Smoky Mountain News | October 21, 2020

campaign divides Mark Meadows’ old district Page 12

Jackson approves $4 million for animal shelter Page 21

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

Despite the setbacks and challenges the COVID-19 Pandemic brought about in March, a surprising number of businesses in different industries have been able to weather the storm with quick-thinking, innovative changes to their operations. In some cases, businesses have made a full rebound and are reporting their best numbers ever. (Page 6) Since City Lights Bookstore reopened to the public in late spring, Eon Alden has been serving customers from behind a mask and a plexiglas barrier. Holly Kays photo

News

Vandalism, campaign sign thefts show deep division

Haywood property revaluation to be presented Nov.

School systems seeing more COVID-19 cases, clusters ..................................11 Fierce campaign divides Mark Meadows' old district ..........................................12 Swain commission incumbents face challengers ..................................................16

Wallace, Young seek open seat on Macon commission

Jackson approves $4 million for animal shelter project

Opinion

Sen. Tillis should refuse to confirm High Court nominee

Vice President’s words don’t match his actions......................................................24

STAFF

multiplies demand for outdoor businesses

D

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Vandalism, campaign sign thefts show deep division in Haywood

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

As the tumultuous 2020 election season draws to a close, partisans on both sides of the aisle are expressing anger and frustration over a rash of vandalism and sign thefts in Haywood County.

“We have had several reports, as have the municipal police departments,” said Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Haynes. “It certainly is against the law. There’s a General Statute that clearly defines the fact that you are not to remove political signs. At this point we would offer up that if anyone has any information that would lead us to some of the people who are committing these crimes and causing these issues, we would certainly appreciate it.”

Candidates and party officials have complained about the issue for weeks, but it seems to be getting worse, day by day.

“I don’t understand why we can’t just have a healthy competition with these elec-

tions,” said Myrna Campbell, chair of the Haywood County Democratic Party. “I don’t understand why it’s gotten to this level of maliciousness. This is the fourth presidential election I’ve actively been involved in, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

That’s saying a lot, considering the competitiveness of the 2008 presidential election in which then-Sen. Barack Obama won North Carolina by less than one-third of 1 percent. It’s also a bold statement in light of the hard-fought 2016 campaign, when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in North Carolina by 3.6 percent.

Campbell said she’s aware of at least four police reports that have been filed due to vandalism and theft of Democratic signs.

One of them involves a woman recently caught on camera removing a Biden/Harris sign at Lake Junaluska. According to Campbell, the woman admitted her actions when confronted by law enforcement and returned the sign to Democratic Party head-

quarters, so no charges ended up being filed against her.

Although yard sign wars have been a part of campaigning since campaigning became a thing, it’s not simply an innocent prank — aside from the logistics and labor involved in their distribution, installation and maintenance, small yard signs can cost between $2-3 each, and the larger signs can run upward of $100.

“In addition to the big signs we’ve had damaged or smashed, I bet at least 150 to 200 yard signs have been run over or stolen,” Campbell said, noting that volunteers had begun placing cameras within eyeshot of some signs in hopes of catching vandals in the act.

Especially disturbing to Campbell is the fact that a number of signs and banners have been stolen from the lawns and porches of private homes, which adds another dimension to the list of potential crimes.

“Stealing from public property has been

going on forever, but this is a trespassing issue,” she said.

This behavior isn’t strictly limited to the anti-Biden crowd; Haywood County Republican Party Chair Kay Miller said they’ve seen plenty of Trump/Pence signs turn up missing or mangled.

“I can vouch for what I’ve seen and know about, and I think we’ve had about 900 signs stolen,” said Kay Miller, chair of the Haywood County Republican Party.

Miller said that they, too, had filed police reports and even caught someone in the act, following them to the Haywood Materials Recovery Facility (MERF) at Jones Cove, where campaign signs are often dumped and then salvaged and reused.

In one such instance, Miller said a car’s tag came back to a Charlotte address; Miller thinks people are being paid to come from outside the immediate area to engage in campaign chicanery.

“I don’t advocate anybody messing with anybody’s signs,” said Miller. “I would never direct volunteers to do anything like that, but you can’t control everybody.”

And you can’t — Miller said there’s an “eye for an eye” mentality on both sides that’s difficult to contain.

When asked by The Smoky Mountain News, Miller said she’d be open to issuing a joint statement with Campbell and the Democrats encouraging people to knock off the shenanigans.

“Sure I would. We’re all Americans and we’re above that,” Miller said. “I’d be happy to do that, but I don’t know if it’ll help. Let everyone have their opinion, and accept that not everyone agrees with you. Anybody out there doing that, just stop. It will all get worked out on Nov. 3.”

Campbell said she’d also be open to joining Miller in condemning the vandalism and thefts.

“I appreciate Chairwoman Miller’s willingness to join me in speaking out against the senseless theft and destruction of candidate signs we’ve experienced during this election. Displaying candidate signs reflects our constitutional right to speak freely and a sign expresses an opinion that should be respected even if you disagree with it,” Campbell said. “Bear in mind that supporters have volunteered their time and worked hard to put the signs out so respect their efforts and leave the signs alone.”

Haywood property revaluation to be presented Nov. 2

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

After more than a year of work, Haywood County’s property revaluation process is nearly complete and will be presented during a forthcoming public hearing.

The largest single source of revenue for most local governments is property taxes. Those are generated by multiplying the tax rate, usually expressed in cents per $100 valuation, by the value of the property, which is set by the assessor’s office.

Revenues rise and fall when commissioners raise or lower tax rates, or when property values rise or decline. It’s the revaluation process that determines the rise or decline in property values.

In 2017, a similar revaluation produced disappointing results, suggesting that the region still hadn’t fully recovered from the real estate-based Great Recession of 2008. Property values were largely flat throughout the county and in each of its municipalities.

That’s a problem for local governments because labor, materials and other nonfixed costs increase every year. If property values don’t keep pace, governments have little choice but to cut services or raise taxes.

Back in February, Haywood County Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley told The Smoky Mountain News that he’d heard

the county could be in line for big gains this time around — as much as 20 percent. Judy Hickman, Haywood County’s tax assessor, confirmed that on Oct. 20.

“We’re generally looking at 20 to 25 percent increases in value,” Hickman said.

That would leave local governments more leeway in crafting COVID-hobbled budgets for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2021. If property values do indeed rise, local governments will collect more money without having to raise the tax rate. They could elect to spend that money, or cut the tax rate to bring collections back down closer to the current level.

Property owners won’t find out until a letter hits their mailboxes sometime between February and April what their specific valuations are.

Jimmy Tanner, president of Tanner Valuation, told commissioners on Oct. 19 that the customary appeals period — during which property owners may dispute the values arising from the revaluation process — would feature an online dispute form, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The revaluation public hearing will be held 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, in the Haywood County Historic Courthouse. More information on the process is available at www.haywoodcountync.gov/709/2021schedule-of-values.

Waynesville hires new assistant manager

Town Manager Robert Hites announced that he has appointed Jesse D. Fowler as Waynesville’s Assistant Town Manager. Fowler is currently serving as a Planner for the Town.

Fowler has a background in town planning, Information Technology, CADD modeling software, and ArcGIS mapping software. He has a double major in Political Science and Philosophy and a Master’s in Public Administration from Western Carolina University. While in the Development Services Department, Fowler worked as a staff member with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Steering Committee, reviewed site plans, managed the department’s GIS data, worked with Code Enforcement, and presented policies to the Planning Board and Board of Aldermen. He assisted the manager’s office in maintaining the audio-visual equipment in the Board room and held citizen meetings on planning and recreational projects. He currently serves as vice president of Haywood Waterways Association.

“The Town is fortunate to have retained an employee with IT and Development Services skills in a time when a number of hardware components need replacement. The Town has recently approved its fifteenyear Comprehensive Land use plan and is

Kevin got millions in broadband expansion money to WNC

Kevin got millions in additional funding for our schools

Kevin was a leader on the Covid Response Task Force for NC paid for by the candidate

moving to draft a new ordinance that places the plan into action. He will coordinate the flow of agenda items with the Town’s

departments. We look forward to his leadership as the Town updates and improves many of its policies and practices” said Hites.

Fowler replaces Amie Owens, who announced her resignation a couple of months ago to take a similar position in Virginia.

Haywood businesses become COVID-resilient

BY BOYD ALLSBROOK

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns hit Haywood County in March, business owners braced for the worst. Some closed their doors forever, while others scrambled for ways to reopen under the new normal. Months later, local entrepreneurs were able to give a retrospective on how they survived and changed with the times.

Dave Angel, owner of Maggie Valley’s Elevated Mountain Distillery spoke about how he’s adjusted from the early days.

“We thought we were going to shut down in March. I had no doubt we were going under,” he said. Angel cited creativity and openness to unorthodox ventures as Elevated Mountain’s salvation.

“We were able to make hand sanitizer in those early months, which we still make. We have several major customers in the hand sanitizer business. That has definitely been a key thing for us. Honestly, we still need that revenue,” said Angel.

The distillery has also expanded into hosting COVID-safe live music events to fill the desperate need for entertainment beyond Netflix.

“We have live music three to four nights a week. Keeping in compliance comes with challenges but we were able to work those out. We were outdoors all summer and early fall; with the new restrictions we were able to move back indoors,” said Angel. “We’re supposed to stay under 100 people, which we can manage. People are good about wearing masks — I think they’re getting the message that to open up the economy we have to follow some rules.”

Though Elevated Mountain was hoping to get in on the live music scene pre-COVID, the pandemic spurred the process on and sparked Angel’s plan for it becoming a major music venue.

“We were planning on doing music before, but I think we further committed ourselves to it. We didn’t have the lights set up before, we didn’t have as many tables and chairs as we did, but we realized this is a whole market that’s not being met,” Angel said. “We have the best lighting and sound in any venue west of Asheville, and I would put it up against the best in Asheville. We’re making sure that we’re fully tapping into that to create a broader customer base.”

Between hand sanitizer and live music, Elevated Mountain Distillery has not merely survived — they’ve adapted to the times and managed to thrive.

“Our sales have done better than we expected,” said Angel. “You know, day drinking is an acceptable thing now. More people are staying at home — I was afraid that they would go for the cheap stuff, but it turns out, you know, when people wanna drink something, they enjoy something good.”

Cathey Bolton, owner of Corner Station Olive Oil Co. and the adjoining café, Third Bay Filling Station in downtown Waynesville, took advantage of the large outdoor space in

front of her building to combat COVID fears.

“I bought a couple thousand dollars’ worth of outdoor tables and chairs so people could sit outside,” said Bolton. “Because with the café as tiny as it is, you get one person at the counter ordering and you’re within 6 feet of other people. So having this space has been absolutely fantastic.”

Though she’d originally hoped to build this outdoor area into the patio space it is today, the pandemic forced her to act more quickly.

“We had eventually planned on it. We’re still bricking, still working on it, so we’re hoping to have that stuff done. But it was kind of like ‘OK, now we just have to do it, and we’ll be bricking and working on it around our customers.’ So it just happened a lot quicker than I thought it was going to,” Bolton said.

In addition to beautifying the patio, Bolton worked to make Third Bay a viable take-out option.

“We’ve been pushing the idea of people calling in and picking up orders. Obviously, when the businesses were restricted as far as people coming inside, we set it up where peo-

When Orchard closed early in the pandemic, Tice realized that the traditional indoor sit-down model couldn’t work.

“We had to move our whole bar to the front of our store. We wanted to do a takeaway service that was a whole new experience. That was one of the things that allowed us to push through the slow time. We brought everything to the front; we put pastries in the window, we put the bar right up there, and I feel like that was in a way reinventing ourselves,” he said.

This takeaway approach worked well; it was common to see people lined up along the sidewalk outside of Orchard’s new plexiglasscovered bar. Tice cited psychology as the driver of this widespread community support in those hard months.

“There’s something about a simple cup of coffee that makes life feel normal. When we closed, I feel like that was one of the things people realized they were gonna be without — that cup of coffee, that normalcy,” he said. “When we opened back up again, it was almost like a beacon where people felt like ‘OK, we can move forward in whatever changed way we have to, but we can feel normal.’”

“The act of going out feels profoundly normal,” he added. “The act of walking into a café and the transaction at the register can make you feel like things are fine, like the world isn’t upside down.”

In addition to modifying the café experience, Orchard began roasting their own beans right at the pandemic’s beginning.

“It was something we planned on doing for a long time, and then right as we were getting news of COVID, we jumped into that. Ultimately it was a fun way for us to start producing our own coffee and kind of get folks in town a little excited about taking orchard to their house.”

ple could call in what they wanted, place their order. We’d send them an invoice on email where they could pay right online. Then they’d call us when they got here, and we’d have our gloves and masks on and take it right to their car,” said Bolton, adding, “and we still do that for people who aren’t comfortable!”

Though recent months have been challenging, Bolton says that her business is doing well financially — especially in this tourist season.

“Right now it’s going great,” she said. “I think people are starting to feel more comfortable with coming out and about. The last two weekends during our festivals we’ve had a wonderful amount of people coming in and checking us out. For the fact that we are new, it’s been very busy and we’ve been very blessed.’’

Just up the road from Third Bay, Cabell Tice, owner of Orchard Coffee, recounted how he’s dealt with the pandemic.

“It’s been very interesting to say the least,” he said. “As a business we’ve had to be malleable in ways that I didn’t ever think we would.”

In compliance with lessened restrictions, Orchard is now beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy. The indoor café has reopened, and autumn’s tourist influx has filled its limited seats. “People coming back and getting into the space has also taken some getting used to as well,” said Tice. “Because people have to find their comfort level with COVID and we have way less seating in the café now, and we just do things a little bit differently. But ultimately, it’s giving folks the opportunity to come in, sit down, feel normal. We’re all navigating this together.”

Though October has been a record month for Orchard financially, Tice is still cautious.

“This October has been good for us,” he said. “This whole fall has been great, economically. I don’t think the tourists know that there’s COVID — but it’s like, we have one good month after a string of just six garbage months. So it’s nice to see one month positive, but we have a lot of not good months to look at.”

Ultimately, though, Tice is optimistic about the future of Orchard and the town as a whole. “Last week was the best week we’ve ever had. So I am hopeful, and I believe in the resiliency of our town and the people who come here.”

Struggle and success

Jackson businesses find their place in the post-pandemic world

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Lured by the promise of drivable, socially distanced adventure, visitors from across the region have flocked to Jackson County in record numbers this year.

Room tax collections for June through August stays came in 54 percent higher than for the same period last year, July sales tax numbers are 16.9 percent higher than for July 2019, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been seeing record-breaking visitation all summer long.

All that tourism has substantially reduced the level of economic pain COVID19 has inflicted on Jackson County, but the relief has not been distributed equally. While some local businesses are pulling in record-breaking revenues, others are struggling to survive.

MAKING IT IN SYLVA

“What I wouldn’t do for a huge outdoor space,” said Jen Pearson, owner of Guadalupe Café in Sylva. “I’m talking with my friends who own businesses, spaces that have a safe place for their customers to eat or drink or whatever, they’re doing OK, even doing well. It’s just the luck of the draw.”

Guadalupe Café has been around for 17 years, and it’s got a prime location on Sylva’s Main Street. But in the newly established rules of the coronavirus economy, it’s got some major disadvantages. Mainly, it has a tiny dining room and, until recently, no outdoor seating. Since the pandemic, Pearson had been able to offer carryout service only along with local groceries. Now that the Town of Sylva has reached an agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation to convert some downtown parking spots to table space, Guadalupe is able to accommodate dine-in customers once more, though on a smaller scale than it used to.

“The summer is typically when we make the most money,” said Pearson. “And so we’re going into the winter deeply in debt instead of with a nice cash reserve.”

Revenues are down 30 to 50 percent since March over 2019 figures. For Pearson, it feels like 17 years of hard work building up the business and bolstering its stability has evaporated overnight.

But at least she’s able to stay open. Such

is not the case for Quin Theaters, which has remained shuttered since March. The theater could have reopened at limited capacity Oct. 2 following an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper, but owner/manager Chris Maney said he doesn’t expect to do so anytime soon. The future is too uncertain.

“It will cost us several thousand dollars to open by the time we buy all new product, retrain staff and stuff like that,” he said. “We’re scared that a month from now they’re going to turn around and, if the numbers go back up, they’re going to shut us back down anyway.”

Besides, said Maney, what movies would he show? Release dates for all the major productions have been postponed. For the time being, Quin Theaters will remain closed.

“We’re in a position to survive, but it has been a very, very hard struggle,” he said.

Other downtown businesses have a more optimistic story to share. At Hollifield Jewelers, Beth Dennis said that, while the store is not posting record sales, revenues have remained strong.

“We’ve done very well, and because Steve (Dennis) is able to do repairs that other people can’t do, that also keeps us going as far as having the foot traffic,” she said.

Chris Wilcox, owner of City Lights Bookstore, said that while sales were down in June and July over 2019, revenues in August and September were up “pretty significantly,” mainly due to a handful of regionally important releases.

