The Blue Ridge Parkway will resurface more than 100 miles of its 469-mile length this year. 

A new online activity program from the Kids in Parks program aims to keep kids connected to nature while earning prizes during the COVID-19 closures. 

Grants and loans to help small and mid-scale farmers in Western North Carolina navigate the COVID-19 crisis are now available from EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems, an initiative of the Center of Environmental Farming Systems. 

Suzanne Klimek has been named the new president of Haywood Waterways Association. 

By Nick Breedlove • Guest Columnist | Every May we commemorate National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) to celebrate the value travel holds for our economy, businesses, and personal wellbeing. This year’s NTTW theme is “Spirit of Travel.” As we look at the recent events and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and how it has forever altered communities and lives around the world, it proves difficult to celebrate anything at the moment. However, now more than ever is the time for us to band together in support of the industry that offers so much hope, joy, and inspiration. 

To the Editor:

In his book, FantasyLand: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History, Kurt Andersen discusses the “strange, post-factual, fake news moment we’re all living through” and how it is not new and has been with us since those trials in Salem.

Fantasy was readily apparent at the May 4 Haywood County Commission meeting during the public comment period on re-opening Haywood County. Speakers ranged from the sincere business owner from Maggie Valley to the DDs (Data Deniers) from around the county, who were often anecdotal and inaccurate in their statements. While not speaking, several were “Amening” others making inaccurate statements. While sitting near the rear, I observed the assorted head shaking and tut-tutting from the DDs, as well as muted outbursts as health officials made their presentations( including one off-color name calling by one of the public comment speakers). Since they chose to whisper back and forth (six feet apart and maskless), I heard a number of factually incorrect statements as well as insults directed at the health department speakers.

I am a firm believer in Daniel Moynihan’s quote, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just not their own facts.”

Finally, for those of us who stayed for the entire meeting (the re-opening proclamation was the next to last item), we were able to hear the opinions of the board members on the upcoming vote. I found them reasoned and respectful of all citizens. I also noted that only the sincere business owner from Maggie Valley stayed until the vote. The DDs made their speeches, scoffed at the health officials and departed before the discussion of the proclamation. It would probably have conflicted with their “narrative.”

Richard Gould

Waynesville

To the Editor:

About 58,000 American men and women died in the Vietnam war over a period of 20 years. By the time you read this well over 50,000 Americans will have died of the Covid 19 in a period of less than four months. As a result, the American economy is in freefall. In this time of unprecedented crisis, we need great leadership. Where is our Churchill, FDR, or even Ronald Reagan?  

To lead a country in a time of crisis a leader must unify its citizens. From the day of his inauguration, President Trump has made it clear that if you did not vote for him he is not your president. 

To rally a country to do the hard things necessary to overcome a crisis you must tell them the truth. Even President Trump’s most ardent supporters know you cannot trust what he says. The virus is just a Democratic hoax, it will magically go away, it will be gone by April, are just few of the daily lies coming from the White House. 

To lead a county in a crisis the leader must lead. He must take charge of the reins of government, set clear and consistent goals, and explain how we as a country will achieve them. When asked about testing for the virus, the key to any reopening of the economy he said, “I take no responsibility at all” for the lack of coronavirus testing? And he stated the federal government is just a “backup” to the states. 

When some Governors said that they would decide when to reopen their economies, President Trump said “I have the ultimate authority” “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total ... The governors know that ... [They] can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.” A few days later he said that the governors would have to decide for themselves when to open their states for business.

When confronted with the science that the virus would be back next fall and coincide with the flu season, he directly contradicted the head of the CDC. Within minutes he was corrected on live TV by Dr. Fauci, who agreed with the head of the CDC. From one day to the next the only plan we see coming from the White House is to dominate the daily news cycle.

I am proud and grateful to live in Macon County. So far we have seen little of the sickness and death from Covid-19. Our leadership From Mayor Bob Scott of Franklin and other county leaders has unified the county and given us hope we can all come through this together and open up soon. That is real leadership.

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor:

According to White House staff, since this past January Trump blew off — refused to read, as always — daily briefings in print. He even refused to hear the spoken summaries of  daily briefings that his staff tried to give him. He’s done the same throughout his occupation of the White House. 

But this was far worse because his negligence means people in America are dying: the January 2019 and beyond briefings included dire warnings that the President must take action to avoid a pandemic of COVID-19 in the USA. 

If someone you love dearly dies, thank the president and his enablers. 

