Robert Burton, a volunteer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was recently chosen as the grand prize winner in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 2018 Share the Experience employee photography contest. 

An anonymous donor is offering $300,000 toward repairs on the Blue Ridge Parkway — but only if other Parkway supporters match the donation by June 30, 2020. If the fundraising campaign falls short, the gift will be forfeited. 

The number of wildlife jobs relating to bat research has spiked significantly in recent years, and a mini grant from the Haywood Community College Foundation will help ensure HCC students get the training they need to enter that burgeoning field. 

The Panthertown Map Association has donated $7,500 to Friends of Panthertown.

Mercy Urgent Care will open its newest facility in Waynesville in early 2020. 

The North Carolina Department of Commerce released the county tier designations for 2020 this week. The designations, which are mandated by state law, play a role in several programs that assist in economic development.

To the Editor:

Our NC 11th Dist. Rep. Mark Meadows suggested that he is bored with his job when he stated recently that “... it’s hard for me to stay awake and listen to all of this,” and “we were probably checking our Twitter feed more than we were paying attention” while referring to testimonies before the House Intelligence Committee. 

In October 2018 Meadows stated in a local interview that “I’ve gone from not running on term limits to being a strong advocate for term limits. I think that four terms, really, for a House member should be about right.” In January of this year, Meadows co-sponsored H.J. Res. 20 to limit House of Representatives to only three terms.

Rep. Meadows is in his fourth term; he’s had the job longer than he thinks he should; and he’s bored with it all. Do Western North Carolina a favor, Mark, and show us you mean what you say about term limits.

We have a good replacement: a military veteran who’s interested in protecting our WNC environment; believes in our founding fathers’ system of checks and balances; and knows that WNC workers can’t really live on $7.25 per hour. He’s Maj. Steve Woodsmall.

John H. Fisher

Hendersonville

To the Editor:

Those of us who watched the impeachment inquiry testimony and some of the factual news reports afterward learned a number of facts. Here are a few.

1. He did it. Trump abused his power for personal benefit. Based on multiple accounts, Trump withheld meetings and military aid from Ukraine to get the Ukrainian president to announce an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden. Whether you choose to call that a bribe, extortion, or quid pro quo, it remains an abuse of power. Ambassador Gordon Sondland clearly stated under oath that this is the case. Testimony of other witnesses supported this fact.

2. The extortion almost worked until the whistleblower complaint got discovered by Congress. The Ukrainian president had even scheduled an interview to announce the bogus investigation, but when word got out about the extortion, the interview was canceled. Eventually most of the aid got released and the jig was up.

3. Trump was not interested in actually doing anything about corruption. The requirement on the Ukrainian president was to announce an investigation. He was not asked to actually begin an investigation, according to people directly involved in the negotiations. Getting political dirt was the only motivation.

4. Trump and Republicans are promoting a Russian propaganda lie. The story that Ukraine had anything to do with the 2016 election was cooked up by Soviet President Vladimir Putin and Russian intelligence. One of the most impressive witnesses testified under oath that the Ukraine story was orchestrated by Russia to stir up dissent in the U.S. and that repeating that lie did a disservice to the country. The intelligence department has briefed Senators of the fact that Russia started the lie about Ukraine. Despite this, many Republicans keep repeating this lie that Trump likes. Trump is biased against Ukraine because Putin, Rudy Giuliani, and other keep telling him the lie that Ukraine supported Hillary and attacked him.

5. The hold on the military aid probably was against the law. Congress had passed a law decades ago requiring aid that had been appropriated and approved by Congress had to be released and could not be held by the president.

6. The hold on military aid had a negative effect on our national security. The hold weakened Ukraine in dealing with Russia both militarily and diplomatically. The hold also made the U.S. appear to be an unreliable ally to every other country on the planet. Other countries are not as likely to trust the U.S. and commitments we make.

7. EU ambassador Sondland, Rudy Giuliani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and others were acting outside the normal diplomatic channels and excluded career diplomats from what they were up to. Trump was directing the rogue group assigned the task of digging up or making up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden. All three — Sondland, Giuliani, and Pompeo — were in direct contact with Trump in doing his bidding outside of standard diplomatic channels.

8. You did not need to listen to the hearings to know that Trump is trying desperately to cover up what happened. He has ordered virtually everyone to ignore subpoenas in violation of the Constitution and the law. Patriotic career, non-partisan diplomats came forward to testify under oath about what they knew, did, heard, and saw. Only because of patriots who place country above loyalty to a cult leader do we know about what happened.

