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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Finding the right seat to sit on
In a short while our weather will be a tad chilly for frequent riding of motorcycles. Ah, a sad time…
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The bottom of the ticket is next to sink into the slime
It’s Election Day (or very early morning, actually) as I sit to finish this, and the theme of the day…
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Groups need to work together for wildlife
To the Editor: In my conversations with responsible hunters, wildlife advocates, employees of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and organizations who value wild…
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Evil cat proves you get what you pay for
Every column should have a point, and here’s mine, right in the first paragraph (this to save you from having…
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We need independent political leaders
To the Editor: If ever there was a need for common sense and independent thinking among our nation’s leaders, that…
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Thirty years later, partying like it’s 1979
James looks at me, briefly averts his eyes, then looks at me again, this time with a purpose and a…
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Sometimes public comment just muddies the water
When Haywood county commissioners decided a few weeks ago to adopt new rules guiding public comment at their meetings, some…
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Spending your money where it helps the most
I was sorry to hear that Spring Street Café in Sylva had closed. Emily Elders opened the restaurant about a…
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Ron Robinson must just know it all
To the Editor: Who is Ron Robinson? He must be someone who has powers beyond those of the mortals he wants…
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Ellis is worthy of judgeship
To the Editor: Some of us may be confused about the many judicial contests. However, the name of one candidate is…
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Very disturbing trends beset this country
To the Editor: Here are some disturbing trends. The top 20 percent of the wealthiest individuals own 93 percent of…
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Cherokee could do better regulating bear zoos
“Cherokee has so much to offer, such as its beautiful mountains, museums, cultural and historical exhibits, Native American shops, friendly…
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Jackson challengers don’t have good ideas
To the Editor: Over the course of the past year or so our Jackson County commissioner have been faced with…
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