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Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:27

I go to carnivals, therefore I love my children

Part of becoming a parent is making peace with the proposition that virtually everyone in the world except you knows best how to discipline your children. I was once part of that world, casting judgmental “if those were my kids”…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 20:10

Incumbents are best to represent Jackson

To the Editor: This year we have three county commissioners running for re-election in Jackson County. Brian McMahan is running again for chairman; Tom Massie is asking for our support again as  vice chairman; and William Shelton wants your vote…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 20:09

Understanding others is the way to peace

To the Editor: We write with deep concern over recent attacks on Muslims and Muslim communities in our country. One of our principal readings for last year’s Lake Junaluska Peace Conference was Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s fine book, What’s Right…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 20:08

Forest Hills needs to look before it leaps

To the Editor: Having been involved when Forest Hills sought to impose an ETJ on surrounding communities several years ago and having been a long-time critic of Chancellor John Bardo’s “vision” for both WCU and the adjoining communities, there is…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 20:07

Forest Hills should consider its future

To the Editor: I have several concerns about the Forest Hills annexation after attending the second extended meeting between Forest Hills and Western Carolina University. Many good questions were asked and deflected with ambiguity. I understand that WCU has yet to produce full…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 20:05

Scotts Creek still has its pollution problems

To the Editor: The article titled “Creeks now flow clean through Waynesville and Sylva” (Sept. 8 Smoky Mountain News) described the decline in fecal coliform pollution in Scotts Creek. While this is unequivocally good news, it does not mean that…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:59

Missed forum was bad timing, not apathy

To the Editor: I would like to respond to the Cindy Solesbee letter to the editor in the Sept. 8 Smoky Mountain News where she presumed that I “failed to show up” because I was “too busy (or some other excuse) to…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:58

Judging a society by what it values

A lot of ink has been spilled over the new $10.3 million crafts education building at Haywood Community College, and for good reason. The building’s cost and its environmentally friendly energy-saving features were both somewhat controversial. I’m among those who…
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:00

Ugly public discourse and the future of truth

More and more these days, it seems those who follow the news have strong opinions on the tone of public debate, a topic that elicits as much discussion — perhaps more — than the actual news items we want to…
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 15:54

We need good journalism; for now that means newspapers

By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist I’ve spent most of my life minding my own business. I was raised by people who were reticent; reticent in their demeanor and in their culture. My grandfather didn’t have much education, only through…
Wednesday, 23 December 2009 13:45

Fix the flaws, stay the course

Waynesville’s land-use plan is an ambitious set of ideas adopted during a booming economic era and thus full of the optimism of such times. Now that times are tougher, we hope task force members charged with updating the plan don’t…
Wednesday, 23 December 2009 13:45

Yeah right, sure it’s gonna snow

“Winter Storm Warning, Haywood County.” That’s what it said on television Thursday night, up in the top right corner of the program we were watching. Winter storm warning. Yeah, we’ve heard that one before. “Better get to Ingles quick,” I…
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:59

Christmas gifts from the heart

According to the government standards defining poverty in the 1950’s, I was poor. My father did not hold a regular job. My mother took in ironing for neighbors before landing a job in the Bethel School cafeteria washing dishes. We…
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:59

Round and round we go, where it ends, nobody knows

In the news business, the interplay between the Internet, mobile devices, television and print is at a precipitous crossroads where everything is changing so fast no one truly knows what the future will hold. It’s both exciting and scary for…
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 15:13

Casino one step away from the total package

Let’s just say it’s about time. A state special deputy attorney general said in a Nov. 25 letter that alcohol sales could indeed take place on the gaming floor at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, clearing away the last barrier blocking patrons…
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 14:31

Satire hits hard, but it works

Satire is one of language’s most powerful weapons, and when used effectively, it can foster meaningful dialogue on important topics. A recent letter in The Smoky Mountain News brings this point home. Lamar Marshall poked fun at Macon County officials…
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 14:31

Tiger hurts himself with silence

Poor Tiger Woods. He is not only the greatest golfer of all time, but also perhaps the world’s most popular athlete. He is still in his prime and is already rich beyond imagination, still at the top of his game.…
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:37

It’s a bum deal ... I resent the hell out of it

By Joe Cowan • Guest Columnist Editor’s note: Jackson County Commissioner Joe Cowan made the following comments following a vote last week to stop legal proceedings against Duke Energy over its plan to take down the Dillsboro Dam, the centerpiece…
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:12

National Guard soldiers deserve better

The Smoky Mountain News cover story last week about the troubles faced by returning National Guard soldiers after deployments in Irag and Afghanistan will hopefully open many people’s eyes to this issue. Reporter Giles Morris wrote about the post-traumatic stress…
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:12

If you reform a reform, is it still reform?

