Smoky Mountain News | June 10, 2026

business Page 6

A look at how Walters Dam withstood Helene Page 24

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

One of Haywood County’s most beloved landmarks, Clyde’s “big gun” received a new paint job over the last week, thanks to the hard work of a small team of volunteers. Pictured is Dyche Young, a 13-year-old Kentucky boy visiting a friend in Haywood County. Check out more details about the team of volunteers, as well as some history on the big gun, inside. (Page 4) Kyle Perrotti photo

News

NC Secretary of State visits Haywood to talk business..........................................6

Rotarians invest in Haywood Pathways Center..........................................................7 Jackson BOE member claims state pressure ahead of early voting decision..8 Qualla Enterprises audit finished but leaves questions..........................................11 Shining Rock names new school director..................................................................12 Community briefs..............................................................................................................13

Opinion

Be purposeful and feed the good wolf ......................................................................14 This administration is a disaster....................................................................................15

A&E

Arts and agriculture: Rare Bird Farm..........................................................................16 HART presents ‘Peter & The Starcatcher’................................................................22

Outdoors

Duke official describes how Walters Dam withstood Helene..............................24 WCU alum reflects on fly fishing career....................................................................26

STAFF

DITOR /PUBLISHER: Scott McLeod.

ADVERTISING D IRECTOR: Greg Boothroyd.

ART D IRECTOR: Micah McClure.

D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jack Snyder.

D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Tyler Auffhammer.

ADVERTISING SALES: Amanda Bradley.

info@smokymountainnews.com

greg@smokymountainnews.com

micah@smokymountainnews.com

jack.s@smokymountainnews.com

tyler.a@mtnsouthmedia.com

amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com Maddie Woodard.

C LASSIFIEDS: Jamie Cogdill.

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti.

WRITING: Lily Levin.

maddie.w@smokymountainnews.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com

lily.l@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward.

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Jamie Cogdill.

garret@smokymountainnews.com

Clyde’s favorite landmark gets a paint job

FISH

BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR

“Meet me at the big gun.”

Plenty of Haywood County residents have uttered these words, referring to a large anti-aircraft weapon featured prominently in downtown Clyde that serves as a memorial to those from the town who gave their lives in service of this country. Over time, it’s become a rendezvous point for any number of occasions, a location for ceremonies honoring veterans and those fell in combat and a prop for folks wanting a quirky photo opportunity. The monument is even the subject of a song by Buddy Melton, Milan Miller and Mark W. Winchester called “The Big Gun at the Center of Clyd’e from the album “Songs from Haywood County.”

The big gun is a 50 caliber anti-aircraft weapon that fired 3-inch shells up to a rate of 40 rounds per minute. It was brought onto Naval ships during World War II as a replacement for 40 mm anti-aircraft guns due to its ability to fire proximity shells, which proved effective against enemy planes, especially Japanese kamikazes. Some of the guns

remained in service into the 1960s. There are others like it in the area, including one painted with a camouflage pattern at the old National Guard armory near Franklin now owned by Southwestern Community College. Just last month, former Franklin Mayor Bob Scott posted on Facebook inquiring whether that rusting gun could be moved somewhere it could be taken better care of.

Such an eye-catching monument that

Volunteers gather to paint the big gun on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

draws attention from residents and tourists alike requires occasional maintenance to keep it worthy of the sense of pride residents place in the big gun. Tim Glance has been happy to take on that responsibility, which basically entails giving it a fresh paint job every few years. With a small team of volunteers and a few gallons of paint, Glance, who owns the nearby military surplus store Old Grouch’s, tackled the project last weekend.

Old Grouch’s owner, Tim Glance, crouches beside a couple of dummy rounds that are exact replicas, down to the weight, of what was fired by the big gun.

Among the volunteers was a pair of plucky yet humble 13year-olds, Adam Boyd, of Haywood County, and his friend, Dyche Young, who was visiting from Kentucky. The boys made headlines a few years ago when they traveled to Normandy as part of the pilot program Bridge to History, which brought students to Europe for 10 days to study Operation Overload, the daring beach landing that turned the tide in World War II.

So it was on June 6, the 82-year anniversary of Operation Overlord, that Young and Boyd found themselves carefully laying down a new coat of paint on the gun, ensuring they covered even F

hard to reach areas amid the mess of gears, sprockets and cogs. As he continued to paint, rarely breaking focus to even look away, Boyd spoke to The Smoky Mountain News. His great grandfather had served during World War II, he said, and fought in Okinawa and the Philippines. That stoked a fire in Boyd that has yet to die down to learn as much as he can about history he doesn’t want to see forgotten. He even hopes to collect artifacts from wars dating back to the early 20th century and open a museum akin to Brevard’s Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas. He considers that the big gun is just such an item.

Along with having the big gun just across the street from Old Grouch’s, Glance keeps a couple of dummy shells on display near the front of his store. The gun arrived in Haywood County in 1965 from Virginia, but Glance hasn’t yet figured out what ship or submarine it was on. With that in mind, each time he paints it, he designates a vessel as a sort of stand in. This go-round, he chose the U.S.S. Pigeon, which bears the same name as the river that flows just a hundred yards from Old Grouch’s. The Pigeon was a minesweeper that served during both World War I and World War II but was sunk in May 1942.

“I’ve done restorations of uniforms and stuff like this,” Boyd said. “I enjoy doing these kinds of things.”

“I’d like to get more people into this,” he added. “It’s for the veterans who served in Clyde, and not only Clyde, but in the Haywood area and all around North Carolina.”

Leading the way June 6 was Glance, who came armed with three gallons of haze gray paint for the gun and a gallon of deck gray for its base. Glance’s father owned Old Grouch’s until his death 15 years ago. During the 1990s, Glance’s father and a Navy veteran friend lamented the state of the big gun and decided to bring it close to its original glory, beginning the ongoing effort to keep it in good shape over the last three decades. Tim Glance retired from the military in 2017 as a warrant officer equipment repair technician and had previously deployed to Afghanistan.

Last time the gun was painted was about a year before Hurricane Helene tore through the area in September 2024. Glance said he would have liked to have painted it last summer, but with the region still licking its wounds, there were bigger fish to fry.

Two weeks ago, Glance began chipping away at the project, busting rust and applying primer where needed ahead of the fresh paint job. The bulk of the gray paint was laid down June 6, and then later in the week, finer details that needed other colors of paint were covered.

Glance’s desire to keep up the gun comes from his respect for what it represents as a monument, community pride, love of history and even simply liking a little a bit of routine maintenance, perhaps a reflection of his military job.

“It’s a little bit of all of it,” he said. “I love history. I spent hours trying to figure out what ship that came from.”

NC Secretary of State visits Haywood to talk business

BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR

Starting a business is difficult and inherently risky. Doing so in an urban area replete with resources is easier than doing so in a rural area with fewer guardrails.

During a visit last week to Haywood County, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall touted a state program that hones in on rural areas in hopes to provide more resources to budding entrepreneurs.

Marshall visited the area on June 4 as part of her series of Rural RISE roundtables. Rural RISE NC is a program that aims to connect business owners with mentors, business counselors, funding sources and more. The idea for the program began during the small business boom that came along with the pandemic shutdowns about six years ago. At that time, Marshall sent out a survey to small business owners that received over 4,000 answers — answers that illuminated certain problems they were encountering. From that survey, the idea for the program and associated roundtables was born.

“The idea is to get them to talk about whatever obstacles they saw or had and how they got around them or if they’re still facing them,” Marshall told The Smoky Mountain News.

The roundtables also often present solutions, she added.

“I had a community college president at one of them pop up and say, ‘well, I’ve heard from three people here that have trouble finding bookkeepers. We’re starting a new bookkeeping course for small business,’” she said.

Part of the aim of the events are also simply to raise awareness of existing community resources like the small business center, at Haywood Community College in Clyde, which hosted the roundtable. Marshall said that in many cases, people aren’t even aware those offices exist.

“I’ll go ask them, ‘where’s your small business center.’ They’ll say, ‘we’ve had that for 20 years. It’s down at the end of the hall.’ I said, ‘bingo, that’s the problem. What kind of visibility does that get down there?’” Marshall said. “I’ve encouraged them to get off campus, maybe even take the name college off, because I’ve learned anecdotally that there are people without a family member’s college degree that say, ‘I can’t get in.’ But anybody can go in there … these small business services cost zero, and it’s hard to get that message across.”

Prior to the roundtable at HCC, Marshall enjoyed lunch with a few local business owners and community stakeholders before taking a brief tour of downtown Waynesville that included stops at Twigs & Leaves Gallery and The Station on Main.

The roundtable began with Marshall describing the survey her office commissioned. That survey, she told the group, showed her office that many weren’t aware of the resources in their community that could have helped their new ventures. Marshall made it clear how vital these can be, stating that 25% of new businesses fail in the first

rural areas, since employees and owners reinvest wages and profits right back into those communities. Since the 2020 pandemic and the resulting shutdowns, the state has seen a boom in small businesses; Marshall said things “went off like a rocket.” Many were founded by people with no entrepreneurial experience who discovered a new passion or cultivated fresh ideas while spending so much time at home. Last year brought double the number of new businesses in the state as just four years prior. Haywood County saw a 57% growth in new small businesses during that period.

Following Marshall’s introductory presentation, business owners went around the table, one-by-one talking about challenges they’ve overcome and hurdles they have yet to clear. Many discussions were Helene-related, and some described struggles to achieve enough growth to reach sustainability. Businesses represented mostly included those in the service industry and health and wellness field. Throughout, Marshall offered suggestions to the business owners, sometimes recommending a resource, sometimes mentioning potential marketing strategies to build more buzz and bring more potential customers through the front door.

Some business owners talked about the things that keep them going, sometimes simply support from complimentary businesses in the community. Morgan Davies, who owns Ten Acre Garden in the Bethel area with her husband, said that there have been a lot of lessons learned as this was their first foray into the agritourism world, but it’s been made easier with a little help from their friends.

“Small businesses supporting each other is huge for us,” Davies said.

Spencer and Courtney Tetrault own Axe and Awl Leatherworks in downtown Waynesville, a business that is part manufacturing part retail and has seen large growth in its infancy. The couple recently opened a 5,000 square-foot workshop in the Allens Creek area of Waynesville, but Spencer said they’ve already begun to outgrow that space. Businesses, he averred, are frequently “strapped” by either a lack of money, workforce or infrastructure. He said the biggest issue for Axe and Awl has been infrastructure — and land — considering there is only so much developable property in the mountains.

“Twice we’ve been strapped by infrastructure,” he said, adding that there are many vacant, blighted buildings around Haywood that are usable, but property owners lack the will. He hoped to see a vacancy tax or something of the like to pressure those owners to either bring the buildings back to life or sell them.

three years, a number that jumps to 50% after the first seven.

In many states, the Secretary of State runs the elections, but that’s not the case in North Carolina. As Marshall told the business owners and community leaders at last week’s roundtable, her job is to bolster business

infrastructure and investigate dishonest actors in a role akin to the Securities and Exchange Commission at the national level.

“I say I’m a maternity ward for business,” she said.

With that, Marshall highlighted the importance of small businesses, especially in

Twigs & Leaves owner Roger Reid spoke last, thanking Marshall and HCC for hosting the event. A seasoned businessman, Reid said there is always more to learn.

“Events like this always spark something like oh I hadn’t thought about that,” he said.

For more information on the Rural RISE NC program, visit sosnc.gov/rural_rise/index.

Rotarians invest in Haywood Pathways Center

When the Waynesville Rotary Club was challenging itself on how it could do more in the community, Haywood Pathways Center emerged as a logical partner.

the project turned out.

“We’ll use this space often,” McCoy said. “Instead of always having baked chicken, we can offer fried. We didn’t have a flat grill before, so that opens up lots of possibilities.”

Bronwen Talley-Coffey, who is the assistant governor representing Haywood County in Rotary International District 7670, said she was at a district conference clubs were challenged to expand already established community service projects to make a greater impact.

“The Waynesville Rotary Club members in attendance chose Haywood Pathways to expand their reach beyond simply serving meals and making food/supply donations to working with staff and residents to identify needs and make a lasting impact,” TalleyCoffey said.

