To the Editor:

This past weekend I had the privilege of working beside my fellow students and colleagues in an effort to clean Richland Creek in Waynesville. I came into this project with expectations of environmental stewardship towards my local community but quickly realized that I would learn much more about the place I call home.  

My “crew” was given the direction to clean up the Frog Level portion of Richland Creek. I knew this would be a monumental task considering Frog Level is a very busy part of town. I, however, could have never anticipated the objects that we would find in this section of the creek. We found your average trash that you would expect: tires, old wood, plastic candy wrappers, etc. We also found many, many liquor bottles, beer cans, and hypodermic needles. One of the members in our crew actually found an entire orange juice container filled with syringes. This was found in the river adjacent to a little league baseball field were youngsters were playing ball as we cleaned. 

We encountered people living beside the river in makeshift camps, who when approached were quite cordial. 

I write these things not to start a witch hunt but to give my perspective of a town where people are hurting every day yet others are oblivious. Over the past few years, Waynesville has become a vacation destination for the privileged. How many of these people who visit, live here year-round or part of the year, know the things that go on literally a quarter mile from art galleries and salons in this tourist district? 

There are many doing work to help these people in need. Local churches, Haywood Pathways, the Open Door, Haywood Gleaners, etc., are doing their part to give needy people in Haywood County medical attention, shelter, and proper nutrition. However, there is still work to be done as was very evident from what my eyes saw this past weekend.

I encourage all who live in this community to do whatever they are able to help those in need in this county. Whether you are a full-time resident, part-time resident, local or non-local, our community needs your help. Please, be an active member of the community in the place you so dearly adore. A very wise man once said “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

Tyler Beamer

Maggie Valley