Pledging their utmost dedication and respect to this nation’s natural resources, 17 graduates from Southwestern Community College’s National Park Service Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy program walked across the stage on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Public Safety Training Center in Macon County.

Seasonal closures in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests will begin on Jan. 2. Planned opening dates may change depending on weather. 

A 51-acre conservation purchase in the Highlands of Roan will protect a prominent ridge near the Appalachian Trail. 

For the ninth year running, Western Carolina University has made The Princeton Review’s list of North America’s most environmentally responsible colleges. 

By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist | In Democracy’s Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy, the political philosopher Michael Sandel discusses the tension between concepts of citizenship as a participatory responsibility and concepts of government as merely a transactional entity, another business from which we obtain services. In later work, Sandel bemoans our slide from a market economy to a market society, an all-encompassing concept that everything is for sale. Sandel’s discussions came to mind as I read Scott McLeod’s recent opinion piece Time to face reality regarding the Smokies.

To the Editor:

Only a few short years ago Americans criticized Russian leaders for their overt political philosophy: “The end justifies the means.” In other words, whatever we do is OK as long as we get what we want.

Yet, is this not exactly how Donald Trump has dealt with Ukraine officials in his quest to “dig up dirt” on Joe Biden (his likely presidential opponent in 2020)?

Today I re-read the Ten Commandments along with Proverbs 6:16-23. You can read them for yourself in the King James version of the Bible. The Ten Commandments are a key component of Christian belief. Didn’t the erstwhile Moral Majority brandish them? They (Moral Majority politicians) said little, however, about the seven things that the Lord hates as stated in Proverbs. But! But! Where is the Moral Majority today? Can they not step up and condemn the flood of lies put forth by Donald Trump? After all, lying is specifically covered by the ninth commandment. It is also specifically one of the seven things the Lord hates!

How much longer can Washington politicians (predominantly Republicans) justify the lies and other forms of deception/abuse that Trump uses daily? How much longer can America be the beacon of democracy so desperately needed by the rest of the world if we refuse to walk the path of truth?

How much longer?

Dave Waldrop

Webster

To the Editor:

Five years ago, shortly after partnering with the Sheriff’s Office to begin a Safe Kids coalition in Macon County, I went through a 5-day course to become a certified car seat technician. During the rigorous five-day course, taught by experts who traveled here from Raleigh, I learned all about the most common mistakes when installing a car seat, I learned which car seat is best for a child’s age or size, and even which seat is best based on a specific vehicle. We practiced installation on dolls before finishing the week with a free car seat safety inspection station for the community. 

Over the last five years, as the Chairman of Safe Kids Macon County, I have organized a dozen car seat safety events that have checked over 500 car seats. Sometimes those car seat checks were for me friends or coworkers, but most of them were for complete strangers who I have not spoken to since. It is widely known that car seat safety is a great passion of mine and something I constantly advocate for. 

On a recent Friday, all of those years of car seat safety and helping others became my own reality when I got a phone call that my mother and my 4-year-old niece were in a rollover accident. Their vehicle didn’t just rollover, but it rolled off the bank and landed upside down in a creek. My husband and I rushed to the scene and by the time we got there, both my mother and niece were safely out of the vehicle. Seeing that car upside own with water rushing through the inside was gut wrenching. I immediately began searching for my mother and niece who were in the ambulance. Worst case scenario flashed through my head. The car was so damaged, I was terrified of how I would find them. 

When I opened the ambulance door, I saw my niece. She had a few scratches on her cheek from the broken glass from the back windshield, but otherwise she was safe. And that is when it hit me. She was safe because her Graco five-point harness saved her life. Had she been in a booster seat, or had the seat not been properly installed, there is no question in my life she would have been seriously injured in that horrific accident. But she wasn’t. A man passing by shortly after the accident jumped in the river and cut the seatbelt that was holding her into the car. She was dangling upside down in the car, but the five-point harness of her seat kept her secured. He carried her out of the creek, still fully secured in her car seat. 

