The Nantahala National Forest is reviewing a proposal from Duke Energy that would allow the company to upgrade its electrical distribution system located on national forest land in the Winding Stairs area of Macon County.

A Solar Eclipse Education Program at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont will turn high school students into experts tasked with helping the large numbers of visitors sure to come for the cosmic event understand the science behind the spectacle.

The number of Haywood County beekeepers is on the rise, and a new honey extraction facility is now available for those beekeepers to use for free.

The Southeastern Private Property and Federal Land Use Conference will be held July 29 in Bryson City.

Sign ups for Franklin’s Town Council were coming in slow until the last day, and now there are six candidates signed up to run for three available seats on the board. Councilmember incumbents Barbara McRae and Billy Mashburn signed up to run for another term while Patti Abel decided against a second term.

Numerous law enforcement agencies led by the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office are engaged in a search for Phillip Michael Stroupe II, a suspect who is known to be armed and dangerous.

A friend of mine says drinking raw milk is healthy. Is this true?

To the Editor:

Conservative business owners are realizing that our dysfunctional health care system, driven by private health insurance, is cost prohibitive for businesses.

Michael Grimaldi, past president of General Motors of Canada, states, “Canada’s public healthcare system significantly reduces total labor costs for automobile manufacturing firms.”

David Steil, business owner and a former Pennsylvania Republican legislator, said, “Conservatives should be supportive of single-payer because it costs less. When they look at the single-payer model they will come quickly to the conclusion that it is the least expensive, the most supportive of a free market, and will have the most direct effect on the costs of their operation.”

Richard Master, CEO of MCS Industries — a world leader in their industry — discovered, in an attempt to control costs, that USA physicians average $84,000 annually just interacting with private health insurance. In contrast, Canadian physicians under their single-payer system spend little more than a quarter of that. In the USA, 33 cents of every premium dollar goes to maintaining administrative functions with private insurance.

More importantly, private insurance has not been doing the job they’ve claimed in controlling health care service costs. Master states, “The truth is that private insurers end up paying 20 percent more for health care services than Medicare, which, keep in mind, is our government-run program for people much older than the average privately insured American.” Because of all this waste, we spend more on health care than any other country, and we have far less to show for it.

Master states, “it’s a myth that under a single-payer system, the government takes over the delivery of health care. Not only are hospitals operated privately and doctors are in private practice …, patients in [single payer] countries have complete freedom of choice of providers. By contrast, more and more Americans find themselves in health plans that severely restrict their access to providers.”

In a recent PBS interview, Warren Buffett said, “I think that [single payer] probably is the best system.”

At American’s expense, our bought-and-paid-for-representatives help private insurance propagandize the myth that Medicare for all is socialized medicine and too costly. Both are lies. The fact is, our current market driven system is the most bureaucratic, most inefficient, most costly, and most rationed health care system in the world.

The conservative solution is Improved Medicare for All (H.R. 676). This 30-page bill simplifies and economizes. It is the most conservative, cost saving, and efficient solution.

Watch the movie at: FixItHealthcare.com.

Allen Lomax

Sylva

To the Editor:

President Trump’s campaign staff met with a Russian attorney in Trump Tower to discuss inside “dirt” about opponent Hillary Clinton in June 2016. The information has finally surfaced after months of denial by the Trump folks. Trump’s son, “Little Donnie,” has finally admitted to the fact. After the Tower meeting, Russia released damming emails about Clinton and the inside workings of her campaign staff. Did the Trump folks collude with an enemy of the United States to swing an election? It sure looks like it.

America could have done better without Trump or Clinton in 2016, but I guess we had a bad choice in 2016. I liked Kaisich, Bush, Christie — anybody but Trump.

President Trump is a lying dog, in my opinion, an obnoxious New York bragger with low-energy smarts; all talk and little knowledge about history or world events. He would flunk a high school American history course. In fact, Obama is looking pretty good right now.

