Smoky Mountain News | September 30, 2020

for fifth time Page 18

Scenic Max Patch takes a beating Page 30

On the Cover:

A Hazelwood family trying to hang on to its home can’t catch a break, a situation faced by many families struggling with expensive medical bills, paychecks that don’t cover expenses, and a system that seems stacked against them. (Page 6) The Barnette family stand outside their Hazelwood home. Cory Vaillancourt photo

News

Homelessness Task Force discusses low-barrier shelter........................................4

Jackson K-5 students to return to classrooms............................................................8

Jackson County to get out of billboard contract........................................................9

Banned Books Week leads to censorship discussion..........................................10

Cherokee makes election ordinance changes..........................................................11

Jackson commission hopefuls discuss views............................................................12

Sylva offers grants to nonprofits....................................................................................17 Queen, Clampitt square off again................................................................................18

Editorial

Schools restart, but there’s anxiety among many....................................................22 A&E

Del McCoury bridges bluegrass’ past and present................................................26

Outdoors

Max Patch’s popularity leads to overuse problems................................................30

D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray. .

ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Shetley. . .

Amanda Bradley. .

Hylah Birenbaum. . . .

Sophia Burleigh. .

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. .

N EWS E DITOR: Jessi Stone. . . .

WRITING: Holly Kays. . .

Hannah McLeod. . . . .

Cory Vaillancourt.

Garret K. Woodward. .

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Amanda Singletary.

D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. .

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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing) Boyd Allsbrook (writing), Andrew Dundas (writing)

CONTACT

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Waynesville Homelessness Task Force says need exists for shelter

BY BOYD ALLSBROOK SMN CONTRIBUTOR

The work groups tasked with assessing different aspects of the Waynesville homelessness situation gave their reports on possible practical solutions for both homeless individuals and the community at large, and there was one consensus — the pressing need for a low-barrier shelter.

“We talked about having various entry points along a continuum of housing services, which would be everything from a lowbarrier shelter to permanent housing,” said Keri Gudry, a senior case manager for the Haywood Pathways Center. “It’s most likely necessary that a low-barrier shelter is a step that needs to be put in place in Haywood County in order to move folks along that continuum of care.”

The five work groups that are part of the Waynesville Homelessness Task Force are assessing different aspects of the issue — community connection, economic stability, education, housing and health. When the whole task force convened last week, each group discussed its findings. Gudry spoke in terms of “gaps” — areas where homeless people fall through the system’s cracks. Her group discussed expanding the housing options Waynesville currently has so needs can be addressed on an individual basis.

Seconding the need for a shelter that allows any struggling person a warm bed for the night was Waynesville Alderman Anthony Sutton.

“Folks can be asked to move from public places, but unless there’s a low barrier shelter, there’s nowhere for them to go,” Sutton said.

Juleah Berliner, a member of the group assessing health, elaborated on the same issue of homeless people simply having few places to go.

“There’s a gap people fall into when they’re discharged from jail and prison; there’s a tendency that those folks just get dropped off at the courthouse door, which is a problem for accessing resources but also for folks who are on probation and need to have an address within a certain timeframe.

They’re on high risk of being reincarcerated,” Berliner said.

Contributing to the uptick in homelessness is this recurring cycle of trespassing, arrest and incarceration. People down on their luck or struggling with Substance Use Disorder may be ineligible to stay somewhere like Pathways. Having no other recourse, they set up wherever they can until they get cleared out by the police. This can escalate until they end up in prison.

Once released, they have even less support than before — worse job prospects, nowhere to stay, and parole requirements to meet. To begin breaking this cycle, Berliner’s group recommended a low-barrier shelter as an entry point to help move people along the housing continuum and away from prison.

“Another gap that was identified by the folks who were involved with the low-barrier shelter was the lack of transitional housing in our area,” she said. “You know, a place where people could stay a little more

“Folks can be asked to move from public places, but unless there’s a low barrier shelter, there’s nowhere for them to go.”

— Waynesville Alderman Anthony Sutton

stably and a little more long term than a shelter, as they’re getting their ducks in a row, getting feet under them, getting a job or some other arrangement where they could afford housing.”

Kasey Steffen, who worked on Maggie Valley’s low-barrier shelter, is hopeful that a similar place in Waynesville could work.

“It was kind of a neat little trial run to break down some of the worries people had with that, and watching people after getting a bed with no judgement, no strings attached, just letting them sleep and eat for a few days, how it changed their perspective and how they interacted with people,” Steffen said.

Lt. Tyler Trantham of the Waynesville Police Department summed up the task force’s vision going forward.

“We’re trying to meet them where they’re at and try to be that conduit to get them to those services that exist,” Trantham said.

Odds are stacked against working families

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

It’s the kind of street – lined with modest, well-kept houses flying U.S. flags – where neighborhood children haphazardly cast their bicycles in piles on a playmate’s lawn to tear off and play in the woods or on a backyard Slip ‘N Slide.

Front doors flung open, family and friends and kids and dogs on the porch mingle in and out. Tiny driveways boast huge pickup trucks. It smells like someone’s grilling somewhere. Neighbors pass in cars but stop to chat.

There are few strangers on streets like these, home to millions of working-class Americans. This one’s in Waynesville’s bluecollar district of Hazelwood. It’s home to the Barnette family. It may not be for much longer.

Systemic inadequacies are making it harder and harder for working families like the Barnettes to survive, much less build the generational wealth that is central to the concept of the American Dream.

Now, thanks to a broken healthcare system, wages that haven’t kept pace with job growth and the affordable housing crisis, Della “DJ” Barnette, 44, and her husband Darrell, 49, along with their eight-year-old boy Zander and Darrell’s disabled adult son, Joshua, are about to lose the home Darrell

made mortgage payments on for 17 years and end up out on that street.

“The system is … it sucks,” said DJ. “I mean, that’s being nice. It’s just not wired right. People out here working, busting their butt, trying to make a living and make a life for their selves and for their kids can’t get anywhere.”

Built in 2002, the Barnettes’ home was the first house built by Haywood County’s Habitat for Humanity chapter that was ADA-compliant, complete with a wheelchair ramp and extra-wide doorways.

Joshua, who is 27, was born with cerebral palsy and mobilizes using an electric wheelchair. His father Darrell and some buddies put in all the volunteer construction hours required of Habitat homeowners.

The 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home came with a 20-year, no-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments have slowly crept from around $250 a month to around $450, due to increases in taxes and insurance, and the home is currently assessed at around $120,000.

A few years ago, Darrell began to suffer from health problems.

“He’s had seven documented heart attacks,” said DJ.

He’s also had five bypass surgeries, four of which failed – one on the way out of the oper-

You can help

There’s currently a mid-October bar fundraiser in the works for the Barnette family at Waynesville’s Water’n Hole, however the date hasn’t yet been set. In the meantime, if you’d like to make a donation to help the Barnettes, visit www.haywoodhelpinghands.org and click on the “donate” button. Funds raised in excess of the Barnettes’ $14,000 mortgage will go towards establishing a low-barrier shelter.

ating room that put him in a coma for eight days and virtually assured he would never return to his job at Lowe’s.

DJ’s job as an in-home health care aide wasn’t enough to support the family, so they started having trouble paying bills and making the mortgage payments.

After falling behind, they were served with papers earlier this year and entered a forbearance agreement that would keep them in the home but also add $2,500 in legal fees to their ever-growing list of bills. Those fees mean they’re now paying almost $1,100 a month, and if they miss one payment — just one — they’re out on the street.

Before the health scares, Darrell and DJ were only about three years away from paying

off the house entirely — no more house payments, and the chance to sell it and move on, or pass it on to the next generation.

Today, they’re five years away from paying it off and if they fall short at any time, 17 years of mortgage payments go right down the drain.

Part of their affordability problem is that neither Darrell nor DJ has ever been paid anything close to a living wage, leaving them with no savings or investments upon which to fall back.

“I was sitting earlier this week and wrote down all of our bills and then I’m looking at my paycheck like, okay, how am I supposed to do this?” DJ said. “I’m trying to figure out how much per week I’d take out to go toward the bills so that everybody gets their part and my lights don’t get turned off, you know? People say, ‘How do you pay your bills?’ when they see my wages. I’m just borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.”

DJ normally earns $12.50 an hour, 40 hours a week. After taxes, she’s left with less than $400. She says they’re on food stamps, but currently they only qualify due to a COVID-related expansion of the program, which will soon go away.

Darrell isn’t eligible for any sort of disability-related payments, so his income is zero. Joshua receives disability checks, but they’re all used for his ongoing

(left) and Darrell

“We don’t really have family that we could stay with because we’re a big family and bringing in four people and a wheelchair into somebody else’s home – two families in one home is way too much to ask.”

—

Della “DJ” Barnette

medical care. Household take-home is around $20,000 a year, well below the $26,200 poverty level for a family of four.

Making matters worse is the ongoing health care coverage crisis; of her $400 weekly take-home, DJ pays an astonishing $200 a week for medical insurance that covers her and her alone.

“I mean, I’ve got a brother right now that’s homeless. I’ve got a niece that’s homeless, suffering from substance abuse and all that good stuff. My father was an alcoholic,” she said. “I know what hardship is, but it’s like the harder you try, the further behind you get.”

The final component – affordable housing, or rather, the lack thereof – means that if they’re evicted, there’s little hope the Barnettes could ever afford to buy another home of their own.

Even without a foreclosure on their credit report and a special needs child who requires housing accommodations like the ramp and the extra-wide doorframes built just for him, recent data from Canopy MLS shows the average home price in Haywood County is more than $285,000.

Based on affordable housing guidelines, as well as U.S. Census Bureau data, two adults earning the county’s median monthly income of $2,454 cannot safely afford an averagepriced home in Haywood County. The Barnettes don’t make anywhere near that.

The area’s lone family shelter, at Pathways, doesn’t allow men, so if the Barnettes were forced out on to the streets, it would break up the family unit at best and exacerbate the homeless problem at worst.

“I don’t know what we’ll do, to be honest with you. I mean, we have a 27-year-old that’s total care, even with feeding and everything. He has to have assistance. I honestly don’t know. I honestly don’t know how we’d live,” DJ said. “We don’t really have family that we

could stay with because we’re a big family and bringing in four people and a wheelchair into somebody else’s home – two families in one home is way too much to ask.”

The scarcity of realistic housing options for working families, coupled with low wages and outlandish health care coverage costs — 50 percent of the Barnettes’ take-home — leave the family with few avenues out of generational poverty, with just $14,000 left on the mortgage.

Their community, however, has taken note of the situation.

“We have had more blessings lately than we deserve, that’s for sure,” DJ said.

A substantial donation by Asheville-based Disability Partners helped them catch up on some of their arrearage, and another donation by regional grassroots advocacy group Down Home North Carolina, in conjunction with Helping Hands of Haywood, will keep them in their home through October.

“Helping Hands is there to support existing organizations with proven track records, linking people with services in the area,” said Kasey Steffen, who works with Helping Hands and is a member of Down Home. “As Down Home, members go into the political arena, interview different candidates based on community needs. So many times, people get sucked in to that national platform but lose sight of the needs of their neighbors.”

Beyond October, no one really knows what might happen to that family in that modest home on that flag-lined street with all the pickup trucks and bicycles and kids and neighbors and friends.

And with the holidays and cold weather rapidly approaching, Darrell can’t imagine how he’d break the news to Joshua.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I had to tell Joshua we had to move. It would kill that child,” he said. “And Zander, too. It’s the only home he’s ever known.”

Jackson K-5 students will return to in-person learning

HANNAH MCLEOD SMN STAFF WRITER

Elementary school students in Jackson County will go back to in-person learning four days per week beginning Monday, Oct. 5.

The Jackson County Board of Education voted Tuesday, Sept. 22, to approve a modified Plan A for elementary schools in the county. This comes after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced Friday, Sept. 17, that districts could choose to implement Plan A for elementary schools.

Plan A is full-time, in-person learning with no restrictions on the number of children in a classroom. The plan does still include safety guidelines like face coverings for all students, teachers and staff, social distancing and symptom screening.

At the school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Tony Tipton presented a modified Plan A for Jackson County elementary schools. According to Tipton there are several guidelines the school system must continue to follow under Plan A.

“We must continue to wear a mask. We must continue to wash hands often. It is highly recommended that we continue to follow six feet separation while in school. It is still required that we follow Plan B while on school busses. We must still offer total remote learning for parents that continue to request that option for their children,” said Tipton.

According to Tipton, the plan he laid out had been developed together with administration and elementary principles.

Elementary students will begin attending school four days a week for face-to-face instruction on Oct. 5. In order to begin on Oct. 5, the board had to approve a calendar change. That day was originally scheduled as a staff development day, but the workday has been changed to Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Jackson County had previously given students the option to return from fully-remote learning to in-person learning at the beginning of the second nine-week period. Now the school system is recommending that students who were going to return at the beginning of the nine weeks return on Oct. 5 instead.

In order to minimize students going back and forth between remote and in-person learning, the school system is requiring parents to decide now between remote and inperson learning for the entire school year.

“We understand various family circumstances may change between now and June, which may require a change in this option. We will address those situations on a case-bycase basis if they occur,” said Tipton.

Under this modified Plan A, elementary students will attend school four days per week, with Wednesdays remaining a remote learning day. This is because there are still a large number of families that are requesting full-remote learning.

“There is no way, we can see, coming back five full days a week and still offer remote learning. We’ve looked at hiring extra teachers, we’ve looked at several different scenarios and we just cannot pull that off,” said Tipton.

Jackson County schools will still practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible in all grades. When not possible in the elementary grades, administration is asking teachers to do as much work as possible in a pod, or small groups, system. Students will remain in the same small groups each day to

minimize contact and spread if one student were to contract COVID-19.

“We’ve done that with our athletic program and it worked quite well,” said Tipton.

School busses will still remain on Plan B social distancing guidelines, which means there will be one student to a seat, with the exception of siblings or same household students who will be able to share a seat.

Everyone in the school buildings will still be required to wear masks and wash hands regularly.

Jackson commissioners terminate billboard lease

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

During a Sept. 15 meeting, Jackson County commissioners voted unanimously to terminate a pair of billboard leases the county holds with Allison Outdoor Advertising, the oldest of which has been in place since 1976.

The vote came following Reconcile Sylva’s August attempt to rent space on one of the county-owned billboard sites, located next to the American Legion building at the bottom of courthouse hill, and display a message opposing the Confederate soldier statue that has stood on the steps leading up to the historic courthouse since 1915.

However, Allison denied the request after it turned out that the billboard lease included a provision prohibiting use of the billboards for “political ads or issues, or for promotion of subjects which are politically sensitive or which might tend to imply the County of Jackson has taken a position in regards to a political matter.”

That revelation spurred a discussion in county chambers as to whether the county should be in the “billboard business” at all. Asking county staff to adjudicate particular language choices and messaging on the billboards puts them in an awkward position, County Manager Don Adams told the board, and the income the county receives from the billboards is minimal. The 1976 lease for the billboards in downtown Sylva stipulates a payment of just $50 per year, and a 2012 lease for billboards located next to the 911 Center along U.S. 441 nets the county $2,200 per year.

Commissioners were initially poised to vote on terminating the leases during their Aug. 18 meeting, but they tabled the vote at

the request of Allison Outdoor President Claude Dicks, who wrote commissioners a letter proposing some potential solutions that would allow the billboards to remain in place. Those suggestions were discussed during a Sept. 8 work session, and commissioners expressed differing opinions as to whether it would be wise for the county to continue holding a lease with Allison. However, they all agreed that a sensible first step would be

The 1976 lease for the billboards in downtown Sylva stipulates a payment of just $50 per year, and a 2012 lease for billboards located next to the 911 Center along U.S. 441 nets the county $2,200 per year.

to terminate the existing leases. The terms of the leases require that the county give Allison at least six months’ notice on any termination, so the Sept. 15 vote just starts that clock ticking.

“That places the burden upon them to reach out to us with favorable language that we all could agree with, and we have six months to work it out,” said Chairman Brian McMahan during the Sept. 8 work session.

“If we don’t get it worked out then they come down.”

Following the Sept. 15 vote, the leases are set to end on March 19, 2021.

Dangerous material; celebrating banned books

BY BOYD ALLSBROOK

SMN CONTRIBUTOR

What do To Kill A Mockingbird, Harry Potter, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and 1984 all have in common? Apart the obvious fact of their bookhood, you’d struggle to find anything thematically similar between them. But this assortment of classics, modern novels, and fantasies are all related in an important way. All have, at some point, been banned from schools or libraries.