“We were so fortunate to have an alignment of big book releases that were super important to us regionally,” he said. “Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, David Joy, Leah Hampton, Ron Rash, Jim Buchanan all had books out within a matter of weeks starting in mid-July through mid-August, and those sales really buoyed us. That was huge.”

However, both Wilcox and Dennis said that much hangs on the outcome of a holiday shopping season that is predicted to rely more heavily than ever on online purchases. Meanwhile, restaurant owners expressed trepidation about what the coming winter might mean for patrons’ willingness to dine outside.

“We do hope and pray that it stays strong through Christmas,” said Dennis. “Because unfortunately, people would probably be surprised at how high a percentage small businesses depend on Christmas.”

So far, the list of businesses that have opened or expanded in Sylva since COVID19 is far longer than the list of businesses that have closed because of it — Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Director Julie Spiro Donaldson said that Leap Frog Tours and Humanité Boutique, are the only two chamber members she is aware of that have closed due to the pandemic though both businesses still have locations outside Sylva. Meanwhile, Southern & Sunkissed has moved into Humanité’s old space, Mountain Flora is moving from N.C. 107 to Main Street, The Mountain Mystic is open on Mill Street, White Moon Coffee Shop has installed a new liquor bar, City Lights Café has installed a takeout window, Balsam Falls Brewery had added an eatery and The Paper Mill plans to become a full-service restau-

rant and bar. The Table opened in mid-June, Creekside Oyster House in late May and Everything Bagel is set to open soon.

Over in Dillsboro, Rivers and Rails Tavern, Front Street TakeOut and Sweet Magnolias Boutique are all new businesses, and Kostas Family Restaurant has rebranded as Kostas Express Restaurant, operating as a counter service rather than as a full-service establishment.

ON THE PLATEAU

Up in Cashiers, business owners report a busy summer and fall with monthly revenues that have often surpassed those from 2019.

“Business has done very well through the pandemic,” said Glenn Ubertino, owner of Zoller Hardware. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen early on, and I was a little nervous about it back in late March. After a few weeks we were deemed essential, so we could stay open and business never looked back.”

Nationwide, stay-at-home orders and quarantines have prompted heightened demand for the hardware and home improvement supplies that Ubertino’s store sells, and in Cashiers a booming real estate market has accentuated the demand.

“Sales are up really every month since April,” Ubertino said. “I don’t know what the fall and winter will bring but business has been strong, and I look for that to continue as real estate transactions have been very hot up here in this market, so that’s good for our business and all the local businesses really.”

Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce Director Stephanie Edwards said that the chamber added 27 new members in 2020. Slopeside Tavern in Sapphire opened amid the pandemic, as did the Cashiers Valley Smokehouse and Hotel Cashiers. The

Business Spot expanded its operations, and the Boys and Girls Club purchased a major parcel with an eye to expand.

The pandemic’s onset caused some trepidation for Daniel Fletcher, who bought the Cashiers Village Inn last year and spent the winter renovating it to reopen this spring as Hotel Cashiers.

“In March COVID hit, and we were shut down,” he said. “And that was right after we spent all the money on renovating.”

Normally, the hotel would have been at 50 or 60 percent occupancy during that time, but for a month it was only allowed to accommodate essential and emergency workers — occupancy sat around 5 percent. It was a scary time, said Fletcher.

But around Memorial Day, people started getting out of the house more and more, and by July things were legitimately busy, exceeding expectations. The business is definitely doing better this October than it did last October, though the comparison is deceptive — Fletcher owned the hotel then but hadn’t yet renovated it. Room rates were lower last year.

“At this point I think local hospitality has pretty much recovered in this area,” he said. “All the other properties are pretty busy. We have a text group so we talk to each other.”

Like Fletcher, Brien Peterkin found himself in the unfortunate position of trying to launch a business in the midst of COVID, opening the Cashiers Valley Smokehouse on Memorial Day weekend. On the one hand, he said, the lower number of customers early on made it easier to onboard staff and get the system down.

“That almost helped us out a little bit, but it was still really hard,” he said. “You’re just not getting that business that you nor-

Macon merchants adapt during pandemic to stay open

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

During the initial pandemic panic back in March, many merchants in Macon County closed up shop while they tried to reassess all their plans for 2020.

They had a choice to make — stay closed and hope it’s over soon or roll with the punches and try to do their best to adapt to a changing world.

Gwen Taylor, owner of Dusty Pallet Art Gallery and president of the Streets of Franklin Heritage Association, said some of the more seasoned merchants with health concerns and those that rely on volunteers for staffing chose to stay closed throughout the pandemic, but others have remained open and have adapted to a new way of operating.

“It started out slow with COVID and a lot of us had to close down during the initial onset of it, but we’ve gotten very resourceful to stay open,” she said.

One of Macon’s draws is its seasonal festivals and events that bring people to Downtown Franklin, but those events haven’t been able to continue during the pandemic. Taylor said merchants still wanted to be able to welcome visitors to downtown so they started planning special weekend events where they allowed craft vendors to set up their goods along the sidewalks outside of their shops.

“We knew a lot of our craft vendors couldn’t go to their summer and fall festivals, so we opened the sidewalks in front of our stores for them — it turned out well for them and it brings people into the merchants’ stores as well,” she said.

These special weekend events will continue through the end of October. Taylor also said she has a DJ that comes out on the weekend to

provide music, and the merchants have worked with the town to make sure the downtown area is well decorated for the season.

“We worked with the town to design the gazebo area and the town employees came out and did a fantastic job decorating. So many people are coming downtown just to take pictures that we normally wouldn’t see so that’s been great,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a good fourth quarter — maybe not as great as it normally would be but we’re planning for Christmas already.”

Mayor Bob Scott said bars and restaurants had been hit the hardest by the pandemic.

“Even our pool hall hasn’t been able to open. It wasn’t the type of pool hall that I hung around in my misspent youth, this is a pretty nice pool hall, and they haven’t been able to reopen, because of restrictions. They have a bar in it,” he said. “Now our breweries seem to be overrun with people. I don’t see much difference in what I used to see before COVID. I found this weekend was absolutely packed with people. Franklin, it was standing room only. Our merchants had some specials going on, and it was just loaded with people.”

Yonder is one restaurant that had to make a major change if they wanted to find a way to stay in business. As the only farm-to-table restaurant in Franklin, owners Hannah and Alan Edwards said the restaurant had high demand with a line to get in every Thursday through Sunday when they were open before COVID-19. Then Gov. Roy Cooper ordered restaurants to close all dining-in service.

“We immediately pivoted to doing a curbside pickup online pre-ordering system for groceries when COVID hit and that went really well. We had about 90 people that participated in that because it was a safe way to

Yonder has pivoted from a farm-to-table restaurant to a fresh market grocery store during COVID-19. Donated photo

shop and they trusted Alan and I to provide them with high quality products that were local, sustainable and organic,” she said.

In addition to COVID restrictions, the Edwards then lost their rented restaurant space.

“We got kicked out of our space but we decided to keep our online shopping platform going, and then we decided to rehab an older cinderblock building on some land we bought last year so we could have a physical grocery store as well,” she said. “And we hope we can incorporate a restaurant on the property down the road.”

The grocery store located at 151 Hillcrest Drive has been open for two weeks now and is doing well with plenty of open-air space to shop.

“It’s not how we planned our year — we were a very successful restaurant with a lot going for us and we got blindsided by all of this and went through the stages of grief, but in all honestly we hit the ground running to not lose our livelihood,” she said. “We’ve embraced it and we’re thankful for what we do have and we’ll move forward from here.”

Staff Writer Hannah McLeod contributed to this story.

Swain businesses survive, thrive during pandemic

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Swain County’s economy relies heavily on the tourism industry from outdoor recreation businesses to downtown retailers, restaurants and the railroad.

The beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown in March brought a lot of uncertainty to the region as everyone scrambled trying to figure out their next move. Some businesses closed their doors just hoping to save enough money to be able to open back up next year, but others got creative and resourceful to keep their business going.

March was a particularly difficult time for people managing short-term rentals, a huge part of the tourism industry in Swain County.

“The shutdown came down quick and it was a scary time,” Tim Goodwin, owner of Watershed Cabins. “We were writing refunds like crazy because by March we are pretty strongly booked into the summer and we were coming into spring break too where people make a lot of last-minute travel plans.”

Even after all the refunds were made, Goodwin and his staff didn’t have any idea how long the shutdown would drag on or what they should do next. He said they laid off most of the staff so they could start receiving unemployment benefits and went around to their nearly 100 rentals to drain hot tubs, turn off the hot water heaters and disconnect any services they could to try to save money.

“It hadn’t sunken in how bad it was going to get yet. Understandably the local people were extremely fearful of outsiders coming here — they were demanding a shutdown probably more so than my guests were willing to cancel,” Goodwin said.

His hope to be back in business by Memorial Day was realized when the state and the county lifted the bans on short-term rentals. Without even a public announcement, he said the bookings started to come in immediately.

“Our month of May was better than last

JACKSON, CONTINUED FROM 7

mally would. But as the summer has gone on, we just kept getting busier and busier, and it’s just kind of stayed steady for us.”

The same goes for Peterkin’s other business, Slab Town Pizza. Some logistics have been difficult — with more people placing to-go orders, for example, it’s been challenging to keep the phone lines open for call-ins — but business has been good.

One driver of Peterkin’s success is an asset that Pearson has found herself without down on Main Street Sylva. Both of Peterkin’s restaurants offer ample outdoor seating.

“It’s definitely helped out here,” he said. “You can tell on a rainy day we’re not quite as busy, because people still don’t want to sit inside.”

Another factor is the sheer volume of

year. June was way up, July was as strong as it should be and that’s continued,” he said. “September was a huge improvement month that put us over the edge — we were exceeding last year’s numbers. We’re still doing an empty night between all guests and that costs some revenue but the stays have been longer and we’re looking at our best year in the history of the company, which is 20 years old, so we’re very thankful.”

The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is also an anchor tourist attraction in Swain County year-round, and COVID-19 restrictions definitely impacted the train’s business. Now that the state has moved into Phase 3 of reopening, the train is back up and running and working to hire employees to get prepared for the ever popular Polar Express train rides this November and December. The train riders still have to be socially distanced

September was a huge improvement month that put us over the edge — we were exceeding last year’s numbers.”

— Tim Goodwin, Watershed Cabins

and at 50 percent capacity, which means the demand for tickets will likely be even higher this year. Reserving tickets in advance online is highly recommended.

Darnell Farms, an agri-tourism attraction along the Tuckasegee River outside of Bryson City has also worked hard to adjust and adapt to the COVID way of life. The farm has expanded its produce delivery services to a year-round, weekly subscription service so customers can order online and have their produce delivered to their door, or they can come pick it up at the farm.

And luckily, being a farm has had its benefits through the pandemic. Having a lot of outdoor space to host events will put them at an advantage this fall as families are looking forward to getting out to the pumpkin patch and take a hayride around the farm. But again, demand is high right now so call ahead to make a reservation.

people flooding to Cashiers, to live as well as visit. People are buying property in Cashiers, building homes in Cashiers and, in the case of part-time residents, staying longer than they have in the past.

In fact, the flood of newcomers made it hard to get the smokehouse open on time, said Peterkin.

“It was tough to get plumbers and electricians out here,” he said. “Just because a lot of people were coming up to Cashiers from wherever they’re from to escape the big city.”

Now, the town is still hopping, and Peterkin expects to be busy at least up through the new year.

“And then I don’t know what this winter will bring,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see. We’re planning on being busier than most winters, but it’s kind of hard to predict.”

“Both my wife and I are products of our great public schools and universities, as well as my children. Both of my parents were lifelong teachers right here in these mountains. So I know personally that strong public schools are the backbone of our community” -Joe Sam Queen

In the State House Joe Sam will,

• Work to increase funding for local schools, especially early childhood education

• Raise teacher pay and give school staff the resources they need

• Improve access to our community colleges allowing everyone to get the workforce training they need

• Support our great universities, the engines of a 21st century economy

Cherokee businesses feel pandemic impact

After a slow summer, demand picks up for fall

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

With the economic powerhouse that is Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort surfacing as one of the pandemic era’s most-impacted local businesses, it stands to reason that the future of Cherokee’s business community would be among the region’s most uncertain.

Due to capacity restrictions and social distancing, between June and September the casino welcomed only about 44 percent of the 1 million-plus guests it drew during the same time period last year. And while occupancy rates at its hotel were similar to those recorded last year — more than 99 percent — due to renovations in the Mountain Tower the resort had only 73 percent the number of rooms available that it did last year.

However, Cherokee has another blockbuster attraction at its disposal — the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which in 2019 attracted a grand total of 12.55 million visitors. With COVID-19 restrictions spurring heightened interest in the outdoors, the park is recording another record-breaking year, with June and August visitation proving the highest on record and July the third-highest. While the Oconaluftee

entrance accessed through Cherokee has actually posted a decrease in summer visitation over last year — total visitation between June and August was 5.7 percent lower than last year — it still recorded a whopping 796,861 total visits in that time period.

September and October figures are not yet available, but if observations from Cherokee business owners are any guide, they’re likely to reveal even stronger numbers.

“Our season has picked up, especially the fall,” said Natalie Dillard, manager at Rivers Edge Motel. “Business was slow in June, July. However the park is so overpopulated right now we’ve had so much overflow from just traffic.”

Rivers Edge, as well as its sister establishment Econo Lodge of Cherokee, closed completely from March 23 to May 15, missing out on the typical spring break traffic. For the first month or so after reopening the motels were limited to 50 percent capacity at a time when they’d normally be full. Now, they’re back to full capacity and have been booked up throughout October.

“October is a good month for us, and business has definitely improved since June,” said Dillard. “People are starting to come back big time.”

That doesn’t mean that the business isn’t still feeling the effects of the spring closure, or of the ongoing pandemic. Rates are $20

to $30 lower than last year, and stricter sanitation requirements required them to hire additional housekeepers. However, said Dillard, overall the outlook is positive.

“If things continue the way they are improving, we’re not nervous at all for the future,” she said.

Like Dillard, Qualla Arts and Crafts Manager Vicki Cruz said the fall season has been extremely successful.

“Our September beat last September, and our numbers are still up there,” she said. “We always look forward to October because it’s going to be a good month, and this year it’s panning out.”

Overall sales for the year will likely be down from 2019, however. Between March 18 and June 18 the store was taking phone orders only.

“The first day that we opened, that was a little unnerving,” she said. “But after the first day then you’re just back on track.”

Over at Santa’s Land, the normal midMay opening was delayed until the end of June. Since then, all rides have been open with visitors required to wear masks and maintain a 6-foot distance from others. Staff disinfect surfaces between each rider.

“Our summer months were about the same as far as visitation,” said Operations Manager Linda Lyons. “We have seen somewhat of an increase in September and October visitation.”

Kent Cranford, owner of Motion Makers Bicycle Shop, said that his store’s Cherokee outpost has been doing “phenomenally well” and added that it’s helped a lot that the store is co-located with outfitter Fire Mountain Outpost.

While things are looking up for many Cherokee businesses, restaurants are still struggling. The Chefs Stage Buffet at Harrah’s is closed for the time being, as are the Pizza Inn and the Newfound Lodge Buffet.

Granny’s Kitchen, a 36-year-old family business with an eternally popular buffet, remains open but has had a difficult year.

“This year it has been more about keeping all of our employees employed and working, and paying the bills — so not making money,” said Dining Room Manager Lora Branning.

The restaurant closed when the pandemic hit, and when it reopened in May it was filling to-go orders only. The dining room opened at the end of June, but it’s only allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, a definite handicap for the typically bustling restaurant. In addition, staff must now be available to serve food from the previously self-serve buffet line. Granny’s Kitchen is taking many other precautions to prevent transmission of the virus, and so far none of its staff have tested positive.

“We’re doing all we can,” said Branning.

School systems seeing more COVID-19 cases, clusters

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

Since public school systems have returned to in-person instruction, more COVID-19 cases are being reported in Western North Carolina.

On Monday, Oct. 19, the Jackson County Department of Public Health identified a cluster of eight positive COVID-19 cases at Smokey Mountain Elementary School including four students and four staff members.

A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as five or more positive test results within a 14-day period and a plausible epidemiological linkage between cases.

Everyone who tested positive at Smokey Mountain Elementary School is in isolation and following guidance from health care professionals. The names of those who test positive cannot be released due to privacy laws. The source of the infection is unknown, however contact tracing is underway by the Jackson County Department of Public Health.

Out of an abundance of caution, instruction at the school has been transitioned to remote-only for the remainder of the week. The district’s eight other schools will continue on their current schedule, but students who are associated with an identified virus cluster or live in the same household with someone who tests positive will be quarantined and moved temporarily to remote learning.

A decision about returning to face-to-face instruction at Smokey Mountain Elementary School will be made on Friday, Oct. 23, after officials receive updates on contact tracing and virus testing.

