Please be smart about black bears
 

Please be smart about black bears

To the Editor: Thank you for Holly Kays’ excellent article covering the recent shooting of a bear in Maggie Valley,…
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Comment

Get facts about teacher pay, performance
 

Get facts about teacher pay, performance

To the Editor: Having lived in North Carolina for a year, I’ve noticed that low teacher salaries are a hot…
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Comment

All that talk of the tourists? True that
 

All that talk of the tourists? True that

True story. My wife Lori and I were enjoying a delicious, refreshing IPA at the Wedge Brewery on Sunday afternoon,…
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Comment

Frank may be gone, but not frugality
 

Frank may be gone, but not frugality

Some people say I can be cheap, or at the very least, my priorities are out of whack. They say,…
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Comment

The life-long legacy of a few brushmarks
 

The life-long legacy of a few brushmarks

By Lew Garnett Without his ever knowing it, Blaine Richardson was one of my heroes. It was a recent breezy…
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Comment

Declare war on incumbents
 

Declare war on incumbents

By Marshall Frank • Columnist Time to send a message to our government leaders. Our democracy is ruled by the…
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Comment

Tailgate markets a reminder of something too valuable to lose
 

Tailgate markets a reminder of something too valuable to lose

Every year when the local tailgate farmers markets begin opening, it’s a good time to ponder just what it means…
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Comment

The past, present and future on Alarka
 

The past, present and future on Alarka

By Dawn Gilchrist-Young (Editor’s note: Writer Dawn Gilchrist-Young is conducting a series of interviews with mountain natives to gauge their reaction…
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Comment

Science helps us find God’s truths
 

Science helps us find God’s truths

To the Editor: I am writing this letter for the sakes of my fellow creationists and any questioning minds who…
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Comment

GOP works to make Haywood better
 

GOP works to make Haywood better

To the Editor: This is in response to Mitchell E. Powell’s letter to the editor, “‘Group is hurting Haywood GOP,”…
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Comment

Remind leaders that we are tired of political games
 

Remind leaders that we are tired of political games

By Kathy Ross • Guest Columnist In the last few weeks, I’ve been stuck between speaking my mind and doing what…
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Comment

Franklin Gem Museum is a gem indeed
 

Franklin Gem Museum is a gem indeed

To the Editor: What to do?  On a recent pouring-down-rain Saturday when my daughter and grandsons were here for their…
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Comment

The flim-flam men at work in Jackson
 

The flim-flam men at work in Jackson

To the Editor: I thought that I would warn you about a multimillion dollar foreign-owned operation that is attempting to…
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Comment

GOP leaders take on regulatory reform
 

GOP leaders take on regulatory reform

To the Editor: Now that the state legislature is in short session, one of the themes is regulatory reform.  Let’s…
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Comment

Bear shooter should be prosecuted
 

Bear shooter should be prosecuted

To the Editor: On Monday June 2, a man shot and killed a bear because she supposedly tried to attack…
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Comment

Standing up for Haywood GOP and its future
 

Standing up for Haywood GOP and its future

To the Editor: I am a 55-year-old native of Haywood County, who has been a registered Republican from the time…
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Comment

If war is not the answer, then what is?
 

If war is not the answer, then what is?

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist A group calling ourselves “Neighbors for Peace” have been holding a peace vigil in front…
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Comment

Why not moment of silence, not prayer?
 

Why not moment of silence, not prayer?

To the Editor: We live in a country where we are free to pray wherever, whenever and within whatever religion…
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Comment

While you were looking the other way
 

While you were looking the other way

To the Editor: With the business of making a living that each of us has to address in any given…
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Comment

GOP has done real harm to state
 

GOP has done real harm to state

To the Editor: Look past the claims and misleading “facts” that the Republicans are putting out to see the reality.…
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Comment

Meat industry pollutes too much
 

Meat industry pollutes too much

To the Editor: I am delighted that EPA has finally moved to abate the disastrous impacts of climate change by…
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Comment

‘Group’ is hurting Haywood GOP
 

‘Group’ is hurting Haywood GOP

To the Editor: My name is Mitchell E. Powell and I was elected vice chairman to the Haywood GOP on…
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Comment

Obstacles to voting and fair elections are intolerable
 

Obstacles to voting and fair elections are intolerable

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Occasions such as Memorial Day and the D-Day anniversary remind us of the fallen…
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Comment

Medicaid expansion was a no-brainer
 

Medicaid expansion was a no-brainer

To the Editor: Thank you for your recent very informative article about the status of Medicaid expansion In North Carolina.…
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Comment

We just didn’t see it coming
 

We just didn’t see it coming

To the Editor: “A date which will live in infamy.”  I was just 6 years old and vividly recall the…
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Comment

