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Wednesday, 23 March 2011 19:35

Welcome to the club, and my sincere best wishes

There have been times in my life I could rightly have been described as competitive. When I was in music, and later, as a young reporter, I took myself very, very seriously. I wanted first chair or no chair when…
Wednesday, 28 January 2009 16:39

Quieting the monster cries

For nearly a year, my 3-year-old son Jack has been obsessed with heavy machinery. We rent films from the library with footage of backhoes, excavators, and bulldozers pushing around heaping mounds of debris, which Jack sits and watches with absolute…
Wednesday, 28 January 2009 16:25

Military a strong pull in this economy

The military remains a popular employment choice for young people today, and the poor economy is probably helping steer many through its recruitment centers. The Army and all the other branches of the military met recruiting goals in 2008, the…
Wednesday, 28 January 2009 16:22

Celebrating the vision of Joe Legge

Joe Legge’s “official funeral ceremony” was held at the Estatoah Wayfarers’ Chapel in Dillard, Ga., on Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. The Rev. Ron Lindahn and the Rev. Patricia Squires officiated. Several hours before the service, many of Joe’s friends…
Wednesday, 21 January 2009 16:00

Special moments, a spoonful at a time

You hear it often, mostly from those of us who are guilty. I’m talking about making a promise of spending “quality time” with someone we care about, a precious and valuable experience in these hurried and harried times. And a…
Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:44

Not a social networking butterfly, but I’m out of the cocoon

Of course I had HEARD of Facebook. I may be well into the marrow of middle age by now, but I am not completely out of touch with all things modern. I teach in a college, and I’m around young…
Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:41

This time, WCU passes academic integrity test

This time, WCU passes academic integrity test If you want a messy issue with lots of overtones, then let’s talk about academic integrity and the role of corporations on college campuses. It’s a big ol’ Pandora’s box, already open and…
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 14:03

A year of opportunity

By Carl Iobst • Guest Columnist 2008 was an interesting year. Not the worst on record, but tough enough. 2009 presents us with some unique challenging opportunities that have never been seen before — sort of a test of our…
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 13:45

Memories of WCTC’s feline director of all things theater

Back in the days when WCU was WCTC (Western Carolina Teachers’ College), I was one of a few kids that hung around “the little theatre” with Mabel Crum, the Chair of the English Department (circa 1950’s). In the absence of…
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 13:45

Here’s to a swift kick to the trash heap for 2008

The new years toasts are over, and we’re a week into 2009. If hindsight is 20-20, then it’s time to feel pretty confident inpassing judgment on 2008 — it sucked. Ever want to just drop kick a time span into…
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 13:45

A second Gilded Age is upon us

By Bob Scott Steal a loaf of bread to feed your family and you go to jail. Steal $50 billion from investors and you get to stay in your luxury New York apartment under electronic monitoring. Senators and House of…
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:28

We must expand energy exploration

To the Editor: An absence of vision and leadership in Washington is threatening the very existence of our nation. Our national defense, economy and our entire way of life is based upon the availability of economical energy. Special interests have…
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:27

WCU could do better with job reductions

To the Editor: I find the stories regarding the downsizing of personnel at WCU deeply disturbing. As an alumnus, be it one from many years ago, I am ashamed of my university, particularly in the way the dismissals were handled.…
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:26

Don’t pass a voter ID requirement

To the Editor: I ask that our newly elected Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, lead the way for the state Republican representatives and vote no to the unneccessary imposition of a government issued Voter ID on North Carolinians. This will ultimately…
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:22

Books are an end unto themselves

Books are one of the greatest delights of my life. I don’t need many excuses to buy new ones, frankly, but when I do feel the situation is spinning out of control (my third trip in a week, say, to…
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:20

Make open government a part of constitution

In this country, the people own the government. It’s ours. End of debate. That’s something we can all be thankful for. A bill in the North Carolina General Assembly is attempting to enshrine this simple fact in the state constitution.…
Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:08