Several Rotarians met with Haywood Pathways leadership to look for ways the club could serve on sustainable projects that would benefit the center and Haywood County.

William Fulghum had already spearheaded a Rotary effort last Christmas to provide and cook ribeye steak dinners for the Pathways center residents, plus purchase gifts for the children at the shelter.

When he learned an outdoor cooking space would provide a big boost, he stepped up to oversee the project. Club member Ron Leatherwood, along with Ryan Newell with the Sunrise Rotary Club, created the blueprints for the covered shed

Seven Rotarians spent a total of 120 hours building the structure behind the kitchen, and then equipped the area with a grill, a flat-top Blackstone grill and two fryers.

Shawn McCoy, the food services director at Pathways, is beyond delighted with how

citizens came to enjoy the meal and enjoy the fellowship of Pathways staff and residents.

“When a group like the Rotary Club of Waynesville chooses to invest time, energy, and resources into a project like this, they are not just building an outdoor cooking area. They are helping create a place where people can gather, eat, laugh, talk and be reminded that they are part of a community,” said Julie Cloninger, the executive director of Haywood Pathways Center. “We serve individuals and families in Haywood who are experiencing homelessness, hunger and crisis. Our campus provides shelter, meals and support for people working toward stability.”

Cloninger said The Waynesville Rotary Club has been a key supporter in the past and that she’s she looking forward to seeing how the club can help Pathways continue to transform lives going forward.

“At Haywood Pathways, we believe something powerful happens when people gather around food,” Cloninger said.

“Thanks to Waynesville Rotary, we will soon have a new place to do just that.”

Parker Chatham, the Pathways Center’s development director, said partnerships such as those with the Rotary Clubs, are vital to helping the center make a difference in the community.

Talley-Coffey said the second part of the project is gaining a better understanding about operations at Pathways — and then helping the greater community understand the needs.

“We decided, what better way to do that than have a social event?” she said.

The effort spawned the idea of a community fish fry free to all those at the center as well as the community at large. On May 28, about 180 meals of deep-fried white fish, fries, slaw, corn and hush puppies were prepared and served at Pathways and delivered to the Cruso community, all free of charge.

Many Rotarians, community leaders and

“Partnerships like this matter because they remind us that this work does not belong to one organization alone. It belongs to the whole community,” Chatham said. “When a group like the Waynesville Rotary Club chooses to invest time, energy and resources into a project like this, they are not just building an outdoor cooking area. They are helping create a place where people can gather, eat, laugh, talk and be reminded that they are part of a community.”

Rotary is a global service organization, and the Waynesville Rotary Club is celebrating more than 100 years of service in the community through the organization’s well known motto, “Service Above Self.”

There are three Rotary Clubs in Haywood County — Waynesville Rotary, Sunrise Rotary and Haywood Rotary, which serves the eastern part of the county.

‘Kiss my ass’

Jackson BOE member claims state pressured members ahead of early voting decision

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

Jackson County Board of Elections member Jay Pavey described his choice of two potential Cullowhee early voting sites to be a “no brainer.”

When compared to the “approximately 300 square foot” space at the Cullowhee Recreation Center, Pavey, a Republican, said the “1,100, 1,200 square feet” at Western Carolina University’s satellite Health and Human Sciences building — 1.7 miles from campus

but accessible to students through WCU’s CatTran transportation system — is substantially better for Jackson County residents.

Early voting in Cullowhee is expected to draw in between 5,000 and 7,000 voters.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, the rec cen-

ter can’t handle that. It just can’t,” Pavey told The Smoky Mountain News.

Yet Pavey’s June 2 vote for HHS alongside Democrats Roy Osborne and Betsy Swift might’ve tanked his prospects for serving another term.

UNDER PRESSURE

Pavey said he and former Jackson BOE Secretary Wes Hanemayer, a Republican who resigned May 26, had begun communicating with an overly accommodating WCU to secure the HHS facility immediately after the primaries.

“The university bent over backwards and gave us everything we asked for,” Pavey said.

On May 15, he visited both potential sites alongside Jackson GOP Chairman Justin Castle, explaining his support for the HHS building while Castle took photos to integrate into a slideshow. But during this tour, Pavey learned something graver: were he to vote against the rec center, a North Carolina official — perhaps out of State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office — would personally have him removed from the board. That message only angered the Jackson County Republican.

“I said, ‘If [this official] wants to call me himself, I don’t think that conversation would go well,’” Pavey recounted. “I’d probably tell him to kiss my ass.”

The next week, he and Hanemayer appeared before the Jackson County Republican Party Executive Committee to justify their proHHS decision. Hanemayer clarified the statistics — capacity, space, accessibility — while Pavey emphasized the differences between the two prospective locations.

cast a Primary ballot, particularly those without a car. However, Pavey said the goal was never to disenfranchise students; he’d backed HHS in part because come November, the rec center alone would leave too many at WCU without a viable polling option.

“Our whole goal was, at least from my perspective, to find one location in Cullowhee that was good for everybody. Now, that site didn’t have to necessarily be on campus, but it could be on campus,” he said.

In addition to invoking the potential of a lawsuit, Pavey and Hanemayer at the May 22 committee meeting clarified why HHS would be in the best interest of town and county residents, but the effort was unsuccessful. Pavey and Hanemayer received a text from Castle on behalf of the Jackson County GOP Executive Committee on May 26 at 11:50 a.m. Pavey sent a copy of the message to SMN. In it, Castle thanked the two board members for speaking with the county Republican Party.

“We also want you to know that we did not like the NCGOP or the auditor’s office trying to strong arm you guys,” Castle wrote.

Because the commute between campus and the rec center involves a relatively busy highway, losing the University Center complicated several hundred voters’ ability to cast a Primary ballot, particularly those without a car.

“At first, there was great pushback from the members of the committee about it,” he noted.

Further into the May 22 discussion, the two BOE members tried explaining that the board might risk a lawsuit with the rec center location and be forced to re-open the former Primary Election polling site at the University Center. The board’s 3-2 partylines vote earlier this year to close the campus site along was highly controversial, sparking outcry and generating media attention. Pavey said the January move was first suggested by Jackson BOE Chair Bill Thompson.

“Bill approached me and Wes [Hanemayer], and said, ‘We really would like to close this on-campus site, and here’s why,’” Pavey told SMN, recounting that it made sense after looking at the numbers.

Though operating the location only cost $20,000 within a budget of millions, Pavey said the site was underutilized, framing its closure as a fiscally responsible decision.

Compared to the county’s 20-22% Primary Election turnout, only 543 Primary ballots were cast in 2024, representing 4.5% of WCU’s student population.

Because the commute between campus and the rec center involves a relatively busy highway, losing the University Center complicated several hundred voters’ ability to

“With that said, for most of the board, your analysis of the HHS site provides a logical conclusion – if we are looking strictly at data. But, we have to add the element of culture and how voters of Jackson County are,” the text continued.

Castle and the JCGOP argued changing locations would “disrupt many longtime voters” and asserted that county commissioners’ existing relationship with the Rec Center was preferable to “having to deal with the bureaucracy of WCU.” The text also addressed the added “factor” of a lawsuit.

“It may go our way or it may not,” Castle wrote.

“But, as you all have already demonstrated at the student level, the suppression of the non-student voter with an on-campus site, let the Dems try to make the case by suppressing votes at the Rec Center. These [sic] worst case situation, they revert us back to the way it was and we have dealt with that before.

“These are some of the main highlights that, as a board, we would like for you all to stay with the Rec Center. This was by no means impacted by the NCGOP or the auditor’s office. Yes, we have tasked you with a responsibility by being on the Board of Elections, but you are also our representatives on that board and we would like for you all to hold that commitment that you guys had promised us at your nominations.”

Hanemayer resigned at 12:36 p.m. May 26, 46 minutes after Castle sent the above

message. “Bill and Amanda: Please consider this my official resignation from JCBOE,” Hanemayer wrote. On May 27, he followed up with, “Amanda: Please let me know when my BOE email, building security access and google drive access are deactivated.”

Director Amanda Allen replied that tech would be shut down that day; his key card had already been deactivated. Thus, Hanemayer was not present for the June 2 meeting and vote in favor of HHS, when talk of Raleigh’s pressure became public.

Thompson was the sole dissenter of the remaining four members. He did not respond to an SMN request for comment. But even Thompson being the single holdout sends a county’s proposal to the State Board of Elections for the body’s approval. Pavey recounted the chair had said his sole reason for supporting the site was pressure from Raleigh — the same pressure the former had heard about and indirectly experienced.

on a commission to help form and inform the state board and make some determinations of what do the people want, and let’s get a computer system and let’s get a system for running elections that everybody can get behind,” he told PBS. MEDS, however, is a 22-member commission, which by virtue cannot include 12 individuals from both major parties. Indeed, several members are unaffiliated or nonpartisan, including WCU professor and elections expert Chris Cooper. Four have been elected or appointed as Democrats; four have been elected or appointed as Republicans.

In late April, the NCSBE, voting 3-2 along party lines, enacted four rules dictating non-citizen records maintenance, despite opposition expressed by nearly all public commenters and data from a nationwide 23.5-million voter study indicating only 30 instances of non-citizen ballots. The state board has also recently released a three-part modification to election administration that restricts amplified sound at polls, allows county BOEs to discard voter ID exception form ballots — an action currently requiring board unanimity — with a simple 3-2 majority and introduces an extra hurdle for voters submitting sealed absentee ballots that lack a personal corresponding envelope.

“You’re voting for the rec center not because its better; you’re voting for the rec center because you’re getting the pressure from Raleigh. I’m getting pressure from Raleigh too. But I don’t care. When I walk out of here, I’m going to walk out of here with my head held high, because I know that I have voted for what I think is the best thing for the residents of Jackson County,” Pavey told Thompson June 2.

THE STATE CONTEXT

Jackson County’s controversy has occurred in tandem with an NCSBE that has undergone a myriad of changes.

According to voting rights advocates, these changes, if enacted, would undermine community initiatives that have historically mobilized countless Black, brown and young voters. The groups claim these rules also risk partybased ballot rejections and disenfranchisement of mail-in voters — many of whom are victims of natural disasters or disabled, elderly and homebound individuals. The public comment period for the proposal opened May 15 and ends June 14.

Since 1901, the governor has appointed state and county BOE members, but a 2024 General Assembly lame duck session law first described as ‘disaster relief’ stripped Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of these powers in favor of housing the office under Boliek, who is a Republican. Boliek has come into the role focused on upgrading what he asserts is an antiquated voting system. He has talked extensively about his handpicked bipartisan commission called Modernization of Election Data Systems at the forefront of this initiative.

“I put 12 Republicans and 12 Democrats

The state auditor’s office did not respond to SMN’s request for comment about its potential role in pressuring Pavey, Hanemayer and Thompson.

“The NCGOP is deeply committed to ensuring access to early voting locations for all eligible voters and we are appreciative of the efforts from Auditor Dave Boliek and the State Board to maintain clean voter rolls and integrity in the administration of elections,” said NCGOP Spokesperson Matt Mercer in an email after SMN inquired about the party’s involvement in Jackson County.

In late April, the NCSBE, voting 3-2 along party lines, enacted four rules dictating non-citizen records maintenance, despite opposition expressed by nearly all public commenters and data from a nationwide 23.5-million voter study indicating only 30 instances of non-citizen ballots.

Qualla Enterprises audit finished but leaves questions

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

Anew Office of Internal Audit and Ethics report investigating Qualla Enterprises LLC Board of Managers, received June 8 by the Cherokee One Feather, determined managers Morgan Owle-Crisp, Jacob Reed and Albert Rose had not breached the Eastern Band’s Code of Ethics. It assessed a $250 fine for three violations by manager Tagan Crowe but did not mandate his removal from the board.

The investigation followed a contentious April 2 tribal council meeting, during which Owle-Crisp and former Qualla Enterprises chairperson Carolyn West advocated a resolution suspending Crowe on behalf of themselves and the remaining board members.

