Smoky Mountain News | June 10, 2020

traffic proposed for Main Street

Demonstrations come to small-town Western NC Page 15

STAFF

On the Cover:

Steve Yocum was just 22 years old when he moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the mountains of Western North Carolina looking for better quality of life. Almost 10 years later, he’s now taking his photography skills on the road for Backpacker Magazine. (Page 22) Sun and cloud mix over Yocum’s campsite at Big Sur in California. Steve Yocum photo

News

Support small business during the COVID-19 comeback ....................................5

One-way traffic proposed for Main Street in Waynesville ......................................6 Jackson animal shelter project moves forward ..........................................................7 Residents concerned over commissioner’s stance on drugs ..............................8 Moms spread hope and awareness with SHARE Project ..................................12 Indoor pool question likely to appear on Jackson ballot ......................................13 Demonstrations come to small-town Western North Carolina ..........................15

Opinion

Graduates, you’ll miss this place we call home

A&E

Frogs Leap Public House celebrates 10 years

Books

An old book for today’s mayhem: The True Believer ............................................21

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S UBSCRIPTIONS

Support small business

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

As small businesses across Western North Carolina work toward reopening while meeting new guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic, residents are encouraged to support them as a way to strengthen the local economy.

Chambers of commerce in each county are working hard to keep a pulse on the local business community while also trying to provide them with direction and additional resources during this difficult time.

“It is hard for me to evaluate a percentage but, I can say that it appears the majority of businesses are open. We will begin to see data over the next several months that will provide us with more reliable information,” said Haywood Chamber Director CeCe Hipps. “The businesses that I have been in contact with are adhering to the state and CDC guidelines. They are being cautious and feel a sense of responsibility to their customers and employees.”

Even though many small retailers and restaurants were allowed to open under Gov. Roy Cooper’s phase 2 plan, Hipps said many of them are operating with reduced hours and/or days because of the fewer number of customers and their inability to hire back employees based on financial reasons.

“This will change as customers become

comfortable and feel that safety guidelines are being followed in addition to customers also following the guidelines,” she said.

Julie Shapiro, director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce said she’s seen much of the same in Jackson’s business communities — many businesses are open but with limited hours and capacity.

“The few businesses that have not completely reopened are mostly confined to food and beverage providers, stemming mainly from the governor’s restrictions during Phase 2,” she said. “Some businesses are waiting to hear what the Phase 3 restrictions are and will consider those before reopening.”

Karen Wilmot, director of the Swain County Chamber of Commerce, said she was also happy to report many of the merchants in Bryson City have reopened as well. She added that some restaurants are not yet open for indoor seating even at half capacity.

“It’s a mix of reasons as to not choosing to reopen yet. Some are exercising caution as they have staff who are immune compromised or fall in the high risk category due to age, while some others are utilizing the extra time to work out new systems to address staff and patron safety,” she said.

Even during the best of times, Wilmot said it’s important for residents to shop local, but now it’s even more important as businesses navigate these uncertain times.

“Here in Bryson City and Swain County, which relies heavily on tourism, many of our local retailers had just received their spring stock when they were forced to close. Other service industries who typically would have been landscaping or cutting trees, or so many other things for those returning to

and the money spent at those local merchants generally stays in the county.

“These are not just our local merchants, they are our neighbors and friends in the community,” he said. “We support them and they support us. If we lost that, we’d lose much more than a few businesses. We’d begin losing what makes our town our home.”

Hipps said she doesn’t want to imagine what Haywood County would look like without the small business community.

their second homes were impacted with the stay home order as well,” she said. “It’s been up to our locals to support their friends and neighbors during this difficult time and, as usual, they have been wonderful, I’ve never been more proud to have grown up here.”

Kelly Donaldson, assistant director for the Jackson chamber, said the downtown merchants are the face of our Main Streets

“Sales tax goes down, the services we enjoy as taxpayers will be reduced and our home values will go down. It takes all of us to keep the wheels of economic prosperity in motion and protect our community and the businesses within our community,” she said.

Regardless of your comfort level, everyone can support local businesses. Hipps said many businesses have been able to pivot quickly and improve their processes by converting to online orders, take out and curbside delivery.

While she doesn’t claim to be an economist, Hipps said she does think the economic impact on COVID-19 will forever change the way business is conducted.

“Just as 9-11 has impacted us for a lifetime, I think the pandemic will as well,” she said. “This is not the first pandemic that has occurred and will probably not be the last. We will just be smarter and more prepared for the next one.”

One-way traffic proposed for Main Street in Waynesville

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

As small businesses begin to reopen following the Coronavirus Pandemic, some cities and towns are finding creative ways to help their businesses recover from the shutdown.

Andrews, Brevard and Highlands have made inquiries with the DOT about reducing traffic on their Main Streets in order to expand outdoor seating and shopping displays. Similarly, Hendersonville closed its Main Street to vehicular traffic for the weekend of May 29-31. These plans for increasing pedestrian access to Main Streets are what gave Janet Metzger the idea to propose oneway traffic on Main Street to the Town of Waynesville for consideration.

Metzger runs the family owned Moose Crossing Burlwood Gallery on Main Street. The goal of proposing one-way traffic on Main Street is to increase outdoor shopping opportunities for stores on Main Street, as well as to increase outdoor seating for restaurants.

“Basically, all the restaurants could expand [outdoor seating] and the stores could expand and have some sidewalk activity also,” said Metzger.

The original proposal suggested closing northbound traffic on Main Street as well as closing parallel parking on the east side of the street. All but two restaurants on Main

Street are on the east side of the street. On the west side of the street, in front of Birchwood Hall and Wildflour Blue Bakery, the plan is to divert traffic to the other side of the street and close off parking in front of those restaurants as well. This would allow expanded outdoor seating for every restaurant on Main Street.

“The restaurants are so vital to downtown. I have so many times people come here [the gallery] and say, ‘oh I was looking in your windows last night, we had dinner down here and we wanted to come back today.’ If it weren’t for the restaurants that wouldn’t be happening, so I think we should support them,” said Metzger.

Main Street is a state-maintained road, therefore any decisions to alter traffic, or the road must be approved by the Department of Transportation. Brian Burch, Division Engineer for division 14 of the DOT, said he has some concerns.

“There are certainly some proposals we could approve, and there are some we could not. It would have to start with the town making a request to the department,” said Burch.

He said sidewalk dining would have to start with an ordinance proposed by the municipality and would have to account for pedestrian traffic. The DOT could approve a plan that moves pedestrian traffic into a vacant parking lane but is less likely to

approve a plan that puts outdoor seating for restaurants in the vacant parking lane. Another possibility Burch said, is to detour traffic from Main Street completely for a certain portion of time.

“The municipality has to take that initiative and they have to assume that liability,” said Burch. “That’s probably one of the biggest hurdles to any municipality is when we enter into these permits whether it be a special use permit or anything like an encroachment, they’re going to have to indemnify the state so that if someone is injured or there’s an incident, the DOT and State of North Carolina’s not going to be held responsible for it. If I were in their shoes, I would be very concerned with that.”

Burch said there would be significantly less liability in a plan that detours traffic from Main Street altogether, and that such a plan would be considered more favorably.

The Town of Waynesville has not yet made an official request to the DOT. The Downtown Waynesville Association put together a survey for Main Street businesses to have input on the proposal. Though DWA Executive Director Buffy Phillips refused to comment, Metzger said the responses she has heard have been generally positive. The proposal will be discussed at a Town Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, after press time.

Alderman Chuck Dickson said he doesn’t feel confident the original proposal will go through. However, he said, it is really up to the town merchants. Dickson said the town board is ready to help businesses however it can, whether that means making Main Street one-way traffic, or closing the street down completely each Saturday night to be open for pedestrians.

Metzger, who proposed the plan in the first place said she was no traffic expert and was aware that the logistics of the plan would probably change. For her, it isn’t about one-way traffic, it is about helping businesses on their road to recovery.

“I thought, we should be doing something like this. Give our downtown the opportunity to have a little extra promotion,” said Metzger.

Jackson animal shelter project moves forward

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

After a unanimous vote from the Jackson County Commissioners, an architecture contract with McMillan Pazden Smith Architecture for a planned Animal Rescue Center building in Dillsboro has been approved.

Commissioners took the vote during their May 26 meeting, following a May 12 work session discussion as to whether they should continue with the project or hit pause in response to coronavirus-induced uncertainty.

“The unknowns are, what are our facility costs, how is COVID-19 going to impact our budget, how is it going to impact what we need to do to our facilities,” County Manager Don Adams told commissioners May 12. “These are all things that I generally believe need to be raised and discussed as to whether we need to proceed forward with the project.”

If commissioners wanted to pause the project, he said, now would be the time. Construction documents are done, but the project has not yet gone out to bid. At this point, the project could sit on a shelf for some period of time without the progress made thus far losing much value.

The animal shelter is part of the first phase of a multi-phase project to revitalize the Green Energy Park property on Haywood Road in Dillsboro, turning it into a campus featuring not only the 10,000square-foot Animal Rescue Center but an innovation center and makerspace run by Western Carolina University, a walking trail and dog park atop the old landfill, and outdoor event space in addition to the artisan studios currently housed on the site. The

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 repre-

animal shelter is expected to cost about $3 million to build, with a $5.39 million project ordinance passed in December also including funds for grading, a parking area, walking trail construction, furnishings, fixtures, architecture, engineering, permitting and contingency costs.

Currently, the property is home to Dillsboro’s recycling center, but that will have to move prior to any development on campus. Last year, the county went under contract for a property along Haywood Road where it planned to move the center but terminated the agreement in response to opposition from town leaders who believed that location would adversely affect tourism and economic development. Commissioners have been searching for an alternative location but so far have been unable to find one.

“At this point I believe we would have to shut down the Dillsboro SRC (Staffed Recycling Center) with the understanding the new location would have to be determined and built at a later time,” Adams said May 12.

Commissioners acknowledged that this is a moment full of uncertainty but favored moving forward for now with the potential to reevaluate the project’s status later this year.

Prior to COVID-19, construction costs had been high and contractors busy. Chairman Brian McMahan said it would behoove the county to look at how the pandemic has affected construction costs — it might end up being cheaper to build the project now than it would have been a year ago.

Commissioner Ron Mau pointed out that funding for the animal shelter has already been set aside, and Commissioner Gayle

sented 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 registered 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

Woody said that a project like the one they’re discussing is, if anything, more important now than it would have been outside of the pandemic.

“One of the things that stayed open during this whole time are greenways and places for people to walk and be outside, and we know that’s a real important part of physical and mental health,” said Woody. “And so I feel like for me that’s one reason I would like to see us go forward with this, besides the fact that we desperately need a new animal rescue center. We’ve identified that, and it’s an ongoing need. That’s not going to go away.”

Also of note, said Adams, is the fact that most of the design and architectural costs associated with the project have already been spent. The county has been discussing the animal shelter project with McMillan Pazden Smith off and on since 2016, with the company formally selected to design the currently planned facility in May 2019.

So far, the county has spent about 75 percent of the total $397,000 in architecture and engineering fees contained in that original agreement. All that’s left is the pre-bidding procurement phase, which makes up 5 percent of the total cost, and the construction phase, which makes up 20 percent.

The next opportunity to pause the process would come this summer, when construction bids are opened. However, at that point commissioners would need to make a decision rather quickly. Most bids come with an expiration date, and time of year matters when starting a project.

“The worst time to be starting construction in this area would be the December/January time,” said Adams. “That would be bad. So we either need to really hit the ground running and try to get contractors out early, or if we pause we would need to pause it to where contractors get on site around March.”

The current timeline puts the county on track to break ground on the yearlong construction project this fall.

by the federal government.

In-person early voting began on Thursday, June 4 and runs 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.

Constituents concerned with Haywood commissioner’s stance on drugs

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Haywood County Commissioner Mark Pless spent 15 years as a paramedic. He’s responded to more drug overdose calls than he cares to count — some people he was able to save, while others were too far gone.

“So, from 1988 until today, I have dealt with people who are experiencing some form of addiction, be it alcohol, drugs, whatever the situation is,” he said. “I won’t go into real specific details for embarrassment purposes, but there are people in my family who have had addiction. It’s been to alcohol, never been to drugs. So, it’s not that I didn’t grow up not seeing it. I saw it and I recognize it.”

While he enjoyed EMS work and being able to help people during their worst — and sometimes happiest — moments, he said it wore on him over time.

“I have all the nightmares I want,” he said about why he left the profession in 2003. “A lot of times people talk about PTSD in the military and things like that. The EMS workers, law enforcement, social services, you go into people at their worst moment. How many people can you see that have taken their life, some of those violently? I reached a point where I didn’t want to do that anymore.”

Today, Pless is an insurance salesman and was elected to the Haywood County Board of Commissioners in 2018. Now just two years into his first term on the county board, he is running for state representative to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville.

A large portion of his first term as a county leader has been spent dealing with the local repercussions of the drug epidemic, but his assertions about addiction being a choice have raised concerns from residents who say his beliefs are not only misinformed, but also counterproductive to many of the programs being implemented in Haywood to assist people suffering from substance use disorder.

