Keep N.C. artifacts on N.C. side of the Smokies
To the Editor: For the last two weeks I have been hearing about artifacts donated to the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Restoring earth before the end of the world
I have some good news. But first the bad news. The world is ending. Evangelist Harold Camping has predicted it.…
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One Katahdin ram, two sheep and three really good lessons
Turkeys, I’ve learned, are curious animals. That curiosity was on full display for company this past weekend when Kirk Hardin…
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Free Press in Cherokee? Not now anyway
To the editor: In this recent atmosphere of mudslinging, it’s all too easy to lose focus on what’s important. What…
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New state abortion rules seek to coerce women
To the editor: I am writing to thank NC Representative Phil Haire for his courage and integrity in voting against…
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Life seems so good that nostalgia sets in
“It’s like floating on a cloud,” that’s what the man in the booth said about his nifty adjustable hammocks. We…
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Living the good life includes the arts
Art is aesthetic; crafts are practical. That’s the difference between the two, at least in theory. The distinction between arts…
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Put blame for budget woes where it belongs
To the Editor: The ad from Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS organization, funded by anonymous sources, about “no more blank checks”…
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New state abortion law slaps of irony
To the editor: I have just received a notice from Sen. Jim Davis that the N.C. Senate passed a bill…
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Chattooga plan bends to extreme paddlers at the expense of solitude
To the editor: I urge conservation-minded residents of Western North Carolina and all those hikers, birders, campers, anglers, hunters, nature photographers,…
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Wake up America, the world is watching
From the hotel window in Durban, South Africa, I can see the Indian Ocean. Freighters line the horizon like parapets…
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A few notes on habits and change
In her teachings, Buddhist nun Pema Chodron often relates a story about a great spiritual teacher, Atisha, who planned a…
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A chink in the good ol’ boys’ armor
I remember both my grandfathers very well. Both served in the military during WWI, and their grandfathers fought in the…
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Liberals will take this country down
To The Editor: Before Shirley Ches graced us with her commentary on the state of the universe in her recent…
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Is Duke a for-profit business or a utility?
To the Editor: Bob Scott, alderman, town of Franklin, wrote a pointed letter to the editor titled, “Rate increase should…
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Heat wave makes for a long, slow bake at the beach
EDISTO, S.C. — If you’re going to roast in a record-breaking heat wave anyway, you might as well do it…
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HART production just as good as Broadway
To the Editor: Have you ever wanted to go to Manhattan and see a Broadway musical? Well, you don’t have…
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General Assembly was fair with education
To the Editor: When funds are limited and cuts need to be made, wise decisions are imperative. As a former…
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SCC worked for years to fund road
The basic issue is safety. That’s it, plain and simple. While one Jackson County commissioner has questioned the need for…
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Leave politics at the door and enjoy Folkmoot USA
I’ve been volunteering with the Folkmoot USA International Dance Festival for about 15 years. It’s one of the most culturally…
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Sometimes a little wildness is a good thing
Out running early this morning, I was struck by the colors of summer found in the fields along Fairview Road…
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Duke rate hike request all about profits
If you read the information Duke Energy is spreading throughout the news media in its vast public relations campaign, you’d…
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Proposed 11th District rips out the center of WNC
Redistricting is always political, and voters on both sides have to accept that. The party with a majority will get…
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It’s time to get going with planting a fall garden
With the weather so hot and sticky, it’s hard to grasp that now is the time to start preparing the…
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Let’s give all candidates a U.S. history test
To the Editor: American students still aren’t learning their country’s history. In the latest National Assessment of Educational Programs, only…
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Social Security is a great success
To the Editor: As the saying goes, “if you repeat a lie often enough people will begin to believe it.”…
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Article on pastor was clearly biased
To the Editor: Some contrarian commentary is in order about Colby Dunn’s news and opinion piece (and it was both)…
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Duke’s rate hike request is perfectly justified
To the Editor: Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) ignited a firestorm over its request to the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC)…
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Jackson library should be dedicated to citizens
To the Editor: In response to “Strange at best – tacky at worst” (Smoky Mountain News, June 22 edition), I…
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Taking Asheville out of 11th makes no sense
To carve Asheville out of the 11th Congressional District is completely irrational. My campaign will work with all Western North…
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Date change caused absence at forum
To the Editor: A question has been asked as to why I was not at the Cherokee County “Meet the…
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‘Tang-ing’ to the flight of the honey bee
There is much myth and lore connected with beekeeping, such as telling the bees when the master has died so…
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Lorenzo dunk makes HOZE Squad history
For most people, Lorenzo Charles, who died last week in a bus accident at the age of 47, is little…
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It is time for shared responsibility and sacrifice
Today, in Macon County and throughout America, debate is under way regarding two basic principles: (1) the size, shape and…
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Perry’s Water Garden nurtures love of water plants
Most of the business being done at Perry’s Water Garden these days is selling plants through the wholesale market. But…
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Roads all about money, power and ethics
To the Editor: The patronage politics of roads, money, power, and ethics in North Carolina is a strange creature. Individual…
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Safety is primary concern for SCC
To the Editor: It is with astonishment that I have been following the flurry of recent articles in the newspapers…
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GOP-led legislature did some good work
To the Editor, We North Carolinians are very fortunate people. Our Republican majority state legislature had the courage to make…
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What does Harvard know about milk, anyway?
You’ve probably seen the ads. Some famous face sports a white “milk mustache” and encourages you to drink more milk.…
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Voter ID bill is needed
“The American people are losing confidence in the system and they want electoral reform ....” What American political leader, a…
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Life lessons from the world of beekeeping
The blossoms on the sourwood trees are opening. This is exciting for mountain beekeepers, though in their enthusiasm for the…
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Haywood needs to hold line on taxes
To the Editor: The past few months have been filled with letters to the editors, editorials and presentations to the…
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Tsunami sweeps over North Carolina
To the Editor: The State of North Carolina has been blessed in many ways. One of her blessings, in spite…
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Summer in the mountains: baptisms and clotheslines
“Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheets.” — (slight adaptation from…
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Republicans run roughshod in Raleigh
To the Editor: A new federal study confirms what many people have sensed — news coverage of state and local…
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Reid Brown is nothing less than a saint
To the Editor: My name is Brian Strum and I live in Clyde. Just prior to my move to Haywood County…
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Hahn’s criticism of story missed the mark
To the Editor: Carrie Hahn’s June 8 letter to the editor criticizing The Smoky Mountain News and Reporter Quintin Ellison…
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Despite my neglect, summer greens are coming on strong
I have not put the time into my garden this year that I usually do. Between a lack of rain…
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Expecting little, what we get is even less
Groucho Marx once said, “I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have someone like me…
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SMN showed great support for library
To the Editor: As the opening of the new Jackson County Library Complex draws near, it brings to mind the…
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