Four women — Shennelle Feather, Lavita Hill, Shannon Swimmer and Venita Wolfe — were elected to a previously all-male Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal council this fall, and they’re ready to make things happen. 

To the Editor:

For nearly 100 years, the Fontana Regional Library System has reflected the traditional mountain values of literacy, truth and community responsibility. These values guided our grandparents who built the first libraries in these mountains. They guided our parents who supported them. And they guide many of us today. Yet these long-held values are now at risk. 

Force is not the same as power.  

Jesus exuded power. Nelson Mandela exuded power. Mother Theresa exuded power. Our current administration is using force, and the reason their efforts aren’t landing is because power and force are polar opposites. To truly understand this distinction will give you some hope and optimism for the future. 

To the Editor:

As I read the article about “Jexit,” I found myself wondering about the word “ideology.” In the article, proponents of taking the Jackson Country libraries out of the Fontana Regional Library system frequently used the term.

Citizens and constituents of Sylva, I’d like to offer you an apology. In fact, I owe you two.

All Sylva residents are also Jackson County constituents — Sylva is the county seat, and county-level decisions affect us directly. The Jackson County Public Library is a clear example. 

To the Editor:

I would like to speak in support of a decision from this board to remove from a library system that continues to make decisions that offer and highlight sexually based material, including sexually explicit material, for children.

To The Editor:

I am really surprised at the innocence of the letter writer in the issue of April 23-29.

FYI, I am a Caucasian, or perhaps I should say "white" for the writer's benefit. 

To the Editor:

In response to a letter from David Lawson, MD, (SMN, Feb. 26 issue) I would like to point out that even a simple Google search reveals that the writer is just another angry Republican parroting the lies that MAGA has been spewing for eight years.

During the early 2000s when I was first teaching middle school, I heard my mentor say to one of our students, “Garbage in, garbage out.” At the time, it was simply a passing comment because the teen was listening to music with foul language, but it stuck with me and often floats through my mind as I consume content or guide my children in their consumption of content.

To the Editor:  

I am still trying to figure out Dave Webster’s motive for telling your readers about his personal journey and I would like to know what his comments have to do with the First Amendment.