chosen profession would occupy center stage.

“They’re kind of the superstars right now, when you think about the medical profession,” said Morton. “It was kind of interesting.”

Morton said that she’s fascinated with the human body and the intricacy of creation, and that she’s driven to help when things go wrong with that finely tuned machine. She’s a caretaker, she said, with a passion for health, fitness and supporting people through vulnerable times.

That’s what led her to the nursing profession in the first place, but it’s also what caused her to feel frustration when the pandemic prompted SCC to cancel in-person clinicals toward the tail end of the semester.

While she said that she understands the school’s need to ensure that its students stay safe and are able to graduate, “there’s a part of me that was like, this is exactly what I’m doing and where I

SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

need to be.”

So, Morton completed her last two months of classes and her last month of clinicals from home. Ultimately, she said, she doesn’t believe that the move to virtual education hindered her ability to learn from the program — rather, it gave her an appreciation for just how much it is now possible to do virtually. The biggest disappointment, she said, was not being able to come together with her classmates for the pinning ceremony that would have marked the end of their two-year journey together.

Still, Morton is satisfied with her education and excited for the career that is to come. She’s been hired to work on the medical surge floor at Harris Regional Hospital, with a start date of June 22. While she takes the coronavirus and the dangers it poses seriously, she said that she’s not afraid to begin a career that could bring her in contact with infectious patients. In the medical world, there’s always the risk of catching something — if anything, she said, she feels even more confident now that she has had the opportunity to learn how to take proper precautions.

“We’re taught and equipped,” she said. “Not that things can’t happen — certainly they can. It’s a risky job, being a nurse, but you know that going into it.”

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Class of 2020

Haywood Early College students support each other

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Canton native Lily Payne still remembers her last day of school at Haywood Early College.

“It was March 13,” Payne said. “It was kind of chaotic, but no one really knew that it was going to be the last day of school.”

Payne soon learned from a teacher that there would be a two-week break in in-person instruction.

“At that time it was two weeks that they said that we couldn’t go back to school,” she said. “At first I didn’t think it was going to be two weeks, but as I kept going on and I kept watching the news, it didn’t really surprise me that we weren’t going back to school. I was upset about it, but I’m kind of a realist, so I was kind of expecting it.”

Needless to say, Payne expected this time of year to be much different than it is today. Instead of spending time with friends as they all prepare to go their separate ways in pursuit of their post-high school aspirations, Payne and friends are dealing with the social distancing much like everyone else — on a popular teleconferencing application.

“We started Zoom calling and we made a group chat specifically for the COVID-19 quarantine,” she said. “That’s actually what

HAYWOOD

EARLY COLLEGE

it’s called. It’s the COVID-19 quarantine group chat.”

The chat includes seven or eight people and is probably no less or more mundane than their regular old everyday pre-pandemic interactions would have been.

“We basically talk about how strange it is, and what we we’re doing every day and if we needed any support, being quarantined all the time,” Payne said.

Payne’s effort to help support her cohorts isn’t out of character — she served as a mentor to incoming freshmen in Haywood Early College’s Wolfpack, and was also involved in the Interact Club, a group that in conjunction with the Rotary performs community service.

But that support goes around, and comes around — Payne credited her teachers with trying to maintain a supportive environment outside the classroom.

“I’m really grateful to be able to go to a school like this because our teachers are so supportive of us,” she said. “They’re always texting us and asking us how we’re doing and giving us their support and just kind of mak-

ing sure we stayed connected, even though we couldn’t be together.”

The lack of a formal, normal graduation has been “disappointing” according to Payne, but for her family doubly so, because Lily Payne is actually a triplet. Her brother, Hayden, will graduate from Pisgah High School next year, but her sister Olivia graduates from Pisgah this year and experienced interruptions much the same as Lily did at Haywood Early College.

“We got her a cap and gown and we went to take a whole lot of pictures,” Lily said. “We went out to our grandparents house in our caps and gowns and let them see us, and we took pictures out in their yard and my mom posted them on Facebook. We have a bunch of family members sending us cards and stuff, like encouraging words and telling us that we have their support.”

That support’s been important for the class of 2020.

“At first I didn’t think it was going to be two weeks, but as I kept going on and I kept watching the news, it didn’t really surprise me that we weren’t going back to school. I was upset about it, but I’m kind of a realist, so I was kind of expecting it.”

—

Lily Payne

“People have been like, really good,” Payne said. “We might not get to graduate and walk across the stage, but they’ve acknowledged our accomplishments and our hard work. I think that’s definitely helpful.” Payne will attend Appalachian State University in the fall and plans to earn a master’s degree in social work, with the intent of working in adoption services or foster care.

Class of 2020

Student overcomes challenges at HCLC

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

As the Coronavirus Pandemic developed and schools shut down, senior year began to look drastically different for high school seniors across the country. At the Haywood Community Learning Center, graduating seniors like 18-year-old Jadynn Schmidt were uniquely well equipped to handle the coming change.

Haywood Community Learning Center is available to students who have dropped out or are struggling with the all-encompassing nature of full-time public high school. For Schmidt, moving to Waynesville and starting at Tuscola High School in her junior year was a struggle. “In the beginning I got bullied a lot and most public schools won’t do anything about it. They said that they had to have physical proof before they could do anything. So I spent a lot of time dreading going to school, because I was scared to go to school, because kids were just mean,” she said.

HCLC provides all online classes and staff at the Learning Center help students with their online material. “Once I came to HCLC, they gave me everything I needed,” Schmidt said. “A whole support system. They didn’t tolerate bullying at all. They make their

HAYWOOD COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER

schedules flexible so I could work. I got pregnant and I had a kid so I needed to be able to have enough hours to provide for us, because my mom is disabled.”

The online, flexible nature of the school means that quarantine didn’t bring about huge changes to their system like it did at many other high schools. Brookely Nicholson, Administrator at HCLC and WIOA program director said, “we are more set up than anybody for dealing with this pandemic, because all of our learning is online, and we’re a very flexible program anyway. We’re not like a structured school.”

While most students, teachers and schools were adjusting to distance/online learning, HCLC was already there. Now, they are looking forward to making graduation as special as it can be for their students that have worked so hard to get there. With 41 graduating seniors, the staff is planning a drive-thru graduation complete with a slideshow, music, balloons, posters, streamers, bubble machines, caps, tassels and Class of 2020 T-shirts. Current and former staff will line the building

Class of 2020

with signs, cowbells, megaphones, horns and cheering. At the end of the drive-thru there will be a professional photographer set up with a backdrop to take each graduate's photo holding their diploma. “We’re really trying to go all out, we’re really trying to make them aware that we’re thinking of each of them, that we’re really proud of each of them and make it a moment to remember,” Nicholson said.

She does not see this pandemic having a negative impact on her students. She said they have faced more obstacles than most students up to this point in life, which has molded their work ethic, drive and character. Where other seniors might worry about

“I like that everything has kind of slowed down. It’s made everybody have to take a step back from everything and realize that things are going to have to be different.”

— Jadynn Schmidt

missing prom, graduation night and taking photos with friends, these seniors knew they wouldn’t have some of those things going in. HCLC does not have prom, yearbook or sports. “Those three things our kids kind of knew, that we don’t have those here, so that was not something they were robbed of,” she said. “For our students, walking across the stage is just a formality. For them, holding that diploma in their hands and showing their families who, maybe none of them have graduated, that’s the moment they really want and need. They are all set up, ready to move on to bigger and better things anyway.”

That’s not to say quarantine has not sometimes been a struggle for HCLC seniors. Like most people cooped up at home, Schmidt says she misses being able to get out of the house, hang out with friends and do everyday things. And like a lot of people around the world, there are financial issues as well. “It’s been a struggle because we’ve been broke. And we haven’t had jobs, it’s been hard trying to pay the bills and pay for baby stuff and pay for our needs, and just get by,” Schmidt said.

But the change of pace has been refreshing in some ways. “I like that everything has kind of slowed down. It’s made everybody have to take a step back from everything and realize that things are going to have to be different,” said Schmidt.“I’ve been able to reflect, focus on me, get my house together, clean, get things the way that I wanted to.”

Schmdit already has plans for her next steps, and they look bright. “I’m hoping to go to Southwestern Community and get a degree in technology. I want to be a computer engineer and hopefully I’ll be able to get a good job once I get that degree,” she said.

Class of 2020

Swain County seniors spell out ‘STRONG’ at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year, not knowing what challenges would lie ahead. Donated photo

Swain student moving on to bigger, better dreams

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

Colby Taylor, a senior at Swain County High School, hasn’t let the COVID-19 Pandemic derail his future goals. Even though the final semester of his high school career has been atypical to say the least, he is moving forward with no regrets and only fond memories of Swain County.

“Prom and senior night — those were big events we missed out on but I’m a really hopeful person and always looking forward to the next thing so I’m moving forward regardless of the situation,” he said.

Taylor said the first few weeks were probably the hardest for his classmates, but now that remote learning has become the norm and it’s clear recovering from the impacts of the pandemic is going to take some time, he said they’ve adjusted to a “new normal.”

“A lot of seniors felt bad for themselves

SWAIN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

in the beginning but now we’re moving on and ready to tackle whatever is next,” he said. “My class has always been resilient — it feels like we’ve been through everything together. It’s just like when we got our senior parking lot taken away during construction — instead of complaining, we just move forward when met with an adversary.”

Indeed, the Swain County High senior class is a tight-knit bunch. Many of them have gone to school together since kindergarten. Taylor said a graduation ceremony is a time to celebrate a major milestone with his classmates before they all head into different directions, but with the restrictions on mass gatherings a traditional ceremony is likely out of the question.

“The reason I’d like a regular graduation is to see my friends and their families celebrate this great milestone in their lives. I’m likely going to have two more chances at a graduation but that’s not a reality for all my classmates,” he said. “This is much more special for us because at bigger high schools you have a lot of people transferring in and out but for most part all of the kids here have been together a long time.”

As of May 25, Swain County Schools hadn’t decided on any kind of alternative plans for a graduation ceremony, but Taylor is certain that whatever kind of celebration is planned, it will be the best solution administration and teachers are able to come up with under the circumstances. He said he’s been so appreciative of all the additional support provided to students during the remote learning process.

Seniors have still had lessons, assignments and homework even though the N.C. Department of Education announced in

April that students’ grades wouldn’t be impacted by COVID-19. Basically, students grades as on March 17 will carry forward to graduation, but Talyor said that hasn’t stopped him finishing each requirement.

“I’ve kept on top of it. I’m just one of those people, I have to see it through. I started it and i’m going to finish it. I guess I could have taken the easy route out but I wanted to say I finished it and finished strong,” he said. “Our teachers have been wonderful in helping us. My two AP teachers have gone above and beyond to make sure we were ready for the tests and ready for college.”

Aside from completing his final tests, Taylor is also a member of the Junaluska Leadership Club, a liaison youth council that develops resolutions to present to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council for consideration. Taylor and many of his family members are enrolled members of EBCI, which is why this legislation is so important to him.

“My class has always been resilient — it feels like we’ve been through everything together.”

— Colby Taylor

“Right now we’re working on legislation for the Cherokee EBCI that would help clean up the environment while also bringing new jobs to the area,” Taylor said.

Taylor is taking his enthusiasm for drafting policies to the honors college at UNCChapel Hill this fall to major in political science. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he has plans to attend law school.

