Leave politics at the door and enjoy Folkmoot USA
I’ve been volunteering with the Folkmoot USA International Dance Festival for about 15 years. It’s one of the most culturally…
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Sometimes a little wildness is a good thing
Out running early this morning, I was struck by the colors of summer found in the fields along Fairview Road…
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Duke rate hike request all about profits
If you read the information Duke Energy is spreading throughout the news media in its vast public relations campaign, you’d…
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Proposed 11th District rips out the center of WNC
Redistricting is always political, and voters on both sides have to accept that. The party with a majority will get…
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It’s time to get going with planting a fall garden
With the weather so hot and sticky, it’s hard to grasp that now is the time to start preparing the…
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Let’s give all candidates a U.S. history test
To the Editor: American students still aren’t learning their country’s history. In the latest National Assessment of Educational Programs, only…
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Social Security is a great success
To the Editor: As the saying goes, “if you repeat a lie often enough people will begin to believe it.”…
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Article on pastor was clearly biased
To the Editor: Some contrarian commentary is in order about Colby Dunn’s news and opinion piece (and it was both)…
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Duke’s rate hike request is perfectly justified
To the Editor: Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) ignited a firestorm over its request to the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC)…
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Jackson library should be dedicated to citizens
To the Editor: In response to “Strange at best – tacky at worst” (Smoky Mountain News, June 22 edition), I…
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Taking Asheville out of 11th makes no sense
To carve Asheville out of the 11th Congressional District is completely irrational. My campaign will work with all Western North…
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Date change caused absence at forum
To the Editor: A question has been asked as to why I was not at the Cherokee County “Meet the…
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‘Tang-ing’ to the flight of the honey bee
There is much myth and lore connected with beekeeping, such as telling the bees when the master has died so…
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Lorenzo dunk makes HOZE Squad history
For most people, Lorenzo Charles, who died last week in a bus accident at the age of 47, is little…
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It is time for shared responsibility and sacrifice
Today, in Macon County and throughout America, debate is under way regarding two basic principles: (1) the size, shape and…
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Perry’s Water Garden nurtures love of water plants
Most of the business being done at Perry’s Water Garden these days is selling plants through the wholesale market. But…
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Roads all about money, power and ethics
To the Editor: The patronage politics of roads, money, power, and ethics in North Carolina is a strange creature. Individual…
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Safety is primary concern for SCC
To the Editor: It is with astonishment that I have been following the flurry of recent articles in the newspapers…
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GOP-led legislature did some good work
To the Editor, We North Carolinians are very fortunate people. Our Republican majority state legislature had the courage to make…
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What does Harvard know about milk, anyway?
You’ve probably seen the ads. Some famous face sports a white “milk mustache” and encourages you to drink more milk.…
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Voter ID bill is needed
“The American people are losing confidence in the system and they want electoral reform ....” What American political leader, a…
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Life lessons from the world of beekeeping
The blossoms on the sourwood trees are opening. This is exciting for mountain beekeepers, though in their enthusiasm for the…
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Haywood needs to hold line on taxes
To the Editor: The past few months have been filled with letters to the editors, editorials and presentations to the…
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Tsunami sweeps over North Carolina
To the Editor: The State of North Carolina has been blessed in many ways. One of her blessings, in spite…
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Summer in the mountains: baptisms and clotheslines
“Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheets.” — (slight adaptation from…
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Republicans run roughshod in Raleigh
To the Editor: A new federal study confirms what many people have sensed — news coverage of state and local…
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Reid Brown is nothing less than a saint
To the Editor: My name is Brian Strum and I live in Clyde. Just prior to my move to Haywood County…
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Hahn’s criticism of story missed the mark
To the Editor: Carrie Hahn’s June 8 letter to the editor criticizing The Smoky Mountain News and Reporter Quintin Ellison…
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Despite my neglect, summer greens are coming on strong
I have not put the time into my garden this year that I usually do. Between a lack of rain…
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Expecting little, what we get is even less
Groucho Marx once said, “I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have someone like me…
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SMN showed great support for library
To the Editor: As the opening of the new Jackson County Library Complex draws near, it brings to mind the…
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Article was like those found in tabloids
To the Editor: It was shocking to read the article entitled “Crossing the Line” published June 1 in The Smoky…
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Minick’s reviews are a great part of paper
To the Editor: Jeff Minick has always provided informative and insightful book reviews. His review of Till We Have Faces…
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Of mice, Ming and my seed stash
When planting season is upon us, gardeners and farmers of all stripes are making plans and counting seeds. As long-time…
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Rooster 1, Farmer 1 – a first-round draw
There are two puncture wounds decorating my left leg, courtesy of a rooster who has taken an inexplicable but pronounced…
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Really, we just have to get out more often
(Atlanta, GA) — We don’t get out much. Unless “getting out” means running out to Taco Bell because the fish…
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Appreciating good stories, civic engagement
A week before this week’s dedication of the new Jackson County Library complex, this newspaper’s 12th birthday passed almost unnoticed…
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Protect wilderness before legislation makes it too late
When Congress passed the Wilderness Act back in 1964, it immediately became one of the most important pieces of conservation…
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Education cuts will harm student, schools
To the Editor: Republicans are cutting off education from beginning to end in North Carolina. The new cuts will take…
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Profit motive should not be driving education
To the Editor: It appears that the radical Republicans in control of the N.C. legislature are starving funding for public…
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Radical Senate budget crippling NC’s future
To the Editor: The fact that Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, refers to the radical budget being proposed down in Raleigh…
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Junaluska garden is indeed a gem
To the Editor: This letter is further comment on Quintin Ellison’s column about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake…
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Commissioner right to question SCC road
To the Editor: Jackson County Commissioner Jack Debnam’s recent comments on the proposed SCC spur road are valid and show…
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Just where are all the promised jobs?
To the Editor: Republican Sens. Ralph Hise, R-Spruce Pine, and Jim Davis, R-Franklin, promised “jobs, jobs, jobs” and “better times”…
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Life lessons learned in the barnyard
Goats view a gate left open as a passageway to excitement. And it is exciting, too, for the goat keeper,…
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Six pints of Guinness and a glass of milk
What do Barack Obama and my son have in common? They both visited Ireland in May. Obama, though, was proud…
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The rise and the fall of outdoor recreation
Maybe it’s the fear of snakes, mountain lions, or Bigfoot. Or the perceived boredom of time spent unplugged. Perhaps it’s…
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A thank you to our elected officials
To the Editor: I’d like to thank the state House of Representatives for putting rich white kids first in North…
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As engaged citizens, we must vote priorities
To the Editor: Do you think more of your car than you do of your children? If something is wrong…
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Transportation plan won’t help economy
To The Editor: I attended the recent public hearing on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan and came away confused. First, according…
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