OIAE typically handles these matters; citing the needlessly public nature of the complaint against Crowe as well as an absence of supporting evidence, tribal council voted 111 to remove West and suspend the entire board of Qualla Enterprises with removal pending an OIAE investigation.

respectively labeled “Attorney” and “Former Board of Managers.” The early June report noted that throughout the first few weeks of February 2026, Crowe had forwarded several Qualla documents received immediately after his December 2025 appointment.

However, the investigation also reported that among Reed, Crowe, Owle-Crispe and Rose, Reed — with a total of 28 compared to Crowe’s 12 — had sent the greatest number of “not cleared” emails.

Additionally, Reed, Owle-Crisp, Rose and Crowe respectively sent 344, 107, 23 and zero external emails, respectively. Both Crowe and Reed sent emails from their board account to a personal email. While Owle-Crisp and Rose did not send such messages, each used a personal or work account to receive Qualla Enterprises emails.

Crowe later participated as a panelist in a Feb. 25 Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association conference in Wisconsin, though other members had no knowledge of his role or attendance.

“As of the date of this report, we did not have sufficient predication to investigate other ethical violations,” stated the investigation.

In addition to outlining violations, the document sought to answer several questions posed in the April 10 letter by tribal officials.

In response to an inquiry about board confidentiality and information flow, OIAE noted all but Reed had signed nondisclosure agreements.

Another question referred to the role of Sovereign Solutions Carolina, an external cannabis contractor.

“We did not find sufficient evidence that the QE board excessively and/or routinely referred Board decision-making responsibilities to SSC,” the report stated. Still, it explained, “day-to-day operations are managed by SSC with oversight by the Board.”

Addressing a concern about documentation, the committee clarified that “the QE board did maintain agendas and minutes but there are opportunities for improvement.” Frias has been responsible for preparing both items.

In a story covering this meeting, The Smoky Mountain News shared that when addressing tribal council, West and attorney Richard Frias may have also engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

On April 3, the audit office received the grievance against Crowe. A letter dictating investigation parameters established by tribal council and the executive office came one week later.

OIAE interviewed all Qualla Enterprises board members and few “Qualla individuals,” including Frias and West,

“Crowe was absent from his EBCI job on sick leave on the days he traveled to and attended the ICIA conference,” the document read, adding that “employees are expected to use sick leave for legitimate reasons only.”

The same day, Crowe requested time to share about the ICIA event during the board’s Feb 26 monthly meeting.

While Crowe was left off the agenda, the board still addressed the conference, emphasizing that ICIA has a hostile relationship with the tribe’s cannabis venture and mentioning Facebook posts contradicting the manager’s account of his experience.

Votes, however, were not recorded. Neither was the complete list of attendance. Additionally, the tribal council liaison was not sent meeting reminders — which included minutes and agenda items from the prior meeting. This was another task delegated to the board’s attorney, and if the liaison was ever notified remains uncertain.

OIAE recommended the board establish both a formal onboarding process for members and a robust record-keeping system with a secretary to organize meeting documents.

The investigation did not mention the cannabis venture’s finances, another point of contention. Since its conception, Qualla Enterprises has yet to release an audit, forensic or otherwise, despite calls throughout the years from various members of tribal administration.

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Shining Rock names new school director

The Board of Directors of Shining Rock Classical Academy announced the appointment of Heather Wilson as executive school director.

Following a comprehensive leadership selection process that included parent survey feedback, staff vision-casting sessions, candidate presentations, leadership interviews and consultation with educational leadership experts, the Board unanimously selected Wilson to lead the next chapter of Shining Rock Classical Academy, the school said in a press release.

“We were seeking a leader who understands our school community, values our mission, and possesses the experience and vision necessary to guide SRCA into the future,” said Board Chair Alyson Weimar. “Heather Wilson demonstrated her commitment to students, families, faculty and the long-term success of our school throughout the selection process. We are excited for the fresh ideas, positive energy and innovative thinking that she will bring as she leads SRCA forward.”

Wilson brings more than a decade of experience in education and school leader-

ship, serving students and families both internationally and within Western North Carolina. Prior to joining Shining Rock Classical Academy, she served as Principal and Director of Hsinchu American School in Taiwan.

Her educational leadership experience also includes service in private Christian education and, according to the release, a proven track record of building strong partnerships between schools and their communities.

“Throughout her career, Wilson has been recognized for creating student-centered learning environments, supporting teacher growth and development, and

implementing programs that improve both student engagement and academic achievement,” the release states.

Most recently, Wilson has served Shining Rock Classical Academy over the past two years as both a classroom teacher and assistant director. During that time, she has developed strong relationships with students, staff and families while gaining a deep understanding of the school’s mission, culture, opportunities and challenges, the release said.

The release noted that as executive school director, Wilson will focus on strengthening academic excellence, supporting faculty and staff, expanding family

engagement, enhancing experiential learning opportunities and “building upon the strong foundation that has made SRCA a unique educational choice for families throughout Western North Carolina.”

“I am honored by the trust the Board has placed in me,” said Wilson. “Shining Rock is a special community with incredible students, dedicated educators, and supportive families. I look forward to working alongside our staff, families, Board and community partners as we continue to build a school experience that challenges students academically, develops character and prepares young people to make a positive impact in the world.”

The Board remains committed to supporting a smooth leadership transition and continuing its work to strengthen the longterm sustainability, culture and mission of Shining Rock Classical Academy.

The Board of Directors invites families, staff, and community members to attend a drop in “Meet and Greet” with Wilson from 5-6:15 p.m. June 24 at Shining Rock Classical Academy. Light refreshments will be served.

“Heather Wilson demonstrated her commitment to students, families, faculty and the long-term success of our school throughout the selection process. We are excited for the fresh ideas, positive energy and innovative thinking that she will bring as she leads SRCA forward.”

— SRCA Board Chair Alyson

Weimar.

Elyza specializes in deep tissue work with intention. Her style is an infusion of modalities from all over including Thai, Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian), and energy based work. She listens to the body and allows movement where energy flows. Elyza also offers other services such as Swedish, Trigger Point, Lymphatic massage, Aroma therapy, Hot Stones, and Cupping.

Pathways Center receives grant from local Rotary Club

Pathways Center recently received a $4,000 donation from the Waynesville Sunrise Rotary Club and Sunrise Rotary Foundation.

A check was presented by Rotarian Lane Perry, organizer of the annual Turkey Trot. These funds will be used to upgrade the doors to both the men and women’s spaces.

The donation represents a portion of the proceeds from the 5th annual Thanksgiving Day race, known for its memorable motto: “First the huffin’, then the stuffin’.”

The Turkey Trot has grown steadily over the years, attracting more than 600 participants and strong support from local sponsors. In 2026, the race is projected to have 800 runners, and registration opens in mid-July. Proceeds from the 2025 event were shared among several community focused initiatives including Haywood Pathways Center, Uncomplicated Kitchen, Kare House and local scholarship initiatives, helping support important community needs throughout Haywood County.

WCU Mountain Heritage Center now accepting nominations for annual awards

Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Mountain Heritage Awards, honoring individuals and organizations whose work preserves, interprets and celebrates the rich cultural traditions and history of Southern Appalachia.

Annually presented by the chancellor of WCU, recipients will be honored during the Mountain Heritage Days festival in a public ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Cullowhee.

Honorees are selected by a committee made up of community and WCU representatives. The two award categories recognize an individual and an organization for distinguished service, accomplishments, influence or expertise in maintaining the cultural viability of the region.

Nominations must be emailed to mhd@wcu.edu with the subject line “Award Nomination 2026” by 5 p.m Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Nominations should be no more than five pages in length and must outline the nominee’s accomplishments, highlighting their impact in areas such as traditional crafts, music, or social and environmental causes. Submissions should also describe the nominee’s role as a teacher, advocate, leader, researcher or preserver of mountain culture and heritage. A list of awards or other recognitions received by the nominee should be included, and links to online support materials may be provided as optional supplements.

For more information about the history of the festival and the awards, visit mountainheritageday.com.

Enjoy a taste of Scotland in Franklin

The Taste of Scotland Society will host its Festival and Highland Games beginning at 6 p.m. June 19 with a clan parade and Ceilidh (free con-

Haywood Lane Perry, a Rotarian and organizer for the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot fundraising event, presents a $4,000 check to Parker Chatham, the Haywood Pathways Center development director. Donated photo

cert) on Main Street. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 20, the festival and highland games competition will be held at the Macon County Fairgrounds. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12, 5 and under free. A Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 21, at the Franklin First Presbyterian Church. For questions call 828.508.9485 or email tasteofscotland.org.

Haywood Regional Medical Center releases annual report

Haywood Regional Medical Center published its community benefit report for the 2025 calendar year. The report outlines the hospital’s investments in patient care, access, facilities, workforce development, community partnerships and support for individuals in need.

In 2025, HRMC donated more than $26.9 million in charity and other uncompensated care, reflecting the hospital’s continued commitment to caring for patients regardless of their ability to pay. The hospital also invested in community benefit programs, including financial and in-kind contributions, professional development, tuition reimbursement, community health services, and physician recruitment.

As one of the region’s major employers, HRMC distributed a payroll of more than $79.1 million for approximately 1,070 employees, supporting both local families and the broader economy. The hospital also paid more than $17.3 million in local and state taxes, contributing to essential public services and community infrastructure.

The report also highlights HRMC’s ongoing support for local organizations and community events, including the Canton Labor Day Festival, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Health Fair, Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, Haywood County Schools, Haywood County Department on Aging, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, Haywood County MLK Association, Pisgah High School and Tuscola High School student sponsorships, Power of Pink 5K, The Salvation Army and more.

The full 2025 Community Benefit Report for Haywood Regional Medical Center is available at myhaywoodregional.com.

Franklin’s Brooklyn Bagels celebrates new ownership

The Franklin Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting celebration welcoming the new owner, Amanda Duke, of Brooklyn Bagels.

Guests are invited to stop by and experience the taste of freshly made bagels, homemade spreads, and satisfying breakfast and lunch offerings that have made Brooklyn Bagels a local favorite.

Brooklyn Bagels specializes in authentic New York-style bagels and offers a variety of menu items including not only fresh bagels, but also flavored cream cheeses, bagel sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, wraps and various pastries.

Customers are encouraged to call for daily bagel and cream cheese flavors and can conveniently order ahead for easy pickup. Large orders are always welcome.

For more information, visit brooklynbagelswnc.com or call 828.349.6334.

Lake Junaluska to host

Juneteenth celebration

The community is Invited to Celebrate Juneteenth with music, food, culture and family fun.

The celebration will take place at the Nanci Weldon Gym at Lake Junaluska from 5:30-8 p.m Friday, June 19, and will feature live music, family-friendly activities, cultural experiences and local food vendors.

A highlight of the evening will be a performance by The John Henry Ensemble, presenting an inspiring blend of jazz, gospel jazz, blues and selections from the Great American Songbook. Their performance will celebrate the rich musical traditions that have shaped American culture and

African American history.

Guests will enjoy a variety of activities and attractions including a climbing wall, face painting, bouncy houses and community vendors. Food will be available from Woof Street Bistro, Chili Chompers and Slap City.

A special feature of the event will be the Red Table, a meaningful Juneteenth tradition that highlights the cultural and historical significance of the color red. In African American and Afro diasporic traditions, red foods and beverages honor the bloodshed and sacrifices of enslaved ancestors, symbolize resilience and strength and pay homage to West African roots. Guests will enjoy traditional red-themed offerings including watermelon, red velvet cake, red sodas and other refreshments.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Today, Juneteenth serves as a celebration of freedom, remembrance, education and hope for future generations.

This celebration provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together, learn from history, honor those who came before us and celebrate the richness of our shared community. The event is free and open to the public.

Haywood seeks applicants for health and human services board

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill positions on the Haywood County Health and Human Services Board for a pharmacist and an optometrist.

Each position will begin serving a four-year term upon appointment.

For the pharmacist position, the candidate must be a qualified pharmacist and reside in Haywood County. Current and retired pharmacists are encouraged to apply.

For the optometrist position, the candidate must be a qualified optometrist and reside in Haywood County. Current and retired optometrists are encouraged to apply.

