Lighten up and try: Highlands lodge bridges history, music, culture
Sitting at a table on the front patio of the Highlander Mountain House, Jason Reeves looks up at the historic…
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This must be the place: ‘And all my trails, won’t you take my hand, gonna raise it up all across this land’
It wasn’t the daily sounds of passerby traffic on Russ Avenue in downtown Waynesville or the Tuesday morning garbage truck…
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This must be the place: Ode to the Indy 500, ode to organized chaos
I awoke to the sounds of numerous police sirens. It was 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Looking out the eighth-floor window of…
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Renewing the fire through education: A conversation with Lori Reed
We can learn about cultures, history, social and economic structures, and more importantly ourselves — especially where we have come…
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This must be the place: Ode to the Futurebirds, ode to keepin’ it real
It was just about 9 p.m. last Saturday (central standard time) when I found myself side stage at the legendary…
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This must be the place: 'Sod the streets at once, change the name Aspen to Fat City'
Recently, I came across a real estate listing for a house while scrolling Facebook. It was located on the east…
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Six strings of soul: NC Guitar Celebration returns
In its second year, the North Carolina Guitar Celebration in Brevard has much to celebrate — the sacred six-string instrument…
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Coming full circle: BearWaters Brewing opens Waynesville location
Last Thursday morning, Kevin Sandefur spent five hours spreading gravel in the parking lot of the brand new BearWaters Brewing…
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This must be the place: ‘Windswept stars blink and smile, another song, another mile’
Hello from Room 209 at the Home2 Suites by Hilton on the outskirts of downtown Decatur, Alabama. It’s Monday morning.…
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Love in the dark: Abe Partridge brings the good word to WNC
A former Baptist preacher and military veteran, Abe Partridge is now regarded as one of the most unique and captivating…
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This must be the place: ‘The people came and listened, some of them came and played’
Hello from Room 5218 in the Falls Cottage King Suite at the Old Edwards Inn in downtown Highlands. It’s late…
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Pint of passion: New WNC brewery sparks camaraderie
Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Greg Wasik saw firsthand that trademark sense of community at neighborhood taverns around the Motor…
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Free entry for Haywood residents at Wheels Through Time
Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday…
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This must be the place: ‘Pack up all your dishes, make note of all good wishes’
Last Friday afternoon marked the first “Downtown After 5” on Lexington Avenue in the heart of Asheville. The unofficial kickoff…
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Sentimental garbage: Neal Francis to play Bear Shadow festival
Sitting backstage at the Asheville Music Hall, Neal Francis takes a moment to collect himself and think about where he…
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Slice of the dream: New Sylva pizzeria comes full circle
Sliding into a booth at Meatballs Pizzeria in downtown Sylva, Crystal Pace and Santiago Guzzetti gaze out onto a bustling…
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Character counts: a review of James Rosen’s ‘Scalia’
He was good friends with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He taught shooting to another justice, Elaine Kagan, and…
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'Behind the mask': Cherokee exhibit focuses on mask makers, legacy
Showcased at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center in Cherokee, the new exhibition, “Behind the Mask: Cherokee Mask Makers…
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Force of nature: WNC bluegrass star shines bright in Music City
Last weekend, guitarist Seth Taylor and his band, longtime bluegrass staple Mountain Heart, once again took the stage under the…
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First Smokies writers conference accepting applications
About this time last year, I was asked to be involved with designing the first-ever conference for writers to be…
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New sculpture at WCU
Located outside Western Carolina University’s Apodaca Science Building is a new sculpture by Spruce Pine artist Hoss Haley, titled “Staurolite,”…
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‘Airing of the Quilts’ open call
The Appalachian Women’s Museum invites quilters and quilt collectors a chance to show off their fabrics during the annual “Airing…
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This must be the place: ‘Sweetness, innocence gone away, how I miss them good old days’
Hello from Lemon Street on the outskirts of downtown St. Augustine, Florida. It’s about 62 degrees and sunny. Slight breeze.…
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Dulcimer group ‘Pic’ & Play’
The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement…
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Planes, drugs and bears, oh my! Hollywood film has WNC connections
Who would have thought a true story with a link to Clay and Macon counties would arguably be the most…
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This must be the place: Ode to Canton, ode to Small Town America