The administration has long denied any collusion with Russia, but Little Donnie finally admitted the truth in released emails. Also present at the meeting was Trump son-in-law, weird, shell-shocked Jared Kushner, who now has top U.S. security clearance, and Paul “the Capo” Manafort, then-campaign manager and former Russian representative against Ukraine’s independence. Yes, Manafort dined and cozied up to Vladimir Putin at a get-together in Moscow a few years earlier. Hmm.

All of them had previously lied about meeting with any Russians, as have Attorney General Jeff Sessions and fired former NSA chief Michael Flynn. The Trumps and lies are synonymous — they are like peanut butter and jelly.

Even S.C. Republican Trey Gowdy, who headed up the Benghazi investigation on Clinton, has joined the chorus against Trump’s lies: “If you had contact with the Russians, don’t wait until The New York Times figures it out.”

I haven’t heard much from our esteemed Congressman Mark Meadows about his erstwhile buddy Trump. Meadows, it seems, is far too busy figuring out how to hurt poor people and help the rich get richer, especially on healthcare.

Just remember Rep. Mark “gerrymander” Meadows’ creed: “Afflict the afflicted, and comfort the comfortable.” In other words, make the rich richer and the poor poorer — and never, ever let the electorate  know how badly they have been fooled.

I noticed Meadows has recently moved closer to the airport in Asheville so he can be closer to Washington, where the Florida or French (?) native is truly focused. Meadows reportedly said moving to the airport area from Cashiers saved him three or four hours of drive time to the airport. Yes, Meadows loves the Washington spotlight. He certainly hasn’t had too many town hall meetings. Why meet with the masses? When you’re gerrymandered like Meadows, you are truly a One-eyed Jack in the Kingdom of the Blind.

James Budd

Bryson City

To the Editor:

Thank you for dispelling the myth that indigent defense attorneys don’t get paid (http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/20283). They might not make $100,000 but they do get paid. Thank you also for pointing out that out of 100 counties in this state only “about 15 counties” have a public defenders office. Thanks to TV and fiction books we have the fantasy that court appointed defense attorneys are dedicated defenders of justice. Instead most are trying to fit court appointed cases into an already busy calendar. And, as Danya Ledford VanHook pointed out, the lawyers are often “sole practitioners” which means no staff to do all the research and paperwork.

However, any discussion of indigent defense expenses should include the fact that if convicted the defendant then owes the state for the cost of defense. When released the defendant is held accountable for those costs.

In addition, the discussion should also include the question of accountability. The Indigent Defense Services have guidelines for the quality of defense provided. But how do they ensure that standard is met? How are defense lawyers graded, or are they? Who determines which lawyer gets which case? Is it possible for a judge to pick a particular lawyer because the judge knows that lawyer will get the results the judge wants?

“The concern is that if lawyers know they’re only going to get $300 for a DUI case, they’ll be quicker to just make a plea deal instead of going above and beyond to make the best decision for the client.” You are assuming lawyers do that, go above and beyond, at the current hourly rate of $55.

The belief that “every person is entitled to competent, vigorous legal council” is just that, a belief. It does not mean that is the reality. Without some system for accountability, that belief will remain a fantasy.

Sara Lee Hinnant

Sylva

North Carolina now has a position for a dedicated outdoor recreation recruitment director tasked with developing the state’s outdoor recreation economy, a position modeled after similar ones in Utah, Colorado and Washington.

The new Buy Haywood agritourism guide is now available, celebrating the 10th anniversary of this initiative to promote homegrown Haywood County products.

A man was airlifted from the Graveyard Fields area of the Pisgah National Forest July 12 after falling 40 feet from Yellowstone Falls.

Repairs on the Blue Ridge Parkway will continue through August between mileposts 383 and 389 near Asheville, part of a project to repair several dangerous ruts.

The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Hall of Fame will have six new members when its second-ever class of inductees is recognized Saturday, Aug. 26, at the Southwestern Community College Swain Center in Bryson City.

The 34th annual Folkmoot International Festival will return to Waynesville this weekend for 10 days worth of folk dance performances across the region. This year’s lineup features 10 performance groups from around the world coming to Western North Carolina to share their culture through music and dance. 