Qualified professionals are encouraged to apply. Upon completion of the term, appointees serving their first term are eligible to apply for reappointment to a second four-year term. More information about the HHS Board can be found at haywoodcountync.gov/261/Health-HumanServices-Agency-Board.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. July 10. Application forms link can be found at haywoodcountync.gov/9/how-do-i or picked up from the county manager’s office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Haywood County Courthouse, third floor, 215 North Main St. in Waynesville.

Completed applications will be submitted to the county manager’s office or attached to an email to Haven B. Muse, Deputy Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, at haven.muse@haywoodcountync.gov. For more information, contact the county manager’s office at 828.452.6625.

Be purposeful and feed the good wolf

There is a Cherokee legend where an elder tells his grandson a story about two wolves. It goes something like this.

“Son, within all of us is a battle of two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”

He continued, “The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

“The same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too,” explained the wise Cherokee elder.

Looking up at his grandfather, the young boy thought about the story for a moment, then asked, “Which wolf will win?”

The grandfather replied, “The one you feed.”

I like to keep this story at the forefront of my mind when going about my daily life and when making big decisions. These two wolves are clashing within us, and we have to be the mediator, deciding which wolf we will feed. Sometimes, we accidentally feed the wrong wolf, allowing ourselves to go down a road of comparison, victimhood, worry or regret.

Even though we can’t avoid negative emotions entirely because they’re a key component to developing a full emotional arc, we can integrate habits and skills into our lives that focus on feeding the good wolf more than the bad wolf.

If I feel stuck in my head or am in a spiral of overthinking, I get out into the world. I run errands or go for a walk. Moving from my mind into an external environment always helps. I’m trying to listen to other people’s opinions in a more objective manner instead of taking things personally. I know the truth lies within my own heart and soul, so even though other people mean well, I often take their advice with a grain of salt and ultimately turn to meditation and prayer for answers.

I’ve moved away from social media. What’s the point of it anyway? When social media first came on the scene, I enjoyed

President is dragging the U.S. down

To the Editor:

Will the USA follow its shamefully incompetent and dishonest “leaders” all the way through the sewage system, to the absolute bottom and the destruction of our United States? I’m ashamed that U.S. citizens have elected such a fool, who then appointed more fools, such that we have an administration, that is comprised entirely of fools.

In addition, this administration has committed war crimes galore, as well as illegal capture and/or killing, with total disrespect for the rule of law. The manbaby has never met a law he didn’t willingly break. The pardoning and/or commuting of the sentences of the January 6 insurrectionists is egregiously beyond the pale. Say, for instance, your neighbor came over and shot your family members; would you want to have that neighbor pardoned entirely, sentence commuted, walking the streets, able to arm themselves legally, to come back and kill you also? We are looking at just that scenario, and that’s the exact reason the orangutang has pardoned his “many

it, even working as a social media manager, but I can’t remember the last time I was on Facebook and I only pop on Instagram occasionally, mostly to keep up with my children’s school and sporting events. An original intent of these platforms was to keep folks connected, but over the years, social media has turned toxic. Even aside from political divisiveness and rampant fake news, it encourages comparison and we all know that comparison is the thief of joy. For me, social media is feeding the bad wolf, so I work to steer clear.

Another way I “starve” the bad wolf is focusing on the now instead of thinking about the past or worrying about the future. I’m learning how to re-center myself into the present whenever I feel my mind slipping away to the “if only” and “what if” ways of thinking. And even when we’re not worrying about the future, we’re often planning for the future — in a constant forward momentum instead of settling into what is happening in the moment.

There is a quote by Emily Dickinson that says “Forever is composed of nows.” For years, I continually dove into the future, always moving forward to the next thing, the next event, the next trip, curating the next memory. But really, forever is simply a collection of all the nows, so why not enjoy today instead of worrying about or planning for all the tomorrows?

There’s a spiritual mantra that says, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” If we focus on choices that foster love, joy, gratitude, purpose, contentment, flow, nourishment and inspiration, we feed the good wolf. Listening to music, hanging out with children, laughing, being playful, gardening, journaling, reading, walking in nature, being near water, seeing new places, eating healthy foods, spending time with

LETTERS

good people,” so they can “stand back and stand by” for this next election cycle. Will everyone please read and learn the reality of today’s GOP? They are not in favor of any of the democratic ideals which have made our country truly great. Democrats help others, we lift all people. We’re a long way from perfect, but we try. Republicans kill people gleefully, bragging about it, withholding well-established monies that have truly improved the world. There has always been corruption, greed, and bad actors, but when an administration replaces competency with sycophancy, our values have not a chance. If one is not paying attention, and if one is believing in the manbaby, then all I’ve said here will not help. Please try to do the best citizenship of which you are capable. MAGA in our United States of America means our destruction, and the advancement of the Elon Musk types, those with exceptional ability, unhampered by any sense of morality or love of country.

Bil Aylor USAF 1966-73

Swain County

friends and family, moving away from technology. These are all ways to encourage positive energy and feed the good wolf.

We tend to act like we’re fighting some invisible force that’s trying to take us down, and maybe that’s an evolutionary trait from when we were always on high alert for the next threat, but in today’s world, life will primarily flow along a stream of well-being, if we allow it. It’s like the Abraham Hicks quote, “There is only a stream of well-being that flows. You can allow it, or resist it, but it flows just the same.” Accept life as it is instead of wishing something was different.

In addition to feeding the wolves emotionally, they have physical hunger as well. Take care of your body as if your life depends on it because it does. Get adequate sleep, don’t overdo the caffeine or alcohol. Enjoy the great outdoors. Incorporate movement into every day. Don’t smoke or do drugs. Eat fresh, seasonal foods. Be social. Isolation is debilitating for numerous reasons. Take time for yourself and instill a spiritual daily practice.

Learn how to be compassionate and curious instead of judgmental. Refrain from questioning why someone is doing something a certain way or focusing on how another’s behavior is hurting your feelings. I turn compassion on those people and try to empathize with them. I can’t always figure out the whys, but I can tell you that trying to understand them from a lens of compassion makes me feel better and feeds the good wolf.

Living with the bad wolf in control is miserable. We’ve all been there — times in our lives where regret, guilt, comparison and self-pity take over. It’s the worst, but we have more control than we believe. Maybe it’s an average Tuesday or it’s a day where you’re making a massive life decision. Either way, always feed the good wolf. It’s not that you want to starve the bad wolf to death, but feed as little as possible so that even if he exists, the good wolf remains the alpha.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer and editor who lives in Haywood County. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

The myth of male rule

To the Editor:

Patriarchy is not inevitable and having huge swaths of land and people being controlled by a single person is not ordained by God.

We are no longer an agrarian society where the physical strength of men allowed them the advantage in acquiring or defending land. Our institutions must be restructured where cooperation and mutual aid become central to policy.

Winston Churchill was a man of his times, and in the chaos and uncertainty of war he is said to have proclaimed:

“Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

I heard a very educated man repeat this on TV just this morning as if it was the fate of humanity for all time. Except it isn’t true. Not by a long shot.

In fact, peaceful, successful egalitarian civilizations have flourished on this planet for

hundreds and in some cases thousands of years, and all of human history didn’t begin 5,000 years ago. It is not the natural order for men to be elevated and certain men to rule while the rest get scraps that we fight each other for endlessly.

Hierarchy and dominance are often presented as inevitable, yet the evidence suggests they are choices. Human beings created these systems. Human beings maintain them. Human beings teach them to each new generation as though they were laws of nature instead of institutions designed by people.

As these institutions fail to achieve the order, prosperity and security they promise, the answer to the failures of patriarchal systems is almost always more force, more deprivation, more control, less freedom.

To what end?

We are told there is no alternative. We are told this is simply how the world works. The underlying assumption remains the same: a few should control all the wealth and power and the many should obey or face dire consequences.

I reject that premise.

We no longer live in a world where physical strength determines

who survives. We must reject centralized rule and wealth or privilege to organize society. The challenges before us are many. Massive inequality and poverty, war, huge parts of our planet in imminent danger of becoming uninhabitable, technological disruption, governmental and corporate and educational short sightedness, cruelty and contempt for freedom, dignity and progress cannot be solved through domination and division. They require cooperation. They require remembering we had a past before men dominated and, dare I say it? Women and girls are really, really good at that sort of thing. You could even say nature blessed us.

Christine Taber Sylva

This administration is a disaster

To the Editor:

“The strength of American government is based on three things: a President that is truthful with the people and who can be counted upon to keep his word, a Congress that ensures that the president follows the law and insists that it controls the spending of all our hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and a Supreme Court whose rulings are fair and just, assuring no man or woman is above

statesman from a demagogue and it’s imperative we discern the difference.

It is also vital that citizens know the distinction between “politics” (the art of guiding people well) and “partisanship” (the art of gaining and controlling power).

Again, ask yourself: Am I concerned with serving the community and guided by its well-being, or am I concerned only with benefitting my party and indifferent to the comfort and prosperity of the community?

Take care also not to confuse politics with “PC.” Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional and illogical minority promoting and cultivating the preposterous notion that it’s possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Today’s turbulent environment does not render politics easily recognizable (in its root meaning), concern for the community. Polis, the Greek word for “city,” in other times meant the pursuit of politics was considered a “noble activity.”

Understanding how good government works and our place in it exposes our present dilemma, the burden of a leader who is the living image of an unprincipled despot for whom Congress’s impeachment clause was designed. If this president’s violations of affirmed rules of law, the Constitution, his oath, and defiance of Congress, are not impeachable offenses, nothing is.

The Supreme Court’s carte blanche gift

the law or favored by the law.

“All these conditions no longer exist in Trumpland. Any wonder why the entire world now views America as a weak, foolish and erratic nation no longer worthy of being trusted to lead the world to a better future?”

I don’t know who authored this statement, but I quote it because it is true.

“To achieve functioning governments within democratic societies requires ethical participation of all its citizens. We ‘subjects’ are entrusted with the indispensable task of choosing equally righteous leaders.”

Ask yourself: Is this person able to move people to action that is aimed at the good of the entire community or is that effort only enhancing the power and glorification of the person himself? This differentiates a

of immunity from prosecution for breaking any law, code or rule this president chooses will result in the permanent alteration of the balance of power among the branches of government and the ultimate collapse of the United States.

This administration has embarrassed and disgraced America before the world, put our military in peril unnecessarily and (wittingly or unwittingly) alienated our allies and united our adversaries. It has murdered innocent men, women and children at home and abroad as much of America watches in silence, our grand achievements dumped on the ash heap of history.

David L. Snell

Franklin

Arts and agriculture Rare Bird Farm

County.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Situated on a 98-acre farm that’s cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside the small town of Hot Springs in Madison County, the Rare Bird Farm has become a haven for nature lovers, artists and music fans alike.

“We’re way out here [in the countryside] — it’s not a place you’re going to just stumble into,” chuckled Mitchell Davis, RBF business development director. “And we think music is a great connector to get people to come and check the [property] out.”

Alongside his wife, RBF Executive Director Farrah Hoffmire, the couple has created this invigorating space where creativity, connectivity and camaraderie merge into new avenues of possibilities in terms of agriculture and artisan endeavors.

“The arts component and community component go hand-in-hand with our [original mission] of connecting people — to plants, to nature, to animals, to the changing seasons,” Hoffmire said.

With its first concert emerging on July 4, 2020, the farm has played host to a bevy of

acclaimed local, regional and national musicians from across the musical spectrum: The Resonant Rogues, Anya Hinkle, Jackson Grimm, Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast, Angela Autumn, Liliana Hudgens, Erin Rae, Nick Shoulders, Little Mazarn, Nicholas Edwards Williams and countless others. Each show has a limited capacity of 150

tickets sold. That purposely low-ticket number allows not only an intimate live music experience, but also a platform by which musicians themselves are the main focus of the gathering — no distractions, just listening to the radiating sounds of an artist in real time.

To note, the annual Lightning Bug Tiny

Lightning Bug Tiny Music Festival

Presented by Rare Bird Cultural Arts, the Lightning Bug Tiny Music Festival will be held June 26-27 at the Rare Bird Farm in Spring Creek. Artists to appear include Jake Xerxes Fussell, Bella White, Raimee Sorensen, Tatiana Hargreaves & Sonya Badigian, Powers Ensemble, Thomas Dollbaum, Zoh Amba, Crescent Choir, Frank Hurricane and Camp Lakey Gap.