Several constituents have voiced their disappointment about Pless’s position on drugs based on discussions during board meetings, and they’ve been outraged at the commissioner’s responses to their concerns. They claim his attitude and comments back to them have been rude and disrespectful while his assertions about addiction are just plain wrong.

“I understand that you are a paramedic and have been for 27 years, but you are not a medical doctor nor a psychiatrist. Yet, you continue to call addiction a choice even though the licensed and trained specialists in our country have proven otherwise,” Michele Rogers of Waynesville wrote to him. “As a Haywood County resident and tax payer, as a business owner and co-founder of a non-profit, and a successful contributing member of our community, I was embarrassed and hurt that we have a county elected official who is so outwardly judgmental and uneducated

about Substance Use Disorder.”

Pless responded to his constituents by posting their emails and his responses on his Facebook page, which of course received plenty of comments from his supporters. He also posted screenshots of one constituent’s tax bill and pointed out that she didn’t own property in Haywood County.

The heated exchanges and Facebook posts only fueled the flames and further polarized the two sides instead of finding some sort of common ground.

HARM REDUCTION

The constituent emails sent to Pless started to pile up following a May 18 commissioner meeting in which Jesse-Lee Dunlap of the N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition came before the board to ask that some grant funding be reallocated.

Last year, Haywood County was awarded a $275,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the purpose of reducing overdoses. The county then contracted with the Harm Reduction Coalition to perform the work outlined in the grant. The contract between the organization and the county earmarked part of the CDC grant funding to hire a full-time peer support specialist to work with people in the community.

Dunlap told commissioners the coalition advertised for the position but couldn’t find someone who was qualified between December 2019 and March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Restrictions associated with the pandemic have prevented the coalition from finding someone for the position.

Dunlap asked that $15,000 of the $47,000 earmarked for the position be reallocated toward temporary housing to shelter people with Substance Use Disorder during the pandemic. They told commissioners that the funds would return to the state if not used by the end of May.

Ira Dove, director of health and human services, said the grant allows for funds to be used for a number of harm reduction efforts, including housing, but the commissioners would need to approve a change to the contract with the coalition to be able to reallocate the funds. The contract only allocated $2,000 total for housing needs, but COVID-19 has made that a much more pressing need.

The coalition is currently working with about 14 people and housing them in a local hotel while trying to get them into a more stable living situation. As of right now, Haywood County government has not spent any money on housing people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic like other counties have done, and Pless said he’d rather keep it that way. He asked County Attorney Frank Queen if the county would be setting a precedent for the future if it started funding temporary sheltering for the homeless population.

Queen said that was not a concern in this particular situation because of the relationship between the grant and the contract the county entered into with the coalition.

“This is simply a matter of correctly and in advance reallocating unused funds for an approved purpose from the grant from the state to us,” he said.

Pless asked why the people being sheltered in hotels can’t stay at the Haywood Pathways Center.

Dunlap explained that the Pathways Center only allows people to stay there and participate in the program if they are not taking drugs, but the Harm Reduction Coalition specifically works with people with SUD.

“So the people you’re trying to get us to approve the grant funds for can’t go to Pathways Center because of substance use?” he questioned.

“Yes,” Dunlap replied.

“So now we’re expected to house them because of their choice?” Pless asked.

“Mark, housing is harm reduction. If you don’t have a roof over your head you can’t make a decision that’s good, a lot of times,” Dunlap said.

“But they can choose to stay on some sort of substance,” Pless said.

“It’s not a choice.”

“Sure it is,” Pless responded.

Dunlap explained that SUD is a recognized medical condition.

“Nobody chooses to have that,” they said.

“So if these people had their lives together, they could go somewhere else?” Pless asked again.

“That’s exactly what we’re trying to do is

help them get their lives together, Mark,” Dunlap said.

“A simple yes or no, if they had their lives together, they could go to Pathways Center,” Pless said. “The reason we’re here is because they can’t go to the facility where that’s the purpose — yes or no?”

“I reject the premise of your question because it’s absurd,” Dunlap said.

“OK,” Pless said.

Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick said he would like to see a full-time staff member hired as soon as possible but also didn’t want to lose the money allocated to Haywood County if it didn’t get used before May 31.

“I’m inclined to say OK,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that he didn’t want to make a habit of reallocating funds that are specified for a certain purpose. “It’s one thing to have Pathways funded by the faith community and nonprofits but it’s a different thing having the government fund housing the homeless. It’s a slippery slope.”

Dunlap said they understood, stating that more funding from the 18-month grant would be administered to the county in June that would allow the coalition to continue the search for someone qualified.

Commissioner Brandon Rogers (no relation to Michele Rogers) asked if another 12 days of funding for housing would even make a difference.

Dunlap said it would — if the coalition can continue to keep the vulnerable population housed temporarily, staff can continue to work with Meridian Behavioral Health Services to get clinical assessments performed on all of the

clients and get them set up for long-term resources. They also emphasized that some of the clients are veterans.

Rogers agreed with Kirkpatrick that he’d approve reallocating the money this time, but in the future wanted to see the money used to hire someone.

Commissioner Tommy Long said he understood the need to house people who are homeless during the COVID-19 Pandemic to lower their risk of contracting or spreading the virus.

“That’s the urgency behind this,” Dunlap said.

The board voted 4-to-1 in favor of amending the county’s contract with the harm reduction coalition to allow the funds to be reallocated for housing costs. Pless was opposed.

“Part of what we’re here for I think is oversight. Regardless of what we want to use it for, it seems like we’re getting in a business we don’t want to be in. It’s not a good use of taxpayer money. I think we should let it go back,” he said.

EMAIL EXCHANGES

Rogers said she had ignored concerns about Pless’s attitude toward Dunlap and the Harm Reduction Coalition in the past, but after seeing the May 18 meeting, she couldn’t let it go. She sent the commissioners a lengthy email May 21 expressing her position. She explained to the board how she lost her 29-year-old son to an accidental overdose over a year ago, which is why she started an organization called The SHARE Project (see page 12) along with Lisa Falbo, another mother who lost her son to addiction.

“On September 28, 2018, my son, after having been clean for 11 months, died alone in his apartment from what we later found out was fentanyl poisoning,” she said.

One way she has coped is by trying to educate herself and others about SUD. The number one thing she said she’d learned is that no matter how someone becomes addicted, once they’re addicted, SUD is a disease.

“When I watch your Board of Commissioners meetings, I am often horrified in the tone and arrogance in which Mark Pless speaks to Jesse-Lee Dunlap any time something related to NC Harm Reduction comes before your board,” she wrote. “As Mark boasted this past week, it is no secret how he feels about the organization and its programs… The purpose of our letter is not to chastise one board member, it is to plead with the other board members to please continue to support NC Harm Reduction and the work they are doing in our county.”

Rogers also referred to a December 2019 meeting in which Pless had a similar interaction with Dunlap regarding the Harm Reduction Coaltion’s clean needle exchange program. There’s no denying the homeless and drug problems in Haywood County, but Rogers said some people — like Dunlap —  are making a difference in the community while trying to save lives one person at a time.

“We are not all going to agree on whether a program is good or even worth it. But, we can all address each other with respect and dignity and it is our opinion that has not always been the case at your board meetings,” Rogers said.

Editor’s note

Smoky Mountain News editor Jessi Stone reached out to Pless via email requesting an interview to discuss his stance on addiction and homelessness as well as his responses to his constituents who disagree with him. He was sent a partial list of questions giving him an idea of what the interview would be focused on.

Pless, who has never met or interviewed with Stone in the past, responded by saying he’d interview with SMN reporter Cory Vaillancourt, but not Stone.

“I will gladly interview with cory but your (sic) not an option,” Pless wrote.

SMN normally would have denied such a request for a different reporter, but in the interest of giving both sides an opportunity to speak, Stone allowed Vaillancourt to conduct the interview with the understanding that the interview would be recorded, transcribed and given to Stone who would write the story. Pless agreed to those terms.

When asked during the interview why he refused to interview with Stone, Pless said he didn’t like the questions posed by Stone.

“The questions that were sent to me were personal. They weren’t about my job in the county. So I didn’t see that as leading into a discussion of why I asked the questions I ask and the reason that I took the approach that I took. I saw it more as a let’s find out about him, let’s dig into him because then we have something else that we can use later on… And I don’t know where she stands. I just know where you stand.”

Vaillancourt informed Pless he’d be asking the same questions Stone had asked.

“If you’re going to approach the interview that way, it’ll be short because I’m asking you some personal questions about the things, I guess, that inform your decision making,” Vaillancourt said.

She went on to talk about the stigma and misperceptions associated with SUD despite the evidence that shows addiction is a chronic disease. Contrary to popular opinion, addiction does not discriminate — it can impact any family — and it doesn’t mean there was a moral or parental failure.

“Lisa and I are proud of our sons. We are proud of how hard they fought their disease and proud of ourselves for raising such fine young men,” Rogers wrote. “No one should ever make someone suffering from SUD or their family members feel ashamed.”

Pless responded at 9:30 p.m. that same night saying he opposes the decision to reallocate the grant funds and will continue to oppose it because the taxpayers in Waynesville, especially Frog Level, need the blight left by the homeless removed from their businesses and properties.

“Jesse Lee is welcome to take them to her property too and she will not need to drive so far to give them needles,” he responded.

Pless said addicts are given free food and

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allowed to sleep on the streets while the health department and harm reduction coalition gives them free needles, fentanyl test strips, alcohol preps, tourniquets and a pamphlet on how to safely take their drug of choice without the fear of dying from it.

“Your picture left out a lot of the realities that affect other people. You are looking at this through your experience and trying to minimize the affect (sic) it has on anyone but the addict. Don’t ever think for a second that drug addiction is a victimless crime,” he wrote in closing. “You want to help then go ALL IN and take these substance addicted people home with you. They can feel safe and you can know every night they are safe from people like me who expect them to have respect for other people and other people’s property.”

The email exchanges between Pless and Rogers continued for several days. Pless also posted their exchanges on his Facebook page. Rogers said she posted her side of the story on Facebook and tagged Pless in the post, but then he untagged himself and blocked her. Rogers chalked it up to “another example of Mr. Pless’ bullying nature, specifically his cowardly aggression toward women.”

“The fact that your feathers were so ruffled over one thought out, fair email with simple constructive criticism really speaks volumes about your character,” Rogers wrote. “Out of curiosity, does bullying people, particularly women, make you feel better about yourself? One would think in a County Leadership Elected Position, a person would have more emotional self-control and know how to respond to constituents in a civil and professional manner.”

Pless denied that he was trying to bully her, Dunlap or any other women.

“The best thing I can tell you is if you didn’t feel comfortable speaking about this to a man send your husband next time. I can assure you he would have gotten the same responses but you would not have been in a position to suggest I am bullying a woman. You are only trying to bring this up so others will see me as a woman hater,” he wrote.

Pless relayed the same type of message to other constituents that emailed the board of commissioners regarding the commissioner’s attitude and behavior.

Ginger Alfrey, who has lived in Haywood

for 31 years, wrote to the board about Pless’ statements on homelessness and addiction.

“Commissioner Pless used a recent community cleanup as an expose of his thoughts on homelessness and the organizations that serve our homeless population. It was gross but not surprising at alI — his vitriol toward marginalized people is well known at this point,” she wrote. “What is most disturbing about Mr. Pless’s stance on things is not that he is woefully uneducated but that he tries to dictate public policy based on his ignorant stance.”

Pless again asked for her to take them to her home.

“I can see you have a passion for these folks. So lets make something work for everyone. I have transportation and will gladly bring 10 of them to live with you. Kindly give me your address and I will relocate them from property (in frog level) where they are not welcome to your property where they can live in a judgment free atmosphere,” he replied. “I have searched your name as paying property taxes both real and personal (vehicle) in Haywood County without finding you. Do you pay taxes here?”

Pless posted Alfrey’s letter on his Facebook page along with screenshots showing that she does not own property in Haywood County and that she has an overdue vehicle tax bill from 2012 for $15.54. He also shared emails sent to him by Kasey Valentine Steffen and Cindy Yarborough regarding the same issues.

ATTITUDE TOWARD PEOPLE

Pless’s responses to constituents has exposed a pattern of aggressive behavior, which prompted SMN to dig a little further into his background.

In May 2008, Pless’s wife Rebecca Pless filed a domestic violence complaint and restraining order request against her husband in Haywood County following an alleged incident at their home in Canton.

According to the official court documents, Rebecca stated that she and Mark got into an argument after she confronted him about having an affair. She said he wanted her to go to church with him but she wouldn’t because that’s where the affair originated, so she decided to attend a different church that day. When she got home, she said they got into a verbal altercation because Mark

ENSLEY TIRE SERVICE

accused her of lying about where she’d been. She said she tried to leave, but Mark kept pushing her and telling her she wasn’t going anywhere while calling her a “liar” and a “bitch” in front of their two sons.

In the report, Rebecca claimed she and Mark got into a fight two weeks before where he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her onto the bed. She said her youngest son was hysterically screaming for Mark to stop. According to the report she filed, there had been several times Mark had pushed and hit her in the past.