9. Facts don’t matter to Republicans. This became abundantly clear in interviews with a variety of Republicans in both the House and Senate. Distressingly, facts do not appear to matter to a lot of Republican voters either. The lengths to which people are going through to either deny that which is irrefutable or claim that it doesn’t matter or is normal is astounding. 

Bill Clinton got impeached because he denied getting oral sex from a woman. The case today is of a president abusing his power to get personal gain at the expense of the country and an ally and then doing everything in his power to cover it up. Only Putin and Russia benefit from Trump’s actions. I leave you with the facts to draw your own conclusions.

Norman Hoffman

Waynesville

A plan to cut down encroaching trees and shrubs in the White Oak Bottoms bog near Standing Indian Campground in Macon County is accepting public comment through Dec. 9. 

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Nov. 19 to advance two key conservation bills. 

The Haywood County Arts Council has announced the eight local photographers who have been selected for publication in the 2020 “Seasons of Haywood County” calendar. 

Small Business Saturday is November 30th. This is a good day and week to support local Western NC businesses including those that supply Ingles Markets. Buy products for your holiday meals, for gifts for family and friends, or just stock up for yourself!

MountainTrue is recognizing six people for their work to preserve Western North Carolina’s natural heritage through its annual awards. 

Retired Haywood Community College forestry instructor John Palmer has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement award in the annual EcoForesters’ Root Cause Awards. 

The recently released summer camp schedule for The Learning Center at PARI includes two residential camp programs, each offering the chance to learn through hands-on science, technology and astronomy-themed workshops. 

Jim Goddard, a volunteer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has received the National Park Service Southeast Regional Hartzog Award for Enduring Service, recognizing him for the skills, talent and time he has shared with the park for well over two decades. 

To the Editor:

In response to Kevin Brock’s letter to the editor regarding my vote on the North Carolina budget override veto vote held on September 11, I stand by the vote today as I did then. As I have stated multiple times when asked, frankly I have never experienced more misinformation being spread about a situation. I would like to clarify facts regarding how and why I voted yes on the override of the budget.

Haywood County took home top three honors and prestigious Calico Cat award for 2019. The WNC Honors Awards is built on a 70-year tradition of recognizing rural community development clubs for their innovative ideas and grassroots solutions. 

Some things about olive oil you may not know:

• When storing olive oil, keep it away from major heat sources like your stove or oven as well as away from windows and fluorescent lighting. That means you shouldn’t keep your olive oil on a shelf over your oven or in a window.

Extra Virgin olive oil and “olive oil” are not the same thing?

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – is produced bycrushing olives without heat or chemicals.It can have different flavors and different colors depending on where the olives are grown. Smoke point 350 deg-410 deg F.
• Olive Oil – is produced bycrushing and then refining the olives and is a blend of refinedolive oil and extra virgin/virgin olive oil.Olive oil has a higher smoke point (390 deg-468 deg F) than EVOO
• Once opened, you should planon usingolive oil within a few months.

Source: North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA)

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

Better Business Bureau is reminding consumers that the online “Secret Sister” gift exchange and similar invitations are illegal and should be ignored. The campaign, which was first big in 2015, has again been circulating on social media sites, in particular Facebook.

Mainspring Conservation Trust has expanded its physical presence in the Franklin river district by purchasing half of an acre adjacent to its current office building on East Main Street.

Environmental groups working for the benefit of waterways and watersheds in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties were awarded $262,000 in the most recent round of grants from the Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

A grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will allow Friends of the Smokies to improve bear safety infrastructure at A.T. campsites in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Panthertown Valley is one of 14 locations nationwide to be selected as a 2020 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. 

Lake Junaluska’s greenhouse is heading into the winter fully renovated, thanks to a charitable gift Dale Stanton-Hoyle made in honor of his mother, Barbara Stanton. 

To the Editor:

In the 1930s FDR’s administration passed the New Deal. The centerpiece of this legislation was Social Security. Republicans branded this “communism,” a danger to our capitalist system. 

To the Editor:

We need to be clear that the impeachment inquiry is about extortion and not quid pro quo. Quid pro quo (one thing for another) refers to a mutually desired transaction. Both parties get something they want for mutual benefit. A bribe is quid pro quo because each party gets what each wants. A political donor giving a million dollars in exchange for getting a prized ambassadorship is quid pro quo.

To the Editor:

In the stifling summer humidity of Philadelphia a couple of centuries ago, a group of men put their John Hancocks (one of them literally) on a document that many Americans claim to hold dear. Those brave and principled men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor when they declared war against King George III. 