“I’m really leaning toward practicing civil rights law, specifically for Native Americans,” he said.

Starting college not knowing what the fall semester will look like is a little scary, but Taylor is hopeful Chapel Hill will be ready to start back in some capacity. Luckily, his roommate will be a fellow Swain County grad from Bryson City, allowing him to take a piece of home along with him.

Class of 2020

Tuscola grad looking forward to future

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

The Class of 2020 — what a year to be alive, much less graduating high school and heading out into the real world.

Seniors went into the fall semester of 2019 with many hopes and expectations of how their final year of high school would go, but many of those expectations have been dashed by the global COVID-19 Pandemic.

“The main thing that I was looking forward to starting my senior year was finishing up my schooling with the stepping stones in place to leave Haywood County with a strong plan,” said Tuscola High senior Aidan McCoy-Ybanez. “I was doing the automotive program at Haywood Community College while still at Tuscola to get a head start as soon as I graduate.”

Despite all the uncertainty the pandemic has brought about, Ybanez said his future still looks the same. The only difference is he hasn’t set foot in the classroom since mid-March and senior activities like Senior Day, prom and graduation ceremonies were canceled. He said some of his peers have been extremely disappointed in losing these traditional experiences, but he’s keeping it

TUSCOLA HIGH SCHOOL

in perspective.

“I am not disappointed about prom or graduation at all. Both are things that are truly unnecessary and will just put hundreds of people in danger. The important thing right now is the safety of our community, not outdated ceremonies,” he said. “At the end of day, the only thing that matters is the diploma that the seniors are still being gifted after not having to finish their second semester of this year.”

Ybanez said he’s done his best to be responsible with the current pandemic situation and follow the social distancing rules set in place. With many family members at risk of COVID-19 complications, he’s been more concerned about their safety as opposed to thinking about what he might be missing out on as a high school senior. He’s also been a bit disappointed at how some of his peers have reacted to the cancellations.

“I notice some of my peers feel the same and are doing their part but there are also

Congratulations Seniors!

Lake Logan is offering FREE DAY PASSES for Haywood County graduating high school seniors to come out and take your graduation photos. Offer good May 31 - June 4.

plenty that believe it is all nonsense and that they aren’t getting what they want out of it,” he said. “There seems to be a sense of entitlement and the want to be spoiled with some of my classmates. With the 3.7 million students expected to graduate this school year, it is unreasonable to want to put any of those children at risk.”

A petition has been circulating online from seniors demanding a real graduation ceremony in the near future, claiming a drive-thru service isn’t enough. Ybanez doesn’t agree with that stance. To him, it seems a bit selfish to be worrying about a graduation ceremony when it would put so many people at risk.

Other seniors have found other ways to celebrate the major milestone without a proper graduation commencement ceremony — donning their cap and gown in their front yards for pictures and still dressing up in their prom dresses and tuxes to take pictures at Lake Junaluska.

Another important event canceled for seniors was the Partners in Education Scholarship Banquet hosted by the

Haywood County Schools Foundation. During this annual ceremony, seniors are awarded community scholarships to assist them in their college education. Scholarships were still awarded this year, but the ceremony was canceled.

A Facebook page called “Adopt a Tuscola High School Senior” was created as a way for community members to show love and support for seniors by sending a letter, card, gift, gift certificate, snack or anything else to let them know the community cares.

Stil, Ybanez is more focused on his future than trying to celebrate his high school days.

“I don’t have any plans to try and commemorate the things that are being missed, I’m still getting my high school diploma and that’s all I care about,” he said. “The biggest thing I’m looking forward to in my life after graduation is moving away from Haywood County to see what more areas are like. It’s a beautiful place but the world holds so much more. I have been taking automotive classes for a few years now and that is leading me to a career in mechanics.”

Class of 2020

Bigger graduations in store for Haywood Community College student

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Maggie Mehaffey’s taken a bit of a different academic path than many of her peers — a path that gives her a unique perspective on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

After attending Riverbend Elementary School and then Waynesville Middle School, she went to Tuscola High School for two years before entering dual enrollment at Haywood Community College. At the age of 19, Mehaffey’s just graduated from HCC with an associate’s degree in science, a 4.0 GPA and a huge head start on her undergraduate career.

“I know I’m going to Western Carolina University,” Mehaffey said. “I think I’m going to do either biology or chemistry there and then I’m going to go to med school, but I haven’t decided if I’m going to go the chiropractic route, because I work at a chiropractor right now, or be a dentist.”

Mehaffey’s also the president of HCC’s Student Government Association, meaning

HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

that as a college student, as a science major and as an emerging civic leader, she’s positioned at the intersection of three of the most important contributors to the coronavirus dialogue currently taking place – education, science and politics.

“Probably one of the biggest things that I have learned is, no offense to the media, but I think a lot of people are putting things out there that aren’t necessarily true,” Mehaffey said. “I think it’s been publicized to the point where obviously I do think it’s bad, but I also think that living in a constant state of fear and taking away our rights — there’s always gonna be germs, like so many more people have died from the flu this year that have died from the coronavirus.”

Despite her activity in student government, Mehaffey says she’s not really very

political, but as an extrovert values the relationships she’s made and the community she’s been a part of with SGA.

“I would meet people who have been working in our community for years, and I think that it’s good to have mentors that are older than you. They know what’s happening.

I think it’s good to get their perspective,” Mehaffey said. “I think that was one really big thing that drove me to join SGA.”

“It’s

been kind of weird and I’m definitely a more face-to-face person. I’m 100 percent extroverted. Everything just got cut off so quickly. I definitely would’ve thought I would’ve had more time with my friends.”

HAYWOOD PEDIATRIC

— Maggie Mehaffey

She’s also been watching how federal, state and local leaders have been handling the pandemic.

“So personally, I think that a lot of people in our government cannot make their own decisions. From what I’ve seen, it’s whatever

the city person says, whatever the governor says, whatever the president says. Everybody is agreeing with somebody,” she said. “Honestly, what we need in America is somebody that has a different idea, somebody that says, ‘Hey, you know what? This isn’t right. Why don’t we try something else?’”

On a personal level, Mehaffey’s missed out on perhaps more than many of her fellow students, due to both her accelerated academic achievement and its subsequent disruption.

She didn’t get to go to prom, and didn’t get to accept formally the several awards she’d racked up in her time at HCC.

“It’s been kind of weird and I’m definitely a more face-to-face person,” Mehaffey said. “I’m 100 percent extroverted. Everything just got cut off so quickly. I definitely would’ve thought I would’ve had more time with my friends.”

She also didn’t get to participate in a ceremony when she graduated from high school, which makes missing her HCC graduation sting all the more.

“I will say it was a little disappointing,” said Mehaffey. “I was looking forward to this one.”

Still, Mehaffey’s got the right attitude as she prepares to resume her studies this fall. So far, no one knows exactly what that will look like, but she’s got a good idea of the eventual outcome.

“There’s definitely going to be bigger graduations in my life,” she said. “It’s just something I have to wait a little bit longer for.”

Class of 2020

Pisgah grad Chloé Queen is looking forward to resuming her studies.

For extrovert, no school means no fun

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

For Chloé Queen, a senior at Pisgah High School, graduation and senior year are turning out drastically different than anticipated.

Queen was a Pisgah cheerleader for two years and involved heavily in the arts and French departments. In addition to a regular high school schedule, Queen worked all four years of high school as a waitress.

This semester she was taking her last French class, honors French IV, as well as drafting and math. “It’s more difficult to do online learning because you’re not having the face to face with your teacher,” said Queen.

A self-described social butterfly, Queen said, “Everything is different about this year. I think we’re the first class to not have a normal graduation. It’s a whole different experience for us.”

Like many high school seniors, Queen says she misses going to school, being around everybody and talking to her friends. School wasn’t a drag for her.

“I liked school,” said Queen, “I actually really miss it.”

Online and mobile communication just isn’t the same, especially for students who have grown up together and are about to take that next step into the future without the assurance that they will get to see and hang out with these friends in the same capacity ever again. For high school seniors, there is no getting back to normal when quarantine ends. It has lined up with a time

PISGAH HIGH SCHOOL

of immense change in their lives. They went into quarantine high-schoolers and will come out of it with that chapter of their lives closed behind them, looking toward whatever comes next.

For Queen, that means attending Appalachian State University this fall.

“I want to study English for secondary education. I’ve always loved English,” she said.

Queen is optimistic for the future, and says she thinks her peers are as well.

“This time has made everybody realize that we shouldn’t take things like school for granted,” She said. “And after this we’ll all just appreciate everything much more.”

“The best part has been getting a break, having time to relax, but the worst part is also having nothing to do, having to talk to people over the phone and not in person,” Queen said, “I think this will affect us [2020’s graduating class] in big ways in the future. I feel like we’re going to be more willing to do things in person, not everything online, including with social life and interactions.”

Queen is unsure of what graduation will look like, but she does plan on celebrating with her family.

“Me and my family want to have a small get together, but we’re waiting until that 10 or more people rule is lifted,” she said.

North Carolina takes ‘cautious’ step into phase 2

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

As expected, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he believes the state is ready to begin phase 2 of his three-phase reopening plan, although the increasing number of cases warrants a more modest reopening than originally planned.

“Today we’re announcing another cautious and gradual step,” Cooper said during a on May 20 press conference.

The order comes less than two weeks after Cooper eased the state into phase 1. During that time, the state saw its highest one-day number of positive cases ever, with more than 850 reported on May 8 alone. The state has also seen no decline in the 14-day trajectory of positive cases or the seven-day rolling average, per North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The differences between phase 1 and phase 2 are great; beginning on Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m., the state’s “stay home” order was lifted, although vulnerable populations are encouraged to continue staying home under what’s called a “safer at home” order. Public playgrounds, bars, concert venues, movie theaters and fitness facilities will remain closed.

The number of people allowed at gatherings has been increased from 10 to 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. Stringent restrictions on nursing homes and congregant care settings will remain in place.

Probably the most noticeable difference between phase 1 and phase 2 is the limited reopening of restaurants, craft breweries and wineries.

Guidance issued by the NCDHHS to restaurants covers social distancing and minimizing exposure, using cloth face coverings, maximizing cleaning and hygiene, monitoring for symptoms, protecting vulnerable populations, combating misinformation and proper utilization of water and ventilation systems.

The guidelines require restaurants to ensure social distancing by arranging seating that’s compliant with the 6-foot separation rule, both for indoor and outdoor settings. Groups must maintain the 6-foot distance from other groups unless they’re members of the same household.

Occupancy can be no more than 50 percent of fire code capacity, and it’s recommended that all employees and customers wear a cloth or disposable mask when they may be near others. Businesses are encouraged to provide these coverings to employees and customers.

Ongoing cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas like doors, handrails and payment terminals is also required, as is frequent hand washing by staff.

It’s recommended that restaurants designate specific times for high-risk persons to access restaurants without the general public being present. It’s also recommended that

employees who self identify as high-risk be reassigned to roles with minimal public contact.

Half an hour before Cooper’s press conference, Haywood County reported another four confirmed positive cases, bringing the total to 32. One week prior, on May 13, there were 21 confirmed positive cases. A week before that, on May 5, there were 18. As of May 26, there are now 41.