The phenomena of banning books is in no way new. Every repressive regime throughout history has sought to erase knowledge and viewpoints they deemed dangerous. An emperor of China’s Qin dynasty famously burned the works of all Confucian scholars before burying them alive — the scholars, not the works — for good measure. The Spanish inquisition spawned the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a surprisingly long-lived publication outlining forbidden and heretical literature. Orwell’s chilling 1984 was inspired by the mass Nazi and Soviet totalitarian bookburnings, though this ironically didn’t save his novel from being challenged in 1981 for being “pro-communist.”

Even the United States, a bastion of free speech and press, hasn’t managed to avoid this censorious tendency. The American Library Magazine shows that a whopping 11,300 books have been challenged — that is, formally complained about and sometimes banned — since 1982.

Ben Cutler, a teacher and poet in Swain County, says he lives in constant apprehension of classroom books being challenged. “I haven’t faced it personally,” he said, “but I’ve certainly taught books that have been chal-

Banned Books Week

The American Library Association’s Banned Books Weeks is Sept. 27-Oct. 3. Visit the organization’s website at ala.org for information about censorship and lists of the most commonly banned books by year.

lenged elsewhere. It’s the kind of thing I’m always waiting for it to happen, especially as an English literature teacher.”

When asked for examples of a book that might be challenged, Cutler immediately referenced Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

“I know it has a history of being challenged, but it’s a book I pretty strongly believe in. When I have the right class, the right group of students, I like to teach The Kite Runner. I think it’s such a powerful book. I think it’s important for kids in our region to be exposed to the belief systems and tragedies taking place in the context of Islam,” Cutler said.

The Kite Runner is a perfect storm of oftcited reasons for book-banning: religious viewpoint, violence and sexuality not fit for younger age groups. That it is so often challenged offers a key insight into modern American censorship: though blatantly banning books for adults is now mostly taboo, children can often be used as a shield and bludgeon against subject matter parents and other authority figures dislike.

“It’s a book that deals with Islam, and I think for those who are only informed by what they see in the media, regarding radicalism and terrorism, just the mention of Islam or Muslims can be alarming or offen-

sive to some,” said Cutler. “But that’s one of the reasons I try to teach the book, because it immerses us into the world of these characters who are Islamic, but who are beautiful, diverse, complex people who’ve suffered from radicalism more than most U.S. citizens. But if you don’t have that context, some people can be alarmed by it. It also deals with violence — specifically sexual violence.”

Cutler feels that the students he teaches this book and similar material to are mature enough to handle it.

“I’m not ever in favor of banning books,” he said. “Those pieces F

Election ordinance changes approved in Cherokee

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

During its Sept. 3 meeting, Tribal Council voted unanimously to approve a slate of changes to its election ordinance ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline enshrined in Cherokee law.

The body has been discussing the ordinance in a series of work sessions this summer, and the changes contained in proposed ordinance amendments published prior to the Sept. 3 meeting are summarized in a previous Smoky Mountain News story available at www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/29746-cherokeeseeks-to-amend-election-ordinances.

The amendments included slight changes to the deadline for candidates to reach the qualifying age to run for office and for the timeframe included in residency requirements, as well as a shortened filing period. They also included changes to the process for certifying candidates, board hearing procedures, increased restrictions on photography and other recordings at polling places, a narrowed set of circumstances in which a person can be barred from running for office and a wider set of circumstances in which a person is eligible for an absentee ballot.

to an election protest the right to have a lay advocate represent them. The approved version adds that provision back in.

n The ability to vote absentee is extended to the immediate family members of tribal members who are enrolled in institutions of higher learning and are therefore unable to vote in person.

n Previously proposed language would have stated that “the North Carolina Rules of Evidence do not apply” in hearings regarding eligibility for certification and election protests.

The new language states that: “The North Carolina Rules of Evidence may be used as general guides for hearings before the (election) board. The board may admit

On Sept. 3, Tribal Council made some additional changes to the proposed ordinance amendments before voting to pass them.

n The filing fee to run for principal chief will increase from $700 to $1,000.

n School board candidates must be at least 21 years old by the date of the general election, rather than by the date of the primary election as currently proscribed. The previously proposed ordinances had included similar changes related to age requirements for Tribal Council and chief candidates.

n Candidates can pay filing fees using “electronic payments.” Previously cash, check or money order were the only acceptable forms of payment.

n The ordinance now states that the fee to file an election protest is $100. This fee was already in effect, but it is now included in the ordinance to provide greater clarity.

n Previously proposed language stated that a person would be ineligible to hold office if he or she had been removed by impeachment from elected office, but not from appointed office. The approved version includes removal by impeachment from appointed office as a reason for ineligibility.

n Previously proposed language to the ordinance governing election irregularities would have stricken a phrase guaranteeing parties

of great literature have almost all been banned, resisted, at some point — you could say that the history of literature is the history of banned literature. But, I think there is something to be said for being critical. We’re trying to teach our students to read with an informed, critical eye. And that’s where you run into trouble with parents. Oftentimes, you’ll find they haven’t even read the book, or are simply afraid of what the book contains without understanding what’s really there. It’s the great irony of banned books: those who ban them usually know very little about them!”

Most who challenge books, then, are not malicious, but rather uninformed. They see a buzzword like ‘Islam,’ ‘witchcraft’ or ‘sex’ and jump to premature conclusions. However, he feels that parents and teachers are united in that they both care about protecting the students.

“To sort of speak on behalf of parents, they’re just doing the same critical process I have to do as a teacher. Questioning what are the texts I’m going to teach, why am I going to teach them, are my students ready for this, is this the right group? Say there’s a book that deals with sexual assault. I have to really think about who’s in my class when we read that. Which isn’t to say that I wouldn’t teach the book, but I’d definitely take it pretty seriously,” said Cutler. “So I certainly understand the idea that kids might

not be ready for something, but also am against the complete removal of a text. Because banned books are often the ones questioning or challenging the status quo. These are the books that are really making us think and challenging us, and I think it’s a real dangerous game if we start getting into a mindset that we shouldn’t be challenging our kids.”

What separates modern American censorship from historical book burnings is their personal, bottom-up quality. Rather than being banned by censorious regimes, books are by and large challenged on an individual basis, for a myriad of unique cultural reasons. Still, this begs the question: if your complaint is “I don’t want my kid to read this,” why try to blanket-ban it for everyone? Where does the personal become political?

“I think we kind of inflate our own sense of morality, and extend that to everyone else,” Cutler said. “We can say ‘if this isn’t right for my kid, then it isn’t right, period.’ People often extend their morality to a worldview as opposed to a personal belief. And so they believe that they’re not only protecting their own child, but they’re protecting others. That’s a noble sentiment, but one that I’d venture to say is also arrogant, perhaps.”

Ben Cutler is an educator at Swain High School. His book of poetry The Geese Who Might Be Gods, is available for sale at https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/the-geese-who-mightbe-gods-benjamin-cutler/

and give probative effect to evidence which possesses probative value commonly accepted by reasonably prudent people in the conduct of their affairs. They shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law. They may exclude incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial and unduly repetitious evidence.

The reasoning for that provision, said Board of Elections Chair Denise Ballard, is to have some evidence guidelines in place while still making the process navigable for people without a legal background who are attempting to make their case to the election board.

“To me both of these are kind of a meeting in the middle to have those rules of evidence here as a guide for the board and to have some leniency at the same time should a lay advocate come before the board,” she said.

Tribal Council approved the election ordinance amendments in five separate resolutions, all of which passed by a unanimous vote of those present. Wolfetown Representative Chelsea Saunooke was absent for four of the five votes but raised her hand in favor for the vote she was present for.

Principal Chief Richard Sneed has ratified the ordinances, meaning that they are now law and will be used to guide the upcoming tribal election season in 2021. Filing begins March 1.

For a complete copy of the amended and approved ordinances, visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on this story.

Clampitt, Queen face off for fifth time

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

They’ve now run against each other five times in 10 years so there’s not much voters don’t know about them already, but the first question of the Blue Ridge Public Radio/Smoky Mountain News forum Sept. 24 between Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen and his Republican challenger Mike Clampitt took a more substantial purview of their decade-long feud.

“It’s been a fun 10 years,” said Clampitt, when asked how he’d changed in the 10 years since he first ran against Queen for the District 119 House seat. Priorities, he said, are the same, with a few modifications — business difficulties blamed on Gov. Roy Cooper’s decisions about COVID-19, and public safety issues raised by civil unrest across the country.

Queen, for his part, framed his answer in terms of the pandemic, which has lain bare gross inequalities in high-speed internet access, a gutted state unemployment system and, most importantly, health care coverage that could be provided through Medicaid expansion.

“It has really risen in my priorities,” Queen said of Medicaid, something he’s championed for several years now.

That question set the tone for a debate that was anything but ordinary, due to a number of topics Queen and Clampitt have never had to campaign on until now – the Coronavirus Pandemic, and an American reckoning with race not seen since the 1960s, if ever.

“History is history,” Clampitt said, when asked about a state law that takes the power to remove or relocate monuments out of the hands of local governments and consolidates it in Raleigh.

The Confederate monument in Jackson County has been a flashpoint for the community all summer long, with some demanding removal or revision. Clampitt decried the violence sometimes associated with protests demanding the removal of such monuments, and said he supports the law.

“The bottom line is, we’re not teaching the real history. We’ve done away with U.S. history, we’ve taken discipline out of the schools, we’ve taken the pledge out of schools and we’re taking prayer out of schools. I’m a traditionalist,” he said. “I think we need to go back to those things and keep doing those things, and those things are very important for our society, our morality and our youth. And no, I’m not going to take and go for any statues being taken down.”

If a small-government conservative arguing for big-government regulations on statues isn’t an odd enough juxtaposition, Queen said he’s in favor of local control of such issues.

“I like statues. I’m an architect. I think they’re part of the civic fabric, but I think you have to let your community have the discussions around these,” he said. “When it comes to the Confederacy there is a lot of different

opinions and all of those opinions need to be heard in a community, so I would be interested in letting the locals put together any review program that they feel is appropriate and continue to maintain their statues and their monuments as they see fit.”

Affordable housing has also been a major issue in Western North Carolina, due to the lack of developable land, the expensive logistics of site preparation work and red-hot real estate markets that have defied the depressive

economic effects of the pandemic. It’s been a tough nut to crack, and government intervention isn’t usually welcomed in one of the most capitalist economic sectors of the U.S. economy.

“When we grow out of this recession, housing needs to be part of the plan,” said Queen. “Affordable housing — it’s two words there. One of them is ‘affordable.’ I’m really working hard for better wages, higher wages, living wages, that is a big priority of mine.

And then, equity-building housing is a big priority of mine because if you want to enter the middle class, one of the best ways is to get a good education, a good job and buy a house that builds equity.”

While Queen advocated for a wage-based solution to the crisis, Clampitt accused Queen of doing little during his terms in the House and the Senate to combat the problem

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and proposed letting the market solve the issue on its own – something that hasn’t yet happened.

“We need to have a job market that has affordable housing so that they can go to their employers. We will be coming out of this,” Clampitt said. “This pandemic will not last forever, when it does end, we’ll see a greater better North Carolina and Western North Carolina. I can guarantee it.”

While the first three questions were presented by moderators, the rest were crowdsourced — either from members of the community or from Facebook during the live stream of the debate. The first community question came from Patsy Davis, executive director of social service agency Mountain Projects, which is active in Haywood and Jackson counties.

What, she asked, are some ways taxpayer money can be spent more wisely to help more people out of poverty?

The lack of public transportation and the opioid crisis are major factors, according to Clampitt, who continued to tie Queen to Cooper with gripes about COVID-related business closures.

“So it’s hard to get people out to work because [businesses are] not there, thanks to the governor. A lot of businesses closed thanks to Mr. Queen siding with the governor on not opening gyms and businesses and outdoor eating at restaurants,” Clampitt said. “So thank you, Mr. Queen, for adding to our joblessness in North Carolina, because that’s where it’s at. Right now, we have people that could be hired, could be working a job, but because of the closure and shutdowns with the state, they can’t go to work.”

Firing back, Queen suggested economic recovery was predicated upon emerging from the pandemic safely, and that resources were best spent on early childhood education, higher education and housing.

“I was a great believer in the G.I. Bill that it got my father out of poverty and got my family on a good track to a middle-class lifestyle, a rising lifestyle,” he said.

Nate Hadley, a senior at Western Carolina University and editor-in-chief of the school’s paper The Western Carolina Journalist, wanted to know more about what, exactly, being “pro-education” really means.

Queen reiterated support for early childhood education but blamed Republicans’ 10year grip on legislative power in Raleigh for undermining community colleges and the state’s university system.

“The universities have been cut 25 percent in this decade by the Republican majority, the great university system of North Carolina that drives our economy. It’s really a key to North Carolina’s success … You have to fund them. You have to give them the budget,” he said. “You cannot cut their budget. You cannot cut their support. You have to support them, and universities, I’ve said the same

thing, it’s very important to fund them, and that’s what I have done.”

A product of the community college system himself, Clampitt said he was the poster child for vocational education and called for such coursework to be implemented at the high school freshman level. He also touted his advocacy on behalf of WCU during his lone House term that resulted in funding for the school’s aging steam plant, while Queen pointed out that he’d helped fund the building in which the forum was being held.

The final community question, from Katherine Gantt, a school psychologist and Swain County resident, addressed North Carolina’s potential appetite for the legalization of medicinal or medical cannabis, and the resultant benefits to the state’s agricultural sector.

“They’re defunding education. They’re defunding healthcare. They’re defunding environmental protection. They are the defunders.”

— Rep. Joe Sam Queen

“As far as recreational marijuana, the answer is no,” Clampitt said. “We have enough issues on the roads and highways with accidents involving people with number one, prescription drugs, number two, legal alcohol and also with these other drugs that people are abusing out there. So, no, I will not support any kind of legislation at all, now, in the future or ever for recreational marijuana.”

He did, however, express support for strictly-monitored hemp farming of the sort that had been implemented in a Haywood County pilot program implemented a few years ago.

Both candidates acknowledged the crop’s affinity for the sun and soils of Western North Carolina, and the possibility it could help fill the hole left by the decimation of the state’s tobacco industry; Queen remains open to the idea of recreational marijuana and supports medicinal use.

“I have been very cautious about legalizing recreational marijuana in North Carolina. I am waiting for results from the dozen or so states that have already done it and how they’re doing,” he said. “I have a lot of folks that certainly think medical marijuana would be very helpful and I definitely think it should be decriminalized as a product. So, I am not for it at the present time, but I am open to the research and the follow-through for the conversation in the future.”

The first of the Facebook live questions came from Haywood County resident

S EE F IFTH TIME, PAGE 16

smokymountainnews.com

Ingles Nutrition Notes

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

WINTER SQUASH

This is the season of “winter squash.” Winter Squash like acorn, spaghetti squash, hubbard, kabocha, delicata, butternut and pumpkin are the hard skinned cousins to summer squash (zucchini and yellow squash). Winter squash come in a variety of colors and sizes and make a beautiful fall display — but are also nutritious and delicious to eat.

Nutriton: Winter squash are typically higher in beta carotene (vitamin A) and fiber than summer squash.

Storage: Thanks to their hard skin, winter squash keep longer and do not need to be refrigerated.

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Recipes: An easy way to cook many of the winter squash varieties is to remove seeds, drizzle with canola or olive oil and seasoning and then roast in a hot over (425 degrees) until fork tender ( you can easily pierce with a fork). Winter squash can also be stuffed or added to soups or stews.

Check out recipes for winter squash on the Ingles website (ingles-markets.com) or by picking up a copy of the Ingles Table magazine in our deli department

Christian Burnett, who asked about the candidates’ respective stances on the defund the police movement and how they planned to support law enforcement.

The issue is a contentious one, and on the minds of many voters especially as House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican, recently accused Democratic legislative candidates — including Queen — of pledging to defund police in North Carolina. The so-called “pledge” Moore refers to contains no mention of defunding police. Democrats called Moore’s efforts to tar them a distortion.

“It’s annoying when Speaker Moore has a press conference and says that a number of us are for defunding the police and then they create — with professional liars — a website to send you to, to believe that,” said Queen. “I have supported my local law enforcement. I have never said one word, done one deed, to indicate I am defunding the police. I support local law enforcement. I support their need for resources.”

But Queen said he recognized the need for law enforcement accountability, as well as law enforcement’s role as a larger part of the community.

“We’re in an era where law enforcement has had some real issues,” he said. “This Black Lives Matter and the conversation that America is having about race and justice is a very real one, but the police and our law enforcement are a real important part of that discussion.”

