The numbers are in, and this year’s National Trails Day, organized at locations across the country by the American Hiking Society on June 4, offered more trail activities than any other year since the inaugural year 1993. 

A high-intensity meteor shower will light up the sky next week, and the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will host an observing session 10 p.m. to midnight Thursday, Aug. 11. 

The harvest is coming in, and for a contingent of growers and volunteers in Haywood County, that means gleaning season.

Kids spent a day learning about gardening and raising animals — while also enjoying swimming, fishing and hay rides — with a field trip marking the 13th year running that Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center has ventured to Selah Farm, in the White Oak community, as part of its Summer Enrichment Program. 

When Western Carolina University alumnus Greg Boothroyd of Haywood County issued a call for donations of soccer equipment for a church mission trip to Jamaica, the women’s soccer program at his alma mater answered.

The Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro was recently the recipient of two new grants, both intended to further boost the GEP’s ability to bring tangible economic benefits to members of the community.

You can get answers to that question and more first-hand information about the island nation during a symposium and art show about Cuba that will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug 4, at The Strand at 38 Main in downtown Waynesville.

The Galaxy of Stars Series, the only professional entertainment series in Jackson County, enters its 12th season this fall. It is presented by the WCU College of Fine and Performing Arts with support from the WCU Friends of the Arts organization. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

• On Friday, Feb. 24, award-winning bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will perform. Vincent was the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year winner from 2000 to 2006, along with the IBMA Entertainer of the Year in 2001. The Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America named her Entertainer of the Year from 2002 to 2006.

• The Nile Project, featuring artists from 11 countries along the Nile River, will perform on Monday, March 13. Since their debut concert, which featured a live recording of their 2013 release, ASWAN, the Nile Project has proven to be much more than a band. National Public Radio named that recording one of the five “Must Hear International Albums.”

• The series wraps up on Saturday, April 29, with Artrageous: An Interactive Art and Music Experience. Artrageous is a show where audience members participate in an experience that includes a team of artists, singers, dancers and Bunraku puppeteers.

Series subscriptions are now available at a discounted rate over individual tickets. Series subscriptions, which include all six shows, are $100 for WCU faculty/staff, $120 for adults/seniors and $45 for students/children. They can be purchased online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or by calling the box office at 828.227.2479. Individual tickets go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 16.

To the Editor:

After listening to Donald Trump’ s speech, I got the feeling that the earth was spinning out of its orbit and about to crash into the sun, and only Donald Trump could save us. According to Mr. Trump, crime is out of control, there is was a terrorist behind every building, Illegals are flooding across the border, and our very social fabric was coming apart. Only he, Donald Trump, has the secret plan to save us.

This very emotional plea for nationalism, America First, is just what many unhappy citizens what to hear. Much of what he said has no basis in fact, but a fact-based appeal was never his intent. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of problems in this country and we do live in a very dangerous world. But the picture he paints is false and the solutions to the problems we face involve more than just, “I am Donald Trump, trust me.”

For example, in 2013 the violent crime rate was the lowest since 1970. About a third of that current crime is drug related. Where is the solution to the drug problem? It’s not “law and order” and more jails. We already incarcerate more of our citizens than any other country.

Obama said illegal “immigration is lower than it’s been in 40 years.” Politifact rated this statement as MOSTLY TRUE. The fact is, illegal immigration is at a very low rate. We do not need a wall with Mexico, we need a comprehensive immigration policy. I did not hear anything about that in the speech. 

The Middle East is a mess. The always simmering Sunni-Shiite civil war was reignited by our invasion of Iraq, and now Isis poses a threat worldwide. The greatest danger we face is homegrown ISIS followers seeking a violent suicide. 

Our best defense is the Muslim community. Every one of their leaders has pledged to cooperate in rooting out these terrorists. Yet Mr. Trump wants to ban all Muslims and turn that community into the enemy. This is not a solution. It is like pouring gasoline on the fire.

Race relations feel like they are at a low ebb. But, in fact, we are far from the bad old days of the race riots of the 1960s. Still, many have never accepted the fact that Barack Obama is our President. That, together with the recent police shootings and murders of police officers, has put the country on edge. Mr. Trump has done nothing to calm this dangerous  undercurrent of hate. In fact his actions have tended to only increase it. His call for “law and order” has sent the wrong message to both sides. This does not sound like a solution .

Perhaps in the coming months Mr. Trump will propose real solutions the terrible state of affairs he sees. But, at the moment, it appears all he sees is a way to channel the anger of his followers into victory for himself. 