Folkmoot is proud to partner with the Mountain Memories organization and Waynesville’s own Bob Plott to launch the Mountain Memories performance series at historic Queen Auditorium on the Folkmoot campus.

The series opens with “Mountain Memories No. 1: A Hazelwood Gathering” at Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Doors open at 6 p.m. with food and beverages available in the cafeteria. The “Mountain Memories” show starts at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. 

If you’re trying to cut down on added sugar, you may be looking for some lower calorie on non-caloric sweetening options. Here are different options you should spot at your Ingles Market:

SYLVA – N.C. Department of Transportation officials have awarded an emergency repair contract to Buckeye Bridge to repair a bridge on Interstate 40 in Haywood County that will require the westbound lanes to be closed for up to five days this month. 

By Jesse-lee Dunlap • Guest Columnist

After last Tuesday’s town hall forum at Frog Level Brewing, I found myself shocked and dismayed by the number of folks who without any shame stood up in public and asked city officials to move homelessness out of their eyesight. I also found myself very proud of my mayor and other community members who stood up for our homeless population.

To the Editor:

I keep trying to grasp how a brewery can be the voice for a community battling addiction. 

A new drought map released Thursday, Oct. 31, shows conditions normalizing throughout the state for the first time since an Oct. 3 map listed nine counties as experiencing severe drought with 48 counties in moderate drought. 

A celebration of life for Aurelia Turpin Kennedy, co-founder of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at NOC near Bryson City. 

It’s hunting season in Western North Carolina, and non-hunters are encouraged to be proactive about ensuring their safety while in the woods.

Cataloochee Ski Area became the first ski resort on the East Coast — and one of 11 nationwide — to open for the 2019-2020 season with the first tracks made as of 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3. 

It used to be that meat jerky was something that was primarily purchased by hunters, campers, fishermen and military soldiers as a convenient, portable and satisfying snack. With the advent of low carbohydrate (low carb) diets like Whole30, Keto and Paleo, more of the general public has looked to find snacks that are high in proteim - and the spotlight is on jerky.

Voters across Western North Carolina will be making important local decisions at the polls this election season, including choosing who will lead their small town as mayor for the next few years. The Smoky Mountain News talked to mayoral candidates in Waynesville, Maggie Valley and Franklin about their vision for the future.

A new Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway chapter is forming in Western North Carolina, and everyone interested in learning more is invited to an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department in Waynesville. 

Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography has been named the winner of the 2019 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, which is given annually to an outstanding work of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry that focus on Western North Carolina. 

By Hannah McLeod • Guest Columnist

The raid that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was possible because of our military presence (the brave men and women who serve), allies in the region and intelligence agencies. The president of the respected Council on Foreign Relations said on Sunday, “The irony of the successful operation against al-Baghdadi is that it could not have happened without U.S. forces on the ground that have been pulled out, help from Syrian Kurds who have been betrayed, and support of a U.S. intelligence community that has so often been disparaged.” It is true that Donald Trump has pulled troops from Syria in a hasty decision that occurred without forethought, abandoned our Kurdish allies, and regularly criticizes and undermines the work of the CIA and other intelligence agencies. Trump often criticizes these agencies as part of his “deep state” conspiracy. 

To the Editor:

Even though I do not agree with everything Franklin Graham said in the interview that appeared two weeks ago in The Smoky Mountain News, I found it overall thoughtful and respectful. I found it unfortunate that the Editor, Scott McLeod, had to write a commentary defending the interview. We are in a strange place in our country when it comes to public discourse. It used to be seen as valuable to listen and learn from others with different viewpoints and opinions. Now, too often differences of opinions are viewed as “dangerous” or even “hateful.” Thanks for trying to take a balanced approach and offer the public different opinions in your publication.

Andrew Gray

Cherokee

To the Editor:

On Wednesday, Oct. 23 — the day after William Taylor gave damning testimony about the Trump Administration’s quid pro quo on Ukrainian aid in exchange for information which it might use against a possible political opponent — several dozen Republican members of the House stormed the secure room where the three committees (Intelligence, Oversight, Foreign Affairs) conducting the impeachment inquiry were meeting. They attempted to intimidate a witness and willfully broke House rules by bringing electronic devices into a room where they are expressly forbidden.

Thirteen of the Republicans who participated in this lawless, disingenuous, grandstanding effort to discredit the process are already allowed to attend the meetings — including our own Representative, Mark Meadows! In fact, 47 (one out of every four) Republicans can attend all the impeachment meetings by virtue of being a member on one of the three committees. Republicans have participated in every single private deposition.