Rattling off a list of endorsements, including many by law enforcement organizations, Clampitt said he wasn’t aware of any such law enforcement endorsements for Queen, and resorted to using a visual aid to claim Queen was anti-law enforcement.

“I’m holding in my hand an item that came in the mail and it says, ‘Joe Sam Queen, defund the police, put our families in danger,’” Clampitt said. “He says he supports police. He voted four times on roll call votes in 2019. I can give you the dates. 5-2, 5-3, 626, 6-27, and the roll call votes on those, those

numbers don’t lie, ladies and gentlemen. It’s in print.”

They don’t lie, but they do get distorted — the four votes listed on the mailer were procedural votes that didn’t factor in to the passage of any bill; legislators will often oppose early versions of a bill or budget that they actually support, in hopes of forcing changes.

“That couldn’t be any further from the truth. That’s a straight-up lie,” Queen said of Clampitt’s prop. “That document he showed is a straight-up lie. The four things that they quote there is voting on the budget bill. Voting on it twice. We voted on it twice, a first reading and second reading. So that’s four votes. It doesn’t have a thing to do with defunding the police.”

Instead, Queen said that law enforcement got raises while more than 70 percent of other state employees did not.

“This is just a part of President Trump and part of Speaker Moore’s effort to change the conversation from their pandemic responses,” Queen said. “They’re defunding education. They’re defunding healthcare. They’re defunding environmental protection. They are the defunders.”

Elaine Slocum, a Bryson City resident, commented during the live stream that $7.25 was not a living wage, and asked about a $15 minimum wage; advocates of the so-called “living wage” calculate the value by factoring in the costs housing, energy and consumables, which in Western North Carolina is suggested to be usually around $15-16 an hour.

“If you are a business and you’ve got 10 employees and you’re going to give all of them a $15 raise and you may have to lay five of them off, so the other five can have $15, is that equitable? I don’t think so,” Clampitt said. “I don’t think it’s the government’s job and I will not enter into telling businesses what their pay rates and rates of hour or salary should be. That should be left up to the business owner and based on the business owner’s practices. If they’re good practices, he’ll turn a profit. When they turn a profit, they usually pass that on to the employees.”

Queen, however, supports the idea of raising the federal minimum wage, which hasn’t changed since June, 2009.

“You cannot live on $7.35, so I am in favor of raising the minimum wage and I would aim for $15 because I think that’s about where it ought to be myself,” he said.

The final question, from Chris Taber of Sylva, was about candidate support for mandatory mask mandates and the enforce-

“There is no such thing as a king in North Carolina. We have a governor, which needs to be replaced as well as his puppets like Mr. Queen need to be replaced. That’s why I’m asking for your vote.”

— Mike Clampitt

ment thereof, especially in local businesses that flaunt guidelines issued by public health officials — another contentious topic in which Republicans have tried to tie Democratic opponents to Gov. Cooper’s series of executive orders on the pandemic.

“I would like to see that enforced appropriately. We know that in this pandemic, social distancing and masks will keep all of us safe. I want everybody to live their full, productive life and be safe,” Queen said. “So, I support masks and I support the governor’s authority to mandate them. If you’re walking out in open air, you don’t have to wear one, but if you’re going to go into a shop, into a store, into an enclosed environment, it’s my opinion in this pandemic from the research I’ve seen [that] it’s in all of our public health interest to wear a mask.”

Queen doubled down on his opinion that

HealthPATH

economic recovery could only occur once the pandemic had been safely neutralized.

“If you see the scientific studies that we’ve been presented at the legislature on how important it is, then you would know you will do this,” he said. “You will do it for your family. You’ll do it for your neighbor’s family. You’ll do it for your community. We’re in this together.”

Clampitt called Queen a “parrot” for Cooper, who’s been maligned by the right — including his General Election opponent, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest — for his handling of the pandemic.

“I believe in vaccine and mask choice, that should be left up to an individual. With that being said, no one has the right to close, or say that our churches need be closed because of the pandemic,” said Clampitt. “Nothing trumps our state and federal constitutions.

Our state constitution has been trampled as well as the federal Constitution has been trampled by our current sitting governor, Cooper. That being said he is not to have control over any church on freedom of religion. We can worship and pray where we please. Mr. Queen says he would like to see it mandated.”

Clampitt also questioned the logistics of enforcing the mandate.

“Are we going to have the mask police out there? We already have enough issues with the police department and him wanting to defund them,” said Clampitt, again citing the deceptive mailer. “I don’t think that’s going to work right off hand. I think we’re infringing on personal liberties. I think we’re infringing on our personal freedoms. At some point this has got to stop. There is no such thing as a king in North Carolina. We have a governor, which needs to be replaced as well as his puppets like Mr. Queen need to be replaced.

That’s why I’m asking for your vote.”

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, but mail-in voting is already underway. The deadline to register to vote is Friday, Oct. 9. In-person early voting begins on Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 31. For more voting information, contact your county board of elections, or visit www.ncsbe.gov.

Sylva will grant $20,000 to local nonprofits

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Anew grant program approved by a unanimous vote from the Sylva Board of Commissioners Sept. 24 will allocate $20,000 to help nonprofit organizations better serve Sylva residents during the pandemic.

“We tried to keep it very simple,” said Interim Town Manager Mike Morgan. “Just basically tell us what you want to do with the money and then we could go through the process of approving the grants.”

The program will provide grants capped at $5,000 to assist with programs related to food insecurity, public health measures, medical access, supplies for nonprofits, emergency needs and other COVID-related expenses. The town will award the funds on a first-come, first-serve basis but will not vote on any applications prior to the board’s Oct. 22 meeting. While it can award grants of up to $5,000, it may restrict the grants to smaller amounts if a large number of organizations apply.

Commissioner David Nestler first floated the idea for the program Aug. 13 when Morgan presented his plan for spending the CARES Act money. Sylva received $411,583 from the program, most of which — $391,846 — will reimburse the town for dollars it spent on police officer salaries between May and August.

“This is money we could be putting back into our community in a time like this, instead of our general fund, so I wanted to see what options were available to us there,” Nestler said to begin the Aug. 13 discussion.

There are clear rules as to how CARES Act money can and cannot be used, and those rules would likely have prevented the town from directly allocating the money to a grant program. However, funding public safety personnel during the pandemic is an acceptable use, and because the town had already paid out police salaries for the timeframe in question, the money rolled back into the general fund, meaning that it is no longer subject to any restrictions other than those that apply to any other town expenditure.

Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh voiced support for the program but said she believed the town could do even more to help its nonprofits.

“It’s a little over $400,000 that we were given, and I was thinking more along the lines of tithing of a 10 percent,” she said. “I don’t know if our budget could support a 10 percent tithe of this money, but that would bring it more at $40,000.”

Additionally, she said, a lower cap on awards might be good in order to allow more nonprofits and more projects to benefit.

“I would like to see us broaden our spectrum on how many people could apply, even if that meant a lesser number for those few awarded,” she said.

Mayor Lynda Sossamon pointed out that in the past, the town’s contributions to non-

profit organizations have maxed out at $1,000. However, Nestler said, he’d rather keep the larger cap because it gives the town more flexibility in granting awards.

“It seems to me when organizations discuss having these sorts of grants — not in a time of crisis — we tend to overestimate the number of people that are going to apply to it and sort of bootstrap people by the amount they can’t apply for and making it less worth it for these nonprofits to apply,” he said. “Having a $5,000 max, I think that’s OK. It doesn’t mean we have to approve $5,000.”

As to the $20,000 number, Morgan allowed that it was mostly a “random number” he’d put in the resolution for discussion purposes but stated that, while it’s ultimately up to the board how much they want to allocate, he wouldn’t recommend going higher than $20,000.

“We have some tremendous expenses coming upon the town, especially with the Allen Street slide project,” said Morgan. “That’s going to be a major, major hit to the town budget. But then again we’re trying to provide a number that would make it worthwhile for a nonprofit to go through the grant process.”

Morgan was referring to the cost of repairing a landslide that has resulted in the closure of Allen Street. He and Public Works Director Jake Scott are currently working on putting together repair estimates, but they expect the cost to exceed $500,000, and that expense is not accounted for in the budget commissioners approved in June.

Ultimately, commissioners heeded Morgan’s concerns.

“I think that even though that ($20,000) number was pulled out of the air, I think that’s a solid number for us to start to work with,” said Commissioner Greg McPherson. “Maybe this could go to more later.”

Sylva received its CARES Act funding via Jackson County, which received it from the state, which received it from the federal government. The federal CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which provided the state with $4.067 billion in funding. Of that, $300 million was sent to the counties, each of which were required to allocate at least 25 percent of their funding to municipalities within the county.

Jackson County received $1.8 million, of which $454,408 must go to municipalities. Jackson County decided to allocate the funding with the same formula it uses to disperse sales tax receipts, meaning that Sylva received most of the money. However, Dillsboro received $25,766, Webster got $6,323 and Highlands — which is partially located in Jackson County but sits mainly in Macon County — was allocated $1,000 in a Sept. 15 vote of County Commissioners.

Sylva’s grant program is open to 501c3, 501c4 and 501c6 organizations that serve Sylva residents. For more information, call the town at 828.586.2719.

Letson and Jones vie for seat as southern Jackson County’s commissioner

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

There’s no incumbent on the ballot for Jackson County’s District 4 commission seat, but voters will still find themselves choosing between a known quantity and a new contender this election season.

Democrat Mark Jones served on the county commission from 2006 through 2016, when he lost to Republican Mickey Luker. Luker — who has faced criticism due to an ongoing lack of physical attendance at county meetings that began in earnest in May 2019 — is not running for re-election.

This time around, Jones will face Republican Mark Letson. Letson has never held elected office before but currently serves on three appointed boards and in 2019 was named by the Jackson County Republican Party as a desired replacement for Luker, who the party had hoped to see relieved of his seat early.

Both candidates believe that they are the best choice to represent the county’s southern district and to serve Jackson County as a whole. While members of Jackson’s board of commissioners must live in the district they represent, they are elected through a countywide vote.

The issue: The national discussion about the place of Confederate monuments in modernday America hit home this summer as the fate of Sylva’s Confederate statue became the subject of intense public discussion. What does the statue mean to you, and how do you view commissioners’ Aug. 4 decision to let it

stay after covering pro-Confederate messaging on the pedestal?

Letson: “I think the commissioners did what was right in terms of keeping the statue and removing the offensive material in it. At this point I don’t see a purpose for removing the statue.”

Commissioners should take a “holistic approach” to the statue, and think about honoring Jackson County servicemen from all wars. Any decision to remove it should be made by county citizens, not by a vote of three or five commissioners.

Jones: “I support the commissioners’ decision. I support the idea and the commitment that commissioners have to that situation.”

Jones, a fifth-generation Jackson County resident, has ancestors who fought in both sides of the conflict. He views the statue as a memorial to all who fought in the war, a piece of history that needs to stay.

The issue: In 2016, commissioners raised the property tax rate 32 percent after a tax revaluation delivered a much-reduced taxable property value in the county. In 2021, a new revaluation will take effect and currently values are expected to rise by more than 10 percent. Would you support decreasing the tax rate to keep the budget revenue-neutral, or would you prefer to maintain or raise the current tax rate?

Jones: “Definitely keep the tax rate revenue-neutral.”

With construction continuing to increase the county’s tax base, Jones expects the county’s revenue to increase even with a decreased

property tax rate. He’d like to use any extra revenue to address much-needed infrastructure projects.

Letson: “I would support cutting the tax rate.”

The budget is currently as big as it needs to be, Letson said, and if there are outstanding budget items that need to be addressed, the county is currently experiencing a surplus that it can use to that end.

The issue: COVID-19 has disrupted normal routines and expectations around the world, and Jackson County is no exception. What challenges do you foresee as Jackson County continues to grapple with the virus, and what policies would you support to spur recovery on the other side of the pandemic?

Letson: “I really think we need to hit the chambers of commerce and tourism board and really start now promoting next year’s increase in traffic. We need to be keying in on Asheville, Atlanta, Knoxville and reminding people that we are open for business.”

Jackson County has done a good job of containing the virus, but testing and access to testing are serious issues, especially in the southern end of the county where residents can find themselves driving half an hour or more for a test. While the impact to event-driven tourism has been significant, Letson sees “a promising note on the horizon” as weddings and other events begin making plans for 2021.

On the other side of the pandemic, he would support allocating funds to help the Tourism Development Authority get out the

message that Jackson County is open for business. He would also encourage businesses to reach out to their chambers of commerce about their post-pandemic status and needs.

Jones: “I think the state and the federal government has the bulk of responsibility on providing assistance to local governments, towns, cities throughout the nation, and I think we’ll be looking for support and help.”

The county has done a good job containing the virus, but it’s come with sacrifice — whether that’s businesses being forced to pause operations due to state restrictions or positive tests, or people not being able to see loved ones in congregate living situations.

As the pandemic continues, Jones would emphasize the importance of wearing masks and would also work to improve the Meals on Wheels program and Jackson County Transit with the goal of keeping seniors healthy and able to live independently for as long as possible. Additionally, said Jones, he would like to see any federal stimulus efforts take a more targeted approach in the future.

The issue: In the General Election, Jackson County voters will be asked to approve a $20 million bond referendum to build an indoor pool complex in Cullowhee. If the referendum passes, commissioners will decide whether the project moves forward and how to pay for it. Do you support this project?

Jones: “It would enhance Jackson County’s recreation department, enhance that quality of life. That’s what it’s really all about.”

Swimming is important not just for children who want to

Meet the candidates

Mark Jones

Jones, 61, represented District 4 on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2016 and has spent his career in the hospitality industry. After graduating with a land planning degree from Western Carolina University, he got a job as a bellman at High Hampton Inn and eventually became the inn’s general manager before stepping down to a morning manager role after winning his first county commission race. In 2018, he started as front manager for Mica’s Restaurant and Pub in Sapphire. Jones is originally from the Cope Creek community in Sylva and lives in Cashiers with his wife Wilma. He is currently a member of the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees and the Jackson County Community Foundation, and chairman of the Jackson County Airport Authority.

Reason to run: “Every time there was an article in one of the newspapers regarding the absence of District 4’s commissioner, I would get phone calls. I waited until the last day to file. I kind of wanted somebody to step up to the plate. I felt like I had done my public service from an elected official standpoint but I was slowly convinced and somewhat compelled to get back involved.”

Top three priorities for the next four years: Capital improvements to the schools, including screening, fencing and security at all schools and a complete overhaul of Blue Ridge School; economic outreach to small businesses, including support from the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority, whose board he would like to join; increased funding for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

Mark Letson

Letson, 40, has lived in Jackson County since 2006 and grew up in Rome, Georgia, visiting the mountains frequently. He works fulltime as director of amenities at Trillium Links & Lake Club in Cashiers, and since 2015 he and his wife Brandi have owned Cashiers Valley Pharmacy. Letson, who lives in Sapphire, has an associate’s degree in turfgrass maintenance and is currently pursuing a business degree from Louisiana State University. He is chairman of the Jackson County Planning Board and sits on the Cashiers Small Area Planning Council and the Business and Economic Council. He’s been involved with all three organizations for about three years and also serves as cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack No. 222, which he founded two years ago.

Reason to run: “I’m running for office because I think that we can make a significant change moving forward. I’ve been in the planning portions of all of this for the last three years, and about two years ago I said the next step would be to run for commission. Seeing how our county actually functions, it’s good, but we need to expand on what we’re actually accomplishing.”

Top three priorities for the next four years: Improve workforce housing opportunities; increase funding for teacher salaries and school building maintenance; prevent property tax increases for residents and find other sources of revenue for any necessary new expenditures.

attend pool parties or teens who want to join a swim team but also for the county’s aging population, who can benefit from water therapy and low-impact exercise. A pool in Cullowhee would also help keep local dollars local, as Jackson County residents often must cross county lines to use an indoor pool.

Letson: “I support the project, but I feel like we can find funding a different way than increasing property taxes.”

Currently, the plan is to fund the pool’s construction and operation through a property tax increase estimated at 2.26 cents per $100 of value. Letson believes he could help fund the pool by reducing waste in the county budget and would also support a higher tax rate for people who own a home in Jackson County but don’t live there. Multiple nearby counties in North and South Carolina have such a tax, Letson said, and he believes Jackson County should take advantage of that opportunity to keep residents’ taxes low.

The issue: The N.C. Department of Transportation is planning for a $100 million makeover of N.C. 107 in Sylva. What is your opinion on the project, and what can the

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county to do mitigate some of the negative side effects of the construction process?

Letson: “It’s going to be a pain. Everybody has to understand that it’s progress and it’s a temporary inconvenience, but the end result will be much better and safer.”

