Smoky Mountain News | November 29, 2023

Page 8

Franklin social district tabled with little explanation Page 17

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

There are few things as symbolic of Southern Appalachian culture as the banjo and Western North Carolina is home to some of the greatest pickers to ever pluck those five strings. As Waynesville resident Bill Allsbrook releases his new book on the instrument, The Smoky Mountain News previews the project while recalling the careers of some local legends. (Page 20)

News

Rudow announces congressional bid in Western North Carolina........................8 Candidate filing begins for 2024 elections..................................................................9

Macon’s EMS director highlights transport and staffing concerns....................10

Burn bans lift and wildfires wind down following rain ..........................................11

Macon signs resolution to restructure commission elections..............................12

Cherokee man arrested in cold case murder............................................................13

Per cap numbers indicate faltering casino revenues ............................................14 No county property for proposed Franklin Social District....................................17

Opinion

‘If I am still here in 11 more days’..................................................................................18 Can our democracy survive?..........................................................................................18

A&E

‘Lights & Luminaries’ returns to Dillsboro..................................................................26 WCU presents ‘The Nutcracker’..................................................................................28

Outdoors

Hike explores past, present and future of WNC hemlocks..................................30 Park volunteer makes big impact on visitor safety..................................................34

STAFF

ART D IRECTOR: Micah McClure.

&

Jack Snyder. .

D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Stefanee Sherman. . . . . .

ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Shetley. . . . .

Amanda Bradley. . .

Sophia Burleigh. .

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . . . .

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti. . .

WRITING: Holly Kays. . . .

Hannah McLeod. . . . .

Cory Vaillancourt.

Garret K. Woodward. .

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Jamie Cogdill. .

D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. . . . . . . .

micah@smokymountainnews.com

jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com

jack.s@smokymountainnews.com

stefanee@mtnsouthmedia.com

susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com

amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com

sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com

holly@smokymountainnews.com

hannah@smokymountainnews.com

cory@smokymountainnews.com

garret@smokymountainnews.com

smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)

CONTACT

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How to master shopping early for the holidays

“The early bird gets the worm” is a wellknown English proverb that historians trace all the way back to the 1600s. Though the words might first have been popularized hundreds of years ago, they remain as true today as they were then, particularly in regard to holiday shopping.

Savvy shoppers have long touted the importance of starting early when looking for holiday gifts for loved ones. Seasoned procrastinators may never embrace early shopping, but others who want to a less hectic holiday shopping season can consider these tips.

n Begin with a plan.

Holiday shopping excursions, whether they take place in town, at the mall or online, can take longer than expected when shoppers have no idea what they’re looking for. Prior to your first holiday shopping trip, jot down gift ideas for each person on your list. Then scour stores or websites for those items. Starting early affords shoppers time to bargain hunt and ensures supply shortages or other issues won’t get in the way of a happy loved one come the holiday season.

sumers to get an especially early start on holiday shopping. Shoppers who want to ensure everything arrives on time for the holiday season must recognize that “early” shopping now involves beginning around Halloween, if not earlier.

n Take the (local) road less traveled. Shopping local merchants in person is a strategy savvy shoppers have long since embraced, but it’s one that’s especially beneficial in an era marked by supply chain issues and inflation. Local merchants don’t have the overhead or sizable staffs of big

n Recognize the notion of “early” has changed. Early holiday shopping used to be synonymous with the retail holiday Black Friday, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. However, many holiday shoppers now begin buying gifts long before they’ve purchased a Thanksgiving turkey. In its 2022 Consumer Pulse Survey, McKinsey & Company found that 56 percent of consumers started their holiday shopping in October. A host of variables may have influenced that shift, but supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic have lingered, which undoubtedly compelled con-

box or chain stores, which enables them to keep costs low. And since local merchants produce many of their own products, it’s likely there’s something in store that shoppers will love and less likely that they will have issues filling orders. A late fall afternoon in a local shopping district can yield an array of treasures and help holiday shoppers find the right gift for many a person on their list.

n When in doubt, go gift card. If the right gift is proving elusive even when shopping early, shoppers should not hesitate to go the gift card route. Shoppers need not feel as though a gift card is a nonstarter, as a 2022 survey from the National Retail Federation found that 54 percent of survey respondents indicated gift cards were the most desirable gift of the holiday season.

Easy ways to support small businesses

t’s easy to overlook how integral small businesses are to local, national and even global economies. The Small Business Administration and the U.S Census Bureau indicate small businesses account for 99.7

fied as micro or small businesses made up 98.1 percent of all the employers in Canada in 2021.

Since mall businesses are the economic engine of many neighborhoods and commu-

percent of all American businesses, employing 56.8 million people. Similarly, according to Statistics Canada, local businesses classi-

nities, it’s in everyone’s best interest to pitch in and ensure such firms’ success. Thankfully, it’s easy for anyone to support the small busi-

nesses that make their communities unique. n Shop locally and online from small businesses as much as possible. If you cannot shop right away, consider purchasing gift cards to the retailer or service provider and share them as gifts to others.

n Before you immediately go with a well-known chain or ecommerce giant, find out if a local retailer offers the same items you need and shop there.

n Actively discover new brands, check them out, and then spread the word about your findings to others.

n Share posts from small businesses on social media. It’s good exposure for them and can help to widen their customer base.

n Attend special events or promotions hosted by local businesses. Well-attended events may spark others’ curiosity.

n Share a quick photo of something you bought at a small business or of a service they provided. For example, if a local landscaping company did a wonderful job putting in a new patio or pavers, share the before and after with those you know.

Rudow announces congressional bid in Western North Carolina

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT

OLITICS E DITOR

The 2024 election season isn’t quite yet officially underway, but one Democrat isn’t waiting for Dec. 4 to get into the race for Western North Carolina’s congressional seat currently held by Hendersonville Republican Chuck Edwards.

“We need somebody who’s going to be focused on the real problems in this area, and not focused on corporate interests and creating division,” said Rep. Caleb Rudow (DBuncombe), currently a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives.

A native of Fairview, Rudow is the product of Buncombe County Schools and earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in philosophy because he’d wanted to become a rabbi at the time. After graduation, Rudow served in the Peace Corps in Zambia, among other places.

“Anybody who does grassroots work at some point gets interested in policy, because they feel like there’s got to be a better way to do this, or there must be some policy solution that fixes this,” he said.

That sentiment propelled Rudow to pursue a graduate degree at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on policy and data. He currently works as a freelance researcher and data consultant.

“I was going to keep doing that work internationally, and then Trump got elected and I felt like we had more work to do in this country organizing and getting rid of the meanness and bringing some sanity back to our politics,” said Rudow.

When longtime Asheville-area Rep. Susan Fisher stepped down from her seat on Dec. 31, 2021, Rudow sought the appointment and got it. In 2022, he won his first election handily, but now has his sights set on larger goals.

“I’ve really felt called to work in service my whole life, and this next election is a really historic moment,” Rudow said. “I think a lot is going to rely on what happens next year, and I really feel like we need good candidates to step up and run and serve Western North Carolina and folks in this area that have been left behind, like working families.”

Edwards’ 2022 election was largely about re-establishing trust in the institution after the less-than-stellar performance of previous Republican congressmen. Mark Meadows abandoned his seat just as the federal government passed some of the biggest spending packages in history, leaving his constituents without a voice for almost a year, and has since been indicted. Madison Cawthorn caught flak over constituent services but lost the Primary Election to Edwards after a tawdry, relentless drip campaign.

After Edwards defeated Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara in the 2022 General Election, he became the third straight sandwich vendor without so much as a bachelor’s degree to represent WNC in Congress — Meadows claims he owned a sub shop in Florida, while Cawthorn’s only real job before serving in the House was at Chick-fil-

A. Edwards owns several area McDonald’s franchises but his legacy in Congress has left some constituents to ask, “Where’s the beef?”

“What we’ve seen Chuck do throughout this year is not focus on our biggest issues, not focus on the opioid crisis, not stay laserfocused on our economy and how we help the folks in Canton and folks around Western North Carolina, not focus on how we solve our biggest problems out here,” Rudow said.

“You’ve seen him get sidetracked.”

During his 2022 campaign, Edwards failed to show for a debate hosted by The Smoky Mountain News and Blue Ridge Public Radio after criticizing Cawthorn’s debate no-shows, opting instead to appear only on a corporateowned right-leaning television network with whom he’d spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising.

Canton, when one of the mill’s four machines was idled by management. Edwards refused to interview with SMN at the time. A month later, the mill announced it would shut down completely, and Edwards refused to tell SMN what, if anything, he’d done in the meantime to prevent the loss of around 1,000 good-paying union jobs.

In March, when decades of inaction by Congress to adequately fund the National Park maintenance backlog resulted in the implementation of a parking fee at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Edwards refused to interview with SMN about what, if anything, he’d done to prevent the cost from being passed on to visitors.

In April, when the “Back off Our Benefits” tour rolled into Asheville and asked Edwards to pledge to protect Medicaid,

n’t respond to that question and I’m not gonna respond to this.”

At that same meeting, Edwards heard criticism from constituents when, in response to a question about how Buncombe County could help with the impact of the mill’s closing, Edwards ridiculed Asheville’s problems and refused help.

“I’d suggest the best thing that the folks in

“I’ve really felt called to work in service my whole life, and this next election is a really historic moment.”

— Caleb Rudow

Buncombe County could do to help Haywood County is to fix Buncombe County,” Edwards told the crowd. “Clean Buncombe County up, get the needles off the streets, get a DA in place and prosecute criminals to reduce crime and not allow the spill over into our haven over here.”

Rudow, who was part of a simultaneous meeting in Candler discussing the same issue, took note.

“What you saw Chuck do there was, instead of taking that moment and providing real leadership, you saw him take that moment to score a few political points,” he said. “That is beneath the stature of a congressperson to do that, frankly.”

In September, Edwards threatened to withhold federal highway funding from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a sovereign tribal government, after voters there decided to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. Some, including SMN, decried Edwards’ meddling in tribal affairs. Also in September, Edwards sent a field representative to Murphy to present an award to a fringe law enforcement group that has ties to white supremacy, espouses COVID-19 conspiracy theories, embraces election denialism and advocates the thoroughly debunked “sovereign sheriff” movement.

Edwards had previously told SMN that if elected, he wanted to move past the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection by shutting down the House Select Committee investigating the situation.

“What happened on Jan. 6 is a threat to our democracy and unless we deal with that, unless we make sure that we deal with the root causes of it and the people who perpetrated it face justice, our democracy is going to continue to be threatened,” Rudow said.

In January, Edwards hired Macon County activist/journalist Brittney Lofthouse as an aide, but fired her in short order after complaints from his constituents about her support for the LGBTQ+ community.

In February, SMN informed Edwards of trouble at the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in

Medicare, Social Security and veterans’ benefits, Edwards ignored them, just as he’d done the previous October.

At a town hall focusing on the impact of the Canton mill closing in June, Edwards again refused to answer questions posed by SMN about what, if anything, he’d done to save the mill after being informed of the situation by SMN a month before the closing was announced. Instead, Edwards responded by saying he’d only speak with media outlets that give him favorable coverage.

“I really reserve the right to respond to those media outlets that I’ve been able to build good relationships with that have reported the news fairly,” Edwards said at the time, without citing any examples of unfair reporting. “I did-

In October, Edwards was notably absent when a Waynesville native and Vietnam-era serviceman missing in action for more than 50 years was returned to his hometown for burial. Edwards was stuck in Washington, D.C., because of the leadership fight caused by his own party when members ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and spent three weeks fighting with each other over who would eventually serve.

In November, after the North Carolina General Assembly gerrymandered congressional maps to change a 7-7 partisan balance to an 11-4 map in favor of Republicans, Edwards announced his reelection bid. His district changed little from 2022, moving from 55% Republican to 56% Republican.

“I think there’s a trend in a lot of this, which is Chuck Edwards taking his eye off the ball, off of our biggest problems,” Rudow said. “Instead of

Candidate filing begins for 2024 elections

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT

National, state and local offices will be on the ballot across North Carolina for a high-stakes 2024 election, and it all begins next week, as candidates will begin submitting paperwork to launch their campaigns.

Candidate filing begins at noon on Monday, Dec. 4, and ends at noon on Friday, Dec. 15.

The 2024 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 5, when voters will start by selecting candidates who file for president and Congress.

Neither of North Carolina’s U.S. Senators, Republicans Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, face elections this year. Tillis’ seat comes around again in 2026. Budd, elected in 2022, isn’t due until 2028.

Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) has indicated that he’ll seek a second term in NC-11. Edwards already has primary opposition from Hayesville Republican Christian Reagan. Democrat Caleb Rudow [see RUDOW, p. 8] declared his intent to run for the seat on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

On the state level, candidates will file for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor. Secretary of state and auditor candidates will also run. Multiple parties have declared their intent.

Every seat in the North Carolina General Assembly will be up for election, including senate districts 47 and 50, Represented by Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) and Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), respectively.

working together with folks across the aisle on solutions for folks who lost their jobs at the Canton paper mill, he wanted to take a cheap shot.”

A consistent wedge issue that Republicans have exploited in previous races is firearms regulation. Rudow said he’s tried to reach across the aisle in the General Assembly but hasn’t gotten anywhere.

“This is a dichotomy that the GOP keeps pushing, which is that Democrats want to take your guns away. We do not,” Rudow said. “What you have in the GOP is a party that has been controlled by the NRA and corporate gun lobbyists. Every time something happens, I’ve tried to talk to Republicans and be like, ‘Look, this happened again, can we please do something? I think we can all agree on some commonsense gun safety regulation, that everybody can agree that there are some people that shouldn’t have guns because they’re dangerous.’ But even if you don’t want to deal with that, let’s at least talk about the mental health crisis.”