Mary Jane Curry

Haywood County

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 12:06 a.m. Monday, May 4, regarding suspicious activity at the entrance to the Shadow Woods subdivision located on Ratcliff Cove Road.  

By Tom Fielder, AVL Watchdog

Republican congressional-candidate Lynda Bennett, who hopes to win the District 11 seat recently vacated by her political patron Mark Meadows, is calling for an immediate end to North Carolina’s stay-home order, calling pandemic restrictions an infringement “on our rights and freedom.”

Haywood County Public Health received notice May 1 that a 17th Haywood County resident has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The individual is in isolation. 

Trooper Erica Bass has been with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol since 2008; 10 of those years have been here in Haywood County.

Sherry Green and Jamie Hawkins have worked for A Better Clean as contractors cleaning the campuses of Haywood Community College for the past few months. Little did they know when they started this job back in early winter that they would be tasked with the role of keeping things clean around the county’s emergency operations center also.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park plans to reopen many of its roads and trails beginning Saturday, May 9. Campgrounds, picnic pavilions, visitor centers and many secondary roads will remain closed during the first reopening phase, which is expected to last for at least two weeks.

Nantahala Health Foundation has launched a COVID-19 Impact Recovery Fund to match charitable donations dollar for dollar up to $100,000 and better position itself to bring organizations together to prepare for a post-COVID future.

With hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed residents in the state, people are facing the loss of benefits usually provided by their employers. Blue Ridge Health has offered universal access to comprehensive care for everyone in Western North Carolina for over 55 years. For anybody with or without insurance, there is an option for medical, dental, behavioral health, discount pharmacy and more.

As the nation continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, CVS Health announced that MinuteClinic, the company's retail medical clinic, is now offering expanded telehealth options to help patients access safe, affordable and convenient non-emergency care.

Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that it is taking the appropriate steps to safely resume some elective and non-urgent surgeries and procedures that were previously rescheduled out of an abundance of caution amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Macon County Public Health received notice on Wednesday, April 29, that a third Macon County resident has tested positive for COVID–19.

Haywood County Health Department has reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning. 

Hass avocados (sometimes known as “SlimCados”) are typically grown in Florida and have a light green skin. They are larger in size and slightly lower in fat(per serving) than the smaller, dark green avocados with the pebbly skin that are usually from California or Mexico. 

By Catherine Sawyer • Guest Columnist | When I think of the stereotypes against Appalachia, what comes to mind is what popular culture has had to say about Appalachian people. The mockery, generalization, and misunderstanding that Hollywood has been producing for generations is the most glaring. I also think of the lesser known impacts of the stereotypes, such as the way the government and our fellow Americans treat the area. I’ve said before that growing up here, in a small town as widely known and simultaneously forgotten as Bryson City, was somewhat like growing up in a novelty store. “One of the cutest small towns in the country,” they boast. “Rated top in the nation for small town living” is displayed across the covers of national travel magazines. 

To the Editor:

In spite of the Trump administration’s current litigations to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s a very good thing that the legislation is still in place during this time of record breaking job losses. 

Why is the ACA (termed “Obamacare” by GOP critics) so important right now?  Because of the following special provision:   

“If you have just left your job for any reason and lost your job-based health coverage, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. This means you can enroll in a Marketplace insurance plan any time of year. You usually have 60 days from the day you lose your coverage to enroll.

News flash: Displaced workers who had employer paid insurance thankfully don’t have to rely on the Trump administration to reopen the enrollment period. That’s good because Trump is refusing to do so.

Displaced workers who lost their coverage can call Mountain Projects to seek enrollment assistance from a Certified Application Counselor or pursue Marketplace enrollment at www.healthcare.gov.

The counselors report they are getting lots of calls.

Another option: Check with a private agency that carries other insurance (car, homeowners, etc), to see if they carry Marketplace plans — some do.

Passed without any Republican support in March 2010, the ACA has survived approximately 70 Republican-led attempts to repeal, modify or otherwise curb the bill’s content. Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly support it and have fortunately been able to prevail in the voting to prevent repeal.

While the Republican lawmakers referred to their actions as “repeal and replace,” they never produced a replacement plan.

The full name of the bill passed in 2010 is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The inclusion of the Special Enrollment Period in the legislation focuses on one of the guiding principles of the Democratic Party:  protecting workers. 

While Democratic lawmakers could not have foreseen the current health care crisis when they crafted the ACA legislation, the Special Enrollment Period was a key component and it may save lives now. We should all be thankful the bill is still intact. 