The meetings are being held behind closed doors to ensure that witness testimony independently corroborates each other’s reporting of events. Otherwise critics would, rightly, be able to claim that witnesses put words in one another’s mouth by virtue of being able to read or watch each other’s testimony. This process of private testimony is consistent with the proceedings used in both Nixon’s and Clinton’s impeachment efforts. Public testimony and questioning come later.

It is shameful that members of the country’s highest legislative body would be willing to flagrantly break House rules. It is even more shameful that President Trump was told about the stunt ahead of time and did nothing to stop it. It is a telling sign that they are scared and getting desperate. With more witnesses coming forward who discredit the President’s claim that there was no quid pro quo in his dealings with the Ukraine, Republicans seem to feel they have to resort to hooliganism, bullying and disruption in order to distract us from the facts which are emerging. Unable to find legitimate, credible ways to defend the President, Republicans have fallen back on creating turmoil and confusion to sidetrack the discussion. We should be able to expect more professional behavior from our elected representatives, including Rep. Mark Meadows!

Maria Chasins

Cashiers

To the Editor:

My husband and I were traveling through Jackson County headed home to Florida when we had a flat tire. I turned into the first parking lot I came to. It happened to be a family restaurant (Kostas, I think it was). It was Sunday late afternoon and the restaurant was closed, as was anywhere to get a flat fixed. My husband had a stroke less than a year ago so he could not help me. 

I called your sheriff’s office just to see if they knew where I could get help. The lady I spoke with said she would find me some help. Before the officer got to me a man named José, who works at the restaurant, came out. He got my spare from underneath my van. He took my old tire off and put the spare on. 

Before he could finish, my jack, which was a cheap one that came with my van, broke and the car fell. José called a friend who brought another jack and helped José change the tire. My spare is a donut and after all of that work, it turned out to be almost flat. Jose’s friend went back to his house and got an air compressor and came back to air up my tire. They took well over an hour out of their day to help a stranger. Neither man would take any money for their help, which we offered numerous times. They just said, “No, we’re not doing it for money.” 

These two men were a tremendous blessing to my husband and me. Just wanted everyone know that honor, integrity and character matter, and they are represented in your town. 

Not to leave out the sheriff’s office, they did show. But as they, were busy keeping your streets safe, José and his friend were almost finished when the officer arrived. Thank you so much. 

Charles and Rhonda Dalton 

Florida residents

To the Editor:

With the whirlwind of horrors in Syria, perhaps we should remind ourselves of basics:

• The Kurds have long been allies of the US and western Europe. They fought on our side in World War I and II. In World War I the Turks sided with Germany. 

• In Syria, the Kurds have saved countless American lives by fighting and killing thousands of ISIS terrorist fighters. The Kurds captured hundreds more ISIS and put them in prisons. The Kurds had also re-taken ISIS-held land — until Trump betrayed them without warning. Until we betrayed them. Over 11,000 Kurdish soldiers have died fighting ISIS. Over 20,000 have been wounded. Sure, they’re fighting for their own families’ lives, too. But they’re saving ours.

• As of October 13, Kurdish soldiers are fighting for their families and their own lives against the invading Turkish army and its warplanes raining fire.

Answer this question for yourself: Why, in only one phone call, would Trump be so persuaded by Turkey’s ruler Erdogan that he, Trump, would betray our brave allies? That’s what Trump did by letting Turkey invade Syria. Trump owes Erdogan big-time because he has two large Trump buildings in Turkey. He depended on Erdogan for getting them built, the first in 2010.

Trump must have known he was giving Erdogan permission to commit genocide against the Kurds — many hundreds of families, grandparents to babies. Erdogan and fellow extremist Muslims have wanted to annihilate them for decades. Many Kurds are Christians, as are my friend Marielle’s family. Her grandparents were the only ones in their family able to flee Turkey for Syria in the early 20th century; Turks slaughtered all the rest. 

As the current invasion got going, American soldiers were trying to leave chaotic, bomb-pocked Syria without getting killed. American troops got no warning that they would be ordered to abandon our bases immediately. Our top military leaders and national security heads got no warning from Trump. The Turks have almost killed many American soldiers already by accidental bombing. This is not “friendly fire.” 

A second question to ask yourself, dear reader: who wins from this historic betrayal? Every expert’s answer, including esteemed Republicans: Russia, Turkey and Iran. Trump owes Turkey and Russia. Turkey owes Russia. The more we Americans betray what we like to think we stand for, the more powerful Russia gets. Look at a map. Putin just got a short route into the Mediterranean. 

Mary Jane Curry

Haywood County