The Haywood Healthcare Foundation, Haywood Regional Medical Center, and Haywood Community College recently held a presentation ceremony for Dr. Bennie Sharpton, a retired general surgeon. 

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, whose mission it is to promote and market the county, is conducting its first comprehensive research project. 

To the Editor: 

“Meet the real Rhonda Schandevel” was what I read on the latest inaccurate ad I received in my mailbox. I began to wonder if those who came up with that title have even met her themselves. Well, I have met the real Rhonda Schandevel and I can assure you that what you’ve read on some ad or heard on television from her opponent’s supporters and big money donors is completely false. Let me tell about the Rhonda I have met, know, and love. 

She is a mother first and foremost to her son, Canie. Everything she is doing and fighting for is for him. He is a vital part of the special needs community and Rhonda will do everything in her power to make sure these beautiful souls who are the best among us have what they need to thrive. 

Her love for teachers and children in our public school system is another thing I have witnessed since I met the real Rhonda Schandevel. Every teacher that I have talked to has shared their struggles and have emphasized how important it is to elect someone like Rhonda who will support them.

Rhonda is a strong woman of faith. Her belief and trust in her Lord is what sustains her and what has given her strength to go through the different seasons of her life. 

I spoke with a sweet lady on the first day of early voting. She said, “I didn’t vote for Rhonda last time and I regret that I didn’t. I think she is exactly who we need to go to Raleigh. This time I will be voting for her.” 

This time is her time and it’s North Carolina’s time to meet the “Real Rhonda Schandevel.” Join me here in Haywood County and my friends in Yancey and Madison in voting for Rhonda Cole Schandevel for N.C. House District 118

Leslie Hipps

Canton

To the Editor:

We have been battered with a drumbeat of name calling and blaming over the last two years. It might be constructive to consider the meaning of several “isms”. According to Merriam-Webster the following definitions apply. 

Fascism: A political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

McCarthyism: A mid-20th century political attitude characterized chiefly by opposition to elements held to be subversive and by the use of tactics involving personal attacks on individuals by means of widely publicized indiscriminate allegations especially on the basis of unsubstantiated charges broadly: defamation of character or reputation through such tactics. 

Socialism vs. Social Democracy: In the many years since socialism entered English around 1830, it has acquired several different meanings. It refers to a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control, but the conception of that control has varied, and the term has been interpreted in widely diverging ways, ranging from statist to libertarian, from Marxist to liberal. 

In the modern era, "pure" socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few Communist regimes. Far more common are systems of social democracy, now often referred to as democratic socialism, in which extensive state regulation, with limited state ownership, has been employed by democratically elected governments (as in Sweden and Denmark) in the belief that it produces a fair distribution of income without impairing economic growth.

Democracy: Government by the people especially: rule of the majority, a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Voting is critical and no longer a choice to save our democracy!

Ron Robinson

Sylva

To the Editor:

The amendment on the ballot reads “Constitutional amendment to require voters to provide photo identification before voting in person.” 

This is a solution in search of a problem. Voter fraud is a ruse that demagogues and self-described nationalists use to fire up their base. It is in fact practically non-existent. 

Significant numbers of citizens lack photo ID. If it was easy to obtain such, or if they had any need for such, they certainly would have gotten such. Their rights shouldn't be limited by the majority, who have such. 

The problem that remains unaddressed is the much more damaging attack against our vote and our democracy by foreign entities and radical right-wing extremists. Attempted manipulation in the form of specious imputations, out of thin air, is a specialty of those who feel that their place and power are somehow diminished by other people exercising their rights. If you think America can't be manipulated thusly, I offer practically any video of our current president, whose "truthful hyperbole" is in fact lie after lie after lie. And the crowd laughs and cheers (at his mocking of Dr. Ford, for example).

 Educate yourself, who would have thought we could be fooled so badly?

Bil Aylor

Bryson City

To the Editor:

John Wooden once said, “ … the true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

I want to address someone’s character that I know well. Rhonda Cole Schandevel has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for her. Her son, Canie, and I grew up together. 