The nation’s mental health crisis, whether combined with illicit drug use or not, has also not been addressed.

But there is one issue that Edwards didn’t have to deal with during his previous cam-

The House District 118 seat, consisting of Haywood and Madison counties, is held by Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood). Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) holds the District 119 seat made up of Jackson, Swain and Transylvania Counties, while Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) holds the District 120 seat encompassing Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties.

Voters will also consider four District Court judgeships in District 30, currently held by the recently-appointed Justin Greene, as well as Monica Leslie, Tessa Sellers and Kaleb Wingate.

Two seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, occupied by Republicans Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers, will be on the ballot. Longtime commissioner Ensley serves as chair. Two-term Rogers, who led the ticket in both of his elections, is vice chair.

The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 Primary Election is Friday, Feb. 9.

Although the Primary Election isn’t until March 5, voting begins nearly two months prior. On Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, county boards of elections will begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who requested them.

Absentee ballots must be returned no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

In-person early voting begins on Thursday, Feb. 15 and ends on Saturday, March 2.

Registration and absentee ballot deadlines are different for military and overseas voters. Check the North Carolina State Board of Elections for specific instructions.

The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

For more information on registering, running for office or voting, or to view previous election results, visit the NCSBE website at ncsbe.gov.

paign — the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Rudow lived in Israel for three months and is the only Jewish member of the N.C. House, but he also thinks that countering Russian aggression in Ukraine is part of the United States’ overall obligation to defend democratic values.

“Big picture, I think we’re seeing a world in which if America retreats from the world stage, things get worse, not better,” he said, noting that he supports continuing aid to Ukraine. Israel, however, is a far more nuanced topic.

“I think with a lot of these international issues, the thing that I tell people is that we need to think about what we can do here, right now, and some of that is talking to each other, having better conversations and reducing the polarization,” he said. “We cannot expect folks across the world to make peace with each other if we can’t even sit down and do that here.”

The candidate filing period for 2024 election runs from Monday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 15. No other Democrats have yet filed to run for NC-11. The Primary Election will be on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, with the General Election on Tuesday Nov. 5. To learn more about Rudow, visit rudowforcongress.com.

The state of emergency services

Macon’s EMS Director highlights transport and staffing concerns

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Macon County Emergency Services Director Warren Cabe came before the Board of Commissioners this month to outline problems his department is having with staffing and interfacility transportation. While several counties in the region are facing similar issues, Macon County’s rural landscape makes the problem particularly acute.

“I wanted to bring something to your attention; there are some issues that are affecting EMS, not just in our county, but in the region,” said Cabe. “I want to explain what’s going on, what I know about it and how it’s affecting us.”

Earlier this month, McDowell County put a moratorium on interfacility, non-emergency transports from McDowell to Mission Hospital in Asheville. The moratorium is a 45-day pause. In a letter to HCA leadership Oct. 30, Emergency Services Director Will Kehler highlighted increasing patient offload times, also known as receiving times. Paramedics must continue providing care until the hospital takes charge of a patient, and these days that transfer time, which generally takes 20 to 30 minutes, can last hours.

patients to Mission, we’re only taking critical patients to Mission,” said Cabe.

However, there was one outlier during the month of October, a call with a receiving time of 125 minutes at Mission Hospital. That means a Macon County ambulance sat at Mission Hospital waiting for care to be transferred for over two hours. What would be a three-hour round trip for that truck to get from Macon County to Mission and back, turned into a five-hour trip. Any time Macon EMS has to take someone to Mission, the county is down one truck and several EMS workers to cover the rest of the county.

During the month of September, Macon County EMS had nine calls with receiving times of about 30 minutes, and one call with a receiving time of 70 minutes.

“Ten, 15, 20 minutes, if I’m moving a lot of complicated stuff over, probably not a big deal … When we get to 30, that concerns me a little,” said Cabe. “So I wanted to bring that to your attention because I’m sure someone is going to ask, ‘are we having the same issues here?’ And we are, occasionally, but it’s not to the same level that some of these other services are at.”

On any given day, there are five ambulances servicing Macon County. Three in Franklin, one in Highlands and one in Nantahala. According to Cabe, the bare minimum the county can operate to serve 911 customers is four trucks — two in Franklin, one in Highlands and one in Nantahala.

Similarly, Buncombe County recently informed Mission Hospital that it would implement a new policy that allows EMS workers to leave stable patients in the care of hospital staff even if a bed is not ready for the patient. In a Nov. 3 letter, the county informed Mission Hospital it would implement the policy by Dec. 15 unless the hospital could fix the problem.

“Receiving time is the time from when one of my trucks gets to a facility, like a hospital, until patient care is actually transferred to another provider. They’re off our bed, they’re in another bed, they’re accepted by somebody, and that care is actually moved,” said Cabe. “We’re not immune to that. We have had some issues with that, but our issues have not been nearly as severe.”

During the month of October, the average receiving time for Macon County EMS was 4.84 minutes from the time a truck gets to the facility until care is transferred. This includes Mission Hospital, as well as any other facilities where Macon EMS is taking patients.

“Now obviously, we’re going to look different because Buncombe County, for instance, they’re taking all their

“So one trip to Mission, one trip to Atlanta, we’re down to our minimums,” said Cabe. “The longer that truck is out of town and out of pocket, that puts us at risk of not being able to meet our chute times — the time [it takes] me to come to you as a 911 customer.”

According to Cabe, the industry standard is that for 90% of 911 calls, there is a truck immediately ready to pull out the front door and answer that call. Cabe said he has to be very careful not to interfere with that standard.

“We have actually declined some transfers, out-of-town transfers to some of our facilities for non-emergency transports,” said Cabe. “Occasionally, we have been declining some of those because we’ve been short of resources, or we know that the timeframe somewhere is going to put us short here with our 911 calls …. Our primary responsibility is 911. That is our primary customer base. We are the only option for those folks to call for us to come.”

Calls for emergency service in Macon County rose by about 11% from 2019 to 2022. Currently, the county is short six staff members, or about 12% of full-time staff. The EMS department has four people going through orientation, one

of which is interested in a full-time career.

“It’s not just us, it’s EMS systems across the area and that’s part of the reason we’re here,” said Cabe.

Regional Transport — which is the biggest transport system out of Mission Hospital and whose only business is doing interfacility transfers — doesn’t operate a truck out of Franklin anymore due to staffing issues.

“So one trip to Mission, one trip to Atlanta, we’re down to our minimums. The longer that truck is out of town and out of pocket, that puts us at risk of not being able to meet our chute times — the time [it takes] me to come to you as a 911 customer.”

— Warren Cabe, Macon County Emergency Services Director

Despite the problems the department is facing, Cabe is optimistic. In October, the average response time from the moment someone dialed 911 until the ambulance and EMS workers were pulling out, was 2.28 minutes. However, there were two calls that had response times of 10 minutes and one with a response time of 26 minutes. While 10 or 20 minutes may not sound like a lot, Cabe noted how large Macon County is. If EMS is servicing people in Mulberry or Telico or Ledford Branch, they’ve got up to a 25-minute drive to get to those people, on top of whatever time it took to respond to the call.

On its last payroll, EMS had 27 people on its part-time lists. However, several of those are retired and others have a second job. Of those 27 part-time employees, 15 worked the last pay period and the department still had to use full-time staff to cover shifts.

Even while Cabe made his presentation to commissioners during their Nov. 14 meeting, EMS was short on staff.

“From about 5:30 tonight until 10 o’clock, we’re down to two trucks in Franklin because of staffing. That gives us four to manage the system,” said Cabe.

Where this hurts the county is, if one truck leaves the city limits of Highlands, to go down to Blue Valley or Horse Cove, EMS has to float a truck from Franklin to Highlands to cover downtown Highlands.

“If something happens up there, we can’t get there from [Franklin] quickly,” said Cabe.

The same process happens when a truck has to be transported out of Nantahala.

“I’m not telling you the system is broken. We’ve had some issues. We’re seeing some of the same issues that these other counties are having, some of it for a little different reason,” said Cabe. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I don’t know, I’m not sure where we’re going to come out of this.”

The department is currently working on a new ad campaign with NC Works to try and recruit new employees. They are also working with the school system to recruit out of the career and technical education programs.

Additionally, the department is in the position to make contingent offers to potential employees who are willing to go through the educational requirements.

“Years ago, when I first started, that didn’t happen,” said Cabe. “You waited until somebody retired or something until you got a job and that’s not the case anymore.”

Burn bans lift and wildfires wind down following rain

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR

Burn bans have been lifted and wildfires contained after steady rains Tuesday, Nov. 21, put a pause in a relentless drought that has been growing since an abnormally dry weather pattern emerged in September.

The N.C. Forest Service lifted its ban on 30 western counties Wednesday, Nov. 22, prompting numerous other agencies to lift similar bans of their own. Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties, which had all implemented local bans to complement the state ban, also lifted their burn bans Nov. 22, as did the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, where backcountry campfires had been prohibited.

However, fire danger is not merely a thing of the past. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, campfires are still banned throughout the park, and a ban on backcountry campfires remains in effect for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The most recent drought map, based on data gathered through 8 a.m. Nov. 21, shows worsening drought conditions in the state. U.S. Drought Monitor map

— with the list now including Burke, Jackson, Lincoln, Swain, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Graham, Henderson, Macon, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties. Meanwhile, 40 counties, including Haywood and Buncombe, are in severe drought and 27 are in moderate drought. An additional 16

The most recent drought map, based on data through 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, showed worsened conditions compared to the previous week, but those categorizations excluded much of the precipitation that came with last week’s rain, just after the data cutoff. Currently, 13 western counties are in extreme drought — up from nine in the previous map

Arson investigations follow some wildfires

Arsonists were responsible for some of the wildfires first responders have battled over the past month, with one arrest made and multiple investigations ongoing.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has put out a call for information that could help identify those responsible for the arson believed to be the cause of the Rich Mountain Fire, which was reported around 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, near Cades Cove. Thanks to firefighters working through the night and rain finally falling Nov. 21, the fire was 100% contained at 6 acres within two days of starting.

“Intentionally setting fires in the park, except in designated rings or picnic areas, is always illegal and is extremely dangerous, especially under the extreme weather conditions we saw this week,” Boone Vandzura, Chief Ranger of Resource and Visitor Protection, said in a press release issued at the time.

counties are abnormally dry. While last week’s rain helped halt the drought’s progression, it didn’t do much to beat it back. “Typically, rain for this time a year is about an inch a week,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of Drought Management Advisory Council. “If we get an inch and a half, it could help, but may not improve conditions dramatically.”

According to data from the National Weather Service, Cullowhee received 0.91 inches of rain last week, Franklin 1.05 inches, Oconaluftee 1 inch and Asheville 0.78 inches — substantial, but not enough to reverse the drought. So far this November, Cullowhee has received only 1.22 inches of its normal 3.73 inches, Franklin 1.34 of its normal 3.71 inches, Asheville 0.93 of its normal 3.33 inches and Oconaluftee 1.4 of its normal 3.73 inches.

The deficits worsen substantially when looking at total rainfall since the start of September. The Pigeon, Swannanoa and Lumber rivers all hit record low monthly streamflow levels last week.

This means that a return to dry conditions could cause fire season to resume. Adrianne Rubiaco, fire public affairs specialist for the Forest Service, termed last week’s rain a “slowing event” rather than a “season-ending event.”

Forecasters hope to see the drought reverse soon, with the incoming El Niño weather pattern likely to bring a wet winter. However, no big impacts are expected until January, Albertin said. The rain didn’t end the drought, but it was certainly enough to help crews contain the thousands of acres of wildfire that were burning before it came. The U.S. Forest Service gave its last update for the Collett Ridge Fire in Cherokee County and the Black Bear Fire in Haywood County on Nov. 22, at which time the Collett Ridge Fire was 100% contained at 5,505 acres and the Black Bear Fire was 79% contained at 1,888 acres.

Nevertheless, more than 100 firefighters remained on the scene Thanksgiving Day, spending a day traditionally reserved for family, food and football working to ensure the Black Bear Fire remained contained.

“We know it can be difficult to be away from loved ones during the holidays,” read a Facebook post from the U.S. Forest Service. “We hope you know how grateful we, on the Pisgah National Forest, and our communities are for your hard work and dedication.”

The National Park Service is asking anyone with information that could help identify those responsible for the arson to submit a tip. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and a financial reward is available for validated tips. A white truck seen at the Rich Mountain Trailhead around 10 a.m. Nov. 20 could have been involved, or its occupants may have seen something that could assist with the investigation. To submit a tip, call or text, 888.653.0009, visit go.nps.gov/submitatip or email nps_isb@nps.gov.

The origin of the Rich Mountain Fire is not the only instance of alleged arson the park saw Nov. 20. At 11 a.m. that day, a construction crew working on Lakeview Drive near Bryson City said they witnessed a woman set two fires to grass and brush on the road shoulder.

The fires were both quickly extinguished before they could grow. National Park Service rangers arrested the woman, and charges are being filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. She received two Central Violations Bureau citations, one for Creating a Hazardous Condition and another for Lighting a Fire in an Undesignated Area, which will require a court appearance, said a Department of Justice spokesperson. The park has not released the woman’s name, which is also not yet available on public court documents..

According to the Cherokee National Forest, the 103-acre Bullet Fire in Monroe County, Tennessee, and the 573-acre Buck Bald Fire in Polk County, Tennessee, are also being investigated as arson.

The region’s largest wildfire, the Collett Ridge Fire in Cherokee County, started following a lightning strike, while the Black Bear Fire in Haywood County was sparked by a tractor-trailer accident on Interstate 40. The 434-acre Poplar Drive Fire in Henderson County was determined to be caused by a debris fire that got out of hand.

