A slide on the westbound side of U.S. 74 on Sunday morning in Jackson County temporarily diverted traffic just west of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Cleaning a rockslide on Interstate 40 near the Tennessee State lane will require the N.C. Department of Transportation to keep the interstate closed about one week for the safety of contract workers and those who would be driving in the area.

To the Editor

The socialists are coming, the socialists are coming! Hide your cows and pickup trucks! The green new deal promises to end life as we know it. Karl Marx is on the 2020 ballot!

OK, that was a little over the top, but not by much. If you listen to Fox News and President Trump you would think that the party that brought you Social Security, Medicare, child labor laws and food stamps is about to endorse a Venezuela style government. It is not. Many candidates are having  an honest debate about how to invigorate the middle class, provide affordable health care, and the help the working poor share in the prosperity currently enjoyed by “people of wealth.”

This country was founded on capitalist principles, but as they say, moderation in all things. Pure capitalism, an oligarchy, is where a few wealthy businessmen control all the levers of power. Think Russia. Pure socialism or communism is where the government controls all the levers of power. Think China. Both countries are dictatorships, supported by wealthy elites, who brutality suppress democratic ideals.

As a democracy the United States has always looked for ways to improve the living standards of the majority of our citizens: Social Security, to help the elderly; Medicare to help the sick; child labor laws to protect the children; food stamps to help the hungry. All these social programs are now woven into the fabric of our lives. But the world is changing and we face new challenges to our way of life.

How do we provide quality health care to all our citizens? How do we prepare for the changes to our climate? How do we prepare for a world where more and more work is done by robots? How do we close the wealth gap to stabilize our economy? All these question and many more must be answered. All will require programs agreed to by a democratic society.

Calling anyone who is trying to answer these question a “socialist” is a way to ignore the questions. It sounds to me like those now in power like things just the way they are, and calling people names is a good way to change the subject.

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor

Cory Vaillancourt created a powerful, informative and moving piece of journalism (“Face to face: local homeless remain elusive”) which touched me as a former features journalist, columnist and creative writing teacher.

Diving into this elusive fringe, often forgotten sub-society living in our midst, Cory put flesh on the bones and brought to life issues that must be dealt with.

Thank you for superlative news reporting and for piercing this dark blot on society and offering hope for future success in conquering the mountain of problems.

Carol McCrite

Whittier

To the Editor

I am not stupid and neither are most people I know. However, numerous politicians, pundits and officials seem to think we are. 

The Green New Deal created and detailed by a New York district Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a congresswomen in office a little over one month, is an attempt to fundamentally change our culture, economy and way of life in the name of the supposedly deteriorating environment due to carbon emissions. The plan calls for ending use of oil and natural gas for any applications and to substitute solar and wind power, converting all transportation, businesses, homes and buildings to meet those requirements. 

As a bonus, the Green New Deal allows government to fund and control health, education, industry and welfare for those unable or unwilling to work with a 70 percent tax rate collected by the federal government from those workers willing to work. 

Ordinarily such nonsense would be the laughing stock, but not so now. At Ocasio-Cortez’s announcement Democrats lined up behind her grinning and nodding their heads, “yes.” Any time in Congress or anywhere spent debating this baloney is what is stupid, not those of us who see this as balderdash.

It is also not stupid to support a border wall to stop millions of migrants marching thousands of miles to bust over our border into our country. These migrants are illegals seeking unlawful entry into our country utilizing a bogus statement of asylum. Criticizers of a border wall say we are a country of immigrants. That is true; however, immigrants who came to this country in the early 1900s who helped build this country came in legally, were vetted and turned away if unhealthy or with no local support. Since then immigrants have waited in line for years to enter legally. 

What we have today is an invasion of lawless individuals including those who are criminals, drug carriers and human traffickers. Stupid is to deny this condition is a national emergency and to limit any and every method — walls, drones, electronics, troops and  border patrol — to curb this assault and criminal elements. Politicians are forewarned that the American people are not stupid.

Carol Adams

Glenville

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will be starting craft therapy. This get-together will be the first Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will take place in the Atrium at the library.

In partnership with the Appalachian Women’s Museum and the Jackson County Public Library, Western Carolina University’s LIVLAB Artist Collective will be hosting two town hall meetings to gather local stories of women who have built, nurtured and sustained local communities and the region.