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor:

About those phone calls -— you know the ones I mean — an unknown person is calling, and it’s clearly a political call. Well, I’m one of those people!

Let me tell you about my calls, why I call, and what they’re about. You might want to take my calls. 

I know that many of you say you’re sick of politics so just tune out “all things political.” You only think you tune them out. There is no escape from TV ads or stuff roaring through the ozone and coming to you via the internet. Some of that information — realized or not, true or not — sticks in some back corner of your brain. 

I’m a precinct chairperson and am usually calling simply to let you know about an event or meeting that you may not have heard about or noticed in the community calendar sections of all our local news papers. Sometimes both of our local major political parties spend expensive but worthwhile, dollars on printed ads, flyers or posters. You may not have seen any of these in the media or on our internet contact lists either, so we (helpfully and hopefully) phone you to invite your attendance.  

In the first words out of my mouth I’ll tell you who I am, that I’m local, I live near you, and why I’m calling. If you don’t hang up or otherwise dismiss me, I promise you my conversation will be short and to the point.

Most of my calls are usually only to the people of my party. Closer to the election, I may call you to remind you of what our new North Carolina laws require of you so your vote will count, I’ll call you about dates, times and places for early voting. Sometimes I may even be calling some of you who are registered as unaffiliated (aka, independent) voters.  

That said, let me remind Independents that you set yourselves up to hear from both Democrats and Republicans, so you might want to rethink your registration (there’s a deadline for changing that too). We may think we have a pretty good idea of which party you favor, but we’ll hedge our bets and call you just the same.

Of course, if you really want to chat I’ll advocate for my party. That is entirely up to you. Unless I’m phone banking for a candidate (a whole other type call), my opening words are simply “Hi, I’m Shirl, and I’m your East Franklin precinct chairperson for the Democratic Party. I’m calling to let you know that we’re having an event” — a breakfast, a dinner, a BBQ, our annual precinct meeting, or a whole party gathering such as county convention or to meet a candidate. Just be nice! Listen, and say “thank you.” (I’ll bet my Republican counterpart agrees.)

It’s important to learn and know, even if you think you know it all — indeed, that is something none of us can do. That said, I’ll be calling soon!

Shirley Ches

Franklin

Naturalist Ken Czarnomski — in partnership with the the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority — has released the third installment in a series of unique local hiking guides.

After biking more than 300 miles through the Rocky Mountains, the group of five high schoolers involved in Western Carolina University’s Project Discovery program had accumulated a long list of firsts. 

Two fatalities related to waterfalls occurred in the Pisgah National Forest last week.

PEAK, which stands for “Professional Expectations, Attendance and Knowledge,” is the name of Southwestern Community College’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) — an essential element in the re-accreditation process through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Mainspring Conservation Trust will benefit from a collaboration with Lazy Hiker Brewing Company to create Needmore Ale, which will be released at 5:30 p.m. on July 28 at the brewery.

The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College in partnership with The Support Center and the Western Women’s Business Center will offer a free Hispanic Latino Business Start Up series in August.

By Christopher Holt • Special to SMN

When my plane touched down at Havana International Airport to loud applause from the passengers on board, I knew there was going to be something different about this trip.

SEE ALSO: WNC artist visits Cuba in search of its political and cultural meaning in the 21st century

You can get answers to that question and more first-hand information about the island nation during a symposium and art show about Cuba that will take place at 7 p.m. on Aug 4 at The Strand at 38 Main in downtown Waynesville.

The Mountain Layers Brewing Company has begun construction on a seven-barrel craft microbrewery and taproom located on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City.

The annual Folkmoot USA The "Official" North Carolina International Folk Festival once again has touched down in Western North Carolina.

Ingles Markets • Thursday, July 28th | 3-6pm

Ingles Markets in Weaverville, NC on Weaver Blvd. 

Meet some of our local farmers & suppliers for Ingles Markets and sample!

By David Teague • Guest Columnist

Possibly the best perspective I’ve ever read about the importance of open government, and the public records and open meetings laws related to it, came from a speech made by a North Carolina public official. Here’s an excerpt from the speech:

Students and teachers from communities around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are starting six weeks of hands-on learning and exploring alongside park rangers.

Jackson County will be displayed on national television this week with the airing of Anglers & Appetites, a show that aims to discover the best of fishing and eating in the United States.