As well, there will be Appalachia dance and nature journaling workshops, food vendors, local vendors, art activities and more.

Known as “a festival with a purpose,” Lightning Bug is about “supporting Rare Bird Cultural Arts’ inclusive creative work with adult artist with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

A two-day pass is $60 per person, with day passes available for Friday ($30) and Saturday ($45). Parking passes are $15 per vehicle. Limited to 100 vehicles.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit rarebirdfarm.org/events.

Music Festival will be held June 26-27 at the farm. Artists to appear include Jake Xerxes Fussell, Bella White, Raimee Sorensen, Tatiana Hargreaves & Sonya Badigian, Powers Ensemble, Thomas Dollbaum, Zoh Amba, Crescent Choir, Frank Hurricane and Camp Lakey Gap. As well, there will be Appalachia dance and nature journaling workshops, food vendors, local vendors, art activities and more.

Want to go?

Playing host to an array of musical, artistic and agricultural gatherings throughout the year, the Rare Bird Farm is located at 91 Duckett Top Tower Road in Spring Creek. For more information and a full schedule of upcoming events, visit rarebirdfarm.org or email farrah@rarebirdfarm.org.

“We’re just trying to be organic about how we’re doing it when it comes to the music, arts and cultural part [of the farm],” Davis said. “And to watch these musicians and bands play in our backyard keeps us inspired.”

The farm itself holds two stages: the Tug Fork Barn Stage (inside) and the Chestnut Barn Stage (outdoors). Each of which is completely unique and special in its own way, whether it’s the sounds of instruments and voices soaking into old wooden beams or the soothing sounds of Mother Nature in the outside garden.

“It’s magical [being here],” Hoffmire added. “We pinch ourselves. We feel fortunate and grateful to be stewards of the land and have the ability to create something beautiful out here.” Editor’s Note: The story was brought to you by a partnership between The Smoky Mountain News and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Located in Asheville, the BRNHA focuses on the preservation and perpetuation of the rich, vibrant music and culture in Western North Carolina. These two entities are also responsible for the Down the Road magazine, an annual publication that gets officially launched each year at MerleFest. For more information, visit blueridgeheritage.com.

Tug Fork Barn Stage.

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘Holy smokes, these future jokes, eight billion people spinning just like bicycle spokes’

Hello from Room 107 at the Skyline Lodge in Highlands. I’m here on assignment for the Bear Shadow Music Festival. But, my mind keeps drifting elsewhere. It wanders to the fact I’m not back home for the memorial service for the recent passing of my best friend. That, and the last time I stayed here was with the woman I thought that I’d spend the rest of my life with.

Both aspects of that last paragraph have dissolved into the ether of the unknown, endless universe. Ghosts in method, in memory. Both aspects of my existence that have challenged me, broke me, and also elevated my heart and soul into realms never thought possible. Such is life, eh? To preface, no anger or sadness, no regret or pessimism, either. All which remains are memories and moments cherished. All that remains (the common denominator) is me.

You know, I’ve stayed at the Skyline three times. Lovely place, highly recommended. The first time was a story about the lodge several years ago, myself wondering when I could share such a great experience of hospitality with a significant other. Second time was Bear Shadow with my ex-girlfriend in 2023, who’s been long gone as a result of the raw emotions endured not only postHurricane Helene, but also life itself. She exited by Christmas 2024.

trips until it’s fixed.”

So, here I am, running around this music festival in the Blue Ridge Mountains, doing the work that I absolutely love, but with a heavy heart. I wasn’t supposed to be at this event, I was supposed to be home, and grieving amongst others. And yet, the gratitude remains to partake and immerse myself in the ancient, intrinsic, cosmic beauty that is live music before your eyes and ears.

To that, by not being able to attend the memorial service, I’ve decided to honor my late brother from another, my closest chum since the first day of seventh grade (I’m 41 now, 29 years of friendship), by doing the essence of what he and I loved: nature, culinary delights, and live music. Shit, that’s how I aim most days of my wayward existence, to disappear into the woods whenever possible, find a delicious meal somewhere, and chase down a badass concert.

HOT PICKS

1

Prominent Cherokee storyteller Davy Arch will join the “Conversations with Storytellers’ series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.

2

A stage production of “Peter & The Starcatcher” will be held on select dates and times through June 28 at HART Theater.

3

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host the “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13.

4

A special performance by the Mountain Voices Community Chorus will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin.

5

The annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13, in downtown Dillsboro.

Trotting along, an endless array of thoughts and visions swirl around every step I move, every breath I take. Thoughts of Ben and I meeting in middle school, our impending teenage shenanigans, young adulthood organized chaos, his wedding (I was the best man), those ski trips to Jay Peak and Whiteface, those live music experiences with a bevy of jam bands and whatever we could find that would shake our bones and conjure pure euphoria. And those last days, where I saw him while home last January, telling him I loved him with a big bear hug before I headed back below the Mason-Dixon Line.

That’s all in the past. But, the figurative fingerprints of those days remain on the rooms inhabited, the wine glasses held high at the Oak Steakhouse onsite or simply the sound of the nearby creek roaring all through this full moon evening (May 30). I’m not bitter, just reminiscing by myself in Room 107, the creek as loud and pleasant as ever with the recent rainstorms. I digress.

That aside, onto my best buddy, Ben. He unexpectedly passed away last month in my North Country hometown of Plattsburgh, New York. He hadn’t been doing well for many years, myself pleading with him to “slow down and take care” of himself. Those words fell on deaf ears and, thus, here we are. I had planned on attending his memorial service, surrounded by familiar faces of my youth. I was probably going to give the eulogy, too. But, that wasn’t in the cards due to my truck racking up a massive repair bill. It’s been in the shop for over a week, the mechanic (a good dude) saying “no long

Today? I awoke in the depths of silence in Room 107, a far cry from my tiny apartment in downtown Waynesville, a humble abode surrounded by incessant construction on Walnut Street and Russ Avenue, all atop the sounds of loud motorcycles and supercharged vehicles roaring by, always waking me up in the early morning before the alarm goes off on my smart phone.

I’ve never taken solitude for granted. But, it’s weird to wake up in it after months and years of noise and disruption, to actually arise into the day on your own terms and at your own pace. I got up in a darkened room and, for a brief moment, didn’t know where I was. That happens a lot when you travel as often as I do, the countless hotel rooms remaining anonymous until clarity is regained by flicking on the bedstand light and realizing your place in life. And knowing the sadness of this past weekend, I wanted to honor Ben. Lace up the running shoes and head to that forest service road a few miles from downtown Highlands. I’ve jogged it a couple times in recent years. It remains a place of serenity and peace, like all forest service roads do, for me at least. Park the locally-restrained truck at the base of the road and start running.

Covered in glorious, well-earned sweat after 3.2 miles roundtrip, I returned to the truck. Onward into Highlands once again. Lunch at the Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar on Main Street. Margherita pizza with extra cheese and sausage. The finals of the UEFA Champions League on the large TV behind the bar. A cold Peroni draft in-hand. Ben would’ve loved this place. Cheers, my dude.

Ah, yes, Bear Shadow. Afternoon into evening sets of Mavis Staples and Trombone Shorty. Sunshine finally pierced through the heavy cloud cover after sporadic rainclouds and mud puddles adoring the picturesque property. Smiles in every direction. The sounds of electric guitars, saxophones, trombones and the uplifting, goosebump tone of harmonious vocals echoing out into the ether of the surrounding peaks and valleys. Heaven on earth.

Nature, culinary delights, and live music. Here’s to you, Benny Boy. Miss you and love you, always and forever. Wherever you are on the astral plane, I know you’re up there somewhere, living it up, making fast friends with strangers, that signature cackle emerging over hearty conversation and genuine friendship made in real time.

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

HCAC presents ‘Threads’

Celebrating the beauty, creativity and versatility of fiber art, “Threads,” the latest exhibition at the Haywood County Arts Council, will be on display through Aug. 3 at HCAC’s Haywood Handmade Gallery on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

“Threads” showcases the many ways artists use fiber, thread and fabric to create meaningful works of art. From traditional quilting, weaving and embroidery to contemporary pieces inspired by textiles, the exhibition highlights texture, pattern, craftsmanship and innovation. Each work demonstrates how simple materials can be transformed into compelling artistic

expressions.

Free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org or call HCAC at 828.452.0593.

• Summertime Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, June 12, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. franklin-chamber.com.

• “Farmers & Artisans Market” will be every Friday morning (May-October) at 117 Island St. in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn along the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies/preserves, authentic crafts and more. Picnic tables

‘Cherokee People and the American Revolution’

onsite. There will also be live music. Leashed pets are welcome. This is an outdoor event. Free and open to the public. 828.488.7857.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied, and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to

A first-of-its-kind exhibition centering Native voices, perspectives and creativity in response to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the exhibition “Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution” is currently being showcased at the Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP) in Cherokee.

On view through Dec. 30, the exhibition features historic objects in conversation with works by Cherokee artists, merging cultural her-

On the street

Art fundraiser for local schools

The annual QuickDraw art fundraiser will once again be held from 4:30-9 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

The cocktail social will include an hour-long QuickDraw Challenge, live/silent auction, refreshments and dinner. Live artists will be working in the public eye, creating timed pieces, which will then be auctioned off.

Proceeds go to art classroom supplies in schools and college scholarships for art-related studies. QuickDraw’s signature auction for art education features several unique items to benefit art education in schools.

QuickDraw offers artists a way to show off and to support art teaching’s importance. For attendees, it’s a rare chance to watch art be built from the ground up and to see the end product on the same day. For visitors and potential residents, it’s a way to make friends, discover artists to commission and tap into the philanthropic community.

For art teachers, it’s a lifeline for funding classroom art initiatives in a cash-strapped school system. Since 2001, QuickDraw has funded $255,000 in art supplies and college scholarships in Haywood County Schools.

Tickets are $125 per person (advance only). VIP tables and sponsorships are also available. A portion of the ticket price pays for art teacher dinners.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit quickdrawofwnc.com or call 828.734.5747.

10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.

• 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. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events

itage, military history and contemporary art for a nuanced examination of a pivotal moment in Cherokee and American history.

With research beginning in 2022, the exhibition’s curators — MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), MotCP Director of Collections and Exhibitions Evan Mathis and guest curator Brandon Dillard (Cherokee Nation), director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Monticello — sought Cherokee accounts of the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the Cherokee American War (1776-1794), highlighting the complexities of memory and commemoration.

As the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing

Taste of Scotland Festival

The 27th annual Taste of Scotland Festival will be held June 19-21 at a variety of locations around Franklin. The festival is a celebration of the heritage brought to these mountains, that of the Scots and ScotsIrish, along with celebrating the historic relationships with the Cherokee. Scottish foods, music, clan parade, vendors/crafters, Highland Games competition, herding dog demonstrations and more.

For a full schedule of events, visit tasteofscotland.org.

and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. HCAC’s Haywood Handmade Gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. 828.452.0593 / haywoodarts.org.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.631.0271 / jcgep.org.

of the Declaration of Independence, the curators of the exhibition aspire to spark conversation about American identity and sovereignty among visitors of all walks of life, sharing new research in the first exhibit about Cherokees in the American Revolution by Cherokee scholars.

General admission tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. MotCP offers free admission to members of federally recognized tribes and museum members. Student, educator, senior and military rates available. Admission to all changing exhibitions is included in the general admission ticket price. For more information, visit motcp.org.

Dillboro festival set for June 13

The annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13, in downtown Dillsboro.

Dozens of booths lining Front Street will display handmade items from regional artists and crafters. There will also be live music throughout the day and new restaurants open for business.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit dillsboronc.org. Front Street festival in Dillsboro.

• “Waynesville First Friday: Shop, Sip, Stroll” will take place from 5-8 p.m. every first Friday of the month in downtown. The Main Street merchant corridor transforms into a lively celebration of local art, music and community. Stroll the streets, explore galleries, meet artists, enjoy live music and discover local shops and delicious restaurants. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit facebook.com/waynesvillefirstfriday.