A pavement preservation project is underway on Little River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, expected to result in weekday, single-lane closures and traffic delays there for much of the year. 

A relay race set to debut this year will offer teams of four the challenge of traveling from Asheville to Cherokee over the course of a single day — Saturday, Nov. 2. 

In the midst of an exceptionally warm, dry winter, a wildfire erupted on Mount Lyn Lowry. About 170 acres when first reported to 911 at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, within two days the fire had destroyed roughly 60 homes and ballooned to an estimated 2,500 acres — and growing. 

Muddy Sneakers, an outdoor science education program based in Brevard, recently won two awards in a Blue Ridge Outdoors voting contest. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park set a new visitation record for 2018, welcoming 11.4 million visitors to its 816 square miles last year. 

A $1 million grant will allow the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville to expand its innovative K-12 science education programs to all 100 North Carolina counties. 

1678 Brown Ave., Waynesville. Thursday, March 7 • 3-6 p.m.

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist

The North Carolina General Assembly is where good bills go to die. So it is a sign of progress when one of them gets so much as a hearing. That’s why it made news when House Speaker Tim Moore said that there will be one for House Bill 69, to establish a nonpartisan redistricting commission. 

To the Editor:

As the undeniable scientific evidence of climate change and its causes and consequences mount, it is unfortunate that extremist conservatives denounce any mention of a proposed Green New Deal. New leadership and a common national purpose that can rise to this great challenge are needed. The president and Republicans are failing us.

 When Franklin Delano Roosevelt assumed the presidency in 1933 the country faced a crisis that is hard to fathom today. My grandparents never forgot it nor did their children. One quarter of the country was unemployed, there was no social safety net  —no Social Security, no Medicare, no Medicaid, few agencies to regulate banking, commerce or public health. The Dust Bowl was destroying the “bread basket of the world.” Many were hungry and afraid. Fascism was on the rise. Totalitarianism appeared to be an attractive alternative to capitalism and democracy. It was a global crisis of unprecedented proportions. 

In spite of the daunting challenges FDR had unwavering confidence in the American people and in himself. The New Deal, while not perfect, saved the country and placed the United States in a position to help save the world from tyranny.

Roosevelt, crippled by polio, did it all from a wheelchair. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself” he confidently reassured the American people. Quite a contrast to the current state of leadership in the country.

Conservatives fought President Roosevelt every step of the way, accusing him of socialist policies, communism and worse. They included his wife, Eleanor, in their criticism, an important American herself and our greatest First Lady. Even today, strong women pose a threat to some of our male politicians. The same fear mongering will be used against a proposed Green New Deal.  

Bold action and leadership with great vision will be needed. Many will cry hoax and scream that it’s all a socialist takeover.  Absurd. We must come together. As Lincoln foresaw, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The crisis is upon us and it’s not going away. Citizens of all political persuasions ought to able to rally around sustainable solutions to a national and global crisis. The social, economic and environmental benefits could be tremendous.

“Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men.” – FDR

Jeff White

Waynesville

Five local farms are among the 39 businesses awarded a total of $216,000 in this year’s WNC Agricultural Options grant program. 

The U.S. Senate voted Feb. 12 to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an important funding source for conservation projects nationwide. 

A recent 1,500 acre land purchase by the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and North Carolina State Parks marked acquisition of the first chunk of the new Bobs Creek State Natural Area in southeastern McDowell County. 

Donations are wanted to help create a display set for the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians and Appalachian River Aquarium in Bryson City to be used at events and trade shows. 

The Shelton House in Waynesville is proud to announce that it has been awarded an anchor position on the new Blue Ridge Craft Trails. 

To the Editor:

When it comes to health insurance, North Carolina has the sixth largest uninsured population in the nation. One in five Jackson County residents under the age of 65 is uninsured, nearly twice the state average.

Who would benefit directly from Medicaid expansion? People who work one or even two jobs but don’t make enough money to afford health care or qualify for Medicaid under North Carolina’s eligibility rules; or earn too little to purchase coverage plans using subsidies from the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). That would include at least 2,488 people in Jackson County, 2,549 in Haywood, and 833 in Swain. In North Carolina, half a million people!