The 34th annual Folkmoot Festival in Waynesville kicks off Thursday, July 20 and will again feature close to 300 performers from 10 countries eager to introduce Americans to their native clothing, culture, dance and music during almost 30 appearances across Haywood County and the surrounding region through July 30.

Harris Regional Hospital is expanding its cardiac services, offering diagnostic cardiac catheterization in Sylva beginning in mid-July.

Sign ups for 2017 municipal elections close at noon Friday, July 21. The election will be Tuesday, Nov. 7, with early voting running Oct. 19 to Nov. 4 and absentee ballot requests open Oct. 6-31.

What is the MIND diet?

To the Editor:

The disloyalty resolution article in the previous edition of The Smoky Mountain News (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/20275) was correct in that I said it would be inappropriate to comment on action taken in closed session. Why? Because it was a topic in a closed session of the Haywood GOP Executive Committee. (But that did not stop one executive committee member from violating that trust. By disseminating a false narrative, a gross disservice was done to the executive committee and to those that were named.)

The county commissioners frequently go into closed session to discuss issues not ready for public discussion. Since I was referenced in the article, I will comment on some of the inaccuracies in the article.

No one was charged with “political party disloyalty.” The article repeated a lie that a resolution was passed that would “bar individuals … from holding office ... for five years.”

The author should not have compared a non-story (which was not corroborated) to Russia in 1938, when it was known, as pointed out in the article, that: (a) any action would “require/allow all sides to present their case for judgement” and (b) give “opportunity to present a defense.” At this point there is no story because no charges have been made. But that did not stop the consummate purveyors of fact-free statements from trying to create a story. If the facts do not support their agenda, they manufacture their own “facts.” If and when a credible story develops, that information will be available from the appropriate state and/or district representative.

It is incorrect to state that the Haywood Republican Alliance is a conservative splinter group of the state-recognized county party. The Haywood Republican Alliance is simply a political action committee with no affiliation with either the Haywood County Republican Party or the North Carolina Republican Party.

To correct an irrelevant inaccuracy, I am the chairman of the Cecil Precinct. I have never been a county Party Chairman.

Ted Carr

Bethel

Speaking to his son’s graduating class, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts told them this: “From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to learn the value of justice.”

You can guess where this is going. It inspired me to write him a letter that I’m mailing tomorrow regarding the redistricting issue.

Dear Mr. Chief Justice:

It is ordinarily unavailing, I know, and even frowned upon for a private citizen to attempt to convey personal views ex parte to the Supreme Court regarding issues pending before the court. The approved manner is to hire counsel and file an amicus brief. As I can’t afford that, I feel an urgency to write this letter for whatever good it might do.

It was something you said recently that inspired me to do this.

I’ m referring to your splendid remarks to your son’s graduating class at the Cardigan Mountain School and specifically to these words: “From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to learn the value of justice.”

To live in North Carolina is to know painfully well how it feels to be treated unfairly, and to yearn for justice. The issue is one of those that led to the historic declaration of 4 July 1776: taxation without representation. In fact, our state is so grotesquely gerrymandered that despite close outcomes in nearly every statewide election, the majority power has given itself impregnable supermajorities in the General Assembly and a 10 to 3 advantage in the delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.

I haven’t the slightest expectation that the majority will consider my views, or those of millions of others, on any issue that arises. And when we elected a governor of our party, by a narrow but clear majority, the ruling party promptly stripped him of nearly every authority that seemed vulnerable to legislation.

The party in power has hardly been coy about abusing its power to design voting districts to its advantage. Indeed, that was actually part of its defense in the racial gerrymandering caper that you recently overturned. But that outcome only gets at the edges of the problem, which is that the Supreme Court has never directly held discrimination against citizens on the basis of their politics to violate the 14th Amendment’s promise of equal protection of the laws.

That is the issue which your court has agreed to confront in the pending Wisconsin case. It will be a tough call for many reasons, I know, but I believe our future as a democratic republic depends on it.