Spring dawns, a time when optimism and reality co-exist

We spend winter anticipating spring. But, when warmer weather arrives, we often rob ourselves of enjoyment in the rush to complete tasks. We think of what needs to be done but hasn’t been. We see what’s undone instead of contemplating…
Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:07

Animals don’t deserve bad treatment they get

To the Editor: As a resident of Sylva, a dog lover, and a volunteer for several local rescue groups, I am astonished that any reasonable person would oppose the very basic protections that regulating commercial dog breeders would offer to…
Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:07

I apologize for my behavior at meeting

To the Editor: To the taxpayers, business owners and residents of Maggie Valley, I personally apologize to each and everyone of you for my behavior during our Feb. 15 town meeting. Needless to say I was very angry with the…
Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:06

Budget bill will hurt this country

To the Editor: There is a battle going on in the U.S. Congress for the soul of our country. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget which, if enacted, would plunge our economy back into recession. According to The…
Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:02

What happened to all the big, sweeping ideas?

Growing up, I knew America was the country of grand ideas carried out from the moral high ground. We could put a man on the moon, we could end institutionalized racism, fight a war on poverty and try to wipe…
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 21:13

Volunteers needed at Clingmans Dome

Want to become a volunteer in the Smokies, wear a uniform and help visitors figure out where they are? Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help staff the new visitor contact station at Clingmans Dome when it…
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 20:55

Planting the seeds for sustainability

A few weeks ago, as part of a magazine assignment, I visited Sow True Seed in Asheville. Carol Koury and Peter Wakiewicz, cofounders of the two-year-old company, took time from their busy schedule — and I do mean busy, this…
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 20:51

Neighbor leaves a legacy of kindness

It was not my best day. I had just got home with the kids, who seemed a little grumpy because they forgot mom had to work tonight and probably because this meant Hamburger Helper or chicken with mushroom soup over…
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 20:49

GOP majority practicing partisan politics

To the Editor: I thought the new Republican majority in the North Carolina legislature was elected because voters felt they could do more to generate jobs and improve the economy in North Carolina than the Democrats. Yet some of the…
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 20:48

Funding cuts will help us all

To the Editor: As soon as the federal budget was delivered to Congress, members like Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders trotted out the age-old whine that conservatives want to harm women and children. The fact is that without deep spending…
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 20:47

Budgets and politics clashing across the land

Politics and state budgets aren’t usually that interesting, but this year that’s not the case. Ideologies are clashing as lawmakers struggle to find a way through this recession, and we will all be affected by the outcome. North Carolina and…
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:43

Tea Party got worse than it deserved

To the Editor: The tragedy in Arizona resulting in loss of life and injury to so many people was horrible. For one deranged person to have caused such pain is beyond belief. What made the event even worse, if possible,…
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:43

If they’ve forgotten, shame on us

To the Editor: I’m not sure if I’m angry, embarrassed, disappointed, or a combination thereof because of an event that was held here in Franklin, Saturday, Jan. 22. The American Legion Post 108 held a Constitutional Speech competition for high…
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:42

Train decision good news for Dillsboro

To the Editor: I read with interest your article, “A New Day for Dillsboro” (Smoky Mountain News, Feb. 9). As a resident of Jackson County and a former business owner in town, it has been unfortunate to watch what has…
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:39

What is up with fake flowers as memorials to the departed?

By Scott Muirhead • Guest Columnist Politics aside, what could possibly be more absurd than plastic flowers? (OK, there are hundreds of things, I know, but we’re on a tight schedule here. Besides, polyethylene gladioli are long overdue for a…
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:37

Just look around, and cultural pursuits abound

After high school, I moved downstate to attend music school. I lived for a number of years in Greensboro and then Winston-Salem. While a resident of these two cities I fully enjoyed the wide range of cultural perks urban life…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:40

Green Energy Park is a Jackson gem

To the Editor: Jackson County truly has a hidden gem in its midst, the Green Energy Park. This innovative county program is based in Dillsboro and, for the most part, goes unnoticed by the average citizen. Recently, my husband took…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:40