More than 40 percent of N.C. residents have annual incomes below $17,236 for a single household or $29,435 for a family of three. By expanding Medicaid, our communities could bring health benefits to fast food and restaurant employees, retail workers, cleaning and maintenance workers, production workers, construction laborers, veterans, our friends, our neighbors, ourselves.

 Passing CLEAN Medicaid expansion legislation, a plan currently being considered in Raleigh (HB5 and SB3), would not only help those who are currently uninsured, it would strengthen our communities through better health care. For example, Medicaid expansion would help fight the opioid crisis by expanding and/or maintaining access to addiction treatment. North Carolina had the second highest increase in overdose deaths in the country in 2017. And our rural hospitals would get a financial boost. Five rural hospitals have recently shuttered their doors and eight more are at risk of financial distress.

 New businesses would become more interested in investing in our communities. Estimates tell us that Medicaid expansion could create 305 jobs, bring in $103 million in business activity and $668,000 in new tax revenue for Jackson County. In Haywood it could create 115 jobs, $55 million in new business activity and $767,000 in new tax revenue. In Swain it could create 833 new jobs, $11 million in new business activity and $61,000 in new tax revenue.

 Ninety percent of the funding for expansion would come from taxes we have to pay to the government. The cost of expansion would almost immediately be recouped by the jobs produced, by decreasing uncompensated costs to hospital emergency rooms, and by increased business activity and tax revenue. We could lower costs even more and help more people if we also reduce unnecessary administrative hurdles such as excessive reporting requirements by passing the CLEAN Medicaid Expansion bill.

Join in

Please join DownHome NC of Jackson County and Indivisible Common Ground WNC at a nonpartisan rally to support CLEAN Medicaid Expansion on Febgruary 14 at 4:30 p.m. at 500 Mill St  in Sylva. Additional information may be found at www.ncjustice.org.

Joan Parks

Whittier

To the Editor:

I am opening The American Museum of the House Cat at a new location in April. I want to make this a landmark that will continue to bring the people who like cats to visit Sylva and the surrounding area. Since the museum opened in 2017, more than 12.000 people have visited. I have a person who has asked if I will be open in June. She is coming to the area from Amsterdam. The museum has become a place of interest to the world. 

Together we can make it even better. There is a lot of open space at the new location. I’d like to offer this space to artists who will put something there that relates to the cat. It could be a sculpture, a painting on the outside wall of the museum. Anything that would cause “cat people” and any others who are interested and are driving along U.S. 441 to stop.

Once they visit the museum, we will urge and direct them to other attractions. We could use help inside the museum too. I am enlarging the mock carousel that we have. It carries eight antique carved carousel cats. These will be placed in a circle under a carousel top, which will have eight rounding boards. These are about four feet long and two feet high. Each has a 16-by-20-inch frame in the middle.

I want to put paintings in each that will depict scenery and other attractions in our area. This would include: the courthouse, the Smokey Mountain Railroad, the Blue Ridge Parkway, local waterfalls, and anything else. I want local artists to paint these. I have matching frames. These will inform and attract interest. I could use a carpenter to help me built the carousel itself. There are others needs. Just ask what you can do to help promote northern Jackson County. 

Are you interested? Want to display your art? Contact me by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828 476 9376. 

Harold Sims

Cullowhee

The Dogwood Alliance released a new video series on wetlands for World Wetlands Day, which was Feb. 2. 

The city of Pigeon Forge is gaining national attention for its work to safeguard the community against wildfires, having recently received the Wildfire Mitigation Award — the highest honor a community can get for outstanding work in wildfire risk reduction. 

Haywood Community College President Dr. Barbara Parker announced her intent to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2019, at the college board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Haywood County Schools officials at Canton Middle School learned that a threatening message (bomb threat) was written on a restroom wall at school.

Haywood Community College President Dr. Barbara Parker announced her intent to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2019, at the college board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

To the Editor:

Safe roads. Safe airports. Safe air travel. Clean water. Clean air. Safe streets. Consumer protection. Safe waste management. Clean, affordable energy. Qualified medical care. Protection from objects flying through space. Safety regarding natural disasters. Military protection from attack. Free/affordable public education for all. Individual rights. Social Security. Medicare.