Assistant Superintendent Jacob Buchanan is not surprised that the virus found its way into the district’s classrooms.

“Our schools are a reflection of the community, and there is spread going on throughout the region,” Buchanan said. “As a school district, we have a responsibility to ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep everyone healthy and safe.”

Indeed, upon discovering the COVID-19 cluster, the district took immediate steps to mitigate the spread of the virus. The school building is being disinfected, and additional resources will be deployed for deep cleaning. Staff at the school are working from home, and the School Nutrition Department is moving quickly to make sure meals are available for students while they are learning remotely.

Despite the week’s surge in positive cases, Jackson County Public Schools continues to maintain a lower infection rate than the surrounding area. Buchanan credits the district’s commitment to following the safety guidelines recommended by health professionals.

“We are requiring masks, we have regular handwashing intervals and we are doing the best we can to maintain social distance,” Buchanan said. “We believe with the meas-

ures we are taking students are still less likely to contract COVID-19 in our schools than they are in the community at large.”

A free optional COVID-19 testing event for Smokey Mountain Elementary School students and their families is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22. The drive-thru event will be conducted by Blue Ridge Health in the school parking lot from 10 a.m. to noon.

On Monday, Macon County Schools was notified of a positive COVID case at South Macon Elementary School. This individual is currently under quarantine and contact tracing is underway through the Macon County Health Department. A positive case was also confirmed Monday at Highlands School and at Franklin High School. Franklin Elementary, Mountain View Intermediate and Nantahala School have all had reported cases in the last week.

“We are requiring masks, we have regular handwashing intervals and we are doing the best we can to maintain social distance. We believe with the measures we are taking students are still less likely to contract COVID-19 in our schools than they are in the community at large.”

— Assistant Superintendent Jacob Buchanan, Jackson County

A COVID cluster was also recently reported at Franklin’s Church of God.

Haywood County Schools set up a COVID-19 dashboard so the public can see which schools are reporting active cases. There have only been seven cases reported in Haywood schools since Oct. 5 — one at Jonathan Valley Elementary, Junaluska Elementary, Meadowbrook Elementary, Waynesville Middle and Pisgah High and two cases at Tuscola High.

As of Oct. 16, Haywood County Public Health received notice of 30 new cases of COVID-19. The current trends in COVID infections include a party that resulted in multiple positive COVID-19 cases; a case of someone testing positive for COVID-19, the flu, and strep, at the same time; an employer whose lax mask-wearing habits resulted in a positive COVID result and exposure for several employees with at least one hospitalized.

As of Oct. 15, Haywood County’s COVID19 working number, representing individuals who are in isolation or quarantine due to exposure, is 118 people.

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK AT ON THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL?

Answer: The first thing you should pay attention to on the Nutrition Facts panel (the black and white panel on the side or back of an item) is the SERVING SIZE. The Nutrition Facts panel represents a breakdown of the nutrition of an item for a specific serving. In some cases the Nutrition Facts panel may display more than one column showing nutrition facts if you consumer the entire package. Often the Nutrition Facts panel represents the entire package or bottle. Serving sizes are determined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and represent standard serving sizes of what people normally eat or drink. These are broken down into unit measurements by grams or ounces. For example, a serving size of some crackers may be 4 crackers if the crackers are large and 11 crackers if the crackers are small. There are also standard or reference amounts for different items, for example, a standard amount for beverages is 8 ounces. If your beverage comes in a container that is larger than 8 ounces it may indicate multiple servings in the container or it may list the Nutrition Facts based on the entire container.

Bottom Line: Be sure and check your SERVING SIZE first. This is not a recommendation of how much to eat but what is considered a typical serving size and it tells you a lot of information about what is in that particular serving.

For more information: www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/foodserving-sizes-get-reality-check

Fierce campaign divides Mark Meadows’ old district

Cawthorn, Davis fight to win in NC11

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT

STAFF W RITER

Those who hadn’t learned through backchannels a day or two beforehand found out early on a cold mountain morning late last winter that Mark Meadows was out.

Now, in a pandemic-addled nation deeply divided on issues of class, race, justice, access to health care and economic opportunity, Republican Congressman Mark Meadows’ former congressional district has borne witness to a fierce political saga paralleled only by the presidential race it’s closely tied to.

Both contests will draw to a close in less than two weeks, and in North Carolina, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will ultimately prevail.

On Dec. 19, 2019, just one day before the filing period ended, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, announced his decision to forego an all-but-certain fifth term as North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District representative, for pastures greener.

Pandemonium ensued. Only one person was prepared for such an unforeseen eventuality, a friend of Meadows’ wife Debbie, Haywood County realtor and Republican Lynda Bennett.

Unlike the 11 other Republicans and five Democrats that ended up filing for the seat Bennett had advanced knowledge of the

impending vacancy, campaign infrastructure in place, local endorsements lined up and, eventually, the backing of President Donald Trump.

None of it could save her from a series of comical missteps — a sham endorsement by a two-day-old PAC, an ethics complaint, a combative demeanor at public events, purported “Never Trump” comments and a steadfast refusal to talk to independent media outlets.

Several county party and district leaders expressed dismay publicly and privately at the Haywood County Republican Party’s efforts — specifically by then-Chairman Ken Henson — to clear the runway for their anointed candidate.

Some complained that the HCGOP overstepped its neutrality by pushing too hard for

Bennett, especially given that retiring Macon County Sen. Jim Davis remains wildly popular in his district and has at least a modicum of support from Western North Carolina’s establishment Democrats, hard-earned during his decades of public service.

The March 3 Primary Election should have been a coronation for Lynda Bennett, but a 24-year-old political unknown from Henderson County, Madison Cawthorn, took advantage of Bennett’s baggage and eked out just enough votes to force a June 23 runoff.

Sen. Davis, who like Cawthorn was caught unawares by Meadows’ retirement, finished a close third.

Shortly after President Trump’s impeachment trial in January, Meadows abandoned

his congressional seat, leaving WNC without a voice throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic even as Congress passed the largest spending bill in the history of the universe.

Meadows then became Trump’s fourth chief of staff in four years.

Bennett repeatedly refused to debate her runoff opponent, Cawthorn, and as word of her gaffes spread some steadfast Republicans said they were disappointed in Meadows and that they although still planned on voting for Trump they wouldn’t vote for his candidate in November if she won the runoff.

She didn’t win. In fact, she didn’t even come close.

Cawthorn has run a spirited campaign since filing for the seat back in December. After winning that runoff he became a national media sensation, culminating in a speaking slot at this year’s Republican National Convention during which he took a symbolic stand, rising from the wheelchair he’s used since a near-fatal car accident when he was 18.

It hasn’t been all kudos and plaudits for Cawthorn though. He’s taken hits for some half-dozen transgressions, real or imagined.

There’s the allegations of Nazi and white supremacist sympathies, the misrepresentation of his rejection from the U.S. Naval Academy as well as his work in Mark Meadows’ congressional office and accusations of aggressive behavior towards women — indeed, another letter from students at Patrick Henry College, which he briefly attended, began circulating only days ago, rehashing old allegations and adding unverified new ones. Add to that Cawthorn’s lack of a college degree, and lack of relevant work experience.

Nor has it been an easy road for Democrat Moe Davis, a retired Air Force colonel who won his five-way March 3 Primary Election outright over Gina Collias, a Republicanturned-Democrat who didn’t even live in the district.

Mills River Democrat Michael O’Shea, a young Bernie Sanders afficionado, was

endorsed by 2018 nominee Phillip Price, who declined to run in 2020. The next day, Meadows announced his retirement, Price rescinded his endorsement and entered the race on the last day of filing.

O’Shea finished fourth, just behind Price.

Pisgah Forest Democrat Steve Woodsmall, who never really stopped campaigning after a disappointing performance in the 2018 primary, finished last, left the Democratic Party and has spent the summer attacking the winner.

Aside from branding Davis and all liberal Democrats racists, Cawthorn’s biggest attacks on Davis target Davis’ 25-year military career, during which time he earned the Legion of Merit and served as a prosecutor at the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.

Davis ultimately resigned over his refusal to abide torture and political pressure on the judicial process.

Those stances put him squarely on the side of the rule of law, but also on the side of Osama bin Laden’s bodyguard and an Al Qaeda recruiter for the September 11 attacks.

In the case of the former, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Davis says he had concerns about the fairness of the trial. In the latter, it was about Mohammed Ould Slahi’s 14-year detention without charges and the use of heavy metal music and strobe lights as punishments.

Cawthorn’s also tried to paint Davis, a Shelby native, as an outsider, a northeastern liberal who has more in common with AOC’s vision than with WNC’s values.

Then, there’s Davis’s graphic tweets, one of which entertained the idea of snapping Republican necks because Michelle Obama’s “they go low, we go high bullsh*t” hasn’t worked for Democrats.

Although both candidates remain staunch partisans for the most part, Davis has broken with his party somewhat in that he’s more supportive of the Second Amendment, just as Cawthorn’s broken with his party somewhat in his focus on environmental issues.

The Democrat Davis was also fired from the Obama-era Congressional Research Service in 2009 after penning two op-eds criticizing the Obama administration’s doublestandard on trying terror suspects. Davis

later received a $100,000 settlement after he sued for a violation of his First Amendment rights.

All of this leaves voters considering the candidates’ character, capability and commitment to a poor, rural, mountainous 17-county swath of Southern Appalachia.

Both candidates have reported receiving death threats, and both have also reported incidents of vandalism and yard signs gone missing.

The 11th District is no longer Mark Meadows’ district — literally, figuratively or geographically. The partisan gerrymander that made the district so favorable to Meadows for four election cycles was thrown out by a court shortly before Meadows dropped out.

It’s still a red district, but less so. The inclusion of left-leaning Asheville, which had been neutered out of Meadows’ 11th District, gives Democrats the most competitive contest they’ve seen in a decade.

The Cook Report, Decision Desk, Inside Elections, Larry Sabato and Roll Call all recently upgraded the race for Democrats, just as the Asheville Citizen-Times granted Davis a rare endorsement from its editorial board.

Money — big, outside money — is pouring in to a sleepy district where very little campaign spending has actually taken place since 2006. Right now, it’s around $5 million. It will go higher.

The House of Representatives is currently controlled by Democrats and will likely remain so after Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. A Cawthorn victory would retain a Republican seat in the minority party and a Davis victory would add to the existing majority. Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, the race between Cawthorn and Davis is inconsequential.

On Sunday, October 25th at 10:15 AM

Band

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2 Chronicles 7:14

But it’s not inconsequential to the people of this turnstile district in Western North Carolina, people that used to elect moderate Republicans and Democrats, people now polarized and without a Member of Congress for more than 200 days. Cawthorn, or Davis, must take the first steps in repairing that breach.

The Smoky Mountain News: This campaign has indeed been a long, strange trip. What do you know now that you didn’t know when it started last December?

Madison Cawthorn: Just how dire the situation is. Everyone wants to get into politics so they can make a difference, so they can add back to their society and their community, but you know Cory, I have learned how depraved and how dark it is in Washington, D.C. I just learned how much money can change hands, how much people will try and bribe you. There’s a lot of corruption, and I’m looking forward to tackling it.

Moe Davis: The details of campaigning were all new to me, and then you throw a pandemic on top of that it’s been an interesting experience. I’ve just been really fortunate to have over 500 volunteers that have just really worked hard, and thousands of donors. I’ve had a lot of help.

SMN: After 10 months of hard campaigning, is there an issue that voters have changed your mind about?

MD: I don’t know that voters changed my mind, or maybe it’s just the process of learning over the course of the campaign, but I wasn’t aware of the acute problem with broadband. Having moved to the Asheville area where we have pretty decent broadband service, I wasn’t aware that that’s not typical of the rest of the district — particularly some of the western counties where the official rate

Eager voters flock to Haywood polls

Early voting began across North Carolina on Oct. 15, and since then, large numbers of voters have descended on their polling places to cast their ballots early.

A release from the Haywood County Board of Elections issued after voting ended on Monday, Oct. 19 showed that more than 7,800 people had voted at three Haywood County locations.

That number doesn’t include any mailin ballots, nor does it include overseas or military ballots.

Clyde reported 1,461 voters, as well as

WCU to host modified Open House

Western Carolina University will pop up the tents for prospective students and their families and friends as the university holds Open House on Saturday, Oct. 24, with a new outdoor format to meet safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students are asked to select an arrival time when they register online. Arrival times start at 8:30 a.m. and repeat every hour until 12:30 p.m. Once on campus, students and their families will walk approxi-

is 50 percent [of the population with access to broadband], but if you look at how they measure it, I believe that’s an overly-optimistic figure.

I was talking to somebody yesterday out in Waynesville and they were saying that there was a manufacturer that had run fiber optic to their facility. Nobody else is allowed to tap into it. But because they’re in the vicinity of the facility, they’re considered to have “access” to broadband.

MC: Agricultural folks have changed my mind about work visas and ways to deal with immigrant workers. It wasn’t necessarily that they changed my mind, they really just opened my eyes to some facts. These immigrant workers, a lot of them come here you have the whole idea that we always want to have a lot of insurance, for the uninsured or underinsured drivers on the road. That’s because we know if you get hit by an immigrant that doesn’t have insurance because they don’t have a driver’s license, then you’re kind of just out of luck.

If we were to give them some kind of a legal status while they’re here, not citizenship but getting some kind of a legal status so that they can still do work but they don’t necessarily have the benefits of being a citizen yet, I think that’d be beneficial.

SMN: During the campaign events that you’ve been to, that you’ve hosted or attended, how many people do you think you meet that are truly undecided?

MC: It’s changed. I’ve pretty consistently gone to five counties every single day for the last 10 months now. A lot of people I used to

18 new voter registrations. Canton showed 2,452 voters and 38 new registrations, and the Senior Resource Center logged 3,908 voters with 83 new registrations. By comparison, during the 2016 General Election, in the presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, 19,032 people voted during the entirety of the early voting period. Oct. 19th’s total means Haywood County is rapidly approaching the halfway point in terms of votes, while only being about one-third of the way through 2020’s early voting period, which ends on Oct. 31.

For more information on voting, visit your local county board of elections website, or the state site, www.ncsbe.gov.

mately 1.5 miles around campus visiting departmental representatives located in tents around campus.

Lunch will not be available at campus dining locations. Visitors are encouraged to eat before or after attending their selected Open House time. Pre-registration for Open House and more information is available by going to openhouse.wcu.edu or by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317 or toll-free 877.928.4968.

For interested students who cannot attend the Oct. 24 event, Open House also will be held at WCU on three other Saturdays – Nov. 14, Feb. 20 and March 20.

meet would be undecided. They’d kind of wanted to meet me, but at Burnsville last night, we had 3,000 people and the town was 1,600. I would say probably in that crowd, I talked to about a hundred people that were undecided, but almost everyone has made up their mind so far.

MD: Certainly yesterday there were fewer undecided than there were a month ago. It was really interesting at the [Waynesville] Apple Festival when I first got there there were three women, actually from Henderson County. They’re all registered Republicans and voted Democrat the first time, and voted for me. I talked to people there that were registered Republicans that had voted for me.

SMN: Madison, since we first spoke back in January, you’ve talked about a generational time bomb within the Republican Party and the importance of energizing young voters of all stripes. To me, your events seem to consist mostly of elderly party faithful. Do you feel like you’ve accomplished that mission?

MC: You haven’t been around since I spoke at the RNC. I’ve seen a major difference since I got to give that speech to the RNC. When I was writing it, I was targeting young people with the verbiage I was using. I’ll tell you, I have been using that on the stump recently. Back in January, I was talking about how we had a generational time bomb. I would say, look around this GOP event, look around and you’ll not see anyone under the age of 50 aside from my staff. Now say, look around – you see people rep-

resentative of every single generation alive in America.

SMN: As we saw in the president’s Oct. 15 town hall, he denounced white supremacy, which you’ve done. But he refused to denounce QAnon and the associated conspiracy theories that call Democrats satanic pedophile rapists who harvest hormones from the bodies of young children in order to give themselves superpowers. Basically, Trump said he didn’t know what QAnon was. Do you believe him?

MC: Anytime I hear about QAnon, it’s the most ridiculous thing. I feel like there’s kind of levels to these people who believe in QAnon and it starts out kind of like, “You know there’s a government conspiracy.” I think there’s some malicious people in the Democratic Party, and then all of a sudden you hear that they are lizard people and they harvest hormones from babies. I don’t believe in QAnon. I don’t know much about Q, the first time I ever heard about Q was when a journalist asked me about him. I don’t know anything about it. I guess if you want me to denounce it, I am. I just don’t believe in conspiracy theories that heavily.

SMN: Moe, military veterans are numerous in this state and this district, and are generally Republican. I’ve seen some demonstrate against you. Do you feel as though you’ve been able to reach veterans across party lines?