As her aunt, I am beyond grateful for the string of events that kept her safe that day, as a car seat technician, I know it was no coincidence. My sister had made the right decision of keeping Wren in a five-point harness car seat. That means on impact, there were five-points of impact that lessened the injury across her body and helped absorb the impact during the accident. Had my sister made the mistake, which is all too common, of transitioning Wren to a booster seat too early, we would not have had the same outcome. The car seat was properly installed inside the car. It’s as secured with a seatbelt, which was locked, which kept it secured against the car seat even though the car was flipped upside down. The straps were snug against Wren’s body, and the harness was by her armpits, which ensured that her little body didn’t slip out while it dangled upside down. All things I have preached and scolded and annoyed my sisters to do for their children, and even strangers to do for theirs … while they seem nitpicky or aggravating at the time, in the event of an accident those are the very things that will save a child’s life, as they did for my niece on Friday. 

My mother was also able to walk away from the accident with a minor concussion and a few scratches, undoubtedly because her seatbelt also kept her safe. 

Car seat safety is something that you never think you need it … until you do. That is why as Chairman of Safe Kids Macon County, I have worked with incredible volunteers to grow the list of local technicians available to check your child’s car seat for free at anytime. If you haven’t had your seat check, please do so today. Christmas time is a heavy travel season and ensuring your child is in the right seat, and the seat is properly installed could mean the difference in life and death. 

To have your child’s seat checked, contact the Macon County Sheriff’s Annex, the Franklin Police Department, or the Highlands Police Department, the Franklin Fire Department, or the Otto Fire Department, all of which have made it a priority to have certified car seat technicians on staff to help.

Brittney Lofthouse 

Safe Kids Macon County Chairman 

To the Editor:

Thank you for reporting on the recent animal cruelty case in Haywood County. The suffering of so many animals is truly horrific. Perhaps the silver lining that can come from this terrible tragedy is recognizing and then fixing the corruption that exists within the Haywood County system that is supposed to be protecting animals. Cory Vaillancourt’s excellent investigation points fingers at Jeff Stamey, Doyle Teague, and Frank Queen. They are bad seeds within the system, and it’s time to spit them out.  

Nancy Kay, DVM

Sebastapol, Calif.

Southwestern Community College’s new $21 million Health Sciences Building is starting to take shape on the west side of the Jackson Campus as construction remains on schedule to finish by the summer of 2021.

The Nantahala Health Foundation has announced its initial grants awarded to local organizations in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, and the Qualla Boundary. 

Constance Owl’s master’s degree thesis is more than a means to a graduate degree in American history. It’s a portal to understanding, and perhaps saving, a disappearing language.

A flurry of last-minute sign-ups means that 2020 will likely be a lively election season in Western North Carolina and beyond.

I noticed “soy lecithin” on a I noticed “soy lecithin” on a list of ingredients. What is it?

To the Editor:

George Washington led Americans in the Revolutionary War defeating a tyrant, King George III, and giving birth to democracy. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention creating a new system of government, separating power into legislative, executive and judicial branches. Each branch checks the others to prevent abuse of power. The legislature is given power to impeach and remove corrupt government officials. Asked to be our first president, Washington postponed desired retirement to serve his country again.

In WWII, President Franklin Roosevelt joined Allied nations to defeat aggressive Axis dictators. Although crippled by polio, he joined world leaders coordinating strategies to achieve victory and create lasting peace. Roosevelt inspired creation of the United Nations to promote peaceful solutions to world problems. This reflects his last full measure of devotion. He died just before its first meeting. 

In 1962, Soviet dictator Nikita Khrushchev began building missile bases in Cuba, threatening the United States. President John Kennedy ordered a naval blockade around Cuba stopping Soviet ships carrying missile materials. The threat of war ended when the Soviets dismantled the missiles. Russia also attempted to spread its influence in Western Europe. It occupied East Berlin and acted to gain control of West Berlin. Khrushchev backed down after Kennedy increased our military presence in West Berlin. Kennedy halted Soviet threats, facing down an aggressive dictator.