The above is a partial list of benefits of working together through taxation to provide for all American citizens. Some lament these as a form of socialism. Socialism is defined as: “any of various theories or systems of the ownership and operation of the means of production and distribution by society or the community rather than by private individuals, with all members of society or the community sharing in the work and the products.” However, most Americans recognize that private enterprise is alive and well in America, co-existing harmoniously with “socialism” for the betterment of us all.

What is currently a threat to our democracy, however, is a form of fascism that is growing much like kudzu. Kudzu grows almost a foot per day in the southeastern United States. In its native Asian environment it hardly grows larger than a sweet potato plant. Fascism is defined as: “a system of government characterized by rigid one party dictatorship, forcible suppression of opposition, private economic enterprise under centralized government control, belligerent nationalism, racism, and militarism, etc.” 

Most Americans have little awareness of a plot by wealthy, prominent Americans to render President Franklin D. Roosevelt helpless while secretly installing a fascist government in America during the early 1930s. For a clear picture of this sinister plot let me recommend a book written by Jules Archer entitled “The Plot to Seize the White House.” After you have studied Archer’s account of events ,decide whether you prefer a democracy with a pinch of socialism like we already have or a fascist regime run by the wealthy and privileged class of people who have been working systematically for years to quietly set up their regime. Fascism and democracy cannot co-exist. 

You might want to ask yourself if you would be on the inside or the outside  of a fascist regime managed by the super- rich. 

Will our democracy survive? Some say freedom is not free. We must pay for it partly by paying attention to the political moves being made around and to us every day by those who want even more money and more power than they currently possess.

Dave Waldrop

Webster

To the Editor:

The “Meadows stands for national security” letter written by Ted Carr clearly linked the word “resist” with Democrats. So, I want to refresh Mr. Carr’s memory about Republican resistance/obstructionism which was, at times, “unprecedented” during Obama’s presidency.

Remember these words in 2010 by then Speaker of the House John Boehner regarding Obama’s agenda: “We’re going to do everything … to kill it, stop it, slow it down, whatever we can.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell then followed up with his plan of action by saying, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” 

As for Rep. Mark Meadows … I view him as the face of resistance in the U.S. House. He’s widely recognized as the architect of the 2013 government shutdown and he recently advised Donald Trump “now is the time to fight” for his  border wall funding, which ultimately led to a historic 35 day shutdown. 

To add insult to injury, Meadows told furloughed federal workers that a shutdown comes with the territory — “it’s part of what they signed up for in a public service job,” he said.

On Jan. 30 Meadows led the floor debate to defeat a bill that would prevent future shutdowns. In a recent Washington Post column, the reporter suggests that Meadows’ power role in the new Congress will be “outside agitator” (to Trump), just like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh.

While Mr. Carr urged Meadows and Trump to work to achieve bipartisan solution to the shutdown, Meadows’ doesn’t appear to be headed in that direction. He indicated to the Washington Post reporter that over the past few months he’s been developing a new playbook and his final words regarding his tactics were: “Best done stealthily.”

Stealthily is defined as operating “in a cautious and surreptitious manner, so as not to be seen or heard.” Sorry, Mr. Carr, but it doesn’t sound as though Meadows is going to take your advice. It sounds more like “resistance” to me! 

Myrna Campbell

Waynesville

A trap-and-release effort based in North Carolina is helping to boost wild turkey populations in Texas. 

Three water champions were recognized for their work to improve Haywood County’s rivers, streams and reservoirs during 2018 at Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership dinner last month.

The federal government shutdown created some delays in getting applications processed for the Agriculture Disaster Relief Program of 2018, but the first two rounds of checks from the $240 million program have now been sent. 

Macon County Commissioners Jim Tate and Ronnie Beale and County Manager Derek Roland recently joined voting delegates from counties throughout the state to determine the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ legislative priorities for the 2019-20 biennium session of the North Carolina General Assembly. 

HCA Healthcare, a leading healthcare provider with 185 hospitals and approximately 1,800 sites of care in 21 states and the United Kingdom, today announced it has completed the purchase of Mission Health, a six-hospital system in Asheville and Western North Carolina, for approximately $1.5 billion.  

201 Barber Blvd, Waynesville. Thursday, February 7, 3-6 p.m.

To the Editor:

In last week’s guest opinion column, Isaac Herrin invited us to think rationally about the government shutdown and the President’s wall. OK, challenge accepted. And what better things to ponder than the President’s own words. Let’s take a look at those, then come to rational conclusions, shall we?

