TDA changes ramrodded by county manager
By Scot Warf As past chairman of the Swain County Tourism Development Authority (TDA), I feel compelled to share with…
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It’s always somebody’s fault, isn’t it
We are a nation of blamers. When something goes wrong, or something tragic happens we, as Americans, are quick to…
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Duke just hasn’t offered much to the region
The phrase “do the right thing,” the name of an early Spike Lee movie, has become a part of the…
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Hats off to Jackson County commissioners
Last week Jackson County commissioners passed what is being called the strongest set of development regulations in North Carolina. They’ve…
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Bury Ed in Appalachia
By Brett Martin Western North Carolina is rich with great literature written on the region, and there are still a…
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Is summer over already?
When I went back to teaching full time about three years ago, one of the things I looked forward to…
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Use the ‘front porch’ barometer for politicians
By John Armour If you’ve read many of these columns you know I’m addicted to politics. My spouse, among others,…
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For teachers, success is in smell
By David Curtis As a schoolteacher you always wonder how your students will remember you. “She was a good teacher,…
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Poo by any other name is still...
What’s in a name? What about Scat? Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Maybe. Shakespeare seemed…
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Energy bill weak, but a good start
There are serious problems with the energy legislation passed this session in the North Carolina General Assembly, but the bill…
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Is anyone counting the losses?
By Sami Felmet • Guest Columnist The birds and the bees. We’re losing them, you know. How will we explain…
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Macon takes a stand, and developer is OK with it
It used to be the “revenooers” who were considered the most vile characters in the mountains, but now we have…
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Give me a deck of cards and no sand
My dad hated the beach. At least, that is how I remember it. We only went a couple of times…
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It’s not about the trees at all
I really don’t think we are as stupid as they think we are. Developers of commercial retail shopping centers have…
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Town elections are important for future of WNC
A coin toss. That’s what decided the race for mayor two years ago in the Jackson County town of Forest…
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Here’s what is wrong with the debates
By Marshall Frank As of this writing, five presidential debates — three Republican and two Democratic — have been held,…
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A new tax by any other name
By John Hood • Guest Columnist The North Carolina General Assembly seems poised to enact a new $300 million tax…
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In my neighborhood, I’m proud to say, the cows are homies
By David Curtis The cows ate my corn. My corn is Silver Queen sweet corn. It’s an 80-day corn, which…
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Al Gore to ride to the Democrats’ rescue
As the war in Iraq drags on with no end in sight amid reports that al-Qaeda has regrouped and is…
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The truth about the ‘Three R’s’ of conservatism
By Arthur Hancock • Guest Columnist With 70 percent of Americans now disapproving of the way George W. Bush is…
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North Carolina side of park needs bigger, better visitors center
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has known it needed a new visitors center on the North Carolina side of…
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A family’s painful ordeal with early onset Alzheimer’s
By Linda Watson • Guest Columnist Recently, a member of my family was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at…
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Tomatoes really can save the world
I am a firm believer that the world would be a much better place if everyone just grew tomatoes. This…
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Lottery could help solve state’s teacher shortage
Since North Carolina is having such a hard time finding enough teachers, one place education leaders might look for help…
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LWCF has been a great resource for this country
When most of us here in Western North Carolina go for a hike on the Appalachian Trail, hunt or fish…
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A pack rat’s nightmare – a yard sale
You need some space. Believe me, I understand. The closets are so full, it takes two of you to press…
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Labor unions slowly losing power in U.S.
When Blue Ridge Paper employees voted to accept the recent buyout offer from the Rank group of New Zealand, union…
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Shuler shows that he will vote his conscience
Those who supported Heath Shuler’s bid to represent this region in Congress probably did not believe the detractors who spent…
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Some gifts are always keepers
Kayden is doing her very best not to tell me about the preparations she and mom and Jack have made…
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How do we really support the troops?
This is about war, but only from a distance. When I read about deaths in Iraq or Afghanistan, it mostly…
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Research farms will benefit from more efficient system
We want the state Agricultural Research Station in Waynesville to remain open, but the Senate budget proposal that attempts to…
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Feudin’ banjos and writin’ laws
By John Armour At the end of every week I take stock of what’s happened. Rare are the weeks which…
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Afterschool programs still looking for respect
By Chris Lowe • Guest columnist “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education,” said Albert Einstein. Einstein is…
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Another day, and it’s off to the races
7:37 a.m. — Snatched out of sleep by the ceaseless opening and closing of drawers. Goodness, woman, what can there…
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Momentum building for wisely guiding WNC’s rapid growth
Blessed are the planners, for in their hands rest the fate of these mountains.
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I’m sorry for all the impotence ads
By John Armor • Guest Columnist There are certain categories of ads on TV which offend me, and no doubt…
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Park Service opinion could seal road’s fate
The road, it appears, stops here. Now, elected leaders and citizens must demand a timetable for the $52 million settlement…
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A surprising reminder of a common bond
By Stephanie Wampler One morning in early spring, I woke up before anyone else and went out on my porch.…
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The lamentable loss of Appalachian yard junk
By Brent Martin The most popular subject of conversation in mountain communities today deals with the hollows and ridge tops…
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Ushering in a new era in Maggie Valley
A whole lot of residents and business owners are excited — and that’s putting it mildly — about Ghost Town’s…
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It’s all, really, about the tadpoles
The kids are doing their best to amuse themselves there at the water’s edge, but they are past restless. Something…
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Swain takes encouraging step with road proposals
Swain County is drafting a set of road standards that will serve its citizens well on two levels. First, the…
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The day Uncle Billy’s sheep got baptized
By Carl Iobst Down in the flatlands of Eastern North Carolina there’s an Apex man that’s got a powerful interest…
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Will we ever learn history’s lessons of war?
By Michael Beadle World wars, civil wars, the Crusades, wars of rebellion and independence. Why does humanity continue to go…
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Real estate school for elected leaders
Money and politics. Right now in the mountains, we can add real estate to that equation.
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Letter to Haywood Regional Medical Center
Dr. Michael Ray, who worked for Haywood Emergency Physicians before quitting in summer 2006, wrote this letter to the Haywood…
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Nurses deserve support for speaking up
By Michael Rey I would like to offer some words of support for those Emergency Department Nurses at Haywood Regional…
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A distant memory of child’s play
By Kathryn Stripling Byer Soon school will be over for the year. Students will leave their classrooms and bound out…
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Bush’s obstinance is a rare opportunity
With President Bush’s veto of the Democrats’ bill to set a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq,…
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Re-thinking transportation is a must
Dark clouds were rolling in on Saturday as I sat in our Sylva office while Western North Carolina’s original environmental…
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