Two days after Cooper’s announcement, he was forced to clarify the status of craft breweries, distilleries and wineries after inexplicably leaving specific guidance out of his phase 2 announcement.

hand sanitizer at BearWaters’ Canton location but kept working on their new Maggie Valley digs.

At noon on May 23, O’Neil and Sandefur opened the Maggie Valley location to the public for a sneak preview in advance of its May 29 opening. Blue tape on the floor guided patrons to the bar, employees were masked and furniture – including tables on the spacious creekside deck – were spread far apart.

FIREWOOD MINISTRY GOLF TOURNAMENT

This year, you can feel the satisfaction of keeping a family warm while helping our local businesses and restaurants. Our traditional golf tournament fundraiser has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but your participation and support can continue! Funds are still needed as we begin our spring wood project which allows us to provide next winter’s wood for heat-insecure folks in Haywood County. If you are interested in contributing to the Firewood Ministry, you can donate in the following ways:

Contact Richard Reeves at 828.734.9272

• Mail a donation to PO Box 611 Waynesville, NC 28786

• Or download a form at www.longschapel.com /firewood-ministry

The clarifications, which subject those establishments to the same rules as restaurants, were viewed favorably by many of Haywood County’s business owners, including Art O’Neil and Kevin Sandefur of BearWaters Brewing in Canton.

Ken Keene, of Jacksonville, Florida and Mark Kiger, of St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, happened to be riding by on motorcycles and pulled into the lot. Keene unknowingly got the first beer served to a customer at the establishment.

Tax-deductible checks can be made out to: Long's Chapel (Tax ID: 560732998) Mountain Projects (Tax ID: 56-084090920)

BearWaters’ long-planned new location, on Soco Road in Maggie Valley, was supposed to have opened the weekend of April 24, but wasn’t able to under the existing “stay home” order.

O’Neil and Sandefur quickly partnered with Elevated Mountain Distilling Company’s Dave and Sue Angel to make

County COVID-19 updates

On May 24, Macon County Public Health announced a cluster of cases centered around the Evangelical Ebenezer Church. As of press time on May 26, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services had reported 18 cases in Macon County, up from four cases May 15. One Macon resident died from the disease, reported April 6.

“We’ve been coming (to Maggie Valley) for 20 years, and we’ve been saying all along we couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a microbrewery here,” Keene said. “We decided to come in and check it out, and we’re happy to be here.”

Both said they felt comfortable with knocking back a few beers at the establishment.

“You’ve got to live,” said Kiger. “I think we’ve done as a country all that we can do. You can’t stay inside for six months. If you’re in that at-risk population, self-quarantine, wear a mask.”

No county residents have died from the disease, however.

Meanwhile, Jackson County’s case count increased by only two in the past week despite the opening of a new drivethru testing site at the Walmart in Sylva.

The North Carolina Department of Public Health defines a “cluster” as “a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible linkage between cases.

As of May 26, 27 county residents had been diagnosed with the disease, along with two part-time residents and 22 nonresidents who were tested by a Jackson County health provider. On May 19, those figures stood at 25 residents, two parttime residents and 22 non-residents. A total of 1,292 tests have been administered in Jackson County, an increase of 147 from May 19. The county has seen one death from COVID-19, announced May 4.

Haywood County’s case number also jumped over the past week, increasing from 32 cases on May 20 to 44 on May 26.

As of May 22, Swain County had 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, having administered 1,045 total tests. Of those, 983 came back negative and 52 are pending results.

Haywood County sweetens economic development pot

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT

STAFF W RITER

An economic development incentive plan

first passed by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners in 2004 underwent a significant retooling in late 2017, but a string of disappointments has led commissioners to revise it once again in hopes of luring businesses to the county.

“We kept hitting a ceiling when we were talking to companies and recruiting,” County Program Administrator David Francis told commissioners May 18. “The last three companies we’ve had in here, we’ve been fighting against South Carolina, who gives away the farm to get the business there. We’re always starting a step behind.”

Francis said he’s currently in the second round of negotiations with another company considering a move to Haywood County, and that “being able to give the board more flexibility is what’s very important about this program.”

In North Carolina, economic development incentives are commonly given in the form of property tax breaks. While property taxes can’t be waived or forgiven, they can be rebated once they’re paid.

Haywood’s policy is a sliding scale based upon the dollar value of the new or expanding business in conjunction with the amount of full-time jobs created.

For example, a new business or an expanding business that spends between $200,000 and $299,000 and creates between five and nine jobs would be eligible for a 30 percent tax rebate for five years. If that business created more than 75 jobs, they’d be eligible for a 55 percent rebate for five years.

On the high end, businesses that spend $10 million or more and create between five and nine jobs would be in line for a 50 percent rebate, but if that same business created 75 or more jobs, that rebate bumps up to 80 percent.

All that remains the same under the new policy passed by commissioners May 18, but two sentences in the policy are intended to remove that “ceiling” Francis mentioned.

The first stipulates that businesses spending more than $20 million or creating more than 100 jobs “may be given special consideration for additional participation by Haywood County.”

The second gives commissioners the power to adjust, at their discretion, any of the incentives that might be awarded by the county.

Maggie Valley maintains tax rate despite revenue drop

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Maggie Valley is projecting a more than 16 percent decline in revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year due to the shutdown caused by the COVID 19 crisis.

Property tax is the largest source of revenue for the Town of Maggie Valley and the budget proposal keeps the same tax rate of 43 cents per $100. That’s the lowest in Haywood County.

ment. Because the board has come up with several economic development ideas in the past year, Clark said he set aside this fund to serve as a “catalyst for these undetermined projects.”

The budget proposes no new projects for the Festival Grounds or the Parks and Recreation Department. The police department will not purchase a new police vehicle for the first time since 2013. However the department will purchase a new K-9 police dog. Former Maggie Valley police dog, Moses, retired in April due to health concerns. The new dog will cost $12,800, which includes purchase, training and living expenses.

Another measure included in the new plan will encourage commercial development by allowing speculative builders to qualify for incentives.

Buildings of at least 20,000 square feet constructed on the county’s parcel at 1585 Jonathan Creek Road or on Canton’s Great Oak Road may qualify for a maximum 75 percent rebate over five years, provided they are involved in manufacturing, warehousing or distribution.

That means developers have the option to construct a building before acquiring a tenant for the building. Any incentives awarded to the developer could then be transferred, with the consent of commissioners.

For more information on the new economic development incentive policy, visit the Haywood County government website. www.haywoodcountync.gov/AgendaCen ter/ViewFile/Item/1255?fileID=2840

The projected collection rate is 94 percent, down 2.97 percent from last year, also due to COVID-19, for an estimated revenue of $1,596,528.

Sales tax is the second largest source of revenue for the town. Haywood County distributes sales tax proportional to population distribution. According to estimates provided by the town, Maggie Valley should receive $357,265, a decrease of 18.7 percent from last fiscal year. Once again, that’s due to significantly less money being spent in Haywood County during the COVID-19 crisis.

The debt service payment for fiscal year 2020-2021 is $0, because the Town Board has eliminated the general fund debt.

“This is an achievement the board and staff should take great pride in because it is a reflection on how serious they view their role as financial stewards of the town’s monetary resources,” said Town Manager Nathan Clark.

The proposed budget sets aside $65,000 to promote economic develop-

There are several projects proposed for the Public Works Department in the coming year. Among them:

• A new Ford F-550 dump truck at a cost of $52,000.

• $37,963 for the Valley Creek Run resurfacing project.

• $10,500 is set aside for the purchase of a new zero turn Ferris mower.

• $15,000 will be allocated for the town’s participation in the countywide Wayfinding Program sponsored by Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

The town’s estimated share for the Soco Road Improvement project is $395,000. Grant funding requires the Department of Transportation to pay 80 percent of the project cost and the town to pay 20 percent. Last year, $120,000 was placed in the Capital Project reserve fund. This fiscal year, 2020-2021, another $120,000 is allotted, to make up 70 percent of the town’s share.

A public hearing regarding the proposed budget will be held at 6:30 p.m. on June 9. Location has yet to be determined.

Haywood takes steps to open businesses safely

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT

STAFF W RITER

Since the Coronavirus Pandemic began in earnest in Haywood County in midMarch, emergency physician Dr. Mark Jaben has been the face of the county’s response, so much so that he’s now regularly stopped on the area’s hiking trails by strangers exclaiming, “Hey, you’re the guy from YouTube!”

Jaben’s YouTube briefings on the pandemic, as well as his appearances before county commissioners, have been informative and prolific, but ultimately everything the county is or isn’t able to do is guided by President Donald Trump’s policies and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s policies.

Per Gov. Cooper’s three-phase reopening plan, the state has now progressed through phase 1 and into phase 2 — by some accounts too soon, and by others, too late.

Regardless, businesses of almost every stripe are now open in some form or fashion, so Cooper’s launched the “Count on Me NC” campaign, which offers online training modules designed to help businesses recognize and manage the risks associated with commercial activity during the pandemic.

Although the five modules delineate best practices for all businesses and have separate, special sections geared towards restaurant owners and operators, back-of-house food service employees like chefs and frontof-house workers like servers, there remains one glaring omission: customers.

That’s led to the “We Are a Safe Space” initiative here locally. Within that initiative, there’s a special checklist that will let customers know what businesses are doing to keep them safe, while also letting customers know how they can help businesses keep them safe.

Jaben’s already done a few Zoom meetings with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority regarding the initiative, and specifically focused on two of Haywood County’s biggest economic sectors, retail and lodging.

Briefings on restaurants will come next week, just as most restaurants, breweries and distilleries are reopening with special

restrictions under clarified guidance issued by Cooper on May 22.

The next day, Jaben spoke with The Smoky Mountain News about the flow of misinformation, current COVID-19 cases and how businesses, in conjunction with customers, can safely serve locals as well as the tourists that drive Haywood County’s economy.

The Smoky Mountain News: As you’ve been going about your work during this pandemic, which do you think is worse — the pandemic itself or the misinformation that’s being spread so widely?

think is probably the most damaging?

MJ: The most egregious thing for me is, the way our minds work we look at a situation and the more uncertainty there is in the situation, the more we try to connect the dots into a narrative that fits that situation. The most dangerous thing out of all of this is honestly people’s willingness to accept information that just confirms their current narrative, and

“we have to be on the ball. We have to keep our eyes on the prize.”

— Dr. Mark Jaben

either their unwillingness or inability to acknowledge what really is going on.

We had the case of a couple of people who went for their pre-surgery screenings. They were asymptomatic. They did not honor the fact that they were told to quarantine until the results came back. They came back positive. In the meantime, they had been to work, they had been to various places around the community, and that kind of lets the horse out of the barn, so to speak. This week, we [in Haywood County] now have two or three people testing positive who are older than 70, with underlying health issues. That’s the first that we’ve seen of that. So that’s worrisome.

Dr. Mark Jaben: I think the pandemic for sure because it’s the pandemic that really carries the risk to all of us. The question for all of us, I think, is how we’re going to respond to that. At what level do we think the risk is enough that an individual chooses to act or not act? The fact of the matter is, we could make all the recommendations that we want, but we can’t make people do things.

The varying degrees of misinformation just compound the difficulty for a person to really judge what their level of risk is, and therefore what they’re willing to do.

I think in Haywood County, we’ve tried to be putting out a consistent message to people. What’s really been a challenge is that the information from Haywood County may be consistent, but there’s statewide information, there’s national information, there’s the conspiracy theorists and the rumor mill.