The project falls under state control, but the county could consider shifting school start times to better sidestep traffic holdups. Requests from small businesses in need of help handling relocation could be entertained on a case-by-case basis. Clear communication from the county and the DOT about what is happening, and when, will be vital as well.

Jones: “We can make suggestions, but I don’t know there’s much we can do from the county but guide the county economic entities to work with the state to help those impacted.”

The county should reach out to state legislators after the election to see what funds are available from the state to help mitigate construction impacts. However, commissioners have minimal influence over the project itself.

FACES OF HAYWOOD

The Chamber has been a valuable resource to our business especially during the pandemic. As soon as things started closing down, the Chamber got busy making sure business owners knew they were not alone. They shared resources to keep us informed and as we begin to recover, the Chamber continues to support the business community with a strong focus on economic growth through their many programs. The Chamber makes it easy to stay connected and to forge lasting business relationships.”

— Colleen & Jim Davis Owner & Operators

The Jeweler’s Workbench

Expected to cause an estimated 55 business to relocate, the N.C. 107 project has proven a controversial one for Sylva and Jackson County as a whole. Holly Kays photo

JACKSON, CONTINUED FROM 19

The issue: The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc in Jackson County and nationwide. What can the county do to address it?

Jones: Jones recently met a young doctor who hoped to open a practice specifically targeted toward helping people with opioid addictions, and that concept intrigues Jones. He’d want to look into forming a public-private partnership to bring such a practice to Jackson County to get addicts the help they need. Additionally, he’d consider allocating money for more detectives so law enforcement can better prevent drugs from entering the county.

Letson: Letson would prioritize talking to high schoolers about the dangers of drugs and educating senior citizens about securing their prescriptions and turning in their unused pills at one of the county’s drop-off locations. He also criticized the “quick bailout system” that often allows people who have been arrested on drug charges to leave the jail soon after entering it. This pretrial release program launched in 2019 and aims to keep people accused of low-level crimes from being held in jail prior to conviction due to their inability to post bond.

The issue: Cashiers’ remote location and large number of seasonally occupied homes make it a challenge for policing. What’s your opinion on the status of law enforcement coverage in District Four?

Letson: “Having a second officer has really made a dramatic stride in visibility for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.”

Letson applauded a recent increase in law enforcement coverage in the Cashiers area. He’s seen noticeably more officers around, and that’s reassuring for Letson. It’s important for residents to know that officers can

respond when a problem occurs and that help is closer than 30 or 45 minutes away.

Jones: “I would like to see not just one but possibly two more deputies.”

Law enforcement coverage has improved in Cashiers, but it’s still too easy for anyone with a police scanner to figure out which areas aren’t covered at a given moment, Jones said. He wants to allocate money for additional deputies in Cashiers and countywide, as well as more funding for overtime pay. This would increase the available workforce, because when overtime pay isn’t available deputies are given comp time instead.

The issue: It’s becoming increasingly difficult for people who work in Jackson County to own property in Jackson County due to lack of housing inventory and high prices. How would you approach this problem?

Jones: Jones would be interested in attracting housing projects interested in a model in which renters who work in certain industries have their rent subsidized by other residents who pay a slightly higher monthly rent. Businesses in need of a local workforce could also contribute by paying a fee to offset the cost of rent for their employees. A project currently under discussion in Cashiers plans to use this type of model, and Jones feels the concept could be replicated elsewhere.

Letson: A countywide initiative to identify available and buildable land and access limits for water and sewer in those areas is necessary to address the problem. The county could also consider tax breaks and other means to encourage local construction businesses and affordable housing projects. Expanding water and sewer service will go a long way to addressing the issue. Cashiers has a public sewer system but not a water system, and many funding programs require both in order to qualify for an award.

As school gets going, a lingering anxiety

Elementary schools will open their doors and welcome students back over the next few days, and middle and high schools are getting into the groove of remote and in-class learning. Planning by administrators and teachers has been underway for months.

Still, many worry that all the planning in the world won’t be able to anticipate the challenges and changes that the public school system will have to face in the coming weeks and months. There are just too many families with too many unique circumstances, along with a virus that is still killing people every day.

According to state health officials, as of Monday, Sept. 28, there have been 208,248 people in North Carolina who have tested positive for the coronavirus and 3,445 have died. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 868 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from 1,290 the day before.

Four more deaths were reported Monday.

But the teachers, the heart and soul of public education, will step up. As the father of three children who received excellent preparation for college in Haywood’s public schools, and as the husband of a dedicated teacher, and as an avowed advocate for public schools, I know the teachers will go above

GOP is a party in crisis

To the Editor:

I’m not a Republican, but I know a party in crisis when I see one. The “Party of Lincoln” has been bullied by President Trump into giving up its principles in fear of his wrath. For the first time, the current leadership of the Republican Party didn’t produce a policy platform at its convention, only a statement of fealty to Trump. It’s time for a major reboot and a return to relevance.  Historically, the Republican and Democratic parties have shared in common a set of bipartisan core American values: respect for the rule of law; a belief in our democratic system of government; support for democracy around the world; respect for science and fact-based discussion; respect for armed service members; loyalty to country over party. Donald Trump is an outlier. He is running roughshod over these foundational American values as he sows chaos, conflict, vulgarity, racism and disrespect, even insulting armed service members who have given their lives; and the country is coming apart under his dysfunctional and damaging administration with the acquiescence of the Republican leadership.

A stunning number of prominent Republican officials who have served inside the Trump administration or for other Republican officeholders have declared their support for Joe Biden, citing Trump as “unfit to serve” and “a threat to national security.” They understand that whatever policy differences they have with Biden can be hashed out later, but first we must secure our country from the existential threat posed by

and beyond.

But should individual counties and the state be doing more to make sure teachers, staff and students remain safe?

John DeVille is a Macon County teacher and president of the Macon County Association of Educators. He’s also been an outspoken advocate for teachers and public schools, and he’s asking leaders in Macon County to do more. In particular, he wants them to follow the recommendations of the state NCAE and the National Education Association, which include:

• No return to the classroom unless the local positivity rate is at 3 percent or less.

• More rigorous testing regimens, ideally on-site testing capacity.

• Making N95 masks available on an ongoing basis for all faculty and staff who wish to avail themselves of the high-grade masks.

DeVille wrote a letter to the Macon School Board recommending it add these additional measures, especially the

LETTERS

Trump.   Joe Biden is uniquely qualified to bring dignity and competence back to the presidency and to bring honor back to the soul of our nation. His proven ability to put partisan bitterness aside and work across the aisle have earned him the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike. Moe Davis, Cal Cunningham and Roy Cooper also are respected public servants who are well qualified to work to bring us out of the hyper-partisanship of Trumpism and back on track.

It’s time to put partisan divisions to the side and vote for a future we can be proud of.

Fred Schmidt  Waynesville

N.C. 11 race is a no contest

To the Editor:

masks and the on-site testing. His letter said that HighlandsCashiers Health Foundation — one of several healthcare foundations in our region — was providing the funding for the testing and the masks. What a great use of the money that many of these foundations have.

There is a lot of research that backs up the importance of in-person learning, especially for younger students. It’s nearly impossible to teach those fundamental reading, writing and math skills without being in close personal contact. So it’s probably the right decision to try and get the elementary students back in classes.

However, just one COVID case at one school could affect hundreds of families. The cleaning and other precautions implemented at schools this year are going to help prevent the spread of this virus and other common ailments that typically send people to their doctors or clinics and ultimately home to recover.

But you talk to parents and even staff, and there is still a lot of fear, a lot of worry that things could go bad. Is the risk worth the reward? And is there a way, outside of the regular school budgets, to do more to protect students and staff? If there is, we need to do it now while schools are cranking up. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

I am a native Western North Carolinian and a member of Generation Z. I understand that my association with the latter group may come as a surprise to some readers, as we are not known to venture far from our Tik Tok sanctuaries. However, as a matter of conscience, I feel compelled to speak out on the congressional race that is brewing between Madison Cawthorn and Moe Davis.

Regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or someone who just couldn’t give a hoot about politics, in Western North Carolina, we are raised to value certain

qualities in each other — honesty, experience, and compassion for thy fellow man. Mountain values like these are what make our region such an extraordinary place to explore, work, and settle down.

After watching the congressional race between Cawthorn and Davis play out over the past several months, it is clear to me that Cawthorn, despite his ties to the area, is both morally and intellectually bankrupt. When he is not misrepresenting his rejection from the Naval Academy, trivializing his inappropriate advances on women, and exaggerating the success of his real estate investment company, he is parroting partisan talking points that offer half-baked solutions to the issues plaguing our area, like broadband expansion or healthcare accessibility.

As such, it is critical that we send someone to Congress that embodies our values and won’t require hand-holding on their first day. That someone, I respectfully implore readers to consider, is Moe Davis, a man whose dedication to decency and altruism will serve us well in Washington. Davis served our country for 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, distinguishing himself by earning the Legion of Merit, one of the highest honors our military bestows, and finishing his illustrious career at the rank of colonel. Furthermore, under the Bush Administration, when ordered to use evidence obtained through torture, Davis nobly resigned his post as chief prosecutor of Guantanamo Bay, believing his compliance would have been both immoral and illegal under international law.

There can be no denying our country is at a pivotal point in its history. As such, when it comes to whom we wish to represent us in Congress, there can be no room for someone who has never worked a

nine-to-five job in their life. There can be no time wasted on someone that would litigate the credibility of several Christian women accusing them of sexual misconduct. There can be no ballot cast for someone that would look into your eyes and lie about their qualifications, and their supposed regard for people that do not look or think like they do. Western North Carolina cannot afford to send Madison Cawthorn to Congress.

You see, unlike Madison Cawthorn, I trust Moe Davis. I think you can, too.

Matthew Wilson Franklin

Don’t send Cawthorn to Congress

To the Editor:

Madison Cawthon’s website states:

“Send a fighter to Congress.” In fact, the term “fight” is referenced several times throughout his “pitch,” fighting against liberals, conservationists, “left-wing socialists,” AOC and “the Squad,” the AHCA, the nebulous “left,” and one infers, anyone who holds opinions contrary to Mr. Cawthorn.

The candidate had pledged 100 percent fealty to the divider in chief in the White House, who for the past four years has provoked chaos, mistrust and hatred among the people of this country. Mr. Cawthorn seems ready to fall in line. I suggest we don’t need yet another representative from the 11th District with a chip on his shoulder.

Send a fighter to Congress? No thanks. We have enough there already.

Mike Jones Sylva

How can anyone Vote for Trump?

To the Editor:

“Trump lied, people died.” I can’t even begin to describe the range of emotion I felt when I heard those four words spoken on a news show this morning (Sept. 10). So much for “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” Death is going to be Trump’s legacy.

His claims of being the “law and order” president are meaningless because he has failed in one of his basic duties: keeping America safe.

My outrage is magnified by the fact that he’s trying to justify his lack of action by saying he didn’t want to panic the American people; however, he never hesitates to incite panic when it serves his interest.

Remember the violent, disease-infested migrant caravans he repeatedly said were coming toward the Mexican border prior to the 2018 election? Now he’s trying to frighten suburbanites into voting for him because “they want safety.”

Instilling the fear of violence and racial unrest is the only campaign strategy Trump has for this election. There wasn’t even a platform for the 2020 Republican National

Convention! It’s all about him.

If you are a Trump supporter, I hope you are doing some serious soul searching since the release of the Bob Woodward/Trump tapes. Can you really, in good conscience, cast your vote for a man who symbolizes death and destruction?

Myrna Campbell Democratic Party Chairperson Haywood County

Clampitt is gunning for your Social Security

To the Editor:

Folks we have a big decision to make. House District 119 — covering Swain, Jackson and Haywood counties — is up for grabs. Mike Clampitt’s record makes it clear he is not the right person to represent Western Carolina’s values.

In the middle of a pandemic and record unemployment, Mike is against expanding Medicaid. That puts our rural hospitals at risk of bankruptcy and closure. Our local hospitals desperately need the influx of federal aid. This money is your federal tax dollars paid into the system coming back to our communities. This is not some form of welfare.

Furthermore, although he has given lip service to education funding, he has supported policies that would prevent schools from reopening safely and our students being able to learn.

Mike has repeatedly touted his stances on guns and abortion. I think we would all love to live in a world in which abortion was not necessary. However, in this world we should never accept government interference in health care decisions. That is sacred between you, your family, your doctors and God.

As for guns, Democrats or anyone else will never come for you guns. That would require repealing the Second Amendment as ratified by 38 of our 50 states. This simply will not happen.

Republicans are, however, gunning for your Social Security and coverage for preexisting conditions.

A vote for Joe Sam Queen is a vote for individual freedom, economic security, education and health care. Your vote is very important in this very competitive race.

Christine Taber  Sylva

Vote yes for the indoor aquatics center

To the Editor:

We have a lot to decide this November on the 2020 ballot, but one thing I hope all Jackson County voters can agree on is support for the indoor aquatics center.

As a mother of three boys, I traveled frequently to the Waynesville Recreation Center to enjoy their indoor pool and hosted or attended quite a few birthday parties in their facility. I would have loved to have

stayed within my own community and kept the money spent during each of those many outings in Jackson County. Also, as a summer day camp director, I frequently took our campers to the Waynesville facility. Finally, as an avid aqua fitness attendee, I rely upon an aging Reid Pool facility subject to the university calendar for my aqua fitness. I would love to have year-round access to these classes and for my participation fees to support Jackson County directly.

The benefits of an indoor aquatics center far outweigh the costs. The bond referendum on the ballot may look scary, but when broken down the actual impact on tax burden is relatively small. Our commitment to the health and well-being of our community is an investment in ourselves, our community, and in future generations. This facility will allow people of all ages the opportunity to engage in exercise and recreation. The swim team will have access to a superior competition pool for practice and will have the ability to host official competitions. People young and old will have greater access to life-saving swim lessons. Families with young children will have a fun indoor facility to take their children for a play date or birthday parties. People in need of low-impact exercise or rehabilitation can do so in the vortex pool or participate in aqua fitness classes. This facility will be an invaluable addition to our community.

The vision for an indoor aquatics center has been a dream since the 1960s. Let’s help

make this a reality right now in 2020 so we can start realizing our dream as soon as possible. Please vote yes to the indoor aquatics center.

Larissa Miller Sylva

Say no to drilling in Alaska

To the Editor:

The Western North Carolina Climate Action Coalition (CAC), a Haywood Countybased organization, supports efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from fossil fuel drilling. Citizen opposition had stopped pro-drilling legislation since the 1980s. Then in 2017 the U.S. Senate passed a taxation bill that allows for the ANWR to be opened for oil and gas extraction.

Now the Trump Administration has given a green light to selling leases to drill in this irreplaceable area. Just down the coast, 1.9 million barrels of oil have already been spilled from the original Alaska Pipeline, the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill, and other environmental catastrophes.

The ANWR includes 18 major rivers, hundreds of species of birds, land and marine mammals, and fish.

The Gwich’in people live in the north-

S EE LETTERS, PAGE 24

Nolte’s remarks were off the mark

To the Editor:

First, we had to deal with Haywood County School Superintendent Bill Nolte’s ridiculous posting of white kids working on a farm to which he added: “Even white kids picked cotton.” This at a time when systemic racial inequalities have, yet again, come to the forefront of our supposed conscience as a nation. And he arrogantly mentioned that we should just read a book to understand his posted photo and for us not to be ignorant.

Now I read a quote from Nolte insulting and disparaging Gov. Roy Cooper for “... giving us two plans at once” regarding our childrens return to the classroom. No, Dr. Nolte, you are flat-out wrong and with an election this close I can only discern that you are slamming the governor. The governor gave our school board, the people who hired you, the option to do a full return for elementary kids but not the older kids. It is your employer, the Haywood County School Board, that voted 5 to 2 to give you the mixed plan that we will be operating under.

So first I suggest, if necessary, you look up the definition of option and compare that to a mandate. Secondly, if you still feel that it’s a crazy set-up you are facing, stand up and address your bosses, the school board. Tell them how disappointed and aggrieved you are about how they voted.

But the last thing you should do is attack the governor because following the science, he and the Secretary of Health and Human Services decided it was fair to put the elementary school option out there for local officials to have more leeway. Read: more choice, not less as you infer.

Governor Cooper has been attacked, unfairly, by Trump for not opening up our state fast enough. Georgia and North Carolina have nearly the same population yet Georgia, an early opening state, has twice the deaths of our state. South Carolina, with only half our population, also opened early and has about the same number of fatalities that our state has.  I feel that Gov. Cooper has done a good job in protecting us and you, Dr. Nolte, took a cheap, uneducated shot at him.

