HandMade in America has spent the past year assessing how to make Bryson City a better place to live, and now the Swain County Chamber of Commerce is calling on citizens to help make their recommendations a reality.

The final results of the study will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, at the Swain County Senior Center.

There are 49 pages of recommendations in the report, which works out to about a dozen projects, said Karen Wilmot, executive director of the chamber. They range from getting wayfaring signs leading to local attractions, Wilmot’s pet project, to historical designations for local buildings and sprucing up the parking lot adjacent to the old courthouse. For that final project, an architect has already drawn up an improvement and landscaping plan, pro bono.

Wilmot said that steering committee members will take charge of one project, but they need residents to really make the projects happen. The executive committee, said Wilmot, is only driving the bus.

At the meeting, residents can learn more about the projects, the report and the next step in the process. For more information, call 828.488.3681 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..