SMN: It’s interesting, how all this complicates people’s ability to assess their own risk level. What have you seen out there that you

SMN: So what is really going on? The HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996] guidelines that protect people’s privacy are also a bit frustrating, because it’s only natural as a human being to want to know who’s been afflicted, how they got it, where they got it, where they went before they knew they had it.

MJ: In Haywood County the overwhelming majority of our cases have been people under 45 or 50, which is the age range that tends to do the best with the virus. That may very well explain why we haven’t really had any hospitalizations, we haven’t had any people on ventilators, we haven’t had any deaths.

I know a lot of people have said, “Hey, what is this worry about? You know, people get over it, what are we worried about here?”

I’ll tell you, I was on the phone this afternoon with a friend of ours who’s a critical care doctor in Asheville and they were telling me about who is in the hospital there, or on the ventilator. I wish that I could tell you more, but that would be a HIPAA violation. What I will tell you is that at least two of the people on the ventilator right now are people under the age of 40.

As soon as that spreads outside of the under-45 population, and it starts to get some of the older folks in the community, now that changes that equation.

SMN: With North Carolina now moving to phase 2 of Gov. Cooper’s three-phase plan, what’s the best way to ensure a quick and safe economic recovery in Haywood County? MJ: So now the rules of commerce forever have been changed.

You have a product or a service that a customer thinks is valuable enough to pay for, and the transaction is made. In the old days — I’ll call it B.C., “Before COVID” — nobody worried much about safety.

Now, number one as a business owner, you have to provide a safe space or nobody’s going to come in there, and number two, staff who work there need to be protected, but they also need to be part of providing a safe space. Customers obviously need to be protected, but you need the customers to help you provide a safe space.

All businesses have a part to play in the community being a safe space because frankly, if your community has a reputation of not being a safe space, people aren’t going to come to the community. So I think business owners have an interest in each other doing their part to make the community a safe space.

SMN: And what is this community doing to let people know that Haywood County is a safe space? F

Voting underway in NC 11 Second Primary

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

The March 3 Republican Primary Election for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District between 12 candidates hoping to represent the party in its bid to retain an important U.S. House seat resulted in no candidate achieving the required 30 percent threshold for victory, so a Second Primary — a “runoff,” in common parlance — will take place on Tuesday, June 23.

Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn, the top two finishers in the March 3 Primary Election, will compete for the right to face Democrat Moe Davis in November. Green Party candidate Tamara Zwinak and Libertarian Tracey DeBruhl are also running.

Whoever wins will replace Asheville Republican Mark Meadows, who represented the 17-county district for eight years until announcing he wouldn’t seek reelection on Dec. 19.

He’s since resigned from the seat altogether to become President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, leaving almost all of Western North Carolina without a member of Congress since March 30.

The runoff was originally slated for May 12, but was postponed for six weeks on March 20 by the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

The June 23 Second Primary is open to all registered Republicans, as well as regis-

MJ: I think people going out to businesses, going out to restaurants, I’m all for it if we’re careful. If in our carefulness, we’re successful, then hey, I’m all for that. I think that’s great. But we have to be on the ball. We have to keep our eyes on the prize, and the “We Are a Safe Space” initiative is an opportunity for the business community to really help the public health community so we can protect health and keep the economy open.

SMN: And what does the “We Are a Safe Space” initiative entail?

MJ: We created what we call the CCC — the Contract to Contain COVID. It is a check sheet that would help a business owner design their business in a way that fits within a framework of those new rules. What we would like to see is for people to adopt that, post it at their front door, or front window, so it becomes something that the customers can see.

Also contained in that are expectations for what the customer could do to help. When businesses in the community adopt this sort of approach, then it becomes important for everybody in the communi-

tered independents who either did not vote in the March 3 Primary Election, or voted Republican.

The period to request an absentee ballot has been underway since Friday, May 8. Get yours online or from your local board of elections, and return it by mail or in person before Friday, June 16. No reason is needed for civilian absentee voting, but overseas citizens or members of the armed forces must use a different form, provided by the federal government. In-person early voting will take place from Thursday, June 4, through Saturday, June 20. Times and locations vary by county.

A press release from the NCSBE dated May 7 says that significant precautions will be taken to safeguard the health of both voters and poll workers.

Those precautions include masks, face shields and gloves for poll workers, masks for voters who do not bring their own, single use pens and cotton swabs, enforced social distancing in lines, hand sanitizer for voters as well as poll workers, protective barriers at check-in tables and ample cleaning supplies for disinfection before, during and after the election.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 23. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Procedures may vary by county, so check back in with The Smoky Mountain News for important updates, or call your county board of elections. To learn more, visit www.ncsbe.gov.

ty to adopt that, and so in that way, each business helps each other business to do their part. It helps to get the customers on board to do their part and lets people know that this is a place you can come into where we can transact business in a safe way.

I would emphasize to people that this is an opportunity to be responsible to the community, to be responsible to your place of work, to be responsible to your family, to really take this seriously.

We’ve been lulled by our success in Haywood County into believing that maybe this [pandemic] isn’t a big deal, but we’re just a hop, skip and a jump away from it potentially becoming a big deal, and if we could be successful like we have been, then we don’t have to face that.

We know that increased risk comes with increased contact between people, and obviously opening up is increasing the contact, so we’re turning up the heat. Is what people have been doing up until now sufficient to still keep the lid on, or will it actually take more people adopting these measures to keep the lid on? We’re going to find that out in the next few weeks.

WAYNESVILLETIRE,INC.

MONDAY-FRIDAY7:30-5:00•WAYNESVILLEPLAZA

Ingles Nutrition Notes

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

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• The Ingles Advantage card will help save on every shopping trip. (See your local store for a card.) Look for your Advantage special pricing on shelf tags.

• Use your Advantage card when purchasing food and prescription items. This earns points towards lowering your fuel prices at our fuel stations.

• Check weekly deals in our circular or online ads www.ingles-markets.comand watch for #AdInspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages for ideas. Check the Ingles Table magazine in the Deli or recipes on our website.

• Sign up for Advantage Mail and receive one weekly email with deals tailored to your typical purchases.

• Store brands like Laura Lynn and Harvest Farms save money.

• BOGO/B1G1 – when Buy One Get One deals are available, buy, stock your pantry or freezer and save.

• Check the unit price on the shelf tag so you aren't fooled by the container/package.

What a ride

Born after 9/11, graduating during

the pandemic

Who would have thought the year 2020 could be so negative, life-changing but also filled with so much joy?

I have patiently waited my turn for the many celebratory Pisgah High School senior traditions. Wearing a red cap and gown as my fellow seniors walk down the halls to loud cheering in our previous elementary and middle school. Hugging our teachers and giving high fives to younger students telling them to “work hard and graduate!” The senior picnic celebration after the group senior 2020 class photo. Spending one last day together eating and hanging out before heading off in different directions.

The event I was looking forward to the most was College

Cherokee show greed toward other tribes

To the Editor:

The entire article on the Cherokee suing over the Catawba casino proves that the only reason for the Cherokee to object to the Catawba casino is greed. If they would make money from it, there would be no objections. They did the same to prevent a casino in coastal North Carolina. And the non-N.C. Cherokee need to stay out of N.C. affairs. This can easily be settled. Allow non-native run casinos in the state. Besides, the Cherokee casino is not even owned by a state corporation.

Gino De Neef Franklin

Vigilante justice can’t be tolerated

To the Editor:

On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was jogging in a residential Brunswick, Georgia, neighborhood, was murdered by a group of white men who said they thought he was suspicious looking. The local police took no action for 70 days, until the press got involved, leaving them no choice but to arrest those responsible.

On May 3, 2020, in New Hanover County, an armed mob including an off-duty deputy sheriff knocked on the door and threatened to forcefully enter the home of a black family, claiming to be looking for a missing girl in the

Signing Day. Seniors going onto their chosen college sign a commitment paper in front of the entire school. Instead, my College Signing Day was the COVID-19 way. Social Media pictures of me jumping up in the driveway at my house with balloons with East Tennessee State colors and wearing my college T-shirt. I chose to create my own joy for that moment.

Being social and an extrovert, I really was excited for prom. And yes, I had already bought my dress, trying to be positive and hopeful for lifted COVID restrictions. What did help ease the pain was the fun of a “fake prom.” A friend threw a backyard prom with a great dinner, hanging out with music, changing out of quarantine clothes and making a different memory.

Athletes who had their spring sports canceled were honored during a stadium lights night of students driving cars, honking horns and holding up homemade signs.

LETTERS

neighborhood. No girl was there and it was the wrong home, but the family was terrified as their lives were threatened by this vigilante gang of thugs.

Incidents like these are too common, sometimes with the silence or encouragement of the highest elected officials.

Whether you are the editor of a newspaper, an elected official, or just a person who believes in basic justice, the rule of law and the sanctity of human rights in our nation, it’s time to stand against those who take the law into their own hands through acts of racial hatred, intimidation and domestic terrorism.

Avram Friedman Sylva

We need Moe Davis in Congress

To the Editor:

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed many societal issues in our country — inadequate healthcare, the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, racial injustice, a lack of funding for our educational institutions, extreme partisan bickering, etc. You might say there’s another kind of virus out there that we need to address.

In order to address the virus in the 11th Congressional District of North Carolina, a representative who knows how to get things done is needed. That man is Morris (Moe)

My college orientation was canceled, so everything has been online. All of America can relate to that. I have had a couple of meetings through Zoom with ETSU faculty and staff, to make sure I’m on the right track.

I’ve tried not to be negative through this tough time. I am trying to keep my chin up and just enjoy the little things. I chose my outlook on things even when things did not go according to the plan.

I enjoyed spending more time with my family before I go off to college. And, when my family drives me insane, I can go outside in our beautiful mountains to take a walk.

The class of 2020 will always have a unique bond. Born right after 9/11 and graduating during a pandemic. I’m so thankful that I was a student at Pisgah High School, grateful that I had the best teachers who provided a great educational experience and taught me life skills.

As Pisgah alumni always say, “Once a black bear always a black bear!” Congrats to the class of 2020!

(Molly Boothroyd will attend ETSU in the fall, in whatever form those classes are held.)

Davis. A Shelby native who graduated from Appalachian State University and North Carolina Central Law School, Davis spent 25 years in the Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. During his Air Force days, he worked as a chief prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay and ended up resigning from his position rather than obtain evidence through torture. He’s stood up for the right to free speech and has also worked as a national security specialist for the Congressional Research Service, worked as a law professor and a judge, among other positions. Davis has the experience, leadership ability and know-

how to get things done.

The many issues Davis wants to address include gradually implementing a public option healthcare plan that puts people above corporate profits, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, strengthening public schools and investing in infrastructure to bring more broadband access and jobs to Western North Carolina. You can learn more at moedavisforcongress.com.

As Moe would say, “It’s always the right time to do the right thing.”

Air the laundry. The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786

The oh-so-sweet sound of bat and baseball

When our son, Jack, joined the high school marching band, he promptly announced his official retirement from baseball, unceremoniously closing the book on a 10-year career — from tee ball to senior league — that included at least a hundred games and untold thousands of practices, including those earliest ones in our back yard, where I taught him, among other things, how to turn his glove to catch the ball and how to shift his weight when swinging the bat.