On the beat

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host “Music Bingo Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, The Blue Mountaineers (Americana/bluegrass) Thursdays, Jerry Gaff (singer-songwriter) June 12, Paul Koptak (singer-songwriter) June 13, The Young Ones June 19 and Peter Morris (singer-songwriter) June 20. All music starts at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / facebook.com/brbeerhub.

828.342.6444 / brysoncityoutdoors.com.

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Brian Ashley Jones (Americana) June 10 and Kelly Morris (indie/soul) June 17. All shows begin at 5 p.m. and admission is $25 per person unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo with DJ Mox” Thursdays, Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) 5:30 p.m. June 10 and Dan Signor (singer-songwriter) June 13. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.

• Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host Fuzzy Peppers (indie/folk) 8 p.m. June 13. Free and open to the public. 828.631.4795 / thecutcocktaillounge.com.

Asheville Mountain Boys return to Sylva

A rising Americana/bluegrass act, the Asheville Mountain Boys will perform at 10 p.m. Friday, June 12, at Bread Heads Tiki Shack in Sylva.

A super-group of sorts, the outfit is a well-oiled machine of some of the finest pickers and grinners around in Southern Appalachia. It features John Duncan (banjo/fiddle), Zeb Gambill (mandolin), Jacob Brewer (bass) and Marshall Brown (guitar).

The sheer beauty and fundamental foundation of bluegrass music resides in one simple truth about the tones, textures and talents within the “high, lonesome sound” — its timelessness.

A song written and recorded a century ago could (and often does)

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.

• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every other Thursday of the month, Asheville Mountain Boys (bluegrass/country gold) 10 p.m. June 12 ($10 cover), “Brunch Show” with Falspring (Americana) 1 p.m. June 13 (free), “Brunch Show” with Emily Dawn (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. June 20 and Steve & The People Pleasers 10 p.m. June 13 ($5 cover). 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.

• Bryson City Outdoors (Bryson City) will host Liz Petty & Friends (Americana/folk) 6 p.m. June 20. Free and open to the public.

will host Young Mountain Music (Americana) June 12 and Shortoff Mountain Boys (Americana/bluegrass) June 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Melissa Joiner (singer-songwriter) 5:30 p.m. June 11, 28 Pages June 12, Rich Manz Trio (acoustic/oldies) June 13, Jamie Hite Duo (Americana) 3 p.m. June 14, Rick Yates (singer-songwriter) 5:30 p.m. June 18, Chad & The Junkyard Jive June 19, 81 Drifters June 20 and Skylar Jacobson (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. June 21. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

sound as fresh, relevant and soothing right now in this exact moment in time. Whereas something conceived and captured today could have the same historic parameters and effect on the sentimental, jovial mindset as it did decades previous.

Case-in-point, the Asheville Mountain Boys are the latest bluegrass ensemble to make waves around Western North Carolina when it comes to real deal, high-quality acoustic melodies in the realms of Americana, folk, roots and mountain music.

Admission is $10 at the door. For more information, call 828.307.2160 or visit breadheadstikishak.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Nicole Kestler & Brent LaCasce (jazz/piano) 6 p.m. June 12 ($20 cover) and Two Armadillos (guitar/vocals) 6 p.m. June 19 ($10 cover). Reservations highly recommended. The kitchen and wine bar will open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Mission Accomplished (classic rock) June 12 and Summer Brooke Band (bluegrass/pop) June 19. All shows are at Bridge Park and begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 / mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic” at 6 p.m. every second Friday of the month and Paper Wings (Americana) 5 p.m. June 27 ($15 adults, $7.50 kids). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/concert-series.

• Dancing On The Square (Robbinsville) will host Steve Jordan Band June 12 and Darren Nicholson & The ShedHouse Trio (Americana/bluegrass) June 19 (with square dance caller). All events begin at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 704.840.8525.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Andrew Wooten (Americana/alt-country) June 17. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $50 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.

• First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host the Mountain Voices Community Chorus 7 p.m. June 16. Titled “Songs of Peace & Light,” the showcase will feature showtunes, pop, gospel and patriotic selections. Free and open to the public. Donations appreciated.

• Friday Night Live Concert Series (Highlands)

• Groovin’ on the Green (Cashiers) will host The Deep Shallow Band June 12. Shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. villagegreencashiersnc.com/concerts.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host “Karaoke” with Dillon Brown June 11, Cory Stevenson June 12, Alamo Band June 13, Young Mountain Music June 18, Charles Walker Band June 19 and Cory Stevenson Band June 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host the “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest” 7:30 p.m. June 13. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, the “Salon Series” with Rayland Baxter (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. June 25 (tickets are $41.84 tax included). Reservations encouraged for all performances. 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Three American Troubadours (singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m. July 17. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Board Game Night” 5 p.m. F

‘Community Contra Dance’ in Franklin

A “Community Contra Dance” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Contra dance is a form of social folk dancing from which square dancing evolved, so it shares many of the same movements. As always, no partner is necessary, generations mix. All are welcome, including beginners. No dance experience or fancy clothing are necessary. Those who would like to come out just to listen to the music are welcome, too.

perhaps a few other types of folk dances appropriate to the level of the dancers in attendance. Beginners are strongly encouraged to arrive by 6:30 p.m. for the instruction. The dance itself will run from 7-9 p.m. Experienced dancers are quite willing to help those new to contra dance get started with the movements.

A contra dance will be in Franklin June 18. Cricket Woodward photo

For the uninitiated, the caller walks the dancers through the steps of the upcoming dance for a few minutes and then continues to call the moves in time to the music so the dancers know what to do next. Dances will include contras, squares, mixers and

Mondays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Karaoke” 7 p.m. June 12, The V8s (rock/oldies) June 13, Bryan & Al (rock/pop) June 19 and Tim Akins (Americana) June 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Woolybooger (blues/folk) June 12, “Karaoke” 7 p.m. June 13 and Tim Akins (Americana) June 19. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host The Vagabonds (Americana) at 2 p.m. the first and third Monday and a “Song Circle” open jam from 3-6 p.m. the first Tuesday each month. Free and open to the public. 828.524.3600 or fontanalib.org/franklin.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Shane Meade (indie/soul) June 12 and Somebody’s Child (Americana) June 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. June 11 (Big Wesser), Ryan Barber 5 p.m. June 12, Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs 1 p.m. June 13, Jackson Grimm (Americana/folk) 5 p.m. June 13, Shane Meade Duo (indie/soul) 1 p.m. June 14, “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. June 18 (Big Wesser), Tuck-aseegee 5 p.m. June 19, Osprey Orchestra (Americana) 1 p.m. June 20, Beer & Loathing (rock) 5 p.m. June 20 and Andy Ferrell (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. June 21. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com/events/2026-summer-music-series.

A suggested donation of $10 per person goes to pay the band and caller. Kids age 14 and under are free, as are first timers. Children over age 8, who are game to participate or sit and watch with an adult, may also attend. Bring a closed water container and a snack if you wish. Smoothsoled shoes work best for dancing on wood floors. Please do not wear perfume or other scents to the dances.

For more information, visit facebook.com/franklincontra for photos and details about upcoming dances or email contradancefranklinnc@gmail.com.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Songwriters Showcase 61” June 13. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

• Pickin’ In The Park (Canton) will host Brothers Rathboone with Balsam Mountain Cloggers, Southern Appalachian Cloggers and Green Valley Cloggers 6 p.m. July 3. Free and open to the public.

• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Jason Passmore (country/southern rock) June 13. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. on certain Fridays, Michael Kitchens (singersongwriter) 7 p.m. June 13, Jacob’s Well (Americana) 6:30 p.m. June 16, Jamie Rasso (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m June 17, Georgie Bette (singer-songwriter) June 19 and R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) June 20. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” Mondays, Amos Jackson (R&B/soul) June 12, Lance Turner (singer-songwriter) June 13, “Music Bingo” June 16, Iggy Ray Duo June 19 and Rich Manz Trio (acoustic/oldies) June 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.

• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host U-Neek Flav’ur June 13 and Groove Machine June 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic

On the stage On the table

HART presents ‘Peter & The Starcatcher’

A special stage production of “Peter & The Starcatcher” will be held on select dates and times through June 28.

This wildly inventive production explores the origins of some of literature’s most beloved characters in a fast-paced journey filled with magic, humor and heart.

“Peter & the Starcatcher” reimagines the story before Neverland, before Captain Hook and before the boy who wouldn’t grow up. When a lonely orphan boy crosses paths with the fearless Molly Aster and a mysterious trunk full of magical starstuff, an unforgettable adventure begins.

Along the way, audiences will encounter pirates, mermaids, shipwrecks, secret missions and a dozen actors transforming into more than 100 unforgettable characters. This production celebrates the limitless possibilities of live theatre through inventive stagecraft, physical storytelling and boundless creativity.

Appropriate for audiences of all ages Admission starts at $19 per person with seating upgrades available. Tickets are now available.

For more information, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.

‘Conversations with Storytellers’ series

A prominent regional storyteller, Davy Arch will join the “Conversations with Storytellers’ series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.

Arch tells Cherokee stories and presents lectures on Cherokee history and culture. He also demonstrates carving, flint knapping and mask making. Using artwork from different mediums, he describes both Cherokee history and contemporary Cherokee life.

Arch grew up on a subsistence farm in Western North Carolina. As a boy, he learned the value of traditional Cherokee culture from his grandfather, who taught him the old stories, how to hunt and fish and how to identify valuable medicinal plants. Today, he is a practitioner of traditional medicine, a historian, storyteller and a folk artist with work on display at the Smithsonian Institution. The series is appropriate for all community members. Everyone is welcome to attend. Tickets are $10 for community members, $7 for seniors 65+ and $5 for students. Children 12 and under may attend free of charge.

Tickets can be purchased in advance and at the door of each performance. Reduced price $50/$40/$30 series passes are also available. Refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, visit pcmdc.org/events.

begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com.

• “Under the Stars, On the Rocks” culinary series is currently underway at the Oak Steakhouse at the Skyline Lodge in Highlands. The events feature renowned chefs from around the Southeast on select dates: July 7, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13. Each four-course meal in the series is unique and personal to the guest chef, offering a one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experience. Dinners are $175 per person (including beverage pairings). Advance reservations required. To make reservations, call 828.526.4008 or visit skylinelodge.com.

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular culinary events and workshops throughout the week. For a full schedule of upcoming activities, tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranchevent.

ALSO:

Night” with Bridget Gossett 7 p.m. Mondays, Kid Billy (soul/rock) June 11, The Tallboys (Americana/psychedelic rock) June 13, Jenny & The Weazels (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. June 14, Phil Thomas (rock/indie) June 18, Hello My Dear (rock/soul) June 19 and Mooncoin (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. June 21. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.

• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Jamie Hite (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. June 12 and Stevie Vaclavik (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. June 28. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host The Doo Wop Project (soul/pop) 7:30 p.m. June 11 and Mark Chestnutt (country) 7:30 p.m. June 19. Tickets now available, with seating upgrades offered. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.

• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host semi-regular “Live Music Mondays” with Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) June 15 and Luke Deuce (singer-songwriter) June 22. All shows

• Tattered Tartan Pub (Andrews) will host Sean Harrison (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 21. 828.835.2199.

• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with Dave Cheatham (singersongwriter) June 11. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.

• Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Music” with Nitrograss 6 p.m. Wednesdays,

5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 18. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held at 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. There will also be a special summer wine dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.

• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flights” 6 p.m. Thursdays and a special “June Wine Tasting” 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 ($24.99 per person). 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have the wine bar open from 4-8 p.m. Fridays/Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a Birdsong Brewing Company tasting

“Karaoke” 9:30 p.m. Fridays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Sundays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host Michael Dunham Band 5 p.m. June 12, Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. June 14, Rich Manz Trio (acoustic/oldies) 5 p.m. June 19 and Raphael Graves Trio 1 p.m. June 21. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Rail Town (Americana) 3 p.m. June 12, Tim

Mountain Voices Community Chorus

A special performance by the Mountain Voices Community Chorus will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin.