MD: I think so. A couple of folks I spoke with in Waynesville are veterans and

Republicans and they’re voting for me. I left there and went up to Burnsville and there was a couple there that had also been Republicans. They’re now unaffiliated voters, but they’re veterans. Obviously I haven’t won over all 65,000 of them, but I think I have [won] a lot of them because I think preserving the Veterans Administration is a nonpartisan issue. Most Republican-leaning veterans like the VA, and want to keep their VA benefits.

SMN: In light of the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, Democrats have been shifty on whether or not “court packing” will be attempted if Dems win in November. Simple answer – yes or no on court packing?

MD: I’m not opposed to it. The Republicans have not been bashful about using the full scope of their power, as [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell did with Merrick Garland [the 2016 Obama Supreme Court nominee]. I mean, [McConnell] had the power to do what he did, whether you liked it or not and he used the full extent of his power. I think the Democrats, we’ve got to stop being bashful about exercising power. If we have the White House and the Senate and the House, I’m not opposed to using the full extent of our power.

SMN: With mail-in and early voting, turnout already looks to be strong. For those voters who still haven’t voted, for those voters who are still undecided, make your final pitch as to why they should choose you on or before Tuesday, Nov. 3.

MC: We’ve been sending the same people to Washington over and over, and we’ve been

expecting a different result. We all know what the definition of that is. I really believe that we need to send someone to Washington who has a backbone of titanium, who’s not going to be able to be bought, who has strong bold convictions and who you know is going to do what he said he wanted to do. And what I’m going to do is get to Washington, D.C. and be an advocate and a strong policymaker for Western North Carolina. That’ll be my main goal for the first couple of terms but within two to three germs, I will get term limits on the House floor and I will get these career politicians out of our lives.

MD: I think if voters look at my positions on policies, I’m not the wild-eyed liberal that my opponent tries to portray me as. He’s been doing full page ads in the Citizen-Times that I’m going to confiscate your guns and take away your health care. I’m still not sure that he understands he’s running against MO-E and not A-O-C. What I would say to voters that are still on the fence, still trying to make up their mind is go to my website and look at my positions and policies. I think they’re very centrist. The two big things I would stress is that you have a choice between someone who has absolutely no experience and no clue what he’s doing, who’s now owned by corporate interests, that would go to Washington and be powerless to do anything for the district because he will be in the minority — or someone that knows what he’s doing, that has sensible positions and will be in the middle, will be in the majority, and will able to do things that would be beneficial to the district.

WAYNESVILLETIRE,INC.

vote MIKE CLAMPITT NC House 119

Swain commission incumbents face challengers

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two open seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners this year.

Whoever the top two vote-getters are — regardless of political party — will be elected to a four-year term on the board.

Democrat Roger Parsons and Republican Kenneth Parton are both completing their first term on the board and are seeking a second, while Democrat Phil Carson and Republican Robert Lowe are challenging the two incumbents.

Parsons first joined the board in 2017 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Commissioner David Monteith. He then successfully ran to complete the remaining two years of Monteith’s term on the board in fall 2018.

“My love for Swain County and my belief that service to others and community is a very important part of life is my primary reason for running,” he said. “I consider myself a uniter not a divider. I try to concentrate on the things we can agree on and start working from there to get results.”

The other Democrat on the ballot — Phil Carson — is also a familiar face on the board. Carson served as a commissioner for four years and then was elected as commission chairman. He served as chairman for two terms but was ousted during a 2018 Primary Election when fellow Democrat commissioner Ben Bushyhead won the chairmanship. After sitting out for a couple of years, Carson said he’s ready to get back into county business.

Meet the candidates

ROGER PARSONS

• Age: 64

• Hometown: Moved around as a child when his father served in the Marines, but the family settled in Swain when he was in elementary school.

• Education: Swain County High School, bachelor’s degree in recreation management from Western Carolina University.

• Professional background: Retired from UPS

• Political background: One term as county commissioner, Swain County School Board for 16 years

PHILLIP B. CARSON, SR.

• Age: 57

• Hometown: Bryson City

• Education background: Graduated SCHS 1981, SCC & Haywood Community College

• Professional background: Construction/Part time paramedic - SC EMS/Rescue

• Political experience: Four years county commissioner, two terms as county commission chairman

H. ROBERT LOWE

• Age: 28

• Hometown: Bryson City

• Education background: Bachelor of Science in Communications from Western Carolina University with a dual concentration in Broadcast and Broadcast Sales

If elected, he said his top priorities would be “to better represent the citizens of Swain County, remembering this position is about public service and not my own goals, to work to secure grants for Swain County toward future projects rather than raising taxes and create a strategic plan to prioritize projects and expenditures.”

Robert Lowe, a 28-year-old political newcomer, says taking care of local residents would be his top priority if elected commissioner.

“When I look into the eyes of my two daughters, it becomes perfectly clear why I have chosen to run for county commissioner. I will be the one responsible for the Swain County that they inherit. What am I leaving them? Being a local and third-generation displaced resident of the Noland community on the North Shore, I have witnessed first-hand the neglect and mistreatment locals have endured at the hands of government officials who didn’t have the interests of the locals top of mind,” he said. “Why should Jackson and Haywood counties benefit economically from our residents when we should be capable of providing local offerings for our residents in our own county? If done intelligently, we can bring retail establishments to the

• Professional background: Selfemployed doing multimedia sales for radio, newspaper, internet and television.

• Political experience: First time running for office

KENNETH PARTON

• Age: 42

• Hometown: Swain County

• Education: N/A

• Professional background: He works in the construction industry, mainly with septic systems, and with his family’s stonework business.

• Political experience: One term as county commissioner

county that can coexist with our unique boutiques and shops.”

Parton did not respond to texts or phone calls requesting an interview and did not respond to a candidate questionnaire sent to his official commissioner email address.

If elected to a second term, Parsons said he would continue to work closely with the Swain County Board of Education, the Town of Bryson

City and all other county agencies. Parsons and the rest of the board have made more of an effort in the last few years to meet regularly with the town government and work closely with the school board to ensure school infrastructure needs are being met. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s been even more vital to have open communication between all county and town agencies and departments.

“I will continue to listen to the ideas, thoughts and concerns of all our folks and pledge to continue to work hard for everyone,” he said. “I’m accessible by phone, email, text or whatever means to answer your questions. It’s vitally important that a public servant should always be truthful, honest and fair. I’m a working man working for you.”

“I believe we need to be firmly grounded in who we are as Southern Appalachian Mountain folks and maintaining our small hometown feel while at the same time looking forward to the future for Swain County,” Parsons said.

During his time on the board, Carson said his greatest accomplishment was making sure Swain County received the North Shore Road settlement money promised by the federal government. Many of his years

on the board involved multiple trips to Raleigh and Washington, D.C., pushing politicians to pay the $52 million settlement promised to the county back in 2010 as a result of the road never being rebuilt. The settlement funds were finally placed into an account within the State Treasurer’s Office in the summer of 2018, though the county can only draw on the interest the money accrues each year to supplement the budget.

Looking forward, Carson wants to see the county complete a long-term strategic plan to see what the top priorities are for the county and to use the settlement funds as matches for grants.

Lowe said he would like to see the settlement money used to invest in county infrastructure, especially to upgrade the sewer processing plant. While the water and sewer infrastructure in the county is owned by the town of Bryson City, it’s in the best interest of all the county to make sure it’s updating and operating efficiently.

“We need to redo our water and sewer lines throughout town to support our future growth, and it needs to be front and center, taking priority instead of ‘as we get to it,’ which is the current tactic,” Lowe said.

While he’s been off the board for a couple of years, Carson said he thinks the board

has done a good job balancing wants and needs. If elected, he said he would continue to keep the tax rate low for residents, adding that he would only be in favor of raising taxes if doing so would meet the goals of Swain County as a whole.

“I feel they are doing OK, so far the tax rate hasn’t changed. I would try to provide more representation for Swain County,” he said.

One such project that has been debated is the construction of a new library. The Marianna Black Library committee is fundraising for the $7 million project but has yet to get any kind of financial commitment from the county commissioners.

“I’m not in favor of raising taxes to construct a new library but am in support of grants and the community coming together to construct a new building if those funds are raised,” Carson said.

Lowe said the county has a responsibility to the library, especially since the land on Fontana Road was donated specifically for the construction of a new facility.

“I am always in full support of the library. It is the hub of our community, whether we realize it or not. Nothing has been done in the decade since, which is a shame,” he said. “There is plenty of financial support out

there that the county could find if it was a priority. That has been evidenced in the streetscape projects. Whether it is construction, modernizing, or moving locations, I’m advocating whichever is in the best interest of the library and the citizens of the county.”

Carson would also like to see a renewed focus on investing in economic development with the hiring of a new economic development director. The county hasn’t had the position filled since former director Ken Mills retired a couple of years ago.

“Swain County has vacant manufacturing plants currently in which someone needs to be working out of — we need a coordinator,” he said.

Lowe agrees that the economy needs to be a top priority, and a more diverse economy would make the county more resilient. He said he understands the importance of the tourism industry and understands Swain County can no longer support manufacturing in the 21st Century, but he also thinks the county can invest intelligently in retail.

Like the rest of Western North Carolina, Lowe said Swain is in desperate need of improved high-speed internet.

“We already have the capabilities here with fiber optic lines running along the ridge tops. Discussion needs to escalate on how to bring better service to every home in the valleys. Over the past several years with the improvement of cellular technology, reception has worsened,” he said. “The new 5G networks need more closely spaced towers than their predecessors to maintain the coverage.”

Though he has a lot of goals in mind, Lowe said the last thing he wants to do is raise property taxes on its small tax base of residents.

“People are having a hard enough time as it is. With smart management of the budget and reappropriation, we can live within our means. The entire reason we have any budget issues is because we aren’t being thrifty and investing responsibly,” he said.

Wallace, Young seek open seat on Macon commission

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

After being the top vote-getters during the primary election, Democrat Betty Cloer Wallace and Republican Josh Young are seeking the open District 2 Macon County Commissioner seat this November.

Voters have two very different candidates to choose from though both have expressed their passion for their hometown and a strong desire to make life better for their fellow Maconians. Both candidates are from Macon County and have been active members in the community in various capacities. However, Wallace has decades of experience in the political realm while Young is taking his first shot at public office. Despite her experience and credentials, Wallace wasn’t able to secure a seat on the commission when she ran in 2018.

“My half-century of experience and credentials in public service administration has been a lifetime of preparation for serving as a Macon County Commissioner. I want to work toward practical and sustainable change, to upend the status quo voting bloc and authoritarianism that has controlled our board of commissioners for many years, to give a greater voice to our citizens in our local government, and to help create a more moderate and balanced governmental representation of residents as per gender, community, and financial wherewithal,” Wallace said. “We must change our current social and economic

trajectory if we want to slow down the exodus of our young families, take care of our elderly and disabled citizens, and move forward as a viable and economically competitive county.”

Young, who did not respond to The Smoky Mountain News’ candidate questionnaire, has touted himself as a “normal guy” just wanting to make his community a better place to live so his five children can grow up and raise families in Macon instead of having to leave for better opportunities.

“I’m just a normal person out in the community. I love Macon County and that’s why I’m here,” he told voters during a candidate event back in February.

When asked what her top priorities are if elected, Wallace said she wants to work on economic development — she wants Macon County to offer more diverse jobs that pay a living wage with benefits and the opportunity for career building and retirement. She wants the county to continue working to expand high-speed broadband internet access through joint ventures by local government and private providers. Lastly, Wallace wants to improve health care access for residents by recruiting independent specialty medical services and urgent care clinics to supplement the services offered at Angel Medical Center — now owned by HCA Healthcare.

“Our planning boards and Economic Development Commission should be revitalized to include recruitment of health care

Experience Matters

• Represented clients in dozens of bench & jury trials throughout the district

• Served as Swain County attorney since 2014

• Served as counsel for Swain County Department of Social Services since 2010

• Served as counsel for Graham County DSS since 2018

• Endorsed by retired judges Steven Bryant, James Downs and a bi-partisan group of attorneys and law enforcement officers

Meet the candidates

BETTY CLOER WALLACE

• Age: 76

• Hometown: 6th generation Maconian

• Education: Ed.D. in Administration from University of Georgia; Ed.S. in Administration from Western Carolina University; M.A. in Education from University of North Carolina; B.S. in English and Art from California State University; Franklin High School.

• Professional background: Deputy Assistant State Superintendent, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Superintendent, Vance County Schools; Associate Superintendent, Macon County Schools; Director, Western Regional Education Center; U.S. Department of Education Fellow, Washington, D.C.; Associate Superintendent, Northwest Arctic Borough School District; Public

professionals and specialty medical services as well as business and industry,” she said.

As someone who spent eight years as a utility lineman before starting his own business, Young has posted a number of short Facebook videos explaining several real-life examples of how county operations could be improved whether it’s commissioners advo-

Information and Telecommunications Coordinator, Alaska State Legislature, Barrow, Alaska; Adjunct Professor, Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College.

• Political experience: Elected two terms State Secretary of North Carolina Democratic Party and served on State Executive Committee and State Executive Council

JOSH YOUNG

• Age: N/A

• Hometown: 5th generation Maconian

• Education: N/A

• Professional background: Owner of Young Tree Service

• Political experience: First time running for office

cating for a better DOT improvement plan for roads or changes to tipping fees and solid waste management practices.

“Previous commissioners have done a heck of a job with the budget, they’ve done an awesome job with the numbers, but I’m overly concerned with the amount of vacant building and empty shop-

ping centers. You drive around and I worry about the appearance along (U.S.) 441. I know some are privately owned but still I wanna put a little pressure on somebody to help put businesses in these buildings,” he said in February. “I believe in transparency. I believe in small government. With less regulation, I believe people can get out there and spread their wings and go to work in the community.”

Wallace doesn’t think the commissioners have done enough to address the most pressing issues in the county, including broadband, economic development and infrastructure.

Development Council and the Tourism Development Authority.

“Better public information and communication regarding the Economic Development Commission, TDA and TDC tourism groups, Chamber of Commerce, and town and county planning boards would be helpful,” she said. “We have a scatter-gun approach among our Economic Development Commission, town and county planning boards, tourism groups, and Chamber of Commerce, so much so that our taxpayers cannot decipher the overlapping factors.”

“By every significant measure, they have perpetuated the status quo in piecemeal fashion. I wish they had worked harder for broadband internet access countywide, conducted a comprehensive facilities needs study that included the public schools and a civic center, and worked toward analyzing our overlapping county and municipal services from a financial perspective as well as for operational efficiency and reduction of confusion by the public in regard to taxation, law enforcement, water and sewerage management, zoning, licensure, permitting, and extra-territorial jurisdiction,” she said.

Wallace would also like to see more attention given to developing areas outside of the Downtown Franklin corridor. She said a longrange plan for development is needed for the bypass and other major arteries leading into Franklin — namely the Sylva Road and Georgia Road, and to a lesser extent the Highlands and Bryson City Roads.

“Unfortunately, our tendency is toward tourism and consumerism rather than production, and it is not sustainable,” she said.

Wallace said she would also like to see more transparency and cooperation among the county and town advisory boards, including planning boards, the Economic Development Commission and the Tourism

Search continues for lost hiker

As of press time Tuesday, Haywood County Search and Rescue crews were on day four of searching for lost Asheville hiker Chad Seger, with still no sign of him.

Seger is 27 years old and is from Asheville. He is in good physical health, is familiar with the area, and may have some hiking/camping gear with him. His family reported him missing on Friday, and an investigation began immediately. His vehicle was located at the Black Balsam parking lot.

In addition to ground search teams, a K9 unit was employed Sunday. A North Carolina Highway Patrol helicopter team provided air support Saturday and may be used again as

Like Young, Wallace also wants to see empty storefronts and buildings occupied by a wide-range of industries to give residents living-wage opportunities. She said the county’s current demographics aren’t appealing for companies looking to expand or relocate here. With a poverty rate of 30 percent, a median household income of $39,000, a growing homeless population, a lack of affordable housing and a lack of broadband internet access, prospective businesses and industries have a lot to consider aside from our potential workforce.

“Industry scouts considering our current data are not impressed with our ‘welfare queen’ numbers, our crime statistics, and our ‘dollar store’ economy,” she said. “Since Macon County has fallen into a downward economic spiral as a number of large industries have closed and as a succession of storefronts are boarded up, we should develop industrial recruitment presentations and packages, and aggressively contact a large number and range of businesses and microindustries through industrial associations and commercial realtors to entice divisions and headquarters to locate here, as well as encouraging start-up enterprises among our local population.”

Whichever candidate receives the most votes will fill the District 2 commissioner seat, which is being vacated by Republican Karl Gillespie. Gillespie chose not to run for a second term as commissioner so he could run to fill the District 120 House seat in Raleigh.

Macon County Commissioner Paul Higdon is also up for re-election this year, but after beating out his Democratic challenger in the primary election back in March, the Republican incumbent is unopposed in the general election.

needed. Sunday’s search area expanded on areas searched Saturday while continuing to focus on the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam Knob areas in detail.

