Managing the visitor experience is no easy task
I’m sitting alone in the cockpit of the boat anchored at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North…
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Lessons learned from garden gnomes
The garden gnomes stared at me from our cluttered carport, dirty and bored, no blooming flowers to observe or tomato…
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Jackson commissioners’ plaque removal a mistake
To The Editor: I appreciate your straightforward and informative coverage of the removal of the plaque over Sylva Sam’s Confederate…
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As Earth Day nears, let’s talk plastic pollution
Picture this — your bottle of body wash, discarded and forgotten, now sits floating in the Pacific Ocean, mingling with…
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Stand against partisanship in schools
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote a column for this space. Instead, we’ve been fortunate enough to print…
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When it comes to libraries, let’s keep the faith
Growing up as an educator’s daughter, I spent afternoons running the halls of my mom’s school with the other teachers’…
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Lying about Social Security isn’t the answer
As an attorney, I have direct experience and the unique point of view that comes from working with the Social…
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Slow down and be more adventurous
Is it just me or, as we get older, doesn't it seem like time moves at warp speed? When I…
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Bringing it back to center, back to home
Recently I caught up with several good friends over lunch and, within 20 minutes, we divulged huge life news that…
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Library employees are a dedicated lot
When I worked at our Macon County library, I saw its many uses. Library workers are a special breed that…
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Letters reflect engaged community
In the 26 years we’ve been publishing this newspaper, I don’t think we’ve ever had the onslaught of letters to the…
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Loving the locals — then, now and always
This past weekend our family attended the 4th annual Waynesville Chili Cookoff Stroll in downtown. The event spanned the districts…
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With deep gratitude
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been blessed by the extraordinary leadership of Cassius Cash, the second-longest serving superintendent…
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Let it find us doing ordinary things
The goal of a writer is to pen words that inspire, educate or entertain, but sometimes, when the world feels…
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Sen. Tillis is kissing Trump's feet
There’s no such thing as a self-made dictator. It takes more than a village to make one. Lawmakers and judges must cooperate…
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Support shelter staff and animals in Macon County
This is my response to an article in The Franklin Press following the December 10 meeting. The actions of John…
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America’s golden age, or Gilded Age?
Did anyone else watch the inauguration? I mean, I’m sure it was the biggest, best and most-watched inauguration in the…
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Online boundaries might save our souls
During the early 2000s when I was first teaching middle school, I heard my mentor say to one of our…
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Into 2025 with a few ancient principles
Even though we’re already a couple weeks into 2025, I’m still feeling the heightened energy that surrounds a New Year.…
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Trump and the latest climate change red flag
Like a three-pack-a-day smoker who blames their chronic cough on allergies, or a recent flu shot — everything but their…
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This January 6, it’s back to the routine
It’s Jan. 6, 2025, and my mind was on established routines and rituals. The warm frenzy of the holidays is…
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Here’s to a stronger sense of community in 2025
In listening to the tributes regarding the death of President Jimmy Carter, a phrase from his inauguration speech struck a…
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Holiday china and an ode to Christmas
Several weeks ago, I read an article listing a number of holiday traditions that are disappearing, such as caroling, writing…
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A lesson in how lies lead to dangerous outcomes
Facts, once unassailable, have become, well, difficult to quantify. People make up or repeat lies, especially on social media platforms…
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GOP’s rationale for power grab just doesn’t wash
When they are challenged on their authoritarianism, North Carolina Republicans’ most frequent ploy is to retrieve grievances from decades ago.…
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Four hundred miles from home, signs of hope
Glass half full, that’s me. Lots of good folks out there doing good things. We had a couple of gentle…
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Viewing the holidays from a different lens
Like everything in life, the holiday season is about perception. On one hand, you can view it as a commercialized…
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Proposed state aid bill is an insult
The number is $53.6 billion. That’s the estimate from the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management for the damage…
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Mencken’s vision
When I asked a friend in the north of England what people there think of our recent election, he did…
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The meaningful moments that make memories
(I started writing a Thanksgiving column, paused a moment, did a Google search and realized that I had shared this…
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Beliefs about Biden/Harris just aren’t true
After reading David Lawson’s letter, “Maybe Trump’s Win Was about Policy,” I sympathize with Dr. Lawson’s desire to focus on…
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Moving away from a place of fear
The passion surrounding the 2024 election was monumental, and as I observed my fellow Americans, the overarching emotion that simmered…
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Here’s to rolling with the changes
I’m a ripened 64, and I still love real newspapers. However, my affinity for online browsing is also taking root.…
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An epic win for my beloved Dodgers
When my time comes, if there is some gathering for people to pick over my days and ways, I expect…
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Be prepared to wait before we have a president
So here we are, days away from this pivotal election, and here’s a word of advice: take a deep breath,…
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Letting go isn’t always so easy
Have you noticed how stunning the fall colors are this year? A plethora of factors affect the autumn hues, making…
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We’ll get through this, but we’ll need help
We’ve had more than a week of picture-perfect fall days, usually a part of the recipe for a busy, successful…
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Ah, Booyz, that’s good
Kind Hearts, this hurricane has made me think about water, and I can say with certainty that water once had…
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We can support WNC, albeit in different ways
When you’re a columnist for a newspaper, you don’t take the space for granted. It is a gift and an…
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We’re open, but be understanding
This is not the end of our story in Western North Carolina. Far from it. It’s an opportunity for a…
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Desecration and beauty all mixed together
Early October, and these mountains are already beginning to put on their glorious garments of autumn. A splash of red…
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In the middle of an unimaginable tragedy
It’s hard to know what to write about when my mind is swirling in so many directions, as I’m sure…
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An ultramarathon, a book, a flood and a prayer
On the weekend of Sept. 20-21, I went to the Grindstone 100-Mile Ultramarathon at Natural Chimneys Park in Virginia, where…
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Election officials prepare for new rules
Voting is going to look a bit different in North Carolina this year thanks to new partisan observers who will…
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Teaching teens in a tumultuous world
Recently I had the privilege of sitting and talking with a group of adolescents who weren’t my own children or…
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Election fraud claims are just that — a fraud
The looming 1980 presidential election was all over the news, the unpopular incumbent Jimmy Carter facing the charismatic former actor…
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Already leaning into the fall season
Once Labor Day has come and gone, I lean fully into fall. I know that technically autumn does not officially…
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He’s not gone, he’s just getting started
When I became a parent for the first time, I asked my brother what to expect. He already had two…
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How about some respect for all athletes
Editor’s note: Bob Clark coached the Tuscola boys and girls discus and shotput athletes for the past three seasons. Prior…
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MDMA will, eventually, help many with PTSD
As the executive director of the nonprofit Pearl Institute here in Waynesville, I wanted to express my gratitude to The…
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