Donald Trump embraces dictators like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, abandoning our democratic allies. He weakens our standing as leader of free world democracies, reducing our support of NATO and the United Nations. Presidential candidate Trump voiced acceptance of Russia’s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. Not surprising, some of Ukraine’s diplomats spoke out against Trump. Ukraine’s government took no position in our 2016 presidential election. Trump and his Republican supporters are promoting the fiction that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in this election. 

This narrative was created by Russia, currently under sanctions for interfering in our 2016 election. Sanctions are hurting Russia’s economy. Putin and Russia’s oligarchs hope to have sanctions lifted by blaming Ukraine. Our entire intelligence community concluded Russia, not Ukraine, interfered in 2016. Russia has invaded Ukraine. Trump sought to withhold legally authorized military aid to Ukraine it desperately needs to fight Russia’s aggression. Trump conditioned releasing this aid on Ukraine’s president announcing an investigation into Trump’s political rival. This is bribery. 

Trump has committed impeachable acts, violating our Constitution. Patriotic Americas fought and died to protect and defend our democracy. Republicans protect and defend Donald Trump, betraying their sworn allegiance to the Constitution. Previous presidents fought dictators, Trump falls in love with them. Is King George III Trump’s role model? Is this what “Make America Great Again” means? “Do we have a monarchy or a Republic?”

Margery Abel

Franklin

To the Editor:

Did you know that 44.1 percent of children are living in poor or low-income homes in Jackson County? 

When children are living in poverty, it can affect their success in school. Research has shown that living in poverty can affect children academically, behaviorally, physically, cognitively and emotionally. This can be caused by children not getting the proper nutrition they need or from not having the same parental support at home because of parents working all the time.

Programs should be implemented to help children in poverty so that they can be successful in school. I have been in schools that have programs such as sponsorships where adults will give money to the school so that they can buy supplies for the children. There are also programs where you can donate time to go and be a mentor for a child, be someone they can talk to, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. This is one of many programs. Sometimes having someone to talk to and make connections with makes a big impact on a child’s life. 

When children are living in poverty, studies have seen that they often get less time to spend with their parents after school and work, so they are missing this connection. So, what are you doing to help children in need, whether it be donating money, time, or being an advocate for these children? There is always something that you can do. 

Lindsey Cloer

Cullowhee

Elementary Education student

William “Danny” Hyatt of Waynesville has been elected to represent his local administrative area during the Farm Service Agency’s recent county committee election. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to the winner of this year’s Facility Manager of the Year for the National Park Service’s South Atlantic Gulf Region. 

Sue Wasserman of Burnsville has been chosen as the winner of the second annual Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency, funded by the Great Smoky Mountains Association. 

By Taylor Sexton • Special to SMN | Emma Jordan lives in Hatteras, North Carolina, where she spends her days working hard, soaking in the sun’s rays, and struggling with PTSD and substance abuse.

“My whole deal was to bottle it up, leave it somewhere buried deep down inside,” Jordan said. “Somewhere you can’t think about it.” 

By Taylor Sexton • Contributing writer | I was 5 years old when I watched my father’s fist fly into the wall next to my mother’s head. I remember how the little bear figurines on the wall crashed to the floor with the shelf that held them. I remember picking up the broken pieces from the white carpet with my mother and staring into her pained, tear-stained face.

It’s one of the earliest memories I have, but I only just recently remembered it. It was locked away deep within my subconscious, so imagine my surprise when the scene popped back up 13 years later in the form of nightmares, haunting me night after night. 

Samantha Casey Green, 27, of Franklin, entered a guilty plea to one count of trafficking opiates as a result of a search of her person conducted by Macon County Probation & Parole Officers in August 2018 leading to the seizure of more than 4 grams of loosely packaged prescription pain medicines confirmed to be Oxycodone, a Schedule II Opiate under the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act. 

