Five things a month to smile about
In what feels like a previous life, I was a mom blogger. After the birth of my youngest son, now…
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Speeches revealed party priorities
To the Editor: Given the current events many may have missed both the State of the Union and the Republican…
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Forests need diversity for their health
To the Editor: The revised forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests have been under scrutiny lately.…
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Public wants more protected forests
To the Editor: I appreciate George Hahn’s perspective on old-growth forests and agree with many of his sentiments. A mix…
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Why N.C. is at bottom of right-to-know states
For decades, North Carolina has ranked near the bottom of all states in the country when it comes to the…
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Child rearing should take place at home
To the Editor: It’s almost humorous to read about what a child should glean from Pre-K and kindergarten. I said…
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Good luck to all who oppose Cawthorn
To the Editor: I will be so happy for this uneducated, law-breaking manchild — Rep. Madison Cawthorn — to be…
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ARPA helped most Americans
To the Editor: March 11, 2022 was the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that was signed…
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Connecting the human ties that bind
It is mind-boggling that in the year 2022 a barbaric, nonsensical war rages in Ukraine. It’s an example that no…
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New leadership a plus for downtown Waynesville
I have not attended any of the meetings of the new Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee, but I sense an energy,…
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Trump enabled Putin, and this is the result
To the Editor: Vladimir Putin has been conducting a hacking and disinformation war against the U.S. for years (China, Iran,…
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Learning to live with the mess
Maybe it was one more box of Cheez-Its left open on the table, the box surrounded by crumbs, that pushed…
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Missing: Transparency and listening skills
To the Editor: The February 10 Sylva Town Board meeting invited public comment regarding a new zoning drdinance and a…
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Don’t generalize about race issues
To the Editor: It’s appalling that you only include a singular view by Michael Boatwright about the current reality involving…
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Lent offers chance to abstain from meat
To the Editor: In Western churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides…
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Put social districts to a referendum
To the Editor: On Thursday night, February 10, the Sylva Board of Commissioners, on a split vote of three to…
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A grand opportunity for the USFS and partners
The USFS recently released the final version of the forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala National forests After…
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Finding joy in the past and present
They say nostalgia and reminiscing can do two things to the psyche: be a buffer against ailments like depression and…
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School mask decision was a mistake
To the Editor: As parents and as a teacher and health care professional, we are troubled by the Haywood School…
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The nostalgia of football and Snoop Dogg
My mom was a tiny Southern lady who graduated salutatorian of her senior class and never said a cuss word…
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No endings, only new beginnings
I can’t tell you how many goodbye columns I’ve read over the years from reporters leaving their posts, lamenting over…
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From Me to We
“The story can’t be about the heroism of one person any more, it has to be about the heroism of communities.” —…
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Careless book banning is seldom a good idea
Removing the book “Dear Martin” from a 10th-grade English class at Tuscola High School likely didn’t prevent students in that…
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A party adrift after Trump’s tenure
To the Editor: Almost from the moment World War II ended, we have watched in horror as one dictator after…
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Moms, remember … new year, same you
I listened to a podcast recently that blasted January’s public relations company for making everyone feel bad about themselves. Instead…
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What lesson does censorship teach our children?
When I learned of the removal of the book “Dear Martin” from an English II class at Tuscola High School,…
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Birthdays, cardinals and roller skating
My older son turned 13 on Jan. 19, and my younger son turned 10 on Jan. 20. They are both…
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Pulling book was a mistake
To the Editor: I, too, deplore young people’s use of “foul language,” but hearing or reading it would not have…
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Police need more resources to succeed
Make no mistake, it would be a stretch to say a partnership between Western Carolina University and the town of…
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Truth, not lies, will keep us free
To the Editor: If we really seek the truth, we go to primary sources — those who originate an idea, policy,…
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Clampitt can’t have it both ways
To the Editor: Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, in The Smoky Mountain News addressed his membership in the Oath Keepers.
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No to sanctuary bear hunting
To the Editor: The Bear Education and Resource (B.E.A.R.) Task Force stands in opposition to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission…
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Fight indoctrination with truth, integrity
To the Editor: We are being inundated with the phrase, “Educate Don’t Indoctrinate.” It is now on billboards and in…
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You’ll need to know this word — anocracy
To the Editor: A word most of us are unfamiliar with but will become commonplace in the months and years to…
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Clampitt speaks on Oath Keepers
Editor’s note: Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, has been open about his membership in the right-wing militia group known as…
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Trump is indeed to blame
To the Editor: This is in response to Dennis Ford’s letter from the Jan,. 5 issue of The Smoky Mountain…
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Democracy demands certain rights
To the Editor: Let’s talk about the upcoming elections – not the candidates, but the voting. Regardless of your political…
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Medicaid expansion is badly needed
To the Editor: More than one million North Carolinians (12.9%) have no health insurance.
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Enough is enough with developers
To the Editor: Over the last few years I have read with incredulity article after article about how our town…
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Much to be thankful about
To the Editor: Rolling into the end of this year we have experienced trials and tribulations. From one virus to…
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Do your part, let’s beat this thing
Three tests, two shots, but just let me know if more is needed. That’s a short and very superficial synopsis…
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