“Mark started punching me in the head. He was screaming I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” she wrote. “On 4-20-08 my sons were home and witnessed the fight. My older son became so scared of Mark that he went to the gun cabinet and got a shotgun (loaded) and pointed it at Mark. Mark took the gun and made both the kids go outside. My sons love their father but are also scared of him.”

On May 22, 2008, Rebecca filed notice to voluntarily dismiss the case without prejudice before it went to court. The court documents have been public for a couple of months on a website published by Waynesville resident Monroe Miller.

When asked about what happened on April 20, 2008, Pless said, “Oh, that’s the little thing with the domestic.”

He said didn’t want to go into specifics about the incident between him and his wife, who are still married after 32 years.

“I guess the nicest way of putting it, you can be accused of everything in the world. When it comes down to being accused and the real story, my wife has a story. I have a story,” he said. “Now, when it came down to it, the situation that’s portrayed in there is not the situation. That’s not what happened.”

When asked if his wife filed a false police report, Pless would only say that “the situation that happened that is filed in there is not what happened. We had an argument, we had a time in our life that we didn’t get along. When it came time to do something about that, the charges were dropped.”

Pless said he and his wife have now lived for 12 years without any issues other than normal marital challenges. Though he denies everything in the report, he wouldn’t share specifics about his side of the story. He added that an isolated incident doesn’t define a person.

“Now, when it comes right down to it —  and my wife will say this above and beyond anything else — whatever happens, we don’t get in the middle of anybody else’s stuff because we don’t want anybody in the middle of ours,” he said. “Now, I dispute everything that’s in that report and it got dismissed without a court date.”

Pless also discussed allegations that he was fired from his job as a paramedic in Haywood County because of sexual harassment charges against him. He said those claims were not true and provided documentation as to the real reasons he was terminated. He claimed he was fired because he reported another paramedic who had falsified a medical record to the state after being instructed not to investigate it any further.

“I was the acting supervisor. The paramedic gave medications at one point and then lied about the time that it was given. I reported it and I got fired because of that. It’s called insubordination,” Pless said.

Since details about why someone was terminated can’t be made public by the county, Pless did provide The Smoky Mountain News with documents pertaining to his dismissal. An internal investigation was performed following a complaint from EMS Director Greg Shuping and EMS Manager Randy Fugate on April 16, 2003. Fugate stated Pless called him at home one evening and they got into an argument about new uniforms that were ordered. Pless told Fugate and Shuping that he was quitting. He told Shuping he couldn’t work there any longer and that he was going to “f*ck the system” and was “going to f*ck Fugate.”

Pless later called Fugate to apologize and said he wouldn’t attempt to do any harm to Fugate. A personnel advisory committee met in May and issued a letter in June 2003 finding that Pless’s actions and attitude did merit a written reprimand by his supervisor and that he then violated provisions of the reprimand and ignored a valid and proper order.

“This action and attitude constituents willful and deliberate misconduct which resulted in the termination of your employment,” the committee concluded.

Pless said he doesn’t treat women any differently than he treats anyone else, but admits that he has a dry, no-nonsense personality that can often rub people the wrong way. He said he didn’t question Dunlap any differently than he’d question County Manager Bryant Morehead and didn’t think there was anything wrong with his interaction with Dunlap during the county board meetings.

His stern disposition is why he said he didn’t pursue a career in the military despite being in ROTC throughout high school.

“I decided that I really didn’t want to go in the military because I might be told what to do. I was 17 years old so I was bound and determined that nobody was going to do that,” he said. “My boys both went to the Marine Corps and they were reservists and had I went in the eighties, they’d have probably killed me. I was a smart mouth, stupid kid, and I would’ve never gotten out of bootcamp, but nonetheless, I started in the fire service in ‘94.”

ATTITUDE TOWARD DRUGS

Pless said he likes to keep his personal life separate from his role as a county commissioner, but so often one’s personal beliefs and personal life experiences play a major role in how a leader makes decisions, which is why it’s important to understand how and why Pless

feels the way he does about substance use. His experience as a paramedic no doubt shaped his relationship with drugs and the people who use drugs, but Pless also had his own personal experiences with alcohol. He said he felt like he had a predisposition to becoming addicted, which is why he steers clear of alcohol today.

“I have had my time when I was in my teens and in my early 20s that I liked to drink. I chose not to do that for that very reason,” he said. “I don’t touch it. I don’t go around it. If we go somewhere and it is at a facility, especially with something I have to do for the county and they are drinking, I stay the very minimum amount of time. I leave. I don’t participate with anybody that drinks. I don’t go to parties. I don’t do any of that stuff because I know I could become addicted.”

Pless claims to have sympathy for people who struggle with substance use disorder but maintains that they wouldn’t be suffering had they made better decisions in the first place. He said he “feels sorry” for Rogers who lost her son to SUD but argued that Rogers was making it personal when he was simply trying to focus on the best use of taxpayer dollars.

“I don’t want anyone to die from a drug overdose. When it comes right down to it, that was not the point. I didn’t ask why she felt the way she did. She volunteered the information in a way that I was supposed to change my mind, or that was my perception, and because of this tragedy change my position,” he said. “My position is still the same. I don’t wish anything ill. And I am so sorry

that she had this happen in her life. I have saw too many overdoses. I have saw too many alcohol-related deaths, but I still got to watch out for taxpayer money.”

As the November election draws closer, Pless will be campaigning for state representative. If elected, he will then be faced with how to approach the drug epidemic from a statewide perspective while still being a voice for his constituents in WNC. Again, Pless’s beliefs are counterintuitive to many of the initiatives implemented by the state to stop the drug crisis.

“I can agree with some of the things that they’re doing. I personally, because of my

background and the people I have dealt with, I have a different insight to it,” he said. “I have seen people in a lot of different situations, but I also understand the completed picture. I think they’re (General Assembly) doing a lot of good things. Personally, we need a drug treatment center. Making laws and changing things is the easy thing to do. I am to understand that we have a decent amount of money left over out of the budget every year. Why can’t we have an in-house treatment facility in Western North Carolina? You’ll never put enough beds in it, but why can’t we have one?”

While Pless says his goal is not to stop working with the Harm Reduction Coalition or to close down the Pathways Center or Open Door Ministry, he said he asks tough questions trying to get the right answers and to help him make decisions that will actually help people, but his comments regarding these vulnerable populations still has local advocates like Rogers and Dunlap questioning his intentions.

“Stop the handouts and the homeless will simply migrate back to Buncombe county or whichever community they came from. If someone was a resident who originally lived in Haywood county and became homeless they can be considered on a case by case bases (sic),” Pless responded to a constituent.

Pless said he would continue to be available to his constituents and welcomes their feedback at meetings and through email or a phone call. He can be reached at mark.pless@haywoodcountync.gov or 828.421.8156.

Removing the stigma

Spreading Hope and Awareness with the SHARE Project

BY BOYD ALLSBROOK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“I’m looking for a personal trainer who also knows kickboxing.”

An innocuous Facebook recommendation post by an ordinary Waynesville mom. The sort of thing most just scroll past daily without so much as a second glance. But under and behind the normalcy was a cutting need for an outlet to that mother’s unresolved pain.

Michele Rogers does not fit the stereotype of a heroin addict’s mother. Likewise her son, Clay, did not in any way resemble the shadowy criminal figure movies and TV have taught us to see those struggling with substance use disorder as. He grew up in a good Christian home. He played baseball. He was successful, college-educated, kind, and intelligent.

His addiction began with nothing more than the over-prescription of Percocet for a routine outpatient sinus surgery. Two careless refills of the powerful opioid and Clay was hooked. Two careless refills and this bright, promising, young man had fallen into the hell of chemical dependence. When the final prescription ran out, he resorted to buying on the street. Only when he’d spent so much on pills that he couldn’t pay his mortgage did he finally break down and tell his mother.

For the next six years he was in and out of rehab centers. He fought hard to get clean and stay clean, but the horrific symptoms of withdrawal always managed to push him back under. During this interval he was introduced to a cheaper, more potent drug — heroin. In 2017 he was finally admitted to a longterm recovery center in Greensboro. He stayed sober there for longer than he ever had

Enter Lisa Falbo, a local personal trainer. She was recommended to Rogers by multiple mutual friends. Serendipitously, her gym was just a block away from Rogers’ office. When they met, Rogers told her son’s story and said that she had come to Falbo in hopes that aggressive physical fitness could channel her pain. What she couldn’t have predicted was that both of Falbo’s sons were struggling with substance use disorder as well.

“We were like, wow, this is really meant to be,” said Rogers.

The two women began working out together. They kickboxed — Rogers enjoyed throwing heavy medicine balls around the room. They found true empathy in each other’s company. Together, they began working through the complex emotions of loneliness, shame, fear, and sadness valent with parenting — and losing — an addicted child.

Lisa’s oldest son, Sam, had been roped into the world of drugs at the young age of 16 through what she refers to as “good old-fashioned peer pressure.” He, like so many do, fell in with a bad crowd during high school. He started with marijuana, progressed quickly to pills, and ended with heroin.

Falbo was quick to note that her son’s addiction was not about “choice.”

ed therapy, he suffered a full backslide into addiction. This relapse pushed him back into the old bad crowd. He was arrested for minor possession and sent to jail for nine months — a harsher sentence due not to criminal behavior, but mere missed court dates.

“If you’re in the throws of addiction, what’s a court date to you?” Falbo said.

A chemical detox in jail is not a pleasant experience, but Sam bore through it all and did his time well. Upon release, he found himself alone in a cold and substance-less world. Old friends and acquaintances looked at him with suspicion. He now was branded with the identity of drug addict. He had no job, no clear way forward. It proved too much to handle.

Very commonly, addicts who detox in captivity lose tolerance for their substance of choice. Such was the case with Sam. Within a week of his release, he fatally overdosed at the age of 27.

before. It began to look as if this would be the one. He began to prep for buying an apartment. He fell in love with a girl at church. He was getting his life back, and Michele was overjoyed. At just shy of 11 months free, everyone believed that he was safe enough to leave the facility and live alone.

Addictive neural pathways are deeply ingrained and pernicious. The process of reversing years of opioid dependence can be lifelong in some cases. It took Clay one day after moving into his new apartment to relapse with what he had been told was heroin. But he had been sold fentanyl — a new opioid, both stronger and more deadly than heroin. The dose proved tragically to be fatal. They found his body the following afternoon. He was 29.

What does a parent do with that? What can stem the tide of ruined hope and total pain? Rogers did what you’re supposed to do. She went to grief support groups. She grieved. They held Clay’s celebration of life service. She tried to process it all. But the stigma around her son’s disease made things complicated and lonely. Most people weren’t told the circumstances of his death.

To make matters worse, Rogers encountered a serious lack of empathy and understanding at some support groups. Once, when at a meeting, the mother of a cancer victim looked at Michele pointedly and said, “My son did not choose his disease.” This happened three times in one meeting.

“I started crying as soon as we got in the car,” Rogers remembers.

Another time, a group leader asked her if she ever thought about what she might have done differently. It felt like a punch to the stomach. Rogers turned her head away quickly, paused a moment, and responded with, “Only every minute of every day, but thank you for reminding me.”

She needed more. A loved one’s addiction, let alone overdose, is too complex and misunderstood for generalized support.

“Back up to yourself when you were 16 years old, and you were offered that first drink. Or 17 years old and offered that first pill. That choice. At that age do you really think about the ramifications of what that’s gonna look like down the road?” she said.

“The human brain doesn’t fully develop until, what, 25?” Rogers added.

“It’s hard to talk about. It’s not like you just say, hey, gee, my son’s addicted to heroin, do you have any advice for me? Most of my friends never knew.”

— Michele Rogers

A large part of addiction’s stigma is based on the notion that an addict can simply reject the first substance offered. That they are somehow culpable. Some would be tempted to call Clay’s story a tragedy but condemn Sam for poor judgement. Rogers and Falbo want you to know that’s not the case.

Sam was a good kid who happened to have what Falbo calls the addictive “gene.” For people like him, normally harmless acquiescence to peer pressure can be devastating. It only takes one time for the addiction’s seed to be planted. And the Reagan-era “just say no!” campaign does not cut it as a cure-all preventative measure.

Like Clay, you’d never have suspected that Sam was an addict. A creative type, he was a talented knife maker, and built a successful business on that skill. He fought addiction his entire adult life and was intermittently sober with the help of medication. When he tried to get clean of even the medication, his life began to spiral again. He had assumed too early that he was cured. Without the medication-assist-

Falbo was heartbroken, but together with Rogers strove to channel her grief into action. They worked out still. They talked. They cried. In the midst of it all, a plan was forming. They were guided by one sobering fact — that for family members of addicts, there was nothing in Haywood County. Most parents are not lucky enough to stumble across one another. Most never find the vital empathy and support requisite for true healing.

“It’s hard to talk about,” said Rogers. “It’s not like you just say, hey, gee, my son’s addicted to heroin, do you have any advice for me? Most of my friends never knew.”

