Opinion
When history really does repeat itself
Recently someone described me as a “longtime columnist for the Smoky Mountain News,” which made me realize I’ve been sharing personal stories, revelations and anecdotes with this audience for quite a while.
To be a moderate takes real courage
One good thing about being skeptical of your own opinions is that if the wrong candidate wins you can reassure yourself by thinking that perhaps you were wrong all along and the people who voted the wrong way were right.
Change is coming, and things will change
What happens when the those with the most chips in the game only have a partial stake in it?
In other words, what does a community lose when most of the very large businesses are owned by absentee or corporate entities whose main goal is make money but have little interest in making that place a better place to live?
Sorry, fertilized eggs are not living beings
It is time to have a fact-based discussion about the biology and history of our knowledge about human reproduction. Much of the current discussion does not reflect the reality of human reproduction. Declaring a fertilized egg to be a person is ridiculous from biological, historical and religious perspectives.
Pray for the best, prepare for the worst
After what Haywood County has been through does anyone want to think about the hurricane season from June 1 to November 30? After watching my office being destroyed in 2004 along with most of Downtown Canton, I sure don’t want to be reminded. But we need to be.
Local food is the best choice
If you need a reminder of the sweet soul of humanity, visit your local farmers market on a Saturday morning.
PlottFest not just about canines
PlottFest 2024 will be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds Saturday, April 27th from 9 a.m. until 10 p..m. There are many reasons to attend. First, it’s affordable, entertaining, educational, and just plain good family fun — with something for everyone.
Single-use plastics need to be addressed
When I began my role as the French Broad Riverkeeper nearly 20 years ago, I was wide-eyed and eager. I was determined to be the person who would finally clean up the French Broad River. The river's story is similar to that of many American rivers; it was so polluted that the author Wilma Dykeman once wrote, "it was too thick to drink and too thin to plow."
The hamster wheel of human well-being
I’ve become fascinated with studies and lifestyle changes focused on longevity and biohacking. A few recent “revolutionary health and wellness suggestions” made me realize our cave dwelling ancestors already had everything figured out.