Titled “Songs of Peace & Light,” the showcase will feature showtunes, pop, gospel and patriotic selections. MVCC is a 45-voice mixed

community chorus with members from Western North Carolina and North Georgia. Founded in 2015 and directed by Beverly Barnett, the chorus rehearses year-round to prepare for its summer and winter concert seasons. Free and open to the public. Donations appreciated.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturday 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. 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held 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 “Carolina Moonshine” train on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.

Austin (Americana) June 14, Shawn Hart (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. June 19 and Rail Town (Americana) 2 p.m. June 21. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.

• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host David Lloyd (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. June 13 and Mick Mayer (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. June 20. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Andy Ferrell (singer-songwriter) June 12, Angela Easterling (singer-songwriter) June 13, Modern Mammals June 19 and Hoto Mozambique June 20. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.

• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host “First Friday Classic Country: Jim Austin & Friends” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. each month (July 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2) and the “On the Lawn at Yonder” live music series with Kenny Roby (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. June 21 (admission by donation). Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.

On the shelf

Who was the man known as Buddha?

(Editor’s note: This is if the first in a three-part review of “Buddha.”)

Curious about the man known as the Buddha, I read three books about him, and my favorite, by far, is Karen Armstrong’s “Buddha” (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000, 171 pp). The reviewer for The Times of London describes it like this: “A fascinating book … It is hard to imagine a clearer, more concise or more authoritative introduction to one of the world’s most influential (yet shadowy) spiritual figures.”

“Buddha” is a small but dense book, and the time and setting, northern India around 500 BCE, was foreign to me. But Armstrong’s scholarship seems careful and she chooses her words with care. This precision inspires confidence that a close reading will pay rewards.

Buddhist scriptures are “voluminous,” says the author. “They have been written in various Asian languages and take up several shelves in a library.”

the importance of the legend. The substance is probably based on fact. Also, stories about the Buddha’s early life, his spiritual quest, his enlightenment and teaching, and his death, were important because of their significance. Stripped of the miraculous aspects, the stories lose no value. His becomes even an ordinary story. You can do this, the story says, and the Buddha himself insisted. He believed he had discovered truth, a way to inner peace, that was natural and available to all.

rance was the root of all suffering. The first step to transcend suffering was the practice of a strict morality. No stealing, lying, harming another creature, sex or intoxicants. His monks were to follow stringent habits of cleanliness and cultivate an attitude of perpetual serenity. The monk had to practice accepting extremes of heat, cold, hunger and thirst. Once he was well-practiced in selfcontrol, the monk went on to the study of yoga, which meant, in that day, various methods of meditation.

The earliest were not written until hundreds of years after the death of Siddhatta Gotama, the given name of the Buddha. There is little included in these scriptures that would satisfy modern criteria for historical fact, even though modern historians generally agree that such a man did live and teach disciples, who then kept the memory of him alive.

Scholars consider the Pali canon, written in an old north Indian dialect probably related to the language Gotama spoke, to be the most useful. Armstrong uses the Pali spellings in her book. Considering the lack of verifiable historical fact, and also the presence in the stories of gods and miraculous human feats, such as levitation, it seems reasonable to call the stories we have legend rather than fact. This would not diminish

At the age of 29, Gotama left his comfortable life to become a wandering monk. He had been born into a wealthy family, and the legend says that his father wanted to shield him from any sight of suffering. One version has the gods, who knew of Gotama’s destiny as a spiritual leader, disguising themselves as an old man, a sick man, and a corpse, and then slipping past the guards at the gate of the compound to let themselves be seen by the young man. There is suffering in the world. Knowing this, Gotama believed he could not be happy in a comfortable domestic life. He believed that there must be something better, more satisfying, more complete. He called that peaceful state Nibbana, which translates, “blowing out.”

After leaving home, Gotama became one of a sizable number of men who chose to live “the holy life,” living in the forests of the area and following some teacher or other. The common look for these monks, as they were called, was a yellow robe and a shaved head. The common question when a monk met another monk on the road was, “Who is your teacher?” Households in the region, the Ganges plain, supported the monks gladly by giving leftovers. Many people were interested in what the monks were learning. As Armstrong notes, “Religious knowledge in India had one criterion: did it work?”

Each teacher had their Dhamma, the set of beliefs and practices they taught their disciples. Gotama’s teacher believed that igno-

Upcoming events at City Lights

The following readings will be held at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Gotama was a dedicated and talented student. He became so proficient at the higher states of meditation that his teacher offered to make him partner in the sect. Gotama, however, decided to leave this teacher. As Armstrong puts it, “The elevated state of consciousness that he had achieved could not be Nibbana, because when he came out of his trance, he was still subject to passion, desire and craving. He had remained his unregenerate, greedy self.” A brief relief from suffering could not be Nibbana. Nibbana was eternal.

He turned now to complete asceticism, extreme self-denial. He slept out in the cold or on a spiked mattress. He held his breath for longer and longer periods of time. He barely ate and became bony. His hair fell out and his skin turned black. But nothing he did gave him peace. He now considered all his efforts. Armstrong: “The Dhammas taught by the great teachers of the day seemed fundamentally flawed; many of their practitioners looked as sick, miserable and haggard as himself.”

At this point, six years after leaving home, Gotama decided to go on his own. “Surely, there must be another way to achieve enlightenment!” At that moment, a childhood memory returned to him. His father had taken him to watch the ceremonial plowing that preceded planting. The boy was left by himself in the shade of a tree, and he looked at the freshly plowed soil, with young grasses torn up, and insects and their eggs disrupted. He felt sorrow, but it was a beautiful day, and the sorrow was followed by the transcendent joy of oneness. He sat up straight, with his legs crossed, and stayed for a time in a state of bliss.

Perhaps, thought Gotama, looking back on this time of joy, the way to Nibbana lay in cultivating natural tendencies instead of fighting human nature.

Part ll will look at the development of his teachings.

(Anne Bevilacqua is lifelong book lover and a resident of Haywood County.)

• Maria E. Lyons will host a reading and signing for her children’s book series, “Angelina The Adventure Cat,” at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 13. Lyons is a storyteller and educator with more than 30 years of experience in faith-based education and the arts.

• Tyler Auston Jones will present his poetry collection, “Obsidian Sun,” at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13. The book explores Black brilliance, beauty, burden and bravery through verse.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.

Walters hydro plant turns 100

Dam, powerhouse withstood Helene’s onslaught

BY SCOTT MCLEOD PUBLISHER

Hurricane Helene’s torrential rains in September 2024 caused the Pigeon River to surge to record flow that ripped sections of Interstate 40 to shreds, but the nearby Walters Dam, and powerhouse 12 miles below it, withstood the devastating storm with little damage.

“The dam was in no way compromised. It functioned perfectly, just like it should. We opened it up to let water out,” Alan Stuart Jr., a senior project manager for Duke Energy, told a Haywood County audience last week during a presentation about the hydropower plant on the Pigeon River.

“That’s what the gates on the dam are for, emergency situations. And the dam never overtopped,” Stuart said. “We did some preplanning with the understanding that we were going to get significant water.”

On the morning after Helene, with communications limited in much of the region and lots of search and rescue operations

under way, rumors began circulating that Walters Dam had collapsed. When asked about that rumor, Stuart said there’s a couple of reasons why it may have spread.

One, Waterville Lake and the 180-foothigh Walters Dam are mostly hidden from view. People could not see the dam from I-40, just the amount of water in the Pigeon River. Couple that with the unprecedented amount of water visible from below the dam, and people started speculating.

“I think it was the sheer amount of water that was coming down the river channel from the lake, but also from all the other tributaries. It was massive,” said Stuart.

The dam undergoes inspections every year, and Stuart said he’s confident that the management systems in place contributed to its ability to come through Helene unscathed.

The Walters Hydroelectric facility began commercial operation in 1929 and construction started in 1926, meaning its 100 years old. The powerhouse is located on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and a six-mile tunnel from the lake provides water to the plant. It produces 104 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 18,000 households.

Duke’s hydropower system provides about 7% of its total capacity. The plant is mostly

used during peak consumption periods, according to Stuart. Power from Walters can be put into the power grid in about 10 minutes.

The requirements for Duke’s hydropower system differ from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s system in that it does not take part in flood control. However, in emergency situations like Helene the reservoir managers will draw down the lake to mitigate potential flooding.

Because of decades of chemical contamination in the Pigeon River from the nowclosed paper mill in Canton, Waterville Lake can’t be drawn down below a certain level. It has a 30-foot limit on its fluctuation specifically because of those contaminants. According to Stuart, inspectors from federal environmental agencies have determined that over time new sediment from the river and its tributaries will provide a protective cap over those contaminants.

“One hundred percent, those chemicals are a factor in how we manage Waterville Lake’s levels,” Stuart said.

Every 40 years hydro plants must undergo a relicensing agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. During the process, stakeholders — including power company officials — come together over several years to determine what concessions Duke Energy must make for its continuing use of public waters.

The last relicensing for Walters in 1994 led to the creation of the Pigeon River Fund in 1996. Duke Energy contributes about $300,000 annually to the fund, which has given out grants totaling approximately $10 million to environmental and educational projects in the Pigeon River Watershed. The groups receiving the grants must be in Haywood, Henderson, Buncombe and Madison counties.

The agreement also called for Duke to make regular releases for whitewater rafting.

This graphic explains in rough terms how power is generated from a hydroelectric dam. shutterstock.com graphic

“Right now, we release on 75 days a year, between Memorial and Labor days,” said Stuart. “It’s estimated that F

Construction on Graveyard Fields connector trail begins

The Pisgah Conservancy has begun construction of the new Upper Falls Connector Trail in Graveyard Fields. This project is a major milestone in a long-term effort to restore and protect one of Western North Carolina’s most iconic natural landscapes.

The new 0.9-mile trail will connect the John Rock Overlook parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the valley floor of Graveyard Fields. The new trail connection will provide critical access needed to support future restoration work, including trail reconstruction, stream and habitat restoration, storm recovery projects and ongoing maintenance throughout the area.

Construction officially began on May 19, 2026.

The existing trails leading into Graveyard Fields include narrow corridors, stairs and other aging infrastructure that are unable to accommodate the equipment and material loads necessary to implement these future restoration projects and ongoing maintenance needs.

After evaluating alternatives such as a

skyline yarder, project partners determined that constructing a durable new trail would provide the most sustainable long-term solution. In addition to supporting restoration work, the new trail will create expanded recreation opportunities by adding trail mileage, dispersing visitor use and serving as the first link in a future loop route to Upper Falls.

During the construction period, visitors should expect minimal impacts to recreation access. Up to half of the parking spaces at the John Rock Overlook parking area may be used by the trail contractor throughout the construction period. Additionally, a temporary one-to-two-day closure of the west side of the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail from the Graveyard Fields parking area may occur in mid-June to allow for active construction work on an existing trail segment. Dates are subject to change depending on weather and construction conditions.

Construction is expected to conclude mid-September, ahead of leaf season. those releases contribute about $6 million annually into the local economies through the rafting industry.”

Duke is already eyeing the 2034 relicensing and planning for what it will entail, a process that could include more access to Walters Lake and other recreational opportunities.

“During the FERC relicensing process anticipated to begin in 2029, Duke Energy, along relicensing stakeholders, will evaluate existing recreation opportunities/facilities at the Walters Project and determine what type of public recreation opportunities may need to be expanded upon,” Jennifer Bennett, Duke’s government and community relations manager, said in an email.

According to the presentation by Stuart last week, typical issues that are on the table

during relicensing agreements for plants like Walters include: lake levels and flow releases (quantity, quality, recreation); public recreation facilities; shoreline management; land conservation; cultural resources; and environmental (fish/wildlife habitat, fish passage).

Also relevant to Walter’s relicensing is its location in public lands. The dam is in the Pisgah National Forest and near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Pigeon River flows into the Cherokee National Forest. That means representatives from those entities will have significant input into the relicensing agreement.

“It’s a long, complicated process from beginning to end, and so we do a lot of informal work beforehand because otherwise we would never get there,” said Stuart.

WCU alum reflects on fly fishing career

BY SHANE RYDEN

SPECIAL TO SMN

Matt Canter made the choice to attend Western Carolina University in Cullowhee while ankle-deep in the Tuckaseegee River, fighting a hungry rainbow trout at the other end of his fly rod.

