How can faith leaders support Dream Act?
To the Editor: I read in the newspaper an article called “Faith Leaders support the Dream Act.” What reality do…
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Immigrants can enrich all of us
To the Editor: Scott McLeod writes accurately and with emotion about the Dream Act (“Hagen, senate wrong on Dream Act,”…
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Just shut up and bang it out
I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. But this weekend I decided to list five and work seriously toward…
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Mistake is a reminder to tell it like it is
“… but a belief in hard work and treating others fairly was ingrained from a very early age in my…
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A fine time to order seeds
One of my favorite annual events is set to take place Jan. 15. I share this information now because it…
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Property values affected election and are a looming problem
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist During the recent election for county commissioner in Jackson County, both sides made reference…
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Make love, not war, when you garden
This is a good time of the year to order seeds and plant carrots. That’s not a misprint: It’s an…
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Let the tax cuts for the wealthy expire
To the Editor: Give the wealthy $700 billion over the next decade? Absolutely, say the Republican politicians led by Rep.…
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Shuler isn’t doing much to win my votes
To the Editor: The local radio station in Sylva, WRGC, has reported that the unemployment rate in Jackson County increased…
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Is anyone paying attention to government?
To the Editor: Whether it be a deficit or a debt, no amount of money owed a creditor is a…
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Hagan, Senate wrong on DREAM Act
Few things are as maddening to me as when politics gets in the way of doing the right thing. That’s…
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Bitter cold makes routine memorable
Sunday, 6 a.m.: Get out of bed, stagger downstairs and start grinding coffee beans. What’s that white sheen through the…
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New regulations are a compromise
Editor’s note: This letter was written by Waynesville’s planning director in response to Mary Lamb’s letter above. Dear Ms. Lamb…
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Residents need time to review zoning changes
To the Editor: Like so many other young couples, my husband and I felt so blessed when he landed a…
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Jackson’s new leaders have room for improvement
A bit of a stumble out of the gate can be forgiven among newcomers in any endeavor, but that stumble…
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Let’s be honest about Kephart
To the Editor: I was surprised to find my views somewhat misstated in Quintin Ellison’s column, “Kephart, Transplants and the…
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Take time to contact DOT about N.C.107
To the Editor: The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing high-impact road modifications for N.C. 107 and is planning…
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Guilty as charged, and free at last
I have a confession to make. Underneath my tough, no-nonsense newspaperwoman exterior, I’m an individual who is ridden with guilt.…
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Remembering Terry … and not too fondly
When I was in the fourth grade, some dirtbag stole my hat. But it wasn’t any old dirtbag, and it…
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In defense of the Tea Party
To the Editor: I am a member of the Tea Party-The 9-12 group. I am an American mom and grandparent. Prayer…
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The tendency to follow greed off a cliff
To the Editor: Various citizens have made comments about the rich versus the poor based on their ideological thinking, but…
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Macon needs steep slope ordinances
To the Editor: Anyone who was living in this area at the time of the tragic Peeks Creek disaster off U.S.…
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Writers can’t write whatever they want
To the Editor: In last week’s (Nov 24-30) Smoky Mountain News opinion piece by Quintin Ellison, she writes … ”I maintain…
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More effort need to combat underage drinking
By Patti Tiberi • Guest Columnist “Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. A higher…
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Shuler is making the most of his opportunities
I don’t particularly remember U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, from our days growing up in Swain County. He is younger…
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Middle class needs the tax break
To the Editor: Regarding the Nov. 14 Associated Press article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, “GOP lawmakers stand tall for all…
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Honor Bob Zahner with a real wilderness area
To the Editor: The proposal to make the Overlook Area in Blue Valley a wilderness area in honor of Bob Zahner…
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Kephart, transplants and the debate over legitimacy
You can be excused for perhaps having overlooked the recent fireworks, but a minor war has erupted over one of…
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Ridding schools of bullying will require changing culture
By Raymond Turpin • Guest Columnist Bullying, unfortunately, has always existed in the American school systems and it continues to…
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Water task force gives a glimpse of the future
Sometimes what at first seems utterly ridiculous turns out to be a foreshadowing. It’s happening with water use in this…
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Around here, March madness is a religion
March Madness is upon us, and if you or anyone in your house has ever played basketball or perhaps even…
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Peace Jam provides unique opportunity for students
By Linda McFarland • Guest Columnist Imagine you are an eighth-grade student intent on learning all you can about social…
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A tax break for one business is not a plan
Before Haywood County commissioners approve a request to cut property taxes on a business that plans to build an $8…
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Congrats to winners of judge elections
To the Editor: I thank everyone who supported me in the recent District Court judgeship election. Having never been a…
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Time to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist The craziness of this year’s mid-term elections has passed. The campaign advertisements and signs…
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Finding compromise takes real leadership
To the Editor: Post-election letters to the editor continue the “take back our government” mantra, and I would ask the…
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Don’t rush on important landfill decision
To the Editor: On Nov. 5 the Haywood commisioners were scheduled to accept bids from private corporations to run the…
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Striking a balance between objectivity and truth
There is an interesting disconnect in how some people perceive my job and how I perceive my job. This was…
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Wild South is no friend to mountain hunters
To the Editor: I was surprised to see the letter from John Edwards of Wild South proposing the N.C. Wildlife…
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Thankful for support during sheriff election
To the Editor: First, let me say that it has been an honor and privilege to meet, inform, and represent…
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Remember to honor the veterans
To the Editor: Veteran’s Day may just seem to be any other day to some, or maybe an extra day…
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Good job, but real work has just started
To the Editor: Thank you to the candidates, the many volunteers and the voters in the mid-term elections. Macon County…
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Sorry to see Sen. Snow lose in this way
To the Editor: Sen. Snow, I am so sorry that people voted based on advertisements rather than on a candidate’s…
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Davis sold his soul to get to Raleigh
To the Editor: Jim Davis, who beat Sen. John Snow in the election, ran one of the filthiest campaigns I’ve…
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Logging watershed is just a bad idea
To the Editor: In the early 20th century, the Waynesville Town Board purchased the Allens Creek Watershed to assure that…
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All of it – glory, honor, M&Ms – just one hit away
It was a perfect day for baseball: blue sky, a crisp breeze, the sun still hanging like a pop fly…
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Daily rituals keep us synched to life’s basic rhythms
Once upon a time, in a previous incarnation as a musician, I developed a routine that allowed me to focus…
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Save the kids – and me – from the madness
When people say that Jim Carrey can’t act and that his movies are terrible, I always point to “The Truman…
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Doing the public’s business in the open
By Avram Friedman Receiving public input is not a discretionary part of the decision-making process for elected public officials in…
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Poor Edgar, doomed to an eternity with a crazy cat lady
An unhappy reader this week took me to task for writing harsh words about my 17-year-old cat, Edgar, after the…
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