Ongoing coverage of the 33rd year of Folkmoot — an international folk dance festival based in Waynesville. 

• Folkmoot 2016 looks at more than just the tip of the iceberg
• New music director takes over at Folkmoot
• Meet ‘Mr. Folkmoot’
• Meet this year’s performing groups
• Schedule
• GALLERY: "Wanderlust" Gala
• Ugandan group changes lives through performance
• Folkmoot dance party at Asheville’s Orange Peel gives a peek below the cultural waterline
• Sam Love Queen and the values of Folkmoot
• Folkmoot moments

The Evergreen Foundation has provided $507,995 in funding to 13 agencies providing programs and services for individuals with behavioral health, substance use and intellectual/developmental disabilities.

Inspired by the popular Haywood County Quilt Trail and the “Adopt Me” quilt block located at the Waynesville Animal Hospital, the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is now offering smaller, single replicas of the blocks for purchase. 

The documentary “The Sad & Beautiful World of Sparklehorse” will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The J. Creek Cloggers picked up wins at the Appalachian Clogging Classic at Haywood Community College and ShinDig In The Valley in Maggie Valley, placing first in both for four-or-more ‘Couple Open Hoe Down.’

The new Nutrition Facts panel will go into effect in a little over a year (July 2018).  

For the first time the Nutrition Facts will feature a line for grams of added sugar.  Foods like plain milk, whole fruits, and canned or dried beans have naturally occurring sugars, but added sugar is "...sugar or syrup that is added to foods when they are processed or prepared." 

To the Editor:

Reading two letter writers in the June 29 issue, I immediately remembered Ronald Reagan’s famous campaign retort, “There you go again.” Both letters are based on disgruntlement and emotionality rather than facts and logic.

The first writer extols Trump as a “breath of fresh air” — a blast of hot air would be a better description. The writer attacks Smoky Mountain News Editor Scott McLeod for telling the truth about “The Donald.” The writer called the truth “misguided beliefs.” 

The fact is that Trump is a liar as confirmed by the impartial organizations that document the truth or falsehoods of statements. He has more “pants on fire” comments than anyone, including Hillary. His business “success” consists of bankruptcies leaving someone else holding the bag and lawsuits averaging two a week often involving avoiding commitments.

Trump’s most recent outlandish statement was praising Saddam Hussein. That should have come as a shock for the families of the solders killed fighting his army in Iraq. You can’t really blame Trump for ridiculous statements because he does not seem to know the difference between fact and nonsense.

The second writer is all gloom and doom because we have lost our “natural rights” — cue dog whistle for old white men are not in charge. He does not list a single “right” that we have lost because there are no lost rights other than the “right” to suppress people who don’t look like us.

He goes on to assert that Rome fell because it “lost its virtues.” He should have watched the “Rise of the Barbarians” on the History channel. Rome fell because of its brutal suppression of all those who were not Roman. This is not a virtue. They used extreme reprisals for any slight, which made every people outside of and under their immediate control hate them. When their territory got too big to defend, the forces outside the empire were able to bring them down.

The reality is that America is not the gloom and doom place the Bush administration left us with in 2009 — the worst recession since the crash of 1929. More people are working and stocks are back up. It’s true the middle class has not had the same benefits as the rich because wages have been suppressed and the tax burden has been shifted from the rich to us. Nobody has taken away anyone’s gun. Not perfect, but getting better.

Norman Hoffmann

Waynesville

To the Editor:

North Carolinians know about the immediate economic fallout from HB2 — the so-called bathroom bill — as performers, businesses and governments have ruled out coming here. As a small business owner, I want to tell you how much worse the damage really is ... for all of us.

Right up until the passage of HB2 my arts-related business had been growing steadily; first quarter sales of my ceramics were up over 40 percent from last year. I planned to hire a second employee and had begun building a new studio. That came to a screeching halt in late March with the bill’s passage.

Sales for the next three months fell by 30 percent. My own state government did what a major recession, two presidential election cycles and road construction outside my shop failed to do: make me lose money. Most of my fellow small business owners report similar drop-offs.

If you don’t own a tourist- or arts-related business you may think this situation doesn’t touch you, but it does. Not only are my tax payments to North Carolina falling sharply, but my own spending is way down. I won’t be adding an employee and may curtail the second studio. I must put off buying new truck tires, will postpone dental work and have to stop dining out as much. Those businesses get hurt too. The ripple effects are catastrophic.