Although I knew the end was probably near a couple of years ago, when the day finally came, it hit me harder than a Randy Johnson fastball. I had him pegged as a baseball all-star 20 minutes after he was born, his head cradled in my right hand, his entire body about the length of my forearm, his fingernails no bigger than paint specks.

“You see that grip?” I asked his mother when he wrapped his long, bluish-purple fingers around my index finger. “He’s got the hands to be something special. He’s got the look, I can just tell.”

We had some great years playing ball, though like a lot of kids, his interest in the game waxed and waned. Some weeks, he’d pester us every day until we took him out to the ballfield. Other weeks, we had to lecture him on the importance of going to practice and being a good teammate when he’d rather stay home and play on his Xbox. You know, commitment to learning the fundamentals, the necessity of putting in his reps in the batting cage, that sort of thing. He’d groan, and then drag his gear out of the closet, clump out the door in his cleats, and heave his bag into the trunk of the car as if disposing of a dead body.

So many years, so many teams. The pictures, the trophies, the team cookouts and pizza parties. Of course, the games were the best, and we knew enough to savor them all. After big wins, we’d go celebrate at Shoney’s with a hot fudge cake. Or if Jack had a gamewinning hit or had an especially good game, we’d hit the Chinese buffet and discuss the game’s highlights like ESPN analysts.

When he was invited to try out for the high school marching band drumline as an eighth-grader, Jack jumped at the chance. Suddenly, he was drumming on everything — countertops, dishes, the bathroom door, his bedroom window, the nearest dog.

He not only lost interest in playing baseball, he lost interest in sports altogether, even video games we’d been playing together for years. When he was 5 years old, I’d let him win in baseball or basketball. When he was 14, he’d let me win. Sometimes.

Last fall when I was cleaning out the basement, I found his enormous bag of

baseball gear — two bats, his catching equipment, about a dozen weathered, grassstained baseballs, a wadded-up batting glove — all of it long neglected, forgotten, just occupying space among the boxes, old toys, a princess lamp, and a long vacant hamster cage. Surely some kid would love the baseball stuff. I made a mental note to sell it all on Craigslist come spring. Then the coronavirus changed life as we knew it, so there was suddenly no more baseball, no more market for baseball gear.

We’ve done all kinds of things during quarantine to pass the time. I taught everyone to play Poker, Spades, Hearts, Gin Rummy and Blackjack over mugs of hot chocolate or tea, while regaling them with stories of my late father’s card-playing prowess. We’ve worked on home improvement projects. Inspired by his artistic mother, Jack has even begun to draw, paint, and go out very early in the morning to take photographs with the Canon that I got his mom for Christmas 10 years ago. We believe he has a flair.

Then, one afternoon about a month ago, he popped in the bedroom while I was eating lunch and watching “The Andy Griffith Show” and said, “Hey, dad, we ought to go out to the field and hit some baseballs.”

“Really?” I said, genuinely shocked. “I thought you were retired?”

“I just thought it would be fun.”

“Better go downstairs and get your gear then,” I said.

The Elks field — the field of dreams and of memories — was deserted when we got there, except for a couple of groundhogs scampering out of right field as we unloaded the car. It had been two or three years since we’d been on this field. It seemed a little smaller than we remembered, but was otherwise just as we left it.

Jack’s bat looked tiny in his hands, almost weird, like a man brandishing a strange cooking utensil. He’s a foot taller and 30 pounds heavier than the last time he swung it. But after two or three wild pitches and two or three more off-kilter swings, he suddenly locked into his stance and rhythm like pieces of a puzzle settling into place, and then he began launching my pitches deep into the outfield. Same familiar stance, same placid expression that he has worn to the plate since he was 7 years old.

I have no idea how long this will last. We’ve been going just about every day that the weather allows for the past several weeks. I ordered some new balls. He wants a bat that fits him. When band camp comes — if it comes — in August, this may well go ‘poof.’ Who can say?

I have always preferred the crack of a wooden bat, but the ping of an aluminum bat piercing a small breeze on a perfect May afternoon is its own kind of music. These days, that music is especially sweet. (Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com)

Support a safe community by implementing prevention activities, promoting safe choices, and reducing unsafe conditions for our children and families.

Contact Trish Hipgrave (828) 488-3198 ext. 2027 trish.hipgrave@swaincountync.gov

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2020

The Catamount School, a school for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Jackson County, is accepting 6th, 7th and 8th grade registrations for the 2020-21 school year. Operated by Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions in cooperation with Jackson County Public Schools, The Catamount School is designed to explore innovative teaching approaches and applied learning opportunities in order to help every student discover his or her full academic potential. The school is a public lab school operated on the campus of Smoky Mountain High School and is free to accepted students and their families.

Appeasing the melodic sweet tooth

The Get Right Band unleashes ‘Itchy Soul’

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER

For a group whose core mission is to promote positivity and compassion, The Get Right Band has found its ideals tested and pushed to the brink during the current Coronavirus Pandemic.

“I mean, I think our positivity is always being tested. Regardless of the band, the three of us as individuals really try to see the best in things and the best in situations — to stay positive,” said lead singer/guitarist Silas Durocher. “And one of the many things I love about working with and playing with [bassist] Jesse Gentry and [drummer] JC Mears is that they help me to live by their example of positivity. Even the regular stuff in the music industry can beat you down — we’ve been tested, but we won’t be broken.”

An Asheville-based power rock and soul trio, The Get Right Band has been honing its signature live sound in bars, breweries and cafes for the better part of the last decade. And though it continues to be an uphill battle for notoriety and wider audiences, the group’s latest release, “Itchy Soul,” is a shot across the

bow from an act that’s quickly gaining wellearned attention around the Southeast.

Diving into “Itchy Soul,” it’s an album swirling with every angle of rock music fused with indie, reggae, funk and pop sensibilities. Throughout the 14-song record, it’s a rollercoaster of sound, one which purposely pushes itself out of the stereo speakers. It demands to be heard and felt through soothing vibrations and poignant wordplay — wear headphones and wear this album out.

The irony of “Itchy Soul” is that it’s a shiny, well-oiled studio release, but seamlessly has been able capture the collaborative fire and improvisational magic of three musicians who thrive in a live setting — a bright and intricate snapshot of a band ready and roaring to bust into the national scene.

Smoky Mountain News: A lot of bands decided to not release albums right now due to the pandemic and not being able to tour. But, I feel like this would the ideal time to put a record out — folks now have time to sit and actually listen…

Silas Durocher: Totally. We’ve seen a lot of bands delay their release because of the quarantine. But, we barely even discuss that. It’s such a long process to make a record. I mean, we started actually recording in January 2019, and probably really started working on it a few

“We’re

definitely one of those bands that still holds onto some traditional sense of the full album, as opposed to just making songs that can be grabbed for singles or playlists.”

— Silas Durocher

months before that. Some of these songs we’d been playing for a couple years before that at shows. And regardless of the business perspective, we’re too excited to sit on it any longer — we’ve got to get it out in the world. We’re definitely one of those bands that still holds onto some traditional sense of the full album, as opposed to just making songs that can be grabbed for singles or playlists, though we know that’s the reality of the world we live in. But, we still put a lot of effort and creative focus into making a full album that can ideally be listened to front to back.

SMN: With the album title, “Itchy Soul,” what is that supposed to symbolize?

SD: It’s a reflection on the idea of that inexplicable sense of agitation we get sometimes, where it just feels like I’m on some sort of existential level. You’ve got an itch that you can’t scratch, which plays out in terms of insecurity or wanting to be in a different place in your life, and you’re [dealing with] the various forces in the world — politics, government, teachers, gatekeepers or whatever keeps you from fulfilling your full potential or whatever is controlling you.

SMN: The band always seems to roll with the punches and keep hustling into the next level. Where does that work ethic come from within the group?

SD: Honestly, I don’t know where it comes from. It’s just inherent. It’s in my personality to want to hustle. And it’s kind of a twofold thing with the band. This is what we love, it’s our job and our business. But, we’re also obsessed with music making music, recording albums, connecting with listeners and gaining new fans. So, the hustle is like, “Why are you eating all that candy?” Well, because it’s delicious and I love candy. [Laughs].

SMN: It’s one of those things where you must’ve had a conversation with yourself years ago that, hell or high water, this is what you’re going to do, and that everything else is just details ….

SD: Right. And then that’s the other half of it — the business end. We have a lot to be happy about and we’ve hit a lot of career milestones. There’s a lot we’re very grateful for, but we’re also a long way from where we want to be in our careers. We’d like to be doing this at a bigger level for bigger crowds and a bigger fan base.

You know, it’s an insane endeavor from a statistical standpoint. The number of people that want to hit a certain kind of level of success in [the music industry] versus the number of people who actually do is insane. You’d have to be insane to go after those kinds of odds. So, we’re that kind of insane already. But, then I just feel like we’ve got to do everything we can to at least increase those odds. Even if it’s going from one-in-a-million to seven-in-amillion, I’m still going hustle my ass off to get those odds up a little bit — try to have the band be everywhere, try to find every fan that might be into us and connect with them.

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Time and time and time again, circles break and lines they bend

Iawoke to the sounds of tractor-trailers zooming by on the other side of the motel parking lot. It was a Super 8 right off Interstate 84, just outside the town of Maybrook, New York.

Last Thursday morning and about another seven hours of driving by the time I’d finally roll into the driveway of my parents’ 1840 farmhouse up near the Canadian border. Normally, the drive would be about four hours or so. But, I had to make a detour, which was to pick up my new ukulele at a music store in Northampton, Massachusetts.

I-84 over the state line and into Connecticut. It dawned on me that I hadn’t passed through The Constitution State in several years. During four years of my life, I lived and went college at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. And though Connecticut is a very small state on the map, it’s actually quite splendid: aesthetically, culturally, historically, artistically.

Right around Newtown, my stomach growled, hungry for breakfast. Tracking down The Blue Colony diner, I ordered probably my most favorite meal, ever. Eggs. Bacon. Buttered toast. Homefries with onions.

before hitting up the college bars or some backwoods kegger and bonfire in the depths of the ancient Berkshire Mountains.

Those dusty memories of college continued to flow across my field of vision when I finally cruised into Northampton. This was home of the stunning Calvin Theater, where I’d seen several unforgettable concerts (most notably Martin Sexton) when I was a young music freak in search of the sound and the way.

This is also where the Iron Horse Music Hall is located, the site of my first real deal sit-down music interview, which was with bluegrass legend Peter Rowan. I was 21 years old, with the conversation published by (the now-defunct) State of Mind Music Magazine. When I held that physical issue in my hands and saw my by-line, I knew what I wanted to do with my life — write and wander.

Entering Mills River Music & Guitar Shop, I pulled my mask over my face and excitedly waited for my dream ukulele, a Kala Ziricote Baritone. Exchanging pleasantries with owner/luthier Jon behind the counter, he asked where I was from. When I said Western North Carolina, he mentioned that his best friend and former bandmate lived in Asheville. Turns out that guy is also a music industry friend of mine. Small world, eh?

Jumping onto Route 9, it was a rural backcountry trek to cross back over into New York and onto I-87 to Plattsburgh. With the Berkshire Mountains cradling my drive, I thought of nearby Williamstown, Massachusetts.

I’ve eaten that meal in diners and breakfast joints all over America. Hell, I even won a first-place award from the Idaho Press Club in 2008 for a feature story on this exact dish. The article also sparked an ongoing controversy in the small Eastern Idaho ski town I lived and worked in at the time. But, that tale is for another time.

