The story of one family among thousands

In response to the news of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) proposing fees for parking, now is an…
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Democracy in danger

You don’t need an invading army to destroy a democracy, as Russia is attempting to do to Ukraine.
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Elections must remain open and honest

To the Editor: Martin Luther King Jr. always believed “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends…
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No one is above the law

To the Editor: The late great singer Kenny Rogers recorded many songs written by other artists. Yet, he wrote one…
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Can’t believe what’s happening to my hometown

Change is difficult for most people. Watching my humble hometown turn into an unrecognizable place is a hard pill to…
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Family relationships are the ties that bind

All of my childhood memories include my older sister, Savannah. She and I did some pretty weird and funny things…
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Nothing more than political hyperbole

To the Editor: Pam McAloon's letter “The woke family is bad for U.S.” in last week’s paper is a clear…
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Letter writer wrong about Ukraine, Russia

To the Editor: The recent letter from a Sylva reader critical of support for Ukraine could have been written by…
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Paying to play may be the new reality

The proposed parking fee for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has users — especially locals in the…
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I’ll always remember Aunt Lillie’s eyes

My Aunt Lillie fed raccoons at her house as long as I can remember, generations of them. When I was…
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The woke family is bad for U.S.

To the Editor: The nuclear family in America has been the backbone of its strength. This sacred unit has been…
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HCAE policy excludes parents

To the Editor: Although I have no school-aged children, I read with interest the article about the Haywood County Association…
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Let’s hope America can think again

To the Editor: Every once in a while an every-day experience provides the perfect example of a major issue and…
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Maggie Valley taxpayers deserve better

It may sound like some kind of bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo, but trust me it’s not: the processes by which elected boards…
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Walking side by side with Freud and Jung

One of my bachelor’s degrees is in psychology. I wanted to be a therapist or psychologist to help others. I’ve…
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Why should we care about Ukraine?
 

Why should we care about Ukraine?

To the Editor: Cory Vaillancourt’s March 30 roundup of what WCU professors have to say about the war in the…
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Knee-jerk patriotism, sadly, is gaining ground

Gag orders regarding what can be taught in schools are becoming all the rage in many conservative states. Like the…
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Current economic woes were all avoidable

To the Editor: It is not my purpose to simply compare costs from a time long past but rather to…
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Please support the free press

To the Editor: This might sound like a puff piece, but it is really a critical review of a local…
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We need to cap price of insulin

To the Editor: Late last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 6833, a bill that caps the price…
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Support for Ukraine a big mistake

To the Editor: Forgive me if I don’t share the general enthusiasm for the war in Ukraine.
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Managing growth has never been easy

Zoning. It’s one of those words— and concepts — that’s been cussed, spat upon and kicked unkindly to the curb…
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Raise a glass to St. Peter’s

When I was in high school, I was on the basketball team. We weren’t very good, but we loved the…
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Meadow ‘fraud’ is propaganda

To the Editor: It looks like the leftist propaganda media has teamed up to smear former Rep. Mark Meadows with…
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The facts about modern families

To the Editor: This is in response to David L. Snell’s letter published in the March 16 edition. 
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A long night, lots to think about

Last night was one of those nights. That means today I’m running on caffeine instead of sleep. Normal bedtime, three…
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Five things a month to smile about

In what feels like a previous life, I was a mom blogger. After the birth of my youngest son, now…
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Speeches revealed
 party priorities

To the Editor:  Given the current events many may have missed both the State of the Union and the Republican…
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Forests need diversity for their health

To the Editor: The revised forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests have been under scrutiny lately.…
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Public wants more protected forests

To the Editor: I appreciate George Hahn’s perspective on old-growth forests and agree with many of his sentiments. A mix…
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Why N.C. is at bottom of right-to-know states

For decades, North Carolina has ranked near the bottom of all states in the country when it comes to the…
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Child rearing should 
take place at home

To the Editor:  It’s almost humorous to read about what a child should glean from Pre-K and kindergarten. I said…
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Good luck to all
 who oppose Cawthorn

To the Editor:  I will be so happy for this uneducated, law-breaking manchild — Rep.  Madison Cawthorn — to be…
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ARPA helped
 most Americans

To the Editor:  March 11, 2022 was the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that was signed…
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Connecting the human ties that bind

It is mind-boggling that in the year 2022 a barbaric, nonsensical war rages in Ukraine. It’s an example that no…
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New leadership a plus for downtown Waynesville

I have not attended any of the meetings of the new Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee, but I sense an energy,…
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Trump enabled Putin,
and this is the result

To the Editor:  Vladimir Putin has been conducting a hacking and disinformation war against the U.S. for years (China, Iran,…
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Learning to live with the mess

Maybe it was one more box of Cheez-Its left open on the table, the box surrounded by crumbs, that pushed…
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Missing: Transparency and listening skills

To the Editor: The February 10 Sylva Town Board meeting invited public comment regarding a new zoning drdinance and a…
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Don’t generalize about race issues

To the Editor: It’s appalling that you only include a singular view by Michael Boatwright about the current reality involving…
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Lent offers chance to abstain from meat

To the Editor: In Western churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides…
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Put social districts to a referendum

To the Editor: On Thursday night, February 10, the Sylva Board of Commissioners, on a split vote of three to…
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A grand opportunity for the USFS and partners

The USFS recently released the final version of the forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala National forests  After…
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Finding joy in the past and present

They say nostalgia and reminiscing can do two things to the psyche: be a buffer against ailments like depression and…
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