He hadn’t seen campus or met his peers, but Canter didn’t need more convincing. For the future fly-fishing guide and owner of Brookings Fly Shop in Cashiers, the pristine waters surrounding Cullowhee had done the job well enough.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Canter said about his time at WCU. “I think it’s the best school there is if you love the outdoors.”

I accompanied Canter as he guided a pair of fishermen on a half-day wade up Caney Fork creek, an atypical afternoon for a university journalist, but one Canter’s lived a thousand times over.

The parks and recreation management major set his sights on becoming a fly-fishing guide from childhood backyard in High Point, but his experiences fishing the mountains of Western North Carolina with his family cemented that ambition.

“I remember my first trout. My mom took me up to the Boone area when I was about 11. First time in the mountains at that point. First time really fishing for trout,” Canter said. “About an hour into it, I caught my first wild brown trout, and it was, like, the best thing ever. Total addiction from there.”

It’s clear from how he speaks about his work how much Canter enjoys being an educator and sharing his passion to residents and visitors alike.

It came across in words, certainly, and in small moments of compassion.

Over the course of the afternoon, Canter did everything from setting up his clients’ flies to tying their wading boots at the bank. He took time to point out the wellcamouflaged trout by their delicate shadows on the river bottom and showed me the

principles of casting between recordings.

“I really enjoy seeing other people learn and get excitement and satisfaction from being successful. And I always say fly fishing will take you places you would otherwise never see,” Canter noted.

Canter came to understand the full truth of that sentiment over time. While attending WCU, the High Point native met his future wife Natalie and, by the close of his senior year, he’d drawn the very first plans for his fly-fishing business, a capstone project from professor Deborah Singleton. His career quickly took shape.

“I actually started guiding during school,” Canter said. “In the summers I’d go up to Minnesota and Canada and lead 10to-12-day canoe trips with the Boy Scouts… As soon as I graduated, I started guiding for a company in Cherokee.”

Not long after taking that position in Cherokee, Canter joined Brookings’ operations in Cashiers, and that decision proved instrumental.

The experienced outdoorsman quickly worked his way up to a lead guide position at Brookings, before the 2008 financial crisis put new strain on the business. The stress of the recession meant that for a moment, the shop, which then employed only four guides, might have to close its doors permanently.

Forced to downsize the operation against his wishes, Canter was preparing himself for a major pivot – before a miraculous meeting in the shop.

“It looked like Brookings wasn’t going to make it,” Canter said. “I’d already let employees go. I went three or four months without getting paid.

“One day I’d just gotten off a bad phone call with ownership, and a customer walked into the shop wanting a $5 spool of tippet. I was frustrated and just said, ‘Man, get whatever you want today because I don’t think we’re going to be here next week.’

“That customer became my business partner… Life’s funny like that. He bought

the business, moved the store to his property, and changed the whole direction of the shop — made it more of a real fly shop instead of a lifestyle store.”

Over the next five years, Canter and his fishing financier transformed their business, and when presented with the opportunity to take on majority ownership, Canter made the bold choice to take the challenge on.

Since then, Brookings Fly Shop has seen tremendous success. The shop now employs 26 fishing guides year-round. They’re able to guide on public rivers and exclusive patches of private water.

Beyond Western North Carolina, they’ve been able lead groups on fantastic expeditions from the Bahamas to the Amazon Jungle to Canada to Patagonia.

And here at home, they’re still at work to grow.

Fishermen visiting Brookings Fly Shop to restock or catch up can now enjoy a drink at the Blue Line Bar they’ve erected inside, that’s quickly become a hotspot in town.

“The whole idea was community,” Canter said. “Cashiers is a secondhome community, and a lot of people don’t really know each other.

fly fishing guide, he said, ‘If you’re OK with trying to scratch by on about $40,000 a year, go for it,’ and I said, ‘OK, that’s what I’m gonna do… To have the opportunity to build the store that we’ve built is just above and beyond. I never would have imagined it.”

Canter now lives in Brevard with his wife and two children. He invariably spends his days by the water, and even now, it doesn’t feel like work.

When I asked Canter what advice he had to share with current WCU Catamounts set on a fishing career, he shared what he looks for in guides he brings aboard.

“In my opinion, people skills are more important than anything… I don’t care whether you can catch 100 fish or not. You need some skillset with fly fishing, but first and foremost you need people skills and the

Puzzles can be found on page 30

These are only the answers.

“What we noticed on destination trips was that if you take people somewhere adventurous together, they come back as friends… So we thought, if people who love fishing just get to know one another locally, that benefits everybody.”

Canter said it has exceeded his expectations.

“I can’t tell you how many real friendships started there… I pinch myself every time I pull in,” he said.

“When I told my dad I was gonna be a

ability to entertain,” Canter said. “I can teach somebody to fish. I can’t teach personality.

“I have no patience for ego,” Canter added. “If somebody gets cocky, they leave, and because of that, we’ve got a really teamoriented environment. Everybody helps everybody. There’s no secrecy… I’ll tell whoever’s guiding tomorrow exactly what flies worked best today.”

Sharing wisdom is what it means to “Live Western,” and Canter provides an especially valuable example. I count myself lucky to be among the leagues of people he’s taught, inspired and hooked with the sport.

Dr. Lauren D. Pharr is an avian behavioral ecologist and awardwinning science communicator whose work bridges bird behavior, conservation, and inclusion in the outdoors. Donated photo

Learn about woodpecker conservation in Highlands

The second event of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series season will take place on Thursday, June 18, and will feature Lauren D. Pharr, postgraduate researcher at North Carolina State University, presenting “Story: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Conservation, and the Science Inside the Nest.”

The red-cockaded woodpecker once faced a severe decline as longleaf pine forests disappeared across the southeastern United States. Today, it stands as one of the most recognized examples of successful species recovery.

In this presentation, Pharr will share the “w(hole) story” of this remarkable bird, exploring both the history of its conserva-

tion and the science taking place inside its nest cavities. Drawing from her research on partial brood loss, Pharr will discuss how these cooperative birds live in family groups and how factors such as group size and environmental conditions influence chick survival. Her work provides a fascinating glimpse into the hidden lives of these endangered woodpeckers and the conservation efforts that have helped bring them back from the brink.

The lectures are held every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. through Aug. 6 at the Highlands Nature Center. Admission is free.

To view the full Zahner Conservation Lecture Series schedule, visit highlandsbiological.org/zahner.

Swan boats to debut at Lake Junaluska

A new flock is preparing to glide across the waters of Lake Junaluska this summer. Seven pedal-powered swan boats could arrive as early as Independence Day Weekend, bringing a new whimsical recreation experience to the 200-acre mountain lake.

Designed to look like oversized swans, the swan boats celebrate the lake’s actual swans, which were first introduced in the community in 1989. Crafted by Adventureglass, the 10-foot boats are large enough to accommodate up to five guests and have optional Bimini-style sunshade canopies. They are powered by passengers pedaling in the front seats.

Ride the ‘Northern Loop’ in Panthertown

Friends of Panthertown invites beginner, intermediate and advanced bikers to join them for a free mountain biking program in Panthertown.

The Panthertown Northern Loop Bike Program is happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at the Flat Creek Trailhead. The program will be co-led with Seven Moons, Motion Makers, Trail Partners, Pisgah Area SORBA, Nantahala Area SORBA, WCU Cycling Club and Mainspring Conservation Trust.

This program is meant to educate users on the redesignation of the Turkey Knob Trail, sustainable biking practices and the history of Panthertown. It will inform of cycling route options, Leave No Trace, ambassadorship, stewardship and partnerships.

Afterward, participants are invited to ride along the newly redesignated loop. An alternative e-bike ride will be provided for e-bike users along a gravel road (U.S. Forest Service rules prohibit e-bikes on any Nantahala National Forest Backcountry Area). After the program, participants are invited to stick around for trailhead community. Find out more and RSVP at panthertown.org/events.

Yoga and wellness festival comes to Waynesville

The 2026 Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival will be held June 19-21 on the Folkmoot Friendship Center Campus in Waynesville.

Celebrating whole-body wellness with 38 classes and workshops, this second-annual event has grown into a full weekend of yoga, but also sound and somatic therapy, kirtan, qigong, hooping, empowering workshops, hiking, forest bathing and more.

The shopping and dining areas are open from 5-9 p.m. June 19-20.

At 6 p.m. on June 19, visitors will meet in front of the Folkmoot Friendship Center and kickoff the weekend activities together with music, movement and joy as they parade around the campus together.

The weekend wraps up on June 21 with an onsite yoga hike and forest bathing experience at the local luxury mountain resort, Elk & Embers, with limited availability.

Two classes are offered Friday evening, Soulful Summer Bloom; Hatha Style Flow with Scott Carson at 6:30 p.m. and a sound bath with Eric Lindstrom of Resonance for Healing at 8 p.m.

Class details, tickets and a full festival schedule are available at smokymountainyogafest.com.

Lake Junaluska Outfitters will rent the swan boats for $30 per hour and accept

swan boat reservations online and in person at the window near the lakeside pool. Personal flotation devices will be provided and required for all swan boat guests.

Market PLACE WNC

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

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

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance

Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

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

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

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• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

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

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

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

Legals

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA HAYOOD COUNTY IN THE SUPERIOR COURT

Title: Estate of FREDA JO THOMPSON, deceased. To: HUNTER HAYNES , last known address: 2057 Lydney Circle, Waxhaw, NC 28173; SHEILA JOYCE LUNSFORD , last known address: 36 Smith Graveyard Road, Asheville, NC 28804; and MICHAEL EUGENE HAWKINS , address unknown.

TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you, styled Caveat contesting a probated paper writing, has been -

tioned proceeding now pending in the Superior Court of Haywood

County, North Carolina, File No. 26E000030-430, before the Superior Court of Haywood County. Additionally, concerning said propounded writing, Notice of Lis Pendens have 430 and 26M000070-100. The nature of the relief being sought is a judicial determination, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 3132 et seq. , that the script of writing heretofore admitted to probate as the Last Will and Testament of Freda Jo Thompson is not the valid Last Will and Testament of the said decedent; that probate of said writing be set aside; and such further and other relief as the Court may deem just and proper. The Lis Pendens is given to give public notice of contested litigation regarding former real property of the decedent. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days from May 27, 2026

cation of this Notice, said deadline being July 6, 2026. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This Notice is given in compliance with the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rule 4 but no party is re-

to the Caveat per N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 31-33(c). This, the 22 nd day of May, 2026. /s/ Harrison C. Dusek Counsel for Caveator Michael Joseph Hawkins 37 Church St. Ste. 2100 Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA HAYWOOD COUNTY IN THE DISTRICT COURT RE: DEPOT 1, LLC V. MACINTYRE, HAYWOOD COUNTY FILE

NUMBER: 26CV000542430

TO: ROBERT WARD MACINTYRE, Defendant.

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Complaint for Ejectment. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than July 6th, 2026, said date being 40cation of this notice. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought.This the 21st day of May, 2026. Caleb Decker, Attorney for Plaintiff DeckerLaw, PLLC 168 Tate Street Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 246-0897

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000123-490

David Lee Southers,

Administrator of the Estate of Douglas Lee Southers of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 27 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator

Attn: David Southers 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000252-430

Shelly Buher, having qualof the Estate of Gregory Alan Binkley of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 27 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator P.O. Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000311-430

Darlene Ketner Killian,

Administrator of the Estate of Ernestine Wyatt aka Ernestine Ketner Wyatt of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 20 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator PO Box 173 Maggie Valley, NC 28751

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000333-430

Monique Crook, hav-

Executor of the Estate of Patricia Mraz a/k/a Patricia Coughlin Mraz of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Sep 03 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor 427 Apple Tree Ct Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000230-430

Amanda Holder, having -

istrator of the Estate of Scott Dewayne Holder of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate

to present them to the undersigned on or before Aug 20 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator 165 Odiear Rd Canton, NC 28716

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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Pets

BROWN TABBY CAT — PHO 7 year old girl with bold stripes. Talkative and loving but slightly shy. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements

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Services

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