Mainstream networks too liberal

To the Editor: I must agree with Carole Larivee’s letter last week. Everywhere you go people are watching Fox News! Why? What would prompt more Americans to watch Fox News than all the other networks? Could it be because for…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:39

Thank God for Fox News

To the Editor: As I was reading The Smoky Mountain News this morning, I was encouraged after reading a letter to the editor. I was glad to hear that Fox News is playing all over the place, which gives me…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:38

Thanks for reporting on tough issues

To The Editor: I want to commend The Smoky Mountain News for reporting on issues that are not popular. The Haywood Emergency Physician’s case took courage to write about a few years back and the paper risked hard-to-earn cash dollars…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:37

Greenways are pretty good all the way around

One of the nicest things about Franklin is the town’s greenway along the Little Tennessee River. The greenway has become a uniting feature in Macon County. Work started on the project in the late 1990s, and seeing it through to…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:36

Turn down the global warming, I’m freezing

By George Ivey • Guest Columnist Many years ago on Capitol Hill, a politician said to me, “George, as you get older, the world feels colder, and you’ll like the idea of global warming. And it’s a lot easier than…
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 20:32

Just call me the Rhodes Cove grinch

Being a diabetic with hearing problems (especially in crowds), I have days when I probably shouldn’t be “out and about.” A few months ago, when I was attempting to read the menu in a local restaurant without my glasses, I…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 21:07

Taxpayer money wasted on silly studies

To the Editor: Recently the National Science Foundation (NSF) granted Professor Thomas Ford (WCU) and Associate Professor Julie Woodzicka (Washington and Lee University) $300,000.00 to research how sexist humor contributes to imbalanced relations between men and women. Naturally it’s assumed…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 21:06

Too much Fox News in the public sphere

To the Editor: Fox News seems to be playing in public places all over Haywood County — restaurants, bars, even the lobby of my favorite fitness center. I am troubled that the divisive message of Fox News is further polarizing…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 21:06

Rowing and paddling aren’t synonymous

To the Editor: As usual, your paper continues to cover important issues of our area that others largely ignore, but I feel I must call attention to a recent blunder.    After seeing your front page titled “Room to Row,”(SMN…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 21:04

Muirhead piece lost its focus

To the Editor: The title of Scott Muirhead’s op-ed on Frog Level (“A place where two worlds collide,” The Smoky Mountain News, Jan. 25) lures us with a deceptively disingenuous, “A place where two worlds collide head on.” Search as…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 20:59

Hate by any name is still hate

Back in the day, say the late 1980s through about 2000, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map featured Western North Carolina prominently. In fact, along with a few states such as Idaho and Montana, in many ways this section…
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 20:57

Vindication for HEP, a little satisfaction here

This is a very odd business, the telling of the news. It’s even more odd as part of an independent media operation. You work weird hours, meet all kinds of  people, find yourself in lots of odd places and odd…
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 17:39

GEP does produce private-sector jobs

To the Editor: I thoroughly agree that it is past time to wake up, get Jackson County moving.” For too long we have relied upon the national and state governments to provide leadership and direction for us in Jackson County…
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 21:06

Thanks for making Fire and Ice a success

To the Editor: On behalf of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank The Smoky Mountain News management and staff for their incredible support of the 2011 FIRE and Ice Winterfest. Due to the informational articles…
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 21:04

Motocross track would violate our rights

To the Editor: Clarks Chapel is a delightful and quiet area that in recent years has attracted many people, including retirees, investing in land and homes. They have done so to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this small part…
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 20:59

A few hopeful signs of spring

I detect signs of spring. Whether this is fantasy or reality, that’s for you to decide, but I choose to cling to these wisps of hope. Just this past week I grew heartily tired of winter, after cheerily pretending to…
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 20:46

This epiphany is shiny, new and has all-wheel drive

My epiphany occurred on a bitter cold Sunday afternoon, the snow having momentarily given way to a stray and fleeting glimpse of the actual sun — lately as rare as a celebrity sighting at Ingles. I was outside doing my…
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 19:40