The Rhonda I know is the definition of selfless. She has spent a majority of her life advocating for those who need a voice, including Canie. There are not many people in the world that love as fiercely as Rhonda loves people, all people.  She is faithful and she is undoubtedly honorable. She is compassionate and has a servant’s heart. When facing adversity she will alwayspersevere. The Rhonda that I know is so much more than I can put into this short letter. 

Family isn’t always blood. Sometimes it is also people you choose. And Rhonda is family. My daughter, Sloane Canie, is her son’s namesake, and my heart is so happy knowing that I get to raise my daughter surrounded by Rhonda as a part of our family. Sloane will grow up knowing the Rhonda that I know, and for that I couldn’t be more thankful. 

Rhonda is loyal and loving. Her actions speak for her character and have as long as I’ve known her. She has always been an example for me as to how I want to grow into my role as a mother and an active citizen. 

If you don’t know Rhonda, I urge you to get to know her, not only as a candidate for NC House District 118, but also as a person. I promise you will be blessed. 

Mary Beth Brown

Waynesville

To the Editor: 

Republican Mark Meadows held an impromptu rally in front of the Macon County Courthouse on October 24, as voters were coming in to participate in early voting. Meadows represents the 11th District of North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives. 

Prior knowledge of his appearance was announced only to his Republican supporters. No mention of his being in Franklin was made to any of the press or local media. His arrival in Franklin appeared only on the Republican’s calendar. 

Why did Rep. Meadows slip into Franklin without informing the rest of his constituents? Is his message only for Republican ears? Do we really want a person representing all of us in the U.S. House who talks and listens only to those who he believes agree with him? Are the rest of us satisfied with a candidate who ignores us and does not want to hear from us? 

Meadows has not scheduled a town hall meeting open to the public in the last two years or longer. Voters do have a choice. We need to go to the polls and elect the candidate who will truly represent all the citizens of District 11.

Marge Abel

Franklin

Taste of Local, Ingles in Weaverville. 140 Weaver Blvd. Thursday, November 15 • 3-6 p.m.

To the Editor:

The first duty of government to its citizens is to safeguard them from acts of violence. Instead, the president suggests that worshiping Jews, Christians, Muslims, and school teachers bear the responsibility and costs of hiring private armies to protect our people and our institutions.

I don’t want live in a country where we need armed guards in houses worship and schools. The president’s offhand solution to the violence in our nation, this time in Pittsburgh, is repugnant. If more guns in schools and churches is the answer, then God help us.

George Soros and the media cannot be blamed for the president’s dereliction of duty. In the meantime, the president is obsessed with sending a militia to turn back thousands of families fleeing from murderous violence in their homelands.

In demonizing “the other,” President Trump incites the acts of hate that he professes to deplore. He can express condemnation of such acts all he wants, but his calls for harsher punishments fail to address remedies that might actually work to prevent hate crimes.

The president wants to turn back the clock to a time when “America was great.” He chooses to ignore that his mythical time of American greatness included a time when the people choose our leaders, not the courts or an outdated electoral process, a time when political discourse was measured by civility, a time when armed guards in schools and churches was an unimaginable necessity.

I have no expectation that the president will change his bellicose, hate-driven rhetoric, but we the people who live in the backdrop of the current political divisiveness can do more. All of us should strive to make a sincere effort to treat those whose political opinions we disagree with respect. And let’s do a better job of practicing what our religious faith and moral compasses teach.

John Barry

Franklin

To the Editor:

Recent newspaper stories have provided information about the six proposed amendments to the state constitution. We would like to share why we will be voting against all of the six amendments. 

We quote the State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement for the titles to each proposed amendment. 

1. “Right to hunt and fish:” The people currently have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. But if this amendment passes, it could deny private property owners’ rights to forbid hunting on their land, among other unintended consequences. 

2. “Changes to current victims’ rights:” This is a California billionaire’s campaign that would delay justice and cost tens of millions of our tax dollars per year to implement. If there are changes needed in current legal protections, a more appropriate way is to enact laws, not constitutional amendments. 

3. “Cap maximum state income tax at 7%:” This is a gift to the rich. If this passes, in some future emergency the only way to raise revenue to meet the emergency will be to tax working men and women through increased property and sales taxes. 