— Holly Kays, Outdoors Editor

Macon signs resolution to restructure commission elections

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Macon County Commissioners are divided over a resolution in support of revising the system to elect county commissioners in order to allow for two at-large members.

“This has been something I’ve talked about for a number of years. I’ve brought it up before previous boards and it was shot down,” said Chairman Paul Higdon.

Since 1978, the five-member board of commissioners has been elected from three districts with a single member elected from district one, which includes Ellijay, Flats, Highlands and Sugarfork, a single member from district three, which includes Burningtown, Cartoogechaye, Cowee and Nantahala, and three members with staggered terms from district two, which includes Iotla, Millshoal, North Franklin, East Franklin, South Franklin, Union and Smithbridge.

As a result of this structure, potential candidates from district two are eligible to file for election every two years, while potential candidates from the single-member districts one and three may only file for election every four years.

“In order to provide equal opportunity to all eligible citizens of Macon County to run for commissioner every two years, the Macon County Board of Commissioners believes that the best method would be for the election of one member from each of the three districts, with two at-large members with staggered terms,” the resolution reads.

In order for the election system to

fair,” said Antoine. “Because in our district, somebody can run every two years, but for the both of you [Shearl and Higdon], that locks that in for four years. No one can do anything for four years.”

“It is very unfair the way commissioners are elected,” said Shearl. “Through this whole process, the state legislative body can introduce a local bill without any action of this board. This is a very unfair election process to the citizens of Macon County.”

Young added that while he doesn’t have a problem with the state looking into fair measures for Macon elections, he wanted to hear input from residents in Highlands and Nantahala.

“I think it’s going to hurt both of them,” said Young. “Highlands is the largest tax revenue we have in Macon County, and I feel like they need representation that’s local to Highlands. The way it’s presented right here, I would very likely represent Highlands.”

change, the North Carolina General Assembly would have to pass a local bill designating the change for the county.

If the change were made, it would take effect beginning in the 2026 election cycle. At that time there would be two members up for election in district two, and one of those seats would become an at-large seat.

Chairman Higdon made a motion to approve the legislation and send it to the house of representatives for review and “hopefully a local bill.” Commissioner John Shearl seconded his motion.

Commissioner Gary Shields voiced his opposition to the resolution.

“I like the system we have now,” said Shields.

Commissioner Josh Young said that while he is in favor of working toward making the election fairer, he thinks the board should hear public input on the resolution.

Young occupies one of the three seats representing district two, two of which would become the at-large seats. If a bill were to pass in the manner that the resolution requests, Highlands would still have local representation — one commissioner elected solely by the votes of people living in district one. There would also still be one commissioner elected only from voters living in district two and another elected only from voters in district three. However, the remaining two seats would be elected based on votes from the entire county, rather than a specific district.

The reason that there are currently three commissioners representing district two and only one representative from each of the other districts is the higher population in district two.

“Through this whole process, the state legislative body can introduce a local bill without any action of this board. This is a very unfair election process to the citizens of Macon County.”

— John Shearl, commssioner

“Before we print a bill and sign it to Raleigh, I feel like it’s my duty to at least ask for public involvement and get consideration from the public before I pass this thing,” said Young. “I do see where you’re going, and I do like that. So, I want to make sure it’s clear I’m not trying to run off the rails here, but I feel like I want to really go through this [with public input].”

Commissioner Danny Antoine also voiced his support for the resolution but seconded Young’s opinion that a resolution like this should not move forward until the board receives public input.

“The way it’s set up right now, it’s not

“This right here is saying that we recognize an unfair setup in Macon County, would you please look into this,” said Shearl. “That’s basically what this resolution is saying. We can’t do it; the state has to do it on local business.”

Commissioners Higdon, Shearl and Antoine voted in favor of the resolution; Commissioners Young and Shields voted against. At the same meeting the board voted on a resolution to change another election in Macon County, to make the school board a partisan election. That resolution was tabled because commissioners wanted input from both the public and the school board.

Cherokee man arrested in cold case murder

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Nearly a decade after 26-year-old Marie Walkingstick Pheasant’s body was found in a burned-out vehicle in Cherokee’s Big Cove community, her husband Ernest Dwayne Pheasant, 46, has been arrested for her murder.

arrest or conviction.

“Ten years ago, our community was shaken by her tragic death, with her family and friends left with questions unanswered,” Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a Facebook post the day of Pheasant’s arrest. “It is our sincerest hope that this development will help give her family closure and bring justice for Marie.”

Pheasant’s death was a devastating tragedy to her family and community, but it was not an isolated incident. Rather, it was the symptom of a nationwide epidemic  of missing and murdered indigenous women.

The Cherokee Indian Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs arrested Pheasant on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Court documents accuse Pheasant of placing his hands around his wife’s neck, strangling her to death, on or about Dec. 28, 2013. In an effort to destroy evidence of his crime, Pheasant then burned her body inside of her vehicle between Dec. 28 and the morning of Dec. 29, police allege.

That’s where she was found on Dec. 29, the day her obituary lists as her day of death.

Pheasant allegedly went even further to cover up his wrongdoing. In a conversation at the Pizza Inn in Cherokee on Dec. 30, 2013, he allegedly approached another person to establish an alibi to account for the timeframe during which Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was murdered.

If Pheasant is convicted of murder, it won’t be the first time. In a federal case dating back to 1998, Pheasant pled to seconddegree murder and was sentenced on June 2, 1999, to nine years and two months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, which began on Feb. 23, 2007. Less than three months later, he was in front of a judge again on a probation violation that ended with a new prison sentence. The Federal Bureau of Prisons shows he was last released from custody on May 30, 2008. In these filings, Pheasant’s middle name is spelled slightly differently — “Duane” instead of “Dwayne” — but a spokesperson from the Cherokee Indian Police Department said it was the same person.

For these alleged actions, Pheasant is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with witnesses, tampering with evidence and domestic violence and dating violence. He is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. All six charges are felonies.

“I would like to thank the joint relationship of all agencies involved,” said Chief of Police Carla Neadeau. “This is a step towards closure for the family.”

At the time of her death, Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was the mother of two young children. She was a “quiet, sweet, loving girl” whose death devastated the family, her aunt Diane Wolfe told The Smoky Mountain News in a 2022 interview. Law enforcement had long suspected that there were people in the community who knew the identity of the guilty party but decided not to come forward. At the time of Ernest Pheasant’s arrest, a $50,000 reward had been issued for information leading to an

According to a 2016 National Institute of Justice Research Report,  more than four in five Native American women have experienced violence in their lifetime, over half have experienced sexual violence and the majority have been victims of physical violence at the hands of intimate partners. Native women are 1.7 times more likely than White women to have experienced violence in the past year. In some counties, they face murder rates more than 10 times the national average.

Marie Walkingstick Pheasant’s story was one of the cases that spurred a trio of Cherokee women to start the We Are Resilient Podcast, highlighting the stories of missing and murdered indigenous women, in 2021. Following Pheasant’s arrest, the hosts put out a statement expressing gratitude to

Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was just 26 years old and the mother of two when she was murdered in 2013.

the law enforcement, listeners and community members who kept her case alive and brought her alleged killer to justice.

“Many of these cases go unsolved and families never get any answers,” the statement reads. “This arrest in Marie’s case proves that bringing awareness to the issues around MMIW and continuing to say our stolen sisters’ names will bring change.”

While Pheasant’s arrest brings hope to those frustrated by the disproportionate violence and lack of justice Native women face, hers is not the only unresolved case leaving a family in need of answers.

“We must continue to amplify the stories of Indigenous women and girls who are impacted by violence and honor their memory and legacy, and we must continue to stand in solidarity and take action to end the violence against Indigenous women and girls,” Hicks said.

Per cap numbers indicate faltering casino revenues

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

The most recent per capita distribution numbers indicate flagging revenues at the two casinos operating on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians lands in Jackson and Cherokee counties. The December payment will come in 14.1% lower than the December 2022 distribution, with the combined June and December distributions for 2023 8.6% lower than in 2022.

All tribal members receive these per capita payments as shareholders in the tribe’s casino enterprise. They’re not a perfect reflection of casino profits, as the number of shareholders is slightly different at each distribution, but they’re a good indicator.

After taking a hit in 2020, per capita distributions surged in 2021 and 2022, with the 2022 total 23.8% higher than the total just three years earlier in 2019. While both 2023 distributions came in higher than 2019 distributions, they were worth less when factoring in inflation and lower than the corresponding payments released in 2022.

These results contrast with the American gaming industry as a whole, which this year saw the best third quarter on record, according to the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The total is up 6.1% year-over-year and represents the 11th straight quarter of annual revenue growth.

“All in all, we’ve maintained market share pretty well, not just in Jackson County but in the mountain region,” he said. “A lot of my colleagues I’ve talked with are experiencing the same trends, which is really positive considering all those external factors I mentioned affecting travel, period.”

The forces shaping travel trends in Western North Carolina are different from those shaping travel to the large

However, the downturn in per capita payments aligns with regional tourism trends. After seeing jawdropping tourism revenues in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, this year tourism agencies across the region are seeing a decline, said Jackson County Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Nick Breedlove.

Inflation, the potential for a recession, increased interest rates from the Fed and more travel choices as the world reopens post-COVID have all played a role, he said. Jackson County budgeted for a 10% decline in revenue this fiscal year. So far this calendar year, revenues have fallen about 7.2% compared to last year.

cities where many commercial casinos are located. Large cities tend to depend on convention business to fill their hotel rooms, Breedlove said.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos in Cherokee and Murphy are also facing additional pressures, in the form of increased competition.

New casinos now have temporary facilities up and running in Kings Mountain near Charlotte and Bristol, Virginia. The Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain opened in July 2021 and currently offers 1,000 gaming machines and a sportsbook, while the Bristol Casino — Future Home of Hard Rock opened in July 2022 with 900 slots, 29 table games, two restaurants, a bar and a sportsbook.

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation

names new executive director

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation announced that Charlotte Muir has been appointed as its new executive director. The announcement comes following an extensive nationwide search conducted by the Succession Planning Committee and approval from the Board of Directors. The Succession Planning Committee received more than 60 applications from candidates across the country for the execu-

tive director position. Over the past six months, the committee conducted a rigorous and thorough process of reviewing these applications and holding multiple stages of interviews with numerous well-qualified candidates.

Muir comes to the Health Foundation after serving as the executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation since 2018. Her accomplishments include significant

Both casinos are working to finish more impressive permanent facilities. The Bristol casino aims to open its new facility in summer 2024, while Catawba Two Kings is in a more complicated situation. In December, the National Indian Gaming Commission issued notices of violation to the Catawba Nation and developer Sky Boat Gaming, saying that Sky Boat had too much ownership control and authority over the project. The Catawba Nation is now working on a deal with Sky Boat to gain back control and satisfy NIGC requirements before it proceeds with a planned $700 million casino resort.

Meanwhile, the EBCI is working on an expansion of its own. In September 2022, ground broke on a $275 million project at the Valley River Casino in Murphy that will double the size of the existing hotel and add 25,000 square feet to the gaming floor, a 1,700-stall parking garage, 12,000square-foot rooftop restaurant, indoor pool and fitness center. That project is scheduled to be complete in early 2024. The tribe is also involved in numerous other business enterprises aiming to diversify its revenue streams. These include casinos in Danville, Virginia, and Elizabeth, Indiana, a horse racing track in Kentucky and a series of Sports Illustrated Resorts branded destinations.

While per capita amounts have historically been publicly available, this may be the last time that happens, Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a Facebook post Nov. 2. The tribe is working to develop an online portal that will house information about per capita payments and tribal finances, accessible only to tribal members.

“As we navigate the changing landscape in gaming around us and move forward with new ventures, Tribal leadership aims to remain fiscally responsible while protecting the tribe’s resources,” Hicks said.

Representatives for Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos, Bristol Casino and Catawba Two Kings Casino declined to answer questions for this story.

growth of the donor base and annual gifts, expanding programs with the Highlands Nature Center, cultivating new board members and stakeholders and growth and development of the staff. Prior to the Highlands Biological Foundation, Muir served as the Theatre Director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center and Vail Valley Foundation and Program Manager of the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I am thrilled to join the Health Foundation team,” said Muir. “Having witnessed firsthand the profound impact they’ve made on our community since 2019, I am

incredibly honored for the opportunity to lead this organization alongside such a strong board of directors and staff. The Health Foundation’s unwavering commitment to our region ensures that we are set to reach even greater heights in our mission to enhance health and wellness within our community.”

As executive director, Muir will be responsible for staff and operational management of the Health Foundation. Her duties will also include development, strategic planning with the Board of Directors and creating collaborative relationships across communities.

4

No county property for proposed Franklin Social District

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Without discussion or stated reasoning, Macon County commissioners decided not to allow Franklin to use county property for its proposed social district.

“We feel good that we’re not going to lose control, and it will actually be a benefit to the town and the community,” said Franklin Councilman David Culpepper.

Per legislation enacted in 2021, a social district allows for consumption of on-street and outdoor consumption of alcohol under controlled parameters. Those include a specific and delineated geographic area where the alcohol may be consumed and the requirement that it was sold by a participating ABC-permitted establishment. The social district must have signage indicating where people are allowed to drink alcohol, which businesses are participating and during what times the social district is active. The district must also have branded cups that are permitted outdoors. There are currently 38 municipalities that have social districts in the state with Sylva being the closest one to Franklin.

“A big concern in Sylva was having to have increased police presence, and that has turned out to not come true. They’re not having any impact on their downtown police force.”

— David Culpepper, Franklin Councilman

In October, the Franklin Town Council voted to move forward with a potential social district and instructed Town Manager Amie Owens to start the process. The proposed district area would run from Town Hall down both sides of Main Street to the intersection of Porter Street to include Lazy Hiker Brewing. Stewart Street and the connection alleyway, Phillips Street where it connects Stewart to Main, Iotla Street to the alleyway at Crabtree General Store, the brick area adjacent to the courthouse, and both Gazebo and Clock Tower squares were all set to be included in the social district.