Myrna Campbell

Waynesville 

To the Editor:

One of my favorite books is the King James Bible (1611). Excellent advice. In the 1950s, my mother took us to the nearest Baptist church regularly, Sunday School and Bible study. She had great respect for Billy Graham. Too bad he didn’t have a son who would continue his Christian ministry. Franklin has clearly chosen politics. In the sixties, while in the U.S. Navy, I began to wonder: Is the creation story true? Still, I turned to the Bible for guidance and philosophy.

Church attendance has plummeted, though, during my lifetime. Religion seems to be less relevant to many Americans. Is that true for Christianity as a belief? In the seventies legendary singer Johnny Cash sang, “What is truth?” In the nineties Counting Crows sang of “… the crumbling difference between wrong and right.” Are these songs reflective of the drop in church attendance? Are they signs of a broader societal concern for morality in general?

Now, in 2020, Donald Trump, the President of the United State, is widely regarded as the world’s biggest liar. Lying is a violation of the Ninth Commandment (Exodus 20:16). Mark Twain’s fictional character Huckleberry Finn is a distant second. Sadly, Trump is real rather than merely a fictional character. Trump may also be world champion in another vice. Proverbs 3: 27 states, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” Marvelous human relations wisdom. Has Trump never read Proverbs? Does he merely refuse to follow sage advice?

Trump was one of the “fortunate sons” that Credence Clearwater Revival sang about in the seventies. He avoided military service during the Vietnam War. Billionaire father. “Bone spurs” in his feet. Still, he belittled American war hero John McCain who spent nearly six years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Between now and Nov. 3, veterans as well as active service members need to ask themselves this question: Since Donald Trump chooses to lie to us and belittle us, is he worthy of the title commander-in-chief? In my book, he is not.

Dave Waldrop

Webster

To the Editor:

Enough is enough. How much longer are Americans willing to tolerate this sad excuse of a president? Anyone in their right mind can clearly see that we are not being led by a sane man. His constant attacks on the reporters trying to get information and his daily lies to us are beyond belief. 

As I write or vent this opinion tonight, I’ve just learned that he now insists on his name being printed on the stimulus checks. Really? It’s not his money! Millions of Americans are out of work with no health insurance, no savings and no clue what the future holds. So, let’s slow these payments down even more to feed his megalomaniac personality? 

This man has proven over and over and over again that he is incompatible with anything resembling intelligence. But he does own a well-documented record of criminal wrongdoing, with many still under investigation yet currently lost in the media shuffle. Most of his cronies are in prison or jail. 

A businessman? Ha! How does someone bankrupt a casino three times, an airline, and many other failed ventures? Not to mention a real estate school that was proven fraudulent. This is why no reputable banks will deal with him or Trump Inc. for years. He owes millions of dollars in debt, bills unpaid, workers unpaid, contractors unpaid. He never paid for his inauguration and still owes numerous cities money for his reelection rallies. 

Tax returns? Not available as he fights to constantly keep them secret. Like his besties — Putin, Jong and the other ruthless dictators he praises — he shares their same affliction of narcissism, a lust for power and more money. He has absolutely no ability to remotely feel anything for others other than himself. His utter failure as a leader in this global crisis further demonstrates the magnitude of his incompetence. 

Our country used to be the leader on the world stage. Now we are a laughingstock. Maybe my country will hopefully learn a huge lesson in that we need to come together, recover from this pandemic, and elect a leader that actually believes in our constitution. America is now in the I.C.U. It’s up to us as voters to save ourselves from this insanity called Trump, our fake president, and try listening to real news. It’s out there.

Mylan Sessions 

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Anyone with half a brain knows that Trump was making a sarcastic joke when he suggested that people inject bleach to cure COVID-19. As any astute follower of Donald Trump over the past three years knows, most everything coming out of his mouth is a joke. If the president has something serious to say, it generally comes out of the other end. At the ready is a team of experts — Pence, Meadows, Hannity, Limbaugh, and of course, McConnell — who make it all shine and smell good. It’s time for people to wake up and smell the coffee, or whatever.

John H. Fisher

Hendersonville

To the Editor:

Lately. through observing the news media, I have seen mass support for gun ownership and confirmation of the Second Amendment. My life of being associated with firearms began 72 years ago when I was 7 years old. I’m not worried about my guns, but I am worried about my Social Security and Medicare.

According to the New York Times, in his latest budget, President Trump has proposed cutting Social Security programs $26 billion and safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid $1.9 trillion. This was after giving his rich cronies a $1.3 trillion tax break.