Gov. Pat McCrory and other state lawmakers have had many opportunities to substantially change or eliminate HB2 and they repeatedly declined. Now it’s time to put North Carolina back in business by changing our state leadership.

Michael Hofman

Hofman Studios

Asheville

Native Americans will soon be allowed to gather plants on national park land for traditional purposes following the National Park Service’s decision to modify its regulations. 

The lottery is open for permits to harvest one of Western North Carolina’s most valuable plants. 

Nature-inspired LEGO creations will add an extra incentive to hit up the N.C. Arboretum the next few months, with the exhibit — called “Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks” — featuring more than 370,000 bricks’ worth of creativity. 

A Sylva teen is preparing to prove himself on the national stage of fly-fishing after qualifying for the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team National Championship in State College, Pennsylvania. 

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will get a makeover thanks to a $250,000 grant that supporters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park landed through participation in an online voting contest. 

The Dogwood Crafters Cooperative will be celebrating 40 years of creating space for local crafters at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 16, in Dillsboro. The event will be a “Meet and Greet” informal gathering with refreshments. 

The lack of high-speed internet in Western North Carolina has been more than just an annoyance to Netflix binge-watchers — it’s also seen as one of the region’s largest economic development challenges.

Drivers who use a section of U.S. 74 in Haywood County will be taking a slightly different route starting on Monday, July 11.

An N.C. Department of Transportation contractor will close the exit ramp off U.S. 74 East at mile marker 104 as well as on the on-ramp from Business 19/23 in order to improve the area.

What would you say to people who think that dairy farmers give their cows antibiotics all the time or that antibiotics are in conventional milk?  

Bart Ramsey: I'd say they don't understand dairy farming.

To the Editor:

I recall some 65 years ago when citizens were often complaining about their governments, primarily about their inabilities to furnish all the desired benefits to these citizens. So here we are 65 years later and the complaints, it seems, have gotten more and more about more and more (benefits or goodies). With misnamed “government benefits” from one of the three governmental entities — county, state or federal — on our wish lists, the matter is simple but unappreciated. There are too many riding on the wagon and too few (taxpayers) pushing said wagon.

My observations are that our commissioners and legislators do a great job with the dollars that they have to fill the holes in the state’s dike. Neither Haywood nor the state has the monetary assets to solve each problem that wanders through the minds of our voters. It might be wise for any group seeking a substantial amount of aid for any project to be required to develop a comprehensive plan for the availability of the requested funds. 

There is no free lunch, and if you have some suggestions for resolving these issues please submit them in writing or email to our elected representatives. Or even better, sign up to run for office so that we don’t have to wait for your suggestions to wind through the system. 

How about me? I don’t think that I can get the votes after this letter, and I’m too old to put up with foolishness from the uninformed. If the shoe fits, wear it; if not, try the socialist program of tight everything, including shoes. Look around you: there are more regulations, statutes, directives, etc., than a show dog can jump over just to tell us how to brush our teeth or pull them out.

What I want to say is that things can get worse very soon, and what is complained about now will be minute compared to what’s on the way. Let’s talk about the Armed Forces; they’ve been gutted by political bungling at the highest level, as many good troops have opted out of a force that is not permitted to win without apologies. The women are now on the front lines (if there are any), and I’m confident will fight as hard as anyone to prevail. However, we’ve not witnessed body bags filled with parts of a female yet, but it’s coming.

You know, of course, that a body bag should be renamed “a body part bag.” Rough but true. After a number of years of mendacity by the Armed Forces and their civilian bosses, truth might seem a bit callous. But this country needs some truth, and a thought among many is that it’s coming.

Let’s give our elected officials our appreciation for their efforts to try to make two dollars out of one; and try to plug the holes created to a large degree by regulatory authority, without — you guessed it — the necessary financing for the mandated items.

Let’s all push the wagon. We can’t support those who can push but desire to ride. Get off and help us.

KG Watson

Maggie Valley

Visitation to Jackson County for the 2015-2016 fiscal year was the highest recorded in the four-year history of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, with occupancy tax seeing a record 9.6-percent increase for this fiscal year. 

What do dairy cows feed on?  

Bart Ramsey: They graze on grasses that we grow like ryegrass, bluegrass and fescue. In dry weather and from October to April that's not enough to provide them with the nutrients they need - they'd starve and not produce any milk if all they did was graze. We also feed them corn silage.  

Fifteen new tent sites could go in along the Appalachian Trail on its route through the Standing Indian Basin in Macon County, pending public input to the U.S. Forest Service.