According to town documents, the rationale for inclusion of the area adjacent to the courthouse is due to Las Margaritas being part of the same plaza and “individuals may wish to take their drinks with them and then would need to be able to connect to the social district.” Both Gazebo and Clock Tower Squares are natural connectors from Iotla Phillips Streets and offer multiple seating options.

Town Hall is part of the district for the public restroom access, but alcohol would not be allowed in any other part of the Town

Hall building, parking areas or lawn.

The proposed hours of operation are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. At all other times, unless a permit has been obtained for a special event, consumption of alcohol on sidewalks and in public areas would still be prohibited. The goal of the social district is to attract citizens and visitors to the downtown leading to increased foot-traffic and provide new revenue opportunities for restaurants and retail establishments. Also, to develop new opportunities for social events such as festivals, music and food trucks.

Because the town leases the gazebo from the county and the lease agreement states that alcohol consumption is not allowed on the property, the town needed to get county approval to amend the lease. Additionally, Clock Tower Square is county property and the county needed to approve its use in the social district.

At the Nov. 14 meeting of the Macon County Commissioners, Manager Owens and Councilman Culpepper made a presentation about the proposed social district and requested use of the county properties.

“This wasn’t done with no reservations from the town council,” said Culpepper. “We had the folks from Sylva come over and actually talk to us about social districts. Of course, the concerns, drunk people laying in the street was the first red flag that came up. People expressed those concerns, and we feel confident that this is not what that is.”

Commissioner Gary Shields asked about costs to create the social district. Owens said that the only costs associated with the social district include signage and purchasing the branded cups that people can use within the district.

“A big concern in Sylva was having to have increased police presence, and that has turned out to not come true,” Culpepper told the board. “They’re not having any impact on their downtown police force.”

“This is a big hurdle, obstacle, step, whichever you wish to refer to it as, because if you can’t have alcohol in the two main squares, then the only place anybody would be able to sit would be on the sidewalk,” said Owens during the discussion with commissioners.

Town businesses including Lazy Hiker, Gracious Plates and Slanted Windows have all been advocates of the social district.

Due to a lack of motion from any county commissioner, the item was tabled.

Commissioners did not discuss the social district or the use of county property; however, Chairman Paul Higdon took the opportunity of having representatives from town present to air his concerns about the side-

walk situation downtown, and what he called “the sorry excuse we have for a curb on Main Street.”

“We have got to do something from the Funeral Home to the top of town hill,” said Higdon. “Part of that is controlled by the county, and you and I have gone over this more than once, part of it is controlled by the town. We have got to come together.”

Higdon asked County Manager Derek Roland to bring a proposal before the board of commissioners that includes a proposed design and budget for downtown property

including both town and county property.

“I’m inviting y’all to join us to see what we can do from the funeral home to the top of town hill with our streets — handrails, designated ingress, egress down to the street,” said Higdon. “Whatever we need to do. I’m going to put Derek in charge of that and hopefully we can come to a resolution.”

Even without the county property there are still options for the social district. Both the gazebo property and Clock Tower Square can be marked off as part of the area where alcohol is not allowed.

“One of the main reasons I chose Habitat is how much love and support they give the community.”

– Future Habitat Homeowner Jessica Garnes

‘If I am still here in 11 more days …’

My birthday is tomorrow. When my dad reached this same age, he had 10 days left to live. I remember the day we lost him as well as I remember any other day of my life.

I was sitting there in my office, looking out the window at some birds lined up and shivering on a powerline. It was a cold, sunny Friday afternoon. I was thinking about my weekend plans and getting ready to leave when my mom called. And then my plans changed. That’s how life is, and how death is, too.

The night before, my dad was lying in bed smoking a cigarette when his heart exploded. I am sure he had plans of some kind for the next day. There were calls to make, Christmas to sort out. All of us are always in the middle of something. And then it’s over. So much left undone, unsaid. One thing about death is that it is most often appallingly uncinematic. Here, not here. Just like that. A magician’s trick that happened when we looked away for a split second.

“What happened?” That’s always the first question. There has never been a satisfactory answer for it.

My dad and I were different in some ways, but we also had a lot of things in common, including a fear of aging. The idea of being a burden to someone is terrifying. Especially the specter of losing one’s autonomy, the ultimate nightmare.

That day when you can’t drive anymore. Or when you can’t get in and out of the tub by yourself. For some people,

the very idea is unbearable.

My dad reacted to this fear by blazing out of this life like a meteor. He wouldn’t quit smoking, wouldn’t change his diet, wouldn’t listen to his doctors. He lived just as he wanted, stubbornly and fiercely independent to the very end. He understood what the consequences would be and put them in a bear hug anyway.

I chose a different path. I am hardly the picture of health, but I have been going to the gym five days a week for years. I especially like weightlifting.   I like the sound of putting plates on a bar. I like the feel of resistance as I push the weight. I like to see my muscles tighten up under the strain. I like the pump that follows. I have always liked the visceral qualities of it.  Vanity? Yes, of course. Ridiculous? Obviously. It’s just what I’ve come up with as a way of saying “not today” to aging until I think of something better.

I wish I could say that a certain accumulation of years amounts to currency you can use to purchase wisdom and contentment, but the only thing I have really noticed as a truism about aging that is widely agreed upon is how shocking and unsettling it is.

The physical changes come at you like creatures in a zom-

Can our democracy survive?

BY G LENN DUERR G UEST COLUMNIST

It’s clear from numerous reports out of Congress that most, if not all, Republicans think Donald Trump is a buffoon and an idiot. A few have said this in public (e.g., Mitt Romney, Liz Chaney, and Adam Kinzinger). Some have said he’s unfit for office. In an Atlantic magazine article about Mitt Romney by McKay Coppins (excerpts from his book, “Romney: A Reckoning”), he says that Romney’s most surprising discovery upon entering the Senate was that “Almost without exception, they shared my (unfavorable) view of the president.” In public they supported Trump, but in private they rolled their eyes at his antics. One senior Republican senator frankly admitted, “He has none of the qualifies you would want in a president, and all of the qualities you wouldn’t.” Romney was ostracized by his Republican colleagues because he had the temerity to call out the abuses of Trump when fellow senators held their tongues. In private they would confess to him that, “I sure wish I could do what you do.” Or, “Gosh, I wish I had the constituency you have.” Romney’s patience grew thin after too many of these private confessions and he came up with a go-to response: “There are worse things than losing an election. Take it from someone who knows.”

It’s noteworthy that Romney has been isolated in the Republican Party just a decade after he was his party’s presidential nominee. Has Romney changed his positions on critical

issues (i.e., taxes, immigration, the deficit, small government, national defense, unions, etc.)? No. The Republican Party has changed. It’s clear Republicans have resorted to supporting a populist leader irrespective of the issues. They support the Party of Trump, at least publicly. This is the foundation of a cult following that feeds on unquestioned loyalty to ‘fearless leader’ no matter what he espouses. This is the antithesis of a democracy.

The legal foundations of our country are being tested as they haven’t since the Civil War. The framers of the Constitution didn’t spell out every possible permutation of governance relying on the separation of powers that, theoretically, would moderate any power play by a demagogue. They expected that the more moderate influences in power would block these efforts, too. But we now have a situation where fear (of losing elections, or even of personal or family harm) is driving the behavior of many, if not most, Republicans in Congress. When the majority is held hostage to the minority (of one in Trump’s case), democracy is imperiled. When a fair and accurate election is rejected by a sizable minority after countless legal challenges, this bedrock of democracy is in question. When Romney has to hire security at $5,000 a day to protect his family, we have to wonder if constitutional democracy will hold up.

This situation is not all that unusual in world history. It’s hard to maintain a healthy, functioning democracy since it runs so counter to human nature. Otherwise, we’d have

bie movie. Every day when you wash your face in the mirror, there’s a few more wrinkles, a few less hairs. You’re different around the eyes. What’s going on with your neck? The relentlessness of it is maddening.

There at your bathroom mirror, you are surrounded by an army of pills, creams, pastes and potions to fend off this invasion as long and as well as you can. There are clippers and snippers, loofahs and sponges, files and tweezers, all manner of weapons. But still they come, day after day, the age zombies.

The mental part may be even worse. A lot of things you used to remember as easily as drinking water from a glass are now somehow no longer quite so simple. Memories are fragmented. Or distorted. Or locked away in a safe with a combination you can’t quite recall.

You have forgotten how to do a few things. You lose track of other things. Your car keys. That book you started a few days ago. Friends you meant to call. Sometimes you are not sure whether you’ve fed the dog.

You know what? Who cares? You’re still here, and so am I. We’re in it together.

Tomorrow is my birthday. If I am still here in 11 more days, I will write my dad a love letter. Wish you were here. We may still have some cake left.

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

seen many more of them by now. In “Tyranny of the Minority,” Steve Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt explore how 20th century democracies have succeeded or failed based on an analysis of their governing styles. From Spain in the 1920s, to France and Germany in the 1930s, they distill how politicians exploit ambiguities and loopholes in laws that distort or subvert the very purpose for which the laws were written. They identify four ways this can happen: Exploiting gaps, excessive or undue use of the law, selective enforcement, and lawfare (laws that target opponents). They also identify “semi-loyal” democrats (the democracy type, not party Democrats) who pay lip service to the rules of law, but quietly assault them. “So when democracies die, their fingerprints are rarely found on the murder weapon. But make no mistake, semi-loyal politicians play a vital, if hidden, role in democratic collapse.” Romney clearly recognizes many of these “anti-democrats” in his party.

A large 1931 Rand McNally “histomap” hangs in Romney’s Senate office. The histomap attempts to chart the rise and fall of the

world’s most powerful civilizations through 4,000 years of human history. What struck Romney most about the map, according to McKay, was how thoroughly it was dominated by tyrants of some kind — pharaohs, emperors, kaisers, kings. “A man gets some people around him and begins to oppress and dominate others. It’s a testosterone-related phenomenon, perhaps. I don’t know. But in the history of the world, that’s what happens.”

He told McKay “This (democracy) is a very fragile thing. Authoritarianism is like a gargoyle lurking over the cathedral, ready to pounce.” For the first time in his life, McKay says, Romney was not sure if the cathedral would hold.

(Glenn Duerr lives in Waynesville.)

Five strings of fury

New book spotlights Haywood banjo legends

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

In the mid-1960s, when Bill Allsbrook was a med school student at Duke University in Durham, he decided to pick up the banjo.

“I messed with the banjo for about 15 minutes and realized this is impossible,” Allsbrook chuckled.

Skip ahead 40 years. Allsbrook finds himself at a dinner party a few doors down from his home in Waynesville. He overheard a conversation about one of the guests taking banjo lessons. And, for some unknown, perhaps intrinsic reason, Allsbrook felt the urge to give the five-string instrument another shot.

“And I took my first lesson just a few days later — I’ve enjoyed the banjo [ever since],” Allsbrook said. “I’m not a banjo aficionado by any stretch of the imagination. But, I’ve always liked it — there’s just something about it, the sound and the history.”

A self-proclaimed “profoundly mediocre” banjo player, Allsbrook became incredibly fascinated with the legend and lore of the five strings of fury. So much so, he dedicated the better part of the last decade to putting together the recently published book, “Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County.”

“The banjo is a happy instrument, a joyful instrument,” Allsbrook said. “Whether you’re playing it or listening it, the banjo always puts a smile on your face. It’s also a [conduit] for friendship and fellowship.”

The premise of the work is to explore and, perhaps, answer one simple, lingering question — why are so many banjo greats from Haywood County? Names like Carroll Best, Marc Pruett, Steve Sutton, Raymond Fairchild, French Kirkpatrick and so forth all hail from these mountains, with each possessing a distinct tone and style.

A retired professor of pathology and surgery (urology) at the Medical School of Georgia at Augusta University, Allsbrook, now 81 years old, took his skillset of analytical thought and attention to detail and placed it in the numerous melodic realms that banjo inhabits — folk, roots, old-time, mountain, bluegrass and country music.

With the initial seed to start research for what would become “Making Music” now planted, the real gas on the fire of the project came when Allsbrook befriended Haywood County banjo virtuoso Marc Pruett — a five-string master and Grammy-winner well known as a longtime/founding member of bluegrass icons and hometown heroes Balsam Range.

“It’s not so much that there’s ‘something in the water,’” Allsbrook said. “Yes, there’s an inordinate amount of banjo players in Haywood County. And there are many reasons for that — geographical isolation, in-home playing, sharing of the knowledge and a longstanding tradition of this instrument being played here.”

“Even for an outsider [like myself], Marc helped me any way he could, which was a blessing because, of course, [having Marc involved] gave the project credibility,” Allsbrook said. “Marc is a portal. He was able to help me identify, track down and interview banjo players [from around Haywood County].”

And for the next several years, Allsbrook would sit down banjo picker after banjo picker for an in-depth conversation about the instrument, its ancient allure and what it means for these musicians to carry the tradition headlong into the 21st century.

“The interviews would last an hour, hour-and-a-half,” Allsbrook recalled. “I really just wanted to document all of these people, their voices and this history they all share. At some point, there was so much information, I decided to turn everything into a book.”

Amid the 32 banjoists cataloged in the work, there’s also an

Fingers like lightning

A Haywood County banjo retrospective

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

ARTS & E

NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

Editor’s Note: Since first rolling into Haywood County in August 2012 to start work as the arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News, Garret K. Woodward has been extensively documenting banjo players around our backyard. The following is an excerpt from a previous SMN feature on the late banjo great Raymond Fairchild.

Want a copy?