Michael Watson, assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, contends the state’s overhaul of its behavioral health system doesn’t amount to an abandonment of its past reform effort of 2003. “I wouldn’t call it a rollback of…
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 16:12

Striking a balance between religion and religous freedom

Religion and its place in local government have once again arisen as issues in North Carolina. This means that many Christians — especially those holding elected office — are having to search for a balance between their personal prayer practices…
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 16:12

Finding a WNC solution for ‘aging in place’

With so many unknowns ahead, it’s comforting there are proven solutions to one big challenge — the aging of the population. From research, and experience, experts have identified factors for remaining independent, resilient and happy as we grow older. Key…
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:43

My year-end list obsessions won’t go away

I have an irresistible urge to make a list. Apparently, it is what people must do at year’s end, especially if the end of the year is also the end of the decade. In the past few weeks, I have…
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:43

What to take from 2009? How about some positive signs for the year ahead

What to say about 2009? How about this: it ended on a high note for the overall economy, and that is good for the citizens of this country and this region. Here’s a sampling of the business news that bodes…
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:50

‘Judge not,’ or so my mom always taught me

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in…
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 17:10

Making sure Swain County gets its due

The cash settlement now signed and sealed for Swain County in lieu of building the North Shore Road is a good thing, right? Well, it’s a good thing only if the entire $52 million comes through, and that’s something that…
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 17:10

Watching sleazy 80s movies late at night

“Don’t do it, Dan.” Michael Douglas is Dan Gallagher, and he is sitting across the table from Alex Forrest, played by the incomparable Glenn Close. Alex is beautiful, all right, but she is also not his wife, who is out…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:54

Sometimes you just know when it’s right

I felt sure this morning the thermometer was telling lies. It read 48 degrees, but the chill in the air felt positively Siberian. Woodstove weather. Harvest weather. Count the hay bales, fill the root cellar, oh my golly we’d better…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:53

Independent candidates might deserve a look

To the Editor: With the occurrence of each election cycle, more and more Americans are choosing to support and vote for candidates who do not have an “R” or a “D” after their name. That’s why it is not surprising…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:52

Good ideas can’t get past Democratic leadership

To the Editor: Congressman Heath Shuler just sent out an email talking once again about the wisdom of his “S.A.V.E. Act” immigration bill. And indeed it is a good first step that, in his words, “expands an existing and successful system…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:51

GOP was blamed for good reason

To the Editor: I want to thank the League of Women Voters in Franklin for holding candidate forums for our community.  On Aug. 12, the candidates for the North Carolina House and Senate running in the November election were invited…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:43

What’s the game, living longer or looking better?

“Pssst!” I was just finishing up my lat pull-down exercise when I heard it, but I was too busy thinking about how sore I’d be tomorrow to fully register the sound. Out of the gym all summer and good to…
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:04

Rich Cove may be a portent of things to come

Writing about the weather is usually about as exciting as a yawn. For 12 months, though, we in the mountains have been taking it on the chin time and again, and it’s got me wishing for a bit of a…
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:04

‘Accidental note’ starts teen’s healing process

By Buffy Queen • Guest Columnist As the middle school girls trailed out of the classroom one morning last spring, I began packing up my materials after sharing my last “Safe Dates” session at their school. My Safe Dates topic…
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 15:01

A cold winter’s hike reminds me of the value of wild places

Back in early January, I found myself waking early to pack for a day-long excursion into the backwoods of Chunky Gal Mountain with a friend who was home from graduate school in Forestry. It was close to 10 degrees up…
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 15:01

Fur clumps, scratches and other musings on store cat Kea

By Chris Cooper Kea was a filthy, grease-covered little miscreant when she was found by In Your Ear Music Emporium owner Lauren Calvert some 16 years ago hiding in some random machinery (in the snow, no less). Sixteen years ...…
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 15:01

Politicians would be wise to read the Tea leaves

By Bruce Gardner • Guest Columnist The Tea Party movement is sweeping the nation and has found its way through the media and into almost everyone’s living room. It is not a political party; it is a frame of mind.…
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 19:03

How we found the Wondermutt

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a news story about how animal rescue organizations are being inundated with unwanted pets in the down economy. I didn’t, however, get a chance to say why I care. So here’s a happy…
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 18:34

The ‘loser’ case may not be all that it appears

By Chris Cox I did not expect to, but I feel sorry for Enka Middle School teacher Rex Roland, who made national news last week when WLOS aired a story that he had written the words, “-20 percent for being…
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 16:12

Evergreen’s fate is important to WNC

Mix a strong environmental ethos, economic realism and strong community pride all together in the same brain (mine, in this case), and in almost any environmental controversy or issue, there’s an outcome that fits nicely into my world view. Logging…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

X marks the spot

I turned 35 years old on Tax Day. I’ve been stuck with that birth date from the beginning and have never tried to read into it much. April 15 is also the date Lincoln issued the call for troops that…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

A 21st Century Strategy for America’s Great Outdoors

By Mark Singleton • Guest Columnist Even in times of crisis, we’re called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage — because in doing so we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Will cell phones rule the World??