Jackson County Public Schools announced that Dawn Gilchrist has been selected as the Western Region Teacher of the Year. 

Dressed in a royal blue cap and gown, with a glowing Christmas tree behind her and a smile from ear to ear, Emma Hull received one of her greatest gifts of the year — new opportunity.

There will be a primary election for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 3 seat following Susan Bogardus’ decision to file as the second Democrat seeking the seat. 

A merger between Macon County-based Entegra Bank and First-Citizens Bank is moving forward, but under the condition that Entegra will sell off three of its branches in Western North Carolina.

Orchard Coffee in downtown Waynesville was recently recognized as one of “The Best Coffee Shops in America: 2019” by Food & Wine magazine. 

By Bob Clark • Guest Columnist

A 25-year-old New Zealand legislator, Chloe Swarbrick, was speaking about the environment when an older member of Parliament heckled her. Swarbrick, without missing a beat, replied:  “OK, Boomer.” (Read: Sit down and chill, Pops.). Or as a sixth-grader might say: “Nanny, nanny, boo, boo to you.” So, regardless of your age, let’s take a dive into whether “OK, Boomer” is snarky and mean-spirited or understated and on target. (Disclosure: the author was born in 1953).

To the Editor:

I recently sent this letter to Jackson County commissioners.

I am writing because I am dismayed in my daily ride to work to see what seems to be a worsening trash situation on many of the roads in Jackson County. There are two roads in particular that are troublesome with bags of trash and plastic hanging from the trees and they are U.S. 441/23 in Savannah and Greens Creek area and N.C. 107 from the CVS to WCU. I understand that in today’s political climate worrying about trash on the side of the roads is often thought of as being maybe “elitist” or out of touch — which I don’t think I am — but I see it instead as more of a practical economic issue seeing that Jackson County depends on tourism and tourist dollars. Tourists don’t want to see trash. 

As the owner of a successful Airbnb in the area, I am unfortunately on the front lines with conversations from visitors to the area who wonder aloud about how beautiful the area is if only there wasn’t trash everywhere they drive. U.S. 441/23 is one of the main roads into Jackson County, and you would know better than me in your position how many tourists enter Jackson County from this road, and aesthetically (how things look are important to tourists) it looks awful. 

Is there no way to use some of the tourist dollars that are coming into the county to rent a billboard (there is an available billboard for rent right now on U.S. 441/23) reminding people who live in the county that trashing their county hurts economically because tourists don’t spend money in areas that look like trash or visit a place a second time. Or, maybe in some people’s minds an even crazier idea, using some of the tourism money coming into the county to hire crews to clean up these roads more regularly than DOT can?

 I know the answer is often “we don’t have the money for that,” but if you are thinking more long term economically how can it not be a good return on investment if it lures more people to visit. I do what I can by stopping and picking up the trash when it is safe to do so, but there has to be a better way, especially if it negatively affects this county economically which trash is definitely now doing. 

Tim Holloran

Jackson County

To the Editor:

Fewer than 20 red wolves persist in the wild in Eastern North Carolina. Although the population has suffered continued declines in the last several years, there is hope for this struggling species.

Gov. Roy Cooper and Susi Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) expressing their full support for the red wolf. Not only did they urge USFWS to recommit to protecting the last remaining individuals, they encouraged the agency to grow the population through pup fostering and introducing new breeding pairs.

These two North Carolina leaders recognize the benefits of the red wolf. This species represents our natural heritage in the southeastern United States. And despite wide-ranging misconceptions, red wolves receive wide support. The last federal comment period for the red wolf garnered over 100,000 comments, 99.9 percent of which were pro-red wolf.

Both federal and state agencies must support the wishes of North Carolinians to protect this shy wolf. For this under-represented animal to have a chance at survival, it must be touted as a North Carolina treasure — by us and by our elected officials.