This fear of social condemnation can be deadly. Reticence to reach out only deepens the isolation of addiction. Both women are driven by a knowledge that opioid addiction is widespread in the community and that too many families are suffering in silence right now.

Together, they’ve started The SHARE Project: a comprehensive support system for families of those battling substance use disorder. The acronym stands for Spreading Hope and Awareness and Removing the Epidemic stigma. They host support and grief groups for parents, brothers, and sisters. They provide vital information about resources an addict has in Haywood county and the surrounding areas. They’re determined to help other young people avoid their sons’ fate.

“If we can help just one mother, one child,” said Rogers, “It will be worth it.”

If you or a loved one are struggling with SUD, The SHARE Project wants you to know that you’re not alone. They want you to know that there are resources available, and that there is hope. If you’re lucky enough to have never been touched by addiction, Rogers and Falbo invite you to consider what lies behind the innocuous. How many Facebook wantads hide heartbreak? Which neighbors’ “normal” sons and daughters are battling heroin, Percocet, and fentanyl in silence? Who have you let hear harsh words about some faceless addict, and in so doing dissuaded from getting help?

Stigma is passive judgement, the assurance that all who struggle with a given issue are somehow “other.” Addiction does not discriminate. It’s everyone’s problem to solve — and it begins with a little understanding. For more information, follow The SHARE Project on Facebook.

Jackson County commissioners will be discussing a potential ballot measure during a July 7 meeting that would allow the county to fund and construct an indoor public pool. File photo

Indoor pool question likely to appear on Jackson ballot

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Aproposal to include a referendum question on the November ballot asking voters to approve funding for an indoor pool in Jackson County will be the topic of a public hearing slated for 5:55 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at the Jackson County Justice Center.

The referendum question would ask voters to approve a $20 million bond to build an aquatics facility at the Cullowhee Recreation Center, which would include an indoor competition pool as well as an indoor leisure pool.

According to a report from Asheville-based architecture firm Clark Nexsen, construction and closing costs will total nearly $20 million, with a projected annual operating cost of $612,000. Paying down debt on a $20 million bond would require an additional 2.2 cents per $100 of property value on Jackson County’s existing 38-cent tax rate, and operational costs would require an additional 0.4 cents. Voting yes on the referendum would mean endorsing both the $20 million bond and a tax increase of 2.26 cents per $100, bringing Jackson’s total tax rate to 40.26 cents per $100.

Jackson County residents have long clamored for an indoor swimming pool, with 86.4 percent of 638 survey respondents in a 2013 recreation master plan update saying that a centrally located indoor swimming pool is “important” or “very important.” A follow-up survey in 2019 saw 93.7 percent of 1,709 people say they would support an indoor pool, with 68 percent saying they’d support such a project even if it meant raising taxes.  A referendum would allow voters to speak on the issue during the Nov. 3 General Election. If they vote yes, then commissioners

Macon employees test positive for COVID-19

Macon County has identified two employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week.

The first employee reported works in the maintenance department and is now isolated at home. Close contacts of the employee have been notified, tested, and are quarantined until they receive their results. The county maintenance department has performed the necessary steps to disinfect the affected area.

The second employee, which was reported Monday, works at the Macon County Health Department and is now isolated at home. Close contacts of the employee have been notified, tested, and are quarantined until they receive their results. This individual has not had contact with the public as a part of their duties during the COVID-19 response. Since March, Macon County has implemented strong infection control standards in all county facilities.

As of June 8, Macon County had 155 confirmed cases, 137 of which are still active.

Seven new COVID cases in Haywood

Haywood County Public Health received notice over the weekend and Monday that seven residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

This brings the number of cases recorded in Haywood County as of noon June 8, to 65. The individuals are in isolation at home. Four were exposed due to a social gathering; one was exposed while working out of the county and two were exposed at work within the county. Based on the information provided by the individuals in close contact, county health officials will assess risks of exposure, determine which if any additional measures are needed such as temperature and symptom checks, quarantine, and/or testing.

Forty-five cases of COVID-19 in Haywood County are categorized as recovered. The other 20 remain in isolation.

Cove Creek Road to Cataloochee reopens

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has opened Cove Creek Road in Haywood County to traffic after completing major phases of a project to stabilize a hillside.

A flagging operation will remain in place until the project is complete on the main access road to the Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Crews from S.W. Ledford from Hayesville restored the original width of the road about five miles from Jonathan Creek Road. At a cost of $1 million, crews built a new retaining wall on the slope above the road that will help prevent future slides and unexpected closures.

will be able to adopt a resolution to formally approve the election results and get to work on the necessary processes to issue debt. It’s expected that any associated tax increase would go into effect for the following fiscal year beginning July 2021.

During their May 12 work session, commissioners discussed whether economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus might warrant delaying the referendum. However, they concluded that since most of the money associated with getting the question on the ballot has already been spent, it makes sense to go ahead with the vote and evaluate after the election whether conditions still warrant moving forward. While commissioners will not be able to take out the bond if voters say no, a yes vote will only give them the option of moving forward — it will not obligate them to do so. A referendum is required to authorize the issuance of bonds that will be collateralized using property tax, but in the case of a yes vote commissioners would then have to go through a separate process to issue debt, which would also require a public hearing.

“We’ve expended the greatest number of the cost to get where we’re going,” said Chairman Brian McMahan during the May 12 work session. “It’s almost like, why not let the people go ahead and vote on it. If they vote it down, it’s a dead issue. If they vote yes, we’ll re-evaluate where we’re at financially.”

To date, the county has spent $48,000 preparing for the referendum. That amount includes $40,500 in architecture and geotechnical studies as well as $7,500 in bond attorney fees. The only expense left is marketing materials to educate voters leading up to Election Day, estimated to $5,000 to $10,000.

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Demonstrations come to small-town Western NC

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Waynesville. Sylva. Murphy. Canton. Bryson City. Franklin.

Demonstrations associated with the death of George Floyd aren’t solely a big-city phenomenon, nor are they all destructive. Since June 1, more than a thousand Western North Carolina residents have taken part in a series of actions in small, rural mountain towns without any of the violence and vandalism associated with protests in larger cities.

“I was actually pleased with the turnout,” said Zach Bach, who with Dylan Davis organized the June 1 march in Waynesville. Bach and Davis, both Haywood County residents, also organized a march in Canton on June 6.

That march, from Canton Recreation Park to town hall, drew around 100 people, including Waynesville Alderman Chuck Dickson, and Canton Alderwoman Kristina Smith.

“I’m marching with them today as a member of our community,” said Smith. “I think it’s really important that rural communities are coming together to say we support the Black Lives Matter movement too, and to understand that it’s not just big cities that are impacted, it’s smaller communities as well. It’s great to see younger people here organizing events like this.”

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers was out of town, but said that if he wasn’t, he’d have attended to listen to the concerns and conversations taking place in his town of 4,300 residents.

“I was thankful but not surprised that the protest in Canton was a success, because I know the true character of our town. From day one, our police department, with the help of town staff and other local enforcement, worked hand-in-hand with the organizers to protect both their constitutional rights and the safety of our citizens and businesses,” Smathers said. “This cooperation set the stage for a peaceful event that raised awareness and conversation.”

A June 4 march in Murphy, organized by Cherokee County residents TeLor Allen, Jake Reed and Emily Mills drew at least triple the amount of attendees as the Canton event despite Murphy’s population being less than one-third of Canton’s.

Organizers and demonstrators alike stood in silence for eight minutes and 48 seconds — the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on a handcuffed George Floyd’s neck. Floyd later died, and Chauvin has since been fired and charged with his murder.

After Murphy’s long moment of silence, Cherokee County Sheriff Derek Palmer addressed demonstrators with an impassioned speech that appeared to have him choking up, fighting back tears.

“I was sickened to see what happened in Minneapolis to George Floyd, by the hands of law enforcement officers that were sworn

to protect their community. I have watched every video I can find to watch. The cell phone videos, the body cam videos, the surveillance videos. I have tried to make sense of how these officers reacted and tried to find some reason for their action, but what I saw was simply no excuse whatsoever,” Palmer said. “In my opinion, any officer — any law enforcement officer in the United States of America — who has watched these videos and continues to defend the actions of these officers should resign immediately and turn their badges in.”

A similar rally was held in Bryson City on June 8, and drew more than 300 marchers, despite having a population similar to Murphy’s, about 1,600 people. Organized by Jeff and Jody Helpman, both pastors at Bryson City’s Grove Church. Jeff is also the director of LoveBryson, the community organization that spearheaded the event. “Rumors were spread that we were bussing in people from Atlanta, that we were going to do damage to the storefronts here, and obviously that is not our intent at all. I mean, our kids are out there,” Jody said. “Every time we would maybe hear the negative, we tried to spin it back and say, no, this was created for peace. We’re here to unite.”

The Bryson City event was an all-day affair, with music and prayer from noon until six and then a march that snaked its way through downtown. It also took on an added significance as it occurred under a historical marker commemorating the nearby execution of Tsali, a Cherokee Indian who resisted removal in 1838.

Swain County has a substantial Cherokee population (almost 28 percent) that was well-represented during the event’s programming.

None of the small-town marches have been completely free from blowback — in each, at least one heckler addressed marchers, who immediately shouted them down.

After Canton’s march had concluded, police arrested 21-year-old Niklaus Cain Hare, who leveled ethnic slurs at marchers returning to their cars. Hare was charged with being intoxicated and disruptive, resisting arrest, ethnic intimidation and interfering with a peaceful protest. Hare had previously been convicted of felony possession of a schedule 2 illicit substance in McDowell County in 2016 and has had several run-ins with police.

Organizers of the rallies say they feel their voices are being heard, slowly, but Smathers thinks it’s still time to listen, and to begin the heavy lifting involved with addressing the concerns of demonstrators.

“Now, the important thing is to have follow-up conversations: ones that are straightforward and ones that are difficult,”

Smathers said. “If we do, we will find common ground, like we found on Saturday in Canton and make our community better for everyone.”

Canton’s June 6 march (top) concluded peacefully within sight of the town’s iconic paper mill. Murphy demonstration organizer TeLor Allen (in mask) hugs Cherokee County Sheriff Derek Palmer on June 4. Bryson City’s event (below) took place in the shadow of a monument to a Cherokee Indian executed by the U.S. in 1838. Cory Vaillancourt photos

Graduates, you’ll miss this place we call home

BY LIAM MCLEOD G UEST C OLUMNIST

To the high school Class of 2020, congratulations! There is nothing more exciting than completing high school and preparing to leave and move on toward what comes next. It was four years ago now that I was in your shoes, a recent grad with nothing on my mind but leaving my hometown. I can tell you this, enjoy this last summer at home and don’t wish it away. College is exciting and extremely fast-paced. These four years at UNCC have felt like one year at Tuscola, though I’ve grown and changed more than I ever could have in high school. I learned many lessons in my first year of college, but there’s one that sticks out the most to me: our home is unlike any other in North Carolina.

For those of you who take advantage of these resources, you know of the magic you feel once you’re surrounded by the nature of Southern Appalachia. To those of you who don’t get out there enough and are about to leave, I beg you: start enjoying it today.

Liam McLeod

When you get to college, I can guarantee you will be blown away by the amount of people you’ll meet, and one of the first things you’ll realize is that your home and the activities that come with it are extremely unique. The amount of people you’ll meet in college that have never been to or seen a waterfall is mind boggling. You have hundreds in your backyard. So many of the friends I’ve made tell stories of hometowns with nothing to do outside of school. You’ve got an entire parkway with thousands of trails to call your own.

Bill of Rights born in June

To the Editor:

On June 8, 1789, James Madison (who is considered by many historians to be the Father of the US Constitution), proposed the addition of 10 amendments to the US Constitution which had become effective in June, 1788. After two-and-one-half years of debate and discussion, the 10 amendments, now known as the Bill of Rights, were approved. Still debated and discussed more than 230 years after Madison’s initial proposal, they guarantee certain rights and responsibilities that form the bedrock of citizenship in the United States.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, press and peaceful assembly.

The Second Amendment recognizes the need for a “well-regulated militia” for the security of the state and guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

Amendment Three prevents soldiers from being sent to live in any home without the consent of the owner in time of peace and requires the law to define when that is allowed in time of war.

The Fourth Amendment prevents “unreasonable” searches and seizures and prevents warrants from being served without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, describing the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized.

Amendment Five says no person can be held accountable for a capital crime (punishable by death) without an indictment by a

College is an amazing place where you can learn and grow as a person outside the limits of our small town, but there’s one thing almost every college in North Carolina lacks (excluding WCU and App State) — access to nature. Something you’ll quickly realize about college is that it’s stressful. That fact is not meant to scare you, but college is an extremely challenging task. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find your mind wandering to sunsets at Waterrock Knob while writing essays on political philosophy or taking an economics test. During those anxiety-filled times at your new home, you’ll find yourself looking back wishing you could just take a drive with the windows down on the Parkway or some Forest Service road.

