A story entitled “Rural County Buys Its Own Medical Machines” on Page 9A in today’s paper about Graham County purchasing its own CT and mammogram machines reflects the complexity of issues that make rural health care problematic. Graham...

If I were a Transylvania County Commissioner, I would always treat all citizens of the county with the upmost respect in a non-partial way, listening to them if they agree or disagree with me on any topic. There would be no vote that would be cast...

   The recent decision by President Trump to launch a drone strike that killed Iranian Major General Qassim Suleimani and nine others has raised numerous questions about whether or not the president usurped Congress’s Constitutional authority....

The recent military operation in response to repeated and escalating attacks by Iran by eliminating the central leader of those outrages, an acknowledged terrorist and serial murderer, has elicited predictable criticism from those who oppose any and...

Our real enemies are not in some distant land. They are not people whose names we don’t know and cultures we don’t understand. The enemy is people we know very well and people we can identify. The enemy is a system that wages war when it’s...

There are many reasons to feel lucky to live in this area. Add this one to the long list: an extraordinary group of talented and caring nurses, social workers, therapists and others who provide help and comfort in life’s most painful time. During...

The decision by the United Way of Transylvania County (UWTC) Board of Directors to dissolve its operation in the next few months presents new challenges for county nonprofit organizations. Over its 65 years of existence, the UWTC has done a good job...

When North Carolina approved its “education” lottery, it was sold with the conceit that it would provide the money to handle most of the state’s public schools’ capital needs and that by using the lottery funds to pay for capital needs, more...

As we are in the midst of another struggle with the Dollar General conglomerate I want to remind people of our power. We are the ones who create our environment. If we do not want the Dollar General in our neighborhoods, then please stop giving them...

The problem with the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani is not that the world has lost a vicious, violent man, but that the world has probably become a more dangerous place for us all. This dreadful situation need not have been provoked, but...

A frequent writer suggests dark doings by the party he dislikes, to wit: “(those) reportedly investigating alleged improper Clinton Foundation and other related matters.” Politely, I suggest going to Charity Navigator, the gold star website for...

My niece was sitting in waiting room at the Transylvania hospital Dec. 19 when an elderly gentleman with oxygen was trying to come in the doors. A volunteer rushed over to help him and another got a wheelchair for him. When the tech called his name...

Donald Trump’s ill-conceived decision to assassinate Iran’s top military figure has caused a fire-storm of criticism from both political rivals and the international community, as, once again, our president makes a move designed to provide more...

“For it is in giving that we receive.” -Francis of Assisi One of the most inspirational stories we published in 2019 was that of Emily Lowery and Thomas Medlock. A decade ago Lowery’s life was in shambles. She abused methamphetamines in order...

While Transylvania County has always experienced some changes every year, 2019 was a year of extraordinary change, particularly in leadership positions throughout the county. Frank Porter, after 34 years of working for Comporium, retired in March...

Mark Meadow’s statement (The Transylvania Times Dec. 23 issue) advising of his decision not to run for re-election in 2020 was replete with self-serving aggrandizement. It is true that he has been blessed to have served the people of NC 11, who...

I would like to thank the Walgreens pharmacy for their kindness when giving my elderly father his flu shot. They were very courteous and polite when I took my elderly father into the pharmacy and let me know they could have come out to the car,...

I trust that the three county commissioners who resigned from the GOP will be returning the campaign contributions of all the people who donated to them as Republicans. Jim Grodnik Brevard...

Several months ago I wrote a letter to the Times giving a mini-tutorial on the absolute legal necessity of complete candor in an application for a judicial warrant. I warned of the possible reaction of the FISA Court to any problems in the four FBI...

On the afternoon of Dec. 7 there was a traffic accident at the intersection of Everett Road and Crab Creek. We have recently learned there was a fatality as a result of this accident. We have lived off of Everett Road for the past seven years and...

Regardless of whether one views the Silent Sam monument that once stood on the grounds of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a way to honor those who fought for the Confederacy or view it as an everlasting symbol of slavery and white...

Silent Sam was my best friend when I was a student at the University of North Carolina. I had silent conversations with Sam daily as I walked past him twice on most days for four years. He offered encouragement to me when I was having a difficult...

Editor’s Note: In Sept. 1897, an eight-year-old girl named Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of The New York Sun asking, “Is there a Santa Claus?” An editorial writer of the Sun Staff, Francis Pharcellus Church, wrote a response...

The house has finally accomplished what it set out to do in November of 2016. In October, Nancy Pelosi decided to proceed with the impeachment. The “debates” in the house were a boring joke that probably got lower ratings than CNN and takes some...

I was in Brevard last week and became aware of the controversy regarding the proposed construction of the Dollar General store on the Greenville Highway. I found no one who favored it. I then read your editorial which explained why the owners had a...