Speaking for the trees: Waynesville launches arboretum effort

As manager of Waynesville’s urban forest, it’s safe to say that Jonathan Yates likes trees. So when Diane Kornse of the Mountain View Garden Club approached him last fall to ask if the town had any project in the wings that the club could help tackle, Yates was ready with an answer. 

“I said, ‘Actually, I do have an idea I’ve had for years, but it would really require something like a garden club to make it happen,’” Yates recounted.

Town manager hopes to bring Waynesville to new heights

Waynesville’s new town manager won’t take the helm until Aug. 22, but The Smoky Mountain News was recently able to speak at length with Rob Hites, 64, to learn more about who he is, where he’s been, and what he hopes to accomplish in Waynesville.

The ‘man’ behind the ‘manager’

When hiring a new employee in any profession, the focus is first and foremost on professional qualifications, as it obviously should be. 

Board brings early end to MSD exodus

Sharon and James Earley had sought unsuccessfully for almost two years to have their property removed from Waynesville’s downtown taxing district, until a recently passed law gave them new hope that their wish would finally be granted. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for health, fitness, self-defense

The Gracie family is well known to martial arts enthusiasts across the world; as perhaps the only martial arts practitioners as recognizable as Bruce Lee, the Gracies practically invented the modern form of Jiu Jitsu, known as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Key personnel change at Waynesville City Hall

After almost three years with the town of Waynesville, Amie Owens is out as administrative services director.

Downtown Waynesville Association gets five-year deal

A new state law calling for more competition and transparency in how Municipal Service Districts are managed sent shudders down the collective spines of some on the Waynesville Town Board when they learned that the contracts to manage such districts would now have to go up for bid.

Waynesville property owner sees bumps in the road to MSD exit

The same 2015 law that robs local governments of control over how and for how long they can contract with the organizations that manage their Municipal Service Districts also dictates that local governments now formally address requests from property owners who wish to be removed from an MSD.

Sam Love Queen and the values of Folkmoot

In May, the auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center was dedicated to a man instrumental in establishing Waynesville and its environs as one of the most important centers of folk culture in the nation.

Waynesville to formalize policy for pro-bono utility work

fr utilitiesWaynesville utility crews will no longer donate labor to run power, water and sewer connections for community projects on a handshake agreement.

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