Sanders would be a refreshing change
To the Editor: Imagine, if only there was a viable candidate for President who for decades has spoken with honesty,…
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Wording change on Statue of Liberty
To the Editor: I have recently learn was told that the wording on the base of the Statue of Liberty…
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Love, marriage ... and a sharp paring knife
The other night I cut a skin tag off my husband’s face with a really sharp paring knife and some…
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Apple or Uncle Sam? I don’t like my choices
Who you going to trust, Apple or Uncle Sam? By deciding not to obey a court order to unlock the…
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An oddly familiar photo brings back memories
I hate having my picture taken. The simple truth is that I have found clever ways to avoid it for…
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Who changed words on Statue of Liberty?
To the Editor: I have recently learned from a D.C. resident that the wording on the base of the Statue…
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Time for a little torture, a la Trump?
Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist Good news, fellow citizens. It’s only a matter of time before we can all sleep easily,…
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No reason to believe N.C. will fix redistricting mess
Maybe North Carolina will be a shining star of a state working to resolve petty partisanship, and maybe it won’t. …
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Say goodbye to stripper boobs
“Out: so-called stripper boobs. In: a woman’s natural shape.” I read that sentence a couple of months ago in a…
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We need more wilderness areas
To the Editor: Here are three reasons why we should designate more federal land as wilderness to protect it from…
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Bond initiative would waste taxpayer money
To the Editor: Voters should vote AGAINST the $2 billion “Connect NC” bonds on the March 15 ballot. Gov. Pat…
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Support Connect NC bond initiative
To the Editor: One of the greatest resources our state has is the University of North Carolina System with its…
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Bottom line: State needs to do more for public schools
It’s a fundamental question and voters will be the ultimate arbiters: is North Carolina spending adequately on education? The short…
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Haywood County Schools: Response from Rep. Michelle Presnell
Enrollment has fallen in Haywood County Schools every year since at least 2008, and Jimmy Rogers was on the school…
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Self-esteemers having trouble with Panther loss
For some time, I have been worried that my children are not learning the coping skills they will need in…
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WCU should stay away from Koch money, influence
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist In Sons of Wichita, Daniel Schulman relates a story about Charles Koch’s attempt to…
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The diet of Lent is healthy
To the Editor: This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when many Christians abstain from…
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Are women treated differently?
To the Editor: Have you ever heard of a man being fired for his “strong leadership style”? Ella Kliger Franklin
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Atlas’ big smug shrug
By Ron Robinson • Guest Columnist The other day I attended a basketball game at Western Mountain University. I could not…
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Let’s ease off the throttle on Central closing
By John Sanderson • Guest Columnist I have hesitated to make a comment about this issue, because I know personally…
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We believe war is never the answer
To the Editor: Any who frequent Main Street Waynesville on Wednesday afternoons will know that a group calling ourselves Neighbors…
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Lopez’s role in Koch gift, center is fair game
To the Editor: I would like the economics professors who wrote a letter in last week’s Smoky Mountain News (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/17086)…
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Happiness now, not in the ever after
There was a time in my life where I thought being wild would lead to a sense of freedom and…
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GOP policies to blame for Central closing
By Jimmy Rogers • Guest Columnist If Central Elementary in Waynesville is forced to close because of budget cuts and losing…
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Colleagues dismayed at attacks on Lopez
To the Editor: We the undersigned, Western Carolina University’s economics faculty, wish to express support for our colleague Dr. Ed…
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Consider spending more on our schools
To the Editor: Regarding the school district’s budget shortfall, rather than the proposed drastic reductions in the public schools programs…
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Jonas swept in with a hammer-like hello
I was dreaming, I can’t say exactly what. It was that kind of dream you have that floats away like…
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N.C.’s laws should be changed to provide accountability
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist People generally don’t care to hear how things are done better elsewhere, but there…
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Voters will ultimately decide if firing was a mistake
Former county commissioner, mayor and longtime Haywood County political player/observer Mary Ann Enloe was dead on in her column last…
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Believe it or not, fear can kill you
To the Editor: Startling new findings show that if you are a middle-aged white person, your life expectancy is dramatically…
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Thankfully, we are about over Obama’s reign
To the Editor Closing the stable after the horse has bolted describes Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech last…
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If it means reconnecting with my gypsy soul, I’m in
One Friday night in October my husband and I were dining at the bar at Frog’s Leap when I realized…
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It’s a great plan, just work on the free throws
I was in my early twenties before I knew what I wanted to do with my life. My son, Jack,…
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Proposed Koch gift to WCU a bad idea
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist The proposed $2 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation to Western Carolina University…
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Beware the politics of the anglerfish
To the Editor: The political season has kicked in full bore, and what we are about to witness is politics…
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Let’s stand up to injustice, hatred, fear
To the Editor: The Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century brought about real positive change: the end of legalized…
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Wilderness for all, all ways, always
To the Editor: Two happenings in the past 12 months led me to some end-of-the-year musings. The happenings were related,…
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And the 2015 award winners are ...
The idea to start handing out annual spoof awards instead of the traditional year-in-review that most newspapers do was the…
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Weather doesn’t trip up traditions
When we wake up on Christmas Eve, it is nearly 70 degrees and raining so hard that when our miniature…
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Haywood just not prepared for growth
If there was ever a time in recent memory when Haywood County leaders and its citizens need reminding that they…
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People of Franklin in good hands
To the Editor: Kudos to Bob Scott, mayor of Franklin, for his decision to take his oath of office on…
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Roberts Burns Night a unique event
To the Editor: Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, is the only poet or musician that has a worldwide…
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Forest plan does not need more wilderness
To the Editor: I vehemently oppose designating more wilderness areas within the Pisgah and Nantahala Forests. These lands are already…
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Put aside Fry Street prejudices
To the Editor: I have been a proud employee of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) for nine years and an active…
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I swear, it’s really much ado about nothing
Sometimes in the world of journalism, the story becomes more about the reaction than the original news event. By my…
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Allow tree harvesting in new forest plan
To the Editor: Please allow common sense to prevail in the forest management discussion. Trees are the ultimate gift —…
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False information from Sen. Tillis’ office
To the Editor: As a North Carolina citizen, I could not understand why our senators voted against a bill that…
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It’s really OK to just let kids be kids
“OK, everybody, huddle up, huddle up!” But nobody really seems to want to huddle up. Our point guard is standing…
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Let’s play pretend politician: what issues would you own?
I’m not running for office and never will, but as a citizen of Haywood County and Western North Carolina and…
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Diverse coalition coalesces to support forest plan
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist In recent months I have watched a tense and difficult relationship play out nationally…
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