LETTERS

Grand Jury; prevents a person from being placed in jeopardy more than once for the same offense; prevents a person from being a witness against him- or herself; prevents a person from being deprived of his or her property without due process of law; and prevents private property from being taken from any person for public use without just compensation.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial in all criminal prosecutions, before an impartial jury of the state and district where the crime was committed; provides that the defendants be informed of accusation(s) against them; be allowed to confront witnesses; be able to obtain their own witnesses and have the assistance of counsel for their defense.

Amendment Seven guarantees the right to trial by jury in civil cases where the controversy involves more than $20 and assures that no fact tried by the jury can be re-examined by any other court when the trial is over.

The Eighth Amendment says that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

The Ninth Amendment assures that rights not granted to the federal government are retained by the people.

The Tenth Amendment makes clear that the powers not delegated to the federal government or denied to the individual states are reserved to the states respectively or to the people.

The Bill of Rights became effective on

If you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find a replacement around you to recharge, but nothing will compare. Having a home that you’re proud of while having the time of your life in college is a strange and often contradictory experience. You can’t wait for breaks while at school and while at home you can’t wait to be back at school.

If this article finds you, let me challenge you. Go outside today. It doesn’t matter if there’s rain in the forecast, we all know summer showers in the mountains blow over just as quick as they roll in. Find somewhere new every week until you leave. Every time you find that new place in these beautiful mountains you’ll think: “this is it, my new favorite spot.” Until next week, when you find something even more breathtaking.

I know things are different for your class with everything going on. You didn’t get the graduation you always pictured, but remember this. Be proud of your home. I know these words may fall on deaf ears, because I was just like you, so excited to leave that I couldn’t even begin to appreciate the place I was leaving. But I promise you, as soon as you leave, it will hit you: your home is heaven on earth, with a million and one things to do. So before you leave, grab your friends, pack a lunch and head to the hills. And don’t forget towels. There’s always somewhere to swim.

(Liam McLeod is a senior at UNC-Charlotte. liammcleod4582@gmail.com)

December 15, 1791 and has been guarding our liberties ever since.

Luke Hyde Bryson City

Local authority paramount

To the Editor:

Gentlemen, I understand that you voted to allow bars to open with restrictions which apparently surpasses the Governor’s executive order (If I understand it correctly).  I also heard on state wide news accounts

your actions today will also strip local power from those such as myself, who are dealing with this emergency under local ordinances of the Town of Franklin.

What happens if I need to issue an order to protect the public? Who do I go to? Why, when I understood that you both are local government people, did you vote on this?  (Assuming you did)

I would greatly appreciate an explanation why the NCGA felt it necessary to usurp local authority in a fast moving emergency situation.

Bob Scott Mayor, Town of Franklin

Language has changed but racism remains

Though we are as divided as we have ever been as a country, the one thing we seemed to be able to agree on is that recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd were heinous, both reminders that the evil of racism still exists in America. We shared this “common ground” for about five minutes before the waves of protests and rioting began, and then the sudden abrupt shift in focus by one group from the murders to the reaction to the murders revealed that we had not, after all, reached some new level of mutual understanding.

had to wonder whether my skin color played a factor because the cashier may have uttered a slur under his breath. In fact, there is no slur that anyone can utter at me that will wound me except in the most trivial or superficial way.

The division is rooted in how very differently we see things. One group insists that the race issue is largely behind us, and that it is exacerbated and perpetuated by the other group. They call this “playing the race card.” The first group is more likely to see the murders of these two black men as tragic exceptions and may even be prone to believe that race was not really the issue. I noticed that several people I know in the first group who originally denounced the deaths in strong terms have since posted links questioning the character of Arbery and Floyd, as if any infractions from their past had some bearing on their killings.

This, I think, is the way racism works on a deeper, more insidious level. A cop puts his knee on the neck of a man for nearly nine minutes, a man who is already restrained, begging for his life, and crying out for his mother while other cops and bystanders watch him die. Because the murder is captured on video, people who view it experience the human response of revulsion — we just witnessed one man killing another defenseless one in a slow, excruciating manner. We agree that this is terrible. We should be outraged, and we are. And our consensus ends right there.

We argue about white privilege a lot. One side is prone to believe it doesn’t exist. This belief feels good, because it presupposes a world that is equally just or equally difficult for everyone. It presupposes that wrong acts will be uniformly acknowledged and punished, regardless of the victim’s ethnicity. It does not deny the existence of racism exactly, but it insists that it is isolated and just as prevalent, if not more so, in other races against white people.

The belief that white privilege is “fake news” is grounded in one group’s life experience, while the belief that it does exist is grounded in one that is profoundly different. As a white male, I’ve been pulled over by law enforcement at least a dozen times in my years of driving, and I’ve never once feared for my life. I’ve never been treated rudely in a grocery store by a cashier and

I’ve never been told the apartment I hoped to rent was no longer available, and then noticed it still vacant two weeks later. I have never been followed around in a store because someone assumed I might steal something.

I’ve never had any of these experiences, but I know people who have. I’ve also had people say incredibly racist things to me because they assumed I agreed with them since I am white. In many cases, people do not think they’re racist if they have a black friend or coworker that they may be fond of. They make a distinction between the individual and the group.

They’re a little more careful with this construct than they used to be. When I was younger, I often heard, “Well, he’s a good one. You never see him acting his color.” When references to the group were made, I heard the N-word a lot. Spooks. Spades. Jungle bunnies. Welfare queens. Lazy ass coons living off the government. Black people they actually knew usually got a pass. With the faceless masses, it often got ugly fast.

If anyone objected, you might hear something like, “Hey, there’s white niggers, too,” though I never once heard any white person called that. The very idea was ludicrous, even then. But people said it anyway. Some of them may have even believed it.

Nowadays, the language has changed. The term “thugs” has replaced just about all of the previous slurs. People who use it will insist it can apply to any race but pay attention to how and when it is used, and a picture forms.

We’ve seen two public lynchings in 2020 — both captured on video — of young black men murdered in broad daylight by white men claiming to apply the law. The awful question that must be addressed is this one: without the video, would there be any justice? What would the story be in the imagination of that group that believes we are “past racism,” if the video did not exist? Would there be any story at all? And finally, for every Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, how many victims are there for whom there will be no chance for justice, because there was no video?

This question must finally be addressed. Systemic racism must be identified, understood, ferreted out, and extinguished once and for all. Old stereotypes that influence the way people think — even on a subconscious level — have to be discussed. And people who insist that “all lives matter” must come to understand the irony of using the phrase as a rebuttal to “black lives matter.”

That would be a start.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com)

Setting the culinary standard

Frogs Leap Public House celebrates 10 years

“When you’re in a town where no one knows you, and you’re touting yourself as being a real chef, then people are going to hold you to the highest scrutiny — your reputation is on every dish you put out.”

— Kaighn Raymond

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER

Coming into this spring, Executive Chef Kaighn Raymond was looking forward to his restaurant hitting the 10-year mark. What he didn’t expect was for Frogs Leap Public House to be closed to the public.

out of the local market,” Raymond said. “We work with many local farmers and different purveyors, and we’ve always been here to help those purveyors grow. If you have those fresh, local ingredients for the level of fine dining use, then we’re willing to help support you.”

Want to go?

Celebrating a decade in business, the Frogs Leap Public House anniversary dinner will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the restaurant in Waynesville. To RSVP for the event, call 828.456.1930.

of the American culture again, and people are excited to try those things.”

When asked about what the title “executive chef” means to him, personally and professionally, Kaighn paused for a moment, seemingly reflecting on a 30-year fine dining career in a whirlwind industry.

“I feel like this is just one more obstacle in the way of an industry that has been hurdling obstacles since the beginning of time,” Raymond said in reference to the Coronavirus Pandemic and the slow reopening of the culinary industry. “I feel like it will be a quick comeback, but there might not be as many restaurants standing in a few years. For now, I would ask everybody to do their best to get out there and support local business and the regional economy.”

Located in downtown Waynesville, Frogs Leap Public House is regarded as a cornerstone of fine dining in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Between its cosmopolitan approach towards the menu and presentation, and its keen sense of using local ingredients,

Alongside his wife, Toni, the Raymonds have owned and operated Frogs Leap Public House since its opening day on June 25, 2010.

“I think it was my tenth restaurant opening in my career, but it was probably the hardest because we were in a new town — not knowing my staff, not knowing anybody,” Kaighn said.

“And when you’re in a town where no one knows you, and you’re touting yourself as being a real chef, then people are going to hold you to the highest scrutiny — your reputation is on every dish you put out.”

Back then, the property was the former home of the Lomo Grill. At that time, Kaighn was an acclaimed chef in Atlanta, Georgia. He eventually found himself in Waynesville and knew there was something special about the small town.

“I dined at Lomo a few times, and I always had an eye on this building,” Kaighn said. “And when I finally decided to leave Atlanta, this was the only place I wanted to be — in this building and in Waynesville itself. So, we got to work and finally made it happen.”

As well, Frogs Leap will be open for dinner to the public throughout the next month from 5 to 9 p.m. June 18-20 and 27, July 1-3 and 9-11, with normal operating hours returning hopefully thereafter.

For more information, call 828.456.1930 or www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

Since the 1980s, the average American palate has become more and more sophisticated towards fine dining options, especially with the farm-to-table movement across the country in recent years, where the consumer now actively seeks out fresher ingredients from local sources.

“It’s been a 30-year process in the culinary industry to get to this point in fine dining in America. There was a sentiment then that nothing made in America was at the level of European fine dining,” Kaighn noted. “All of these chefs and fine dining restaurants have tried to bring back all of those great American ingredients because so many delicious things from our own country got lost along the way. And now, those ingredients are becoming part

“‘Executive chef means that you’re the creative driver behind the team. You’re also the morale and the leadership. And of course, you share those responsibilities with your team,” Kaighn said. “And I try to do my best, because I view it as my responsibility to bring satisfaction to my cooks’ lives, whether financially or creatively — all the blame is mine and all the accolades are theirs.”

And through all of the organized chaos of simply running a restaurant, let alone a fine dining establishment, Kaighn has been able to take a few moments during the pandemic shutdown to not only look back at what Frogs Leap Public House has built, but also where the beloved business will go from here.

“I love making people happy, and I don’t do it well any other way except for cooking. So, that’s how I choose to spend my time,” Kaighn said modestly. “I’m certainly not in the business to get rich, nor am I in the business to be lazy. So, that leaves 30 years of my life of really enjoying the feeling I get from making people happy through my cooking. It’s about bringing people together and giving people an escape from their daily existence — it’s uplifting.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Mountains as a rookie reporter at a small newspaper in Eastern Idaho.

Home is where I want to be, pick me up and turn me around

It started with a text message. While making a sandwich for lunch in my parents’ Upstate New York farmhouse the other day, my smart phone vibrated. It was my old friend Leah, a beloved face I hadn’t seen or heard from in several years.

An art therapist in New York’s Hudson Valley, she reached out to see if I could help her with finding some music for a group meeting she was hosting. She needed about an hour or so of “songs that people will dance to” from the 1960s through 1980s. So, telling her I’d be more than happy to help out, I dove deep into the back of my melodic mind, pulling out numerous tunes that would be ideal for what she was seeking. Of which, I made sure to include “Soulful Strut” (Young-Holt Unlimited), “The Safety Dance” (Men Without Hats), “Dance to the Music” (Sly & The Family Stone), “Amie” (Pure Prairie League) and “Happy Together” (The Turtles), among others.

A couple days later, she messaged me again. The playlist was a hit. She then asked what I was doing that coming weekend. Me? No plans. Interviews for the week had

Then, we swapped tales of breakups and makeups and what it means to be alone and trying to make sense of “it all” in your early to mid-30s. She was moving out of the apartment she loved because it reminded her too much of her ex-boyfriend who packed up and exited last year.

“There are too many ghosts in here,” she solemnly said. I sympathized with my own breakup a couple years ago, my ex-girlfriend now long gone. But, the memories, for good or ill, still remain within the walls of my humble abode.

The next morning, we packed up the bed of my truck with the boxes and headed for her new apartment across the Hudson River. Situated above a garage of a work colleague of hers, the newly renovated apartment sits within earshot of a huge waterfall down below the backyard.

After the last box was brought up from the truck, we sat, sweaty and weary, and cracked open a beer to christen the new spot. A slight grin rolled across my face, to which Leah noticed and said, “What are you smiling about?”

I told her I was smiling just thinking about all the great memories she was going to make within that space, all of new and old friends who will visit, this blank canvas and fresh chapter to pursue whatever you heart desires in due time.

Shortly thereafter, it was decided to go explore the backyard and figure out a way to get down to the waterfall. Throwing on our hiking gear, we traversed through thick brush and over dead trees, under heavy branches and around ancient boulders. Soon enough, there the falls were in all their aquatic glory.

already been conducted. Articles not due to my editor for a few more days. She was in the midst of moving into a new apartment, but wanted to reconnect and hangout. It was decided I would roll into the Hudson Valley for a weekend of frolicking.

Along the 3.5-hour drive downstate, I thought about the last time I saw Leah. We both grew up in the same hometown on the Canadian Border. Though she was a couple years younger than me, we were on the cross-country team together and became instant friends. During my senior year, that crew of folks (teammates who became lifelong friends) were (and remain) some of the most beautiful and introspective souls I’ve ever known.