Care of mentally ill may be Arizona tragedy’s lesson

There are many issues to discuss in the wake of the tragedy in Arizona that left six dead and 13 wounded. The ugliness of the political discourse in this nation is one. We took that subject up last week in…
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 19:20

Save the Mark Watson Park trees

To the Editor: I recently received the very upsetting news that the parks and recreation office is managing a county project that may result in the cutting down of many very large trees in Mark Watson Park! I simply do…
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 19:19

The first 19,000 days

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist I had a birthday recently, which seems to happen every year about this time, and I paused to contemplate what this occasion really meant in everyday life to me and to the world I…
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 19:18

A place where two worlds collide head-on

By Scott Muirhead • Guest ColumnistFrog Level is what remains of the golden age of the railroads, the age when bulk goods, travelers and mail were carried exclusively by train, when neither interstate highways nor 18-wheelers existed. Some might believe…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 13:53

Suggestions what, when to plant veggies

As I noted in this space a couple of weeks ago, this is the time of year to order seeds and plan your garden. If like me, you are snowbound, thinking about gardening makes for pleasant thoughts. So, what follows…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 13:52

When we prod the mountains, they fall

To the Editor: I have been reading letters in the Franklin Press from several angry people in recent days. I can no longer restrain myself from adding my two cents worth. In 1972 I had a letter in the newspaper…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 13:50

Words have a power we often forget

Just as I was sitting down to write my column on the controversy surrounding a new edition of Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which an Auburn University professor plans to publish with the intention of replacing…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:35

This stretch of road deserves better care

To the Editor: As a Macon County native who learned to drive in these mountains more than 40 years ago, I have driven in all kinds of weather, with and without four-wheel drive. That was not usually by choice, but…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:34

How can faith leaders support Dream Act?

To the Editor: I read in the newspaper an article called “Faith Leaders support the Dream Act.” What reality do these faith leaders live in? They care so much for the children of illegal aliens. Where is there compassion for…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:34

New group seeks political solutions

To the Editor: We live in the greatest country in the world, but we have serious challenges — challenges that threaten our future and need to be addressed. Unfortunately, our elected leaders, in many cases, look at these challenges as…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:33

Immigrants can enrich all of us

To the Editor: Scott McLeod writes accurately and with emotion about the Dream Act (“Hagen, senate wrong on Dream Act,” Dec. 22, Smoky Mountain News). Its passage would not have weakened our borders. The immigrant youth affected by the “no”…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:32

Just shut up and bang it out

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. But this weekend I decided to list five and work seriously toward accomplishing them by year’s end. The only resolution of mine worth sharing (unless you find personal self-improvement goals such as…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:29

Mistake is a reminder to tell it like it is

“… but a belief in hard work and treating others fairly was ingrained from a very early age in my brothers and I.” See the mistake in the sentence fragment above? Hear it? I bet most people don’t, and I…
Wednesday, 29 December 2010 20:18

A fine time to order seeds

One of my favorite annual events is set to take place Jan. 15. I share this information now because it takes time to mentally sort through a garden. Additionally, preparing a seed order often proves the highpoint of the gardener’s…
Wednesday, 29 December 2010 20:11

Property values affected election and are a looming problem

By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist During the recent election for county commissioner in Jackson County, both sides made reference to property taxes. The challengers — who ended up sweeping out the incumbents — claimed, to some derision, that Jackson…
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 20:39

Make love, not war, when you garden

This is a good time of the year to order seeds and plant carrots. That’s not a misprint: It’s an excellent time to plant carrots. Starting this week, if there’s a weather window allowing for it, go into the garden…
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 20:38

Shuler isn’t doing much to win my votes

To the Editor: The local radio station in Sylva, WRGC, has reported that the unemployment rate in Jackson County increased by one tenth of a percent from 7.2 to 7.3 in October. Unemployed workers in Jackson County have received over…
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 20:38

Let the tax cuts for the wealthy expire

To the Editor: Give the wealthy $700 billion over the next decade? Absolutely, say the Republican politicians led by Rep. John Boehner. It would be unfair to allow their tax rates to return to the pre-Bush rates. Giving the rich…
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 20:37

Is anyone paying attention to government?