If you’d like to purchase a copy of ‘Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County,” you can find the work at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville and City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Copies are also available online at amazon.com.

extensive historical overview of the instrument. The history stretches back to the banjo’s African origin, onward to its transition into American culture via the slave trade. From there, the banjo intersected with the Scotch-Irish ballads of Southern Appalachia carried over by early European pioneers who appeared in these mountains centuries ago.

Once those factors previously mentioned were put into motion, so, too, emerged American folk/roots music — a sonic tone and approach that would eventually parlay itself into the “high, lonesome sound” of bluegrass and country music. To note, many banjoists and music aficionados in Haywood County and greater Southern Appalachia refer to bluegrass “as nothing more than mountain music.”

“And I think I was able to answer my initial question about the banjo and its place in Haywood County,” Allsbrook said. “Although there are many factors involved in why so many great banjo players are from here, what remains is that the banjo is a cherished part of the long history and continued traditions in this region.”

Can’t keep a good man down: Banjo legend Raymond Fairchild on turning 80, a life in music (06/06/2019)

Though his fingers seemingly wrap around a walking cane more than his trusty banjo these days, Raymond Fairchild remains one of the finest musicians who ever picked up the five-string acoustic instrument — alive or six feet under.

“I just count myself another mountain

picker. I don’t think I’m no better than anybody else, but I think I’m as good as any of’em — that’s the legacy,” Fairchild said with his trademark grin. “When they ask me when

I’m going to retire, I say when somebody comes along and beats me at picking the banjo — and they said, ‘you’ll never retire.’”  Fairchild is sitting in a chair in front of the Maggie Valley Opry House, which he and his wife, Shirley, have owned and operated for 33 years. Fairchild himself recently turned 80, but shows no signs of slowing down, even with a performance schedule at the Opry House that hovers around seven nights a week in the summer months.

“The Opry House is a like a second home. I’ve about quit the road and that gives people a chance to come see me here, you know?

S EE LIGHTNING, PAGE 23

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Hello from the nearly empty bar counter of the Vail House Oyster Bar & Grille on the outskirts of downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina — a city seemingly forgotten by the sands of time and 21st century progress elsewhere.

It’s 1:31 p.m. I’m currently watching college football (Texas A&M vs. LSU) while awaiting the completion of my wheel alignment for my truck across the street at Precision Tune Auto Care. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. My girlfriend, Sarah, and I are trying to make the best out of a somewhat bust of an early holiday season, truth be told.

Sarah is from Goldsboro. Well, actually, the nearby unincorporated community of Grantham. But, most folks (all folks) have never heard of Grantham. It’s one stop light, old homes and vast farmland. It also is home to an elementary school and gas station that deceive the passerby motorist — two buildings that may look deserted, but there are people still inhabiting both.

And, since this past July, Sarah and I have motored down to Grantham to visit her father. Just about once-a-month. He’s terminally ill with brain cancer and has been in hospice since around Halloween. Thus, for Sarah, it’s heavy, hard and heartfelt each time we pack up my truck and venture east-by-southeast some five hours.

It’s wild, you know? These places you’ve never heard of or never, ever thought in a million years would become a fixture or fixed destination in your travels and/or GPS, more so continued existence on this earth. Goldsboro and Grantham. Never heard of’em until Sarah came into my life. Not even a blip on the radar.

our Waynesville apartment to the Grantham cabin, I noticed that the steering wheel of my beloved Toyota Tacoma was a couple clicks off and to the right. A definite signal of a muchneeded wheel alignment. Shit. I just got the truck back from the mechanic for a tire replacement and it’ll be back in there for new brakes comes Tuesday.

But, with the Tacoma at the core foundation of my journalistic livelihood and it (the pickup) being my vehicle — literally and figuratively — for all things beautiful and true, all people and places in the name of curiosity and discovery, it’s of the utmost importance to ensure the 4x4 is in tiptop shape for any and all road endeavors.

So, why did the Tacoma need a wheel alignment? Funny you should ask. Last Sunday afternoon, a motorcycle slammed into the back of my parked automobile. Yeah, that happened. In broad daylight. Thankfully, there was another car driving by who phoned 911 when they witnessed the accident in real time.

Me? I was out jogging around downtown Waynesville as I do most days of the week as the local residents and tourists alike have come to realize over my 11-plus years here in Haywood County. Nearing sunset, the plan that Sunday was to wait for Sarah to get off work on Main Street and we’d hop in the truck for a nice end-of-the-weekend dinner in

Now? I can mostly drive from Waynesville to her father’s cabin in the backcountry of Wayne County without directions. I also know the best spot for a jerk chicken sandwich and seasoned fries in town. Just so happens to be a seafood restaurant. The Vail House.

Sure, I live and die for devouring the ocean’s bounty. But, today? Felt like some jerk chicken. Sit and wait for my truck to get off the mechanic’s rack, keys soon back in my hand. Hit the road to somewhere, anywhere. Looks like Texas A&M is up 24-14 on #14 LSU in the midst of the third quarter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

On the 327.6-mile door-to-door drive from

HOT PICKS

1

The second annual “Jingle Jam” will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, Dec. 2, at The Lineside, the new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.

2

The stage version of “The Nutcracker” featuring professional classical dances and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville's celebrated pre-professional company will be held Dec. 8-9 at the Bardo Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

3

The 48th annual Bryson City Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City.

4

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Santé Wine Bar in Sylva.

5

“Cowee Christmas” will begin at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Historic Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.

my truck and popping the driver’s rear tire. Sparing all of details, the driver was OK and there was minimal damage to my truck. Couple scratches and a busted tire. He paid for the tire following its repair two days later. Shake hands and walk away. Skip ahead to today (Saturday) and here I still am, sitting at the Vail House, the truck in the shop across the street for a wheel alignment.

Over an hour waiting. My server took away the empty plate some 40 minutes ago. Sip your beverage and gaze up at the Texas A&M/LSU game for live action. LSU is slowing coming back. It’s now 24-21 A&M. Maybe once the Tacoma is back in order and Sarah has a free weekend, a trip down to the Bayou is in the crosshairs? Who knows? It’s all nothing and everything and something in-between.

Thus, the holidays are now underway. And so, too, is the weird, chaotic and rollickin’ unfolding of the next month or so — for me, you and the whole lot of us kind (and not-so-kind) souls pushing forth into the impending, unknown day.

Asheville, perhaps Mela or Vinnie’s.

As I finished my run on Walnut Street, nearing Hazel Street, I heard sirens. Turning the corner at Angelo’s Pizza, I saw a fire truck and two police cars in front of my house. One police officer was wandering around my front porch knocking on doors and such. I calmly yelled over to him: “Can I help you?” He replied “Yeah, is that your truck?” as he pointed to my Tacoma parked out front.

In the exact moment, I noticed an odd tilt to my truck, I also observed a nice Yamaha sport motorcycle behind it, the biker seemingly shook up and somewhat disoriented. I quickly put it together that the biker hit the nearby speedbump too fast, lost control of the bike and skidded out, the bike sliding under

To quote the late 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns from 1785, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” For yours truly? I just shake my head in awe, in complete awe and appreciation for life itself. All experiences — the good, the bad and the ugly — are all one thing, you dig? It’s all one thing.

And the only thing you (we) can do is see humor in everyday life, like sitting in an oyster house in some random southern city, where you order a chicken sandwich in an empty bar and wait patiently for the finalized wheel alignment of your truck, the result of a motorcycle hitting it while parked on a quiet residential street.

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

,9 0

Luxury, multi-generational dream home boasting 4 master bedrooms with private ensuites and second living quarters with separate kitchen, living area, bedroom, and laundry. Luxury RV pad with power, water, and septic on 600 ft of Tessentee Creek frontage. Vacation rentals allowed.

Travel will kill you, man,” Fairchild said. “I play Friday and Saturday up to Memorial Day. Then, I’m going to play seven nights a week when I can. See, I’m going to run the Opry House — it ain’t going to run me.”

If you’re unaware of who Raymond Fairchild is, you might be unaware that he’s regarded as one of the three all-time great banjoists in the history of bluegrass and mountain music, the other two being the late Earl Scruggs and the late Don Reno — a statement of merit made to Fairchild by the “Father of Bluegrass” himself, the late Bill Monroe.

“Bill Monroe told me that. Earl Scruggs told me that, too,” Fairchild smiled. “And when you say bluegrass, it’s Bill Monroe — the rest after Bill Monroe are just copycats. Bill Monroe was the true bluegrass man, and he’ll never be equaled — you don’t beat a man at his own game.”

Aside from the unique dexterity in Fairchild’s fingertips, what’s just as aweinspiring is the lightning-fast speed with which he plays such intricate and complicated melodies.

“It just comes from the way I learned, I guess — I always liked to play fast. Of course, I can’t play that fast now,” Fairchild modestly stated. “And another thing, it all depends on who’s behind you. If the backup men can’t get it, you

Raymond Fairchild was a WNC banjo legend who played the Grand Ole Opry. File photos

can’t either — they’ll drag you down.”

Gazing along the walls of the aging Opry House, there are numerous awards, including plaques signifying over two million records sold of Fairchild’s instrumental “Whoa Mule,” now a standard of traditional music. Right next to the stage, there’s also his award for induction into Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame (Bean Blossom, Indiana), an honor he received in 2015.

Within the 65 years he’s played professionally, one moment sticks out more than the rest — the first time Fairchild took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Fairchild reckons that initial appearance was somewhere around 1977 or 1978. No matter though, because it led to several other pickin’-n-grinnin’ sessions onstage at “The

Mother Church of Country Music.”

“A lot of people say their knees are shaking and they were nervous [being onstage at the Grand Ole Opry]. It didn’t bother me more than stepping out here [at the Maggie Valley Opry House],” Fairchild reminisced. “But, I knew it was the highest you were going to go in this type of music — when you stand in front of them WSM microphones.”

Want more?

For more of the Haywood County banjo retrospective from past SMN issues, go to smokymountainnews.com/arts. To contact Woodward, email garret@smokymountainnews.com.

Wakefield makes Scotsman debut

Singer-songwriter Andrew Wakefield will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.

Wakefield is an Asheville artist with an extensive and eclectic catalog of compositions ranging from guitar-driven bluegrass to folk, old-time, newgrass, rock, Americana, and more.

Boasting an exceptional knack for song-craft and a boundless passion for the guitar, Wakefield has fast become a local fixture, while word of his talent continues to spread throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Wakefield is also a contributing member of The Well Drinkers and a former member of Supper Break and Cynefin.

Career highlights include appearing at Merlefest, performing with Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, members of Billy Strings, Town Mountain, Fireside Collective, Songs From the Road Band, Jon Stickley Trio, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, George Clinton and Jeff Sipe, among others.

Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

Do you like Americana, wine?

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird In Hand will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Santé Wine Bar in Sylva.

The road less traveled has always been the way for husband and wife duo Bird In Hand. Bryan and Megan Thurman call the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina home and the region is directly reflected in their music. Bird In Hand is upbeat and new while still rooted in the traditions of American folk.

The two have played all over the Appalachian region, as well as across the country, and share an onstage chemistry that demands attention. They need to be seen live to understand the meaning of “Appalachian Thunder Folk.”

You can find their debut EP, “Due North,” online at birdinhandmusic.com. The show is free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.

On the wall

‘Spark of the Eagle Dancer’ extended

Western Carolina University is delighted to announce its recent exhibition “Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” will now be extended through June 28 in the Fine Art Museum at WCU in Cullowhee.

It is the museum’s hope that with the exhibition remaining open, it will give people in and around Western North Carolina and beyond the opportunity to experience one of the Fine Art Museum’s most visited exhibitions and allow people to be inspired by Wilson’s collection.

during his lifetime, focusing primarily on artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation and sovereign nations of the Southwest.

This exhibition brings together a selec-

In conjunction with the exhibition extension, the museum will also host a new program series titled “Spark Talks” that invites the WNC community to learn from exhibiting artists about their artwork, process, and the relationships they formed with Lambert Wilson. Dates will be announced shortly regarding this programming.

The exhibit features over 140 works of contemporary Native American art from the collection of one of Western North Carolina’s most notable art enthusiasts, the late Lambert Wilson.

He devoted his life to supporting and encouraging Native artists, amassed an extensive collection of over 6,000 objects

tion of baskets, pottery, carving, painting, photography, and more that tell the story of the relationships Wilson built and the impact that he made by dedicating himself to this remarkable collection.

“Spark of the Eagle Dancer” gives visitors a glimpse into this vast collection built over 47 years and features work by 83 artists of various tribal affiliations.

To learn more about the exhibition and reception, go to arts.wcu.edu/spark. The Fine Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Meadowlark gets the blues

Popular blues/folk singer-songwriter Heidi Holton will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in the Speakeasy Bar at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

Holton is turning heads with her unique take on one of America’s oldest popular musical traditions: the blues. She began young, leaving Murphy to play in rock bands in Athens, Georgia, and New Orleans before the blues called, and she answered.

She studied under the great Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna) and then disappeared to Alaska’s arctic interior to perfect her craft. She has then moved back to Murphy and is touring around the country.

The show is free and open to the public. For more information, go to meadowlarkmotel.com/events or call 828.9261717.

WCU student portfolio exhibition

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum will host its annual “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition” through Dec. 8 at the Fine Arts Museum on campus in Cullowhee.

This exhibition gives graduating students in the WCU School of Art and Design the opportunity to share their work with the wider community. Thirteen studio art majors will share their capstone projects in the fall 2023 semester.

Their art portfolios, which include paintings, sculpture, ceramics, installation art and other mediums, explore a wide range of topics from gun violence and vulnerability to gender expectations and perceptions of disabilities. Graphic design majors will hold a separate BFA Portfolio Exhibition during the spring 2024 semester.

The BFA program of the WCU School of Art and Design prepares emerging artists for a career or post-graduate study in art, design, or related disciplines. BFA students gain a foundation in observational drawing, 2D design, 3D design and art history, then select a studio emphasis to focus their area of study.