I have no grievance with the school board on this issue, but since you are mad about what has been placed upon you, just call your bosses up and do the right thing. Complain to them about their decision and how frustrated you are by their actions. Or are you not ready to prepare a new resume? Stop treating us, the people who voted your bosses in, like ignorant fools. Or are you deceptively telling us to vote all the school board members out of office and elect newcomers? Hmmmmmm ....

Bob Clark Waynesville

ernmost part of ANWR. For generations, they have depended on the animals who live there to sustain their lives and culture. They revere the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain as a sacred place because it provides breeding grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, animals that are essential for food and cultural traditions. They also believe ANWR is the place where the creation of the world began.

The Gwich’in, native wildlife, and the entire ecosystem are all under imminent threat if the refuge is opened for drilling. The Gwich’in Steering Committee, a voice for indigenous traditional hunting communities, is part of a lawsuit to challenge the oil and gas development plan.

The Western NC Climate Action Coalition supports the Gwich’in people and the Indigenous Environmental Network, which are leading the campaign. We also support efforts here in North Carolina to confront the climate crisis. We applaud the work in our region to protect our waterways and other natural resources, including the successful opposition to construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Pulling more oil or gas out of the ground would prolong an energy system that is rapidly becoming obsolete and that threatens our immediate future on this planet. Banks such as JP Morgan Chase and companies including Shell Oil have already abandoned the destructive ANWR enterprise.

The money and resources for drilling in the ANWR should be put towards sustainable means of securing our future energy needs.

The Western North Carolina Climate Action Coalition is a group of citizens and organizations working to mitigate the destructive effects of climate change locally, nationally, and globally. https://wncclimateaction.com

Mary J. Curry, Mary Thomas, and Steve Wall

Cawthorn is not ready for Congress

To the Editor:

Madison Cawthorn says he is a “Washington outsider.” Who is he kidding? His campaign has worked with Washington D.C. lobbyist Fidelis Government Relations, whose corporate clients include AT&T and Big Pharma. Cawthorn’s vote is already owned by the very industries that are obstructing rural broadband and refusing to lower prescription drug costs.

Was Fidelis the lobbying firm that wrote the notes in his debate binder? You might remember, his handlers told him to accuse Col. Moe Davis — who was awarded a Legion of Merit, six Meritorious Service Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal — of freeing a convicted terrorist. It was hogwash. The man Cawthorn said was convicted was

never even charged with a crime. His handlers also had him say Col. Davis opposed charging the Fort Hood killer as a terrorist. That’s because the man had already been tried, convicted and received the death sentence. Col Davis opposed adding further charges because justice would be delayed for years in appeals, allowing this killer to grow old in prison on the taxpayer’s dime.

Cawthorn’s blind obedience to his handlers makes sense considering his complete lack of knowledge about the law. He doesn’t know that folks need a trial to get convicted, he doesn’t know how appeals can delay justice. He wants to go to Washington to make laws?

Cawthorn’s naiveté was demonstrated when he went to the border to promote an illegal scheme that raised funds for a border wall by using debunked QAnon conspiracy theories to scare people into giving money. Cawthorn gave a speech on camera promoting the conspiracy. Two weeks later his new buddy who ran the scam was indicted along with Steve Bannon. Is Cawthorn drawn to the criminal element or is he gullible and easily duped? Did you see him when he met the President, Giuliani, and Graham? He was giddy and starry eyed. This is the guy who will speak truth to power? I think not.

Gullible, naïve, no knowledge base, and starstruck. Not ready for Congress.

Doreen Carroll Waynesville

RBG’s passing hardens my resolve

To the Editor:

I woke up the day after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a mix of fear, anger, and resolve. I’m afraid of the threat to the rights that Justice Ginsburg defended throughout her career, like LGBTQ+ equality and reproductive freedom. I’m angry that our democratic institutions seem to hang on the life of one woman, who held so much weight during her life, right to the end.

But I’m resolved, more than ever, to honor her legacy by organizing to defeat Donald Trump, flip the U.S. Senate, and ensure that no replacement justice is selected until the next presidential term begins.

As a youth organizer with NextGen North Carolina, I can attest to the incomparable youth voter enthusiasm this year. We know what is at stake. Progress on issues from affordable healthcare and climate action to immigrant rights and addressing systemic racism are on the ballot this fall, as is the fate of the Supreme Court.

I’m calling Sen. Thom Tillis’s office today and every day to demand he refuse a vote on the Supreme Court pick until our voices are heard, and I’m mailing in my ballot to vote for the representation we deserve. Join me.

Nicole Skinner

(Skinner lives in Asheville and is the WNC Regional Organizer Director for NextGen North Carolina)

Trump is the Bully in chief

To the Editor:

There is a defiant child in the White House, and he is our President. He is not adhering to rules, or the rule of law and when he commits crimes he attempts to have the law adjusted to his ways and not charged as violations.

When Trump screws up, he blames others, oh “Jimmy did it,” or covers it up with plots and hides the truth, like a child would.

Or he is defiant and yells when he doesn’t get his way. He uses name calling, nicknames, he is the bully in chief, and his temper fits are heard throughout the people’s house.

He is never listening to his staff that could warn or correct him. And Donald doesn’t get his homework done, reading what he should so he doesn’t know how to direct the country’s security or protect its health. He lies to cover up what he can’t use to keep his empire or office going. Behind doors he says what he really thinks, lies in his press briefings and rallies, speaking with a “fork tongue” to the citizens of this country. People died needlessly from COVID-19; and children have been forever traumatized when they have been taken away from their parents with his directives in the past.

He spreads fear in the hearts of women like myself, or tries to make me fearful. And like a defiant child he takes no responsibility for his actions or inactions, even says that to the American people, as in the case of COVID. He gives states the task to deal with it and then bullies the blue states that attempt to follow scientific policies that save lives.

And like a bad behaving child goes off to pursue what he enjoys while people keep dying from the pandemic. He calls the people in the military names while they risk their lives to keep us safe. While people mourn those lost to COVID, he continues to divide us by pitting one ethnic group against another.

From a suburban housewife.

Susan Norsworthy Lake Junaluska

GOP wants to end Social Security

To the Editor:

President Trump issued an executive order that between September 1 and the end of this year, employees within a certain salary range are not required to pay the 6.2 percent of their salaries normally paid toward Social Security.

This is a measure Trump has taken to alleviate economic stress during the pandemic, and theoretically, this tax will have to be repaid in 2021. However, many see Trump’s executive order as the first step in a process of ending Social Security.

Republicans have wanted to get rid of Social Security for a long

What to expect as you prepare to vote

BY KIRK STEPHENS G UEST COLUMNIST

Our nation will hold an election this November, as it has always done, without regard of war or peace, prosperity or uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic will present a unique set of challenges, but as much as possible, the election will be conducted as normally as possible. As Chairman of the Jackson County Board of Elections, I would like to share some specifics of what you should expect when voting this year.

There are three popular methods for casting your ballot: absentee by mail, onestop early voting, and Election Day voting.  To vote absentee by mail, you must request an absentee ballot using an official form readily available from many sources, including the local board of elections (BoE) and the state board at ncsbe.gov. Return your request form to the county BoE. Your request will be processed and a ballot will be mailed to you (beginning earlySeptember). After you receive your ballot, mark it in the presence of a witness and seal it in the provided envelope. You may mail or hand-deliver your ballot to the county BoE. The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 27 and be sure to return your absentee ballot by election day, November 3. Your returned ballot envelope will be stored securely until all ballots are opened, counted, and reported on election night.

One-Stop Early voting is October 1531. Jackson County will have five locations, and you may vote at the one most conven-

time, and Trump says that if he is re-elected, he will eliminate the Social Security payroll tax entirely. At a White House press conference in August, he said, “After the election … we will be terminating that tax.”

If Trump and the Republicans succeed in terminating the payroll tax, that will be the end of Social Security and Medicare — perhaps as early as 2023.

For some people with large retirement savings, this might only cause a dent in the budget. For millions of others, it would mean poverty.

Emily Wright Highlands

ient to you. All locations will operate on the same schedule: daily on MondayFriday from 8 a.m.—7:30 p.m. The first two Saturdays will be open from 8 a.m.—6 p.m. and the final Saturday 8 a.m.—3 p.m.

The five locations are the Board of Elections office, the Cashiers Rec Center, the Cullowhee Rec Center, the Qualla Community Building, and the WCU University Center. One-Stop voting is the best option for people who prefer to vote in-person but want to avoid the lines that sometimes occur on election day. Citizens who are not registered to vote can register and vote on the same day, but only during the One-Stop period. (Check your county board of elections website for information regarding your county’s voting hours and polling locations).

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, from 6:30 a.m.—7:30 p.m. All precincts will be open. If you vote on Election day, you must vote at your designated precinct location. There are no new locations this year, but if you’re uncertain about where to go, call the BoE. Regardless of when and how you vote, expect the staff to be well-trained and helpful. Everyone working for the board of elections wants to help you cast your vote in accordance with the law and guidelines of the state board. Expect a safe and sanitized polling site with appropriate social distancing. Expect your vote to count.

The Jackson County Board of Elections is located in the county’s Skyland Services Complex at 876 Skyland Drive. If you prefer not to enter, there are forms and a secure drop box near the front door. The boar of elections staff members are eager to help and reachable at 828.586.7538.

(Kirk Stephens is chairman of the Jackson County Board of Elections.)

first time did away with this cruel practice that cut off thousands from treatment for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. Over 120 million Americans were protected.

So it is with anger — but not surprise — that I read Thom Tillis’ campaign materials bragging that he is 100 percent for protecting Americans’ health.

LETTERS

replace the ACA. Since 2016, Trump has stated at least 8 times that the “greatest health care ever” was just weeks away. There is no such plan.

However, there is a plan to undermine Medicare and Medicaid, and 75 percent of WNC families have at least one member in those programs. Even the ultimate “socialist” program — Social Security — is under threat. As Trump said at the Davos Economic Forum on CNBC last year, it’s all “on the table — but only after the election.”

Very sneaky, but at least the billionaires got their tax cut

Steve Wall Waynesville

Queen represents mountain values

To the Editor:

In the upcoming District 119 House of Representatives race between Rep. Joe Sam Queen and Mike Clampitt, I urge voters to consider what “mountain values” mean to you. The biggest issue facing our people is access to healthcare, particularly during the time of coronavirus. We need affordable

access to medical care to test for and treat coronavirus, not to mention for a host of other medical issues. Our hospital needs Medicaid expansion to keep its doors open, both to keep jobs in Haywood County and to care for our people.

Republican members of the state legislature have willfully refused to expand Medicaid. There is no good reason for this, as our taxpayer dollars are already being put towards this expansion. The money that we pay into this system, around $10 million between Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties, is being exported to other states who have already expanded Medicaid. Our people are suffering, while other states are reaping the benefits of our taxpayer money.

Rep. Joe Sam Queen understands this deeply. In fact, it is the main issue he speaks on, and it is near and dear to his heart.

“Mountain values” should start first and foremost with taking care of our own people, and ensuring that our people have the opportunity to lead healthy lives. Whether you fall on the Democratic or Republican side of the aisle, I urge you to consider what truly affects the lives of you and your neighbors when you cast your ballot this fall.

Abigail

Ahlberg Frog Level

GOP wants to Destroy ACA

To the Editor:

If you or any of your loved ones has a pre-existing medical condition and private medical insurance, you should be aware of a serious threat to your coverage.

Before the Affordable Care Act (“Obama Care”), insurance corporations were allowed to cancel insurance or deny your policy in the first place if they felt you had a pre-existing condition. The ACA for the

Really? He is 100 percent with President Trump in pledging to destroy the Affordable Care Act. He has in fact voted against it on the Senate floor where heroes like John McCain stopped this travesty. Now Tillis is eager to appoint a judge to replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg and push the Supreme Court to wipe out the protections of the ACA once and for all.

The Republican plan to replace the ACA? Madison Cawthorn says it’s to have more corporate insurance companies get their share of the pie (16 to 20 percent of your dollars goes to their profit).

Mike Clampitt also opposes the ACA and also refuses to expand Medicaid. In Ohio, it was expanding Medicaid that brought down the opioid death toll by over 50 percent, according to the Republican governor.

Tillis, like Trump, offers no plan to

SEASONS OF MY HEART

A conversation with Del McCoury

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

In the 21st century, the living bridge of the “high, lonesome sound” that is bluegrass music is Del McCoury.

At 81, McCoury remains the melodic connection between the “Father of Bluegrass,” the late Bill Monroe, and the ever-evolving contemporary acts that are currently blurring the lines between the neo-traditional and progressive camps. And yet, McCoury is steadfast in his pursuit of the traditional bluegrass tone.

Getting his start with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys in 1963, McCoury eventually left the group and went out on his own. That move has since spawned one of the most successful and storied careers in the history of American music, with McCoury the recipient of 31 International Bluegrass Music Awards (including nine “Entertainer of the Year” and four “Male Vocalist of the Year” honors) and the Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album” (2006, 2014).

McCoury is a beacon of light for the root traits of the genre: intricate technical prowess,

sincere artist/audience connectivity, and a true sense of self that aims to not only preserve the history of bluegrass, but also ensure its vitality that continues to captivate the listener by the simple, yet sacred, act of vibrating strings and wood.

Smoky Mountain News: After you left Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys in the 1960s, you started working in construction and logging. What was it that kept you focused on making a career out of music? I mean, that seems like a lot of patience and determination.

Del McCoury: Well, you’re right. From the time I quit Bill Monroe, I got married and then I started raising a family. And I thought to myself, “Man, music is not paying off that much. I better get a day job.” So, at first, I got a job with my father-in-law. He had a sawmill. Then, my wife’s uncle, one day he came to me [in 1971] and he said, “I just bought a skidder and I don’t have an operator.” Rubber tires with a winch and cables. You go into the woods and pull out them logs out. He said, “Can you run one?” I said, “Well, I’ve run everything else. I can probably learn to run that thing.” Of course, I grew up on a farm running tractors and trucks. So, I worked at that from the time I left Bill Monroe until the kids got out of school.

The Del McCoury Band.

Want to go?

The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drive-in concert series with bluegrass icons The Del McCoury Band on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and COVID-19 protocols will be in place. Meals are available to pre-purchase. Beverages will be available for purchase onsite.

Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

SMN: But, you never lost sight of music.

DM: No, I kept [at it]. You know, I got my first recording contract in 1967. [At that time], I was working at a place called Peach Bottom. It was a nuclear plant [in Pennsylvania] that they were building. It was the one down river from Three Mile Island. They were building Reactor #2. I worked there all winter. I was working there when I recorded my first record in 1967.

And there were a lot of clubs, mainly in Baltimore, [Maryland], that you could work weekends playing music. I always played music. I never did quit. I kept playing and

working a day job. I even started playing bluegrass festivals, first one I played was in 1966 in Virginia.

SMN: When you were coming up, you had these pillars of bluegrass like Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. And now people look at you as a pillar of a genre. Is that kind of a surreal thing?

DM: It is for me, because when I think about this music and those guys, I idolized all of them when I was growing up. So, when people would be thinking of me in that way today, it’s kind of weird to me. It’s hard for me to take a compliment.

“There were a lot of clubs, mainly in Baltimore, [Maryland], that you could work weekends playing music. I always played music. I never did quit.”

— Del McCoury

Those guys? In my mind — and it’s a fact — they paved the way for us all. Those guys ran those tough roads. Of course, with Bill Monroe, I know what it was like, and even with my band. But, nowadays we have nice buses to ride in and we can fly if we want to. Those guys [back then] hit them two-lane roads, and half the time they were dirt roads.

Even when I was with Bill Monroe, I can remember running those [turnpikes] in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, and some freeways out in California. But, a lot of [the roads] were U.S. routes that we ran. I remember running that old 66 going out to California. Route 66. You had to go through every town there was, going through every red light.

SMN: You’ve had this incredible life of touring and recording, meeting people from all walks of life. You’ve been all over the world with your music. What has that taught you about what it means to be a human being?

DM: Well, you have to treat people like you want to be treated yourself. And I always did that. I guess my mother and father taught me that growing up. I never had any problems getting along with people, even though some of them were hard to get along with.

People used to say that Bill Monroe was hard to get along with. But, I found he wasn’t hard to get along with. He was a man of few words. He didn’t spend a whole lot of time telling you how to play a guitar or sing a part. You just go up there and did it with him, and you’d learn by what he did. And I thought that was the best way to do it — and it was.

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

It’s 9:29 a.m. on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn off Interstate 135 near the city of Salina, Kansas. Looking out the fourthfloor window, it was hundreds of miles of cornfields, grasslands, gas stations and truck stops.