To the Editor: Whether it be a deficit or a debt, no amount of money owed a creditor is a good thing; not on the federal, state, or local level. Unfortunately, for too long it has been much too easy…
Wednesday, 22 December 2010 20:34

Hagan, Senate wrong on DREAM Act

Few things are as maddening to me as when politics gets in the way of doing the right thing. That’s just what happened in the U.S. Senate last week when the DREAM Act failed to pass. Worse, the Senate vote…
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 20:43

Bitter cold makes routine memorable

Sunday, 6 a.m.: Get out of bed, stagger downstairs and start grinding coffee beans. What’s that white sheen through the window? Oh goodness, it must have snowed overnight! I should have moved my car. Stupid weather forecasters — they said…
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 20:42

New regulations are a compromise

Editor’s note: This letter was written by Waynesville’s planning director in response to Mary Lamb’s letter above. Dear Ms. Lamb Thank you for copying me on your message to Mayor Gavin Brown. I can’t speak for the mayor, but I…
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 20:41

Residents need time to review zoning changes

To the Editor: Like so many other young couples, my husband and I felt so blessed when he landed a job in this area five years ago and we were able to move and start a family in Waynesville. We had…
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 20:38

Jackson’s new leaders have room for improvement

A bit of a stumble out of the gate can be forgiven among newcomers in any endeavor, but that stumble also means more intense scrutiny is likely to follow. That’s exactly what happened with the new Jackson County commissioners, and…
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 20:51

Let’s be honest about Kephart

To the Editor: I was surprised to find my views somewhat misstated in Quintin Ellison’s column, “Kephart, Transplants and the Debate over Legitimacy” (http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/2789-kephart-transplants-and-the-debate-over-legitimacy) in the Nov. 24 edition. After thinking about it over the weekend, I decided to comment…
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 20:50

Take time to contact DOT about N.C.107

To the Editor: The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing high-impact road modifications for N.C. 107 and is planning to build a new $132 million highway through our county. Thursday, Dec. 9, is the last day to submit comments,…
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 20:49

Guilty as charged, and free at last

I have a confession to make. Underneath my tough, no-nonsense newspaperwoman exterior, I’m an individual who is ridden with guilt. I can go inside myself at any given moment and touch on a multitude of reasons to justify feeling guilty.…
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 20:47

Remembering Terry … and not too fondly

When I was in the fourth grade, some dirtbag stole my hat. But it wasn’t any old dirtbag, and it wasn’t any old hat. The dirtbag was a kid named Terry, a garden variety bully with no manners, questionable hygiene,…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:37

The tendency to follow greed off a cliff

To the Editor: Various citizens have made comments about the rich versus the poor based on their ideological thinking, but here are some startling facts: • 20 percent of Americans own 93 percent of its assets.   • 1 percent…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:37

In defense of the Tea Party

To the Editor: I am a member of the Tea Party-The 9-12 group.  I am an American mom and grandparent. Prayer is an important part of my life. I pray before meetings. There are clergymen in our organization who lead in prayer. I…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:36

Writers can’t write whatever they want

To the Editor: In last week’s (Nov 24-30) Smoky Mountain News opinion piece by Quintin Ellison, she writes … ”I maintain I’ve got a perfect right to portray whomever I want to, whenever I want to, how I want to, in…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:36

Macon needs steep slope ordinances

To the Editor: Anyone who was living in this area at the time of the tragic Peeks Creek disaster off U.S. 64 between Franklin and Highlands would be well aware of the need for an ordinance giving teeth to construction requirements on the many steep…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:33

More effort need to combat underage drinking

By Patti Tiberi • Guest Columnist “Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. A higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs. The…
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 21:31