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist If Alexander Graham Bell were alive today he’d probably be carrying an iPhone. Based on Samuel Morse’s first telegraph sent via “Morse Code” in 1838, Mr. Bell and others began working on a “speaking…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Time to tackle immigration reform

Now that the health care debate is over, here’s what we have: a very middle-of-the-road health insurance reform package. Most on the left wanted much more (the public option), while those on the right admitted they’d like to control health…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

Marking Easter with a community of three

When I was young, Easter was a circumscribed affair. We woke up, hunted for painted eggs in the backyard, ate lamb chops, and went across the street to St. David’s Episcopal Church, a quaint stone monument to polite Christianity in…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

President Obama’s change brings debt and doubts

By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Plunging public support for Obamacare accelerates presidential efforts to convince the nation that great health care savings are in our future. However, common sense leads most citizens to conclude that giving services to more…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

Life and death aboard a tin can

By Dr. Robert H. Spiro Jr. • Guest Columnist Friday, April 6, 1945, is a day emblazoned in my memory. Sixty-five years ago this week, off Okinawa in the East China Sea, a Japanese kamikaze plane crashed into the port…
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 15:14

A package from home opens portal to a treasured past

When I took my morning walk with our miniature dachshund to the mailbox to get the mail last Friday, I wasn’t really expecting much — a couple of bills, maybe a movie from Netflix, the usual mix of junk mail.…
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 15:14

An engaged – and very angry – electorate

The primary election is over now, but even before the vote tallies made winners and losers out of so many candidates, this election season seemed to be sweeping in a tide of activism in the mountains. The truth of this…
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 15:18

WNC’s economic stimulus lies in tourism

By David Huskins • Guest Columnist Much of the talk nationally, as well as locally, has been centered on how to get our economy moving again. Policy proposals and local budgets are being measured by whether they will create jobs…
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 13:19

Tough times lead to tough choices

For its entire existence, this country’s leaders have wrestled with the slippery issue of power and how much is too much for government at all levels. In times like these, as tax revenues disappear while the free market struggles, the…
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 19:38

Incumbents were not very open-minded

To the Editor: The League of Women Voters is to be commended for conducting a forum in Franklin on Aug. 12 for N.C. State Senate and House candidates for the 2010 election. This allowed constituents to listen to the candidates…
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 19:38

Green building is the right choice

To the Editor: The move towards sustainability is of paramount importance for the future of our local communities, our nation and this planet.  To this end, the development of the proposed Creative Arts Building at Haywood Community College plays an…
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 19:37

The most important thing to have

By Natalie Smith • Guest Columnist One of the most commonly asked questions in life is “Where are you from?” Nowadays when we ask this question to a stranger we get exotic and interesting answers. Home is a relationship. It gives…
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 19:18

Bucks, does, pullets and cockerels ... huh?

Auctioneer Mike Cagle’s patter mingles with the crows of roosters, quacking of ducks and chatter of the crowd. “These homer pigeons are as fat as little butterballs. $2 a bird? They will never be no cheaper. How ‘bout $1.60 ……
Wednesday, 30 June 2010 15:26

State must do better job at Allens Creek quarry

Finding the sweet spot in government regulation, like on a wooden baseball bat, is often difficult. It’s the place where people are protected from the inherent dangers that go hand in hand with many large industrial enterprises while those same…
Wednesday, 23 June 2010 14:46

Perhaps the real terrorists are here among us

By Thomas Crowe • Guest Columnist With the recent rash of mining disasters, oil and gas spills here in the U.S. and worldwide, and the apocalyptic timing of all of these, things have changed. These are not just mere rare…
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 14:20

Watching the world’s game

Every four years the World Cup interrupts business as usual for a month in countries that have nothing else in common. From Accra to Osaka to Ljubljana, sport’s most international event hits 90 percent of the globe with the unpredictability…
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 13:58

Main Street grant doesn’t help economy, it hurts it

By Lynda Bennett • Guest Columnist Protestors in Waynesville recently dismissed Gov. Beverly Perdue’s stimulus grants as simply “baking up” a photo opportunity using pork barrel spending instead of addressing small business concerns. The ruling elite once stated “let them…
Wednesday, 09 June 2010 13:24