My first votes, in 1958 and 1960, were cast in Florida, which was so grossly malapportioned that fewer than 20 percent of the people could elect majorities of both houses of the Legislature. When that Legislature adopted an interposition resolution, purporting to declare your court’s school desegregation rulings null and void, legislators representing the majority of Floridians opposed it.

Then, as now, I had no hope that my vote mattered, which meant in effect that I wasn’t represented at all. Governor LeRoy Collins had broken his lance over and over against the legislature’s brazen resistance to fair apportionment. He had left office by the time the court decided Baker v. Carr and its progeny, which made one-man-one-vote the law of the land. He had left office believing he had failed in the greatest challenge he undertook.

But when he said so at a dinner party in Washington several years later, a Supreme Court justice in attendance — most likely William O. Douglas — told him, “no, you didn’t fail; it was your struggle that persuaded us that we had to act.” When the court finally entered what it had feared was a “political thicket,” it freed millions of Americans from a political prison.

On that occasion, the Court had acted upon Justice Felix Frankfurter’s famous admonition that, “There comes a point where this Court should not be ignorant as judges of what we know as men.”

What you surely must know as judges is that there is no chance in North Carolina, or in any other severely gerrymandered state, be it Republican or Democratic, to restore representative democracy by political means. You are our last hope, our only hope.

Sincerely,

Martin A. Dyckman

(Dyckman is a retired journalist living in Western North Carolina. Reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

To the Editor:

Now that the Republican Party has temporary political control over America a strong push is being made to “promote” Christianity. Christians, beware! Did I mention that Christians need to beware of this effort?

When you boil it all down, Christianity is only a belief. It is not a science. It is not based on provable facts as some political leaders seem to be claiming these days. Some are pushing for teaching the Bible in schools. They will not be able to present that as a book of facts.

I personally believe there are many truths and sound tenets within the Bible. However, that does not render the whole book a collection of facts. Neither is evolution as factual as once perceived and accepted (according to many modern scientists).

Here is powerful evidence that Christianity has been and will remain a belief. The first five words of the King James Version of the Bible are: “In the beginning God created ….” Thinking people must ask this question — specifically, when was the beginning? You don’t have much to work with when you say merely that something happened in the beginning if you don’t know when the beginning was.

Humans seek clarity on the onset of all events, i.e., births, historical happenings, etc. Why do Americans celebrate the Fourth of July? Why not just celebrate sometime around that date? Does anyone know exactly when Jesus was born? Does anyone know when He was crucified and died? Scientists use standard methods in an attempt to establish dates for inanimate objects as well as for life forms on earth. This usually results in a good “educated guess.” It gives us something to go by. We want to nail things down as well as we can.

What compels humans to seek such precision, the truth? Maybe that is just the way we work. We want to understand things in terms of their relative time. Tree rings show foresters the growth rates and climatic conditions affecting trees. Even they are unable to interpret that evidence as facts. It is merely a systematic and useful guide.

Now to the words that are very difficult to say and consider. Where did God come from? When and how did He assume control of the heavens and the earth that the Bible says He created? Native Americans befuddled our European ancestors with those questions. Native Americans had their own beliefs and oral history. Rather than listen to them about their beliefs and historical accounts, they were subdued militarily and endured the “Christianizing” process, wiping out much valuable insight into how they developed their beliefs.

Country Music Hall of Fame singer Merle Haggard sang, “No, you never liked the clothes I wear on Sunday just because I don’t believe the way you do. But, I believe the Lord knows I’m unhappy ‘cause I can’t be myself when I’m with you.” If Haggard was accurate that he was rejected because he didn’t believe like someone else, what does that say about Christian acceptance/rejection of others?

Today there is a religious struggle being played out between Christianity and Islam. Or is there? Is this not really a struggle for worldly power that is playing Islam against Christianity in yet another “holy” war?

In summation: If (1) we can’t say when the beginning was even when some people are claiming that we are near the “end of time,” and (2) we don’t know how God came to be, how could anyone propose a “creation science”? We are left with a belief. We have to choose as individuals to believe or not to believe. Governmental bodies should not be trying to coerce anyone to accept the Bible as a book of facts.

