The Transylvania Times -

This Festival of Trees was another success this year due to the massive numbers of volunteers that supported the project — a big thanks to all. The Peoples Choice award this year again went to College Walker for the Peppermint Tree, second place...

Parades are a wonderful part of the Christmas holiday tradition. A Christmas parade with a band is even more special as was the case when the Highlands Christmas parade of Dec. 7 was honored to have two bands. The immensely talented bands from...

I am writing in response to the announcement in the Dec. 5 edition of this newspaper that David Guice, Mike Hawkins and Page Lemel had decided to depart from the Republican Party. The story was striking in its content, and I imagine many people were...

After reading the front page article “Three County Commissioners Leave GOP,” I wanted to write to thank David Guice, Mike Hawkins and Page Lemel for the courageous decision made to change their affiliation status from Republican to Unaffiliated....

We were so pleased to learn that this year’s parade theme was to honor our veterans. Many know that I am the proud wife of a U.S. Marine, Jim Bohn, who was awarded a Purple Heart in Vietnam. When the Korean/Vietnam War era jeep driven by USMC...

You will no doubt receive many letters like this, but I cannot resist saying that the recent action by our three county commissioners leaves me feeling tremendous relief and hope that we Americans can live up to the aspirations of our Declaration...

There is a proposed Dollar General for the bottom of Becky Mountain Road in a field which floods frequently. The field is significantly lower than the two roads, Becky Mountain Road and Highway 276. It’s the perfect floodplain for the French Broad...

I was fortunate to attend the “Christmas Around The World” concert presented by the Blue Ridge Ringers at our wonderful library! The musical selections were superb, sharing the spirit of the holidays, and show-cased the true talent and...

Kudos to our three county commissioners for their extremely brave and bold announcement last week. I am a longtime Democrat and their decision filled me with pride, not because of my politics but because they made their decisions for all the right...

I really appreciated Dr. John Campbell’s column entitled “Can Solitude Help with the Impeachment Crisis?” in the Dec. 5 Transylvania Times. It brought to mind that Dec. 10 marks the 51st anniversary of the accidental death of Thomas Merton, a...

I am so very proud of Mike Hawkins, Page Lemel and David Guice in their decision to leave the Republican Party and becoming Unaffiliated. Hooray for them. They have honest convictions and are standing up for them. This is unusual in “these...

On Wednesday morning I went to Food Lion to purchase the items needed to cook for the St. Nicholas Dinner at St. Philip’s. While standing in line to check out, a little lady came in the line behind me. She commented on my cart full of food and...

The commander of the Japanese fleet on Dec. 7, 1941, after an unprecedented attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, killing thousands of military and civilians, famously stated, “I am afraid that we have only awakened a sleeping giant.” Japan...

We already have a perfectly fine courthouse. The county’s job is to look after its property, including the courthouse. When things age, they fall apart. Wear and tear associated with age is unavoidable. Proper main-tenance and preventative work...

I gather that Mr. Donoghue of Lake Toxaway has had, as a businessman, 40 years of unhappy dealings with environmental regulations. He goes on a rant about environmentalists in general having no common sense at all, and how it is businessmen who are...

As a native of Brevard, I totally agree with Barry Lewis on not installing parking meters in the city. Brevard has been viewed and rated as a quiet, quaint, mountain town with an air of peaceful existence in a beautiful setting. The mountains...

Most cards today are made in China and we think most people are fed up that so many of our purchases are made there. What’s even worse, is that China is a real threat to our country. Once again, Highland Books comes to the rescue with a great...

We did not think Mr. Schenfield was criticizing capitalism in his recent letter about food packaging. Surely there is room in Brevard and the world for businesses to make a fair profit without creating harmful waste. We eat at places such as Sunrise...

It must be the spirit of the holiday season, but I actually find myself agreeing with something that Charles Brendle wrote in these pages. In the Nov. 25 issue, he said, “I suspect Putin goes to bed each night saying “I have them right where I...

After 25 years of living in Cedar Mountain, one of the most reassuring sights in my daily life is driving down “Mill Hill” and catching sight of the old Carr’s Hill Baptist Church, nestled against the hillside where Becky Mountain Road sweeps...

Richard Donoghue’s Nov. 25 opinion in The Transylvania Times completely missed the point of Jim Schenfield’s review of the new Cook Out restaurant in Brevard. While Donoghue is correct that “[a] critical issue for business is to minimize...

The Bread of Life Free community kitchen was witness to so many community members putting their differences aside to provide an amazing feast last Thursday. Almost 450 meals were prepared by the people of Transylvania County for the people of this gr...

There are many things to be thankful for in this season of Thanksgiving. I am thankful the impeachment hearings are over. Whew, was that a long, boring and fruitless exercise. I submit that the needle didn’t move in either direction as the...

We must take exception to people who claim the Mueller report and impeachment inquiry have unearthed no wrong doings by the current White House resident. First, the Mueller report resulted in dozens of indictments, several guilty pleas and prison...

Over the past seven months, our local farmers’ market has collected fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, and other healthy foods to support the neighbors in need in our county. Many local residents bought a dozen eggs for themselves and an additional...