The morning sun is shining bright, as it has been for most of this two-week boomerang trip out West and back to Carolina. Thousands of miles already traveled on this solo trek in my rusty, musty Toyota Tacoma. Two oil changes and two new front tires in that time, too.

Yesterday, I awoke at my friend’s apartment in downtown Denver, Colorado. He and his girlfriend were still at their house in Eastern Idaho, so I had the place to myself for the weekend. A few days of meandering around the Mile High City — this prairie oasis of people, places and things.

Getting out of bed in Denver, it was tough, seeing as I knew my western excursion would be over once I got into the truck and headed east over the state line into Kansas. The West has always held a piece of my heart since I first visited it as a kid from Upstate New York (and lived in it as a rookie reporter in Idaho/Wyoming).

And I know, just like clockwork, that I have to always give this landscape back that piece each time I start to go east again. Thus, I found myself taking my damn time to pack up the truck, lock the porch door and return the key to its secure box in that picturesque Denver neighborhood, the immense skyscrapers looming overhead like the nearby Rocky Mountains.

It’s startling how fast the view outside the windshield shifts from the high peaks and rolling prairie of the west to the vast, flat emptiness of the high plains. It’s as if God just simply pulled out an ironing board and started to get out the wrinkles, moving east until the Appalachian chain.

Passing by the tiny outpost town of Burlington, Colorado, I had a flashback of when I stopped there for a beer on Dec. 31, 2007. Leaving my hometown of Plattsburgh,

New York, a few days prior to start my first newspaper gig in the Grand Teton Mountains, I was 22 years old and traveling with my old friend, Rob. We had just entered Colorado and wanted to celebrate finally being in the West with a cold one.

The only spot we could track down a beer was the local bowling alley. The bar was tucked into the side of the building. Few tables and an old pool table with crooked cues. Order a couple of Budweiser bottles and try to play some haphazard billiards before we continued on our way, eyes aimed for New Year’s Eve shenanigans later that night in Boulder, Colorado.

And there I was yesterday, some 13 years later. Now 35, and no time for a brew at that bowling alley in Burlington. I still had several hours left to drive into Kansas and I’d yet to find a place to go trail run before the sun falls behind the Rockies in the rearview mirror.

Somewhere around Hays, Kansas, I was able to figure out a spot to throw on my running shoes and hit the trail. Apparently, an hour down Interstate 70 towards Salina, Kansas, there’s Wilson Lake State Park. Never heard of it. But, I needed to sweat a little and clear out the cobwebs of sitting in a truck all day.

Exit 206 off I-70 and north on Route 232. Not a house, car or human being in sight. Just a straight horizon line of dirt along the road to Wilson Lake. Suddenly, the truck dips down along the road. A large lake appears, like some kind of mirage in the desert, surrounding by grasslands and sporadic trees with a tight, well-earned grip on the land.

Parking the truck, I stood at the shoreline and was taken back by the sheer steepness of the cliffs, the undulating waves of the lake crashing into the rocks. I swear, if you’d had just dropped me there from above and asked me where I was, I’d have sworn I was at some desolate cove on the coast of Maine.

It was surreal. Who knew such serene and splendid running trails existed in the

emptiness of central Kansas, eh? Lacing up my shoes, I disappeared into the grassy hills, bouncing up and over rocky ledges and down dusty side routes.

The sky went from a bright blue to a hazy orange. I knew I only had a limited amount of time to run around the lake. But, it didn’t matter. I was in the moment, my mind, body and soul soaking in the natural beauty of this place that was alien to me just minutes earlier.

My eyes would gaze west and I’d think of my past way out there, those foggy nights, familiar faces and old newspaper assignments still lingering in the depths of my mind. I’d gaze east and ponder my present existence in Western North Carolina, the aspirations I’ve pursued and the life I contin-

ue to decorate with vibrant souls and dreams occurring in real time.

But, even in that thought process, I kept being aware of where I stood, physically and emotionally. Jogging along in the center of America, this careful balance of geographical landscapes and personal ideologies from coast-to-coast. In an election year of turmoil and disagreement, I remain optimistic.

Nobody around, just me and a few miles left to go on the trail before I start the truck engine and tick down the miles back to Waynesville. And it was in that moment where my I thought of an old Ray Wylie Hubbard lyric, “And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days.”

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

Drive-in concert series

The Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville will host a drive-in concert series with Mt. Joy (Americana/indie) Oct. 3, Yonder Mountain String Band (bluegrass/jam) Oct. 7, Papadosio (jam/rock) Oct. 9, Whitey Morgan (outlaw country/rock) Oct. 10, Goose (jam/rock)

Oct. 17 and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24.

All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and Covid-19 protocol will be in place.

Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, tickets are available at www.ashevillemusichall.com.

Waynesville art walk, live music

“Art After Dark” will continue from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in downtown Waynesville.

Each first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors.

Participants include Burr Studio, Cedar Hill Studios, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Moose Crossing Burl Wood Gallery, T. Pennington Art Gallery, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, The Village Framer and more.

It is free to attend Art After Dark. For more information visit www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends, Western Carolina Writers w/Stuart Stroud, Jesse Frizsell & Nick Mac 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and Mojomatic Rockin’ 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• The Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot (Maggie Valley) will host a drive-in concert series with St. Paul & The Broken Bones (soul/rock) on Oct. 29. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

FUR fall fundraiser

Take a chance and be a winner in the Feline Urgent Rescue (FUR) of Western North Carolina’s fall fundraisers.

Enter to win a T. Pennington print of “Smokies Scenic Preserve” at Newfound Gap. This framed colored-pencil landscape print has a retail value of $595.

Tickets are $10 each or three for $20 and are available for purchase at T. Pennington Art Gallery on Main Street and the Animal Hospital on Depot Street, both in Waynesville. All proceeds go for the medical expenses of the kitties at the sanctuary.

Also enter to win a handmade quilt pieced and donated by FUR volunteer Maggie Hickle. This vibrant quilt is made from Kaffe Fassett’s pattern and fabric and measures 59-inches-by-62-inches. Tickets

are $5 each or five for $20 and are available at the Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery on Main Street in Waynesville.

The quilt is on display at the Mast General Store on Main Street in Waynesville thru Oct. 15. Then, it will be on display at Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery Oct. 16-Oct. 31.

The winners will be drawn for both fundraising items on Oct. 31. You don’t need to be present to win.

Feline Urgent Rescue of WNC is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, state certified facility.

All cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, tested and microchipped before adoption. To learn more about FUR, visit www.furofwnc.org or www.facebook.com/furofwnc.

semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drive-in concert series with Mandolin Orange (Americana/folk) Oct. 2 and Del McCoury Band (bluegrass) Oct. 3. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends and Shane Meade w/Shelly Vogler 7 p.m. Oct. 3. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Event Center at the

Haywood County Fairgrounds will host a drive-in concert series with Mt. Joy (Americana/indie) Oct. 3, Yonder Mountain String Band (bluegrass/jam) Oct. 7, Papadosio (jam/rock) Oct. 9, Whitey Morgan (outlaw country/rock) Oct. 10, Goose (jam/rock) Oct. 17 and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, tickets are available at www.ashevillemusichall.com.

• “On A Dream & A Wish: A Royal Celebration” will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 2-3 in the parking lot of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Come dressed as your favorite hero or princess and join in on the opening parade, festivities and fun. Curb hop concessions will be available (cash only). Tickets are $12 and can be purchased by clicking on www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• The Dillsboro Art & Craft Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in downtown. Find handmade crafts, with restaurants and a brewery open to the public. www.mountainlovers.com.

• The Blue Ridge Heritage Craft & Quilt Exhibit will be held Oct. 2-31 at the Haywood County Arts Council on Main Street in Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 1870-1950” will be held at The Shelton House in Waynesville. The showcase will run through October. Admission is $7 adults. $5 students. Children ages 5 and under free. Admission includes Shelton House. 828.452.1551 or www.sheltonhouse.org.

On the shelf

Don’t know much about history: time for a change

Imany critics consider the best account of combat in World War II; and Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory, which combines literature and tales of the trench fighting in World War I.

DURING

we put out 3 jars to raise money to buy every child in Head Start a book.

MORE "VOTES" MEAN MORE BOOKS FOR THE LITTLE ONES!

n mid-August, I was sitting in the waiting room of my local auto repair shop typing away on my computer when a conversation from the adjoining room intruded on my concentration. There the two men who operate the service desk and two mechanics were lamenting their children’s ignorance about history. For several minutes, they traded stories of kids and grandkids who had little knowledge of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the major events of the twentieth century.

both 1776 and John Adams, books they were easily able to grasp.

If you’re looking for an excellent textbook of American history, try a book previously reviewed in the Smoky Mountain

These four guys with grease under their fingernails had probably never attended college, yet they knew enough history to realize the deficiencies of their descendants’ education.

And they are correct.

Google “young Americans knowledge of history,” and you’ll find a multitude of sites echoing the complaints of these men. For whatever reason, many of today’s students and even many adults are illiterates regarding the past.

Which is pathetic, considering that the we can readily access and explore the past online, and that we are living in a golden age of histories and biographies.

The Internet furnishes us with a wealth of documentaries, videos, essays, papers, and personal stories having to do with history. Here we find everything from accounts of the Peloponnesian Wars to the French Revolution, from the influence of Abigail Adams on the American Revolution to Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute. Press a few buttons on the keyboard, and you can hop aboard a time machine and travel backwards in time.

Even better, teachers, students, and we ourselves live in an age when historians and biographers have given us a treasure chest of great reads.

Let’s explore a few of these.

In 1776, David McCullough takes readers deep into the American Revolution and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. His story of young Theodore Roosevelt, Mornings on Horseback, remains one of my all-time favorite biographies, and his other volumes on John Adams, Harry Truman, and the Wright Brothers are fine accounts of these men, their accomplishments and their failures. The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, was a particular delight for me, as I realized how ignorant I was of those who settled the Mid-West and beyond. As a teacher, I had my high school students read

News, Wilfrid McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story. This book and the accompanying teacher’s guide by the same name offers young and old a wonderfully nuanced look at the American past.

For young people wishing to explore world history, I’d point them to the work of Susan Wise Bauer: her four-volume Story of the World and her more advanced texts on ancient and medieval history. For readers whose children and grandchildren are homeschooling or distance-learning this year, I would also highly recommend Bauer’s The Well-Trained Mind in which she guides parents through a classical education from grades K-12.

Other favorites from my personal library include Victor Davis Hanson’s Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Culture, which I also used in the classroom when teaching world history; Eugene Sledge’s With The Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa, which inspired the HBO miniseries “The Pacific” and which

For the ambitious, let me recommend Shelby Foote’s three-volume history The Civil War, which some have called the American Iliad; The Last Lion, another hefty three-volume study of Winston Churchill by William Manchester (Paul Reid completed the last volume after Manchester’s death); and Rick Atkinson’s World War II trilogy, beginning with An Army At Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943

These titles are but a sampling of the many splendid books awaiting readers. Open them, share them with our young people, and we connect ourselves to our past and make ourselves more fully human in the process. •••

In his online essay, “Demon Screens,” Professor Mark Bauerlein of Emory University once again urges parents and teachers to encourage young people to shut down their electronic screens and read books. He analyzes data showing that reading scores among students of all ages are on a downhill slide, and that the SAT and ACT are following a similar trajectory. The class of 2019, for example, scored record lows on the ACT in both English and mathematics. Bauerlein blames our digital age for damaging the abilities of our young people to interpret what they’ve read.

In this time of pandemic, when many students are spending more and more of their hours staring at a screen, Bauerlein’s message about the importance of reading books is right on the money. He ends his essay with these words:

“It is time for parents and teachers, priests and coaches to become truly countercultural voices. Take away the phone until the young people finish their homework, do their chores, shoot some hoops, clean their plates, and read their books.”

(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make the Man. minick0301@gmail.com

This year the jars will be BIDEN, TRUMP, & SNOOPY Come in to "VOTE" with your money for a good cause.

Magazines - Newspapers 428 HAZELWOOD Ave. Waynesville • 456-6000 OPEN Mon.-Sat. 9AM to 3 PM

70% Of People Use Their Phones To SearchCan They Find Your Site? Ask How

Benny Braden and other volunteers picked up 12 bags of trash from Max Patch on Friday, Sept. 25.

FULL HOUSE

Photo prompts concern about conditions at Max Patch

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Mike Wurman visited Max Patch for the first time in May 2014, and the experience changed his life.

Wurman, an artist, had only lived in Asheville for about two years at the time after moving from Texas. He wasn’t much of a hiker, but his brother-in-law suggested that he check out the iconic bald, located in Madison County just past the Haywood County line. At the time, Wurman was feeling lost and full of self-doubt about his art. But something changed when he knelt down to take a photo of the white-blazed post marking the Appalachian Trail’s path across the bald.

“Immediately I was overcome with the desire to draw again,” he said. “I felt like I wanted to completely hike the trail.”

Three months later, he’d outfitted himself with backpacking gear and was on the A.T., which he has since completed with four different section hikes. Wurman’s life has never been the same.

A VIRAL VIEW

Fast forward to Sept. 19, 2020, and things have changed for Max Patch too.

Wurman, 56, and his friend 39-year-old Madison County resident Sarah Jones Decker, arrived at the trailhead around 2 p.m. to find that not only was the parking lot full, but cars were parked on either side of the narrow grav-

el road for about half a mile leading up to it and then past the parking lot down the other side. Jones Decker said she counted about 140 cars in all.

“We’d never seen it like this,” Wurman said.

With traffic like that, “you couldn’t get an ambulance up there if you wanted to,” said Jones Decker. That lack of emergency access, combined with the nuisance of a constant stream of cars kicking dust up and down the once-quiet road, has severely detracted from the quality of life for residents of the access road.

Jones Decker and Wurman didn’t hike all the way to the summit that day, but Wurman had his drone with him — he takes it with him most places in hopes of capturing images he can later turn into paintings.

“I launched it, and I cannot believe the number of tents that were covering the bald,” he said.

In the week since, that image has gone viral. It shows a birds-eye view of Max Patch colonized by about 130 tents, not to mention picnic blankets. Wurman and Jones Decker left the trailhead around 9 p.m., at which time even more people were arriving. It was a chaotic scene, Wurman said, with people jumping over fences to walk on shorter but closed-off routes to the top and playing loud music from their campsites.

“Just talking to people who live on that road — and I live locally — it’s definitely not

people on the summit that he decided to pitch his tent on the lower shelf instead.

“We could hear people partying, playing music, laughing, cutting up all the way to 3, 4 a.m. that night,” he said. “I’ve had people comment on my social media that said, ‘Hey, we were up there, not partying or anything of that nature, and ended up sleeping in our car at 11 p.m. because people were being so disrespectful.”

While he was in the area, Braden figured he might as well help clean it up. After picking up trash Friday night and Saturday morning with the help of a few friends, he ended up with five bags of trash — 82 gallons in all — along with four pillows, three blankets and one wagon. A subsequent pickup Friday, Sept. 25, yielded an additional 12 bags of trash, two sleeping bags and “enough TP and various toiletries to fill several bags,” Braden said on his Facebook page Plug it In Hikes. That’s despite the fact that Braden is far from being the only person to start picking up trash in response to news coverage of the issue — a steady stream of litter volunteers have been up at Max Patch over the past week.

AN ONGOING ISSUE

Camping rules at Max Patch

Camping is allowed at Max Patch, though it’s not recommended due to danger from lightning and high winds, and several restrictions apply. As always when using public lands, if the parking lot is full it’s best to leave and find a less crowded spot.

n Campsites must be at least 200 feet away from the A.T. and any water source, and at least half a mile from trailheads or developed recreation areas.

n Campfires must be small, confined, constantly attended and use local firewood without cutting down trees. Users must ensure the coals are cold to the touch before leaving.

n Visitors must observe Leave No Trace principles, including packing out all trash and depositing human waste in catholes 6 to 8 inches deep.

n It is illegal to occupy the same campsite for more than 14 days in a 30-day period, leave camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours or re-establish a site within 10 miles of a previously occupied site when the combined length of stay will exceed 14 days in a 30-day period.

an isolated event,” said Jones Decker. “My whole thing is just about sustainability and Leave No Trace. This is not sustainable.”

Harriman, Tennessee, resident Benny Braden camped at Max Patch the night before Jones Decker’s and Wurman’s visit, a lastminute detour on his drive home from Asheville. Braden, 47, is an avid backpacker and has camped at Max Patch several times each year since first visiting in 2015. But on this particular evening, there were so many

Misuse and overuse at Max Patch are not new problems, and in some ways Wurman’s viral photo came as a welcome relief to land and trail managers who have been trying for years to convey the severity of the issues there.