4. “Require photographic identification to vote:” A thinly veiled bypass to allow the legislature to enact whatever voting eligibility laws it desires. Our legislature has an ongoing, proven track record of passing unconstitutional voter suppression laws — this amendment could not only deny many students, disabled, veteran, and elderly voters the right to continue voting but also cost all taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. 

5. “Legislature to control judicial appointments:” Why would we turn over one branch of the government (the judicial) to another (the legislature)? That is what this amendment would do, while bringing us one step closer to ending voters’ rights to elect judges. 

6. “Party leaders in legislature to control ethics and elections board appointments; eliminate nonpartisan representation on board:” North Carolina already has a nine-member, bi-partisan state elections board. This amendment would reduce it to eight members (four from each party) and thereby create gridlock, while allowing legislators to change the constitution with impunity. A prior version of this law was declared unconstitutional by North Carolina’s Supreme Court. 

These are the reasons we are voting against all amendments: either “it’s not broke, so don’t fix it” (the hunting/fishing amendment), “it’ll make things worse while not fixing what’s wrong” (the victim’s rights amendment), or “it’s destroying our balanced government” (amendments 3 – 6).  We’d rather see government work more efficiently and not waste our tax dollars.

Lynn and Carol Hogue

Bryson City

A coalition of businesses, groups and organizations calling itself I Heart Pisgah has formed to advocate for greater protections in the still-being-written Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Management Plan. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to hear about hellbender sightings, part of agency biologists’ ongoing effort to learn more about where the giant salamanders live and how their populations are faring. 

A new N.C. Trails website has launched, providing a hub for the N.C. Trails Program and offering quick and easy access to information on state trails, as well as guidance for funding, creating and maintaining a trail. 

For the first time since wildfires ravaged the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in fall 2016, the Bull Head and Sugarland Mountain trails are open. 

A long-awaited section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley in Tennessee will officially open on Saturday, Nov. 10. Weather permitting, the public can preview the Parkway by foot during the morning of Thursday, Nov. 8, with a shuttle operation. Details will be announced Friday, Nov. 2. 

Open Enrollment for the 2019 Federal Health Insurance Exchange begins Thursday, Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15 for coverage to start Jan. 1, 2019.

Groups: recover together, a leading provider of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, will be hosting an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, to cut the ribbon on the new Waynesville office with the support of the Waynesville Chamber of Commerce. 

Many trendy diets like keto, whole30, paleo and carnivore all slam carbohydrates and particularly pasta, but pasta can be part of healthy and nutritious meals.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN is the Corporate Dietitian for Ingles Markets. She can answer your questions about food from the farm to the plate, whether you want to know about nutrition, ingredients, preparation or agriculture.

A sewage spill occurred in Haywood County Oct. 15 when a septic tank pump truck became involved in an accident on eastbound U.S. 23/74 along Richland Creek. 

Canton resident Caleb Henson was part of a class of N.C. State Fair junior livestock show winners that drew a record $190,000 in revenues at the Junior Livestock Sale of Champions Oct. 13 in Raleigh. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is forecasting that coyote sightings will be more frequent in the state over the next month. 

A statewide quarantine is in effect for the Guava root nematode, a serious pest of sweet potatoes that also affects cotton, soybeans, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons and other crops. 

A new wildlife rule has been implemented in North Carolina prohibiting the importation of whole deer carcasses and restricting importation of specific carcass parts from anywhere outside the state. 

The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory has reached a major milestone with the announcement that it’s added 1,000 new species to science in its 20 years. 

To the Editor:

The large sign on the Asheville highway that was apparently put up by a rare “civil” local democrat got me thinking. The sign said, “Fellow democrats…. Move back to the center before it’s too late.” That’s a great message for local democrats and voters as their party has turned into the party of hate, violence, and socialism. 

To the Editor:

Opponents of the Voter ID amendment use the reason that requiring a photo ID will suppress the votes of seniors, minorities, students and rural residents. People in those groups ought to be highly insulted that Democrats and the left, who are the opposition to the amendment, seem to think these groups of people are stupid … unable to figure out how to acquire a photo ID. 

