A special production of “The White Chip” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20-21 and 27-28, and 2 p.m. Feb. 22 and March 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

“The White Chip” tells the story of one man’s journey through addiction, ambition and the messy art of starting over.

A special production of “The White Chip” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20-21 and 27-28 and 2 p.m. Feb. 22 and March 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

“The White Chip” tells the story of one man’s journey through addiction, ambition and the messy art of starting over.

Western North Carolina entered 2025 with a familiar sense of dread, confusion and misplaced confidence as local governments, public agencies and assorted boards once again demonstrated an unwavering commitment to solving problems that do not exist while inventing several new ones along the way. 

From Jackson County’s continued Quixotic campaign against its own public library to the Department of Transportation’s discovery that some Haywood County roads remain dangerously intact, the year has already produced a wealth of developments that demanded immediate, serious attention — or at least, a healthy dose of mockery. 

If you go to a child’s birthday party and bring a book as a present, you may not win the most popular present award. 

Having been invited to the party of a little girl I know, who was six turning seven, I decided to forego the popularity part and I headed to my local bookstore.

In the midst of eating my third hard-boiled egg of the morning, I overheard the young couple at the next breakfast table mention to their server that they’d gotten married this past Saturday. 

Taking a sip of my second cup of coffee, my gaze went from the newlyweds to the nearby roaring fireplace, then out the big glass windows onto the picturesque pond on the side lawn of the majestic property. 

It happened to me, again. Somebody stole my laundry. All of it. And it wasn’t even in the dryer yet. They ran out the door of my neighborhood laundromat in downtown Waynesville with two loads of wet clothes, never to be seen from or worn out and about one more time. 

I started this annual feature nearly a decade ago to poke fun at the emerging scourge of fake news — lies, really — that had popped up at local government meetings. It was a prophetic move, unfortunately, and in the intervening nine or so years it’s only gotten worse. 

A special production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19-21 and 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

As part of my gifts for Father’s Day this year, my daughter bought me a book. She apologized before handing it to me, saying “It’s really terrible and silly, and I almost didn’t give it to you.” 

There are always seasons in life when you feel the need to get away from your day-to-day, and I have found myself in just such a season.