“I’m glad to have it,” said Morgan Sommerville, regional director for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

When Sommerville thru-hiked the A.T. back in 1977, Max Patch was still privately owned and the trail followed the gravel road rather than climbing over the scenic bald. But once the property was acquired in 1982, the U.S. Forest Service together with the Carolina Mountain Club and the ATC began work to relocate the trail. Since then, use has increased and then exploded as Max Patch has found its way onto countless ‘best hikes’ lists. It’s often touted by local tourism organizations as a must see and has appeared on multiple magazine covers over the years.

Then, there’s social media. On Instagram, #maxpatch has more than 37,000 posts, while the also-popular #BlackBalsam has only 12,000.

“In 2003 there weren’t 100 websites telling people it was one of the places you had to check out,” said Jones Decker, also an A.T. thru-hiker, citing the year she first visited a much-less populated Max Patch. “It was a place that people went, but in the first 10 years I never felt like it was crowded.”

That’s changed now, and Sommerville reflects that the location of the parking lot, within view of and a quarter-mile’s walk from the summit, isn’t helping.

“It’s a little bit unique,” said Sommerville. “In the region I work in — Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina — I

About 130 tents dot the top of Max Patch in this photo taken by Mike Wurman on Saturday, Sept. 19. Mike Wurman photo

don’t think there’s any place experiencing more concentrated use than that.”

The resource-related impacts must be addressed, said Sommerville, but the impacts to area residents are the most distressing part of the problem.

“The road is literally blocked with visitors to Max Patch, and that’s unsafe and inappropriate,” he said. “It needs to be effectively dealt with.”

That’s not to say that high use is not a problem elsewhere. It is. Wilson Creek on the Grandfather District of the Pisgah National Forest has significant litter issues, as does the U.S. 276 corridor of the Pisgah District, said Cathy Dowd, public information officer for the National Forests in North Carolina. Large numbers of visitors to the Black Balsam and Graveyard Fields areas mean that parking is often a problem there, and the trails are often crowded.

“If you look at social media of other national forests, you’ll see it’s a nationwide issue,” said Dowd.

Braden, Jones Decker and Wurman said that what they saw this month seems to represent a leap in use. Braden postulated that increased interest in outdoor spaces due to COVID-19 could be part of the reason.

“This is the only time I’ve ever seen it like this,” he said. “It was just a little bit disturbing. I don’t know all of the reasons behind it or anything of that nature — all I know is what I observed. It’s possible that COVID could have something to do with it. If college kids aren’t allowed to have parties on campus, they’re going to figure out a way to do that. They’re going to go wherever they need to, to do that. That’s what I’m suspecting probably occurred.”

TAKING ACTION

However, said CMC’s Appalachian Trail manager Paul Curtin, while the crowd Braden witnessed may have been more rowdy than usual, he wouldn’t say it’s unusual in terms of numbers. According to Dowd, the Forest Service didn’t issue any permits for large gatherings at the area on Sept. 18 or 19.

Last fall, CMC volunteers counted more than 100 tents on multiple occasions, with several hundred vehicles parked along the road. Dowd said that on Sept. 21, CMC volun-

teers counted 500 visitors in a single day.

“I know that picture really started a lot of conversations, but to me what’s going on up there, that’s not a new thing,” Curtin said. “What’s new is that the picture showed what’s happening from a different perspective than we’d ever get.”

“It’s not an anomaly,” Sommerville agreed. “The popularity of Max Patch has been growing for many years.”

Since 2018, the ATC, CMC and the USFS have been working on a plan to address that growing popularity, called a visitor use management process. The group has made progress, but a lengthy review process remains and will likely generate many changes to the document. The plan is specific to the Max Patch area and goes as far as the Roaring Fork Shelter, located about 2 miles north of the trailhead.

Sommerville said that he’d like to see the final plan put additional restrictions on where people can camp, find a solution to the parking issue, require dogs to be on leash, limit group sizes and encourage people to pack out their waste and other trash. Curtin added that he’d like to see bathrooms installed at the trailhead but doesn’t expect that to happen for years due to the National Environmental Policy Act regulations that come into play with projects that include any kind of ground disturbance.

CMC isn’t waiting for approval of the final plan to start addressing the issue, however. The group’s focus on Max Patch began in 2018, when it hosted a National Trails Day event that attracted nearly 100 people to help with trail maintenance projects at Max Patch. The goal was to eliminate the spiderweb of user-created trails that had been worn down the slope, causing erosion and degrading its

Leave No Trace

Follow the seven Leave No Trace principles in order to minimize your impact on the outdoor spaces you visit.

n Plan ahead and prepare.

n Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

n Dispose of waste properly.

n Leave what you find.

n Minimize campfire impacts.

n Respect wildlife. For more information, visit www.lnt.org.

stability. To that end, CMC has worked to install 100 locust wood steps to stabilize and harden the trail and has worked with the Forest Service to temporarily halt the annual mowing at Max Patch to allow the grass to grow up and hide user-created trails long enough for them to fade. In addition, the ATC has organized plantings of native grasses and pollinator-friendly plants to attract insects and endangered songbirds like the goldenwinged warbler.

The work continued in 2019 with installation of a new three-panel kiosk at the parking area, which seeks to set the tone for respectful visitor use of the area and provide users with important information about the site. CMC also put up plastic fencing to keep people from reinforcing eroded social trails, and is working to replace the plastic with locust wood over time. Improved trail signage also seeks to better orient hikers on their journey.

The group also recognizes that education will be a key component of solving the problems at Max Patch. Many people who visit the area aren’t experienced hikers familiar with Leave No Trace principles and outdoor etiquette. In fall 2019, CMC launched a trail ambassador program specific to Max Patch, with eight volunteers going out to the site a dozen times that fall to collect data and interact with visitors. The program was a success, and a training scheduled for March of this year would have expanded the program to include 30 people — but then the pandemic hit and the training never happened.

These efforts to educate visitors at the trailhead are important, said Dowd, but on their own they’re not enough. Appalachian District Ranger Jen Barnhart hopes to work with the tourism sector to educate visitors in Leave No Trace principles before they even get in the car.

“They have access to visitors when there still is time to encourage a visitor to ‘plan ahead and prepare’ before they are on site recreating, including providing alternative hiking locations beyond Max Patch,” said Dowd. “This would be a win-win, as local communities surrounding the national forest rely on recreation as an economic driver.”

When it comes to Max Patch, said Jones Decker, a win-win is sorely needed.

“I don’t know what the answer is, but I know the conversation has been started,” she said. “This is the tipping point for Max Patch.”

Smokies investigates racially charged vandalism

Racially charged vandalism in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has prompted an investigation searching for those responsible.

At 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, visitors reported seeking a black bear skin with its head and a cardboard sign attached to the Foothills Parkway West entrance sign near the U.S. 321 intersection in Walland, Tennessee.

The sign displayed with the bear skin read “from here to the lake black lives don’t matter.”

“We encourage anyone with information to reach out to us as we continue to investigate possible motives for this incident,” said Smokies Chief Ranger Lisa Hendy. “We take vandalism incidents seriously in the park, and this particular incident is particularly egregious. It is for this reason we are offering a reward for information.”

The investigation is ongoing, and investigators are looking for any information that could lead them to the perpetrator. Respondents may remain anonymous, but investigators are offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible.

To submit a tip, call or text 888.653.0009, visit www.nps.gov/isb, email nps_isb@nps.gov or send a message on social media to @investigativeservicesnps on Facebook or @specialagentnps on Twitter.

Man dies following cardiac distress in the Smokies

A man was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac event on Friday, Sept. 25, along Laurel Creek Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Zachary Brown, 26, of Portland, Tennessee, was standing along the roadside near Crib Gap around 1:50 p.m. when he experienced cardiac distress. Park rangers responded to reports of the incident and performed CPR until the American Medical Response arrived on the scene and transported Brown to Blount Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Online ag classes offered for youth

An online series of agriculture workshops for kids ages 8 to 11 will soon launch for the fall, offering a one-hour class at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

The first session of AG H.O.P.E. (Agriculture – Helping Others, Providing Education), slated for 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, will focus on the agricultural heritage of Western North Carolina. Topics will include crop growing, livestock, sustainability and craft, and youth will be able to participate in interactive team building activities.

The project is led and created by teen 4-H member Abbegail King. King has been involved with 4-H for five years, served as a district officer in the program and raises dairy cows, goats and various other crops and animals. She plans to work in comparative medicine and biomedical sciences after college.

Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/aghope-tickets-118197077641 or contact Heather Gordon of Jackson County Cooperative Extension at heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

Stay up to date with Mainspring

Rachael Newcomb, conservation outreach associate for Mainspring Conservation Trust, will discuss the latest Mainspring happenings during a meeting of the Nantahala Hiking Club slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, via Zoom.

Newcomb will discuss her position, which is a new addition for the nonprofit, and will give updates on Mainspring activities.

For more information about the meeting, call 828.524.3600.

The sweetshrub, Calycanthus floridus, is just one of 36 species for sale this fall from

Plant a tree (or three)

MountainTrue’s fourth annual Native Tree and Shrub Sale is now underway, with 36 species of native trees and shrubs available for order through Nov. 4.

Species range from large shade trees to ornamental shrubs, and all plants are quality nursery stock ranging in size from 1 to 3gallon potted trees. Trees are delivered dur-

ing the dormant season so they can develop a strong root system before putting energy into making flowers, leaves and fruit during the spring.

Place orders at https://bit.ly/2EzeeGy and make plans to pick the plants up between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the MountainTrue office in Murphy.

State council to discuss N.C. climate plan

The N.C. Climate Change Interagency Council will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, via a teleconference open to the public.

The Council will discuss the state’s Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan. There will be an opportunity for individuals and organizations to provide input to cabinet agency representatives on the implementation of climate change and clean energy initiatives. Comments will be limited to two minutes and speakers are asked to sign up online by 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 at https://bit.ly/2Hus8Lb.

To attend the meeting visit https://bit.ly/36hDKvx and use the event number 171.011.9841, password ICCC. To attend by phone, call 415.655.0003 and use the access code 171.011.9841. More information is available at deq.nc.gov/climate-council.

Local youth show strong at livestock expo

Several local youth have been named winners at the WNC Youth Livestock Expo, which took place at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher over two weekends beginning Sept. 11.

Junior Meat Goat Show: Caleb Henson of Haywood County showed the champion commercial doe kid, grand champion commercial doe kid and N.C. grand champion commercial doe.

WNC District Junior Feeder Steer: Samuel Henry of Macon County showed the reserve grand champion junior feeder steer, Emily Hunter of Macon County showed the Got to Be N.C. grand champion junior feeder steer, and Davis Anders of Macon County showed the Got to Be N.C. reserve grand champion junior feeder steer.

WNC District Junior Beef Heifer: Cole Williams of Haywood County showed the grand champion Angus and the supreme champion junior beef heifer, Logan Ball of Haywood County showed the reserve grand champion Angus and Hannah Smith of Macon County showed the grand champion for all other breeds.

Open Junior Beef Steer: Samuel Henry of Macon County showed the reserve grand champion feeder steer, Emily Hunter of Macon County showed the grand champion Got to Be N.C. feeder steer, Davis Anders of Macon County showed the reserve grand champion Got to Be N.C. feeder steer and Isaac Wallace of Macon showed the Overall Got to Be N.C. reserve champion steer.

Open Junior Beef Heifer: Cole Williams of Haywood County showed the grand champion Angus and Logan Ball of Haywood County showed the reserve grand champion Angus.

PARI named International Dark Sky Park

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Transylvania County has been awarded the prestigious designation of International Dark Sky Park, recognizing the exceptional quality of the night sky over PARI and its commitment to education outreach.

In order to be designated as an International Dark Sky Park, PARI had to meet stringent programming, monitoring and infrastructure requirements set forth by the International Dark Sky Association. Existing park lights were modified to be dark sky-friendly fixtures including low-temperature bulbs — 3,000 degrees Kelvin or less — full cut-off shielding, motion detectors and timers. These changes enhance the natural darkness within the park.

The International Dark Sky Association established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. The IDA is based in Tucson, Arizona, and advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public about night sky conservation and promoting environmen-

tally responsible outdoor lighting. Natural nighttime darkness is a rapidly vanishing resource east of the Mississippi River, and few locations remain where stargazers can find dark night skies within easy reach. The preservation of dark areas in parks and protected lands is important to ensure the wellbeing of wildlife and

The Milky Way Galaxy is clearly visible over PARI’s 26-meter radio telescope. PARI photo

accessibility of dark skies for future generations.

Located at a former NASA facility and dwelling under the dome of the dark sky, PARI is building on its historic past to create a destination for the study, celebration and enjoyment of science. www.darksky.org.

Delayed Harvest regulations begin

Delayed Harvest Trout Water restrictions will take effect in North Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Until one-half hour after sunset on June 4, no trout can be harvested or possessed from these waters. Additionally, no natural bait may be possessed, and anglers can fish only using artificial lures with a single hook. An artificial lure is one that does not contain and was not treated with a substance to attract fish with taste or smell.

The restrictions apply to 36 different trout waters. From fall through spring, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks these waters with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching fish during the season. The waters are posted with diamond-shaped black-and-white signs.

The full stocking schedule for the season was temporarily removed from the Commission’s website earlier this year; however, the agency continues to post daily stocking updates at www.ncpaws.org/paws/fish/stocking/sche dule/onlineschedule.aspx so that anglers can find locations of stocked waters each day.

While fishing, anglers should maintain social distance and take steps to prevent spreading aquatic nuisance species. Clean equipment of all aquatic plants, animals and mud; drain water from boats, live wells and equipment; dry equipment thoroughly; and never move fish, plants or other organisms from one body of water to another. For a complete list of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, information on regulations and trout fishing maps, visit the Commission’s trout fishing page at www.ncwildlife.org/learning/species/fish/t rout/troutfishing.aspx.

I think it’s just vapor. It won’t hurt my kid like cigarettes, right?

Cades Cove race planned for November

Registration for the fourth annual Cades Cove Loop Lope is now open, with plans moving ahead to hold the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s only footrace on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The event will offer 5K and 10-mile options, with participation limited to 750 people. A virtual race option will be offered as well, allowing runners to complete the mileage at the time and place of their choosing. Organizers will follow CDC guidelines closely to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Free parking is available in Townsend, and shuttles will transport runners who do not have a parking pass. The race typically sells out each year.

Proceeds benefit Friends of the Smokies, a nonprofit partner of the park. The money will help support park programs and projects such as environmental education, historic preservation and wildlife management. The event is possible thanks to sponsors Turner Homes and Bullfish Grill.

The vapor that’s inhaled from e-cigarettes contains harmful chemicals that can cause irreversible lung damage. And e-cigarettes have nicotine, a toxin that’s addictive and can change your kid’s brain. Those are the facts.

Talk to your kid about vaping. Get the facts at TalkAboutVaping.org

Puzzles can be found on page 38

These are only the answers.

A limited number of parking passes are available for purchase with registration.

Runners pound the pavement during a previous Cades Cove Loop Lope. Kristi Parsons photo

Sign up to run or volunteer at www.looplope.org. To learn about business sponsorship opportunities, contact kathryn@friendsofthesmokies.org.

Take care of the trails

The Carolina Mountain Club will hold its final Quarterly Saturday Trail Maintenance Workday of the year on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The group will meet in Asheville at 8:30 a.m. and return by 3 p.m.

To volunteer, contact Les Love at lesrlove55@gmail.com or call 828.658.1489. For more information about CMC activities, visit www.carolinamountainclub.org.

Hike through fall

Enjoy a 9-mile hike from Sam Knob to Devils Courthouse with the Carolina Mountain Club beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Good leaf color and cool temperatures are likely on this excursion that will ascend Sam Knob, hike through the high meadows on the Flat Laurel and Little Sam Trails and then return to the starting point via the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Black Balsam. The hike includes 1,500 feet of ascent. Hike is limited to 10 people, and RSVPs

are required with hike leader Thomas Butler, 361.484.3381. Due to the pandemic, there will be no carpooling to the trailhead.

Energy line work to impact Bartram Trail access

The Bartram Trail is now closed at the Beechertown put-in off Wayah Road and the bottom of Winding Stairs Road to allow Duke Energy to replace a line in the Nantahala Gorge. The work began Sept. 28 and is anticipated to conclude by Nov. 20. The trail will be closed Monday through Thursday during that time and

past the closed section. For more information call the Nantahala Ranger

WNC Calendar

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Pisgah Legal Services’ tenth annual Racial Justice Forum will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. The event will be held online via Zoom. Ally Wilson at Pisgah Legal Services at 828.210.3444 or visit www.pisgahlegal.org/2020JusticeForum.