Stepping into her old apartment, there were moving boxes everywhere. Boxes of old memories, winter sweaters, countless pairs of shoes, kitchenware, and trinkets from her journey to the here and now. With a big bear hug, our years of distance were immediately erased over some cold beers held high, sitting on the hillside next to her kitchen window.

For the rest of that first night, we traded stories of our respective paths. She told me about her time going to the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and what it was like to live and work in Brooklyn in your 20s. I countered with my high desert adventures around the Rocky

We stood under the falls in awe. The sheer splendor and scale of the falls took our minds off of recent conversations, where our thoughts swirled around the idea of childlike wonder and being grateful for the moment we had each found ourselves in. Thus, it was only proper that we jump into the water and swim around, this cosmic baptism of sorts into a new and exciting phase of our separate lives.

Emerging from the deep waters, we sat on a rock and basked in the hot afternoon sun. With her back to me, Leah gazed out over the river and up toward the bluebird sky.

“It’s sad that I’ll be enjoying this view alone after you leave,” she said, a few tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s not sad. There’s a difference between loneliness and solitude. And finding that inner peace by being alone is one of the great joys in life,” I replied. “You’ll find that, I promise. And besides, I’ll always make sure to swing through here in my travels from now on.”

She smiled and gave me a hug. We walked back up the riverbank and to the new apartment. Hopping back into the truck, we headed back to the old apartment to finish the packing and say goodbye to her most recent chapter. It was good to see my friend. There are certain people you’re supposed to know and embrace in your life — she is one of those in mine.

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

Book Signing

Maggie Wallem Rowe

On the street

Haywood County Arts Council returns

The following will be occurring at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville.

• Through June 27: Haywood County Studio Tour Exhibit. The HCAC will proudly host artists from the Haywood County Studio Tour in the Gallery & Gifts space at 86 North Main Street. The show will offer a sampling of the work from 29 local artists.

The 2020 Studio Tour has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but the 2021 tour is scheduled for June 26-27. Participants work in diverse media including clay, fiber, wood, jewelry, glass, mixed-media, sculpture, and two-dimensional applications.

The Arts Council’s Haywood County Studio Tour Show offers visitors a generous taste of what they’ll experience in June 2020. For additional information, visit www.haywoodarts.org/studio-tour-participants or www.facebook.com/openstudioshaywood.

• June 24: Opening Day of “Auction for the Arts!” at Cedar Hill Gallery on Main Street in Waynesville. Free and open to the public.

The HCAC is holding its silent auction of original artwork from June 24 to July 11 at Cedar Hill Gallery. Bidding will begin at noon on Wednesday, June 24 and end at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11.

All proceeds from the auction will go toward HCAC’s “Arts Now! Our Campaign for the Future.” The goal of the campaign is to establish a fund for the eventual purchase of a building large enough to provide gallery space for over 100 artists, an emerging artist incubator with affordable studio space, cre-

ation space for youth arts educational programs, a dedicated music classroom, three additional classrooms, and an endowment. Artwork donated by Mark Matheny, Barbara Brook, Remi Dawkins, Cayce Moyer, Jerry Stuart, Diannah Beauregard, Gretchen Clasby, Mary Decker, Dominick DePaolo, Janice Huse, Jan Kolenda, Gregg Livengood, Susan Livengood, Jude Lobe, Francoise Lynch, Jeremiah Maitri, John Nelson, Dee Noelle, and Debbie Skelly. www.haywoodarts.org.

Concerts on the Creek

The organizers of Concerts on the Creek in Sylva have made the difficult decision to postpone the beginning of the 11th season of performances until the end of June.

Concerts on the Creek are traditionally held every Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m., from Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Bridge Park in Sylva. The first performance will be held by Geoff McBride & Scott Baker on June 26.

The series is organized and put on by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva, and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.

“At this time, we’ve decided to reschedule the first four concerts until Saturdays later in the season,” said Jackson County Chamber

ALSO:

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with George Ausman 2 p.m. June 14. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Lost Bridge 7:30 p.m. June 13. All shows are free and open to the public. www.curraheebrew.com.

of Commerce Executive Director Julie Donaldson. “We’re planning on beginning the series on Friday, June 26, depending on how the Governor structures Phase 3. We’ll keep you posted and look forward to being together again soon.”

The performances are free with donations encouraged. Patrons should bring a chair or blanket and prepare to be “COVID safe.” Food trucks are expected to be at some of the concerts.

For a complete lineup schedule of Concerts on the Creek, click on www.mountainlovers.com or go to the Concerts on the Creek Facebook page. These sites will be updated with any changes going forward.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Stephen Horvath June 13 and The Knotty G’s June 27. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Carey Deal 7 p.m. June 12 and Clint Roberts Trio 8 p.m. June 13. Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

Books

An old book for today’s mayhem: The True Believer

Let’s take a look at fanatics, particularly political fanatics. Heaven knows there are enough of them around these days, most recently evidenced in the mobs that have looted, burned, and vandalized scores of American cities in the last couple of weeks in reaction to George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis policeman.

Many of these thugs are simply people out looking for a flat screen television, some liberated booze, or a Rolodex watch. Others, however, are fanatics who have an agenda, namely the overthrow of the United States government, its Constitution, and its laws.

One of the greatest books written about fanaticism in the last 100 years is Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Classics, 2010, 194 pages). Originally published in 1951, Hoffer’s book is as pertinent as today’s headlines, especially in regard to such radical groups as Antifa, the “anti-fascist” organization behind some of the violence across our country.

Hoffer, who worked as a longshoreman on the docks of San Francisco for 25 years, was self-educated and produced 10 books during his lifetime. Of these, The True Believer was his best known, becoming a best seller after President Eisenhower mentioned the book during a press conference. In 1983, shortly before his death, Hoffer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

For Hoffer, a “true believer” could be a communist, a fascist, or a passionate advocate of some religion like Islam or Catholicism. The consequences of their beliefs might make them saints or sinners, but they share an extreme devotion to a cause.

The True Believer gives us such insights as the following:

“Success and failure are unavoidably related in our minds with the state of things around us. Hence it is that people with a sense of fulfillment think it a good world and would like to conserve it as it is, while the frustrated favor radical change. The tendency to look for all causes outside ourselves persists even when it is clear that our state of being is the product of personal qualities such as ability, character, appearance, health, and so on.”

“To the frustrated a mass movement offers substitutes either for the whole self or for the elements which make life bearable and which they

cannot evoke out of their individual resources.”

“Unless a man has the talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden.”

“They who clamor loudest for freedom are often the ones least likely to be happy in a free society. The frustrated, oppressed by their shortcomings, blame their failure on existing restraints. Actually, their innermost desire is for an end to the “free for all.” They want to eliminate free competition and the ruthless testing to which the individual is continually subjected in a free society.”

“Almost all our contemporary movements showed in their early stages a hostile attitude toward the family, and did all they could to discredit it and disrupt it. They did it by undermining the authority of the parents; by facilitating divorce; by taking over the responsibility for feeding, educating and entertaining the children; and by encouraging illegitimacy.”

“The milieu most favorable for the rise and propagation of mass movements is one in which a once compact corporate structure is, for one reasons or another, in a state of disintegration.”

Adages and quotations from The True Believer could fill three of these columns, but let’s examine some of the above.

For the last quarter of a century, perhaps longer, we have seen disintegration in America in its politics and culture: the divisions between Red and Blue states, the namecalling, the labeling, the lack of respect and manners between opponents in Congress, the bitter Tweets and snide comments online.

We know little of the shadowy members of

groups like Antifa, but from Hoffer’s examination of fanatics, we can draw a psychological portrait of many of them. Doubtless a good number of them come from homes lacking a good and strong father figure, someone who might point them to meaningful work and a meaningful life. Many probably lack the “talent to make something of themselves.” Real freedom — making decisions, taking responsibility for success and failure, competition — frightens many of them. Resentment of others and self-pity surely mark some of these people as well, particularly the followers.

In describing the fanatic, Hoffer writes, “Chaos is his element. When the old order begins to crack, he wades in with all his might and recklessness to blow the whole hated present to high heaven. He glories in the sight of a world coming to a sudden end. To hell with reforms! All that already exists is rubbish, and there is no sense in reforming rubbish.”

These are men and women who destroy rather than create, indeed, who have no talent to create. As Hoffer points out, most of the “Nazi bigwigs had artistic and literary ambitions which they could not realize.”

Finally, Hoffer tells us that such people recognize only one valid viewpoint regarding humanity and righteousness — their own.

Many have grieved and mourned the death of George Floyd in a righteous way, asking for police reform and offering prayers for his family.

But those who have shattered windows and looted stores, some of them political fanatics, have damaged more than mere property. Not only have they dishonored the memory of George Floyd, but they have also shattered the dreams and looted the aspirations of those people of all races who owned or worked in those establishments.

Read The True Believer, learn more about them, and decide where you stand. (Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)

Life on the road

WNC photographer embarks on adventure of a lifetime

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Now 31, Steve Yocum was just 22 years old when he moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

He was tired of city life, of doing nothing but going to bars all weekend, every weekend. He wanted to get away, and when the company he’d been working for since high school gave him the chance to move south, he jumped on it. That leap led him to photography.

“Living here and finding these other things to do in the outdoors was the coolest thing ever to me, because we don’t have any of that back in Philly,” he said. “I remember getting a camera and being like, I want to show my friends back home that there’s more to life.”

MAKING THE LEAP

Yocum has lived in WNC for a decade now, most of that time in Haywood County,

and he’s had a camera for about half that time. At first, none of his photos turned out looking anything like the scenes they were supposed to depict. But instead of giving up, Yocum dug in.

“It became an obsession and snowballed rather quickly, I would say,” he said.

At first, though, that obsession had to compete with the full-time job that was drawing increasing amounts of Yocum’s time, energy and peace of mind. He was in charge of IT for a multi-state region that included parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, so he did a lot of driving.

As a guy working with just a high school education, he felt lucky to have the job — it came with good pay, a company car and coworkers who had come to feel like family in the years he’d been working there. But then the company suddenly fired much of its staff, and while Yocum kept his job, he found himself covering triple the area for the same pay.

He was running hard, too hard. In 2017, he got into a car accident after falling asleep at

the wheel while driving the company car home from Charlotte. He hit a semi, bounced away and ran off the road. Yocum was more scared than hurt, but he knew it could have been much worse.

“It was just like, wow, why am I doing this? Life’s too short,” said Yocum. “Why do we work jobs that nearly kill us?”

He didn’t quit right away, continuing to work at a breakneck speed that left little time for vehicle maintenance. Several months later, he had a blowout on the highway. It seemed like a sign. Something had to change.

Yocum decided to take a vacation. He traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to spend some time clearing his head and rediscovering the joy of life. Then, he quit his job.

BECOMING A NOMAD

It was a leap of faith, but Yocum had a plan, or at least a direction. It had only been two years since he’d bought his first camera, a Sony Mirrorless, but in that time he’d gotten good. Really good.

Yocum’s first big photography gig — and, in fact, the first dollar he made in the biz — came in 2016 when Leinenkugel’s Brewery approached him about helping with the ad campaign for its Summer Shandy beer.

“They gave me a lot of money for it, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’” said Yocum. He spent the money on better camera gear and started seeking out — and landing — more assignments. When Backpacker Magazine bought a photo he’d taken at Max Patch for a cover shot in 2016, he knew he was on to something real. The break was essential to building up the confidence he needed to cut the cord with his full-time job the following year.

“I took this chance and quit, and from there bigger and bigger things started happening,” he said.

A nine-month tour of the U.S. he embarked on shortly after quitting served as a launching pad. Winter is a slow season for photographers in Western North Carolina, and Yocum didn’t want to just sit around and twiddle his thumbs. He was also painfully aware that he’d just turned his back on an extremely reliable source of income. He didn’t want to be poor.

“I wrote a bunch of these brands and companies that I had slight ins with and sold them on the idea that I would live out of my truck for nine months and could take product photos in these locations — just highlight the ones you want,” he said.

The idea proved attractive to enough of those brands and companies that Yocum was able to make his plan work. He moved out of his rental and outfitted his truck as his new home, complete with a rooftop tent. It was during that year that Yocum met his girlfriend, Jordan Meeks, and as his nine months on the road drew to a close, she invited him to stay with her for the winter.

They did that for a couple months, and then began renovating an old school bus as their new home. That’s where they live now. It looks like a cabin on the inside, said Yocum, complete with a woodstove and stone fireplace.

PROFESSIONAL ROAD TRIPPERS

Within the week, Yocum and Meeks will be truck-dwellers once more after another life-changing opportunity from Backpacker Magazine. Yocum has sold work to the magazine regularly over the years, and through his contacts he got word that a coveted position in the annual Get Out More Tour would be opening up. Held each year for the past two decades, the tour meanders through the entire continental United States, promoting the brands that

and

Follow the tour

Haywood County residents Steve Yocum and Jordan Meeks will be on the road through October, doing a variety of in-person events and televised presentations as the new Get Out More Tour ambassadors for Backpacker Magazine. For photos, videos, the schedule and more, visit www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/2020get-out-more-tour.

sponsor the tour while offering outdoors seminars and skills classes in various locations across the country. Long story short, Yocum and Meeks got the job.