On Aug. 10, 2012, I took on my first assignment for The Smoky Mountain News. It was the “Papertown” album…
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This must be the place: Ode to Uncle Bobby, ode to bitchin’ Ford T-Birds
The last time I saw my Uncle Bobby was about four years ago, high up on some floor in the…
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Open call for HCAC volunteers
The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) mission is to promote art, art education, and innovation in art. Located on Main…
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This must be the place: ‘Meet me in the city and see everything is so fine’
About 10:30 a.m. last Tuesday, I laced up my running shoes and walked out the front door of the small…
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‘And we could all together’: A conversation with Lyle Lovett
From humble beginnings as a teenage singer-songwriter in his native Texas to gracing some of the most iconic stages the…
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Don’t overlook Matt Peiken’s ‘The Overlook’ pod
After 20 years in daily newspapers, journalist Matt Peiken took a buyout from the St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press in…
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‘We are still here’: Indigenous Walls Project sparks social dialogue
The human condition frequently subjects us to the lie that every experience we face daily is also what every other…
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This must be the place: ‘And I thought I’ve seen someone who seemed at last to know the truth’
Hello from Room 1D at the Rathbone Mansion, just a few blocks from the French Quarter in New Orleans. It’s…
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This must be the place: Life is what you make it, and if you make it death, well rest your soul away
It was nearing midnight on Saturday. The rock band in the corner of the bar had just put the finishing…
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This must be the place: Ode to The Weathercock, ode to the fine folks of Chazy
I caught first word of The Weathercock burning to the ground mid-afternoon on Saturday. Scrolling the Facebook news feed, I…
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New WCU immersive exhibition
The immersive installation ”Courtney M. Leonard — BREACH: Logbook | CORIOLIS” is being showcased through May 5 in the Fine Art…
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In search of the muse: Haywood Arts names new art and gallery manager
Local artist Lauren Medford was recently promoted to the art and gallery manager at the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC)…
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Cultivating creativity: Haywood artists receive support grants
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), along with regional partners — including the Asheville Area Arts Council, Transylvania Community Arts Council,…
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This must be the place: ‘Either way I wonder sometimes about the outcome of a still verdictless life’
With my 38th birthday right around the corner, I went on a first date last week. It seemed to go…
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This must be the place: To rouse the spirit of the earth and move the rolling sky
Hello from Room 827 at the Marriott Town Center in downtown Charleston, West Virginia. The outside temperature is dropping, all…
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Between the heavy and the light: Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers
With the recent departure of founding member Woody Platt, the Steep Canyon Rangers found themselves at a crossroads — now…
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This must be the place: If you lived here, you’d be home by now
Sitting in The Scotsman in downtown Waynesville on Sunday evening, I found myself sporadically watching the last NFL game of…
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This must be the place: ‘Goin’ places that I’ve never been, seein’ things that I may never see again’
There’s an old backpack in my apartment. I’ve had it since college. And since those academic days back in Connecticut…
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Finding a sense of balance: Cherokee artist unveils latest pieces
Balance, rhythm, and equilibrium are all words that mean so much, yet we as a society struggle to grasp the…
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Litmus test of a community: A look back at the arts in WNC 2022
As it has been stated in this publication many times before, the litmus test of the strength of a community…
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This must be the place: ‘Can’t live without you so it seems, honey sew another patch on my jeans’
New Year’s Eve. A little past 9 a.m. in Room 211 of the Holiday Inn Express on the outskirts of…
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Show Me Something Higher: Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon
It’s 2:54 a.m. in the rural backwoods of Virginia and Vince Herman hands me a shot of high-end tequila. With…
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This must be the place: ‘You will receive a big compliment from others. Lucky numbers: 15, 18, 30, 32, 40, 42’
It was another quiet Sunday morning in the ole humble abode in downtown Waynesville. But, this go-round, it was Christmas…
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This must be the place: Remember no man is a failure who has friends
Sunday morning. Across the globe, Argentina and France were battling it out in the World Cup soccer final in Qatar.…
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This must be the place: Know it’s a wonderful world, if you can put aside the sadness
It’s 51 degrees with a warm sun and blue skies hovering above downtown Waynesville. A little after 2 p.m. Monday…
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