In the presidential campaign, I saw Trump on television state that he would leave Social Security and Medicare alone.

What else can you expect out of a pathological liar?

Charles Miller

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Despite the social distancing, wearing masks, stay at home orders, and all of the CDC stats and briefings we have witnessed over the past 40-plus days, the COVID-19 curve has flattened along with CDC models that were not altogether accurate. The models were way overestimated.

The American people have been very patient and are now wanting to return to work. Children want to return to school as do their parents. Serology studies are indicating that the virus is not as deadly as once was thought in addition to the majority of affected patients having successfully recovered.

It makes zero sense for the Blue Ridge Parkway to be closed as people want to drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Parkway could easily be reopened with the caveat that they still socially distance on hiking trails and in picnic areas. We cannot continue this isolation. These rules are not healthy for a free society nor for our economy. We need not risk lapsing into a great depression as a result of the government’s desire to “keep us safe.” 

Let common sense rule.

Pam McAloon

Maggie Valley 

The Jackson County Farmers Market will set up at Innovation Station in Dillsboro, Wednesdays 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Testing of more than 2,300 deer during the 2019-2020 sampling season did not detect any cases of chronic wasting disease in North Carolina. 

Planning is underway to address visitor access, safety, transportation and recreation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and public feedback is requested to help park officials make those decisions. 

Pine snake sightings are wanted as part of an effort to help biologists learn more about the reptiles’ distribution in southwestern North Carolina. 

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. As a city, a nation, and a global community, we continue to grapple with the effects of COVID-19 and the impact it has brought to our daily lives. As an institution, we are focused on making decisions that protect the health and safety of our 49er community. Unfortunately, the current “stay at home” environment alters our scheduled plans to observe the one-year anniversary of April 30, a tragic day in our campus history. 

Jesse-lee Dunlap works throughout the county in the Harm Reduction public health initiative. Their work is vital to preventing overdose in the Haywood County Detention Center and making sure that members of the community have their most basic needs met — this means connecting folks with food resources, seeking housing for unsheltered people, setting up appointments with medical providers, connecting people with job opportunities, etc.

Macon County Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Macon County Public Health (MCPH) are committed to helping the citizens of Macon County during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Haywood County Public Health received notice April 27 that a sixth Haywood County resident has tested positive for the coronavirus, COVID-19. The individual is in isolation at home since the exposure to the virus.

Roger Higgins is the maintenance foreman for the Town of Clyde. He is also the town’s safety officer and zoning administrator. His department is responsible for water and sewer services as well as street maintenance, yard waste removal, and town groundskeeping.

Students from Western Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology have checked out 3D printers from the university and are using them from home to help produce face shields for use by health care professionals during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of jobs, income and health insurance coverage for millions. Some life changes, such as losing health insurance through your job, may qualify consumers for Special Enrollments Periods through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplace at www.healthcare.gov, but the time to report that life change and sign up is limited — only 60 days. 

State transportation officials announced a public-private partnership that will use drones to deliver critical medical supplies and food during the COVID-19 response.       

As people across North Carolina have taken lifesaving measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, traffic volumes have plummeted, causing at least a $300 million budget shortfall for the N.C. Department of Transportation for this fiscal year ending June 30.

Earlier this afternoon, Gov. Roy Cooper closed all North Carolina public schools for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

The Jackson County Department of Public Health has been notified of three additional positive cases of COVID-19 associated with the Apodaca Science Building at Western Carolina University’s campus. 

Asheville’s thrumming downtown, a darling of the “best of” list makers and an economic hub for Western North Carolina, stands quiet as its once harried restaurant owners, beer-thirsty tourists and Millennial workers hunker down to avoid the health threat posed by a deadly coronavirus.

Tammy Maney became a public health nurse with the Haywood County Health Department in 2001. During COVID-19 she serves as a nurse, staffing the Haywood County Covid Call Center.

The Jackson County Department of Public Health (JCDPH) has been notified of a positive case of COVID19 in a subcontractor working on a construction site at Western Carolina University’s campus.

Firefighters responded to two wildfires late April 14 near Fontana Lake in Graham County. Both fires burned on U.S. Forest Service land on the Nantahala National Forest Cheoah Ranger District but were 100 percent contained as of April 20.

The public has stepped up to contribute nearly $50,000 to the N.C. Arboretum’s Staff Support Fund, allowing staff to remain employed and create innovative programming while the arboretum campus remains closed to the public.