Is this the change you waited for?
By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist In the election of 2008 many Americans aspired for hope and change when Barack…
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Corridor K brings anywhere America right here to WNC
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist When President John F. Kennedy formed a federal-state committee in 1963 known as the…
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Obama haters showing their true colors
His harshest critics delight in daring you to characterize their frothing hatred — and there is no other word for…
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Citizen groups from all 50 states call for swift action on climate change
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist With the long August recess now behind them, Senators have returned to Washington, D.C.,…
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It’s time to go, but the cord won’t cut so easily
I have lived in a lot of places in my life — countless apartments, dorm rooms, and houses, some of…
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‘John Muir’ makes a return visit to WNC
By Thomas Crowe “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is…
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Hard drive connects, but some data is lost
By Jon Beckman • Guest ColumnistThe human brain must have been the first computer, capable of capturing and storing data…
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Family time before deployment a mix of emotions
I do not much like having my photograph taken, but there is one picture of me I have always liked.…
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If not now, then health care reform may never pass
This country must pass health care reform that accomplishes two major objectives: providing coverage for everyone and controlling skyrocketing costs.…
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Florida’s loss likely means our gain – and challenge
It’s always a little embarrassing to look on another’s misfortune and discover that you may be the beneficiary of their…
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Settling on North Shore dollar figure just isn’t going to be easy
To the Editor: We’ll start with the 1943 North Shore Road Agreement since that’s what is supposedly being settled. A…
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The art of storytelling (in the style of an 8-year-old)
My daughter is 8 years old, which is one of the greatest ages a person will ever be. She has…
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Schools vs. prisons is an easy choice
Haywood County’s 1930’s-era minimum-security prison was kept open for another year by our ever-diligent legislative delegation in Raleigh. They saved…
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If not wind, then what?
To the Editor: Well, I am at a disadvantage in this discussion on wind energy development in North Carolina. My…
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Funding cut for after school program is a mistake
“I can see test scores going down and higher dropout rates in high school,” he said. “These kids are struggling.…
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Jackson County’s mosaic is still being painted
Although I sometimes wish that the maps of my Jackson County had a more beguiling shape — perhaps a bear…
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The pains of summer vacation
There, swirling miserably in the bottom of my morning coffee mug, are the dregs of summer. I had such plans…
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Workers will come if we create jobs, great lifestyle
When Macon County economic development officials met last week and decided the aging workforce was among the county’s most pressing…
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A few moments – and 10 days – to celebrate cultural understanding
The end of this year’s Folkmoot USA, some of the acquaintances I made during the festival, and my own ongoing…
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Waynesville’s South Main presents a vexing problem
Sounds like Waynesville’s leaders heard just what they expected last week regarding South Main Street — many people feel many…
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Can Duke supporters sleep at night?
By Carl Iobst • Guest Columnist Over the past few weeks several individuals and one media outlet have provided Jackson…
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Jackson Paper proud of its successes
By Tim Campbell • Guest Columnist Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has been a proud part of Sylva and Jackson County…
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A door opens and the light shines for Irene
Irene has been in this country for only four years. When she came, she could not speak a word of…
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Sanford affair is either high school drama or Greek tragedy
There is only so much you can do to help a child recover from a broken heart, especially the first…
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Ode to the Sylva Coffee Shop
Most small southern towns have a place like The Coffee Shop in Sylva — a cafe that has become a…
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Lawmakers veer way off path
By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist North Carolina Legislators have declared war on tube roses. Tube roses are little roses…
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No we aren’t becoming socialists
Don’t you just love how words and labels take on a life of their own in the ideological debate that…
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Education cuts deal harsh blow to public schools
By John Sanderson • Guest Columnist It was great to learn recently about the effort the Haywood County Schools Foundation…
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Time to go all in at Harrah’s
It’s time for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino to offer alcohol to patrons, especially since the Tribe is counting on receipts from…
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You can’t stash true wealth in a bank
By John Beckman • Guest Columnist The concept of wealth has been sideswiped over the last few decades. It seems…
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A funeral story of necessity and pragmatism
By Dawn Gilchrist-Young This is an Appalachian story because it is about resourceful people taking care of their own with…
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The many rewards of home improvement
Lately, the days whiz by faster than usual. Now that we have finally decided to put our house up for…
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The new frugality is an old idea
There’s talk all over about America’s newfound love affair with frugality. What Time magazine has dubbed the Great Recession is…
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Miss California takes on gay marriage
I cannot remember the last time I watched a minute of a beauty pageant. I never had much of an…
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Paying homage to the early park supporters
“When I first came into the Smokies the whole region was one of superb primeval forest. My sylvan studio spread…
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Perdue’s no-show was a missed opportunity
“Gov. Beverly Perdue probably didn’t set out to give Western North Carolina a slap in the face Wednesday. “But we…
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Fighting the fear that comes at night
I don’t really know when nightmares begin. I guess it is possible that babies have nightmares, shaken awake in the…
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Green Initiative a great fit for Haywood County
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s Green Initiative is one of those projects that is good on many different levels,…
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Nuisance debate both crass and credible
Every now and then a government proposal takes on such a vigorous life of its own that its intent gets…
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Get ready for life in the fast lane
It seems impossible that my niece is going to have a baby. She is 20 years old, which is about…
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Shuler proving his independence
Openly conservative Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, is blazing his own path in Congress. That characteristic is easy to admire,…
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Pondering the future of newspapers
Much as I dislike posing the question, here it is: can you imagine a future without newspapers? Would it be…
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Mountain beauty is an asset we all own
To the Editor: We appreciate The Smoky Mountain News coverage on the steep slope issues in Macon County and would…
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Landslide highlights, once again, need for new laws
Another landslide occurred a little over a week ago, this one leaving a home teetering on the edge of a…
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A community can provide real help to those in need
By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist It occurred to me as I was hiking up my mountain today that one…
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Mr. February, me and my wife make happy
I love dogs. Except during that period in my life when I lived in a seemingly endless series of shoebox…
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Flood Relief Funds: What really happened
By Denise A. Mathis • Guest Column One of the most publicized criminal cases in Haywood County history centered around…
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Tough year for HRMC teaches hard lessons
It’s a cultural tradition in nearly every society, the firm belief that people and institutions become stronger once they’ve been…
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Jackson library deserving of community support
Deduction would tell us that in the information age libraries would be accorded great respect, but somehow that isn’t universally…
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For young illegals, a coming-of-age quandary
Irene is not just a good student. She is one of the very best at her school, near the top…
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