All credible leads from social media and local hikers continue to be followed up on and the Incident Management Team encourages the public to keep sharing tips or possible sightings. The Black Balsam area of the parkway will continue to be very busy with emergency vehicles and searchers today, visitors are encouraged to make alternate plans and avoid the area.

His family issued a statement yesterday encouraging anyone who has been in the area since last Monday, to report anything unusual they can recall or any possible sightings of Seger to the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office at 828.452.6600.

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Jackson approves $4 million for animal shelter project

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Jackson County commissioners voted 4-1 Oct. 20 to approve a $4.33 million contract to build a new animal rescue center as well as walking trails and other improvements at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

The contract includes a base bid of $4.09 million, along with several add-on costs — $84,300 to install a backup generator, $49,600 to add an epoxy covering to the floor, $80,200 for a public bathroom near the walking trails and $26,400 for a storage building for use by the nonprofits that will have offices in the animal shelter building.

Additional costs — architecture and engineering fees, permitting fees, equipment, technology and the like — will bring the project’s grand total to $5.61 million, a step above the $5.39 million project ordinance commissioners passed in December.

As part of the Oct. 20 consent agenda, commissioners approved a project ordinance amendment that will allocate an additional $224,000 to the project. With the bid officially accepted, said County Manager Don Adams, the next step will be to develop the actual contract for both parties to sign.

All in all, the construction contract is worth $363,000 more than the amount originally budgeted for in the project ordinance. A reduction in the contingency line item — the amount went from a fairly high 15 per-

cent to 7 percent of the total construction cost — helps account for the difference.

The county received seven bids for the project, commissioners learned during an

Regarding the alternatives, commissioners decided to go with the epoxy floor over the less expensive polished concrete floor because the epoxy coating would seal any

The animal shelter project is one phase of a planned Green Energy Park makeover that also calls for a public park, innovation center and event space.

Oct. 13 work session, all of which came in over the budgeted amount for construction.

The base bids ranged from H&M’s low bid of $4.03 million to $5.8 million, with each bidder including pricing to add any of the six alternatives for an extra cost.

cracks between wall and floor, increasing the cleanliness of the facility. They passed on the most expensive alternative, a $114,400 heated floor that would have used methane from the closed landfill as fuel.

During the Oct. 13 meeting, several com-

missioners expressed doubt about the radiant floor, saying that they hadn’t had good experiences with them in other situations and pointing out that it was the costliest of the alternatives. There was also some discussion about the durability of an epoxy floor, with commissioners seeking assurance that the epoxy product and the quality of its installation would be covered by warranty.

Cary Perkins of McMillan Pazden Smith, lead architect on the project, told commissioners that the specifications of the job would include a warranty on the epoxy, as well as specific conditions to ensure correct installation.

During the Oct. 20 vote Commissioner Boyce Deitz was the only member of the board to vote against awarding the bid, though he did vote with the rest of his colleagues to approve the consent agenda that included the project ordinance amendment. Deitz has repeatedly expressed reservations about the project’s price tag.

“I’m against this,” he said Oct. 13. “When I look at to put a phone system and security in it’s going to cost $146,000, to put a building up it’s going to cost $26,000 — a metal building like we see up and down the road here — it don’t cost that much.”

Deitz was the sole no vote when the project ordinance was adopted last year, though Commissioner Mickey Luker was absent for that vote.

Dillsboro launches grant program for local businesses

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

The Town of Dillsboro is launching a grant program to help struggling businesses, using $200,000 it received as part of the value engineering proposal for the Haywood Road bridge project.

The town board approved the grant program, called the Reopen and Rebuild Dillsboro Plan, by unanimous vote during its Oct. 12 meeting. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $10,000 in funding to cover normal business operating expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, inventory purchases, payroll expenses and building improvements. Funds are intended to offset lost revenue and heightened expenses due to COVID-19 or to the bridge project.

“The town board would like to help our businesses and restaurants that were forced to close as ‘non-essential’ back in March,” said Mayor Mike Fitzgerald. “This board was proactive in working to recover from the 2009 recession by partnering with WCU and funding grants to attract several anchor businesses. We want to continue that tradition now by using this money to help out. This will help our small owner-operator shops as well as our larger businesses.”

Wright Brothers Construction gave the town $450,000 of the $1.5 million it received as a result of cost savings from the proposal, which shaved $3 million and two years off the original $14 million project by foregoing construction of a temporary bridge while the new one was being built. Sylva, which did not receive a cut of the savings, staunchly opposed the change, objecting that the full closure of Haywood Road between Sylva and Dillsboro that the plan required would adversely impact its businesses.

When the project began in July, the only official detour involved using U.S. 74/23 to bypass the area completely, but Sylva commissioners complained of dangerous increases in traf-

fic volume and speed on Savannah Drive and Yellow Bird Branch Road, which many local drivers used as an unofficial detour around the closures.

On Friday, Oct. 9, completion of a new retaining wall along Dillsboro Road allowed a new detour to open. Local traffic may now use Dillsboro Road and Old Home Town Road — which has been paved to connect at both ends — though large vehicles and 18-wheel trucks must still use the highway detour. Haywood Road will reopen when the bridge replacement concludes next spring. To be eligible for the grant, businesses must be owned and

physically located in Dillsboro and have been in operation at least one year prior to Gov. Roy Cooper’s state of emergency declaration on March 10. The business must have reopened in some capacity once state guidelines allowed with plans to operate at full capacity once restrictions are lifted.

Businesses must pledge in good faith to remain in business under current ownership for at least one year after receiving the funds. Businesses with a pending bankruptcy, or that have been disbarred or suspended from working in North Carolina, are not eligible, and businesses must be in good standing as it relates to tax collections.

Financial institutions, homebased businesses and nonprofit organizations — except those that function as retail establishments and submit monthly sales tax reports — are not eligible. The application process extends through Nov. 16. Award amounts will be based on the number of full-time equivalent employees, with the business owner included in that count. Businesses with one to five FTEs are eligible for $3,000, businesses with six to 10 can request $5,000 and businesses with 11 or more can request $10,000. For more information or to request an application, contact Town Clerk Debbie Coffey at 828.586.1439.

Tillis should refuse to confirm High Court nominee

When President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Mitch McConnell did an about-face on his past policy to deny consideration of Supreme Court nominees in an election year. As you may recall, Sen. McConnell refused to consider the nomination of Merrick Garland back in 2016 on the basis that the American people should be able to opine on the next Supreme Court justice through their vote. Sen. Thom Tillis agreed. At the time, Sen. Tillis said, “We are in the middle of a presidential election, and the Senate majority is giving the American people a voice to determine the direction of the Supreme Court. This is about the principle, not the person.” At that time, the election was still eight months away.

Now, we see Sen. McConnell and Sen. Tillis upholding a clear a double standard by rushing through the nomination of Judge Barrett weeks before the election, when many North Carolinians have already voted or are in the process of doing so. Tillis is telling constituents that this is normal and has happened many times in the past, but the fact is that he is misleading North Carolinians and twisting the narrative to serve the interests of Sen. McConnell and President Trump. His clear and simple past position was that no Supreme Court nominee should be confirmed in an election year. Period. As much as Sen. Tillis and Sen. McConnell try to mislead us on the “normalcy” of their effort to confirm Barrett, the fact is that the situation is very abnormal. If they succeed, this would be the first time in history that a Supreme Court nominee is confirmed after voting has already begun. How is that giving “voice” to the American people?

I’m also quite concerned about Judge Barrett’s past record and affiliations. As a former Tribal leader, this Supreme Court

A champion of our mountain way of life

To the Editor:

How do we decide whom to vote for? As a recent letter to the Smoky Mountain News says, we should examine actions, not just words. My criteria:

The candidates’ careers prove they make life better for all their constituents. They participate in mainstream community organizations. Their family life shows that they love them, foster their happiness, and guide young people.

Their education and experience match the qualifications of the office. Their degrees represent deep knowledge of history, the Constitution, and law. They practice professional integrity.

Applying these standards, I found candidates I happily support. Here is an ideal example:

From day one in the N.C. General Assembly, he started fulfilling every campaign promise.

A lifelong member of First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, Joe Sam Queen has taught Sunday school over two decades. He’s led Boy Scouts and coached youth soccer. Joe Sam is an architect, a farmer, and a businessman. His wife Dr. Kate Queen, a rheumatologist retired from Haywood

nominee doesn’t bode well for Indian Country. Barrett has explicitly stated that she shares the late Justice Scalia’s judicial philosophy, whom she clerked for, and who ruled against Tribal interests more than 86 percent of the time. The vote of Indian Country could be a deciding factor in this election, and we deserve a chance to make our voices heard on a Supreme Court nominee who will have an immense impact on Indian law, Tribal sovereignty, and on our Native peoples’ wellbeing.

Putting forward a nominee like Barrett is a direct afront to one of the things late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for: protections for women. In Indian Country, we know that women are still without protections. Violence against Native women has reached epidemic proportions with 34 percent of Native women experiencing rape in their lifetime and 39 percent experiencing domestic violence. Examining Barrett’s record, her past actions indicate that she does not support the protection of women.

Just last year, she ruled in a way that made it more difficult for sexual assault and harassment survivors on college campuses to bring their perpetrators to justice. Her ruling in Doe v. Purdue University allowed a male student who was credibly accused of committing multiple acts of sexual assaults and was suspended from the university, to advance a Title IX lawsuit against the university on the basis that he was discriminated against based on gender. She allowed the weaponization of a sex discrimination law to work against protections for female victims of sexual violence.

LETTERS

Medical, now leads a clinic in the Triangle providing wellness-focused health care for all. Their daughter Sara followed her dad’s profession, architecture, and teaches it at NCSU. Son Charlie is a chemist in the Triangle.

All his family are proud products of North Carolina public schools and the state’s public university system. Both his parents were teachers who instilled a love of learning in him. He is endorsed by the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE).

Acting on a passion to bring affordable universal broadband and internet to every rural home and business, Joe Sam led in drafting HB1122, which invests $85 million in the successful GREAT Grants Program for universal rural broadband and supports crucial partnerships with local governments. Broadband is needed in this pandemic more than ever for children to learn and adults to work, and online doctor visits (“tele-medicine”). Again, his deep understanding of education and health care inform his advocacy for people throughout WNC.

He’s been a champion of Medicaid expansion so our tax dollars stay in N.C., bring quality employment, keep rural hospitals and nursing homes open, and enable 600,000 more people to have health care. Along with these and other programs bringing new employment, he voted for Cherokee gaming

How would she rule on the Tribal authorities in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which are strengthened in a bill currently pending before the U.S. Congress? Would she uphold Tribal authority to hold non-Indian sex offenders to justice if the issue were to make its way to the Supreme Court? It does not appear likely.

Her nomination is also concerning because of her highly conservative affiliations, including a close affiliation with the right-wing Federalist Society. In the past, the Federalist Society has aligned itself with the Goldwater Institute, a likeminded conservative organization that has worked for years to overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA is necessary for the protection of our Native children and a court challenge to the law is making its way through the courts right now. What will happen if Barrett is the tie-breaking vote on a Supreme Court ruling on ICWA? Will Tribes lose their ability to protect our children? It is likely, and the implications are unacceptable.

Judge Barrett’s past statements and actions paint a picture that is dangerous for Indian Country. It’s true that we never know the true nature of a judge’s judicial philosophy until they take the bench, but the evidence points to grave concerns for our Tribal Nations, our Native women, and our Native children. Sen. Tillis should honor his past commitment to give the American people, including Indian Country, “a voice” to determine our next Supreme Court Justice and refuse to consider Judge Barrett’s nomination until the next president is elected and inaugurated.

(Henry is the former chairwoman of Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She was born and raised on the Qualla Boundary. terri.henry@icloud.com)

laws to add hundreds more jobs. These actions prove a dedication to improving everyone’s quality of life.

Joe Sam co-sponsored H.B 1105, COVID19 Relief. It passed the House with Republican and Democratic backing. (The Senate Republican majority then adjourned indefinitely.) Some of its components are a $50 increase in weekly unemployment (N.C. has the nation’s lowest), a $335 tax credit for families with children, $52 million for public schools, a block on penalizing schools for pandemic-caused enrollment drops, $30 million to expand high-speed internet throughout rural areas, $13 million for farmers hit hard by weather extremes, $38 million for mental health, $59 million to expand COVID19 testing and contact tracing, $14 million for PPEs, and $23 million for services to seniors.

Joe Sam’s opponent? A single man, he had an honorable career as a Charlotte fireman. He earned a two-year degree. As District 119 representative for one term, he describes himself as a states rights advocate” and opponent of “common core” standards for learning. As a retired teacher I know he doesn’t understand what the N.C. Common Core is although it’s easily found online.

I judge candidates individually by their actions and character. That’s why my husband and I voted for Joe Sam Queen.

Mary Jane Curry Haywood County

Stealing political signs is illegal

To the Editor:

Here’s a message to the “concerned Republicans of Haywood County” who have paid for the “Law and Order Trump 2020” billboards I’ve seen. I don’t know what your concerns are, but what you really need to be concerned about is the unlawful acts Trump supporters are committing.

The following is just a partial list:

• Recently a vandal(s) removed all signs displayed in front of Democrat Headquarters.

• Trump signs are being affixed with wire to official highway signs and to phone poles.

• Conservative Voter Guides and other Republican campaign material has been placed in mailboxes — a federal offense.

• Last week a Republican activist (who shall remain unnamed) attempted to place Republican candidate signs in front of Democratic signs displayed at Democrat headquarters.

• Democratic candidate signs placed along roadways have been damaged/destroyed by moving vehicles.

• Vandals are trespassing on private property (porches, lawns, etc.) to steal signs and banners. Five Biden-Harris signs have been

Holding a family together

They say when a mom dies a family can fall apart.

I’d heard this before, in movies and in real life, but I never thought it would be an issue for my family. We’ve always been so close. We always made it a priority to be together for holidays and other special occasions. But when a mother passes, the remaining souls realize it was often she who made all of this happen.

When my mom passed away from cancer in August of 2016, the world turned upside down for my dad, sister and me. We’ve all grieved in our singular, unique ways. There’s a constant ache for what was and a longing for something that will never again be.

Once my mom realized her death was imminent, she asked the rest of us to promise her something. She must have known she was the glue that kept us together, and she wasn’t going to sit around in heaven and watch us become detached from one another. She made us promise that every year around our birthdays, we’d make it a priority to be together.

My dad’s birthday is Oct. 10, my sister’s is Oct. 19, and mine is Oct. 23.

toast in her honor.

My dad, especially, has been strong. He is still not dating anyone, even though we’d love for him to have a friend. He’s met a few ladies here and there but nothing too serious or committal. He says it’s strange to try and date at his age. He met my mom when he was 18 years old, so life without her has been foreign and a complete readjustment. I turn 41 this Friday. It’s a weird birthday. It’s not a pivotal age per se, and it’s an age that feels like it’s in another phase of life. I’m fully into the 40s now. My mom’s death hasn’t been the only change over the past four years. I also experienced a divorce, moved houses, started a new job and fell madly in love with someone.

My mom’s suggestion was that we plan a trip together or congregate at one of our house’s every year in October to celebrate our birthdays.

And so in her honor, that’s what we’ve done.

With her passing being in August, this is the fifth October without her. Last weekend, my dad, sister and I got together at my sister’s house in Great Falls, Virginia, and we celebrated. This year was tricky. With COVID-19, travel is risky, and my dad is in his late 70s with early stages of COPD. He’s been living with my sister, so they’d already been in a bubble and once we got there, we stayed as safe as possible, wearing our masks, mostly staying at the house and only dining outside.

Each October, no matter how many other family members come along, my dad, sister and I make it a point to have a lunch by ourselves. This inevitably leads to a lot of tears as we reminisce about my mom and our many adventures and memories as a family. Eventually, once we’re spent from crying, laughing and talking, we’ll make a

As a child, teenager and young adult, birthdays are paramount. I watch my own children and the other kids in my life get ultra-excited about turning 10, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, and so on. All these birthdays hold significance in some way. But as we age, birthdays become less and less exciting. It’s a reminder that time moves forward and ages increase despite how young we continue to feel at heart. Loss and grief are experiences I wish on no one, but when they arrive unexpectedly, they can be great teachers. I’ve learned to be ever so thankful for the littlest moments of joy and happiness in my life. I’ve learned that drama and judgment are both wastes of time and energy. I’ve learned to let go of relationships that are toxic and hold tightly to those that bring love and light. I’ve realized that a profession is less about money and status and more about doing something you enjoy with people you respect. I now know that faith is personal to everyone and for me, quiet time by myself and with God is a lifeline.

As I enter into my 41st year, I feel energized and alive, attuned to possibilities and opportunities. I look forward to 2021, a new year that hopefully brings a healthier, happier world. I look forward to yet another birthday celebration with my dad and sister. And most importantly, I’m full of gratitude for my mother, who even from afar, continues to hold our family together.)

