We need laws to control loud, dangerous pets
To the Editor: What an ignorant letter (“People, not dogs, are the problem,” Aug. 1, The Smoky Mountain News) written…
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It’s important to protect the golden goose
To the Editor: As Western North Carolina strives to attract more businesses into this area, a major selling point is…
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Valid criticism better than false accusations
To the Editor: I have been in such a state of shock over a letter published in your newspaper (“Obama…
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Raymond Fairchild and a vanishing tradition
By Charles and Cynthia Seeley • Guest Columnists I am a visitor to Maggie Valley. My husband, two friends and…
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Democrats never met a tax they didn’t like
To the Editor: Both political parties say with a straight face that the other party is to blame for the…
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GOP is party of those who want to work
To the Editor: In answer to the statement made two weeks ago by Lisa Weeks as to why working people…
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Debt burden will crush main street if unsolved
In his 1961 inaugural address, John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you —…
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Endowment a fitting legacy for Mib and Phil Medford
When Lori and I moved to Waynesville with our then 2-year-old daughter Megan, we made a conscious choice to build…
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Obama wants to limit free speech rights
To the Editor: Albert Einstein, who was a genius both in mathematics and in understanding human motivation, said the following:…
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Forest Service should not tear up hillside
To the Editor: I live at the head of Tilley Creek, where my family has been since the early 1800s,…
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People, not dogs, are the problem
To the Editor: Having read about the dispute of the barking dogs and a push for a county-wide ordinance, I…
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Affordable Health Care Act is good legislation
To the Editor: Republicans in Raleigh and Washington who want to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act — and those…
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Barking dogs problem a symptom of a cultural shift
By John Beckman • Guest Columnist I’ve read the letters regarding the barking dogs issue and the responses from both…
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Why Obama is not the rich man’s candidate
To the Editor: It’s hard to understand why working people would ever vote Republican. The Republican Party is the party…
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Jones does not support barking dog ordinance
To the Editor: In a recent interview with David Joy in the Cashiers Crossroads Chronicle regarding a county wide barking…
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Speak up about Citizens United
To the Editor: Your readers may be interested to know the result of petitions signed this year by hundreds of…
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Billions to buy votes without disclosure is bad policy
To the Editor: There’s a “For Sale” sign in front of your home, but you didn’t put it there. What’s…
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GOP leaders push unfunded mandate to counties
North Carolina’s General Assembly — under the leadership of Republicans for the first time in more than a century— will…
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Remember – every year is a new year
So it’s the New Year. The ball has dropped, the parties are all over, your Kool and the Gang album…
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2008 will be telling year for Cataloochee resort
The best news about the proposed Cataloochee Wilderness Resort is that it appears that from here on out, there will…
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Sales tax is most palatable way to meet HCC’s needs
Haywood Community College needs help, and the community that benefits from this beloved institution is going to step up. The…
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Wealthy are gaining too much political power
To the Editor: OccupyWNC, an affiliate of MovetoAmend.com, along with groups all across the United States, has worked diligently to…
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Obama was in over his head from day one
To the Editor: Election time is approaching and we are facing a promise gap. In 2008 when vice presidential candidate…
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Looking forward to our own Hunger Games
To the Editor: Have you heard the latest about our local sportsmen? Well, it’s been reported that three elk were…
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Can the dream stay alive for another generation?
“You know, this is really the only thing I know I’ve wanted to do my whole life.” That was my…
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Loving guns and badges in Maggie Valley
To the Editor: Maggie Valley must love the guns, badges and handcuffs. In fact, with Maggie Valley being only about…
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The party of tax-and-spend, really?
To the Editor: It’s election trash talking time again, and one of the things that will come up will be…
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Rhyming a solution to our political woes
To the Editor: As our government officials keep putting off a long-term solution to the debt ceiling problem, perhaps these…
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Honeydew just another of the many surprises about beekeeping
The wonderful thing about keeping bees is there are always surprises. Just when you think you’ve learned what there is…
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Thanks for the memories, thanks for being there
I loved Andy Griffith as much as it is possible to love someone you’ve actually never met. In some very…
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Reduced energy use is natural part of Euro life
We were nearing the end of our European summer vacation with three other families from Western North Carolina when we…
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A dip in the Tuck beats bee suits in this heat
I slept downstairs on a futon last night, trying to escape some of the intense heat that, chimney-like, turned the…
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We should realize value of natural resources
To the Editor: In Western North Carolina we are extremely lucky to live, work and play in a place of…
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A story everyone should read, learn from
To the Editor: We, the undersigned, are a group of Haywood County citizens that meets regularly for a respectful dialogue…
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Sometimes a walk is better than a run
For many years I was a dedicated runner. These days I’m much more likely to choose to walk, both for…
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The fleeting years of childhood give way to a strange, new world
My daughter has arrived at an impossible age — impossible for her, impossible for me, impossible for her mother, impossible…
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It’s time to reverse this regressive course North Carolina is headed down
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist My wife and I moved here from Florida because we wanted to live in…
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Noise ordinance an unjust attack on heritage
To the editor: I am writing in response to recent discussions of “Barking Dogs” in Jackson County and to…
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Barking dogs ordinance would increase burden
To the editor: Remember when we would say “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite” as a nod…
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Barking dogs a symptom of animal welfare, social issues
To the editor: The barking ordinance that Jackson county commissioners recently said they’d support sounds at first like a…
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Hearing all the buzz about sourwood
This is a special time of the year for beekeepers in Western North Carolina. It is the time they prepare…
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Women make decisions for themselves
To the Editor: This is intended for all men: political office-holders, the religious of all faiths, and just plain “guys.” I…
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Voter ID laws should have bipartisan support
To the Editor: Election reform is needed in North Carolina. Nearly eight out of 10 North Carolina voters support Voter…
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Romney’s plan will benefit wealthy
To the Editor: Mitt Romney is saying his experience in the private sector means he can do a better job…
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No good reason for such a colorful plate debate
State senators from the mountain region — and we’re especially talking about those representing the southwest, Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin,…
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Things are as they just should be — just ask Booger
I found Booger at the Coffee Shop some 15 years ago – a tiny kitten with only one eye open,…
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Teachers get sympathy from readers, peers
You never know what subject in a column will incite readers and friends to open up and express their feelings.…
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Fight back against Alzheimer’s
To the Editor: Ask yourself, for just one day, can I match the passion and dedication of Alzheimer’s caregivers and…
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End of school year teaches some bad lessons
Each spring as the school year winds down, I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry. As preparations for end-of-year,…
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Corporations are not people
To the Editor: This letter is in direct response to Ginny Jahrmarkt’s May 30 letter titled, “Jones made wrong vote…
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