Christians need to look before they leap into the idea of a theocracy for America. The marriage of Christianity and government will corrupt both like mixing coffee with cream. Neither component (coffee or cream) could ever be restored to its original state of being. If Christians want to practice Christian tenets, they would be wise to not allow worldly governments to creep into their environs in search of political strength.

Dave Waldrop

Webster

After the fall 2016 wildfires concluded, biologists feared that the flames had devastated populations of the rare noonday globe snail — but a recent survey revealed that the snail could be closer to coming off the endangered species list than anyone thought possible.

After a couple years of uncertainty, Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva will close its doors on Thursday evening.

A restored brownfield property in Franklin is now home to a hive of Carniolan honeybees.

Environmental groups working to improve water quality, aquatic habitat and recreational access recently saw $182,000 in grants from the Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, with most of that money going to Haywood County organizations.

The N.C. Division of Water Resources has honored 49 water treatment plants statewide for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards, and five WNC plants made the list.

The other night while channel-surfing I stumbled upon an online Sunday School class sponsored by a host of Baptist churches in the Southeast. I was amazed at the participants, all dressed in $1,000 suits. There was Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Neil Gorsuch, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pence and Franklin Graham. Each dignitary sported a Christian symbol in the form of a tie clasp, lapel pin or cufflinks. The emcee looked nervous at the prospect of dealing with such prominent American politicians.

“Gentlemen, I want to cover only five foundational Biblical tenets here tonight for the benefit of our dedicated viewing audience to see for themselves the state of our Christian impact on the U.S. Some might view this particular show as a preview of the leaders needed to develop a theocracy in American government. If you know the answer simply press your green ‘Reply’ button on your console.”

“Number one: What is the first commandment?” Only silence ensued. “Well, gentlemen, the correct answer is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’

“Number two: What is the first question a human ever asked God?”  Once again silence.

“When Cain slayed Abel he asked God, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’

“Number three: What did Jesus tell the rich man to do with his worldly possessions?”

Nothing but embarrassed silence.

“Gentlemen,” the emcee nervously asserted, “Jesus said, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’

“Number four: What did Jesus say to his disciples about the rich man?”

I don’t have to tell you there was no response button pressed on this question either.

“Answer: ‘And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’”

At this point the emcee looked a little bewildered.

“I think I’ll skip the fifth prepared question. We’ve had a real good show tonight. Let the fifth question be simply this: Do you profess to be a Christian?”

My! My! The console board lit up like a Christmas tree. Each man bellowed into his microphone: “You bet your bottom dollar.” Most in the audience went wild in admiration of their prominent political leaders. However, a precious few raised their eyebrows in disbelief.

Before I awoke the next morning I drifted into the R.E.M. phase of sleep. I dreamed that the famous Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, walked over to Franklin Graham’s console, pressed the button and said for the whole world to hear:

“Christ’s teaching is not generally understood in its true, simple and direct sense even in these days, when the light of the Gospel has penetrated even to the darkest recesses of human consciousness; when in the words of Christ, that which was spoken in the ear is proclaimed from the housetops; and when the Gospel is influencing every side of human life — domestic, economic, civic, legislative, and international. This lack of true understanding of Christ’s words at such a time would be inexplicable, if there were not causes to account for it.

“One of these causes is the fact that believers and unbelievers are firmly persuaded that they have understood Christ’s teaching a long time, and that they understand it so fully, indubitably, and conclusively that it can have no other significance than the one they attribute to it. And the reason of this conviction is that the false interpretation and consequent misapprehension of the Gospel is an error of such long standing. Even the strongest current of water cannot add a drop to a cup which is already full.”

I was in awe of Tolstoy’s confident delivery of his brief message. So much so that I went to my bookshelf, pulled out The Kingdom of God is Within You and reread the words he had written many years ago. Most of you know Tolstoy better for his two other very famous works — War and Peace and Anna Keranina.