Please thank Gov. Cooper for fighting to save North Carolina’s natural heritage. Call (919.814.2000) or email (https://governor.nc.gov/contact/contact-governor-cooper). Together, we can cultivate a new era in red wolf recovery – starting now.

Christopher Lile

Waynesville

Wolf Park Programs Coordinator

To the Editor:

This Thanksgiving season I would like to recognize and thank the towns of Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Sylva and Dillsboro and Ingles Markets for providing electric vehicle chargers. Your EV chargers are great incentives for attracting EV car owners like myself to come and do business in your towns and stores while we charge our cars.  As a loyal patron, I appreciate your initiative and look forward to many more visits.  

Alan Clark

Haywood County

To the Editor:

Rachel Carson, legendary scientist and writer, made this profound statement in her 1962 classic environmental book Silent Spring: “We are accustomed to look for the gross and immediate and to ignore all else. Unless this appears promptly and in such obvious form that it cannot be ignored, we deny the existence of hazard.” This statement is referring to the hazards of exposure to chemicals used unwisely in/on our environment. 

To me, a U.S. Navy veteran, this scientific observation can certainly be applied to our current crisis with Russian election meddling. The least expensive phase of almost all crises is prevention (if prevention is at all possible). Since we did not prevent Russian meddling we have entered into the more expensive phase — minimization of damage that has already occurred. This phase is severely complicated by the fact that Donald Trump doesn’t just express doubt about the analyses of our intelligence agencies, he steadfastly denies the accuracy of them all. Sadly, he doesn’t even propose deterrence to Ukrainian meddling that he himself falsely alleges. Can you show us any patriotism in that?

Thus, Trump has failed to prevent anyone from meddling and he continues to refuse to spearhead an effort to minimize the Russian damage that has already occurred. We are, therefore, entering into the most difficult and expensive phase of our disaster-correction. 

If our democracy is to survive, we must begin vigorous operations to secure our 2020 elections. We must prevent further erosion that Trump has ignored at our peril. This Congress must awaken to the danger that Trump has created by cooperating with Vladimir Putin!

Dave Waldrop

Webster

Over the past year, 1,380 volunteers contributed more than 48,000 hours of service to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but six people and groups received special recognition with this year’s Parkway Volunteer Awards.

Landmark Learning, a nationally accredited school in Cullowhee offering certification training for outdoor recreation workers, is enrolling for a variety of courses over the coming months. 

Americana/rock act Arnold Hill will be hitting the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom in Sylva.

Acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range has reliably featured gospel songs on each of their nine albums, making them an integral part of the band’s sound and a reflection of the members’ personal faith. 

John and Landy Savage of Whittier will soon be able to move into their new home after losing their mobile home in a fire and spending the past several months living cramped in a camper, thanks to Jackson County Habitat for Humanity and local sponsors like Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. 

With funding from The Fund of Haywood County and RE/MAX Executive, an oak tree was planted and a plaque installed in the Miller Street Park in Downtown Waynesville as a memorial to Riley Howell. A dedication ceremony was held Friday, Dec. 6, at the park with remarks given by Riley’s mother Natalie Howell and Waynesville Mayor Gary Caldwell. 

With the first week of election filing in the books, voters are starting to see what their Primary Election ballots will look like when they head to the polls on March 3.

What are your thoughts about kids having chocolate milk? Doesn’t it have too much sugar?

My husband has high blood pressure so I need to find a diet for him to follow that I can also eat, and since we are on a fixed income it can’t be expensive.

To the Editor:

I am an older American and live on a fixed income. Some seniors have to choose between their medicines and putting food on the table. That isn’t right. Congress should get together to fix this and control the price of drugs. It is necessary to do and would be appreciated.