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editior and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)

Know Your Local 2020

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES

Leah HamptonCommissioner

Key Issues:

EDUCATION: support for schools/community colleges and the expansion of early childhood/pre-K access

ENVIRONMENT: protecting our mountains and preserving our natural resources and parks

MODERNIZATION: improved Internet access and clean jobs

PUBLIC HEALTH: promoting wellness, especially with regard to Covid-19

RESPONSIBLE SPENDING: investing tax dollars to grow community resources

QUALITY OF LIFE: positive engagement with local citizens, especially young people.

“ ”

As a homeowner in the community, I want to make sure tax dollars are spent wisely. We don’t need radical changes. I love the natural beauty and peace. I’m very aware that this region is growing and I want to make sure that growth is responsible. We need to preserve what we have here.

David YoungCommissioner

A small business owner who is dedicated to the intricacies of public policy.

He will bring a sensible business approach the issues facing the county.

KEY ISSUES:

• Affordable Housing

• Increased Support for Public Education

“Housing has to be dealt with at some level. Whatever the county can do to alleviate the opioid crisis would help. The growing homelessness issue is tied together with the lack of mental health resources. People who say they can fix homelessness without fixing the underlying issues are mistaken. You must fix those issues first.

”

Vice President’s words don’t match his actions

LARRY B RYSON

G UEST C OLUMNIST

Vice President Mike Pence has stated, “I am a Christian, conservative, and Republican, in that order.” He might want to add politician to his list. I’ll leave it to you to decide its place in the hierarchy.

Jesus, however, reminds us, “By their fruits you shall know them.” When Pence engages in misleading, partisan rhetoric, it is difficult to see Christian principles at work. Generalizations such as, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” “President Trump is a truth-teller,” and “President Trump marshalled the full resources of the federal government from the outset of this pandemic,” lack the honesty Pence’s faith calls for.

Further, the Vice President’s lack of environmental sensitivity, his allegiance to the NRA and guns, and his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, seem perplexing positions when measured against biblical standards.

The challenge for all of us as Christians is to avoid corrupting our witness by unChristian behavior. A high-profile office like Vice President makes that challenge even more important.

Pence’s alliance with Donald Trump is especially problematic, given that many of the President’s behaviors represent the antithesis of Christian virtues. For example, compulsive lying, demeaning people, the complete absence of humility, bragging about assaulting women, showing no emotional connection to the plight of immigrants, and giving tacit approval to white

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 23

stolen from the yard of an elderly lady who lives near Howell Mill Road and two town board members in Canton also had their Biden-Harris signs taken from their yards.

• Biden-Harris signs placed along roadways are being stolen at an alarming rate.

Some may say the above actions are just simple mischief, but it’s more serious than that. It’s a Class 3 misdemeanor to tamper with, remove or destroy a yard sign and I’m guessing one could also be charged with trespassing to walk onto private property to remove a sign.

In closing, here’s a reminder for the “concerned Republicans of Haywood County:” You are in violation of state election laws requiring you to register your organization with the N.C. State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and file an expenditure report.

I’ve checked the NCSBE website and you’re not listed as a political committee and no expenditure has been submitted for your “law and order” group.

I believe actions speak louder than words, and the above actions reflect the

supremacists at Charlottesville. I have written to the Vice President to ask whether he ever witnesses to the President but have yet to receive a response.

Ironically, for all of his silence, Vice President Pence was loud and clear when he told Liberty University graduates in 2019, “You will be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, but to endorse them.”

In Second Corinthians Paul tells us, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” I do not know Trump’s heart, only his actions, but Paul’s main point was the inadvisability of locking yourself into relationships that cause you to compromise your faith.

As an apologist for the president, Mike Pence has willingly assumed a dubious role for a Christian and one which illustrates and fosters the notion of this as the “PostChristian Age.”

Writer Philip Yancey has said, “There are three kinds of Christians that outsiders to the faith respect: artists, pilgrims, and activists. The uncommitted will listen to them far sooner than they will to an evangelist or an apologist.”

Those of us, including Vice President Pence, who profess our faith, should carefully consider St. Francis when he says, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

(Larry Brown lives in Bryson City and is a retired teacher, a musician and songwriter, a moral vegan, and former candidate for state representative. larry.brown72643@gmail.com)

same lawlessness as the man you support. Perhaps a better heading would be “lawlessness and disorder Trump 2020.”

Myrna Campbell Haywood County Democratic Party Chair

Encouraged by Democratic vandalism

To the Editor:

As a conservative, it is encouraging to see the unprecedented vandalism of campaign signs in the county. Illegal spray painting, taping over, uprooting, and actual stealing of campaign signs for conservative, law and order candidates is occurring more than I have seen in decades of elections.

The despicable opposition doing this is sending a message that they are desperate and do not see their candidates winning in fair competition. It is unfortunate, but encouraging, that those doing the destruction, see that their candidates do not have positive, winning messages. The thieving vandals think the positive messages of those in President

Trump’s camp can be defeated only by unlawful, destructive actions. They are of the same mentality as those rioting and destroying property in Seattle, Portland, and other cities around this great nation.

Ted Carr Bethel

Vote for Jones in 118th District

To the Editor:

As a Waynesville resident, I’m a bystander in the NC House District 118 race, and it’s a shame, because it’s a race I’d like to cast a ballot for. In some ways, the two candidates running share a similar pedigree. Alan Jones and Mark Pless were both raised in Haywood County and both currently reside in Canton. After that, I’d say the similarities end. I wouldn’t chalk this race up to an apocalyptic battle of good versus evil, but I would say that the choice couldn’t be more stark.

The more I come to learn of Alan Jones, the more I find to like. He is a union man, fighting on behalf of the working class. In an era when most of American government bends over backward for corporate power, it is vital to have elected officials who will fight to uplift the working poor. (I use that term deliberately, as many of us are working full-time and are still struggling to support ourselves, let alone build up savings or wealth.) Jones’ platform is centered around boosting the local economy, providing highpaying jobs to local workers. He also believes in boosting our local schools, providing much-need funding, so that we can deliver a high quality of education to our students. He understands that education creates a firm foundation for students as they become adults and join the workforce. The final key issue in his platform is access to healthcare. It goes without saying, but in the time of this pandemic, we know that access to healthcare is an absolute necessity for our community.

In his role as a union representative, Mr. Jones has learned to negotiate between corporate and workers’ interests. He is a person who knows how to compromise, while fighting for the rights of hardworking citizens. That is exactly the sensibility we need in a House representative. Progress does not happen without a healthy dose of negotiation, and Mr. Jones has proven himself to be adept at bridging that divide. He is the candidate we need fighting for us.

What is there to say about Mark Pless? There couldn’t be a more incompetent candidate for leadership. In his role as Haywood County commissioner, he is obstinate, and not in the good way, like firm in his resolve. I mean obstinate, in the not-sogood way, like deliberately pig-headed. Beyond the allegations of domestic assault and sexual harassment that plague his personal life, his performance on the board of commissioners isn’t very savory either. He routinely harasses community members, both at board meetings and on Facebook, often using sexist language and rhetoric to intimidate female constituents.

It’s not just the public that he can’t seem to develop a working relationship with. His rapport with his co-workers seems fraught at best. Sometimes I get the feeling that the other commissioners simply can’t stand him. Pless doesn’t work well with others, and it’s obvious in the way he routinely casts dissenting votes, even for projects that would obviously benefit the community. Haywood County knows what kind of man he is, though I wonder if Madison and Yancey counties are aware of his shoddy character. Mark Pless can’t even do his current job as county commissioner well. I’d hate to see him flop around and fail District 118 at the state level.

In the House District 118 race, we need to choose the candidate who will fight for our community. We need the candidate who has a heart for working class folks, and who has a clear objective to represent them when they reach the General Assembly. Politics is so often messy and gray, leaving voters unsure whether either candidate would really fight for the people they say they’d serve. Every once in a while though, the choice is black and white.

Abby Ahlberg Frog Level

Forney a great choice for school board

To the Editor:

I support the candidacy of Tausha Forney for a position on the Haywood County Board of Education. I retired recently after 15 years as a professor of social studies education. Prior to that I began as a Title One math teacher and then taught a self-contained sixth-grade classroom.

I am a member of the Down Home NC committee which interviewed Ms. Forney.  I was impressed with her thoughtful responses to the questions we asked. Her answers were neither reactionary nor impractical. Ms. Forney listed three priorities which led her to see herself to “be a voice for the voiceless:”

• Improve and develop communication with the board between parents and the greater community.

• Attend to an inclusive curriculum (from earliest grades through high school) which integrates diversity, especially Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC).

• Concentrate on increasing numbers of school personnel of color, especially teachers, recognizing how important it is for children of color to see and relate to professionals who may more closely represent their identities.

In addition, Ms. Forney related other concerns. She stressed the importance of both physical and mental health supports; supporting teachers who stand for equity and fairness; providing meaningful districtwide training for active anti-racism; and advocating strong policies to make bullying for any reason widely unacceptable.

I believe that electing Tausha Forney is an ethical and enlightened response to the

times we are in. Her work as co-director and teacher at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center further equips her for this position. Her educational background in sociology as well as her passion for service and her own life experience growing up in Haywood County schools magnify her qualifications.

On a personal note, as a former public school teacher, I would have been so grateful knowing that a school board member had my back as I tried to foster academic rigor, critical thinking, democracy, kindness and equality in my classroom.

Dr. Russell Binkley Waynesville

Herd immunity would be deadly

To the Editor:

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage throughout the U.S. as people continue to contract the illness, require hospitalization and die. Rates of infection are rampant in many states, predominately those with Republican governors and/or legislatures that are following Trump’s insistence on not taking appropriate steps to curb the spread of infections.

Having totally failed to exercise any leadership in addressing the virus, Trump and his administration simply declared that

the problem is over. The policy is to go for herd immunity, a concept that has been denounced as ineffective and dangerous. What is rarely noted by the media is the fact that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory disease; it is also a blood and blood vessel disease. According to some reports as many as 30 percent of those infected have other medical and/or mental problems after recovering from the respiratory phase. Continuing fatigue and “brain fog” are common complaints. Some of the medical problems are debilitating and persist for months if not forever.

The problem with the herd immunity concept is that it will not only result in the deaths of millions, it will result in continuing conditions among tens of millions of US citizens. Check the numbers.

There are approximately 330 million Americans. Herd immunity would require at least 70 percent, or 231 million, to contract COVID-19. If the death rate drops from the current 3 to 2 percent due to better treatment, the virus will kill more than 4.6 million Americans. Another 99 million will have persistent medical conditions of which some may be permanent. Talk about preexisting conditions.

This is the “plan” that the Trump administration has adopted. The only way to change that is to elect Biden president. Norman Hoffman Waynesville

To answer all of those who would say “I can’t believe you would vote for Trump.” Well folks listen up! I’m not just voting for him.

I’m voting for the Second Amendment. I’m voting for the next Supreme Court justice. I’m voting for the Electoral College, and the republic we live in. I’m voting for the police, and law and order. I’m voting for the military, and the veterans who fought for and died for this country. I’m voting for the flag that is always missing from the Democratic background. I’m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored. I’m voting for secure borders. I’m voting for the right to praise my God without fear. I’m voting for every unborn soul the Democrats want to murder. I’m voting for freedom and the American Dream. I’m voting for good and against evil. I’m not just voting for one person, I’m voting for the future of my country!

What are you voting for?

COURAGE FOR THE ROAD

Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER

Coming into 2020, Greensky Bluegrass was looking forward to celebrating its 20th anniversary. A relentless national touring act, it would be countless shows and festivals — in front of an endless sea of folks who travel far and wide to listen and immerse themselves in the band’s seamless blend of bluegrass, jam and rock music.

But, this year had other plans for the legendary group, as it did for the rest of the music industry and planet as a whole. And yet, here we stand, each of us trying to navigate these unknown waters of time and space, all while discovering and embracing the silver linings in our respective lives.

For Greensky, it’s been an introspective period, peeling back the layers of two decades crisscrossing the country in hopes of finding creative and financial stability in an oftenunforgiving musical landscape.

Formed at a Halloween party in 2000 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Greensky emerged from humble beginnings, simply a small group of young friends looking to pick some tunes, stir up some fun and, most of all, be a catalyst for connectivity and melodic joy in our cosmic universe — 20 years later, that ethos remains.

Smoky Mountain News: With this downtime in the music industry due to the shutdown, it’s probably giving you some time to reflect on your time in the band and the band’s 20th anniversary.

Anders Beck [dobro]: Yeah, that’s for sure. It’s just such a unique situation to be in. The 20th anniversary of the band this Halloween, that goes back to when [guitarist] Dave [Bruzza], [mandolinist] Paul [Hoffman] and [banjoist Michael] Bont were starting.

The first time they played together live was in the basement of Dave’s house for a Halloween party. They needed a name and somebody suggested “Greensky Bluegrass,” this ironic name that’s bluegrass and the opposite of that.

Want to go?

Presented by the Asheville Music Hall, Greensky Bluegrass will perform three shows as part of a Halloween drive-in series on Oct. 29-31. Celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary, the performances will be held at Blue Ridge Falls, located at 337 Glen Cannon Drive in Pisgah Forest (outside of Brevard). All social distancing and safety protocol will be encouraged and enforced. www.ashevillemusichall.com/ greenskyhalloween.

So, they played a show as Greensky Bluegrass. Just this house party, the usual first band kind of thing. But, there’s no denying that becomes the first Greensky Bluegrass show. Then, [bassist] Mike Devol and myself join a few years later.

And here we are 20 years later. From that little show to three nights at Red Rocks [Amphitheater in Colorado] — that’s something to celebrate. Even if it makes you a little old, it’s still a reality. [Laughs].

SMN: When you think about those early days in the band, what sticks out the most?

AB: I think, for me, it was the amount of belief that we had in it. It’s kind of shockingly amazing to me. Back in those days we’re playing tiny bars to 20 people and be like, “Yeah, this is going to work. We got something here.” But, then the next time you go through that town, there’s 30 people there. The whole thing was this word of mouth.

We didn’t have any MTV or radio hits or anything else. Play a good show. Release a good album. And then slowly build the thing. I think that’s why our fan base is as real as it is, you know? That’s why people are still there. It’s really human connection, good songs and good shows. It’s building it one person at a time. That’s how it got done.

SMN: Why the dobro? Why was that the instrument you felt you could best communicate with musically?

AB: I started out playing drums, then [acoustic] guitar and electric guitar. When I was started gravitating toward bluegrass, flatpicking the guitar wasn’t really working for me that well, as far as like transitioning from an electric guitar player to a bluegrass guitar.

I sort of stumbled upon the dobro as an instrument. And I realized because of the sustain it has — it’s got the longer notes — that it sounded kind of like the electric guitar of

acoustic music. That’s what really grabs me with that particular instrument.

To this day, that’s still what I like about it. It’s really unique sounding. And then, over the years, I’ve kind of put some of my electric guitar influences back into the dobro — to try to evolve it and make it my own instrument, too.

SMN: You’ve had a career creating and performing music around the world, meeting folks from all walks of life and having all these experiences onstage. What has that taught you about what it means to be a human being?

AB: I’ve been on both sides of it. I used to follow bands around the country — Phish, The Grateful Dead and stuff like that. And I remember when people started coming on tour and seeing multiple Greensky shows. The idea that it had flipped, that I got to create that joy for people that I’d gotten from other musicians was an amazing feeling.

On a human level, the idea that what I’m doing can make someone happy for two or three hours and just take them out of whatever is going on in their lives, to give them something to look forward to or something that makes them feel a certain way, whether it’s to dance and smile, laugh or cry, or whatever, to make people feel — it’s an amazing thing and it’s never lost on me.

“I used to follow bands around the country — Phish, The Grateful Dead and stuff like that. And I remember when people started coming on tour and seeing multiple Greensky shows. The idea that it had flipped, that I got to create that joy for people that I’d gotten from other musicians was an amazing feeling.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Things change but you don’t realize you have all you need

About halfway through the first set of the sold-out Goose drive-in show last Saturday, a friend turned to me and said with a smile, “You know, we’re probably going to follow this band around for the next few decades, right?”

Nodding in sincere agreement, I sipped my drink and gazed around the Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville. I took inventory of not only the 375 cars of joyous music freaks pushing up the hill and over the ridge of the fairgrounds, but also the serene and jovial tone of one of the emerging torchbearers of live music.

Hailing from Connecticut, Goose is an intricate ensemble, one that resides at the intersection of rock, jam and soul music. It’s catchy and incredibly inclusive. And yet, doesn’t shy away from complex improvisation jams, always in search of the “you had to be there” moments on a nightly basis.

Until these outdoor shows started to appear this summer, most bands had to get creative, with Goose way ahead of the curve, in terms of online streaming and innovative avenues in developing digital content and attracting viewers. Even before the shutdown, Goose was constantly filming and uploading its music for consumption.