And it was at diners like The Blue Colony during college where I not only fell in love with books, but also learned how to write. I would sit in the Acropolis Diner near campus in Hamden for hours, simply reading Jack Kerouac or Hunter Thompson, all while scribbling wildly in my journal over endless cups of coffee. I would get lost in the written word, something that (happily) still occurs to this day.

Somewhere on I-91 near Hartford, I started having flashbacks about that same drive, whether it was heading home from college for the holidays or visiting friends in Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont.

A sign soon appeared at the state line for Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and I thought of my friend Ali who grew up there, and those few weekends I spent with her family before we graduated and went our separate ways.

Ali went to the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and I’d wander up there from Quinnipiac to party with her and my soul sister, Jackie, who transferred out of our school to “Zoo Mass” after my sophomore year. It was secret beers in the dorms

A serene New England community, I remember watching a Williams College football game in Williamstown with my dad when I was a teenager. And how on the drive home, we talked about me someday attending Williams (home to the “Purple Cows”), maybe running cross-country for the school, my parents cheering me on.

Before I reached I-87, I had planned on finding an Appalachian Trail crossing in Western Massachusetts to go for a late afternoon hike/run. That crossing was found in the small town of Dalton. A few streetlights, gas stations and restaurants, that was about it. But, most importantly, it’s the current home to an old, dear friend: Niki.

After finishing a gloriously sweaty AT trot, I pulled into Niki’s driveway as she left her porch to greet my arrival (at a safe distance). It has been almost exactly eight years since I’d last seen her. Hadn’t aged a day. That signature smile and laugh still intact.

The last time we’d crossed paths (2012), I was at crossroads: do I go to graduate school in New York for creative writing or do I take the leap and accept this arts and entertainment gig at The Smoky Mountain News in Waynesville? And there we were, almost a decade later, catching up like I’d just seen her yesterday. It’s those kinds of interactions and that kind of friendship that is a key ingredient to a life well lived.

Two hours of conversation passed by in what seemed like two minutes. Eventually, I bid her farewell. Until next time, my dear. Back into the pickup truck. Onward to Plattsburgh and the old farmhouse. The journey continues, as it always does for those with head held high, whose stride remains light.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

A meeting of two great minds

Looking for a reading challenge and something with a little depth to it? If so, then I’ve got the book for you. I’ve always had a curious nature and have a “want to know” mind and have an interest in physics, metaphysics and religious thought. And what we have in The Quantum and the Lotus is a meeting of the minds discussing those three schools of thought. Matthieu Ricard was a molecular biologist in France who became a Buddhist monk now living in Kathmandu, Nepal. Trinh Xuan Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in Vietnam and is now an acclaimed astrophysicist teaching at the University of Virginia here in the U.S. Interesting, the reversing of roles early on.

Lotus reads like a textbook related to the two main subjects of this conversation. We go deep into the world and language of quantum

Since then, both have written many books and become leaders in their respective fields. The Quantum and the Lotus is an inquisitive but comprehensible conversation between these two remarkable men searching through questions such as: did the universe have a beginning; is there a divine Creator; what are the similarities and the differences between Buddhist and scientific thought where reality is concerned?

In a book that highlights how our spirits and knowledge of the world are mutally enlightening and empowering, none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said of this book: “This remarkable book will contribute greatly to a better understanding of the true nature of our world and the way we live our lives.” So, buckle up and come with me for a few minutes and we’ll take a short ride through this stimulating and mindexpanding journey of inquisition and discovery.

In some ways, The Quantum and the

physics as well as into the thinking and language of ancient Buddhist philosophy (which also includes texts and contemplation of modern science and micro and macro biology and physics). In an early discussion between Ricard and Thuan the subject of interdependence is bantered about at length and a quote from Einstein is offered up as a starter, which states, “A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘Universe’. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as some-

thing separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” To Einstein’s statement, Thuan, the physicist says, “Interdependence must be the fundamental Law and science can’t describe it yet.” Ricard, the Buddhist, responds, “All sentient beings with whom we are all related through interdependence, wish to be happy and to escape suffering.”

The next topic Ricard and Thuan tackle is the question of Reality itself and whether what we perceive is indeed stationary solid matter (particles) or some kind of illusion or dream (waves). Through scientific terminology and Buddhist theological jargon we get statements like this from Ricard: “Only the relationships between objects exist, and not the objects themselves — objects are relationships.” And then a statement like this from Thuan: “As the Buddhist texts say, ‘Because of a lack of critical inquiry, we eagerly accept that things are as they seem. But, if the seed of something is unreal, how can the sprout be real.” As you can see, there are more questions here than answers. But the parlez and parlance between these two highly intelligent men takes the reader into a higher state of consciousness and inquiry.

Then we get to the question of Creation and of a Godhead. The debate of “chance” ver-

sus a “plan.” Here we see some difference of opinion. Ricard says, “Buddhism does not believe that anything can be the cause of itself. There is no reason to suppose that the world had a beginning at all. The idea that things must have a beginning is due to the poverty of our imagination.” To which Thuan responds, “I believe that the ‘principle of organization’ (i.e. a Creator) wanted to create a conscious, intelligent observer. I believe this is why our universe was set up to evolve in the manner it has.” And the conversation as to an existence of a seminal singular Big Bang or a creator God goes on for many pages, back and forth, between the scientist and the Buddhist.

Finally we come back down to earth and the discussion centers around the idea of beauty and the Earth itself and its preservation, to which Thuan says, “Another factor that sets me against the ‘chance hypothesis’ is that I can’t imagine that the world’s profound beauty and harmony could have been produced at random. Our universe is beautiful. The universe is harmonious because the laws that govern it don’t vary either in time or in space.” And Ricard punctuates Thuan’s statement with his own words and sentiments by saying, “We are all responsible for our Earth and must save it from the ecological disaster that we’re inflicting on it. William Blake expressed the global nature of the cosmos beautifully in the following lines: “To see a World in a Grain of Sand/And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,/Hold infinity in the palm of your hand/And eternity in an hour.” Ricard and Thuan discuss many other topics of expansive, yet interesting, depth in this book. But none may, for us humans at this moment, be any more important than the one just cited.

Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor to The Smoky Mountain News. He is the author of In Their Own Words: A Living Legacy (Interviews With American Poets) . He lives in the Tuckasegee community of Jackson County and can be reached at newnativepress@hotmail.com

ENSLEY TIRE SERVICE

Second Lady Pence visits the Smokies

Applauds reopening, mental health benefits of outdoor recreation

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Visiting Clingmans Dome is like being in the clouds, Second Lady Karen Pence said when she visited the site Tuesday, May 19 — and she certainly wasn’t wrong.

On a clear day, the views from the top of the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s highest point extend for 100 miles, and while the aforementioned clouds and accompanying rain slashed that range by roughly 99 percent, Pence said that was more than enough to appreciate the place’s beauty.

“The sound of the wind, the sound of the rain on the tent, the trees overhead and the soft, earthy feel of the ground underneath our feet — not only are these experiences enjoyable to have, but they’re good for us too,” she said.

The Smokies is the most visited national

park in the country, and the largest east of the Mississippi — Pence made her visit in recognition of the park’s entrance into the second phase of reopening. It was the Smokies’ first presidential visit since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the park in 1940.

Prior to her May 19 remarks at the Clingmans Dome Parking Area, Pence and Deputy Secretary of the Interior Katherine MacGregor opened the gate that had closed Clingmans Dome Road to public visitation, and on Saturday, May 23, even more previously closed roads and trails reopened.

IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS

As the rain fell, about 55 mask-wearing people representing federal, state and local leadership in both Tennessee and North Carolina gathered underneath a tent erected on the parking lot to hear remarks from Pence, MacGregor and Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash. Afterward, the group walked the steep half-mile trail up to the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower.

“We recognize the importance of this space, and we have worked hard as caretakers to ensure that we protect it for the generations of today, and those that are to follow us,” said Cash. “This special place, like all national parks across the country, provides an important place for recreation, restoration and also for renewal. And that has never been more important than now.”

Pence and MacGregor both focused on the park’s beauty and the importance of outdoor recreation, both for mental and physical health and for the region’s economy.

“Access and opportunities to public lands are incredibly important to those who wish to

Park enters second phase of reopening

The opening of Clingmans Dome Road on Tuesday, May 19, was followed by an additional wave of reopenings on Saturday, May 23. The second phase means that all park trails are now open, as are several previously closed roads — Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Big Creek Road, Cosby Road, Greenbrier Road to Ramsey Cascades Trailhead and Tremont Road. Also open are the Big Creek and Cosby picnic areas, as well as the picnic pavilions at Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek and Metcalf Bottoms. Permits can now be given for gatherings of up to 20 people for periods of up to 60 minutes.

While all trails are open — including backcountry campsites and shelters, though with reduced capacity — A.T. thru-hiker permits are still not available. Trillium Gap Trail is closed Monday through Thursday each week from Grotto Falls to Mt. LeConte due to trail work. Visitor centers, campgrounds and the Smoky Mountain Riding Stables remain closed, though other concessions have opened. Roads that are still closed to motor vehicles are open to pedestrians and cyclists. These include Abrams Creek Road, Balsam Mountain Road, Cataloochee Road, Elkmont Road, Forge Creek Road, Heintooga Round Bottom Road, Highway 284, Little

Greenbrier Road, Rich Mountain Road, Straight Fork Road and Twentymile Road.

The park entered its first phase of reopening on Saturday, May 9, providing access to more than 50 trailheads as well as core park roads.

“The park was busy during our first phase of reopening across the park,” said Smokies spokesperson Dana Soehn. “For the most part, the reports on the trails were that people were able to have an experience in solitude and there was plenty of opportunity for social distancing. For people who chose to hike some of the more popular trails like Rainbow Falls Trail, there were a lot of reports that at the destinations themselves there was congestion, so it was a little bit difficult to spread out.”

Despite those issues witnessed at more popular areas, Smokies leadership decided to enter the second phase of reopening and to include in that renewed access to other extremely popular trails, such as Alum Cave, Chimney Tops and Laurel Falls.

“It’s a cultural shift for all of us, so we feel like it’s important that people have access to the trails and we give them a chance to try to enjoy them responsibly,” said Soehn.

visit and recreate as well as to the local economies who should continue to thrive as neighbors to our parks,” said MacGregor.

For fiscal year 2019, the National Park Service estimated that the Smokies’ 12.5 million annual visitors generated nearly $1 billion in visitor spending and supported more than 13,000 jobs in gateway communities, MacGregor said. Outdoor recreation accounts for an estimated 2.2 percent of the nation’s GDP, equating to roughly $430 million.

“The majority of our parks and an overwhelming majority of our 500 million acres of public lands entrusted to our management in Interior have remained accessible throughout this pandemic so people could use CDC’s guidance and get outside,” MacGregor said. “We’ve worked alongside state and local public health officials, which has led to some of our parks taking in some cases the extraordinary measures of closing, sometimes at the request of local communities.”

While smaller, less-visited national parks like Gates of the Arctic in Alaska remained open during the pandemic, most of the larger, more-visited parks like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain — and the Smokies — did restrict access in response to coronavirus concerns.

Today is a happy day,” MacGregor added. “Today we’re here to transition to phased reopening side-by-side with our state partners.”