I suppose dreams are supposed to be a little entangled and hard to understand. I hope my memory is correct and that I actually saw the evangelical show. That it, too, wasn’t merely a dream…

Dave Waldrop

Webster

To the Editor:

Last week’s letters to the editor were critical of the proposed healthcare reform. HRMC executives write, “Without coverage, many ...[are] left without access to the healthcare service they need ....” If HRMC is turning away patients, they are in violation of federal law.

The writers hope for “a bipartisan solution.” I don’t remember them advocating that for Obamacare, which had no Republican support.

They wail about “Medicaid cuts,” but the only “cuts” are to the rate of increase. Even the far left Politico admits, “Medicaid spending goes up under any scenario. It’s just at a far lower rate under the Republican health care bills.”

Elsewhere, they have written in opposition to proposed per capita caps for Medicaid, but never complained about Clinton’s proposal of caps in 1995. Tom Daschle, Obama’s first choice for running HHS, said Congress should fund states’ Medicaid programs on a capped basis. Where was the outrage then?

They cavil that “Medicaid ‘cuts’ could have a detrimental impact ... for many years to come,” but ignore that every study shows that Medicaid enrollees have outcomes that are no better than those with no insurance. Certainly, these health care executives must be familiar with the CDC’s WONDER database which shows, in the decade before ObamaCare, the all-cause mean death rate for ages 15-64 was 310.4 per 100,000 and never higher than 313.5. For 2014-2015, the rate jumped to 320.4.

What is responsible for the surge? Increased insurance coverage or health care? How’s “Primum non nocere” working out for us? Why are they focusing on all the “what-ifs” of reform instead of the realities of the morbidity that ObamaCare wrought?

Many of the claims they make are directly from the Commonwealth Fund, which has been mocked by various publications including the Institute of Economic Affairs, National Center for Policy Analysis, Forbes and the Federalist. One describes their “studies” as “advocacy pieces masquerading as research.”

Maybe the next criticism they will come up with is that if I like my plan or my doctor, I might not be able to keep them. Or, that instead of saving $2,500 on my premiums, they will double and my deductibles will soar.

Dr. Wall asks, “Why does President Trump not ask the Senate to have open hearings? Why the secrecy and the rush to get this done before any public or expert input. We must demand answers.” Did he demand answers when Senate Democrats discussed ObamaCare in secret? ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber said the bill’s inherent “lack of transparency is a huge political advantage” in selling it. There are your “answers,” Dr. Wall.

Remember, if you want to tick off a conservative, lie to them. If you want to tick off a liberal, tell them the truth.

Timothy Van Eck

Whittier

To the Editor:

On Sunday morning, July 2, Donald Trump tweeted a short doctored video clip of him attacking an individual whose face was covered with a CNN (Cable Network News) logo. If you have not seen it, you should.

The original video was filmed in 2007 and taken from WrestleMania 23 where Mr. Trump took part in the fake action by a simulated attack on WWE chairman Vince McMahon. In the current video, the face of Mr. McMahon is covered by the logo of CNN, thus portraying an attack by Mr. Trump on a CNN reporter or possibly the CNN network itself.

Let us be perfectly clear here, this is an incitement of violence against the reporters and employees of the CNN network by the President of the United States. When I was growing up, I was taught by my father and other responsible men in the community to never make threats that I was not willing to carry out. Most of these men were veterans of World War II and had seen the results of violence. They had the perspective that threats were not funny, nor were they a game. Threats, even in jest, are serious, because too often someone will take them seriously and act on them in a serious manner.

Does this video mean that CNN reporters should hire bodyguards or begin carrying a gun to protect themselves from the Trump supporter that may not be mentally stable? This is not an indictment of Trump supporters. We know that that there are unstable persons of every political persuasion. We only have to look to the recent shooting of Republican representatives at a baseball practice in Virginia to see this fact. But I am pretty sure that we should not be fanning the flames of intolerance through this type of tweeted video

In plain terms, if I were to post a video of me attacking a person upon whom I had superimposed the face of Donald Trump, I am pretty sure that the Secret Service and the FBI would be looking into my background and investigating me. Were I to state that I wanted to attack and/or kill the President, I would be arrested as a threat to not only the President but to the nation. If that is so, then what makes it right for Donald Trump to perform that very act on an individual associated with CNN?

