The Haywood County Public Library recently unveiled a memorial to Fred Chappell at its Canton branch, which honors his literary achievements and dedication to teaching creative writing. 

Let's be clear. No one is “attacking” libraries because we all support the basic function of a true library which Webster's Dictionary defines as “a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (such as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale.” To spread disinformation that people are “attacking” the library we love is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I think some people are just mad that the light has been shined under the bed at the problems.  

Often, I hear terms like “buy local” and “eat local foods”. But what does “local” mean? There is no legal definition of “local”, and it may depend on who is using this term and their personal opinion of what “local” means. 

This past weekend our family attended the 4th annual Waynesville Chili Cookoff Stroll in downtown. The event spanned the districts of Main Street, Frog Level and Haywood Street and lasted from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

“Affrilachia: Testimonies,” by Chris Aluka Berry sets out to document the Black experience in Appalachia. The book is a historical artifact that honors, represents and celebrates a diverse community whose own history is the history of Appalachia, and whose existence has shaped the region. 

It’s great to look for items at Ingles Markets from our local farmers and food makers, whether it’s a crunchy apple from Hendersonville or Waynesville, Sunburst trout from Haywood County, local milk from Milkco (supplied by local dairy farmers) or Big Bottom Milk company, an ice cream sandwich from Sunshine Sammie’s or a delicious popcorn mix from Poppy’s popcorn.

Did you know that every Saturday morning at 8am you can listen to the "Ingles Information Aisle" on News Radio 570am (part of the iheart radio network)? On this 30-minute show I do interviews with local food makers, farmers, our Ingles Table contributors and more. 

Sometimes when we talk about “local foods” we tend to think only of seasonal fruits and vegetables, but it’s great to know that you can support local farmers and food makers throughout the year.

So here we are, days away from this pivotal election, and here’s a word of advice: take a deep breath, relax, and let the system play out as it’s intended, because we won’t know who our next president is until days after Nov. 5. 

Celebrate the change of seasons with your friends and neighbors at a farm-to-table dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.