“When you’re a young band going out on the road, trying to build a grassroots following one person at a time, word of mouth is the strongest thing. But, if create a little bit of a buzz [online], people want to find out about band and see what’s going on,”

Mitarotonda said. “It’s video. It’s soundboard recordings [from shows] and studio

“I’ll see something online and I realize all these individuals ... They know what we’re doing and their lives are affected by it in some way. And I just want to do the best I can to serve that.”

— Rick Mitarotonda, lead singer/guitarist for Goose

recordings. Content for [listeners] to go find that exists online. So, at a certain point, it became our goal to create this little world [online] for people to go to.”

Strolling the perimeter of the Smoky Mountain Event Center, an odd, yet familiar feeling came over me, that sense of self that only reveals itself in the midst of live performance. My life has revolved around concerts since I was in middle school. It’s the place by which I’ve been able to put down deep roots — as a journalist, but more so as an utter music freak.

“We love when people get fired up and yelling [in excitement during the show], this huge pull of energy,” Rick Mitarotonda, lead singer/guitarist for Goose, told The Smoky Mountain News following the performance.

“But, I’ve started to get more patient and listen and get a little quiet at certain times during the whole thing, which I think, in the long run, is a really good thing for the evolution of the band, the sound and our improvisational language.”

With the ever-popular drive-in series taking the lead on the slow reopening of the music industry across America, these shows have provided an outlet after seven months of radio silence in the live music realm.

In regards to Western North Carolina, we’ve — in essence — become the live music capitol of the Southeast between the drive-in series at the Waynesville fairgrounds put on by the Asheville Music Hall and the series hosted by The Grey Eagle at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Seemingly every weekend this fall, our backyard has become filled with sold-out show after show of national touring acts — all eager to perform in real time in front of real faces again.

“There’s a lot of moments where I’m going with ‘it’ or staying in the moment, responding to what needs to get done in that moment [onstage],” Mitarotonda said. “But, then I’ll see something online and I realize all these individuals, there’s not just numbers on a page — they’re people out there and they’re coming to [the show]. They know what we’re doing and their lives are affected by it in some way. And I just want to do the best I can to serve that.”

Looking towards the massive stage bordering Route 209, I started to come out of my fog of this “new normal” for society and humanity, in general. Being in the presence of pure tension and release that resides in the depths of a 20-minute jam, the line between Goose and the audience became blurred by the immense energy radiating from both sides of the microphone.

“You know, it’s a strange thing, but the joy in playing music? It’s a fine line between becoming really proficient at an instrument and maintaining your personal connection to music and your real enjoyment from playing music — it’s [remembering] that the instrument is a communication piece [to connect people],” Mitarotonda said.

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

On the street

• 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 and Arnold Hill (rock/Americana) Oct. 23 and Mojomatic Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. 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 The Dirty Dead Halloween Party Oct. 31 and The Pony Express Nov. 7. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host iliveinoblivion Oct. 24. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drive-in concert series with Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires (rock/Americana) Nov. 5 and Keller Williams & Friends (jam/acoustic) Nov. 13. 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 semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville will host a drive-in concert series with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24 and The Marcus King Trio (rock/jam) Oct. 27. 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.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a Cherokee artist demonstration with Tara McCoy from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 23 in the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom on Main Street in Waynesville. For more information or to sign up for these events, click on www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Blue Ridge Heritage Craft & Quilt Exhibit will be held through Oct. 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.

• 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.

Fall for Waynesville

The Fall for Waynesville street festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, on Main Street.

Musicians and entertainment will be located throughout Main Street. There also will be children’s activities, including two tents for pumpkin painting, which will be held by renowned artist Teresa Pennington.

Some restaurants will be putting tables on the street for dining, with other businesses also placing their merchandise outside for customers.

Though the annual “Treats on the Street” Halloween celebration will be cancelled for this year, local businesses will still be dressed up and handing out candy.

Social distancing and safety protocols will be followed. Presented by the Downtown Waynesville Association. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• The annual Swain County “Trick or Treat” event will be held this year as a drive-thru from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the East and West elementary schools. The candy will be donated by the Swain County Tourism Development Authority. Volunteers are needed and should call 828.508.2795.

• There will be “Spooky Storytelling” with master storyteller Tim Hall around the fire pit in front of the Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachians at 140 Fry Street in downtown Bryson City. The storytelling will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in October, weather permitting. Look for the yellow house with fall decorations and benches just down the tracks from the train depot (behind the train museum). Free. Donations welcomed.

Drive-in concert series

The Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville will host a drive-in concert series with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24 and The Marcus King Trio (rock/jam) Oct. 27. All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and Covid-19 protocol will be in place. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

Maggie Valley welcomes soul act

Acclaimed rock/soul sensation St. Paul & The Broken Bones will perform on Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot in Maggie Valley.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and safety protocols will be enforced.

Based out of Alabama, St. Paul & The Broken Bones formed in 2012, releasing their debut album “Half the City” in 2014 and its follow up, 2016’s “Sea of Noise,” to much acclaim.

Those strong efforts helped place them on

the national scene, and the band worked hard to prove they were no mere retro-soul band — from touring the world relentlessly, including being selected to open for The Rolling Stones and headlining two nights at the Ryman Auditorium, to TV appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, Austin City Limits and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

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

Some books for the little ones, some fun for you

It’s time to put away the books About politicos and other crooks, No more fat novels for today, It’s time to have some fun and play.

So welcome all to Rubin Land, That’s Adam Rubin, you understand, Kids’ book author extraordinaire, Come on, young pups, pull up a chair!

First up is Rubin’s book High Five,

To teach that hand the way to jive, Here you’ll meet the High Five King, And slap the palm of everything.

From Kangaroo to elephant You slap the page — it’s quite a stunt! You slap the paws of lizard and bear You High Five away without a care.

Who knew the fun of slapping a book? Go ahead, pop it, and throw your best hook! Aim for the gold and win the prize And be the best High Fiver alive!

Here’s a read-aloud, Mom and Dad,

To please your little lass and lad, But protect your face as you read, High Fives to your nose may make you bleed.

And when you’re all High Fived out, Don’t snarl, or weep, or even pout, Dragons Love Tacos is up next, It’s one of Adam Rubin’s best.

Who knew tacos were a dragon’s fave, Who knew salsa and cheese made dragons rave?

Who knew they loved parties and to dance? Just add some tacos and watch them prance.

But jalapenos, as Rubin says, Will cause those dragons to make a mess, Hot salsa ignites a dragon’s fire That makes your house a smoking pyre. No, never, ever give dragons spice, The resultant flames will not be nice, Give them lettuce, meat, and even ice, But never, ever give them spice.

Rubin gave us other treats, So youngsters, gather and take your seats; We’ll read and read, and have some fun And bid farewell to the setting sun.

Okay, I’m not a poet, but it’s a gray day

where I live, and I needed some entertainment.

I got a kick out of Adam Rubin’s High Five and Dragons Love Tacos, and plan to

in his kitchen late a night. Rhyming nearly broke his brain. Currently he lives in Spain.

share these books with my younger grandchildren. Rubin is a children’s author who describes himself in High Five this way:

Adam Rubin likes to write

Four of the Rubin books I have at hand — Those Darn Squirrels! High Five, Dragons Love Tacos, and Secret Pizza Party were illustrated by Daniel Salieri. Crash McCreery illustrated El Chupacabras

In memoriam: Only recently did I learn that Tomie dePaola, author of some 260 children’s books, had died this past spring. His books about Strega Nona, Jamie O’Rourke, the clown of God, and many others were favorites with my children and remain the same with my grandchildren.

Thank you, Mr. dePaola, for many wonderful evenings of reading to my loved ones. (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)

DURING ELECTIONS

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

Supported by the mountains

year, said Motion Makers Bicycle Shop owner Kent Cranford. Sales for the June to October period outpaced any previous year, and yearto-date sales are “way up from ever before.” The staff is larger than it’s ever been.

Mask-wearing

customers go for a zip line adventure at Nantahala Outdoor Center. NOC photo

Pandemic multiplies demand, complicates operations for outdoor businesses

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues, people worldwide are rediscovering the outdoors in a big way — leading to record visitation at public lands in Western North Carolina and offering a marked boost to outdoor-oriented businesses and communities even as the nationwide economy continues to suffer. However, even this successful sector has met its share of challenges related to labor market shortages, supply chain disruptions and the sheer challenge of making up for revenue lost during full-on closures this spring.

“The communities that do have recreation are much better off than those that don’t have recreation,” said Noah Wilson, program director for the Growing Outdoors Partnership of outdoors businesses in Western North Carolina. “If we didn’t have these mountains and we didn’t have the recreation opportunities we have here, we would all be hurting so much more. It’s one of those things where it’s all about how you view it. You may not be having the best year ever, but are you having a year where you’re going to make it?”

SELLING THE SHELVES BARE

When the pandemic first began — causing drastic reductions in sales and ultimately a 45day closure in the middle of the typically lucrative Appalachian Trail thru-hiker season — Outdoor 76 co-owners Rob Gasbarro and Cory McCall weren’t quite sure what the answer to that question would be. In a March 19 interview while the store was still open, Gasbarro pondered how much things had changed in the past week and wondered how much worse they might get in the weeks to come. In a May 2 email

That’s all true despite rampant inventory shortages.

“We have worked hard to not run out of bikes and repair parts,” said Cranford. “We get new bikes every week but there are still customer backorders for specific models that have been waiting for months. Our suppliers tell us it will be another six to nine months before we start to see normal supply again.”

Inventory shortage is an industry-wide issue for outdoor retailers, something that Wilson said shows the importance of local supply chains. While Western North Carolina retailers are still having a hard time with inventory, he said, overall the area does have more access to recreation equipment due to the fact that ever-increasing numbers of brands are located here.

to The Smoky Mountain News, McCall said that the situation was “on a completely different level” from anything the business had experienced before, adding that, “regardless of how stable our businesses has been over the last 10 years, it is impossible to operate without cash.”

After the store reopened May 15, the situation turned around quickly.

“We have been extremely busy this summer,” said McCall. “Traffic picked up considerably in June and has continued to trend even heavier for the last two months.”

Sales between June and October have come in slightly higher than the same period in 2019, though overall year-to-date revenues are down over last year. That’s held true despite the fact that supply chain issues and difficulty funding large inventory purchases following the underwhelming thru-hiker season have made it hard to keep the shelves stocked to normal levels.

“All of our hard goods — kayaks, canoes, tents, sleeping bags — have been very hard to keep in stock,” said McCall. “Outdoor recreation was viewed as one of the safest alternatives for dealing with COVID and still allowing a sense of normalcy. We have already seen that the supply chain will affect product availability this fall into late spring of 2021.”

Nantahala Outdoor Center’s outfitter shop has had similar issues, said NOC President William Irving.

“Nobody has boats, PFDs, paddles,” he said. “They are really hard to get your hands on, just like the bikes as well of course.”

Bike sales have gone through the roof this

“I think we’re going to see a lot of entrepreneurs coming out of this moment in time as people are laid off from their jobs, staying at home, tinkering and seeing needs that they need met,” he said.

HE PRICE OF SAFETY

When it comes to outdoor experiences — rafting, fishing, guided trips — the demand is definitely there, but the challenge is figuring out how to provide those services safely while still turning a profit.

“We certainly had more demand than what we could accommodate just because of the reduction of guides that we had and the reduction of people in each vehicle that we had reduced capacity to,” said Irving.

To prevent spread of the virus, NOC was operating its shuttles at 50 percent capacity, which obviously reduced the rate with which they could transport guests to and from the river. Labor issues compounded the problem. NOC had around 650 employees this year, about 10 percent fewer than normal. Most of the vacancies were for bus driver and food and beverage positions.

“Those are roles that are always hard to fill, but this year was extremely hard to fill,” he said. “Once the unemployment benefits started to dwindle, we did see more applicants coming through.”

At that point, however, the season was already starting to wind down.

Outdoor 76 also reported difficulties with hiring.

“The number of employees we currently have is significantly less than pre-COVID,” said McCall. “We had some employees change jobs or relocate, but hiring back workforce since then has been a challenge. We are currently looking to fill three to four positions.”

At NOC, public health precautions also added to the staffing issues.

“I’d say at any time we had anywhere from 15 to 20 staff that were out every week, just by the precautions that

Accelerator program seeks

early-stage outdoor companies

The Waypoint Accelerator program — the first of its kind in the Eastern United States — is looking for applicants to join its second cohort.

The program is open to eight ventures per year and will begin online Dec. 3. It includes 15 learning and mentorship sessions, access to an outdoor industry network and connections to capital providers as well as industry peers.

The application window is open through Sunday, Nov. 8, with a live info session and Q&A slated for 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Full program details and an online application are available at www.mountainbizworks.org/waypoint.

The Waypoint Accelerator is a program of Mountain Bizworks, a U.S. Treasury certified nonprofit community development financial institution.

we were taking from having a symptom and saying, ‘Don’t come into work until you’ve had a test or quarantined,’” said Irving.

While it was certainly a challenge to deal with constant short-staffing, the precautions appear to have worked. While “very few” staff members did contract COVID-19, NOC had zero outbreaks of the disease on its campus, defined as a situation where one person gets the virus and then passes it along to someone else.

For outfitter businesses that were able to find a way to offer their customers safe transportation, business has been good, said Wilson, with the overarching idea of offering facilitated access to the outdoors emerging as a golden post-pandemic opportunity for outdoor businesses.

“There’s this moment in time right now in which we have millions of new users or recently returned users who haven’t gone camping since they were 8, and now they’re in their 30s or 40s,” said Wilson. “We have an opportunity as an industry to welcome them back with open arms, to help them have a really great experience that anchors them.”

EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY

The unprecedented volume of gear and goods outdoor retailers have sold this year could have big implications for the industry as a whole. If all the people who bought hiking boots or tents or bikes or kayaks for the first time this year continue to use them when the pandemic ends, then the industry is poised for a period of explosive growth.

“People have got to realize, as they do right now, how important the outdoors are for every part of their lives,” said Wilson. “Their physical and mental health, their ability to socialize with others, for just a sense of wellbeing.”

More outdoor recreaters means more customers for the outdoor recreation industry, which means more economic growth in Western North Carolina. But the supply chain for that industry isn’t limited to makers of tents and packs and boats — the land itself

is a vital, irreplaceable component of that chain. From the widely reported trash and crowding issues at Max Patch to the traffic jams and overflowing trailhead lots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the region is also experiencing the downside of heightened interest in outdoor exploration.

“There’s a lot of folks who still need to be brought into the outdoors, so we do not want to put up barriers to access. That is a mistake,” said Wilson. “But we also have to ensure that we educate effectively and consistently about how to recreate responsibly.”

To that end, North Carolina has launched a partnership with Leave No Trace, a nonprofit that promotes principles for sustainable use of the outdoors. Meanwhile, Recreate Responsibly — an organization borne out of the pandemic that promotes responsible use of public lands — has formed a North Carolina coalition that includes a variety of nonprofits, businesses and government organizations all committed to ensuring safe and sustainable enjoyment of the outdoors.

One of those member organizations is the

Heightened demand for bicycles nationwide has translated into booming business — and struggles with inventory — at Motion Makers Bicycle Shop’s Asheville, Sylva and Cherokee stores. Motion Makers photo

Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, which has seen unprecedented increases in room tax collections this year — collections on August stays posted a whopping 71.8 percent increase over the same month last year. The TDA is currently working with several different partners to develop Leave No Trace signage at trailheads and waterfalls, expecting to deploy about 30 such signs countywide in the near future.

“We don’t want more and more people here for the sake of more and more people,” said TDA Director Nick Breedlove. “We want to balance economic development with quality of the visitor’s visit and quality of life for those who live here. There’s so many destinations that are overrun, and we don’t want that, so sustainability has been huge for us.”

Sustainability concerns, supply chain interruptions and the uncertainty inherent in the ongoing pandemic continue to pose challenges to the outdoor industry, but nevertheless it remains one of the best-performing economic sectors in the changed world of 2020.

“Anytime you outperform your expectations,” said Irving, “you consider that a win.”

Grant will fund ag center for Swain

The N.C Tobacco Trust Fund has awarded $1.5 million in grants this year, and one of the 15 applications granted came from the Swain County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The grant will provide $130,000 to plan and build a multipurpose building for agricultural and equestrian events and workshops. The building aims to benefit local farmers and the surrounding agricultural community.

Overall, the grants placed a high priority on projects to stimulate the agricultural economy and that help farmers execute

innovative ideas. Projects served by the grant assist with innovative on-farm projects, increase leadership skills and offer operational strategies that will help farmers increase farm income.

The N.C. General Assembly created the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission in 2000 to lessen the financial impact to farmers and tobacco-related businesses caused by the sharp decline of tobacco in the agricultural economy. The commission’s original funding was established through tobacco industry annual payments as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement. Its current funding comes from a set appropriation of funds.

www.tobaccotrustfund.org

Fruit and veggie conference to go virtual

The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, typically held each year in Savannah, Georgia, will be offered virtually this year Jan. 5-7.