Studio art majors choose an emphasis in painting and drawing, ceramics, photogra-

phy, sculpture or print/book arts. Graphic Design majors explore communication design, interactive media, typography and motion design, all the while developing professional production skills.

During their final year in the program, BFA students enroll in the BFA Portfolio course, which focuses on professional development. Studio art majors work with the instructor to develop a resume or CV and learn about career options in the art field.

Students come away from the course with practical skills for writing artist statements, developing an Internet presence for their work and speaking publicly about their studio practice. Each student presents a final body of work for exhibition at the WCU Fine Art Museum inspired by their research or lived experiences.

A reception for the exhibit will be held from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Fine Arts Museum. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available at the reception. Free parking is available at the Bardo Arts Center parking lot at 199 Centennial Drive. Visit arts.wcu.edu/bfa2023 to learn more about the exhibition and reception. To see BAC’s full calendar of events, please visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS.

The Fine Arts Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

On the beat

‘Jingle Jam’ returns to Frog Level

Presented by REACH of Haywood County and Adamas Entertainment, the second annual “Jingle Jam” will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, Dec. 2, at The Lineside, the new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.

Featuring 12 bands and 12 hours of live music, the lineup includes rising Chicago-based funk/soul ensemble Sneezy and an array of Asheville and regional talent: indie/soul trio The Get Right Band, blues rocker Andrew Scotchie, psychedelic group Pink Beds, jam-rock outfit Arnold Hill and much more.

All proceeds from the event will benefit REACH of Haywood County, a 501c3 nonprofit aimed at helping and empowering victims and survivors of domestic violence, teen sexual abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking.

A special “Jingle Jam” kickoff event party will be held from 8-11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. The event will be headlined by Asheville indie/rockers Cloud Circuit.

Sponsors include The Smoky Mountain News, Frog Level Brewing and Singletree Heritage Kitchen. Sponsorships are still available for local businesses and residents alike. For more information, a full schedule of bands and/or to purchase tickets, go to reachofhaywood.org.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, go to blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host music bingo 7 p.m. Mondays, karaoke at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to coweeschool.org/music.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at the Farm” sessions on select weekends. For more information, go to oldedwardshospitality.com.

• First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host The Brasstown Ringers 5 p.m. Dec. 3 and Mountain Voices Community Chorus 7 p.m. Dec. 8. For details about upcoming handbell workshops or concerts, contact director Linda Sterrett at lkmsterrett@gmail.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” at 5:30 p.m. and “Jingle Jam” (12 bands/12 hours/$12) with Sneezy, The Get Right Band, Andrew Scotchie, Pink Beds and more from noon to midnight Dec. 2 (at The Lineside). Free and open to the

public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main St. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Whitewater Heathens Dec. 1, Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Dec. 2 and Rock Holler Dec. 8. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Lindsey Stirling 8 p.m. Dec. 9. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host a Sunday Bluegrass Residency noon to 2:30 p.m. and semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night w/Kirk” from 7-9 p.m. every Monday and Tina Collins (singer-songwriter) Nov. 25. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Tuesdays, trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Open Mic 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, an Old Time Jam 6:30

p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lineside at Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jingle Jam” (12 bands/12 hours/$12) with Sneezy, The Get Right Band, Andrew Scotchie, Pink Beds and more from noon to midnight Dec. 2. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to froglevelbrewing.com.

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Trivia Thursdays 6:30 p.m., Life Like Water (Americana) Dec. 1, Stomper Kitty Dec. 2, Heidi Holton (blues/folk) Dec. 8 and Len Graham (singer-songwriter) Dec. 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an “Open Mic w/Frank Lee” Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing Outpost (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.

ALSO:

• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) Dec. 3 and Ethan Johnson (singer-songwriter) Dec. 10. All shows begin at 3 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a “Celtic Jam” 2-5 p.m., Andrew Wakefield (singer-songwriter) Nov. 30, Cloud Circuit (indie/pop) Dec. 1, Celtic Road Jam 2 p.m. Dec. 2 and Funk Apocalypse Dec. 8. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Sarah Evans (country) 7 p.m. Dec. 2, The Collingsworth Family Christmas 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and Dailey & Vincent (Americana/bluegrass) Dec. 9. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host Appalachian Smoke (Americana/bluegrass) Dec. 16. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or go to stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Nov. 30, Nick Mac & The Noise Dec. 1, Carolina Freightshakers (rock/country) Dec. 2, Biscuits & Gravy Dec. 7, Zak Saltz Band Dec. 8 and Tricia Ann Band (country/rock) Dec 9. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.538.2488.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke w/Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.

On the street

‘Lights & Luminaries’ returns to Dillsboro Dec. 8-9. JCTDA photo

Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries’

The 40th annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 8-9 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro.

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter, and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios.

Each night, shops will stay open way into the night providing free refreshments, musicians and singers performing in individual shops. The sound of hooves will echo through the night with old-fashioned horse and buggy rides. With retail shops offering a variety of quality arts and crafts, unique gifts, clothing, gourmet foods and wine, and specialty Christmas items, the festival also provides a unique holiday shopping experience.

Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music will also be held on Front Street.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the festival is excited to introduce live musical performances to enhance the festive atmosphere. Grammy-nominated and bluegrass legend Darren Nicholson is set to perform Dec. 9, while the White Triplets will serenade festivalgoers on all four nights. For more information, call 828.586.1439 or go to dillsboronc.info.

ALSO:

• The 48th annual Bryson City Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City. Floats, marching bands, fire trucks, Santa & Mrs. Claus and much more. 828.488.3681 or greatsmokies.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host the “Christmas In The Mountains” arts and crafts show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Local vendors and more. Admission is free. stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• “Cowee Christmas” will begin at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Historic Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin. Holiday music, activities, and much more. For a schedule of events, go to coweeschool.org.

• “Winter Wonderland Nights” will be held Dec. 2 in Franklin. Downtown will feature living window displays of the holidays, live sounds of the season outdoors at the gazebo and inside stores, free holiday attractions (weather permitting), refreshments, hot cider, great sales from local merchants, and much more. The celebration will continue throughout the holidays in December. For more information, go to franklin-chamber.com.

• “Polar Express” train ride will resume rides on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.

Want to learn contra dancing?

There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Contra dance is considered the most accessible and sociable of all dances, with participants moving in two long facing lines or in groups, and with frequent partner changes. With its roots in the British Isles and France, contra dance has become a traditional American dance form.

No experience is needed to contra dance. All dances are taught. Beginners’ lessons start at 6:30 p.m., with dancing from 7-9 p.m. No need to bring a partner, but you’re welcome to do so.

You may also bring a closed water container and snack. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Masks are encouraged, but not required. Please don’t wear perfumes or strong scents.

Suggested donation of $10 per person, which helps pay for the musicians and callers for the evening. First-time attendees and children are admitted free. Caller will be Charlotte Crittenden, with live music by Late to the Party.

The event is produced by the Arts Council, Friends of Contra Dance in Macon County and the Macon County Public Library.

For more information, call 828.524.ARTS or email arts4all@dnet.net.

HCAC hosts ‘Small Works’

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.

The annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curated exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee.

With dozens of artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays, ways of celebrating, and ways of experiencing holidays.

from 5-7 p.m. at the HCAC gallery. Doyle, known for her vibrant and expressive watercolor paintings, will guide students through the process of creating their own

masterpiece. All materials will be provided. This class is open to all skill levels, from beginners to experienced painters. Registration for the class is now open and can be done through HCAC’s website.

HCAC also encouraged participants to create works that celebrate Appalachian heritage and craft.

A reception for the exhibit will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at Gallery & Gifts.

• Friday, Dec. 8: A creation class called “Cardinal in the Snow.” Joan Doyle will be leading a two-hour watercolor painting class

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, go to galleryzella.com or call 517.881.0959.

• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. For more information, email waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net or follow them on Facebook: Waynesville Photography Club.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from

• Saturday, Dec. 9: “Smoky Mountain Christmas Evening” from 5-8 p.m. The HCAC gallery will have a kids Creation Station and puppet demonstration by Richard Tichich. Enjoy live music and refreshments. Spend $25 or more at Haywood Handmade and get a free gift. For more information, go to haywoodarts.org.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information and a full schedule, go to haywoodarts.org.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, go to jcgep.org.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, go to southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, go to dogwoodcrafters.com/classes or call 828.586.2248.

Waynesville art walk, live music

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in downtown Waynesville.

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

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com.

On the stage

‘The Nutcracker’ will be at WCU Dec. 8-9. Donated photo

WCU presents ‘The

Nutcracker’

A magically festive, full-length stage version of “The Nutcracker” featuring professional classical dances and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated pre-professional company will be held at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Bardo Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Ballet Conservatory of Asheville (BCA) trains dancers to achieve their full potential by combining weekly technique classes, frequent master classes, and multiple performance opportunities.

Having crept downstairs at midnight on Christmas Eve to play with her new Nutcracker doll, a young girl is swept up in fantasies of toy soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic, and mystery. After saving her beloved Nutcracker from the King of Rats, she is whisked away to an enchanted land and dances the night away, meeting a host of enchanting and exotic characters.

The BAC Box Office is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and one-hour before performances.

Visit arts.wcu.edu/tickets to learn more about the event and purchase tickets. Tickets are $5 for WCU Students, $20 for WCU Faculty/Staff, $25 for adults, $15 for Students/Children (Non-WCU) and $20 for Senior Citizens.

To see BAC’s full calendar of events, please visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS.

On the table

ALSO:

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, go to waynesvillewine.com.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines.

Educational classes and other events are also available. For more information, call 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.

A modern twist on the ‘Christmas Carol’

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is likely as familiar to Americans as any other story on the planet. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present and Future, “Bah Humbug!” “God bless us, every one!”: all are embedded in our vernacular.

Beginning with a play performed just weeks after the novella’s publication in 1843, countless movies, television shows, cartoons, musicals, and other adaptations of the story have retold the story of this misanthropic miser and his conversion.

Now we can add Faith Moore’s witty and moving “Christmas Karol” (DW Books, 2023, 320 pages) to this company.

Karol Charles is a driven, high-powered attorney set on making money and a name for her firm, Charles and Jacobs. Her partner and good friend, Marley Jacobs, has died of cancer, but it was Marley who persuaded Karol of the truth of the mantra that now governs her life: the job makes the money, and the money buys things that make your family happy. Unfortunately, Karol is so intent on the money end that she is neglecting her family, artist and husband Beau and their children Annabel and Alfie, so much so that as the novel opens Karol’s heading out the door to a Christmas Eve emergency meeting she’s called at her office.

While at the office, Karol first feels the presence of the deceased Marley. When she sets off to meet a client who’s having a Christmas Eve supper with his family, Karol takes a tumble in the garden near Rockefeller Center. Awakening in a strange hospital, she encounters Marley, and then a little girl, the Spirit of Christmas Past, who is watching key events from Karol’s life on television. She next receives a visit from Santa Claus, the Spirit of Christmas present, and near the end of the story is granted a look at the wreckage left by her disregard for those who loved her.

Just like “A Christmas Carol,” this story of misplaced values and an obsession with work, of a soul on a journey to discover what truly matters for a life well lived, sends several messages. For half-a-century now, our culture and our politics have encouraged the notion that women can “have it all,” that they can be both wildly successful as professionals devoted to their jobs while also being the best of wives and mothers. This formula may work for a certain class of women, generally wealthy, who can afford to hire help in the home, like Karol, but the result for the middle-class can be stressful, and for the poor an utter disaster. As a single dad for a number of years — my wife died when I still had two sons at home, one of them age nine — I can attest to the difficulty of earning an

income while raising children. But “Christmas Karol,” it seems to me, paints a broader picture. Its message pertains not only to women but to men as well who put work, money and success ahead of their loved ones. Our society often praises and rewards the strivers and the workaholics, the men and women who break numerous glass ceilings, but we do so without taking much account of their personal

truly wants, Karol kicks her out of the house and ends their relationship.

The novel even includes a Tiny Tim. As she encounters her Ghosts, Karol realizes that Roberta, her secretary, has three children, the youngest of whom, Tim, has severe asthma. Karol also discovers that the crummy insurance plans Charles and Jacobs offers its employees fail to cover Tim’s inhalers and frequent trips to the emergency room. Here again her greed has blinded her to the needs of others.

lives: unhappy spouses, depressed teenagers, relatives and friends ditched in favor getting ahead. Moreover, accolades for motherhood and family are rare.

And like Dickens’ Scrooge, who seeks to control his nephew Fred’s future and then cuts off all contact with him, Karol nearly ruins forever her relationship with her beloved sister, Fran. After their mother dies, Karol takes charge of the teenage Fran. One reason Karol ostensibly works so hard is to send her sister to a prestigious college, yet Fran herself wants nothing to do with higher education. Her goals are to travel as much as possible for several years, meet the man of her dreams, marry, and have lots of children. When Fran abandons college after a single semester, and tells her older sister what she

Faith Moore’s style and diction differ radically from that of Charles Dickens, and appropriately so, as she is aiming at a modern audience. She shows a particular brilliance in setting Karol’s visits with her ghosts in a mysterious hospital, where Karol wakens after the blow to her head from her fall. A hospital is a place for the sick and the dying, and Karol qualifies in both categories, not in the physical but in the spiritual

sense. Just as with Scrooge, “Is it too late to change?” becomes the paramount question she asks as she struggles to find her way to recovery.

If you’re looking for a novel to reinvigorate your holiday spirit, or if you just want a good read that raises some excellent questions, “Christmas Karol” is meant for you. One caveat: you’ll need some tissues close at hand. Fiction rarely brings tears to your reviewer, but in the case of the “Christmas Karol” let’s just say that reading it cleared my stuffy sinuses.

