How can we describe Trump?
To the Editor: By reading the final report of January 6 Committee, I noticed this bit of information: As many…
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Thanks for supporting Folkmoot event
To the Editor: Folkmoot’s first-ever Summer Soirée on July 20 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center attracted nearly 200 guests and…
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When in Edisto, it’s jungle rules
Edisto Beach, SC – Not more than 15 minutes after we finished lugging all of our stuff up two flights…
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Folkmoot’s 40th is a time to re-assess its future
Folkmoot at 40 is much different than the younger version of itself . But it’s still here, and for that…
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Learning how to have true fun
A couple weeks ago The Smoky Mountain News hosted its anniversary party.
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Wildlife disappearing from Lake Junaluska
To the Editor: Since its inception Lake Junaluska has been a beacon and home to some of God’s most beautiful…
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Yes, indeed, Thomas Paine!
To the Editor: The indictment of former President Donald J. Trump in the Southern District of Florida on June 8…
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A reason for the patriotism gap
To the Editor: In The American Legion Magazine (July 2023), in an article titled “Flag Wavers,” Alan W Dowd states: “The…
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The short-term rental issue is now a crisis
Short term vacation rentals — and their impact on affordable housing and the tourism industry — are vexing both local…
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Being mindful of Mother Nature’s gifts
Lately we’ve been enjoying the hummingbirds each morning on our back deck.
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Supporting a free press is, well, patriotic
The cookouts are over, the red, white and blue decorations are coming off the patios and tables and are being…
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Plastics everywhere — should we be worried?
A baby whale washed up on a beach. Eighty-eight pounds of plastics were found in its stomach. Should we care?
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A new day dawns for young Melvin
Melvin McLeod Trawick, our first grandchild, came into this world seven days ago.
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Quirkiness attracts, at least in my marriage
I have always been fascinated by and drawn to quirky people.
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Law-and-order Republicans are silent
To the Editor: It is truly disheartening to see the response of elected Republicans to the indictment of Donald Trump.…
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Tribal Council should show more respect
To the Editor: I am writing to say I am discouraged and disappointed by the behavior of some Tribal Council…
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If you had a magic crayon, what would you draw?
Recently I stumbled upon one of my columns from 2017. I talked of an evening where I sat with my…
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Patriotism requires a common story
Is a picture really worth a thousand words? In very online debates among very online people, the exchange rate is…
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What’s happening to waterfowl at Lake J?
To the Editor: I would like to know what is happening to the ducks and geese at Lake Junaluska.
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Loss of paper mill is a loss for forests
The closing of the paper mill in Canton is a major loss for its 1,100 employees and a shock to…
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Law-and-order Republicans are silent
To the Editor: It is truly disheartening to see the response of elected Republicans to the indictment of Donald Trump.
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Embracing summertime
According to the calendar, summertime is still a couple weeks away, but with morning birds singing and the sun brightly…
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We can, and should, stop the bloodshed
To the Editor: Letter-writer Dave Waldrop (SMN, May 25 edition) asked: “What is the cost of mass murder?” The next…
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Tyrants of all stripes are dangerous
Donald Trump is a paradigm of vices who deserved both of his impeachments and deserves indictment — which may happen…
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Store’s lawn jockeys are very disturbing
To the Editor: A Floridian friend, who recently arrived in Maggie Valley, called me Sunday morning to alert me to…
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What is the cost of mass murder?
To the Editor: What is the typical cost of a mass murder? My bet is that it is very expensive.…
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A few words about your accommodations …
Dear family, we are so very pleased to have you with us this weekend to celebrate Jack’s graduation from high…
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Don’t legislate your ‘beliefs’
To the Editor: According to a couple of newsletters I got, the week of May 14-20 was National Women’s Health…
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Minor correction on partisan voting
To the Editor: I would like to offer a small clarification to Ron Rokstool’s fine column last week concerning Rep.…
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Real reporting is much appreciated
To the Editor: My oh my, but Janet Presson, R.N., M.Ed., seemed intent on ripping Cory Vaillancourt a new one…
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Remembering our aging warriors
When I was growing up and even in early adulthood, World War II veterans were the elder of the veterans…
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The U.S. just can’t really ‘budge it’
The national budget is often compared to that of a family. We are told to “Live within your means just…
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Election bill would encourage uninformed voting
I read the recent article by Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, regarding partisan municipal elections . I am dismayed that this…
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Towns don’t need to be politicized
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, does not seem to have a clue as to what cities and towns…
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Thanks to SMN for their investigative work
To the Editor: As a subscriber to Smoky Mountain News, I wish to thank Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt for his…
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Dreams are now memories, and a line’s been crossed
For years, Tuscola High School’s location high on the hill overlooking the Lakeside Plaza, a fragment of Lake Junaluska, and…
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Django was a wanderer, a free spirit
This morning was one of those times when Django being gone hit home, when I got a little emotional thinking…
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Embracing the sisterhood of motherhood
Last weekend, I flew to Phoenix for a conference. During the four-hour flight, I sat beside a lap child, which…
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Journalism is cesspool of propoganda
To the Editor: Journalism used to be an honorable profession, but over the past two decades or so has become…
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GOP should not politicize debt ceiling
To the Editor: During the Trump administration, bipartisan votes increased the debt ceiling three times, without conditions. Now that a…
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Most vote for those ‘they know nothing about’
Editor’s note : State House Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, wrote this column to describe why he filed a bill that…
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Thanks for the gift of music
The nicest thing my mother ever did for me was buy me a stereo I didn’t deserve. I was a…
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What happened to all the smiles?
During a recent trip to the grocery store I noticed that everyone looked stone faced. The only people who were…
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This must be the place: ‘A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz’
It was a spur of the moment decision. Cold suds and hearty banter at The Scotsman in Waynesville on an…
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This must be the place: ‘To rouse the spirit of the earth, and move the rolling sky’
Dropping my girlfriend off at her house in West Asheville, it was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon. She was headed…
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We’ll trust commissioners on library controversy
To the Editor: Mr. Dan Kowal’s second letter to the editor (April 12 edition of The Smoky Mountain News) is…
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Life without the phone? Simply unimaginable
I hear tell of people, a precious few, who are not permanently tethered to their phones, people who are able to…
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