Not everyone agrees with that characterization. The park’s reopening has drawn dissent from the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association.

“With its cascading waterfalls and blooming wildflowers, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in spring-

All visitors should maintain at least 6 feet between themselves and others, pack in and out everything they may need for the day, start early to avoid crowds, avoid hiking at crowded trailheads and stay home if not feeling well or having had contact with a COVID19-positive person.

“It’s important for everyone to know that we’re still learning. We’re still adapting to the realities of social distancing and to the new realities as to how we’re safely going to interact with and welcome the millions of visitors that come to the Smokies,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash in remarks made during Second Lady Karen Pence’s visit May 19.

The Smokies is planning a four-phase reopening, with each phase lasting for at least two weeks. June 7 is the earliest possible date for Phase 3, and in the meantime Smokies leadership is working to bring back as many as possible of the roughly 100 seasonal staff it hires each year. While the need for seasonal workers has not been lessened by the pandemic — if anything, it’s increased due to the need for increased cleaning of public facilities, said Soehn — the park expects to hire fewer workers due to reduced capacity to house those workers while complying with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

For that reason, said Soehn, the park is especially interested in hiring local workers who won’t require Park Service housing.

time draws so many crowds that it’s become the most-visited park in the nation. Unfortunately, crowds come with incredible risk right now,” said Southeast Regional Director David Lamfrom. “Karen Pence’s visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park downplays the risks of visiting a crowded park. When people learn that the vice president’s wife visited the park, they may believe it is safe for them to visit over the long weekend. It’s not.”

Lamfrom pointed out that COVID-19 cases in both North Carolina and Tennessee have increased over the past week, and that the CDC is recommending that people avoid visiting crowded areas where it’s difficult or impossible to maintain social distance.

“Park managers are working diligently to safely reopen the Smokies, but without adequate PPE for staff at the park and a guarantee that visitors can properly social distance, it is not yet safe for the park to operate with an influx of visitors,” said Lamfrom. “We all miss visiting our national parks, but we cannot allow Great Smokies National Park to become a vector for COVID-19.”

LODGING BEGINS RECOVERY FOLLOWING REOPENING

Lodging figures for parkside communities indicate that the park’s reopening is already spurring tourism to the area, though levels are still far below what is typical for this time of year. In Jackson County, Smith Travel Research data showed that hotels were at 36.6 percent occupancy for the month of April, compared to 62.4 percent for the same period in 2019. However, that figure jumped to 44.7 percent for the week of May 10-16 following the park’s initial reopening May 9 — for the same period in 2019, occupancy was at 60.9 percent.

In Haywood County, Smith Travel Research Data for hotels showed occupancy at 19.8 percent for the month of April, compared to 53.8 percent last year, though AirDNA data looking at occupancy for vacation rentals through Airbnb and VRBO said visitation was slightly up, at 45.4 percent versus 44.4 percent last April. Haywood County did not have any May data available.

No occupancy rate data was available for Swain County, but Swain County Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Mary Ann Baker said lodging taxes were down 82 percent in March and 73 percent in April as compared to 2019 levels, but that she anticipates the park’s reopening will help those numbers recover.

“Lodging owners and managers report that since May 9, they have seen a steady flow of reservations, and many were booked for the Memorial Day weekend,” said Baker.

Pence said that the measures Americans have taken over the past months have made a difference, but that it’s now time to implement a plan to reopen the country.

“Thanks to the sacrifices that we’ve made to social distance during this pandemic, the Coronavirus Task Force has received reports showing that our efforts have slowed the

spread,” Pence said. “As we continue to put the health and safety of Americans first, the President outlined a plan to open up America again, and Governors Bill Lee and Roy Cooper are playing an important role in taking the necessary steps to help get America back to work.”

It’s been “inspiring,” said Pence, to see people put the health of friends, family, neighbors and even complete strangers first by practicing social distancing guidelines, and Americans should continue to follow those guidelines even as places like the Smokies reopen.

“The Great Smoky Mountains offer half a million acres to explore,” said Pence. “Half a million acres to explore — there’s plenty of opportunity there to practice your social distancing. There’s no reason why you need to be right on top of someone else.”

MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH

Pence also highlighted the mental health benefits of time outdoors, which are especially important during this time of stress and uncertainty.

“Spending quality time in the great outdoors reduces stress, calms anxiety and can lead to a lower risk of depression,” she said, referencing a study from Stanford University. “More than ever before we must ensure that we’re taking care of ourselves and we’re taking care of each other.”

Pence is the lead ambassador for the interagency task force PREVENTS, which stands for President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force is in the midst of a public health awareness campaign called “More Than Ever Before,” which is designed to encourage people to care for their mental health to combat stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic.

Since the pandemic began, calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line have increased, and an overall increase in mental health challenges is anticipated, said Pence. But, she added, with that challenge comes an opportunity.

“Our new normal has caused stress and anxiety, but right now is an opportunity to take this stigma away, because everybody is feeling anxiety,” she said. “Everybody is feeling the stresses of being cooped up and inside and not at work and having business challenges. So it’s the perfect opportunity for people to feel comfortable coming forward.”

Pence encouraged Americans to check in with themselves every day to assess their mental wellbeing, to engage in activities that give them joy and to talk about their struggles and successes. They should also look out for those around them, and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.8255 if they’re worried about themselves or someone they love.

“This is as critical as washing our hands, maintaining physical distance and other measures that help prevent the spread of the virus,” she said. “This also isn’t an option.”

Forest plan open house coming up

The U.S. Forest Service will hold a virtual open house to provide information on the proposed Nantahala and Pisgah forest plan from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 28.

To join, call 888.251.2949 or 215.861.0694 using access code 3889103#.

Additional virtual open houses will be held:

n Tuesday, June 2, 7:30-9 a.m.

n Thursday, June 4, 5:30-7 p.m.

video, a visual reader’s guide, an overview presentation, detailed presentations, questions and answers on multiple topics and interactive maps. Submit questions in advance by email to sm.fs.nfsncqandas@usda.gov.

Originally slated to end May 14, the public

n Monday, June 8, noon-1:30 p.m.

Similar to an open house meeting, information will be organized by topics such as recreation, wildlife, timber and wilderness. In addition to the proposed plan and analysis, a full suite of supporting materials is already online, including a two-minute introductory

comment period for the Nantahala and Pisgah forest plan has been extended through June 29 in response to disruption caused by the coronavirus.

For more information, including supporting materials and instructions for submitting questions and comments, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.

Joyce Kilmer road closed to parking

Parking or leaving a vehicle along the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Road in Graham County is now prohibited, according to a recent decision from the U.S Forest Service.

The access road is very narrow with almost no shoulder, and while there is normally sufficient parking in the parking lot a recent increase in visitation has led to roadside parking, creating hazardous conditions for vehicles entering and exiting the lot.

A.T. open in four states

Appalachian Trail trailheads and access points on U.S. Forest Service lands in the Southeast reopened on Friday, May 22.

This coordinated reopening includes the Nantahala and Pisgah national forest as well as the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia, Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the George Washington and Jefferson national forests in Virginia. However, the Triple Crown in Virginia, which includes Dragon’s Tooth trailhead, will remain closed.

The announcement comes as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has updated its guidance for hikers. The organization still recommends that thru-hikers postpone their trips and asks that other hikers explore trails that are close to home with groups of no more than six people. The ATC also asks hikers to carry a mask and hand sanitizer with them and to avoid stopping in trailside communities.

“As warmer weather takes hold and some states’ stay-at-home orders are rolled back or expire, we understand that many people are anxious to return to public lands like the Appalachian Trail,” said President and CEO Sandra Marra. “We believe the sci-

entific information has become clearer on how to keep yourself and those around you safe from COVID-19, though we still encourage everyone to use an abundance of caution and practice social distancing wherever possible.”

While the national forest trails will open, restrooms and shelters will remain closed. As work to open trails and roads continues, services will be limited and there may be a delay in rescue operations — visitors should avoid high-risk recreation activities during this time.

To recreate responsibly, visitors should avoid congregating at parking areas, refrain from gathering in large groups and maintain a 6-foot distance from others, especially when passing other hikers. Practice Leave No Trace principles, including packing in all needed supplies and equipment and packing out all trash.

Find the latest recreation information for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests at www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc. Review recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/dailylife-coping/visitors.html.

Webinar to explore Wyoming wildlife

A live webinar led by Cashiers native and Ph.D. student Avery Shawler will explore the world of wildlife, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28.

Shawler will discuss capturing and GPS collaring wolves, tracking one of the world’s most spectacular elk migrations, the challenges of existing with wildlife and more. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with Shawler.

Shawler is studying the impact of elk migrations on wolf-livestock conflict at the University of California Berkley, and her study area is located on the eastern frontier of Yellowstone National Park in Cody, Wyoming.

The webinar is presented by Friends of Panthertown and free for members, with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers. Register at www.panthertown.org/webinar.

Trout waters to open

Delayed Harvest trout waters will open on June 6 in North Carolina, affecting 34 streams and two lakes.

From 6 a.m. to noon on opening day, Delayed Harvest waters will be open only to anglers 17 and younger, with all anglers able to access them starting at noon. During this season, anglers can keep up to seven trout per day with no gear, bait or minimum size limits. Delayed Harvest waters are posted with diamondshaped, black-andwhite signs.

All anglers should maintain a distance of 6 feet between themselves and others and refrain from gatherings of more than 10 people. They should also take steps to minimize the spread of aquatic nuisance species by cleaning, draining and drying all equipment. Due to COVID-19, some Public Mountain Trout Waters did not receive normal stockings this spring, and some waters have been closed by local cooperators. The full stocking schedule has been temporarily

removed from the website, but weekly stocking updates will be posted. For more information, visit www.ncwildlife.org.

Learn to fly fish

A fly fishing program will offer courses for beginning and intermediate anglers in Haywood County this summer, along with two-hour expeditions through the county’s finest trout streams and rivers.

The classes will be taught by Tommy Thomas, with Ray Sugg leading the expeditions. Both are experienced local anglers. Beginner courses will be held on Fridays, June 5, 12 and 19, and Saturday, June 20, and repeat in August, on Fridays, Aug. 14, 21 and 28, and Saturday, Aug. 29. Intermediate courses will be held in July, on Fridays, July 17, 24 and 31, and Saturday, July 25.

Expeditions will be held on Saturdays, June 13, June 27, July 11 and July 25, with August dates to be determined.

Participants do not need a fishing license for the beginning and intermediate courses, and loaner rods are available.

Courses are free and held below the dam at Lake Junaluska with a field trip to the West Fork of the Pigeon River. Fishing licenses are required for expeditions.

All activities are free and offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks. To register, contact 828.452.6789 or ian.smith@haywoodnc.gov.

Have You Heard About Our Medication Packaging Program?

Our packaging makes keeping track of your medications easy and convenient. We work to align your medications to be filled once monthly, saving you trips to the pharmacy. Your medication comes packaged in easy-to-follow weekly dose packages that are divided based on time of day.

You won’t have to worry about keeping track of countless medication bottles or running out of refills. We coordinate with your doctor to make sure that your medication is filled on time each month.

There is no additional charge, and by enrolling you will receive one free delivery of your medications monthly. We can also include your supplements and OTC items!

If interested, talk to a pharmacist or pharmacy technician today!

