Peace Jam provides unique opportunity for students
By Linda McFarland • Guest Columnist Imagine you are an eighth-grade student intent on learning all you can about social…
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A tax break for one business is not a plan
Before Haywood County commissioners approve a request to cut property taxes on a business that plans to build an $8…
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Congrats to winners of judge elections
To the Editor: I thank everyone who supported me in the recent District Court judgeship election. Having never been a…
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Time to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist The craziness of this year’s mid-term elections has passed. The campaign advertisements and signs…
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Finding compromise takes real leadership
To the Editor: Post-election letters to the editor continue the “take back our government” mantra, and I would ask the…
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Don’t rush on important landfill decision
To the Editor: On Nov. 5 the Haywood commisioners were scheduled to accept bids from private corporations to run the…
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Striking a balance between objectivity and truth
There is an interesting disconnect in how some people perceive my job and how I perceive my job. This was…
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Wild South is no friend to mountain hunters
To the Editor: I was surprised to see the letter from John Edwards of Wild South proposing the N.C. Wildlife…
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Thankful for support during sheriff election
To the Editor: First, let me say that it has been an honor and privilege to meet, inform, and represent…
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Remember to honor the veterans
To the Editor: Veteran’s Day may just seem to be any other day to some, or maybe an extra day…
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Good job, but real work has just started
To the Editor: Thank you to the candidates, the many volunteers and the voters in the mid-term elections. Macon County…
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Sorry to see Sen. Snow lose in this way
To the Editor: Sen. Snow, I am so sorry that people voted based on advertisements rather than on a candidate’s…
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Davis sold his soul to get to Raleigh
To the Editor: Jim Davis, who beat Sen. John Snow in the election, ran one of the filthiest campaigns I’ve…
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Logging watershed is just a bad idea
To the Editor: In the early 20th century, the Waynesville Town Board purchased the Allens Creek Watershed to assure that…
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All of it – glory, honor, M&Ms – just one hit away
It was a perfect day for baseball: blue sky, a crisp breeze, the sun still hanging like a pop fly…
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Daily rituals keep us synched to life’s basic rhythms
Once upon a time, in a previous incarnation as a musician, I developed a routine that allowed me to focus…
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Save the kids – and me – from the madness
When people say that Jim Carrey can’t act and that his movies are terrible, I always point to “The Truman…
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Doing the public’s business in the open
By Avram Friedman Receiving public input is not a discretionary part of the decision-making process for elected public officials in…
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Poor Edgar, doomed to an eternity with a crazy cat lady
An unhappy reader this week took me to task for writing harsh words about my 17-year-old cat, Edgar, after the…
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Finding the right seat to sit on
In a short while our weather will be a tad chilly for frequent riding of motorcycles. Ah, a sad time…
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The bottom of the ticket is next to sink into the slime
It’s Election Day (or very early morning, actually) as I sit to finish this, and the theme of the day…
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Groups need to work together for wildlife
To the Editor: In my conversations with responsible hunters, wildlife advocates, employees of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and organizations who value wild…
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Evil cat proves you get what you pay for
Every column should have a point, and here’s mine, right in the first paragraph (this to save you from having…
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We need independent political leaders
To the Editor: If ever there was a need for common sense and independent thinking among our nation’s leaders, that…
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Thirty years later, partying like it’s 1979
James looks at me, briefly averts his eyes, then looks at me again, this time with a purpose and a…
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Sometimes public comment just muddies the water
When Haywood county commissioners decided a few weeks ago to adopt new rules guiding public comment at their meetings, some…
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Spending your money where it helps the most
I was sorry to hear that Spring Street Café in Sylva had closed. Emily Elders opened the restaurant about a…
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Ron Robinson must just know it all
To the Editor: Who is Ron Robinson? He must be someone who has powers beyond those of the mortals he wants…
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Ellis is worthy of judgeship
To the Editor: Some of us may be confused about the many judicial contests. However, the name of one candidate is…
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Very disturbing trends beset this country
To the Editor: Here are some disturbing trends. The top 20 percent of the wealthiest individuals own 93 percent of…
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Cherokee could do better regulating bear zoos
“Cherokee has so much to offer, such as its beautiful mountains, museums, cultural and historical exhibits, Native American shops, friendly…
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Jackson challengers don’t have good ideas
To the Editor: Over the course of the past year or so our Jackson County commissioner have been faced with…
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Jackson commissioners responsive to veterans
To the Editor: In a few days, Jackson County voters will be choosing the leadership of the county for the…
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Sylva’s cool factor rising, and keeping Annie’s helps
I’ve been thinking recently about what makes Sylva so cool. In my view, it has only been in the last…
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The resurrection will arrive, sayeth the gardeners
There is a story about Katharine White — an editor and writer for The New Yorker magazine — that I…
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Give Obama more time to succeed
To the Editor: I am going to the dentist in the coming week. As a self-employed artist and educator, I…
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What happened to driver courtesy?
By David Redman • Guest Columnist When did we, as a nation, transition from courteous and abiding by the ”…
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The truth still matters, even in politics
Just tell the truth. That’s what we teach our children, it’s what we need from our loved ones, and it’s…
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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…
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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?”…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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’…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Sediment at Lake J part of larger problem
To the Editor: Sediment in our streams is our biggest water quality threat. Everyone takes notice when more than $150,000…
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Jackson’s financial position has slipped
To the Editor: Last week, Mr. Ron Robinson of Jackson County quoted a statistic in support of re-electing our county…
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