To the Editor:

I am writing in support of Mark Melrose for Superior Court Judge. I am for common sense when it comes to the courts. Jail is expensive and rarely helps people develop the skills they need to get out of cycles. I do support fair and just punishment for those who have done wrong, yet we do not need to lock people up for minor crimes. 

To the Editor:

I can’t vote in Jackson County, but I’m committed to the future of my hometown. That’s why I’ve stayed involved in local politics and supported my dad, Commissioner Ron Mau.

To the Editor:

Listen, if you will. A small child somewhere in the United States crying out in the night. She doesn’t call out in English, nor in Spanish, but in k’iche, her native language of Guatemala. No one understands her; there is no one to comfort her. Her mother has been taken away.

To the Editor:

Amending the N.C. Constitution should not be taken lightly nor done with political intent. This document is 229 years old and was designed to protect our basic freedoms, such as the right to vote, and to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government. 

To the Editor:

As we prepare to vote in the November elections, let’s recall Bill Covin’s letter (SMN, Oct. 2-9, www.smokymountainnews.com/ archives/item/25686). Mr. Covin wrote about teaching in the Ukraine at the time Paul Manafort worked for the Russians there. (Readers will recall that Manafort is about to be tried for lawbreaking related to helping a Russia-backed politician, who took over the Ukraine’s government.) 

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter as a plea for parents to think about education as you cast your ballot in the midterm elections. I have been an educator for 24 years and I am the parent of a sweet middle school girl. I am in the thick of it. What do I see? I see schools running on fumes and teachers facing impossible expectations daily. Teaching has always been complicated. Complicated is great. Complicated makes our job stimulating. Seemingly impossible; well, that is something that takes a toll. It makes us want to leave. The young ones often do. We must make a change. The change starts at the voting booth. 

To the Editor:

As the director of the Jackson County Department of Social Services, every day I observe young families in Jackson County who are struggling with economic self-sufficiency. Central to this struggle is child care for their young children. Whether our young parents are already in the workforce or are still preparing for the workforce by educational and training pursuits, child care is a necessity.    

Women owning their own businesses is nothing new, and in fact North Carolina is among the nation’s leaders in this area. Still, those we interviewed for our annual series on Women in Business illustrate their inspiring stories and unique challenges.

If you’re about to remodel, don’t put a sledgehammer through the kitchen cabinets and toss the tub into the dumpster. 

We used to have an expression in the Army, “The truth changes.” 

After thorough consideration of the options available, the community board members of Angel Medical Center voted unanimously to approve the acquisition of the assets of Mission Health System (which includes Angel Medical Center) by HCA Healthcare. The board believes this transaction to be in the best interests of Angel and the best option for continuing healthcare for Macon County and its surrounding area. 

To the Editor:

President Trump dominates the news with his tweets and public statements, awkward diplomacy, unpopular tax cuts, and threats to dismantle social safety nets. Voters have the right and responsibility to try to change the conversation. But one group — younger people — have the opportunity to alter the direction of national, state and local politics by voting. 

 “Youth vote” is the official term used to describe 18- to 29-year-olds and their voting habits. Of all the age groups, younger voters historically have the lowest turnout. In the 2016 election, 50 percent of eligible young people showed up at the polls as compared with over 71 percent of those age 70-plus. Unlike the stereotypes, the reasons for low turnout among younger voters cannot be simplified and are not about being lazy, self-involved or entitled. 

 There are many valid reasons for lower youth turnout. This group moves a lot — college, work, the service, relationships, adventure — which can create a disconnect with local and even state elections. This can make voting feel less important. Campaign issues often have a greater impact on older people, such as tax rates, health insurance, and Social Security.  

Not surprisingly, many younger people are more liberal than some older folks on issues such as abortion, Dreamers, gun safety, and marijuana. Most don’t understand why full and equal rights for LBGTQ individuals are even questioned in 2018. Many devalue party loyalty, are disillusioned with the role of big money in policy decisions, and define themselves as global citizens rather than “America first” nativists. 

 But, there’s good news spilling over at this time of political discord and divisiveness; many young voters have been galvanized, bolstered by the gun safety activism of the high school students from Parkland, Florida. 