Wishful thinking about needed changes
 

Wishful thinking about needed changes

To the Editor: It’s probably always been that way. People tend to forget lessons of the past and focus only…
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Comment

Suddenly dad is interesting — as artifacts go
 

Suddenly dad is interesting — as artifacts go

The kids and I are in this strange new bonding phase of our relationship. For years, they displayed not the…
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Comment

Don’t leave dogs in hot cars
 

Don’t leave dogs in hot cars

To the Editor: It’s that time of year again when the cool mountain air can rise rapidly by noon. I…
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Comment

GOP has done much to help state
 

GOP has done much to help state

To the Editor: Asheville is a town full of smart, aggressive people and a town with a lot more winners…
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Comment

Haywood’s economic path was set early last century
 

Haywood’s economic path was set early last century

The rapid pace of change these days often leaves many of us feeling helpless in its wake. Things change, then…
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Comment

The Pope’s message twisted by ideologues
 

The Pope’s message twisted by ideologues

To the Editor: A friend of mine just bitterly complained that the new pope is a communist. It seems that…
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Comment

PCs for GED grads a grand success
 

PCs for GED grads a grand success

To the Editor: Seventeen. Seventeen, as a number, doesn't normally mean much when compared to other numbers, does it? But,…
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Comment

County leaders need to help public education
 

County leaders need to help public education

For school systems in relatively poor, rural areas where resources are scarce and student achievement is low, there’s no magic…
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Comment

Court rules in favor of clean air, water
 

Court rules in favor of clean air, water

To the Editor: Human health, wildlife resources and sportsmen had a big win recently in the Federal Appeals Court. The…
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Comment

Raising minimum wage is a mistake
 

Raising minimum wage is a mistake

To the Editor: On the way to Wilmington using the smaller roads off the interstate, I found it depressing to…
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Comment

Obama’s socialist agenda has failed
 

Obama’s socialist agenda has failed

To the Editor: It appears that Bob Wilson, a frequent letter writer, is stuck in a 1950’s time warp. He’s…
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Comment

Steep slope issue headed for a November showdown
 

Steep slope issue headed for a November showdown

I think Jack Debnam was wise to delay action on the rewrite of the Jackson County steep slope rules until…
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Comment

Making adjustments for mom’s new job
 

Making adjustments for mom’s new job

Friday afternoon on the deck. The kids are home from school, and the three of us are enjoying another beautiful…
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Comment

Americans not stupid, just complacent, about Congress
 

Americans not stupid, just complacent, about Congress

By Don Livingston • Guest Columnist Congress is not our most popular branch of government, not by a long shot.…
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Comment

Don’t let anyone buy your vote
 

Don’t let anyone buy your vote

To the Editor: Rumor has it that once again vote buying may be taking place in Swain County and on…
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Comment

The Republicans are right
 

The Republicans are right

To the Editor: This may be liberal heresy, but it is true. Republicans are right about many things: “Family Values,”…
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Comment

Same-old, same-old just won’t work
 

Same-old, same-old just won’t work

To the Editor: I read with interest the article regarding Western Carolina University and the regional tourism conference with hopes…
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Comment

Pigs in a Poke
 

Pigs in a Poke

To the editor: The election season is here. Several candidates are promising to cut government costs or taxes, but they…
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Comment

Make your vote count this election
 

Make your vote count this election

To the editor: Children are our future and as a former educator, I’ve been concerned about the cutbacks in spending…
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Comment

Cheerios are clean, but what about other foods?
 

Cheerios are clean, but what about other foods?

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist Good news! General Mills has recently announced that — in response to consumer pressure —…
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Comment

GOP’s simple truths just aren’t true
 

GOP’s simple truths just aren’t true

To the Editor: Bob Wilson’s most recent published letter (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/12729-kids-can-endure-a-little-stress) typifies the callous oversimplification and blanket insults typical of today’s…
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Comment

Jackson commissioners doing some good
 

Jackson commissioners doing some good

To the Editor: There are several people running in Jackson County for public office this year and many are claiming…
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Comment

Don’t penalize prosperous industry
 

Don’t penalize prosperous industry

To the Editor: As the economy sputters along, members of Congress and the Obama Administration are singling out one of…
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Comment

Haywood GOP is out of control
 

Haywood GOP is out of control

To the Editor: Wow, I’ve seen a lot of small-town politics in this area but the Haywood County Republicans are…
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Comment

Emergency management plan helps when disaster hits
 

Emergency management plan helps when disaster hits

By Mark Swanger • Guest Columnist Regardless of their magnitude, all disasters — natural or man-made — are local events and…
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Comment

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