Waynesville to open pool, public restrooms

Most public restrooms in Waynesville reopened on Friday, May 22, and the pool, water park and locker rooms at the Waynesville Recreation Center are set to open on Monday, June 1.

Pool hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The pool will be closed on Sunday.

New regulations to ensure a safe experience for users are:

n A 6-foot social distancing requirement will be enforced, especially on the pool deck. n Prior to entering the rec center, each person must fill out a questionnaire and have their temperature taken. Parents will need to fill out the form for minors.

Join Yoga in the Garden

A yoga class originating from the Highlands Botanical Garden will be offered online Monday, June 1.

Offered by the Highlands Biological Foundation and Yoga Highlands, the session will be led by Rachel Kinback of Yoga Highlands in the Highlands Botanical Garden and broadcast online. Yoga in the Garden will be held the first Monday of the month through August.

Like the Highlands Biological Station’s Facebook page to receive information about how to tune in. The sessions are free, but donations are accepted at www.highlandsbiological.org. 828.526.2623.

n The pool area will be limited to 150 people, including both swimmers and spectators. Each swimmer will be allowed only one spectator.

n No outside equipment or bags will be allowed in the pool area, and toys and kickboards will be prohibited. Lifeguards will check and sanitize safety equipment such as goggles, swim caps and flotation devices upon entering the pool.

The remaining portions of the Waynesville Recreation Center, the Old Armory, all playgrounds and outdoor basketball courts will remain closed until further notice.

Newly reopened restrooms are located at the Miller Street Parking Area, Hazelwood Parking Area, the Waynesville Recreation Park and Vance Street Park. Restrooms at Dutch Fisher Park will remain closed at this time. The facilities will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 828.456.2030 with questions.

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Fundraise with fireflies

A firefly-themed fundraising event will be held 7:30 to 11 p.m. May 29-31 at Norton Creek Sanctuary, a private property near Gatlinburg adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Guests will have a chance to see the everpopular synchronous fireflies in action, with a short presentation about fireflies offered prior to the event and entomologist Will Kuhn, Ph.D, available to answer questions.

The Smokies has canceled its annual synchronous firefly event due to COVID-19 concerns. Host Discover Life in America

will observe heightened safety protocol to make the event possible, including limiting attendance to 50 percent capacity, checking guests for symptoms, requiring masks and social distancing, and altering the evening’s schedule. No food or drink will be served at the event, with guests instead receiving a gift certificate for a local restaurant. The price of $225 per person will raise money to help DLIA conduct biological diversity research in the park. To purchase tickets, visit www.dlia.org or contact Todd Witcher at todd@dlia.org or 865.430.4757.

Farmers market starting in Cashiers

Starting May 27, the Locally Grown on the Green farmers market will offer local produce 3 to 6 p.m. each Wednesday during the growing season at The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road next to the post office.

Vendors are required to grow or produce all products that they sell and to produce them within 125 miles of Cashiers. The larger radius allows each fruit and vegetable to be available for a longer period of time.

Customers should bring face masks and gloves to shop, with only one person per household allowed in at a time. The number of customers shopping at a time will be limited so as to allow for proper social distancing and a one-way traffic pattern, and no dogs will be allowed. Vendors will be required to follow safe set-up and sanitizing practices. Special market events are planned throughout summer as COVID-19 restrictions loosen. 828.743.3434 or www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

Complete a virtual Smokies hike

A virtual hiking event is underway to help raise funds for programs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Friends of the Smokies invites supporters to fundraise and complete the 4.6-mile virtual hike to Alum Cave or the 10-mile challenge to the top of Mount LeConte anytime before June 6. Participants can log mileage in their neighborhood, yard or even on a treadmill. Those who raise at least $200 will receive a T-shirt and medal by mail, and contributions of $500 or more will qualify for additional swag.

Sign up at www.alumcaveathome.org.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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• Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com

• Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com

• John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com

• Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com

• Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com

• Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

Christie’s Ivester Jackson Blackstream

• George Escaravage - george@IJBProperties.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com

• Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Nest Realty

• Madelyn Niemeyer - Madelyn.niemeyer@nestrealty.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com

• Holly Fletcher - holly@hollyfletchernc.com

• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

• Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net

• David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com

• Juli Rogers - julimeaserogers@gmail.com

Rob Roland Realty - robrolandrealty.com

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest

• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com

• Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

WNC Real Estate Store

• Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com

• Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

SUPER CROSSWORD

73Pierces

74Condé -

75Cyberjunk

78More ticked

79A Great Lake

80Turns back to 000

19Transgress

22Largest

flora

36No-see-ums

38Symptom of mumps

41Tumult

44Air safety gp.

451492, e.g.

46Pesto ingredient

51Portable enplaning bridge

56- Banos, California

57All tangled up

58Friable soil

61- degree or another

62Arthur of tennis

64Home of Iowa State

65Organisms of a region

66Chew the scenery

67Hand-softened "superfood" dish

71"1492" director Ridley

82Sci-fi hoverer

83Like paradise

85Result of dropping a bushel, maybe

88Plant "pet"

9145s' relatives

92Flimsy pancakes

93What a great ad campaign leads to

99Plant pest

101Grimm nasty

102Pan-fry

103Lane of song

105Gymnast Comaneci

109Encore-eliciting cries

111What many shards are

114Handle the party food

115Lake - Vista, Florida

116George who played Sulu

117Suffix with neat

118Love to bits

119Scourges

120Sister of Fred Astaire

121Blasting aid

122Car rollers, in London

123Actor Gable

124Jewish ritual meal

125Something associated with the first words of this puzzle's seven longest answers

DOWN

1Credit's opposite

22011 hurricane

3Air current

4Safari sites

5Part of QED

6"Marty" star Borgnine

7Sonata parts

8Exchanges

9Hot cuisine

10Bigwig

11Heat to prevent stress

12In a racket-filled way

13Prior to, in poems

14Pylon shape

15Indifferent to ethics

16Capital of the Philippines

17Light particle

18Wised off to

28Corporate symbols

29Nun's beads

30Rapper Nicki

34Driving range peg

37Concert sites

39- -Mart

40Sister of Hansel

41Sch. near Beverly Hills

42Experts

43Mount with presidents' heads

44Bone of the lower chest

47Bring harm to

48Mendel of genetics

49Skater Kulik

50Fonz's quality

52"Traffic" actor Milian

53Fiber for newsprint

54Wee colonist

55"- -haw!"

59"Relax, GI!"

60Assembled as one body

63All gone, as dinner

65Bible divs.

68Not lax at all

69Elk's kin

70Fasten

71Reno-to-Riverside dir.

72Chowder fish

76For - (not gratis)

77Peat source

80Tries to shred

81More elastic

84Fischer's skill

86Suffix with glob or duct

87Apt rhyme for "treadle"

89Lupino of film

90Like always

93Lynx variety

94"Hellcats" actress Gail

95Expert talker

96Intense

97Goddess with an owl

98Less fat

99Chafe

100Snuck a look

104Test models

106"Purgatorio" poet

107"Of Thee -"

108Invite to join at

110Mined finds

112Duty

113Editor's strike-out

115Telly giant

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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The peculiar weather of the Smokies

Editor’s note: This George Ellison column first appeared in a June 2003 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.

Weather continues to be the enduring topic for conversation here in the Smokies region. Long after the Eric Rudolph furor has died down, folks will still be thinking, wondering and talking about the weather. The best weather discussions are about strange weather … the stranger the better.

It’s the first day of June, 2003, as I write this. My wife, Elizabeth, and I agree that this morning was the first time in a month we’ve seen sunshine on Lower Lands Creek in Swain County, where we live, before mid-day. In addition to the mid-May frogstrangler that swept away two of our footbridges and nearly washed out a culvert, the weather has been unseasonably cool and continuously rainy.

Some evenings we’re still cooking on the wood-burning cookstove instead of the outdoor cooker. Most of the windows in the house remain closed at night. A blanket is still on the bed. The last time I remember

BACK THEN

late cool weather like this occurring was back in mid-June of 1977.

I suppose this is what is meant by the terms “blackberry winter” or “laurel winter;” that is, a snap of cold weather when the blackberries or mountain laurels are in bloom, as is the instance now. I’ve also heard folks refer to this sort of weather as a “dogwood winter” when it occurs in late April and early May while the dogwood trees are flowering.

Late spring and early summer cool or even cold weather isn’t all that unusual in the long run. In Western North Carolina — A History 1730-1913 (Asheville, 1914), John Preston Arthur has a section devoted to “Extraordinary Events.” Therein, he notes that June 5, 1858, is known as “The Cold Saturday” in Watauga County because on that date “a freeze killed corn knee-high, and all fruits, vegetables and white oak trees between Boone and Jefferson, according to the recollections of Col. W. L. Bryan of Boone.” He also notes that there was “a slight frost at Blowing Rock on the night of July 26, 1876,” and “a snow on the Haywood County mountains on June 10, 1913.”

In Mountain Bred (Asheville, 1967), John Parris records some of “the strange terms” used locally to describe weather.

• “A poor man’s rain” is one that doesn’t “interfere with a man’s working hours and was mighty good for sleeping.”

• “Star-tears” are the dew drops “that stars weep.”

• “A heavy rain, not an ordinary rain, is a

archived at Western Carolina University) he kept from 1904 until his death in 1931, Swain County writer Horace Kephart recorded numerous expressions used by people here in the Smokies to describe weather conditions. Here are a few.

frog-strangler or goose-drownder.”

• “A stemwinder of a rain” is one that “falls straight down and beats the earth’s face into dirty pocks.”

• A “cross-legged snow” occurs “when snow slants out of the sky in two directions at the same time to form an X pattern.”

Furthermore, a cross-legged snow is always followed by more snow the next day and at the exact same time.

In the voluminous journals (now

• “The dews are so heavy that they patter from the trees like rain in the morning.”

• “The sky denotes snow.”

• “It was spittin’ snow.”

• “The e-le-ments looks a leetle dingy.”

• “It may fair up an be a pretty week, next week.”

• “It friz over.”

• “It was all friz over.”

• “The fog is friz shoe-mouth deep on the mountain.”

• “It was along late in November and the ground all spewed up with frost.”

Until recent times, forecasting the weather was an art form. The weather would surely be fair if chimney smoke rises; or if you heard a screech owl at night.

On the other hand, it would surely rain if the horns of the moon point down; or if the cows are lying down in the pasture; or if you see a blacksnake in a tree; or if an ant covers the hole of his anthill.

(George Ellison is a writer and naturalist who lives in Bryson City. info@georgeellison.com.)

HAYWOOD COUNTY CARES

We’re In This Together

This year, Tammy Ensley celebrated 15 years as the Pisgah Varsity Cheerleading coach and her rst year coaching the girlsʼ track team. She is also the online facilitator, yearbook advisor, and helps with student council, prom and graduation plans.

End­of­year activities are some of the most fun things they do all year, but this year all that momentum came to a sudden halt with the COVID­19 stay home orders," said Ensley.“Coming to school day after day with no students is very sad. Many days I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster. As a parent of a Pisgah High senior, I know rst­hand all the things she is missing out on.”

In her role as online facilitator, Ensley said she's aware of the struggles many students have with completing work at home, without face­to­face interaction with teachers. She also sees the deep sadness many teachers are experiencing by not sharing end­of­year memories with students.

“I feel very fortunate during this uncontrollable situation to work with wonderful coworkers,” Ensley said.