• The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public hearing starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, for proposed improvements to U.S. 129, N.C. 143 and N.C. 28 in Corridor K between Robbinsville and Stecoah. The public may participate via computer, tablet or smartphone by visiting https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/264116645; or via phone by calling 312.757.3121 with access code 264.116.645.

• The next curbside Grocery Giveaway will be held from 12:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Live Forgiven Church, 45 Crown Ridge Road Sylva. This is free and open to anyone who can use a little extra help. For questions email Chris and Crystal, FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life.

• Dogwood Health Trust will hold its first annual meeting, virtually, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Annual Meeting is open to the public and will cover updates about Dogwood’s work over the past year. www.dht.org.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free webinar series for those looking to start or pivot a small business. The series will include virtual learning opportunities on key topics ranging from writing a business plan and choosing a legal entity to marketing and bookkeeping. “Basics of Bookkeeping” will be held from 2-4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5. “How to Find Your Customers” will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

• Southwestern Community College is hosting two virtual job fairs this fall. The Healthcare Job Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Sept. 30. A general job fair will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The former will be exclusive to healthcare industry employers, while the second will include all sectors of employment, such as hospitality and tourism, business, trades, and more.Employers who’d like to reach a large number of qualified job-seekers can sign up by contacting Mike Despeaux, SCC’s Director of Career Services, at m_despeaux@Southwesterncc.edu. Job-seekers can get more info about how to participate in the Virtual Job Fair and the schedule of employers by visting www.southwesterncc.edu/careerservices/events-and-job-fairs.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a live online Digital Marketing & Public Relations Certificate program Sept. 18-Nov. 6 (6 Fridays) from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Registration fee for the full program is $640, individual workshops are $119 each. For more information and to register, visit pdp.wcu.edu or email Jill Thompson, WCU’s associate director of professional development at jcthompson@wcu.edu.

• Get schooled in the Smokies with one of the varied programs offered through the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School this fall. Programs will be held on Saturdays, Aug. 22 - Nov. 7. Courses cost $69 apiece with the exception of Fall Nature Photography, which costs $99. They are led by a variety of experienced and skilled instructors. For a complete course list or to register, visit

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

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

aceweb.outreach.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/ShowSchedule. The Smoky Mountain Field School is offered by the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

H EALTH AND WELLNESS

• Waynesville Yoga studio presents a four-week series, “Introduction to the Chakras.” The series will be hosted by Leigh-Ann Renz from 8:30 to 10 a.m. each Sunday in October at the Waynesville Yoga Center. For more information or to register, visit www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

• Waynesville Yoga Center presents a series about chakras four through seven. The series is hosted by Leigh-Ann Renz and will take place over four classes between Sept. 20-Jan. 31. For more information, or to register, visit www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

• Waynesville Yoga Center presents “Calm Kids Yoga,” a 30 day at-home yoga program. The program will take place from Oct. 19-Nov. 17 with Zoom calls at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Nov. 17. Each week will focus on a theme to cultivate feelings of calm within, and every day participants will receive an email with an activity or idea on how to engage their child in a yoga or mindfulness practice. All of which are available to keep to use as a resource any time and any place. For more information, or to register, visit www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

A&E

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Western Carolina Writers w/Stuart Stroud, Jesse Frizsell & Nick Mac 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and Mojomatic Rockin’ 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• With Mountain Heritage Day cancelled for 2020, Western Carolina University will still mark the date with a virtual concert by Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. The special virtual performance can be viewed from the Mountain Heritage Day Facebook page and the university’s YouTube channel, with a recorded version available Monday, Sept. 28, on the www.wcu.edu website.

• “On A Dream & A Wish: A Royal Celebration” will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 2-3 in the parking lot of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite hero or princess and join in on the opening parade, festivities and fun. Curb hop concessions will be available (cash only). Tickets are $12 and can be purchased by clicking on www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• “Art After Dark” will continue from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in downtown Waynesville. It is free to attend Art After Dark. For more information, click on www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

• The Dillsboro Art & Craft Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in downtown. Find handmade treasures, with restaurants and a brewery open to the public. www.mountainlovers.com.

• The Blue Ridge Heritage Craft & Quilt Exhibit will be held Oct. 2-31 at the Haywood County Arts Council on Main Street in Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drivein concert series with Mandolin Orange (Americana/folk) Friday, Oct. 2 and Del McCoury Band (bluegrass) Saturday, Oct. 3. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Event Center (Waynesville) will host a drive-in concert series with Mountain Joy (Americana/indie) Saturday, Oct. 3, Yonder Mountain String Band (bluegrass/jam) Wednesday, Oct. 7, Whitey Morgan (outlaw country/rock) Saturday, Oct. 10 and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24. . All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, tickets are available at www.ashevillemusichall.com.

F OOD & D RINK

• The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center will host a hands on Cooking Class and Dinner with Wine Class at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. The class will be hosted by Chef Sandra Stefani. It will begin with picking fresh ingredients from The Many Hands Peace Farm on site, then preparing a four course dinner and enjoying the finished product with wine. Dessert will be served with Prosecco on the main deck. For more information visit www.themountainrlc.org/mountain-meal or call The Mountain at 828.526.5838.

FILM & S CREEN

• The WCU Bardo Arts Center will host a screening of ”Picture a Scientist” with a special interview following the documentary with the film’s co-directors, Sharon Shattuck and Ian Cheney. This free documentary will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. The film can be watched on a browser through a mobile device or computer, or through the EventiveTV app on Roku and other similar streaming services. Learn more and pre-order your free ticket at arts.wcu.edu/pictureascientist.

Outdoors

• The North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, via a teleconference open to the public. Comments will be limited to two minutes and speakers are asked to sign up online by 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 at https://bit.ly/2Hus8Lb. To attend the meeting visit https://bit.ly/36hDKvx and use the event number 171 011 9841, password ICCC. To attend by phone, call 415.655.0003 and use the access code 171 011 9841. More information is available at deq.nc.gov/climate-council.

• An online series of agriculture workshops for kids ages 8 to 11 will take place at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The first session is slated for Thursday, Oct. 8. Topics will include crop growing, livestock, sustainability and craft, and youth will be able to participate in interactive team building activities. Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/ag-hope-tickets118197077641 or contact Heather Gordon of Jackson County Cooperative Extension at heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• Rachael Newcomb, conservation outreach associate for Mainspring Conservation Trust, will discuss the latest Mainspring happenings during a meeting of the Nantahala Hiking Club slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, via Zoom. For more information call 828.524.3600.

• The Carolina Mountain Club will hold its final

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

Quarterly Saturday Trail Maintenance Workday of the year on Saturday, Oct. 10. The group will meet in Asheville at 8:30 a.m. and return by 3 p.m. To volunteer, contact Les Love at lesrlove55@gmail.com or call 828.658.1489. For more information about CMC activities, visit www.carolinamountainclub.org.

• The annual Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, though with a new format in view of the pandemic. Instead of hosting a large gathering in Asheville, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging participants to walk as individuals or in small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails across Buncombe and surrounding counties. Money raised will go toward care and support for families battling Alzheimer’s and for critical research into treatment and prevention of the disease. To register as a walker or team captain, or to learn more about becoming a sponsor, visit act.alz.org/Asheville.

• The annual Trout Race in support of Haywood Waterways Association will be held virtually this year, slated for 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. Entries are $5 apiece or five for $20. Purchase entries online at haywoodwaterways.org/membership-donations-and-conservationgoods. For more information, call 828.476.4667 or email info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• Get schooled in the Smokies with one of the varied programs offered through the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School this fall. Programs will be held on Saturdays, Aug. 22 - Nov. 7. Courses cost $69 apiece with the exception of Fall Nature Photography, which costs $99. They are led by a variety of experienced and skilled instructors. For a complete course list or to register, visit aceweb.outreach.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/showschedule. The Smoky Mountain Field School is offered by the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

• Applications are now being accepted for the WNC Agricultural Options Grant, which will distribute a total of $216,000 to Western North Carolina farmers in 2021. Applicants are encouraged to participate in information sessions to be held via Zoom at noon Thursday, Sept. 24, and 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. The application deadline is Nov. 20, and applicants must contact their cooperative extension agents by Oct. 23 to set up an appointment to discuss their projects. WNC AgOptions helps offset farmers’ risk of trying new ventures and expanding their farms by offering grants of $3,000 and $6,000 in the 21 western counties and the Qualla Boundary. Applications and registration for Zoom sessions are available at www.wncagoptions.org or at county extension centers.

H IKING CLUBS

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will hold a Board Trail Maintenance workday Saturday, Oct. 3. Contact Bill Van Horn at 369.1983 to attend.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 5mile hike, elevation change 800 ft., to William’s Pulpit on the North Carolina Bartram Trail on Saturday, Oct. 10. The club will meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 10 a.m. Call leader Gail Lehman, 524.5298, for reservations.

Market PLACE WNC

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

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

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

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

• Legal N otices — 25¢ per word

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

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

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

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

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

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

Announcements

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Auction

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Business Opportunities

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Employment

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FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following position: Communication Instructor (10 month). Senior Network Communications Technician. PartTime Success Coach (Grant Funded). For detailed info and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: faytechcc. peopleadmin.com/. Hu-

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Homes For Sale

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HOME on Hwy 107 next to Sylva Dollar Tree. Tremendous potential for rental or commercial development. $375k OBO. 828.230.9997 elliottness51@gmail.com

Medical

ARTHRITIS, COPD, JOINT PAIN Or Mobility Issues on the Stairs?

**STOP STRUGGLING**

Give Your Life A Lift! An Acorn Stairlift is a perfect solution! A BBB Rating. Call now for $250 OFF your purchase. FREE DVD & brochure. 1-888329-4579

DENTAL INSURANCE

From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. Call 1-844496-8601 for details. www.dental50plus.com/ ncpress 6118-0219

Pets

PITBULL TERRIER MIX — GRAY&WHITE,ZANE

1 year old boy; friendly and playful. Also smart and easy to handle. (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

BROWN TABBY CAT, CUBBY 4 year old boy; loves to play with toys, or other pets. Enjoys petting, but rather play than snuggle. (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements

COMMERCIAL SUBLEASE AVAILABLE - Located on WCU’s Campus in Cullowhee. 1,000sq/ft available next to a popular campus cafe. Inquire at: madbatterevents@ gmail.com

LEASE YOUR LAND FOR HUNTING. Prepaid annual lease payments. $5M liability insurance. We handle everything for you. Base Camp Leasing 1-866-309-1507 www.basecampleasing.com Promo Code: 339

SAVE BIG On HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 866414-8635! (M-F 8am8pm Central)

ATTENTION SENIORS 62+! Get a Reverse Mortgage Loan to access tax free cash & no monthly mortgage payments as long as you live in the home. Retire with more Cash! Call 888-704-0782

GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 BaseCampLeasing.com

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! FREE CONSULTATION 844-359-4330

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

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

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

• Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com

• Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com

• Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com

• John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com

• Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com

• Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com

• Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

• Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net

• Pam James - pam@pamjames.com

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com

• Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Log & Frame Homes - 828-734-9323

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

Mountain Creek Real Estate

• Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700 McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

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

• Holly Fletcher - holly@hollyfletchernc.com

• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

• Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net

• David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com

• Juli Rogers - julimeaserogers@gmail.com

• Amy Boyd Sugg - amyboydsugg@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest

• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com

• Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

WNC Real Estate Store

• Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com

• Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

SUPER CROSSWORD

LIVING

1Renounces the throne

10Hexa- plus two

14Best results possible

20Right Guard, e.g.

21Oom- -- (polka sounds)

22Drink of beer after a shot

232014 Oscar show host

25In a position facing

26Standing in good --

27"Put it -- tab"

28Tiny charge carrier

29In times past

30Grazing site

32Sociologist who coined "survival of the fittest"

36La-la lead-in

39Mushroom variety

41Tavern

42Author and activist on Alabama’s state quarter

45Little -- (tots)

46Appends

50Egg shapes

51Get defeated

52"Kapow!"

54Bar garnish

55Kosovo citizen

56LXX / X

57He wrote "He’s Just Not That Into You" with Liz Tuccillo

61Ticklish red Muppet

62Dawn direction

64A, in Argentina

65Part of many German names

66Suffix with lion or seer

67Player of Colonel Klink on "Hogan’s Heroes"

72-- -pitch

75"The Catch" network

76Wedded

77Verve

78Verge

82"The Pink Panther" co-star

86"-- you with me?"

87End a flight

88Bird-related

89Tahiti, par exemple

90Posterior

92Egyptian peninsula

93Vapor

94Guitar’s kin, for short

96Longtime "What’s My Line?" panelist

98Amer. body with 100 members

102"Aladdin" figure

103Cagey

1041965-66 poet laureate

108Chichi retreat

110Coop cackler

111PC key

112Mani- --

113"There Is Nothin’ Like --"

117Not tardy

119"Nurse Betty" star

124Vexes

125A hat hides it

126Deviations

127Drive home

128Finds to be refined

129Small-stakes poker

DOWN

1Fruit drinks

2Boxing prize

3Portion (out)

4Utopian

5Denounces

6Ending for dull or drunk

7-- kwon do

8Mem. of the U.K.

9Canonized Fr. woman

10Where drinks are on the host

11Monterey County city

12"-- playing our song"

13Balking beast

14Ink-squirting sea creature

15Gives a ring

16"I taut I -- a puddy tat!"

17Newton who was knighted

18Come together

19Enthusiasm

24--’easter (storm type)

28Currently has the stage

31Just fine

32Hint-offering columnist

33Architectural add-ons

34Twiddled digit

35Zora -- Hurston

36The ones there

37Make merry

38Make fearful

40Trust

43Bodily joint

44Brain wave test, for short

47Sup stylishly

48Blockbuster rented them

49Places

52Nota --

53Top competitive effort, informally

54Novelist Sarah -- Jewett

56"Live" and "learn," e.g.

58Shah or czar

59She played Miss Brooks

60Lena of song

63Gremlin’s kin

68Be worthy of

69Bodily joint

70Appointment calendar

71Vestige

72Inbox junk

73Jeans-maker Strauss

74Big elevator name

79Copenhagen citizens

80Make twisty

81Uplift morally

83Devour

84Claims on property

85That miss

91"Bus Stop" playwright

William

92Move aside

94Of no help

95Smallville’s Clark

96Drinking sprees

97"-- the season to be jolly"

99Dishonors

100Emerge

101-- -weenie

104Bazaar units

105Creed part

106PC key

107Fritz out

109Writer -- Rogers St. Johns

114Not "fer"

115Come together

116Irish Gaelic tongue

118"-- done it!"

119Frat letter

120Electric jolt

121Ending for ethyl

122Chaney of old chillers

123Run after K

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

Rentals

AVOID TIMESHARE CANCELLATION

SCAMS- Consumer protection attorney will get cancellation for less, with a %100 money back guarantee. TimeShareBeGone has a A+BBB rating and 5 star reviews. To request a quote, call 800223-1770 or visit: outlegally.com

CASTILLO

Home Improvement

LEAFFILTER Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-649-1190

IS YOUR HOME SMART YET? Get a FREE quote from Vivint, the #1 Home-Automation Company! Fast & Affordable! $100 VISA giftcard w/ installation! Restrictions Apply. Call 855-5897053

Legal, Financial and Tax

ATTENTION: AUTO INJURY VICTIMS If you have suffered a serious injury in an auto accident, call us! Our attorneys have the experience to get you the full compensation you deserve! Call Now: 844-545-8296

SUDOKU

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

TAX PROBLEMS- Behind 10k or More on Your Taxes? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, un-

issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 855-828-0617

Yard Sales

FAMILY YARD SALE Saturday, October 3 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine) 489 Panoramic Loop, Maggie Valley (up Campbell Creek to Crockett’s Meadow Community) -Furniture (couch & chair, dining table & 6 chairs, coffee & end tables, desks, bar stools) -artwork -men’s, women’s, & boy’s clothing -books -holiday decorations -household goods and more!

RUMMAGE SALE More furniture, rugs, loungers, chairs and much more! Highway 441 (by Quality Inn Cherokee) Friday Oct 2nd and Saturday Oct. 3 from 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM 828-497-9427 or (828) 226-0994

North Main Street | (828) 634-7333

Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.

| 1BR, 2BA

| #3564322

| 3BR, 2BA

| #3628138

| 3BR, 2BA

| #3573183

|

3BA, 1HB

| 3BR, 4BA

| #3630196