Right now, I’m taking a stand to make a start
Firmly resolute in my desire to set aside more time for my writing I decided not to have a garden…
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Armed citizens not always a good thing
To the Editor: A recent letter by a firearms instructor made the assertion that no one at the shooting of…
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Do not mess with our health insurance
To the Editor: This is an open letter to Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin. Let me be perfectly clear. Obama Care…
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Our sister publication takes the Smokies nationwide
The revelation was at first surprising and then disappointing. So I’ll take a stab here at shedding some light on…
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Staring over the edge of the political divide
Question: How does one come to the conclusion that the upcoming General Assembly short session will almost certainly be an…
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Affordable Care Act already helping families
To the Editor, For my entire working life, I have paid for medical insurance, first for myself and later for…
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Hayden Rogers made right debate decision
To the Editor: In the Thursday, March 15, edition of The Asheville Citizen-Times, Jon Ostendorff takes issue with Hayden Rogers,…
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Women treated unfairly in health care debate
To the Editor: We’ve all heard the remark “Follow The Money.” It’s more important than ever to look behind all…
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Land use criticisms were off the mark
To the Editor: I have been a full time resident and small business owner in the Cashiers area since 1988…
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My critics just can’t get enough of me
I’m sitting here writing this column in the company of Suki, a 13-year-old Golden Retriever mix. Suki is not actually…
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Alternating between joy and gloom, grasshopper and ant
Spring weather like we’ve been experiencing makes clear that we live in a world essentially comprised of two kinds of…
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Psychos don’t know park boundaries
To the Editor: There seems to be a bent in this publication about taking away the gun rights of decent…
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Stronger rules needed to regulate puppy mills
To the Editor: For the sixth time since the end of the 2011 legislative session in North Carolina, the state…
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Motorcycles are asset to tourism economy
To the Editor, It is not my norm in life to write letters to a newspaper. However, I feel that…
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Squeezing a little basketball into my life of madness
While I can appreciate that many citizens get caught up in this so-called “March Madness” every year, I no longer…
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From Drags to Riches: Harrah’s host drag show
Harrah's Hotel and Casino will host three of the country's top Drag Queen entertainers in DRAGS TO RICHE$, a new drag…
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Grace Noon Concerts to begin 4th year
The fourth season of Grace Noon Concerts will kick off at noon on March 15 at Grace Church Episcopal in…
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WCU professor’s book about ‘H.D.’ published
The University of Iowa Press recently released "The American H.D.," a book by Annette Debo, a Western Carolina University associate…
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Robin Whitley to perform songs and stories
Musician Robin Whitley will offer a program called "Songs and Stories of Life" at the Jackson County Public Library in…
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Dora May featured in OICA Gallery
The gallery at the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts will feature an exhibition of work by artist Dora May during…
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Edible book contest at Waynesville library
Craft an edible creation inspired by a book. Whether your favorite recent read is The Lorax or Lord of the…
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Theatre presents the musical, Lamb of God
The Overlook Theatre Company will present the musical, "Lamb of God," March 22-25, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the…
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Groovy Movie Club presents “The Double”
The Groovy Movie Club will show the film "The Double" on Friday, March 16. The event will begin with a…
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Balsam Mountain Roller Girls host retro Prom-O-Rama fundraiser
Haywood County's first female flat track roller derby team, Balsam Mountain Roller Girls, is hosting a retro prom at the…
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Stellar Chapman to lead Songwriters event
Stellar "Tall Girl" Marshall Chapman will head the next Songwriters-in-the-Round event on March 17 at Balsam Mountain Inn. Chapman is…
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Renowned Christian artists to perform
Four legendary artists — Steve Green, Twila Paris, Wayne Watson and Michael Card — will unite together for their Christian…
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Singers earn places in honor choir
Four members of Voices in the Laurel were selected to sing in the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division Children's…
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Story of dramatic mountain rescue to be centerpiece of Liars Bench show
The Liars Bench will perform the first in a series of stories called "Balsam Chronicles" at 7 p.m. on March…
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Another broken promise about national park
To the Editor The National Park Service says we need to charge for backcountry camping. After hundreds of letters and…
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State GOP leaders did cut education
To the Editor: The Republican state legislators have repeatedly said that the $428 million in cuts to the public education…
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Support of bike rallies not a good idea
To the Editor: I was amused to read recently that Scott Cochran, the promoter for the town's upcoming Rumble in…
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Police presence should be a blessing
To the Editor: Complaints about the significant police presence in Maggie Valley, I think, are highly exaggerated. In the 10-plus…
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Pressley deserves everyone's support
To the Editor: All of Haywood County — and especially Maggie Valley —should be standing on their heads in support…
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Maggie Valley police presence appreciated
To the Editor: With regard to your news story "Are cops making a pest of themselves in Maggie Valley?" (Feb. 29…
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Letter a sad example of misinformation
To the Editor: Since Obama took office Jan. 20, 2009, the DOW has risen 48 percent, the S&P 500 is…
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Hitting the trail not so easy in Jackson – at least not yet
Thanks to work obligations that have put me in Franklin several days at a time these last few weeks, I've…
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Celebrating a society built on open government
We — this country, its leaders and all of us — are imperfect. We're human, and that means we get…
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WCU’s literary festival promises raft of talented wordsmiths
From written word to silver screen, Western Carolina University's Spring Literary Festival will celebrate its 10th year by featuring two…
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The gorilla on the state’s back is getting heavy
Government at all levels needs to spend money judiciously. It is, after all, our money. I’m not convinced either major…
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Pleasantly unearthing a few long-dormant memories
I unpacked my *euphonium recently — my first love was music; writing was a fallback position — and started fooling…
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Lottery funds are a boost for Haywood schools
To the Editor: A headline on a Feb. 29 article in The Smoky Mountain News creates a misleading impression of…
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Brigman story needed a second opinion
To the Editor: It is interesting that The Smoky Mountain News in its reporting on superintendent of Macon County Schools…
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Headline showed SMN’s political bias
To the Editor: Somewhere during my school years I was taught about slanted journalism. One of the best examples of…
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Time to send Barack down the road
To the Editor: Over the weekend we heard from our 44-year-old niece. She was fretting over her 401k. She is…
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Critics off mark in planning board attacks
To the Editor: Back in the 1990s, I was privileged to serve several years on the Macon County Planning Board,…
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We should provide health care to all
To the Editor: As of 2010, 50 million people in the U.S. had no health insurance (no doubt more now).…
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Lest we forget: Whitney was a criminal
Pardon my insensitivity. Whitney Houston was a great singing talent, indeed. That was a gift of nature. She was also…
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Ordinance revisions deserve public scrutiny
To the Editor: The Jackson County Planning Department is methodically revising sections of the subdivision ordinance. In the fall, the…
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Justice delayed is justice denied
To the Editor: For centuries, the citizens of our state have extolled the virtues of a fair and judicious court…
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Racial Justice Act should remain intact
To the Editor: It is painful and, frankly, disgusting to witness North Carolina’s prosecutors and their allies in the General…
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