Younger voters are registering, but it would strengthen these positions if more get on board. If you’re at least 18 and have not yet registered (or someone close to you fits that description), please make note. Although it’s too late to register by mail, it is not too late to register in person (deadline is Friday, Nov. 3, to register at local board of elections). 

 You can do it during the early voting period (Oct. 17 to Nov. 3). Your county Board of Elections (BOE) website details the times/locations. It’s called One Stop, Same-Day Registration. Just show up at your early voting site, complete an application and show evidence of residency (N.C. driver’s license or government issued photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, or government check) or a current college photo ID paired with proof of campus residency. Then go ahead and vote. Within two business days, the BOE will verify your eligibility and your vote will be counted unless it’s determined you were not qualified. www.ncsbe.gov/voters/registering-to-vote.

 Your vote will help ensure that that the people elected more closely align with your generation’s values and priorities. Younger age voters now outnumber Baby Boomers. You can make a difference. Join your voting peers to ensure that your town, city, county, state and nation are more inclusive and progressive. With your help, this ship can be turned around.

Elaine Slocumb

Bryson City

To the Editor:

There’s an amendment that will be on your ballot in November that would require everyone to have a photo ID in order to vote. Sound like a good idea? It’s not. If you vote for this, you’re buying “a pig in a poke.”  

The proposed amendment does not say what kind of ID would be required, how often it would be renewed, what is required to get one, and how much it might cost in the future.

What if you don’t have the right one? Drivers license? Thousands of eligible voters don’t drive. Student ID? What if you’re not a student? A valid U.S. passport? Have you got one of those?  

In North Carolina now, all first-time voters need proof of residence. That has worked well in our state for years. Voter fraud is practically non-existent. We do not need another level of bureaucracy churning out voter ID cards, deciding who gets one and who does not. We do not need mysterious, as-yet undefined cards with unknown requirements. 

This amendment is designed to drive poor and rural people away from the polls, not let them in. Vote against this deceptive amendment and all the others, too.  

Leila Tvedt Hyde

Bryson City

To the Editor:

The letter from Ms. Kathryn van Heyningen in the last issue contained some valid points, but she unfortunately omitted others. As reported in the Oct. 6-12 issue of The Economist, a highly respected weekly newspaper, “Whatever the FBI finds, Brett Kavanaugh’s own testimony should disqualify him from America’s highest court.”

Lying under oath while testifying at his confirmation hearing should have disqualified him. Perjury is not a minor offense. As the article reports: “Lots of American teenagers drink before they are legally allowed to. They do not mislead the Senate about it three decades later.” The article also reported on other lies under oath, including incorrect definitions of the “Devil’s Triangle” and “Boofing.” He also claimed that he could legally drink at 18, but from that same article, by the time he was 18, Maryland had increased the drinking age to 21.

As a former investigator in the Air Force, I have conducted many, many background investigations. I am certain that the bureau was restricted in the scope of its investigation, either by the White House or by Senate Republicans. According to news reports, a lawyer of one of the accusers sent the FBI a list of 20 individuals who could provide corroboration, but not one was interviewed. 

I was a Republican for over 50 years and almost never voted for a Democrat, but I’m now an unaffiliated voter. I did not leave the GOP, it left me.

Clark Pearson

Sylva

More than 50 people competed in the ninth annual Cullowhee Canoe Slalom Sept. 22, raising more than $300 for the Western Carolina University Parks and Recreation Management Scholarship Fund.

Mainspring Conservation Trust is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority in a study to better understand what triggers thousands of minnows to migrate from rivers to smaller creeks each fall. 

Proactive bear management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a boost thanks to a $4,000 grant Friends of the Smokies landed from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. 

The Great Smoky Mountains Association has released a new issue of its award-winning Smokies Life magazine.

A countywide stream cleanup held Sept. 22 in Haywood County removed 2,205 pounds of trash from area waterways thanks to help from 62 volunteers. 

The outdoor gear industry in Western North Carolina is expected to take off in the coming years thanks to a recently announced grant the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative awarded to Mountain BizWorks.

Tom Tribble, president of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville, has been named Audubon North Carolina’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year.