The Hoyle house still lives in my memories
Shortly after I went to work for the Eastern Band of Cherokees back in the 1980s, my wife got employment…
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Long in the Toothwort
There are three species of toothwort (Cardamine spp.) in the woods of Southern Appalachia, two of which are very common…
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Work together, resolve library controversy
To the Editor: I was wrong in my previous letter (“Use common sense with library controversy,” April 5, SMN). The library…
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Librarians are a reader’s best friend
To the Editor: The first librarian that I remember was Sadie Luck, a grandmotherly type who dispensed Kleenex and wiped…
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GOP hypocrisy is overwhelming
To the Editor: Republicans defend weapons of war for civilian use even though those are only designed to take away…
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‘There’s nobody better, kid’
Ever notice how the sparkle in a kid’s eyes diminishes with age? The older I get, the more I want…
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The road to tyranny starts with censorship
To the Editor: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin Roosevelt said this at his inauguration…
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NC’s repeal of handgun licensing is shameful
Since 2020 gun violence has been the leading cause of death among children in the United States, not automobile accidents or…
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Use common sense with library controversy
To the Editor: As a parent, as a teacher of elementary children and as a former member of the Macon…
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March is a tease, so hello April
March is over. It’s over at last, thank merciful heavens.
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When they come for the librarians …
As Americans, we’re banning a lot of books these days, perhaps 1,650 in the past year, censoring others, and coming…
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Country has been victimized by Trump
To the Editor: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is…
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Faith in our beloved Papertown
“Americana”: noun. Things associated with the culture and history of America. “Grief”: noun. Deep and poignant distress caused by or…
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‘Papertown’ through the eyes of a lifelong resident, historian
The whistle at Canton’s paper mill talked to me daily, sending the reassuring message that the mill was producing paper…
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Mill closing an example of American capitalism
To the Editor: I liked Scott McLeod’s column last week, but disagree with the characterization of Pactiv Evergreen’s disastrous decision to…
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The mill’s legacy looms large over Haywood
“The mill.” In Canton, as in hundreds of other towns across America, that was the only description needed to describe…
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When your child blossoms, all is good in the world
The earliest expressions of our daughter’s deep and abiding affection for cute, fragile creatures were frightening and very nearly catastrophic.…
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Schools – and libraries – should bring communities together
It seems to me that when we talk about the spaces in our community for our children, we should be…
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Transitions are hard on a mom’s heart
I’m the mom to two boys, ages 14 and 11. Both of them are currently on the cusp of a…
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Truckstop traffic is very dangerous
To the Editor: I was heartened to see the recent coverage that the Pilot Travel Center off of I-40 on Exit…
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George Robert Ellison II — Thoreau in a jockstrap
Editor’s note: George Ellison, a renowned naturalist and writer who lived in Bryson City, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 19.…
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It’s time to re-program pop culture’s storyline
Pop culture wants to kill us. At the very least, it wants to make us miserable, to ensure that from…
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Shifting the disconnect before it’s too late
A study conducted by the scholarly journal, Science, found that lack of human connection can be more harmful to your…
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Building a community that’s resilient to climate change
On April 17, 2021, volunteers from Haywood Waterways, Haywood Community College, Climate Action Coalition, and others, gathered at River’s Edge…
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Bravo, Chris Cox
To the Editor: I enjoy the articles written by Chris Cox. They are always thoughtful and thought provoking. I particularly appreciated…
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Tapping gently at her door, fate beckoned me in
Some sage once observed that your whole life really comes down to just a handful of moments, and it has…
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Some anti-vaxxers spread lies
To the Editor: I recently read in The Smoky Mountain News the article regarding the January 17, 2023, county commissioner meeting…
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Uncle Joe was proud to pay taxes
To the Editor: I don’t like paying taxes. Why should I pay my hard-earned money to a government? Governments are full…
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Important lessons from time spent with my dog
It’s been another hard news week. It seems like that’s becoming the norm in modern American society. No matter which…
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North Carolina economy continues to excel
North Carolina faces many challenges. You and I may disagree with how to rank those challenges, or what to do…
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Many have questions about Covid vaccine
To the Editor: I’m writing a very heartfelt concern I have for the health and safety of all the people in…
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Taking a stand when it’s good and bad all at once
(Editor’s note: All the characters in this column are fictitious) Guy walks into his local taproom and is gratified to see…
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Frody stares down the reaper, again!
“What’s wrong with your dog?” If I were an 8-year-old boy on a beach vacation with my family and saw…
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Relying on friends and signs from the universe
January is an annoying month for many people. The hoopla and excitement of the holidays has ended. The weather is…
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The trap of correlation — how science works
Grant Wahl, a well-known sportswriter, collapsed and died while reporting at the World Cup Soccer Tournament in Qatar. He was…
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VA — the best care anywhere!
To the Editor: To crib part of a title from Phillip Longman’s book — “Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care…
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When success is about making communities better
Sometimes an idea hatches first as a kind of mental knot that doesn’t reveal itself but causes me a bit…
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I’ll go for tornados over plane crashes
I’m trying to get a little work done early one morning, sipping on my first cup of coffee, still in…
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Keeping Trump from Trump
To the Editor: “Nothing can work damage to me except myself; the harm that I sustain I carry about with me…
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I owe Rockwell an apology
Working at a newspaper requires thick skin. I’m a columnist and lifestyle writer, so I don’t get nearly as much…
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Let speeders pre-pay for the privilege
I think most of you would agree that there are more people speeding, and speeding faster on the highways with…
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Don’t be fooled; climate change is real
To the Editor: A recent letter in the Waynesville Mountaineer claimed that climate change is a myth.
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A sure sign of our moral decay
To the Editor: The headlines read — “Texas governor & others bus immigrants to VP house, and drop them in freezing…
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Your one and only Christmas 2022
As they say, “What screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s…
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