The event is the largest educational conference and trade show in the Southeast that unites growers, vendors and suppliers from across the specialty crop industry. It is coordinated and sponsored by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the South Carolina Peach Council. The online event will feature networking opportunities, an interactive trade show platform and extensive education programming.

For more information, visit www.seregionalconference.org, or call 877.994.3842.

Use caution during wildfire season

Fall wildfire season is underway in North Carolina, and the N.C. Forest Service together with the U.S. Forest Service is urging visitors and North Carolinians alike to be careful with campfires and debris burnings.

North Carolina’s fall wildfire season typically lasts from midOctober to mid-December, and debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina.

“As leaves begin to fall and vegetation starts to dry out, it’s important for all North Carolinians to use extreme caution when burning debris of any kind,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “As wildfires continue to rage in Western states and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a challenge, let’s remember that we’re not powerless. Our best defense against wildfires starts at home. Following simple prevention tips and taking action around your home can reduce the risk that a wildfire affects you, your loved ones, your neighbors and your communities.”

Anyone considering burning debris or lighting a campfire should first be aware of proper safety protocol, and residents are encouraged to contact the N.C. Forest Service before starting a debris fire.

Find more information about fire safety at www.ncforestservice.gov and www.smokeybear.com.

Input sought on proposed Smokies mountain bike system

A virtual meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, will give people the chance to weigh in on a recently released environmental assessment examining the possibility of creating a mountain bike system in the Wears Valley area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with the period for written comments remaining open through Nov. 15.

The proposed trail would be the first designated mountain bike trail in the park, which contains more than 800 miles of trail. However, fewer than 8 of those miles — Gatlinburg Trail, Oconaluftee River Trail and lower Deep creek Trail — allow bikes. The proposed mountain bike trail system would be located along an unfinished section of the Foothills Parkway corridor in the Wears Valley area of Sevier County, Tennessee.

In July, the National Park Service asked for public feedback on preliminary alterna-

tives to develop a mountain bike trial system. After reviewing the comments, park managers completed the EA and will give an overview of it during the Oct. 29 meeting, to be held via Zoom. After the 30minute presentation, park staff will be available for an additional 90 minutes to answer questions from the public.

Participants can join the meeting using the link https://zoom.us/j/93025295219, which will allow them to view slides, presenters and submit questions. A listen-only call-in mode is also available by calling 312.626.6799 and entering the passcode 93025295219#.

Public comment on the EA is being accepted through Nov. 15, and the preferred method to deliver it is online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/wearsvalleyb iketrails. That link also contains access to documents related to the project, including the proposed EA. Comments are also accepted via the mail addressed to Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail System EA, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

Serve the Smokies

The Smokies Service Days program will return with a slate of Saturday service opportunities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting with a Saturday, Oct. 24 session to be held 9:30 a.m. to noon at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.

Other scheduled service days are:

n Oct. 31: “The Deep Creep” Litter Cleanup, 10 a.m. to noon at Deep Creek Picnic Area near Bryson City. All ages.

n Nov. 7: Historic Landscape Management in Daisy Town, 9 a.m. to noon at Elkmont in Tennessee. Ages 15 and up.

n Nov. 14: Vegetation Management at Historic Voorheis Estate, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Twin Creeks Science Center in Tennessee. Ages 12 and up.

n Nov. 21: Campground Cleanup, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Smokemont Campground near Cherokee. Ages 10 and up.

Volunteer projects last between two and four hours. Tasks are available appropriate to a wide range of abilities, with some age restrictions. Tools and safety gear, including gloves and high visibility safety vests, will be provided by park staff, but participants should wear closed-toed shoes and bring their own food and water. Due to COVID-19 safety measures, the number of volunteers for each project is limited.

Sign up with Project Coordinator Madison Ficca by emailing madison_ficca@partner.nps.gov ahead of the scheduled event date with “SSD Registration” in the subject line.

Volunteers wrap up a pre-pandemic gardening project at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. NPS photo

Volunteer to build community outdoors

Outdoor Mission Community, formerly known as Outdoor Mission Camp, is seeking volunteers to aid in trip planning, leadership, skills certifications and more, with a pair of training trips now on the calendar.

n Saturday, Nov. 7, OMC will take a contingency of volunteers to the Fontana Lakeshore Cleanup, which aims to pick up 100,000 pounds of trash. Boats, bags, gloves and trash dumpsters are provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority and Fontana Dam Marina, with OMC providing lunch.

volunteers.

This year, OMC is building structures, recruiting volunteers, collecting equipment and lining up courses with the goal of having equipment cleaned and catalogued, ready to be rented by the springtime. Individuals and groups wishing to venture into the backcountry can contact OMC for help with trip planning, leadership, equipment to borrow, classes or certification in certain skills. A host of volunteers are available to help you get outside.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash and students with OMC’s La Adventura camp pose for a photo following a 2016 hike.

Holly Kays photo

n Saturday, Jan. 9, volunteers will have the chance to participate in a 16-hour Wilderness First Aid class offered through the Nantahala Outdoor Center and SOLO Wilderness Medicine. The class includes eight hours of online work and eight hours of in-person teaching with lots of scenarios and hands-on learning. The class will be available to OMC partner organizations as well as OMC

Ghostly decorations wanted for Halloween hike

The Highlands Biological Foundation needs your help to create a Ghostly Garden for families to walk through on the selfguided hike through the Highlands Botanical Garden that will celebrate Halloween this year.

The foundation hopes to showcase handmade decorations on the walk and is offering free “spooky” kits for families to make their own ominous owl, spider web, The Bascom Halloween puppet and more.

Join the BikeWalk summit

To participate, pick up a kit and drop off creations to the nature center by Wednesday, Oct. 28. Then, if you dare, wander through the Ghostly Garden anytime from Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1, to see the decorations. Costumes are encouraged.

The Halloween puppet kit is graciously provided by The Bascom’s Take and Make program. To request a kit or for more information, contact Paige Engelbrektsson at 828.526.2623.

Puzzles can be found on page 38

These are only the answers.

The ninth annual N.C. BikeWalk Transportation Summit will be held online Nov. 5-6. The summit aims to foster collaboration between North Carolina’s various champions of safer walking and biking experiences. This year’s event will focus on inclusive transportation and feature voices from transportation users who are often forgotten in transportation planning.

Experts from across the state and beyond will be on hand to share their knowledge and experience on topics including how to build equity into transportation, multimodal integration and the importance of bringing the right voices to the table to be sure that the transportation projects are meeting the needs of those with the fewest choices for mobility.

The $50 registration fee — $15 for students — includes a year’s membership with BikeWalkNC. Register at www.bikewalknc.org/nc-bicycle-summit.

WCU professor releases outdoor instruction book

Western Carolina University Professor

Emeritus Maurice Phipps has released a new book aimed at people who are working or training to work as outdoor instructors.

Outdoor Instruction: Teaching and Learning Concepts for Outdoor Instructors, is available in ebook and print formats. Phipps co-authored the book with his daughters Stephanie and Chelsea Phipps.

“The skill of teaching is different to the skill of an outdoor activity, although both sets of skills can complement each other,” said Phipps. “The art of teaching can be learned through observation and experience but is best anchored in the science of teaching.”

Originally from Great Britain, Phipps

has been a competitive paddler, wilderness educator and college professor. He has been a faculty member at Western Carolina University since 1992 and is currently a professor emeritus there. In addition to publishing papers in multiple scientific journals, he is the co-author of two additional books — Canoeing in

Australia and The Group Book: Effective Skills for Cooperative Groups

His most recent title is available from a variety of online retailers and can also be purchased directly at www.booklocker.com. Book contents and a sample chapter can be viewed there as well.

WNC Calendar

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Live Forgiven Church will host a grocery giveaway from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 45 Crown Ridge Road Sylva. The event will be held curbside with safety precautions in place. It is open to anyone with shelf stable items, produce and eggs available to donate. Email FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life for more information.

• The Town of Waynesville will conduct its bi-annual Cemetery Clean-up beginning Nov. 9. Cemetery Staff will begin tagging items to be removed on Oct. 12, items not removed by Nov. 9, will be removed by Town Staff and stored for 60 days. For additional assistance, call 828.456.3706.

• Macon County Public Health is currently conducting drive-thru flu vaccination clinics every Wednesday in October from 2 to 5 p.m. at 1830 Lakeside drive. No appointment is necessary to receive the vaccination.

• 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. To learn more, visit www.dht.org.

• Papertown Winter Market will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Bethel Christian Academy in Canton. Admission is free. Vendors are welcome, the cost is $40 for a table and chair at the Market. Contact Jessica Jones at 828.734.9733 for further details.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• Western Carolina University will host Open House on Saturday, Oct. 24, with a new outdoor format to meet safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are asked to select an arrival time when they register online. Arrival times start at 8:30 a.m. and repeat every hour until 12:30 p.m. Register at openhouse.wcu.edu or by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth & Enrichment will be offering an online High Impact Leadership Certificate from Monday – Friday, Nov. 9-13, with live instruction, activities and interaction. The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day with breaks throughout. Register at pdp.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7397.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

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

(rock/Americana) Friday, Oct. 23 and Mojomatic Saturday, Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host iliveinoblivion Oct. 24, The Dirty Dead Halloween Party Oct. 31 and The Pony Express Nov. 7. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drivein concert series with Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires (rock/Americana) Nov. 5 and Keller Williams & Friends (jam/acoustic) Nov. 13. 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 Goose (jam/rock) Oct. 17, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24 and The Marcus King Trio (rock/jam) Oct. 27. 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.

• 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 Thursday, 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.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a sun spirit faces in clay art class with Jan Kolenda from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 21. There will also be a Cherokee artist demonstration with Tara McCoy from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 23. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The annual Swain County “Trick or Treat” event will be held this year as a drive-thru from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the East and West elementary schools. Volunteers are needed and should call 828.508.2795.

• The Fall for Waynesville street festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, on Main Street. Social distancing and safety protocols will be followed. Presented by the Downtown Waynesville Association. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

A&E

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

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Arnold Hill

• There will be Spooky Storytelling with “master storyteller” Tim Hall around the fire pit in front of the Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachians at 140 Fry Street in downtown Bryson City. The storytelling will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in October, weather permitting.

F OOD & D RINK

• 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.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville is offering lunch on Saturdays, “Lunch with us” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring fresh seasonal menu with outdoor seating, weather permitting. 828.452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

•Bryson City Wine Market offers a new flight line-up of wines to enjoy from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. The Wine Market also offers market plates for two including a wide array of delectable finger foods. Come by any day for a glass of wine and a Taste of the Market Plate. https://bcwmarket.com

Outdoors

• Every Friday in October, 3-to-5-year-olds and their parents are invited to participate in the Knee High Naturalist outdoor education program from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands. The program is free, but attendance is limited to 10 people each session, so registration is required at 828.526.2623.

• Friends of the WNC Nature Center will host four evening events in October and November that will feature opportunities to learn about red wolves, gray wolves and coyotes. Wolf Howl programs 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 will be geared toward adults, and kid-friendly Junior Wolf Howl programs for families will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30. Purchase tickets at www.wildwnc.org/events.

• MountainTrue will hold its annual gathering in a virtual format this year, slated for 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, via Zoom. Attendance is free, but membership is required. Sign up and get the Zoom link at www.mountaintrue.org/annual-gathering-2020. Raffle tickets are $10 apiece or three for $20.

• The ninth annual N.C. BikeWalk Transportation Summit will be held online Nov. 5-6. The $50 registration fee — $15 for students — includes a year’s membership with BikeWalkNC. Register at www.bikewalknc.org/nc-bicycle-summit.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation needs help to create a Ghostly Garden for families to walk through on the self-guided hike through the Highlands Botanical Garden that will celebrate Halloween this year. To participate, pick up a kit and drop off creations to the nature center by Wednesday, Oct. 28. Call 828.526.2623.

• Haywood County Recreation and Parks is offering an 8 week course on fly tying with instructors Tommy Thomas and Ray Sugg. Class will begin on Oct. 26 for 8 consecutive Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Folkmoot Center located at 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville. To register contact the Recreation Department at 828.452.6789.

• A virtual meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, will give people the chance to weigh in on a recently released environmental assessment examining the pos-

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

sibility of creating a mountain bike system in the Wears Valley area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with the period for written comments remaining open through Nov. 15. Participants can join the meeting using the link https://zoom.us/j/93025295219. A listenonly call-in mode is also available by calling 312.626.6799 and entering the passcode 93025295219#.

https://parkplanning.nps.gov/WearsValleyBikeTrails.

• The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, typically held each year in Savannah, Georgia, will be offered virtually this year Jan. 5-7. For more information, visit www.seregionalconference.org, or call 877.994.3842.

• Outdoor Mission Community, formerly known as Outdoor Mission Camp, is seeking volunteers to aid in trip planning, leadership, skills certifications and more, with a pair of training trips now on the calendar. Sign up for training events online at www.outdoormissioncommunity.org or contact Jamie Shackleford at 336.583.9932.

• A display of 50 powerful paintings showcasing the most remote and wild corners of the Canadian Arctic is on display through Jan. 3 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Entrance to the exhibit is free with the arboretum’s standard $16 parking fee. Face coverings are required for visitors age 5 and older.

H IKING CLUBS

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 5mile hike, elevation change 600 ft., from Jones Gap on the NC Bartram Trail to a spur trail up White Rock Mountain on Saturday, Oct. 24. The club will meet at 145 Main St., #1 Nails in Highlands at 9 a.m.. Call Leader Robin Lurie, 954.632.7270, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 6mile hike, elevation change 600 ft., to Camp Branch off Wayah Road on Saturday, Oct. 24. The club will meet at Westgate Plaza at 8:30 a.m.. Call leader Katharine Brown, 421.4178, for reservations. Visitors and dogs on a leash are welcome.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 4.5 mile hike, elevation change 600 ft., from Deep Creek to Indian Creek in Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, Oct. 31. The club will meet in the Bi-Lo parking lot at 9 a.m.. Call leader Gail Lehman, 524.5298, for reservations. Visitors are welcome.

SPACE AVAILABLE

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.

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• Legal N otices — 25¢ per word

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p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585

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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

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• 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

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• Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

WNC Real Estate Store

• Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com

• Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

SUPER CROSSWORD

81Big printer brand

83Carnival classics

86Coll. email ender

87Faint trace

90Tax

91"Kidnapped" author's inits.

92Choose

94Paradisiacal

96Talk back to

97Planets, e.g.

100Fill-in worker

103Tyke

104Pampering, for short

105Record player parts

110Kids hold their horses on them

116Tile design

117German city

118It fills la Seine

119Et -- (and others)

products 50Lots and lots 54Gotten up

62They succeeded audiotapes 65"Yipes!"

67Big lug

68Ward (off)

69Alley hisser

70Ax-wielding lumberjack

72Dust devils' cousins

75Old overlords

77Lupino of "Jennifer"

78"Arrow" network

80Quarterback Dawson

120"Devious Maids" actress Ortiz

121What 10 of this puzzle's answers do

127Beer barrel

128See 116-Down

129What's often decorated for Christmas

130"-- your call"

131Sooner than, in odes

132One-of- -- (unique)

133Bleepers of bad words

134Tofu source

DOWN

1Letters of the weekday

2Actor Milo

3Scottish tyke

4Wee, like Abner

5Meyers of the screen

6-- Jovi

7Point of view

8In a self-effacing way

9Engendered

10Ireland's -- Lingus

11Nile capital

12Professional org.

13-- degree

14Soul queen Franklin

15Beat against, as waves

16Get up

17NHL game souvenirs

18Lines of symmetry

24Celery piece

25Loudness knob abbr.

31Actor Aziz --

33Like flimsy excuses

34Expiated

35Little dollop

36Shorten

37Wallops in the ring

40Create a new digital image of

42Small battery type

43E-address

44Sci-fi travel facilitators

45Inedible kind of orange

46Suffix with 116-Across

47Answer to "Are you?"

48Teases mercilessly

49Give a thrill

51Conductor Arturo

52Film award

53Jays' places

57"Girl Code" channel

58Dramatist Clifford

61In -- (agitated)

63Bar none

64Examined before robbing

66"-- a jealous mistress"

67"1984" novelist George

70LP players of old

71Plant swelling

73Earthy hue, to Brits

74Explorer Hernando

76Seeded

791940s pres.

82Hopi abode

84Speakers' platforms

85Ending for Siam

86Zeta follower

88You, in German

89Many laptops

93British island in Polynesia

95Film providing a factual report, for short

97Tax-filing pro

98Rd. relatives

99Piece of mail: Abbr.

101Riddle

102Highest peak in N.Z.

105Copier stuff

106Application

107Martin Van --

108Bridges of film

109Rhea relative

111Moms' sisters, say 112Cyst, e.g.

113-- Island (old immigration point)

114Give a false story

115Spacek of "The River"

116With 128-Across, earn wages

118Falco of TV

122DiFranco of song

123The Rams' gridiron gp.

124-- -Magnon

125Ending for cash

126Abode: Abbr.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

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