Economic development that works for the region

A couple of stories we’ve covered in the last two weeks illustrate better than any data the new face of economic development here in the mountains. Community coordinators paid with tax dollars can help small businesses grow in our post-manufacturing…
Wednesday, 02 June 2010 16:19

Williams’ world is one of blues, ghouls and Budweiser

By Brent MartinI went down to the water but he left me in the mud; I wanted me some wine but he turned it into blood. — from the Dean Williams painting, “Jesus gave me the blues”. A little over…
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 19:35

It’s past time to fill extension director’s post in Jackson-Swain

I admit to being slightly irked when I initially thought about writing this column. It has been about a year since Jeff Seiler retired as the director of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service for Swain and Jackson counties, and more…
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 19:33

HCC building vetted and dissected; it’s time to build

“Do I want to dictate what the college does? That is not my job. As county commissioners, it is my job to ask questions.” Haywood County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick The Haywood County commissioners have done their job,…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:22

Wheels Through Time is a great place to visit

To the Editor: I recently had occasion to take a 10-day camping and motorcycling trip. Maggie Valley was selected as my turn-around destination. The draw to Maggie Valley was great. The potential to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, which would include…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:21

Nothing good about another Wal-Mart

To the Editor: The dollar signs twinkling in the aldermen’s eyes were glaringly visible at the town of Franklin meeting last night. Clearly the advent of this unnecessary Wal-Mart is a forgone conclusion, evidenced by the limited debate to only…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:21

Honor suffragists by voting in November

To the Editor: In a column dated Aug. 13, Gail Collins of The New York Times reminds us that August marks the 90th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote. She also reminds us that before that August 90…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:20

Shuler vote keeps public servants at their jobs

To the Editor: I commend Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., for his support of H.R. 1586, the “Education, Jobs, and Medicaid Assistance Act.” According to Reuters, this bill provides $26 billion to the states to save the jobs of teachers, firefighters,…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:19

Our thanks to the Haywood health board

To the Editor: Tuesday night (Aug. 10) the Haywood County health board voted to table the amendment (for 90 days) to the health rule that would have allowed for a Class 1 misdemeanor in cases of health rule violations. Many…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:19

Kituwah was the wrong place for development

To the Editor: Some locations just aren’t suitable for development, let alone to be utilized by a major utility project. Kituwah Valley is obviously one.     A portion of Swain County’s citizens are aware, and others should be made aware,…
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:15

On this vacation, we were definitely packing heat

Edisto, SC – Heat like this has a relentlessness that is unnerving. You try giving it the slip, it follows you like a villain in a dream into the air-conditioned nooks and the sea-breezed crannies of your vacation days. There…
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:27

HCC’s green dream requires money and faith

By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Haywood County Commissioners on Aug. 16 will conduct a public hearing on a $12 million, 15-year loan request by Haywood Community College. Most of the loan would finance a new creative arts building on…
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:27

Misguided leaders tout benefits of new Wal-Mart

To the Editor: The standing-room-only Aug. 2 public hearing of the Franklin Town Board of Alderman regarding the development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter was an object lesson in how politics trumps reason at every turn. It’s bad enough when partisan…
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:26

Jackson salary hikes just plain wrong

To the Editor: In response to Jim McCarthy’s Aug. 3 letter, “County pay raises gone afoul,” I want to thank him for his diligence into this matter and support him and the Jackson County Citizen Action Group in their request…
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:25

A great place to run a bookstore

Editor’s note: Margaret Osondu’s bookstore was bought out by a competitor, Blue Ridge Books and News. Osondu remained on staff for a few months after the merger, but the bookstore was sold again and Osondu’s position was eliminated. She now…
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:23

A refreshing victory for what started as a grassroots effort

In this business of covering the news, we often bear witness as apathy wins the day. Citizens sit back and let elected leaders, powerful corporations or a boisterous minority get their way without putting up a fight. That’s why the…
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:07

County pay raises gone afoul

To the Editor: In early 2008, Jackson County commissioners approved a study to be done of comparative public sector employees’ pay plans in southwestern North Carolina by a company called the Mercer Group Inc. out of Atlanta, Ga., at a…
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:07

Some are stealing from animal shelter

To the Editor: First, I’d like to thank all the folks who support PAWS, Swain County’s privately run no-kill animal shelter. We so appreciate all the donations we receive, be they actual cash, donations of time at the shelter —…
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:06