Mr. Bob Hunter

LakeJunaluska

To the Editor:

Back on Oct. 3 at WCU’s Opioid Town Hall, I found myself applauding Sen. Jim Davis, R-Macon, for his evolution from a “just say no” stance on drugs to a pro-harm reduction position. It’s nothing short of a miracle to have such a drastic change in point-of-view in such a short amount of time. I (and the senator himself) credit that miracle to the empirical evidence presented to the senator by Tessie Castillo, a harm reduction expert. Sen. Davis claims to be a data-driven person, and with Castillo’s extensive knowledge of the facts surrounding harm reduction, a thinking person would find it difficult to oppose harm reduction efforts after spending time with her. 

Where the senator does not embrace data is in championing the Death-By-Distribution (DBD) bill that went into effect Sunday, Dec. 1. Sen. Davis says he helped draft Death-By-Distribution because Bill Hollingsed came to him as Chief of Waynesville Police and said, “I’m tired of putting young people in body bags.” While that is a compelling statement from a highly-respected law enforcement officer, it is not data. The data on death-by-distribution laws is that they put more young people in body bags. The four states with the strictest death-by-distribution laws (W.V., Ohio, Ill., Penn.) have fatal opioid overdoses that continue to increase in contrast to the rest of the nation, which are finally beginning to plateau. 

With DBD now in effect, based on the data, we can fully expect the opioid overdose death rate to change in our state for the worse. There is concern also that the 2013 Good Samaritan (Good Sam) Law will be kneecapped by the DBD statute. The provisions that protect caller and overdose victim from legal repercussions in a 911 response are already largely disregarded — people who need medical treatment often find themselves handcuffed as soon as they come-to or find themselves with charges, parole violations, etc. when Good Sam protects them from such. What should be a medical issue continues to have punitive repercussions. 

So, in this marginalized population, who are already resistant to seeking medical attention when they need it, DBD will further alienate them from medical care as now an association with an overdose victim could mean a murder charge. “Don’t run, call 911,” is effectively out the window. When asked for comment on DBD’s effect on Good Sam, Sen. Davis claimed he’d made especially certain to not dilute Good Sam when authoring DBD, but when pressed to say how exactly he’d protected Good Sam, Sen. Davis replied, “I’m not a lawyer.” This answer is troublesome to folks who want to see overdose deaths decline. 

Then Sen. Davis went on to say the intention of DBD is to remove “bad players.” “Bad players” is really more accurately “desperate players” in a very not fun game of punishing people with a serious medical condition called Substance Use Disorder. And desperate players do desperate things, such as leaving their friends to die if they face the possibility of 40 years in prison for sharing drugs. That is how I lost my cousin 10 years ago, and while my initial response was anger directed at the people she was doing drugs with, that anger was misdirected. And data, cold hard facts, are what altered my view of the situation.  It would not do my heart or society any good to have the kids my cousin was partying with put in a cage, punished. Substance Use Disorder is punishment enough. The thing that will heal my heart and society is to put resources toward evidence-based solutions to support people living with Substance Use Disorder.

Jesse-lee Dunlap

North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC)

A 2,200-acre purchase in McDowell County clinches the second phase of a conservation project that is expected to protect a total 6,000 acres once completed by the end of 2021. 

Lisa McInnis will be the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s new chief of resource management and science, taking over from Jeff Troutman, who retired from the position in March. 

Robert Burton, a volunteer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was recently chosen as the grand prize winner in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 2018 Share the Experience employee photography contest. 

An anonymous donor is offering $300,000 toward repairs on the Blue Ridge Parkway — but only if other Parkway supporters match the donation by June 30, 2020. If the fundraising campaign falls short, the gift will be forfeited. 

The number of wildlife jobs relating to bat research has spiked significantly in recent years, and a mini grant from the Haywood Community College Foundation will help ensure HCC students get the training they need to enter that burgeoning field. 

The Panthertown Map Association has donated $7,500 to Friends of Panthertown.

Mercy Urgent Care will open its newest facility in Waynesville in early 2020.