David Frost, while interviewing Richard Nixon, once asked if the President of the United States could give an illegal order. Nixon’s reply was that if it was an order from the President, then it could not be illegal. We pretty much know how that turned out: Watergate.

We need to ask ourselves if we have reached that point in our lives and our political system that whatever the President says is legal and law. We need to examine our political parties, governmental systems, and our souls to see if we are alright with the direction that our country is taking. I, personally, am not.

Luther Jones

Sylva

The World Methodist Museum in Lake Junaluska announces its participation in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History exhibit. The “Religion in Early America” exhibition is currently open to the public.

The present pains for drivers on Interstate 40 in Haywood County are temporary.

It seems like every day there's a different headline, tweet or Facebook post warning us against specific foods or ingredients in our foods.  Sometimes it can be hard to sort out the scary information from the facts and science.  Here are 3 basic tips for "Food Sanity" in the Supermarket:

By Rod Harkelroad and Maurice Phillips

Our country’s healthcare system is in the midst of a massive upheaval. Never before have we witnessed such challenges that will impact both the type of care our community receives and the ability of our local hospital to continue providing the high-quality care that we know each of you have come to expect from our physicians, nurses and staff. 

To the Editor:

A wise good man once said, approximately, “politics is about making people’s lives better.” 

I don’t believe that our representatives in Washington will improve a huge percentage of people’s lives, people they elected to represent, if they give in to this abomination of health care reform legislation.

By now, our senators and representatives have certainly seen the Congressional Budget Office score. Of course, it is all about tax cuts for the wealthy. The wealthy are a tiny fraction of the people they are elected to represent. But this legislation will kill people, and it will really kill jobs, unlike the “so-called” job-killing acts of our great former president, acts which afforded the majority of Americans genuine protections, real protections, against financial abuse, against health care robbery, against the destruction of our environment.

I want to plead with our elected representatives to work for America and not just for the chosen, clever, greedy few who always need more and more. Please oppose the current attempt. Work with everyone in transparency and keep America great.

Bill Aylor

Bryson City

To the Editor:

We had the great pleasure of visiting Haywood County on Saturday, June 17, as we attended the Roots of Resistance: Sixties Social at the Frog Level Brewing Company.

At this event, Phillip Price for Congress Campaign team got an opportunity to get to know the Haywood County community a little better. We learned about several great things local Democrats are doing to make the community a better place to live, such as people dedicating their time and talents to the Grace Giving Garden and to stock and service the Food Pantry at Grace Church in the Mountains. 

We were inspired to continue to reach out to folks to offer a helping hand to ensure we work together to help one another with basic needs. We would like to thank Doreen Carroll for organizing this event and we look forward to our next visit to Haywood County, such a beautiful place to work, live and play.

Michelle Price

Nebo

To the Editor:

My organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AARP, the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association and many others are deeply concerned that the fate of health care in America is being discussed and worked out totally in secret, with no hearings before the public, no expert testimony, no input from the major health care providers, from new born nursery staffs to emergency room doctors to nursing home personnel. 

The planned $800 billion cut to Medicaid, the pilfering of the Medicare trust fund, the threat to over 5,000 children in Haywood County on Medicaid, to the thousands of seniors who today or tomorrow may need Medicaid to cover nursing home fees, and the 6,000 people here who are covered by the Affordable Care Act all deserve real open discussion. 

Secret negotiations are un-American! We must ask Senators Tillis and Burr to open this process and reject the harsh bill that was sent to the Senate by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and other House members who seem to care more about massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans than they do for “the least of you.” We should not return to the good ld days when medical illness was the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in America. 

Why does President Trump not ask the Senate to have open hearings? Why the secrecy and the rush to get this done before any public or expert input. We must demand answers.

Stephen Wall, MD, FAAP

Waynesville

The Whitewater Falls viewing area is on track to reopen by July 4 after being closed since wildfire destroyed it in November 2016.