HCC needs first-rate, enlarged arts building

To the Editor: HandMade in America fully supports Haywood Community College’s new Creative Arts Center to expand a program that contributes creatively, professionally and economically to our region. The Professional Crafts Program at HCC is recognized internationally for education and…
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:04

Health care in Swain is top notch

To the Editor: Your article “County health rankings yield mixed results” in the July 14 issue was well-researched, well-written and informative as one expects from your newspaper; still it left me uneasy.  Statistics tell a whole lot, but they leave…
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:02

Forest Hills and CuRvE could fulfill Cullowhee’s potential

A meeting that could lead to a completely new personality for the Cullowhee area will be finished by the time this hits the presses, but I’m hoping that the meeting gives fresh momentum to efforts to transform the Western Carolina…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:59

Shuler’s TVA lies show he can’t be trusted

To the Editor: Since November, the whole district has known that Shuler told us all an endless stack of lies regarding his dealings with the TVA and his own personal property investments. His tall tale that he had never contacted…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:59

Sen. Burr is not a fiscal conservative

To the Editor: North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a self-defined fiscal conservative, has a lot of explaining to do. He recently rejected to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans because Democrats did not seek spending cuts to offset the…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:58

Tailgate Market has been around for 25 years

To the Editor: The Waynesville Tailgate Market is celebrating 25 years of serving Haywood County. The longevity of the market is due to the growers, some who are first-time vendors while others have been a mainstay of 20-plus years. Main…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:58

Visitors are here, but who’s getting them?

To the Editor: Something is terribly wrong when the region has a “ready-made” audience of an estimated 18 million visitors and everyone is singing the blues about lack of business. Either the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:57

Tourism data simply not that hard to obtain

To the Editor: I read with great interest your recent column about the tourism industry in Western North Carolina. As a result of your insightful comments about the need for tourism research and based on my years of working as…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:56

Evergreen should not get to keep tax dollars

To the Editor: Taxpayers should be infuriated about any tax dollars going to such an organization as the Evergreen Foundation. It is about time that county commissioners are taking a stand on behalf of the tax dollars as it relates…
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:53

Federal investment in the outdoors a good thing for WNC

The federal government, the nation’s largest land manager, has a responsibility ... to help develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st century. We must look to the private sector and nonprofit organizations, as well as towns, cities, and states,…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 20:42

Small is not only beautiful, but necessary

There are books that get your attention, and then there are books that GRAB your attention. The new book by Bill McKibben (author of The End of Nature and founder of the 350 Movement) is of the latter variety. Not…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 19:59

Poll improper, but results will be revealed

To the Editor: Last week I announced that I would be conducting an online poll seeking input about public sentiment surrounding the proposed Super Wal-Mart project. Many community members responded, and I would like to give them my sincere thanks…
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 13:00

Energy industry is not all bad

To the Editor: I wish the article written by Thomas Crowe (“The terrorists are right here among us,” July 23 Smoky Mountain News) would have never been published, but I reckon this is freedom speech being exercised. I live in…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 19:56

Haywood Garden Tour was a great success

To the Editor: We are writing to express our gratitude for your excellent coverage of the 2010 Haywood County Garden Tour. Your full page spread was really appreciated. Our attendance was up over 15 percent from 2008 thanks, we’re sure,…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 19:55

Thanks to all who helped with July 4 in Franklin

To the Editor: On behalf of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank those who helped to make Franklin’s Annual 4th of July Fireworks & Fun Day such a huge success. Businesses donated not only money but…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 19:51

Taking the pulse of a region

We in the news business provide historians with some of the crucial data necessary to write the story of any particular point in time. Reporters gather facts and opinions that are snapshots of how people feel, and then we make…
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:34

Poll reveals discontent among the populace

To the Editor: The Smoky Mountain News and Western Carolina University’s Gibb Knotts and Chris Cooper are to be commended for a job well done (“Jackson County Political Poll” in the July 7 Smoky Mountain News). County Commissioners Tom Massie…
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:33

The real problem with the economy

To the Editor: Let’s look at what truly stimulates an economy, creates jobs, drives markets and produces tax revenue to fund government services. Should it be a mystery that in a brief period of time the greatest economy in history…
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:31

Feds listening to our outdoors agenda

By Ken MurphyWestern North Carolina is a special place, a region with awe-inspiring scenic vistas, waterways and forested watersheds that are home to unmatched biodiversity, and rural landscapes and cultural sites that remind us of our heritage on a daily…
Tuesday, 06 July 2010 20:39

Tourism industry has to market a moving target

Tourism leaders in the mountains agree they’ve got to re-invent their marketing tactics over the next decade to stay competitive. Apparently, there are a multitude of opinions on how to do that. When we ran a story in last week’s…
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