(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.)

Hope for hemlocks

Hike explores past, present and future of WNC hemlocks

Under the gray, misty November sky covering Panthertown Valley near Cashiers, we swish through shin-deep leaves in search of hemlock trees. Mature hemlocks typically exceed 50 feet and can be more than 100 feet tall, but there are no towering giants in Panthertown Valley anymore. The hemlocks we do find scattered along the trail are mostly small and scrawny, an abundance of bare branches intermingled with those bearing short, green needles.

That’s the fault of an invasive insect called the hemlock wooly adelgid, said hike leader Charles Dial, an entomologist working for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences’ Plant Industry Division. Dial, who led the hike on behalf of Friends of Panthertown, hopes that the trail will yield evidence of beneficial bugs at work, chewing toward an end to the adelgid’s destructive reign.

“We’re hoping that we can get it in a harmonious balance and keep the adelgid population down,” Dial told the group.

“They won’t go to zero, but keep them low enough population that they’re not killing our trees, allowing the hemlock to come back.”

Originally from Japan, the hemlock wooly adelgid was first reported in the eastern United States in 1951 near Richmond, Virginia. Since then, it has spread to at least 20 states, feeding exclusively on native hemlock trees. The adelgid goes dormant during the warmest part of the year and is most active in the winter, as it prepares to lay its eggs. After hatching, the insects affix themselves to the base of the hemlock needle, feeding on the tree’s starch reserves and prompting the tree to respond like it would in the face of a severe drought — pulling back on new growth and, in the case of older trees, putting out more cones.

“Usually, the adelgid moves on because it likes the new growth to start feeding on,” Dial said. “But as soon as the tree recovers slightly, they’re back.”

This continued stress means that the adelgid’s presence amounts to an eventual death sentence for hemlock trees in eastern North America. Adelgid populations are down this year after the sudden freeze around Christmas 2022 killed many of them — but because the introduced population reproduces asexually, it easily recovers from such setbacks. Hemlocks were once ubiquitous on the banks of mountain streams, especially headwater streams. Their roots kept soil from eroding, their shade kept trout waters cool and their cones and needles provided food for wildlife. Now, with the exception of those that have received chemical treatment, all the big hemlocks are gone.

S EEKING SOLUTIONS

It’s not like that in the adelgid’s native Japan, or in the northwestern United States, where a population of hemlock wooly adelgids has lived since at least the 1920s, when their presence was first recorded. It’s disputed whether that population is native or was introduced long ago. In both regions, the adelgid lives alongside natural predators that keep its population in check.

As Appalachian forests fill with fallen giants, researchers are engaged in a race against time, pursuing multiple strategies to save these majestic trees. Though it’s not a practical approach on a landscape scale, chemical treatment can keep individual trees safe from the adelgid, and experimentation continues on certain forestry practices that may give hemlocks an edge. Some researchers are taking a genetic approach to the problem, using gene splicing or breeding hemlocks with adelgid-resistant traits to develop a line of trees capable of holding their own.

But biological control — introducing insects that prey specifically on the adelgid — is another promising area of study, and that’s what Dial came to Panthertown to discuss. He holds up a stick and a white square of canvas, held flat with a wooden frame. It’s called a beat sheet. The plan is to hold it underneath any adel- F

Give hemlock researchers a hand

Help out hemlock researchers during a volunteer day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Waynesville.

Volunteers will support the work of the Forest Restoration Alliance by helping out with

only spots of color are the evergreens dotting the landscape — these days, they’re nearly all pine, not hemlock. Dial takes advantage of the pause to investigate a couple other small hemlocks along the edge of the overlook. But no luck.

He’s not discouraged, though.

tasks in the greenhouse and nursery where FRA is breeding hemlock trees that are resistant to the hemlock wooly adelgid. Researcher Ben Smith will give a tour of the facility as part of the event.

To participate, contact Caroline Lord at outreach@savehemlocksnc.org or 828.252.4783. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, Dec. 7. Space is limited.

“Today was I guess as much as anything just a little talk and demonstration about some of the things we do,” he said. “It wasn’t really a serious, all-day survey.”

gid-infested trees we come across, hit the branches above with the stick, and search the sheet for insects.

“You don’t realize that there are millions of insects everywhere all the time,” Dial said.

enough pressure on the adelgid to knock it down to the level of the countless other Appalachian species that feed on the region’s trees without threatening their survival.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Among those millions of insects, he hopes, will be the three species of beetles that have so far been released to combat the adelgid.

The longest-used beetle, a natural hemlock wooly adelgid predator from Japan called Sasajiscymnus tsugae, was first released in Connecticut in 1995. More recently, two beetle species in the genus Laricobius have made it through the extensive process required to approve them for general release. L. nigrinus, which preys on hemlock wooly adelgid populations in the Pacific Northwest, was cleared for release in the eastern part of the country in 2000, while Japan native L. osakensis was first released in 2012. Research is currently underway on an additional predator, the silver fly, which if cleared for release is expected to feed on the hemlock wooly adelgid during the late spring and summer months — a time of year when the three beetle species are not active.

We walk through mist along the mountainside from the Salt Rock Gap Trailhead to Blackrock Mountain, then descend the slope to return along the valley floor. When we approach a hemlock tree, no matter how small, Dial pauses and checks the underside for the telltale white fuzz of adelgid egg sacs. If he finds it, he gets out the beat sheet.

“I’m looking for a little half grain of

“Usually, the adelgid moves on because it likes the new growth to start feeding on. But as soon as the tree recovers slightly, they’re back.”

— Charles Dial, entomologist, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences

rice,” he says, peering at the scattered fragments of debris on the sheet. There’s dirt, hemlock needles, bits of bark and occasionally a fly or spider. But none of the beetles Dial hopes to see.

In a serious survey, Dial said, he’d be “tapping like crazy,” from at least three different places on every hemlock tree he spotted. He’s done such surveys in Panthertown before and once found several S. tsugae there. They may well still be around, though there’s a continual need for more data.

The hemlock’s future is uncertain, but Dial is hopeful that a solution is on the horizon. Someday, future generations may know what it is to stand in the cool shade of a hemlock grove on a hot summer’s day, listing to the ripples of a nearby mountain stream.

The hemlock wooly adelgid was first found in the eastern United States in 1951. Holly Kays photo

The idea, Dial said, is to create a complex of predators that together can exert

We pause at Salt Rock, a dramatic overlook whose focal point is Big Green Mountain and the accompanying edifice known as the Great Wall of Panthertown. All the trees are bare, the sky still gray. The

Reimagine Bartram’s travels

A visual exploration of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail will be on display through Jan. 6, 2024, at The Bascom in Highlands.

“Listening to the Land: Reimagining the Bartram Trail” features photography and photo-based installations by 32 artists, celebrating the region’s rich biodiversity while honoring each artist’s unique relationship with the land.

Drawing inspiration from “Bartram’s Travels” and the enduring wisdom of land-based and indigenous peoples of this region, photographers were invited to enter an intimate world where the landscape was alive and waiting to be met, understood and listened to. This exhibition invites visitors to contemplate their own wild origins while visually reimagining a time when humans moved in respect, harmony and co-creative kinship with the natural world. Learn more at thebascom.org.

Cataloochee opens the slopes

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley is set to open Wednesday, Nov. 29, after an unseasonably warm November kept it from turning on its snow guns until Wednesday, Nov. 22. Tube World will open Saturday, Dec. 2.

Meanwhile, the annual Cat Yard Sale will offer an opportunity to score deals on new and gently used ski and snowboard equipment, clothing and accessories — or to sell off current gear — Dec. 2-3. Drop off equipment to be sold 5-7 p.m. Dec. 1 or 7-9 a.m. Dec. 2. Sale hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3. Register at myconsignmentsale.com/catyardsale.

This year’s opening date is by far the latest in recent years. The ski area opened for the season on Nov. 14 last year, then on Nov. 20 in 2021 and 2020, Nov. 3 in 2019, Nov. 11 in 2019 and Nov. 20 in 2017.

Spend Friday nights on the slopes

Registration opens Dec. 1 for a program offering discounted rates to ski and snowboard Cataloochee Ski Area on Friday nights this season.

Offered through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, the program offers slope passes for $40 and slope passes with rental for $50 to ride 5-10 p.m. Friday nights starting Dec. 15 and continuing at intervals to March 1.

Parents must accompany children ages 8-14. Sign up at jcprd.recdesk.com/community. Contact Trevor Brown with questions at trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org or 828.293.3053, ext. 9.

Bike Chestnut Mountain

Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park in Canton. The group will meet in the parking lot, where the instructor will offer basic informa-

Go hiking

Hike through winter with a trio of outings offered this month through Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

• Meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Lowe’s in Waynesville to hike from the Nantahala Outdoors Center in Swain County to Lover’s Leap. The route is 4.9 miles with an elevation gain of 1,100 and will be led by Kathy and Phyllis. The group will hike from Lover’s Leap to Pump Gap Trail and return on the Appalachian Trail back to Lover’s Leap.

See ‘Winter Lights’

Check out Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with a group leaving from the Waynesville Recreation Department at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. The group will eat dinner at Apollo Flame, leaving for the Arboretum at 6:30 p.m. and staying until 9 p.m., arriving back

Help shape N.C.’s pollution reduction grant program

A virtual public hearing will take input on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s planned application for the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.

The program offers funding for states, local governments territories and tribes to develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harm-

Shop local for outdoors lovers

The MADE X MTNS Partnership has launched an online directory to help find locally made gifts for outdoor enthusiasts this holiday season.

The Outdoor Gift Guide features local businesses and organizations offering outdoor gear and apparel, outdoor experiences, holiday sales, retail shops and nonprofit gift donations and memberships. It is designed to help shoppers explore the outdoor brands

Highlands Biological Foundation appoints interim director

ful air pollutants. North Carolina’s grant project is an interagency effort across multiple state agencies, with DEQ serving as the lead.

The public information session will offer information about the program and help DEQ determine priorities for the application and funding if awarded. Participants will learn about the types of projects that qualify for funding and will be asked to describe eligible projects that would be most useful in their communities.

To register for the session or learn more about the grant program, visit deq.nc.gov/news/events.

born in Western North Carolina while finding perfect gifts, taking advantage of sales and helping grow the local economy.

“We are fortunate to have one of the highest concentrations of outdoor gear manufacturers, retailers and experience providers in the country, right in our backyard,” said Outdoor Business Alliance of WNC Executive Director Matt Godfrey. “This guide is a great trail map to help you find the perfect WNC gift for your outdoor-loving friends and family.”

Find the guide at madexmtns.com/giftguide.

tion and safety reminders before hitting the trails. The ride will be on more technical trails, so previous mountain biking experience is recommended.

Loaner bikes and helmets are available. Cost is $10, with online registration at bit.ly/haywoodrec.

• Meet at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at Jukebox Junction in Bethel to hike Daniel Ridge Loop with guides Tara and Steve. This 4.5-mile loop includes 813 feet of elevation gain and offers multiple views of waterfalls.

• Meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Best Buy in Waynesville to travel toward Bryson City and the Deep Creek Loop. This 4.9-mile trail starts on an old roadbed with a creek bed crossing and is one of the first trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Hike registration is $10. Sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

in Waynesville at 9:45 p.m. Dubbed ‘Asheville’s brightest holiday tradition,’ Winter Lights offers an outdoor walkthrough, open-air format with an array of iconic lighted displays.

The bus ride is $10 per person, with dinner at your own expense. Seating is limited. Contact 828.456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov to learn more.

Winter Gary has been appointed interim executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation as the organization works through a leadership transition after Charlotte Muir left for an executive director position with the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation.

HBF Board President John Mitchener said he is confident that Gary’s appointment will ensure a seamless continuation of HBF’s work through the organization’s leadership transition.

“The Foundation plays a dual role, supporting individuals’ love for the area through educational programs while actively funding research projects that deepen our understanding of the region’s natural wonders and the importance of their preservation. Winter’s understanding of this role and HBF’s mission overall positions us for continued growth and impact,” Mitchener said.

Previously serving as the organization’s marketing manager, Gary has been with HBF for four years. She first encountered HBF in college through a semester in the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s

Highlands Field Site program, where she conducted environmental research and learning about the impact humans have on the Southern Appalachians. She returned in 2019 to work a season as a naturalist and then joined HBF part-time before transition to a full-time role in January 2020.

To learn more about HBF’s work, visit highlandsbiological.org/foundation.

Workday planned at Jackson greenway

Help remove invasive plants on the Jackson County Greenway 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. MountainTrue and Mainspring Conservation Trust are partnering on this event. Volunteers will pull up roots and use hand tools to remove invasive shrubs like Chinese privet and treat stumps to restore native habitat. For more information, or to register, visit mountaintrue.org/event.

Data bodes well for N.C. outdoor rec economy

Newly released economic data measuring the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy shows that, despite ongoing economic challenges, the industry continues to be a powerful driver in North Carolina.

This year’s report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, based on numbers from 2022, showed that the value-added impact of North Carolina’s outdoor recreation economy was the nation’s 11th largest, accounting for 2% of the state’s gross domestic product and 2.9% of its employment, responsible for more than 146,000 jobs.

In this, North Carolina lags slightly behind national figures. Nationwide, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2% of GDP and 3.2% of wage and salary employment. State-level GDP share ranged from 5.9% in Hawaii to 1.4% in Connecticut, with Washington, D.C., coming in at 0.9%.

However, North Carolina’s numbers are slightly up from the 2021 report released last year, which showed the outdoor recreation industry accounting for 1.8% of North Carolina’s GDP and employing 2.7% of wage

and salary earners.

