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A chip off the ole mauler block
Just after Christmas, my wife, Elizabeth, and I were driving south in the San Luis Valley of Colorado headed for…
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Greenwood’s slow exit gives Macon leaders rare chance
When Macon County Manager Sam Greenwood retires at the end of this year, he’ll take with him more than three…
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A real-life love story – sort of
It’s an old story, the only one worth telling, really, especially here on Valentine’s Day. It’s a love story, the…
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Harrah’s success should prompt state to allow live dealers
Gambling at the Harrah’s casino in Cherokee is wildly successful. That success — and the state’s own actions — makes…
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Technology can help us beat global warming
By Doug Wingier • Guest Columnist We American consumers are richer than most in the world, and as voters more…
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Tipping one back with Baby
By Carl Iobst Gee, what’ll they think of next. In Olympia, the capital of Washington state, there’s a state representative…
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Catamount Conservation: Eco-CATS challenge WCU community to take on more environmental responsibility
By Michael Beadle The cost of college can get pretty expensive, especially when it comes to paying the monthly electric…
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Ivey wins conservation award
George Ivey, a well-known leader in conservation efforts in Haywood County, received the Pigeon River Award for 2006 from Haywood…
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No excuses
Now here’s a way to bird from your kitchen table, in your pajamas and slippers, with a steaming hot cup…
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American Whitwater withdraws lawsuit on Chattooga paddling
American Whitewater has withdrawn its lawsuit challenging a paddling ban on the upper Chattooga River outside Cashiers.
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DSA drops special tax proposal
The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support…
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Peaceful sounds: Bryson City woman organizes local musicians for a cause
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Downtown Sylva will host a non-partisan stand for peace on Saturday, Feb. 17, with…
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As her craft evolves, Jones’ spirit remains true
By Chris Cooper When Norah Jones swept the 2003 Grammies, it was more than just a victory for a new…
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Recommended diversions
“The Painted Veil” Kitty (Naomi Watts), a bored London socialite, marries Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a doctor and student of…
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Two outta three ain’t bad
Snow and falling temperatures — we’ve had little of the former this winter, and some of the latter — provide…
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Twenty questions
Jackson County commissioners have called for a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on new subdivision development while the planning…
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Development industry opposes subdivision moratorium
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer A group of about 20 angry Realtors and developers showed up uninvited at a…
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Haywood organizations honored for their environmental efforts
The Commission for a Clean County has announced the first place and honorable mention winners of its 2006 Haywood County…
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New golf course owner promises major upgrades
Following several years of decline and neglect, Smoky Mountain Golf Course in Whittier has been wrested away from its out-of-state…
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Broadway comes to Cullowhee
By Michael Beadle He’s been a Beast. An alien bounty hunter. A Rum Tum Tugger and Inspector Javert. And now…
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Mountain Heart serves up musical surprise
By Chris Cooper To say that Mountain Heart isn’t exactly your “average” bluegrass band is more than a slight understatement.…
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The Fine Art of Being Wrong (sort of...)
I spend a considerable amount of time being disappointed by music. It’s sad, because I also happen to love music,…
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Locked away
Coventry by Joseph Bathanti. Novello Festival Press, 2006. 261 pages. When 30-year-old Calvin Gaddy finds himself working as a guard…
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Election controversy plagues Swain
When Commissioner Glenn Jones pulled into the Stillhouse Branch trailer park in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Swain County…
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Ghost Town deal with state should expedite May opening
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The owner of Ghost Town in the Sky and the North Carolina Department of…
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Haywood leaders say tax hike a possibility to meet needs
Haywood County commissioners suggested they could be amenable to a slight property tax increase this year if there is something…
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Opponents lining up to challenge Chief Hicks
Even before filing opens March 1, four candidates have emerged to challenge Principal Chief Michell Hicks for the top leadership…
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Plug pulled on downtown Sylva taxing district
The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support…
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Swain seats new planning board
One Swain County resident expressed concern last week that developers and speculators will rush to break ground on mountainside subdivisions…
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Old remedies for the toothache
As noted previously in several Back Then columns, the Cherokees and later on the white settlers here in the Blue…
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Ask not what your county can do for you
Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their county. Ask not…
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Common goal is the same – a thriving downtown
Downtown Sylva is a special place. The events of the last couple of months only reinforce that fact, and so…
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Tribe, unlike Google and others, isn’t asking for a handout
By David Redman • Guest Columnist There is absolutely no doubt about the economic impact the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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The realities of being green
The Western Carolina Forest Sustainability Initiative (WCFSI) under the direction of Pete Bates, associate professor of Natural Resources Management at…
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On the mark: Cullowhee base-camp raises profile in wilderness emergency training
Landmark Learning, a Cullowhee-based wilderness training center for the outdoor industry, has forged a new partnership with the National Outdoor…
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First of the Floppy Disc: Almond School
I wrote first by hand and then with a manual typewriter. Starting about 1990, I moved “up” to a Tandy…
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Outdoor gear store in Franklin celebrates expansion
Franklin’s downtown outdoor gear store just got bigger.
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Canoe series starts this weekend in the gorge
June kicks off the first of a three-part event at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, near Bryson City, called the Canoe…
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Eat to support the Blue Ridge Parkway
Eateries in Western North Carolina have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation…
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Learn to co-exist with mountain black bears
Mountain visitors and residents can learn more about their black bear neighbors at an upcoming seminar. A program called “Understanding…
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Predator birds come to Waynesville
Get ready for live talons, Waynesville. Doris Mager, better known as “The Eagle Lady,” will appear with her birds of…
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Book details the fall and the rise of elk in the East
A new book has been published detailing the story of the grand, four-legged keepers of the Great Smoky Mountains Park:…
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From slaughterhouse to garden sanctuary
The Macon County Master Gardener Association is hosting an open house from 1 until 4 p.m. June 15 at the…
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Like a good neighbor
The folks in the mountains of Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee share more than a common boundary, they share…
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Great Smoky Mountains Association looks back
The Great Smoky Mountains Association has turned 60 years old, and although it has changed during the years, its mission…
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Bridging the gap between young, old
With each passing day, the first-person accounts of what life was like in the Smokies before Google, iTunes or even…
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Morgan conjures the past with a poet skill
Robert Morgan has a rare and cunning gift: he can sift through the detritus of the past, pluck objects and…
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Cutting courthouse trees was a disgrace
To the Editor: I have returned to Waynesville for the summer. I drove past the courthouse and could not believe…
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Rep. Meadows becomes Tea Party poster boy
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows would like us to think of him as a “moderate or centrist Republican” (SMN,…
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Let’s stop the senseless civilian deaths
To the Editor: At this Memorial Day time of year, we not only honor veterans but also mourn the recent tragic loss…
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