Regarding Trump’s border wall, Mr. Herrin states “what he is fighting for is exactly what he campaigned on,” yet he doesn’t state exactly what Trump’s campaign promise was. We’ll let candidate Trump speak for himself. From a campaign memo, April 2016, “It’s an easy decision for Mexico: make a one-time payment of $5 to $10 billion.” From a campaign rally, April 2016, Trump: “Who’s going to pay for the wall?” crowd: “Mexico!” Trump: “A hundred percent!”  

Rational conclusion: the President should not be demanding that we and future generations pay billions of dollars for his wall when he repeatedly said during his campaign that Mexico will pay for it.

Mr. Herrin states “Democrats are unwilling to sit down with the President to discuss border security” yet he offers no proof of that. On January 10, Congressional Democrats did indeed sit down with the President for the sole purpose of discussing the shutdown and border security, but the President chose to walk out abruptly. Although there are differing accounts of exactly how the President left the meeting, no one, not even the President, disputes that he did leave on his own accord.  

Trump’s Twitter words about his departure: “I said bye-bye” (the equivalent of a six-year-old taking his ball and going home just because he isn’t winning the game). Rational conclusion: it is not Democrats who are unwilling to sit down and talk about border security.

In his last sentence, Mr. Herrin blames Democrats for the shutdown yet he doesn’t offer even as much as a suggestion as to how he came to that conclusion. In a televised meeting with Congressional Democrats on December 11, the President said “I am proud to shut down the government ... I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it.” Rational conclusion: the President alone owns the shutdown. 

Although the word “rational” is a part of the word “rationalizing,” the two words can have nearly opposite meanings. Rationalizing can mean using plausible but untrue reasons in an attempt to justify a false conclusion. In that sense of the word, Mr. Herrin did a bang up job of rationalizing, but if he has any real interest in the truly rational, he will start listening to the words that come from the person he seems so desperate to defend.

Bruce Buchanan

Sylva

To the Editor:

Cannot the “Resisters of the Wall” and Democrats who suggest we don’t need a wall because it’s possible to build a tunnel or ladder understand that deterring illegal immigrants at a barrier with good roads to speed interception would allow more patrol and money for drug detection a  ports of entry where allegedly most contraband enters? If Israel can detect tunnels 180-feet deep, so also could the United States. 

I strongly support President Trump and Congressman Mark Meadow during the government shutdown tied to their border security plan for the protection of our citizens country and sovereignty.

If Meadows/Trump started a legitimate fund that would go to a physical barrier, etc., there are multitudes that would donate. I have little confidence in these unknown “go fund me sites.” That along with a little over $5 billion of our taxes would greatly enhance our security.

I also point out that in 2013 Senate Democrats almost unanimously supported a bill that funded 350 miles of border wall. The $5.7 billion only funds about 240 miles. They supported a bill funding 350 miles and now shut the government down over 240. This seems not a display of wisdom but of hateful ignorance. 

Sue Long

Waynesville

To the Editor:

For the last 19 years I’ve been reading (frequently) how semi-trucks are a hazard on Highlands Road between Highlands and Franklin. Like other persistent knotty problems (drug use, drunk driving, various criminal activities and the like), why is everything so complicated? It ain’t rocket science, why is it made to seem so?

The reason these problems exist and persist is there’s insufficient deterrents. And yes, “stricter law enforcement” (as stated in the January 16 Smoky Mountain News article) is the solution to keeping tractor trailers off Highlands Road.

A few signs cannot be that expensive. But of course it helps if they’re the right signs. For example: “Tractor Trailers Prohibited, Fine (first offense) $1,000, (second offense) $5,000 plus 30 days in jail, last available turn-around, 500 feet.”

Write, and enforce, laws similar to these I have suggested and one hazard will be eliminated...

David L. Snell 

Franklin

According to the District Attorney's Office, it’s gotten quieter in the Dutch Cove community near Canton since Matthew Dillon Smathers, 34, was recently sentenced to 86 to 134 months in prison by Judge Alan Thornburg in Haywood County Superior Court. 

The Junaluska Sanitary District experienced a discharge of untreated sewage from a blockage in a manhole due to mop heads, rags and towels.