“We’re super grateful to be a part of it,” said Yocum.

They plan to leave just as soon as Yocum can get his truck wrapped with all the necessary logos. The route begins with a northward trajectory, up through the Great Lakes Region and then turning east into New England and down into Virginia before returning westward, through Indiana and Illinois into Montana before hitting the Cascades and dropping down through California. From there, they’ll turn east into the deserts of Arizona and Utah, catch early fall in the Rockies, and dip south into Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Florida before winding up back in Waynesville at the end of October. The tour will look a little different this year due to the difficulty of holding in-person events in the era of COVID-19 — the schedule will include a variety of televised programs to replace many of the live events — but it will still go on.

Next summer, they’ll do it all again, and every year after that for as long as they want the gig. It’s not a lifestyle that suits everybody, but for Yocum, it’s perfect.

“They could be a big deal to some people, but it’s like, that’s total freedom, right?” he said of the so-called drawbacks of truck life. “Every once in a while if you’re a little hot, or you don’t have all the luxuries of

home — I can have those later in life, right? I don’t know that I would call those things sacrifices.”

Out in the middle of nowhere, he’s away from the constant notifications that have become the norm of daily life. There’s “this total presence,” an ability to concentrate on good conversations, beautiful surroundings and your own thoughts.

That presence has become especially important to Yocum over the years, as the air seems ever more saturated with catastrophes and stereotypes and reasons to be suspicious of those who live in different places or harbor different political beliefs or have different life experiences than our own. For Yocum, replacing sound bites with actual conversations and actual interactions with the diversity of people he encounters on the road has proven the best antidote to despair.

“I’m given this hope,” he said, “that it’s not that bad.”

And more than anything, Yocum loves the freedom of parking his truck in whatever patch of national forest or Bureau of Land Management property looks the prettiest, popping open his rooftop tent, and staying for a night, or two, or 10. There’s nothing better than enjoying a campcooked meal in a spectacularly beautiful place that just so happens to be your home for the night.

“A lot of people travel and do things around vacation time,” he said. “But it’s like, if you could stay longer, why wouldn’t you?”

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.

APPLY TODAY FOR AUGUST ENROLLMENT! TO LEARN MORE AND APPLY, GO TO CATAMOUNTSCHOOL.WCU.EDU

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Ingles Nutrition Notes

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Recipes from Leah

CRUNCHY ROASTED BROCCOLI & PEANUT SALAD

DRESSING:

■ 2 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter

■ 1 tbsp. canola or peanut oil

■ 4 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

■ 1 tsp. fresh lime juice

■ 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

SALAD:

■ 1lb. fresh (washed) or frozen broccoli florets

■ 1 tbsp. canola oil (or peanut oil)

■ 1/4 tsp. black pepper

■ 1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles

■ 1/3 cup roughly chopped lightly salted peanuts

■ 2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh cilantro (or chopped green onions - scallions)

■ Preheat oven to 425°F. ■ Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread broccoli on top. (Note: if using frozen broccoli it is not necessary to totally thaw first). ■ Sprinkle with oil and black pepper. Roast for 20 min. Add in peanuts, mix, and roast for 5 more min. ■ Remove from oven, transfer to a large bowl, and add chow mein noodles. ■ Toss with dressing, fresh cilantro and/or green onions.

Park reopens campgrounds, visitor centers

Some campgrounds, visitor centers and previously closed roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are reopening. The following areas were accessible as of Monday, June 8:

n Campgrounds: Cades Cove and Smokemont Campgrounds, Anthony Creek Horse Camp.

Road (to Palmer Chapel only due to road washout), Forge Creek Road, Rich Mountain Road.

Beginning Monday, June 15, the following areas will be accessible: Elkmont Road, Elkmont Campground, Spence Cabin.

Precautions adopted to support these reopenings include installation of protective barriers between staff and visitors; capacity limits for visitor centers; installation of social distancing floor decal reminders and closure of theater and museum spaces in visitor centers. At campgrounds, services are limited to online reservations only; restroom facilities are appropriately disinfected and cleaned and group campsites remain closed. A return to full operations will continue to be phased. Park managers urge visitors to follow public health guidance for a safe and responsible visit by choosing trails and overlooks without congested parking areas; visiting early in the morning; staying in vehicles while viewing wildlife to avoid crowded conditions; maintaining social distance from other visitors and wearing face coverings where social distancing is not possible.

Visitor services: Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome Visitor Centers and Great Smoky Mountains Association Bookstores, Backcountry Information Office at Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cable Mill and Mingus Mill.

n Roads: Abrams Creek Road, Cataloochee

For the most up-to-date information about facility openings, service hours and access, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. Park rangers remain available to answer questions and help with trip planning via email or phone during business hours at 828.506.8620 or grsm_smokies_information@nps.gov.

Greenway feedback wanted

A survey seeking input on greenways in Jackson County is now open. The county is creating a pedestrian plan and updating its greenway master plan. Survey responses will shape the county’s approach to sidewalks, greenways and other infrastructure. Take the survey at publicinput.com/jacksoncounty. A public meeting will be announced later for July.

Experience a rare stewartia garden

Presented By -and-

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian @InglesDietitian

Leah McGrath - Dietitian 800.334.4936

See a one-of-a-kind garden on Saturday, June 20, with a trip to see how renowned nurseryman Jack Johnston cultivates and maintains his rare mountain camellia collection.

This rare southern Appalachian shrub is a member of the tea family and is known for its large, beautiful blooms. The group will meet in Otto at 9 a.m. and then caravan to Johnston’s nearby property. The tour will end at lunchtime, and all attendees will receive a stewartia plant grown by Johnston.

and group size is limited to 10. Register for $35 at www.alarkaexpeditions.com.

Cades Cove now vehicle-free on Wednesdays

Cades Cove Loop Road will now be vehicle-free on Wednesdays through Sept. 30 as part of a pilot study to improve visitor experience in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

For several years, Wednesday and Saturday mornings during the summer have been offered as vehicle-free periods to allow cyclists and pedestrians full use of the road. However, congested parking areas and disruption of visitor services associated with this schedule prompted the park to propose the study.

In total, 2,278 people from 37 states submitted comments on the proposal. More than 60 percent supported the trial change, and 20 percent opposed it. About 15 percent said they would like to see Saturday morning closures continue but also supported a full-day closure on Wednesday.

Some respondents expressed additional concerns as well, with 8 percent asking the park to consider a shuttle operation, 4 percent noting concerns about limiting access for people with disabilities on vehicle-free days and various others providing suggestions about congestion, safety and descendent access.

Over the last 25 years, use has continued to increase with up to 1,100 people a day cycling or walking along the roadway during the three-hour closures. This has resulted in congestion, lack of parking and

CMC resumes group hikes

disruption in campground and picnic area operations. During the morning closures, access to the campground, picnic area, horse concession operation, campground store and hiking/equestrian trails is

blocked due to cyclist and pedestrian parking needs. Traffic leading to the Cades Cove area is often gridlocked by a line of motorists waiting for the Loop Road to open at 10 a.m. Closing the roadway for the entire day will give bicyclists and pedestrians more than 12 hours of daylight to use the Loop Road without vehicles, and spreading use

throughout the day is expected to improve the parking situation. By eliminating the Saturday morning closures, more motorists will have access during the busiest day of the week, and park staff and volunteers will be able to better support visitor programs on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of devoting all personnel to traffic management and parking. Park management will evaluate results of

the pilot study to inform future actions. Vehicles will be able to access the area seven days per week October through April, and people with disabilities are invited to use mobility-assisted devices on the road during vehicle-free days. Visitors who need accommodations to safely access Cades Cove on vehicle-free days should call 865.448.4105 in advance of their visit.

The Carolina Mountain Club is once more offering group hikes, though with a set of new guidelines in place.

Hikers must maintain at least six feet between themselves and others, and people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should refrain from hiking. Hikes will be limited to 10 people, meaning that hike leaders must now take reservations for excursions. There will be no more carpooling, and hikers must bring a face covering to use when passing other hikers or when crowding occurs. Hikes are posted at www.carolinamountainclub.org and are also available by joining CMC on Meetup.

Explore Haywood’s trout waters

Explore the waters of Haywood County with a fishing pole in hand 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 13.

Experienced local angler Ray Sugg will lead the expedition with subsequent such

adventures planned for June 27, July 11 and July 25, with August dates to be determined.

The offering is one of several fly fishing oriented opportunities from Haywood County Recreation and Parks this summer. A beginning fly fishing course is currently underway and set to repeat in August, with dates Aug. 14, 21, 28 and 29. An intermediate course will be held with sessions July 17,

24, 25 and 31. Tommy Thomas will teach these classes.

Participants do not need a fishing license for the beginning and intermediate courses, but they 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.

Wildlife Commission hires new director

Major Cameron Ingram has been selected as the new executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will transition into his new role by Aug. 1. Ingram replaces Gordon Myers, who is retiring after holding the job for nearly 12 years. Ingram, 47, has been with the Commission since 1997 and has previously served as major of field operations for the Law Enforcement Division. He resides in Climax with his wife, Renee, and two daughters, Brynne and Brooke. A graduate of East Carolina University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks and Recreation with a concentration in Natural Resource Management.

Ingram was chosen for the job following a nationwide search that began last fall and drew in 92 qualified applicants. He will oversee an agency of 650 permanent employees with an annual operating budget of $89 million.

Get trained in wilderness medicine

Landmark Learning in Cullowhee is now open, with summer and fall courses open for registration at that location.

n A Wilderness First Responder re-certification course will be offered July 1-3. n Wilderness First Responder courses will be offered July 4-12, July 18-26 and Sept. 5-13. To learn more, visit www.landmarklearning.org.

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Land trust closes on 448 acres for outdoor rec in Canton

After a year of planning, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has closed on a 448-acre purchase in Haywood County that it plans to gift to the Town of Canton as an outdoor recreation area.

“This property is dynamic, with a mosaic of habitat types — which is really good for wildlife — and different settings for people to enjoy various types of experiences on the land,” said Hanni Muerdter, SAHC’s conservation director.

The Chestnut Mountain property, previously known as the Canton Motorsports property, starts at 2,360 feet in elevation at U.S. 19/23 and rises to 3,400 at the peak of Chestnut Mountain. It contains pockets of mature hardwood forest with laurel and rhododendron, forested slopes facing a variety of directions, and an open field and early successional edge area beneficial for birds. Muerdter described the amount of wildlife activity on the land as “truly impressive.”

Funding for the purchase includes grants of $1.2 million from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, $25,000 from the Pigeon River Fund of the Community

Foundation of Western North Carolina and $150,000 from the N.C. Department of Justice Environmental Enhancement Grant. SAHC will begin the process of transferring the property to Canton once it raises the $300,000 needed to pay back a bridge loan from The Conservation Fund that allowed SAHC to close on the property.

Environmental design firm Equinox will lead a public input process to help identify the best uses and highest outdoor recreational needs for the area, and the company Elevated Trail Design will help implement features identified by public input into a blend that works well for residents, visitors, the local economy, and conservation. An advisory committee of community members has been assembled to help guide the process, including public input.

To submit opinions on park use and design, fill out the survey at www.cantonnc.come by June 26, and to donate towards repaying the bridge loan, visit www.appalachian.org. To learn more about the project, read the previous story by The Smoky Mountain News at https://bit.ly/2xi0xlq.

Learn about rec issues in the draft forest plan

An online panel discussion focusing on recreation issues in the draft NantahalaPisgah National Forest Draft Management Plan will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, using Zoom.

Hosted by MountainTrue, the session will be emceed by the organization’s public lands field biologist Josh Kelly, with panelists Julie White of the Southern Off-Road Mountain Bicycle Association, Deirdre Perot of the Back Country Horsemen of North Carolina, Mike Reardon of the Carolina Climbers Coalition and Kevin Colburn of American Whitewater. The ses-

sion will include time for questions and answers.

Register at www.mountaintrue.org. The organization has hosted past sessions on water quality, management areas and invasive species, which are available at MountainTrue’s YouTube channel.

The deadline to comment on the management plan, which will guide management of 1 million acres of national forest lands for an entire generation, is June 29. Submit comments and view resources, including the plan itself, at bit.ly/forestplanwnc.

WNC Calendar

PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELED BEFORE TRAVELING TO AN EVENT LISTED BELOW.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

• North Shore Cemetery Association announced the cancellation of all North Shore Cemetery Decorations through June 15. At present, all group activities within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are suspended through June 15 and this may change in the future given the complexity and unknown factors concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Swain County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed 2020-21 fiscal budget at 6 p.m. June 11 at the Swain County Administration Building, third floor, 50 Main St., Bryson City.