Views from the breathtaking Hump Mountain in the Roan Highlands are now protected thanks to a 324-acre purchase the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has completed on the mountain’s northern slopes.

A plan to make recreational access to the Chattooga River ecologically sustainable calls for construction of three kayak launch sites, new trails to access those sites, trailhead information kiosks and trailhead parking improvements.

The North Carolina Senate unanimously passed comprehensive legislation to combat the opioid addiction crisis that is plaguing the state.

A bail bondsman who faces federal charges for sexual abuse of a minor has been detained at the Buncombe County Detention Center since his arrest May 10 after waiving his original detention hearing, but he will present a case for his release during a detention hearing scheduled for July 5. 

To the Editor:

Coal has played an enormous role in the history of our country, and the infamous black rock remains a primary source of energy. Lighting homes, powering factories, and influencing economic and environmental decision-making, coal can be found (in many ways, shapes and forms) at the heart of the American story. But coal is complicated.

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining (MTR) is the most violent and disruptive form of mining to date — and a great deal of our energy is obtained in this way. MTR involves blasting the summit from the mountain and then bulldozing debris (including timber, rock, and mining chemicals) into neighboring valleys. This process buries pristine headwater streams, leads to mudslides and severe flooding, and permanently destroys an ecosystem that’s biodiversity has been compared to that of the rain forest. Furthermore, coal contributes significantly to climate change.

Coal miners are also struggling greatly. Easily accessible coal is a thing of the past, and modern-day coal mining is highly mechanized — meaning far fewer jobs for people in coal country. We must remember these coal-mining communities, and the women and men who have dedicated their lives to America’s energy supply, as we transition to clean and renewable energy. We must respect them and work toward a just transition in which the people of Appalachia are valued and given jobs in sustainable industries. We must work for economic diversification. Appalachia has been forgotten for too long, and we have much to learn.

“From the Ashes,” a documentary dealing with the complexities of the coal industry and the importance of these many narratives, will be showing at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva on Thursday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. The film is a Tribeca Film Festival official selection for 2017 and has been called “Heartbreaking and enlightening at the same time. A must-watch for everyone because we should all be in this together …” by former Secretary of State John Kerry.  Please join the Creation Care Alliance of WNC and MountainTrue as we engage in this important dialogue.

Sarah Ogletree

Sylva

To the Editor:

Now that the Haywood County School Board is keeping Central Elementary, it’s a good time to consider repurposing it into a unique community asset that could be the biggest economic development in years and benefit the entire county as a “Children’s Discovery Place!”

While there may be many possible uses, none are likely to require all the classrooms, auditorium or playgrounds. Nowhere in the county can you find a more unique asset that lends itself perfectly to this type of development.

The best example is KidSenses in Rutherfordton that has had over 500,000 visitors since opening, is housed in just 10,000 square feet and has an annual economic impact of a $1.38 million. It’s so successful they’ve launched a new division called The Factory to broaden the appeal to teens with a whole new slant on STEM education.

Here’s how it could be structured. Establish a public-private partnership between Haywood Schools and a new nonprofit to raise funds to renovate and operate year-round with exhibits, tactile discovery, playgrounds, concerts, STEM programming, etc.

Engage the Chamber of Commerce, EDC, TDA, Arts Council, HCC, WCU, HRMC and even the county library with its expansion plans to create a Lifelong Learning Campus.

Use it as an asset for public schools along with rentals to private schools. Haywood Schools could expand learning opportunities for all students without incurring any additional costs.

Revenue would come from admissions, grants, sponsorships, rental fees and major private donors.

To make this happen, several steps would have to be taken, including:

• Host a meeting with speakers from other children’s museums.

• Form a “Community Exploratory Committee” and conduct a feasibility study to determine community support.

• If there is a groundswell of support, the committee could start a nonprofit to develop a master plan, launch a capital campaign, apply for grants, seek corporate sponsors and cultivate private donors.

Our school board has an opportunity to launch a transformative initiative that will benefit residents and visitors of all ages for generations. I urge the community to let them know of your support.

John Curtis

Waynesville