Shuler is making the most of his opportunities

I don’t particularly remember U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, from our days growing up in Swain County. He is younger than I am by a few years, more my brother’s contemporary than mine. His father delivered our mail. I don’t…
Wednesday, 24 November 2010 20:14

Middle class needs the tax break

To the Editor: Regarding the Nov. 14 Associated Press article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, “GOP lawmakers stand tall for all Bush tax cuts,” I see the next two years in Congress as totally unproductive — thanks to the Republicans taking…
Wednesday, 24 November 2010 20:13

Honor Bob Zahner with a real wilderness area

To the Editor: The proposal to make the Overlook Area in Blue Valley a wilderness area in honor of Bob Zahner does not meet the criteria for a wilderness area. The criteria for a wilderness area are: • No vehicular roads.…
Wednesday, 24 November 2010 20:08

Kephart, transplants and the debate over legitimacy

You can be excused for perhaps having overlooked the recent fireworks, but a minor war has erupted over one of this region’s favorite sons (or, not-favorite sons). Pick your side. Horace Kephart, the definitive writer of Western North Carolina history…
Wednesday, 24 November 2010 20:07

Ridding schools of bullying will require changing culture

By Raymond Turpin • Guest Columnist Bullying, unfortunately, has always existed in the American school systems and it continues to be a pervasive problem. Many historically have dismissed it as a schoolyard rite of passage or just a part of…
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 19:39

Jackson library deserving of community support

Deduction would tell us that in the information age libraries would be accorded great respect, but somehow that isn’t universally the case anymore. Given that truth, it’s encouraging to see what has happened over the last several years in Jackson…
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 19:32

For young illegals, a coming-of-age quandary

Irene is not just a good student. She is one of the very best at her school, near the top of her class and hard working as they come. Under ordinary circumstances, she would be filling out applications to the…
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 19:21

Free clinic plugs mental health holes

By Marth Teater • Guest Columnist The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County has served the medical needs of our community since 1999. In 2007 the clinic started a mental health program funded by two multi-year grants. Funding for the…
Wednesday, 18 February 2009 19:12

A ray of hope in the mental health crisis

When it comes to caring for the mentally ill in North Carolina, there’s been very little good news over the last few years. A 2001 attempt to radically reform the state’s mental health system has been, by nearly unanimous opinion,…
Wednesday, 18 February 2009 19:09

A call to action for the Southern Appalachians

By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist In an article in Blue Ridge Country magazine, author and professor Steve Nash provided a bleak overview of what climate change means here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Most significant are current…
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 17:40

Closed session minutes an opportunity for openness

What a great way to earn public trust: a public body decides that minutes from closed sessions no longer need to be secret, and therefore it periodically votes to make them public. That’s what the Franklin Town Alderman Bob Scott…
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 17:38

For Terry, the world was too much

“Unique” is a word much abused as a descriptor for human beings. I have heard many, many people described as unique, people who are actually a great deal more like other people than they would like us to believe. Scratch…
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 17:17

Dillsboro dam is simply worth preserving

By Anna Fariello • Guest Columnist OK, so I have to admit that part of the appeal of the Dillsboro/Duke battle appeals to me in the same way that David and Goliath inspired me as a child. Small-town-takes-on-giant-corporation has the…
Wednesday, 04 February 2009 16:29

TVA ruling could signal beginning of a new era

A recent court victory by the state of North Carolina will require the Tennessee Valley Authority to reduce emissions at four coal-fired power plants close to the state line and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once these modifications are…
Wednesday, 04 February 2009 16:24

Electing sheriffs leaves too much to chance

By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist A municipality would never think of electing a chief of police. But in North Carolina, sheriffs are elected like a high school popularity contest. When I tell people there are no qualifications required to…
Wednesday, 04 February 2009 16:14

A duty to protect Swain’s citizens

By Curtis Cochran • Guest Columnist As sheriff of Swain County, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to your editorial dated Jan. 28 (“Questions for the high sheriff”) and, in so doing, make reference to your article…
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