• QuickDraw, a local art initiative that funds art programs in WNC schools, has jumped online to raise funds online from June 7-30. With the spring physical event cancelled due to COVID-19, volunteers organized an online art sale and auction to replace the in-place fundraiser. QuickDraw’s online auction opens to the public at midnight on June 7 and offers art at auction and a gallery of pre-priced easy-to-ship art. The online auction and art sale can be accessed at https://wncquick-draw.myshopify.com/. For more information, visit QuickDrawofWNC.com or call 828.734.5747.

• Bardo Arts Center has a new webpage dedicated to virtual opportunities at arts.wcu.edu/virtual. Highlights include a series of Thursday lunchtime webinar presentations, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as through the arts.wcu.edu/virtual website. The Thursday webinar series opens with a theatrical talkback, followed by three webinars related to WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions.

• Moe Davis, the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 11th District, will be hosting a series of “Moe Talks” Facebook Live virtual town halls. There will be two events to be held at the same time each week: from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Topics will change week to week. Viewers can submit questions in advance to the @MoeDavisforCongress Facebook Page.

• The Jackson County Democratic Party (jacksondems.com) will hold its monthly meeting virtually at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 via Zoom. Anyone interested in attending should contact Frank Burrell, chairman, at 828.586.8782.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• As of June 1, the Small Business Center at Southwestern Community College will begin offering expanded business services to local small business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Reboot, Recover, Rebuild or R3 Program for Small Business will offer expanded counseling opportunities in more than 40 different categories. Interested businesses are encouraged to apply for the program in advance by visiting southwesterncc.edu/sbc. If you have questions, email Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a four-week online introduction to Cherokee language course, entitled, “Cherokee 101 – Online,” July 6-31. Registration fee is $129. EBCI members and Veterans of the US Armed Forces may register for $89. For more information and to register, visit http://learn.wcu.edu/language.

• Southwestern Community College Small Business Center will host a virtual town hall meeting called “Pandemic Marketing” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 3.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com

Register at https://bit.ly/townhall0603 to watch free live webinar.

• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events. Alongside help for events and gatherings, the organization is also seeking a docent, gift shop attendee, data entry person, landscaper, handyperson, and other positions.

• Haywood Vocational Opportunities is seeking donations of goods, services, time and support for the second annual “HVO Stans Up to PTSD Veteran Community Resource, Education and Job Fair,” which will be held on June 27. 454.6857.

• Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287).

• Cat adoption hours are from noon-5 p.m. on Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays at 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Adoption fee: $10 for cats one-year and older. Check out available cats at www.petharbor.com. 452.1329 or 550.3662.

Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov or 497.1914.

• Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.

• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County. 828.400.4940.

• Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center and get started sharing your talents. 356.2833.

• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• The Kathryn Byer Memorial Poetry Contest celebrates our mountains and our connection to them in our everyday lives. It is open to all Jackson County students, K12. The poets are divided into three categories: K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade, and 9-12th. Three winners, in addition to Honorable Mentions, will be chosen in each category. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, but can be much shorter, of course. Poems should be sub-

mitted to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, either in person, mail or by email to more@citylightsnc.com by April 10. Please include “Poetry Contest” in the subject line. The winners in each category will receive gift certificates to City Lights Bookstore and will be invited to read at Greening up the Mountains at 3 p.m. April 25 at City Lights Bookstore. Winners will be announced by April 20. 586.9499.

• The Sylva Art + Design Committee is pleased to announce a unique pop-up gallery event that will feature the artistic creations of children ages 5-18 in the Western North Carolina region. “Nature Through A Child’s Eye” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Viva Arts Studio in downtown Sylva. If you have a child that you think may want to be a participant ages of 5-18 apply by emailing sylvaartdesign@gmail.com or vivaartsstudio@gmail.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/sylvapublicart or on Instagram @sylvaarts. All submissions will be available for purchase and can be picked up after the completion of the exhibition. All money raised will be equally distributed between SADC and the Sylva Community Garden in order to further the betterment of the community through arts, education, and environmental awareness.

• Registration is underway for the Challenger International Soccer Camp, which will be offered to ages 3-14 from July 20-24 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Costs vary based on age group from $90-197. Separate goalkeeper and scorer program is $25 for ages 6-14 from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Register: challengersports.com. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old. Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register.

• Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.

Ongoing

H EALTH MATTERS

• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.

• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.

VOLUNTEERING

• The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed.

• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:

n Complete listings of local music scene

n Regional festivals

n Art gallery events and openings

n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers

n Civic and social club gatherings

• The Community Kitchen in Canton is in need of volunteers. Opportunities range from planning a meal updating their webpage. 648.0014.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is now accepting applications for boys and girls within the Haywood County area between the ages of 6 and 14 who could benefit from an approved adult mentor/role model. No cost to the family. 356.2148.

• Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, Route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.

• The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center has many new openings for volunteers throughout the region. Learn about a wide-range of volunteer opportunities with a variety of non-profit agencies, including respite work, domestic violence hotline volunteers, meal delivery drivers, court mediators, Habitat for Humanity house building, foster grandparenting, charity thrift shops, the Elk Bugle Corps for the Great Smokies National Park and many more. 356.2833.

• Community Care Clinic of Franklin needs volunteers for a variety of tasks including nursing/clinical, clerical and administrative and communications and marketing. 349.2085.

• Catman2 Shelter in Jackson County needs volunteers for morning feeding and general shelter chores. 293.0892 or hsims@catman2.org.

• The Volunteer Water Inventory Network (VWIN) is looking for people to work one to two hours a month taking water samples from local creeks and streams. Fill up empty bottles, collect water samples, and return full bottles. 926.1308 or www.haywoodwaterways.org.

• The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains a museum located in the historical courthouse in room 308. The HCHGS is seeking articles and objects of historical value to Haywood County that anyone would like to share. 456.3923.

• REACH of Haywood County is looking for volunteers who would like to assist in its newly expanded resale store. 456 Hazelwood Avenue. 456.7898.

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates:

• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

• Legal N otices — 25¢ per word

• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)

• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com

PLACE WNC

Announcements

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Auction

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ONLINE ONLY AUCTION, Business Liquidation of Monroe Metal Manufacturing, Inc., Begins Closing 6/10/20 at 10am, & 6/11/20 at 10am, Property at 6025 Stitt Street, Monroe, NC, ironhorseauction. com, 910.997.2248, NCAL 3936

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SUPER CROSSWORD

74Get-out-of-jail fee

75Metal-bearing rock

1“Alto Rhapsody” composer

7Amount of medication

11Very close pals, briefly

15Lay away

19Handbook

20Among other things, in Latin

22A, in Austria

23Start of a riddle

25With the stroke of -

26Busily engaged

27Actress O'Grady

28Actor Baio

29Riddle, part 2

37Brain part

38Vends again

39New York port on Lake Ontario

40Some weather lines

44Untold millennia

45Gallery works

46Frat.'s counterpart

47Riddle, part 3

53Epitomize

54Volcano outflow

55Waikiki whereabouts

58Coll. e-mail ending

61Coyote kin

62Stopped sleeping

64Actress Dana

66Truckload

67Riddle, part 4

70Kid's “It” game

71Four-time Indy 500 winner

73Supreme Court justice Sotomayor

76Tarnish

77- vu

78Mortar and -

80Riddle, part 5

88Mo. no. 10

90I-10, e.g.

91- mater (brain cover)

92Smears with holy oil

93Engender

95In dire -

99Songstress Eartha

100End of the riddle

105Wise words

106Mr. Spock's pointy pair

107Flood figure

108Feeling, informally

109Riddle's answer

117“- do in a pinch”

118Desirous of equaling someone else

119Advanced to the starting point, as a tape

120Floor votes

121“Fat chance”

122Deleted, with “out”

123Salsa brand

DOWN

1German car

2Yell of cheer

3California's Santa -

4Castaway's shelter

5Irked with

6Sluggish mammal

7One trying to lose weight

8Yoko of music

9Big inits. in fuel additives

10Elver, e.g.

11Lauren of “Key Largo”

12Natural talents

13Daughter, in Dijon

14Paradise of “On the Road”

15Manatee or dugong

16Praise with a cap motion

17“Just the last item is left”

18Tried to get

21Kingly

24Snapshot, for short

28Blues singer - Monica

Parker

29Stepped off

30Little snack

31Wind instrument

32Prove false

33Indigent

34General - chicken

35Monopoly card statistic

36Spear

41Nonetheless

42Detach, as a book page

43Clown prop

45Flat - board

48Radiates

49Hawaii “hi”

50Tolerate

5150-50 gamble

52Cheat

56Use one's 106-Across

57Impulse

58Guesses at JFK

59Judo hall

60Too large to be strained, maybe

62Former UN leader Kofi

63Doughboys' conflict: Abbr.

64Bleach

65Shout at

68Magic hex

69Actress Smith of Tyler Perry films

72Bullfight holler

77Passing grade, barely

78Greek philosopher

79Slezak or Eleniak

81Shaw playing a clarinet

82Powerful car engine

83On - (of equal value)

84Nero's 53

85Faithful wife of Geraint

86Suffix with bachelor

87Booming jets of old

88Nero's wife

89Crassness

94Winged ones in heaven

95Absorb

96Part on a drama series, say

97Dreadlocks wearer, often

98Basked

101“I love you,” in Spain

102Sushi sauce

103Vanzetti's partner in anarchy

104D-day time specification

109Forest lair

110Ingested

111Mingle

112Rd.'s cousin

113Authorize to

114Lofty work

115Floor cover

116Relaxing site

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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Toxic plants of Appalachia

Editor’s note: this column first appeared in a June 2003 issue of The Smoky Mountain News.

From time to time, I’ve discussed in this space various plants the Cherokees and early settlers utilized for medicinal, edible and utilitarian purposes. The reverse side of that topic would be those plants that were dangerous to use.

The most dangerous would have been some of the poisonous mushrooms found in the genus “Amanita.” Species in this genus like the so-called destroying angel (A. verna) are especially difficult to treat because they're delayed in reaction. Symptoms do not usually appear for at least six hours and death occurs as long as 10 days later.

BACK THEN

and eat mushrooms with gusto. Through the years, they have learned by trial and error the species that are to be avoided.

Other highly toxic plants in this region include climbing nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), dolls’-eyes (Actaea pachypoda), false hellebore (Veratrum viride and V. parviflorum), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), and May-apple or American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum).

When leading tree identification workshops, I like to name and discuss the conifers as encountered. They are relatively few in number and easy to learn. After we’ve encountered our first eastern hemlock (Tsuga candadensis), someone in the group always asks, “Isn’t hemlock poisonous?” Or the person might simply declare: “Hemlock trees are deadly poisonous, you know.”

I recently encountered large stands of the plant along the north bank of the Tuckaseigee River just west of Bryson City. Its finely-dissected leaves and purple-spotted stems are diagnostic. Nevertheless, novice wild food foragers hoping to gather the edible rootstocks of Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot) sometimes slip up and harvest poison hemlock instead. Wannabe foragers can also mistake the finely dissected leaves of the young plants for parsley, or the seeds for anise. Such errors inevitably result in a trip to an emergency room and, sometimes, even to the cemetery.

Co., 1982), Charles F. Millspaugh observes that “the history of this fetid, poisonous plant dates back to about the fifth century before Christ. From the careful observations of many historians, there seems little doubt that the Grecian state potion used at Athens as a mode of execution of those condemned to death by the tribunal of Areopagus, was principally, if not wholly, composed of the fresh juice of the leaves and green seeds of this plant.”

Most white settlers here in the Smokies region avoided mushrooms like the plague. This was because their ancestors arriving here in America had found and ingested mushrooms that were deadly look-a-likes for species they had safely eaten in Europe. On the other hand, many Cherokees still gather

He or she will, of course, have in mind the fact that the Greek philosopher Socrates was reported to have committed suicide in 399 B.C. by ingesting a solution made from poison hemlock. I have to explain that hemlock trees aren’t toxic in the least. The poison hemlock they are referring to is in reality an herbaceous species in the carrot family that bears the scientific name “Conium maculatum.”

In Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America (Timber Press, 1991) by Nancy J. Turner and Adam F. Szczawinski, the authors note that “poison hemlock contains a group of closely related poisonous alkaloids” that “are structurally related to nicotine, and act similarly, producing initial stimulation followed by severe depression of the central nervous system, resulting in paralysis, slowing of the heart, convulsions, and death from respiratory paralysis. All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the leaves before flowering, and the flowers and fruits ... The plant is known to be toxic to both humans and animals, and has often produced fatalities.”

In Medicinal Plants (James C. Yorston &

Millspaugh excerpts from Plato’s “Phaedo” the description of Socrates’ death: “And Crito, hearing this, gave the sign to the boy who stood near; and the boy departing, after some time returned, bringing with him the man who was to administer the poison, who brought it readily bruised in a cup. And Socrates, beholding the man, said: ‘Good friend, come hither; you are experienced in these affairs — what is to be done?' ‘Nothing,’ replied the man, only when you have drank the poison you are to walk about until a heaviness takes place in your legs; then lie down — this is all you have to do.’”

Yes, indeed, just one little mistake with some of the plants mentioned above will be “all you have to do.”

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

Education Changes Everything.