“The latest data highlights that outdoor recreation and its supporting industries have an unwavering impact as an economic powerhouse in North Carolina,” said Amy Allison, director of the MADE X MTNS (Made By Mountains) Partnership. “By championing strategic investments in public lands and infrastructure, fostering outdoordriven communities and providing support for the innovative endeavors of outdoor recreation businesses and entrepreneurs, we continue to bolster our region’s economy, while also laying the foundation for a thriving and resilient future.”

North Carolina has maintained its yearover-year strength in core outdoor recreation sectors, supported by an interconnected network of land management, economic development, entrepreneurial support, business alliances, conservation, tourism, user group advocacy and more. As access, opportunities, investment in greater equity and statewide outdoor investment have expanded, so have many outdoor recreational activities in their economic impact and participation.

This is the sixth consecutive year this data has been released. See the full report at bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation.

New trail under construction at Old Fort

Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort.

Lower Heartbreak Ridge Trail will link from Jarrett Creek Road at the end of the existing Heartbreak Ridge and Star Gap East Trails to the Copper Ridge Section of the Fonta Flora Trail. It will accommodate hiking and mountain biking.

The trail is expected to open in spring 2024 and is part of a 42-mile trail expansion planned in the Old Fort area. The Lower Heartbreak Trail is a key connection that will realize the vision of connecting from Mount Mitchell to the Town of Old Fort almost entirely on singletrack trail.

Funding comes from the McDowell County Tourism and Development Authority, state budget funding and a grant from the N.C. State Recreation and Trails Program.

Race raises $110K to support the Smokies

Held Sunday, Nov. 12, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cades Cove Loop Lope raised more than $110,000 to support the park.

The race, hosted by Friends of the Smokies, attracted about 700 people to run and walk 5K and 10-mile distances. Participants came from 27 states, with some traveling from as far away as Texas and Colorado.

“Experiencing Cades Cove on foot is an incredible opportunity to unplug and enjoy the splendor of the mountains, while also raising critically needed funds to support their care,” said Friends of the Smokies President Dana Soehn.

Funds raised will support a wide range of park programs including historic preservation, wildlife protection, search and rescue efforts, and Parks as Classrooms education programs.

Runners race through the finish line Sunday, Nov. 12. Friends of the Smokies photo

Accessible trail opens in Old Fort

A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside.

The Meadows Loop is accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act and is adjacent to the 100-car Old Fort Gateway Trailhead, offering a beginner-friendly experience along a wide-gravel surface next to Curtis Creek. It offers access for fishing and swimming, a boardwalk section through a wetland and a

meadow for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. The trail has been open since Nov. 19 in the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest.

The trail is funded by McDowell County as part of a grant from the North Carolina Water Resources Program and was constructed under the leadership of the G5 Trail Collective over the past year with support from Athletic Brewing’s Two for the Trails program, FOX’s Trail Trust and Carolina CAT. It is the first phase of a larger project to restore the rare bottomland hardwood forest and provide educational opportunities.

Word from the Smokies

BY WALT EVANS

Park volunteer makes big impact on visitor safety

“I’m just a backwoods guy,” Bill Gober says. “I try to stay out of the limelight.”

It’s 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, the beginning of his shift volunteering with the preventative search and rescue team, also called PSAR, at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

have never experienced backcountry environments and are underprepared for situations that arise.

After a long career in medical equipment sales, Gober began volunteering as a rover on Laurel Falls Trail in 2012, over a decade ago. If you ask his park supervisors — PSAR Ranger Josh Albritton and Emergency Services Coordinator Liz Hall — or any of the visitors whose lives he’s helped save, they’ll tell you he’s much more than just a backwoods guy.

“Bill certainly sets the standard for our PSAR VIP [Volunteers-in-Parks] cadre,” says Albritton. “He volunteers at least once per week, generally getting out on trail to educate our visitors about how to hike safely. He’s also a very active member of our SAR [search and rescue] team, often responding from his home in Knoxville or direct from his trail post, regardless of the time of day.”

With approximately 100 carry-outs now under his belt, Gober attributes much of his enthusiasm for the park’s search and rescue efforts to his own brush with danger. In 2015, he experienced a heart attack on Laurel Falls Trail and had to call in his own rescue.

“Since I had taken the American Heart Association’s Heart Saver First Aid and CPR class as a volunteer, I recognized the heart attack signs and got out of denial early,” he says. “It’s thanks to our Great Smoky Mountains Rescue Team and their partners — Gatlinburg Fire Ambulance Team, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Heart Team and Park West Cardiac Rehab — that I’m alive and well.”

Search and rescue is personal for Gober, and he does not take his responsibility lightly.

“I’ve been in the rescue basket, carried out by our rescue team,” he says. “I can identify with our injured visitors, and they bond with me quickly once they find out I’ve been in their position myself.”

Recently, Gober’s commitment to his volunteer duties has been paying off. He volunteered to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians’ Emergency Medical Responder test, which allows him to provide direct medical care. Then, he became the park’s preventative search and rescue VIP lead.

Preventative search and rescue differs from other search and rescue efforts in that it prioritizes getting people the assistance or supplies they need before a medical emergency occurs. Gober gives the example of park visitors who alert emergency services after running out of water but before they’ve become dehydrated.

“That’s not a medical event yet,” he says, “but it could quickly develop into one.”

The PSAR program is relatively new to the Smokies, and it addresses a vital need. With millions of people entering the park each year, many

As journalist David Brill noted earlier this year in an article for the Great Smoky Mountains Association’s magazine Smokies Life, Emergency Services Coordinator Liz Hall says that instances of poor planning and insufficient preparation on behalf of visitors account for around 8% of all search and rescue incidents in the park. The PSAR program aims to lower that figure by helping lessexperienced visitors better understand the preparation needed for a safe park outing.

Asked if there’s anything he’d like people to keep in mind so they can enjoy the park safely, Gober says the best safety tip is also the simplest: follow the rules.

“The rules are there to keep you safe,” he says.

Bill Gober attributes much of his enthusiasm for the park’s search and rescue efforts to his own brush with danger in 2015, when he experienced a heart attack on Laurel Falls Trail and had to call in his own rescue. Bill Gober photo

He’d also like people to know the park could always use more volunteers to assist with search and rescue.

“Anyone who has an interest, but particularly if they’re an EMR or EMT,” he says. “People who retire from medical careers, if they want to keep utilizing those skills, they can get on board as a volunteer and potentially participate in PSAR or search and rescue.”

Gober emphasizes that he’s grateful for the opportunity to help visitors who find themselves in emergency situations.

“Growing up, I wanted to be a park wildlife ranger,” he says. “My hero was Smokey Bear, and I wanted to help Smokey save the world from forest fires. So, it’s an honor for me to support our professional Great Smoky Mountains team. Hopefully, I have many more years to volunteer and help our visitors enjoy the park in a safe, responsible manner.”

(Walt Evans is a writer based in Knoxville, and a contributor to Smokies LIVE, a blog at smokiesinformation.org hosted by park partner Great Smoky Mountains Association, which provides this column. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Tennessee and is currently at work on his first novel.)

WNC Calendar

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m. to noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram.

• The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists.

• Cowee School Farmer’s Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.

• “The Biggest Little Christmas Parade in the Smokies” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in downtown Bryson City. For more information visit greatsmokies.com.

• Sylva Christmas Parade will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, in downtown Sylva.

• The Canton Holiday Tour of Homes will take place 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Tickets are $10, free for children under 12. For more information contact Laura Simmons at lauracmsimmons@gmail.com.

• The 3rd annual Mountain Community Career and Resource Expo will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Harrah’s Cherokee Resort and Event Center. The event is open to the public for residents of Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Cherokee, Clay and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. There will be career fair resources, education, live demonstrations and door prizes. For more information contact Gerard Ball at 828.558.6175.

VOLUNTEERS

• REACH of Haywood County has rescheduled their Volunteer Training Day for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at the REACH office in Waynesville, 627 N. Main St. Register by Nov. 29. For more information or to donate to REACH, their website is reachofhaywood.org, or look for them on Facebook.

H EALTH AND WELLNESS

• The Pollinators Foundation offers weekly Mindful Movement Qigong classes for all ages to reduce stress and improve health and well-being. Classes take place 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398.

• The Pollinators Foundation and The Share Project host weekly Happy Hour Walks 5-6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays at Lake Junaluska. The group meets at the Labyrinth. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398.

• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.

CLUBS AND M EETINGS

• The Western Carolina Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 6 p.m. An eclectic group of young and old,

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

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

male and female. The group supplies boards, cards, pegs and are always willing to help those still learning the finer points of the game. Contact kei3ph@bellsouth.net for more information.

• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.

• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Sylva Writers Group meets Wednesday mornings at City Lights Books. If interested contact sylvawriters@gmail.com.

• A Novel Escape Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Every other month one book is selected for discussion. On alternate months the meeting is round-table discussion in which participants share what they’ve read lately. For more information call the bookstore at 828.369.9059 or visit anovelescapefranklin.wordpress.com.

K IDS AND FAMILIES

• Mother Goose Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Wednesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years old. For more information, contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.

• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.

• Next Chapter Book Club Haywood is a fun, energetic and highly interactive book club, ideal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Culture Talk takes place at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. Travel the world from inside your library. This event features guest speakers and food sampling from the location being discussed. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Art afternoon takes place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Macon County Public Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

A&E

• There will be a glassblowing class “Flower or Rose” held starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park. With the assistance of a glass artist, participants will gather molten glass, add colors and shape. The process takes about 30 minutes. No experience necessary. Pre-registration is required. Contact GEP at 828.631.0271.

• The Pollinators Foundations will host an expressive arts playshop, “Prayer Flags for the Soul” 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.424.1398.

• Trivia Night is hosted 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Thursday evening at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. For more information visit meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.

• Smoky Mountain Event Center presents Bingo Night with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and games starting at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday and fourth Monday of the month. For more information visit smokymountaineventcenter.com.

F OOD AND D RINK

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

• The Haywood County Master Gardeners will hold their annual wreath-making event Saturday, Dec. 9. Sessions will be held 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1-3:30 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension Office in Waynesville. Space is limited, and payment must be received by Monday, Nov. 27. Cost is $40 for one 16-inch wreath and $25 for each additional wreath. Contact mgarticles@charter.net or 828.456.3575 with questions.

• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.

• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

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

Outdoors

• A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. Breakfast food will be available for sale, with cash prizes offered. The event is weather-dependent. The American Legion is located on 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will recognize outstanding volunteers during its annual awards banquet 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. It’s restricted to NHC members, with annual membership available for $20 at bit.ly/47nf6q0. RSVP by Saturday, Nov. 25 to president@nantahalahikingclub.org.

• Ride the Chestnut Mountain trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in Canton. Loaner bikes and helmets are available. Cost is $10, with online registration at bit.ly/haywoodrec.

• Santa will be at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Rivers End Restaurant. There will be a breakfast buffet, reservations required. Learn more or register for breakfast at noc.com/events.

• Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 2 and 9, for the 26th year running to practice his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound. The event is free with park admission.

• Celebrate the Pigeon River Watershed during Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership meeting and holiday dinner 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. Dinner is $30 per person, with payment accepted at the door or online at haywoodwaterways.org. RSVPs required by Tuesday, Nov. 28, to 828.476.4667, ext. 1, or christine@haywoodwaterways.org. To donate an auction item, contact mackenzie@haywoodwaterways.org.

• Hike from the Nantahala Outdoors Center in Swain County to Lover’s Leap Wednesday, Dec. 6, with the Haywood County Recreation and Parks. The group will meet at 9 a.m. for the 4.9-mile hike. Registration is $10, sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

• The Merry Market with Santa will take place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 9 and 16, giving guests a chance to shop for treasures made by local artisans. Santa will make an appearance at both events. Learn more or register for breakfast at noc.com/events.

• The first annual holiday open studio will take place Saturday, Dec. 16, at Hazelwood Pottery in Waynesville. Joe Frank Mckeee will be demonstrating horsehair and alcohol raku firing with his portable kiln, Neal Howard will bring her hand dyed and woven silks and Laure Faye Dean will be demoing wheel throwing. The afternoon will end with a Community Christmas Carol singalong. For more information contact Dean at 828.226.4170.

• Hike Daniel Ridge Loop at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, with the Haywood County Recreation and Parks. The group will meet at Jukebox Junction in Bethel for the 4.5-mile trail. Hike registration is $10, sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

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

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

PLACE WNC

Legals

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000679

Robert Reed Moody,

James Carroll Moody of Haywood County,before Feb 08 2024, or in bar of their recovery.

immediate payment.

Executor

Moody 95 Depot Street Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.23-E-731 Jill Suzanne

Scruggs of Haywood County, North Carolina,

before Feb 29 2024, or in bar of their recovery.

immediate payment.

Administrator 918 Willis Cove Road Canton, NC 28716

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000724

Kaleb Rice, having Donald Zade Rice of Haywood County, North Carolina, before Feb 29 2024, or in bar of their recovery.

immediate payment.

Executor 115 Spotted Horse Trail Canton, NC 28716

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, LLC

Request For Proposal: Perform Rail Flaw

Detection along the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Evaluation Criteria: and may be awarded. to GSMR by vendor).

To: RICARDO CONTRE-

RAS:

Take notice that a pleadabove titled action. The nature of the relief being Violence Protective Order and upon your failure to apply to the court for the -

Proposals due no later than 5:00pm Dec. 18, 2023. Formal Public Bid Opening Date: Dec. 19 , 2023

Mail to: GSMR 225 Everett Street. Bryson City, NC 28713 RFP Contact Kim Albritton, Vice President kimalbritton@ gsmr.com 828-488-7008 desk

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA MACON COUNTY IN THE DISTRICT COURT 23-CVD-480

CIRILA GARCIA RUIZ, Plaintiff, Vs

RICARDO CONTRERAS, Defendant.

Attorney for Plaintiff Announcements

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